Upon hearing Li Ang's question, Zoe trembled slightly, seeming to want to shake her head but unsure of how to respond.
"I, I don't know. I never thought about it... but..."
She hugged her arms, her gaze somewhat vacant, trying to force a smile.
"You see, they said they would come back but then didn't. Sometimes, I shout their names at the sky, feeling so angry, wanting to rush to them right away, scold them, ask them why they didn't return.
"But, I, I don't even know how to leave here.
"As for what it's like outside, I know even less."
The young girl glanced at the book "The Sword King's Adventure" on the shelf.
"When I was little, I thought everything written in this book was true. But just the people in the village don't like me—what about people outside? Would they hate me even more?"
"What am I supposed to do outside? I don't even know that."
Zoe turned her head, quietly looking at Li Ang, not saying another word.
It seemed like she was waiting for him to say something.
Come with me, there's no need to worry about these things—this sentence was hovering at Li Ang's throat.
If he said it out loud now, perhaps a series of events would follow smoothly—Zoe would leave the island with him, become a member of the team he was forming, and board the ship with him.
And with her being the world's female lead, whatever potential she carried, whether beneficial or not, it would all fall into his hands to handle as he pleased.
Yes, it seemed just like that.
But doing so would make him uncomfortable.
This had nothing to do with the ongoing issue of leading new recruits he'd been obsessing over.
Before, he had never formally discussed this topic with Zoe.
Neither the benefits of being the fantasy world's protagonist nor the reluctance of team upbringing were anything more than his groundless concerns, all stemming from his subjective thoughts.
Now that he had opened the topic, he realized that she herself never had any concrete concept of leaving the island for adventure.
The home at the village's edge, the fields and old books here, a fairy tale depicting a hero's adventure, the daily morning training instructed by her father, the blossoming meadow and the cabin in the forest, the longing in her heart for her parents, the imagination of other things under the blue sky... Over ten years, these simple and monotonous elements kept repeating, forming the young girl's entire notion of the world.
In Li Ang's mind, in the concept proposal of "Nebis Fantasy", which he'd only read a small part, there was no opportunity for her to leave the island.
Or rather, as a player, once the game started, he would only control her on missions like "go kill a few."
But the Zoe before him was someone capable of independent thought, yet her understanding of the world remained half ignorant.
At this moment, whether it was deciding for her, going on an adventure, or leaving her behind to find ideal teammates, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Perhaps it's because before he traversed, he'd experienced such childhood and teenage years, where he hadn't even contemplated what kind of person he wanted to be or what matters he wanted to strive for before being swept onto the continuous rush train, leading life at an easy guess of its endpoint.
Therefore, he didn't want to impose his desires on the girl.
Moreover, now he wanted to reorganize his team and reclaim his destiny. At such a time, easily making decisions for others would be somewhat arrogant.
"You don't understand what the outside world is like; I can tell you."
Li Ang smiled gently at the girl.
She needs to figure it out herself.
That way, no matter where she goes, she can stand on her own in the clouds.
Adventure in the aerial realm would yield glorious achievements, yet also bring about dark terrors.
He had seen far too many adventurers give up due to the hardship of the journey or have their spirits crushed by things beyond their understanding.
Proper psychological preparation benefits everything.
Regarding leaving the island, Zoe might not have a clear idea, making her stammer, unable to speak.
"Let's continue talking about your parents first."
Li Ang held the High-tier Knight's Medal.
"This medal is useful for traveling. Ordinary people wouldn't leave it behind. If they did, it's likely they took the higher-ranked Grand Knight's Medal instead."
"There aren't many who have become Great Knights. Even if they drop out of the rank, there should be clear records, so maybe we can find them soon."
"Oh."
Zoe pursed her lips, giving a very brief response.
Li Ang originally thought she would be very expectant and excited.
He suddenly realized, actually, since mentioning finding her parents, although she was cooperating, she hadn't really shown much enthusiasm. She seemed even less interested than wondering what free meals the medal could fetch.
Eight years was still too long?
"I promised them I'd wait obediently."
Zoe held her hands behind her back, looking down at the rotating tips of her toes on the ground.
"The outside world must be vast, right? I read books and heard them and you say so. It's bound to take a lot of time to travel, and delays aren't surprising...
"Moreover, even when looking for shells in the mountain creek, I have to put in a great effort. Even if I go to look for them, I might not be able to find them.
"If I find them, I wouldn't know how to...
"If they aren't in trouble, why haven't they come back?"
The girl twirled a wisp of slightly curled hair at her temple with her fingers, twisting it more and more tangled.
Indeed, Li Ang was not the one involved, so since just now, he had ignored the young girl's perspective.
For such a long time, alone, she must have had all kinds of fanciful thoughts.
In her eyes, if she waited until her parents returned, however long it took, it would prove they were just delayed.
But if she found them, perhaps she'd discover that it's not that they couldn't return but didn't want to.
How should the girl see herself then? An abandoned child?
Li Ang felt that considering the odds of having an accident in adventure were not low, so they may not have intentionally abandoned her.
But since they originally planned to come back after six years, six years of separation from their child was long enough for parents, he also held uncertainties about their situation.
He scratched his head, pondering what to say to shift the young girl's focus.
"Today, I've actually been really happy."
The one who spoke first was Zoe.
Her temple curls seemed to have been smoothed out, she hooked her fingertips, her eyelashes slightly lowered.
"Li Ang is the first person aside from my parents to talk nicely with me and has taught me many things I didn't know.
"Just now, while you were working at that furnace, I watched for a long time. I remembered when dad sat there working, he'd use a hammer to strike out sparkles of various colors. I didn't understand it at all but could watch it all day, feeling constantly warm inside.
"Today, I felt that way again."
With her long fingers, each joint distinct, Zoe gently rested her palm on her chest.
"But I'm not your dad."
Although Li Ang had a bit of a parenting vibe, he didn't want this identity confirmed.
"Of course not."
The young girl's response was almost faster than Li Ang's thoughts.
"You're certainly not. You're different from them, completely different."
She swiftly glanced at Li Ang's face, bowed her head, clasped her hands, tapping the tip of one shoe, twisting her ankle a bit faster.
"They don't keep promises; I hate them.
"But I like you."
Li Ang admitted, his breath paused for a moment.
But really just for a moment, as he understood, the young girl wasn't expressing that kind of meaning but rather her longing for companionship.
Yet when an exceptionally beautiful young girl spoke this word, its impact was still intensely remarkable.
After she finished speaking, Zoe merely reached out gently to hold his sleeve, silently maintaining eye contact with him, her gaze trembling slightly, laden with anticipation, awaiting answers to all the questions Li Ang had just dodged.
Once Li Ang calmed down a bit, contemplating how to respond and express himself, he still couldn't find the right words.
The pure-hearted girl on the isolated island, her thoughts without a stain of complexity, but precisely because of such purity, this direct and swift declaration truly found him hard to address.
In the silence, he watched the girl's eyes gradually turn more anguished.
Just as his heart tightened, he suddenly saw her body tremble entirely and slowly slip down, leaning against the bookshelf.
Her discomfort wasn't due to their conversation; it was for another reason! What was happening to her?
Roar—
A roar resounded in Li Ang's ears, with a resonating echo, seemingly emerging from the abyss.