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A tidy, simple bed, a table and chairs with a chipped corner neatly arranged, and a slightly aged wardrobe – that was the entirety of the Hero of the South's bedroom.
Impossible.
Yulian shook his head.
It couldn't be that simple.
"There must be a hidden compartment or something."
Yulian lifted the mattress, removed the bed board, and examined it carefully.
There was nothing under the bed except for a little accumulated dust.
Yulian put the board and mattress back, restored the bed to its original state, and then walked over to the wardrobe.
"Nothing, nothing, nothing..."
Yulian opened the wardrobe and checked layer by layer carefully, but found no hidden mechanisms.
"That's really strange."
Yulian closed the wardrobe door and looked at the surrounding walls.
Could there be a basement or something?
As the strongest human Hero, the Hero of the South must have a place to keep his secrets.
Unfortunately, Yulian tested all the wall surfaces but found no sign of any mechanisms.
Now, the only place he hadn't checked was the table and chairs with the chipped corner.
Yulian didn't think the Hero of the South would simply put important things in the table's drawer.
Yulian also didn't think that even if there was something important in the table's drawer, he would still be able to see it now.
But as Yulian had said, this was the only place left to search.
"Pull—the drawer."
As expected, it was empty.
Although it wasn't unexpected, Yulian couldn't help but lower his eyebrows in disappointment.
And it was precisely this small action that made Yulian see rows of small characters.
"Satan Azrael, bjsls?"
"Light!"
As soon as Yulian finished reading, a strong, irresistible white light suddenly illuminated, swallowing Yulian whole!
Era of Humans, sixty years prior.
South coast, Hero of the South's Residence.
After the light flashed, Yulian's vision returned, and he saw an uncle with a mustache suddenly appear beside him.
The uncle was currently bare-chested, holding a towel that needed to be wrung out.
"You, who are you?"
Yulian rubbed his eyes, which felt a bit stinging, and sniffled.
"Kenan."
The sturdy man politely extended his hand and stated his name.
"Hello."
"Yulian."
Yulian hesitated for a moment, and out of good manners, he also awkwardly extended his hand to shake.
"When did you come in?"
"And looking like this...?"
Yulian didn't know how to describe this guy who had suddenly appeared.
"Oh, right, Kenan."
"Why are you... taking a bath here?"
"This is my home,"
Kenan laughed heartily, wrung out the towel and put it away, then casually put on a clean white shirt.
"Your home?"
"Don't boast,"
without preparing first!
Yulian grinned, finding the guy in front of him quite interesting.
Running to the Hero of the South's former residence and claiming it's his home, and then inexplicably acting like it's really his home and taking a bath at a tourist spot?
However, Yulian didn't say the latter half of his sentence. Looking at the room filled with signs of daily life (clothes neatly placed in a transparent wardrobe, a folded quilt, toiletries placed in the corner), Yulian looked out the window in disbelief.
In the courtyard outside the window, the towering tree that used to be there was gone, replaced by a small tree about the height of a person.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, and the wind blew, making a rustling sound.
"What's wrong, young man?"
"Tell me how you suddenly appeared in my house."
Kenan yawned, and his eyes became slightly serious.
Kenan, the Hero of the South?
Yulian guessed uncertainly.
Connecting it to the white light from before, Yulian quickly pulled open the drawer.
Nothing!
There were no small Magic characters inside the drawer!
"Hmm?"
"I might be an adventurer from the future."
"Oh, really?"
Kenan wasn't too surprised, or rather, he didn't believe it at all.
But this didn't stop him from continuing to listen to Yulian's explanation.
"It's like this,"
The person in front of him was very likely the Hero of the South, so Yulian didn't just casually make up an excuse to brush it off.
Instead, he seriously combined the two things: being led by the guide earlier and secretly sneaking into the Hero of the South's former residence by himself.
He claimed that under the guide's lead, he unexpectedly discovered the small characters in the drawer, and after a flash of white light, he arrived here.
What a clumsy excuse.
Yulian silently complained to himself.
"That's truly amazing."
Unexpectedly, Kenan accepted it.
Kenan's eyes flickered, clearly having thought about it.
That intelligent glint in his eyes made Yulian feel uncomfortable all over.
The Hero of the South had the ability to foresee the future, and Yulian always felt like he had been "observed."
"Since you're from the future,"
"Did I ultimately defeat the Demon King?"
Kenan asked uncertainly, as if he already had the answer in his heart.
Since the young man in front of him could live many years into the future, it at least proved that the Demon King's Army had been defeated.
"Sort of, but not really."
Yulian nodded, then shook his head.
Yulian was still clear about the events concerning his own home. Back then, the Demon King's Army, led by the Seven Sages of Destruction, had been winning victory after victory.
It was only later that such an invincible army was shattered by the Hero of the South, who emerged from South coast, with his own strength.
Even if Schlacht took three other Seven Sages of Destruction with him to perish together, the decline of the Demon King's Army could no longer be stopped.
"What kind of answer is that?"
"A win is a win, and a loss is a loss."
Kenan waved his hand.
"It seems I failed, then."
Even though he had anticipated it, Kenan's expression couldn't help but show a hint of sadness.
"No, it was a victory."
"You were already very impressive, having annihilated the main force of the Demon King's Army with your own strength."
"Thank you."
It was the first time Kenan had heard someone describe a failure as a victory like this.
"But it was indeed a failure."
"How far into the future can you foresee?"
Yulian nodded. After answering the Hero of the South, it was Yulian's turn to ask questions.
"You are…"
How did he know?
Kenan smiled, his sharp gaze appearing and disappearing quickly.
"About a year."
"I've been constantly deducing and foreseeing for a whole year, and just as you said, I haven't found a future where the Demon King's Army is defeated."
"Then who defeated the Demon King's Army? Was the Demon King defeated?"
Having been killed in the future time and again, Kenan no longer believed he would meet that Hero of later generations.
He only hoped to learn a thing or two from Yulian, this person from later times.
"Himmel."
Yulian's lips moved slightly, and he hesitated before speaking the name of the culprit who had driven him out of the Demon King's Castle to wander.
Originally, Yulian didn't want to reveal it, but in a sudden moment, Yulian understood.
Since the future already existed, then the past was naturally already set.
"Thank you."
"Yulian."
Kenan's eyes were serious. It was at this instant that the handsome blue-haired young man appeared in his deduction.
"You're welcome."
"Kenan."
Sensing the familiar Magic fluctuations in the air, Yulian's mouth twitched slightly.
"Ask the last question."
"Go ahead."
Kenan nodded, also feeling an irresistible Magic fluctuation.
He also knew in his heart that this person from later generations was probably about to return.
"After you finish training, do you like to go to that pumpkin noodle shop on the back street?"
???????
Kenan didn't have time to answer, as Yulian had already disappeared in the white light.
The silence barrier that had been set up earlier had already disappeared, and noisy human voices were gradually approaching.
"Click~"
Closing the drawer, Yulian disappeared from Kenan's bedroom.
Although Yulian still didn't find out how humans obtained the Goddess's power during this trip, at least Yulian knew.
Everything was actually predetermined.
The only pity was that Yulian still didn't know if the Hero of the South frequently went to that pumpkin noodle shop to eat noodles.
This was a very important matter.
After all, if it were true, that shop would be a genuine century-old establishment, completely worth trying.
But if it was false, Yulian would feel his intelligence being rubbed on the ground again...
"Forget it, I'll go take a look."
After all, he wasn't short on money.
Filled with anticipation, Yulian walked into the shop.
Upon entering the shop, Yulian immediately saw a plaque with slightly familiar characters carved into it, hanging in the most prominent spot inside.
"The Noodle Shop the Hero of the South Must Eat At After Training - Kenan."
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