In a room of an abandoned castle, sunlight filtered through the gaps in heavy curtains, illuminating a dark coffin. Suddenly, the coffin's lid emitted a rustling sound and slowly shifted sideways. With a thud, it fell to the ground. A few seconds later, Azk Egers sat up, looking rather bewildered. He wore a loose nightgown popular in Runa a few years prior, as though a nobleman had just woken up in his own manor. After a moment, Azk slightly narrowed his eyes, gazing around with a sense of confusion, as if trying to remember who he was. He then noticed the bright sunlight streaming through the gaps, the dust particles dancing in the beams, and the scattered letters lying on the table, the floor, and beside the coffin lid. They seemed like a vast snowfall, covering half the room. Azk stepped out of the coffin, bent down, and picked up a letter with a look of curiosity, then unfolded and read it. As he read on, the bewilderment on his face gradually faded, as though many memories were returning. Azk immediately found a chair and sat down, allowing all the letters to drift before him, stacked like peaks. He opened one letter after another, read them one by one, pausing now and then, deeply reflecting, as if carefully recalling something. The sunlight filtering through the curtain creases slowly dimmed, then came back again after a long while. At this point, Azk had finally finished reading all the letters, completing one after another meditative, prolonged reflections. He glanced at the stack of letters now neatly piled on the table, and sighed deeply and slowly. Then, he retrieved the sheets of paper, the pen, and the remaining ink, and wrote gently: “…I have now awakened, and received all your letters. They have reminded me who I am, reminded me who you are, and brought back many memories from the past.” "Your experiences—how complex or vivid they are—have surpassed my imagination and have even allowed me to finally make sense of some of my earlier questions. From these letters, I can feel your joy, your fatigue, your hope for life, and the heavy responsibilities you carry. I can now guess why you ultimately made that choice; if it were me, I likely wouldn’t have been able to resolve such a decision. From the very beginning, you have been a guardian—first by imitating others, then by being imitated yourself. Next, I will begin a journey, traveling further into the past and bearing witness to the changes in this world. You seem still asleep, but that doesn’t matter—I will write to you about the interesting things I encounter, the unique customs, and the fascinating people I meet. I believe a sacrifice of some kind will be sufficient to deliver these letters to you..." The golden pen tip gleamed in the sunlight, gliding smoothly across the white paper, continuously writing more. ……… Beckland, a sunroom in a row house. Melissa walked in with a clearly under ten-year-old girl holding her hand. "Uncle, Uncle, why is it here?" the girl asked, puzzled. "All the stories I've heard describe mysterious rituals taking place in the basement." Melissa, with her hair up and glasses on, smiled. "Those were informal mystical ceremonies." She then pointed to the altar already set up ahead and the candles still unlit. "You can begin." "Really?" the girl turned to look at the bright sunlight streaming through the windows. "Should we, should we draw the curtains?" "No, it's perfect like this," Melissa replied, smiling as she watched the girl, still quite unskilled, awkwardly and clumsily imitating the way she usually conducted rituals. Throughout the process, Melissa occasionally offered guidance, even stepping in to assist, until the girl successfully completed the ritual preparations. "Alright, follow me," Melissa took a deep breath, her expression gradually settling. "Hmm." The little girl also made a conscious effort to appear serious. Melissa glanced at the candles on the altar for a few seconds, then began slowly reciting in ancient Hermes: "The Fool of a time unbound..." "The one who captures water, who speaks in single drops of joy..." The little girl had never studied ancient Hermes, though she was diligently trying to imitate her aunt, and still didn't understand what she was saying. "The mysterious sovereign above the gray mist..." Melissa continued. "The ghostly fractures, the sacred honey, the debt..." The little girl said it seriously, as if it were a solemn vow. "The King of Yellow and Black, who holds the fortune..." As Melissa finished each line, the candle at the very top did not wait for the child to repeat it—instead, it suddenly swelled to the size of a human head. Within this large, glowing mass of flame, a slender, smooth appendage emerged, faintly bearing an odd, mysterious pattern, yet barely visible, moving with an extremely slow, hesitant grace. The little girl froze instantly, stepped back suddenly, and hid herself behind her aunt. Melissa pressed her lips gently, speaking softly with a warm, gentle smile. "Don't be afraid—just say hello to him." Hesitantly, the little girl pushed her head out from behind her aunt, and saw the strange, smooth tentacle swaying gently in the bright sunlight streaming through the window, as if brushing away dust, or waving at her. "Go on—don't be afraid," Melissa repeated. At last, the little girl gathered her courage and stepped forward to the altar. She stammered out a series of spells she had invented, then smiled sincerely and raised her hand toward the sky. The tentacle, which had been fading, paused for several seconds, as though uncertain and a little awkward. Then it gently lifted, slightly curled, and descended inch by inch. In the sunlight, it gently touched and met the small palm. (The entire book is complete.) PS: I feel drained—will finish the concluding remarks tomorrow noon. (This chapter ends.) 1406. Concluding Remarks (Part I) Concluding Remarks (Part I) I originally planned to take a break and write this later, but perhaps due to timing sensitivity, many friends have sent me numerous messages and private messages asking about it. As I was just about to settle in for a good午sleep, relaxing from the excitement of the closing phase, my phone kept beeping incessantly—I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever get to sleep at all. Completing the book in May was always part of my plan—I mentioned this quite early on, though I couldn’t pinpoint the exact timing back then, so I vaguely referred to May or June. I always wanted to leave room for flexibility, didn’t I? Without the pandemic, I would have been off to Spain within a few days. Additionally, my contract was signed at the end of 2016, and as of early 2022, I still have one book left to complete—around 3 million words—and the new book will definitely be published on Qidian. Now, back to the book itself