Xia De observed the expression of the Lady before him:
“Defeat you? Are you referring to riddles? A battle of wisdom?”
Xia De blinked.
“No, exactly as you understand it, combat.”
“Um, you… you’re not joking, are you?”
“Of course, this is not a joke. Defeating me now is your third trial.”
The White-robed Lady said gently, the light around her still as soft as ever, and she made an inviting gesture.
“Is this really a trial I can complete?”
The first two tasks, proving himself at the banquet and investigating the Old Professor’s secret, while increasing in difficulty, were still within an acceptable range. The difference in difficulty between the third trial and the first two, to use an inappropriate analogy, was similar to the difference between “defeating the God of Vampires” and “defeating a talking white mouse” or “defeating Mia the orange cat.”
“Every trial has a possibility of completion for you.”
The White-robed Lady reiterated the sentence Xia De heard when he first arrived. Xia De pursed his lips:
“I thought the trials I had to complete were all trials of wisdom. Why must it be a test of strength?”
The White-robed Lady said softly:
“First trial, you proved your value in the material world; second trial, you proved your initiative and judgment; third trial, you must prove your strength. This time, prove your strength to me.
I will suppress my power and use the mystical system of this era to contend with you. You don’t need to worry about that.”
Xia De gripped Night Watchman. Although he still felt this trial was somewhat absurd, he nodded in acceptance.
Two of the four trials were already complete. At this point, he had to give it a try. Although he no longer had the youthful immortality leaf, he felt that even if he lost, the Lady before him wouldn’t beat him to a point of no recovery.
Xia De looked at Professor Drake, who was sitting in a wheelchair, head bowed and weeping on the lake surface:
“Let’s resolve the Old Professor’s problem first.
Professor Drake, here’s the thing: I brought you here, and you can make an additional wish or ask a question. Please rest assured, no price is required. You can ask this Lady to restore your legs so you can walk again, or to erase the memories of this journey. You can even ask her to erase all memories of me from your mind, as if this winter, you did nothing and just lived as before.”
The Old Professor kept his head down and said nothing. Xia De continued:
“I understand your feelings. I once heard a story about a human and a dragon. Someone longed for a dragon, wanting to see one at all times, but when the dragon fulfilled his wish and truly appeared, he was scared out of his wits. This is normal, you don’t need to take it to heart.”
“I was actually frightened by my own wisdom.”
The Old Professor said, shaking his head.
“wisdom and Knowledge are inherently a heavy power, a heavy burden.”
The White-robed Lady’s voice was very soft. Xia De nodded from the side. As an Outsider in this world, he deeply felt the truth of this statement:
“wisdom and Knowledge are also wealth, but we all know that more wealth isn’t necessarily better. Professor Drake, make your wish. Because of my trial, I deliberately unearthed your forgotten past, so I have an obligation to rebury it. Please make a wish to end all of this; it is what you deserve.”
Although this meant wasting one of Xia De’s gift opportunities, Xia De believed he should do so.
The Old Professor wiped his face with the back of his hand and looked up at the two people on the lake surface. The White-robed Lady was surrounded by pure white holy light, and the young man holding a sword had silver-white Moonlight:
“O wise one in the lake, O Lake Goddess on the water, I make my wish to you…”
The Old Professor stretched out his trembling hand and pointed at Xia De:
“Before your fair duel with this gentleman, please give this gentleman as much help as possible.”
“What?”
Xia De looked at the Old Professor with some surprise, but the Old Professor just shook his head. He looked at Xia De, his old face showing exceptionally weary eyes:
“Mr. Watson, all decisions are my own choices.
The fear of wisdom is my own thought. I’ve grown accustomed to these legs, and I don’t want to die with doubts. Since I’ve learned the truth today, why is it necessary to forget it? I pursued wisdom back then, and abandoned it out of fear. So why is it necessary to go back on it now? A fool, I only need to be one once.”
The midday sun shone on the Old Professor, but it only made him appear more hunched:
“Knowing this much is enough for now. At least when I lie in my grave, I will consider myself happy, because there will be no other questions in my life.”
“I once gave you other opportunities. Your wisdom was enough for me to give you more power, but you chose the worst outcome back then. This choice now is not the worst, but it is not the best either.”
The White-robed Lady said to the Old Professor. Xia De didn’t understand this sentence, but the Old Professor did. He lowered his eyes, his hoarse voice almost singing:
“We live on a calm Island called ignorance, surrounded by an endless black ocean, and we were never meant to sail far. The dark grave is before me, and I wish to sleep here forever, listening to the wind and waves.”
“He fears wisdom.”
The White-robed Lady said to Xia De. Xia De shook his head at the Lady:
“Not fear, but reverence. To distance oneself out of reverence can also be considered a form of wisdom. At least the Old Professor himself will be happy before he dies.”
The White-robed Lady showed a gentle smile:
“It seems you understand. In response to Professor Drake’s wish, I allow you to control the lake water beneath your feet.”
“Okay, I can control the water here, and now, I will defeat you here.”
Xia De sighed softly. Having permission meant he could move freely in this body of water.
But this kind of help was not enough to give Xia De any advantage. It wasn’t that he was timid or weak, nor was it excessive humility. Priest Augustus had said that the Lake Goddess was a genuine ancient angel, whose status would not be much lower than the First Angel.
Even if the angel suppressed her power, Xia De, with his considerable self-awareness, believed he probably wouldn't gain the upper hand.
As for using divinity here, that was even more impossible. Using a drop of divinity for another drop of divinity was simply meaningless.
PS: Please vote.
This chapter is short because it’s a small section that was accidentally posted (facepalm). It was originally the first half of a 5K chapter, released due to an operational error. Tomorrow’s extra update will complete this plotline, so it won’t be short.
