Strange Cards

Chapter 375 An Unfulfilled Wish

Shiyu didn't know how much time had passed, nor how many times she had woken up on the banks of the River of Oblivion.

Time seems to have no effect here; it can't even keep track of time.

After experiencing the last timeline and crossing the last lingering soul, Shigure found herself following the River of Oblivion to a body of water.

The old fisherman, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, stood by the water as if waiting for someone.

Shi Yu suddenly noticed an oil-paper umbrella beside her. She opened the umbrella and walked towards the old fisherman.

The old fisherman stared at the dark sky, seemingly looking at nothing in particular.

Shi Yu, holding an umbrella, walked to the old fisherman's side and said softly.

"This rain."

"How long has this been going on?"

"It's been a long time."

The old fisherman glanced at Shi Yu standing beside him and spoke in a low, hoarse voice.

"I was once just like you."

"I hope this rain will stop someday."

"And just like that, years, decades passed..."

Finally, I hope that [hope] will end sooner than this rain.

"It seems that there is no such thing as a god."

As he said this, the old fisherman's gaze remained fixed on the fine, dark rain in the distance. Countless, hazy hand shadows, shifting like swirling smoke, emerged from the sea, one by one, reaching towards the sky.

"Let me tell you a story instead."

In the beginning, none of the birds could fly.

"They can only hunt on the ground, hiding here and there."

"Until the first bird, bravely flying against the storm, truly took to the skies."

"The appearance of that bird was like a section of the seabed suddenly collapsing."

"At first, there are only small waves that can only spread out a part of the seawater, but in the end, these small waves can often push open up infinite possibilities."

"But compared to the fleeting nature of a human life, these waves take a long time to subside."

"Some of these waves were so powerful that they left their mark on the ocean, forming tsunamis."

"It's like..."

"These arms on the sea surface."

Shi Yu spoke slowly, and the old fisherman nodded in agreement.

"【Soul of Sin】...The obsession of those sealed in this place."

"They were born from the dark shadow of the Seven of Spades, transforming themselves into a timeline, unconsciously repeatedly searching for possibilities within that timeline."

"They are born from the shadows, go towards the shadows, and live meaningless lives."

"But it's just a bunch of empty phantoms..."

"Always searching for a way to save the world, but trapped in a time loop."

"Are you waiting for them to find that only possible timeline?"

Shi Yu asked the question, and the old fisherman, upon hearing Shi Yu's words, unconsciously smiled and replied.

"wait?"

"No, I'm performing a ritual to help them pass on to the afterlife."

"The future of this world is too difficult to bear. Throughout the years, this world has witnessed the appearance of strange cards."

"But apart from the users, no one will remember the cost of using these cards."

The old fisherman sighed and said.

"The desire to save the world will not subside until the end of life, so someone has to come and guide these deceased."

"Whether they were alive or not, they are heroes who are working hard to save the world. They should not be condemned to eternal damnation in this dark and hopeless space after they die."

"As for me, I was the first person to be sealed into this world, and I can no longer become a hero like them. Instead, I have become the most suitable person to accomplish this task."

"But you know, they're all dead, those lingering souls of sin..."

"After all, it's not them."

"Child, in your opinion..."

"Is this pointless?"

Shi Yu didn't answer for a long time, but the old fisherman chuckled self-deprecatingly and continued.

"But there are some things that, even if they seem meaningless, should still be done."

"..."

Shi Yu listened to the sparse sound of rain around her and sighed softly.

"I can help you."

"For what reason?"

"Saving the future of this world is also my goal."

"I lost my loved ones because of something, and they entrusted the future of this world to me before they died."

"I have to do this."

"..."

"That's true."

"How can an ordinary person set foot in this place?"

"Thank you, child."

"May you find the answers you seek on your journey ahead."

Shi Yu looked at the old fisherman, then at the dark sky.

"Before that, I have one more question..."

"Indeed, the actions of the sinful souls, and even their endless cycle of reincarnation after death."

"It's meaningless from an outsider's perspective."

"But what if, I mean what if..."

"If the world depicted in the timeline requested by the deceased is destined for destruction, should we still try to change it?"

"That's a good question, and a difficult one to answer."

"At least..."

I don't know the answer.

"But I do know that one day I too will pass away."

"I sincerely hope that at that time..."

"Someone will also lay a bouquet of flowers at my grave."

After the old fisherman finished speaking, he continued to gaze at the unseen Forgotten Sea ahead.

"..."

"How long has this rain been going on?"

"If I remember correctly, it could be a few years, decades, or even a hundred years ago."

"But thankfully... we've delivered those souls of sin. They were all heroes in life, and they will never be trapped in this dark and sunless space again."

"..."

Shiyu repeated what the old fisherman had said earlier, and at that moment, the arms that had been reaching out from the sea disappeared without a trace.

"..."

"Look, everything on the sea surface has vanished."

"Do you remember? You said that when all the lingering souls of sin were exorcised, the sky would clear up."

But the rain still didn't stop...

"..."

"yes."

Shi Yu responded softly, while the old fisherman looked at the sky and murmured.

"So, what exactly is the reason...?"

Why did this rain choose me?

Shi Yu looked at the old fisherman and remained silent for a while before slowly speaking.

"perhaps."

"It's because there are still people whose regrets haven't subsided."

"There is a phantom shadow on this boundless shore of oblivion, waiting for who knows how long."

"..."

"Oh, I see."

The old fisherman looked at Shigure, and his body slowly transformed from the old fisherman's appearance into that of a lingering sinful spirit.

"I...."

"He's already dead."