Chapter 651 - Stand Anew (1/2)

Alex activated his Teleportation Array as soon as all people who stayed behind gathered.

Outside, he could only see the green leaves around the surrounding area, not giving a single light to penetrate them. Yet, below the trees were the Underground Cave he stayed earlier.

Surprisingly, there was a dead tree that only one person could come in. Normal people wouldn't think much about a dead tree, more so for the one that had been cut half. Little did they know that this tree hid a tunnel that led to a cave. Alex thought someone in the past made this tunnel to escape from others' pursuit and let the cave be.

He then teleported to the actual battlefield, according to Nelson and Anya. It was situated closer to the Ancient Blue Family.

”Young Master.” Nelson appeared as soon as he arrived before leading him to the meeting place.

Alex nodded with a smile as he followed him into a small stone hut they built as the base of their operation. Inside the hut, Anya stood on a chair while looking at the map planted on the stone table.

”Alex!” Anya smiled as she finally looked away after staring at this map for a few hours, searching for the perfect plan.

”Do you have a plan yet?” Alex asked. Anya was their strategist after all, so he wished to incorporate her idea as well, but the latter shook her head in disappointment.

”I see. I have a plan, and the plan is-” He didn't continue as he took everyone's card out and recalled them into the card.

A few seconds later, he re-summoned them here. At the same time, those who stayed in the cave also appeared, making the small stone hut look stuffed.

”So that is your plan.” Anya sighed while the other spirits also furrowed their eyebrows and couldn't really agree with this plan. ”As much as I want to reject it, I can't come up with a single usable plan. Everything will always end up with those Martial Saints killing us, whether it was because they were not baited, or the Martial Arts inside the token missed its targets. I just can't let you go alone or with Leoz…”

”Anya,” Alex called her with a sad smile. He hadn't been able to talk with Anna for a while. He thought it was normal, but he realized that he had unconsciously made a certain distance from her. 'I thought I had gone past it… but the memory really couldn't be erased…'

Anya narrowed her eyes, wondering how he would convince her.

”Can I be a bit more selfish here?” Alex glanced at Anna first before answering Anya.

”What do you mean by selfish?”

”Not long ago, I was punished… I knew I was wrong since it would be really bad if someone took control of my mind. Still, there were many ways to punish me and teach me the lesson. I thought there was nothing wrong, but the past somehow resurfaced in my unconsciousness, making me think it was normal. I didn't realize the first time I used it, in the fight against Moar, or the second time for Black Devil Sect's annihilation, I could use this technique because I believed in you guys. I knew that you all would protect me even in a situation like this.” Alex paused for a moment before continuing.

”Yet, I somehow cowered again after Anna got mad at me… That's why I want to ask Anna first, why did you use this kind of punishment? Having the knowledge and experience, you should be able to come up with another way to teach me.” Alex smiled weakly, looking at Anya with gentle eyes. Yet, Anna could only feel a sharp pain in her heart.

'Why?' The thought lingered in her mind. She thought she could answer it easily, but it seemed there was something that hindered her. ”That's because you-!”

Anna couldn't finish her words and fell on her butt. Her face was filled with despair. The spirits began thinking about the reason before looking away, ashamed of themselves. Anya didn't say anything and clenched both her fists before putting them in front of her face. She didn't wish for Alex to see her like this, and somehow… tears flowed out of the corner of her eyes.

The spirits didn't tell him the answer, but he already knew the answer. ”It must be the previous me, right?”

No one answered him. The contracted beasts also fell into silence, not stretching their hands in this matter.

Alex looked at them again and closed his eyes, remembering Lin Xingzhi. The reason she talked about it when he was in Gacha Palace must be for this. In fact, out of everyone near him, that knew his previous self, only Lin Xingzhi thought him a genuine Alex. She truly cared for him as the Current Alexander Sirius and supported him this whole time without influencing him unnecessarily. Of course, the time where he couldn't help but let out some tears the first time he met her was an exception.

He thought about this possibility when he discussed this war with Sherry.

Anna's body was shaking. She had accepted him the way he was this whole time, but never did she know that her actions still linked up with the Previous Alex. 'I… I have said to him that he is him and the previous him is the previous him. Yet, I am the one who broke this as well… What have I done… I…”

As tears appeared on the corner of her eyes, Alex already knelt in front of her and hugged her tightly. ”I am not blaming you or whatsoever. I know that the previous me had etched his existence in you guys. The memories you had with him should still be in your mind no matter how hard you hid it.