Chapter 1122 - The Negotiation Breaks Down (1/2)

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

When Wendell said “this is my son,” Hao Ren and several of them had already made up a hundred and one speculations in their minds. Their imagination derived from their prolonged exposure to novels and serial dramas on TV. But they remained silent, hoping that the father could simply explain himself.

“Tell us, if you don’t mind.” Vivian sighed. “What the hell went on?”

Wendell was hesitant. But perhaps he had kept the thing to himself for too long and now needed to find someone to talk to, or maybe he had finally accomplished something in life, and now he had dropped his guard, after hesitating for a moment, he silently turned around and walked to the edge of the platform.

Hao Ren and Vivian followed.

“He’s right,” Wendell said in a whisper. “I abandoned my wife and son. Throughout the first half of my life, I have nothing to show to comfort the soul of my wife in heaven.”

What happened to Wendell was an uncomplicated story: it was about an ambitious man who yearned for an adventurous journey, a complete family that could have been happy ever after, and a tragic ending. The young Wendell had participated in the light-seeking expedition. He had a family at that time: a wife named Sasha and a son named Hope. That year, Hope was only seven. Twilight Capital had stood for 2,300 years in the long night. Countless Lightseekers had failed, and the appeal of the light-seeking expedition died down. It had declined to the extent that, other than the Lightseekers themselves and a few religious groups, no one had any more faith in finding habitable zone outside the shroud.

The Steam Assembly at that time had even begun to discuss the complete halt of this expedition that had been passed down from ancient times.

Lightseekers represented ancient tradition, while the Steam Assembly represented the pragmatism of keeping up with the times. Wendell belonged to the former, and the seven-year-old Hope began to deeply admire the security officers of the Steam Assembly in their smart uniform. Their contradictions existed from the very beginning, and what happened afterward was only enlarging the crack.

Wendell had been participating in the light-seeking journey for more than 30 years. While he traveled in the long night, his teammates had all died. After many days, he made it home in a miserable state, but his wife had died of illness. His son had never called him father since that day.

When Hope attained adulthood, he joined the Steam Assembly.

Today, thirty years later, Wendell once again returned from the darkness as a Lightseeker. He faced Hope, who had become a senior security officer of the Steam Assembly. Human impulses and paranoia had come between the father and son. Hope would never calmly and sensibly analyze whether his father’s light-seeking career had the slightest feasibility; he categorically denied it. And, from the beginning, he did not intend to believe anything that Wendell said.

The son of a Lightseeker was now the most radical of the radicals in the Steam Assembly. Other members of the assembly would at least consider the ancient traditions and maintain superficial respect for the Lightseekers, but in Hope’s eyes, Lightseekers did not deserve his slightest respect.

So, feelings do kill. But what can you say when one’s mommy has died.

Wendell did not go into details about his past. After all, it was unfortunate. He was barely scraping the surface when he told of his relationship with his son, but it was merely for the benefit of those before him now. It was Hao Ren filling in most of the details himself. Hope, the seven-year-old rebellious child of the past and the middle-aged senior officer of today always glared at his father. But other than that, he had never overreacted.

“It turned out this is the case, then it makes sense now.” Hao Ren nodded when Wendell finished. He looked at the old man thoughtfully. “No wonder you were so unwilling to see people from the Steam Assembly; you were avoiding someone.”

“If can, I hope to send you to the ancient sage before he shows up,” Wendell said, pressing his hand on his eyes. “I have sacrificed everything for this cause: my wife, my kid, and all my life. I hope the whole thing will go smoothly. At least the ancient sage will see the messengers from Asgard. After that, no matter what the Steam Assembly wants to do, I will have no more regrets.”

Vivian silently looked at Wendell, the old man who decided to embark on the light-seeking journey. He had shown his courage and determination in challenging destiny. But when he finally saw the dawn of his effort, his faith seemed to have been shaken.

Hao Ren came up to Hope and nodded to him. “I don’t think you trust your father at all, do you?”