"Alright, alright, it''s been so long since west met. Let''s talk about something happy."


    "Exactly, Sherry. I can vouch for this: Leonard has turned down countless women for you."


    "Shut up! If it weren''t for you stirring him up to leave, we could have been a happily envied couple. It''s all your fault!"


    "Alright, alright, it''s my fault, okay? But haven''t I brought him back to you now? Doesn''t that count as making amends?"


    [Deception] chimed in, then turned to Rachel with a smile, "Sister, aren''t you nning to do something for us? After all these years of traveling, the thing we miss the most is your cooking."


    "Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating! You''ve been eating since you were little, and you never get tired of it? Fine, wait here. I''ll cook something for you! Warner,e help me!"


    "Coming,ing!"


    Warner quickly stood up and followed Rachel into the kitchen.


    Meanwhile, under John''s sweet talk, Sherry finally softened, clinging to John''s arm and quietly sobbing.


    It was truly bizarre.


    Five people, all acting out a past that never existed. Warner and the others had been affected by [Deception]''s ability, causing them to create false memories.


    But John couldn''t fully immerse himself in this make-believe past.


    Talking about a shared history with people he didn''t know made John fear that one wrong word would blow his cover.


    The problem was that [Deception]''s ability only worked on ordinary people and had no effect on John. Sharing the same authority, John was almost immune to it.


    "Leonard, where have you been all these years? Can you tell me?"


    "Of course! Um... let me think, how about starting with Spartonia?"


    [Deception] quickly interjected, but before he could begin, Sherry shot him a look that silenced him.


    "Did I ask you? Shut up! I want to hear it from him!"


    "Alright, alright, I''ll shut up, okay?"


    [Deception] shrugged helplessly. With no other choice, John took a deep breath and began.


    "After we left Antis, we first went to the human city of Spartonia. It''s a city full of savagery and violence. In that city, violence erupts every moment. Twoplete strangers might start a fight just by making eye contact. To be honest, when F and I first arrived in Spartonia, we were really scared, weren''t we, F?"


    John gave [Deception] a pleading look, and he immediately understood.


    "Sherry, if it''s about telling stories, I''m the best at it. Why don''t I tell you?"


    "Hmph, fine, but make sure to tell me more about Leonard. I''m not interested in your stories!"


    "Don''t worry, you''ll be satisfied!"


    John had to admit, [Deception] was a natural storyteller. Thepletely fictional journey he described was thrilling and full of twists and turns, interspersed with numerous adventures, loves, and conflicts.


    As he continued, even John found himself getting immersed in the story, pping in appreciation.


    Thankfully, Sherry was too engrossed in the story to notice John''s odd behavior.


    "And that''s how we escaped from the Deep Forest. After that, Leonard was eager to return home, so we ended our journey and headed back."


    "...I had no idea you went through so much. The world outside must have been exhausting for you, right?"


    Sherry bit her lip lightly, intertwining her fingers with John''s. Her tender gaze almost overwhelmed him.


    "This journey can''t simply be described as exhausting, but... if I had to choose again, I''d take you with me to experience the world together. Antis is vast, with millions of our people living here all their lives. But to me, Antis is too small; it can''t contain my dreams. I often gaze at the sea, my mind filled with thoughts. Sherry, have you ever wondered what lies beyond the sea?


    Is the outside world really as dangerous as we''ve been told? I don''t want to, and I can''t, be trapped in this bubble, protecting Antis while feeling like I''m in a cage."


    "If... if you n to leave again, I can go with you!"


    "He won''t be leaving again, don''t worry, Sherry. This time we''re back for good."


    "Really?"


    "Of course, it''s true. I''ve seen the outside world and finally realized that my true home is where my heart belongs."


    John said, hating himself for it.


    Damn, this is sickening!


    But unfortunately, Sherry seemed to eat it up, looking at John with even more admiration.


    "What are you all talking about? So happy?"


    "Rachel, I''m just listening to them tell me about their adventures over the years!"


    "Is that so? I want to hear too. Let''s continue at the dinner table. The food is ready, let''s eat."


    "I''ll help, Rachel!"


    John started to stand up but was immediately pushed back down by [Deception].


    "How can you ruin this long-awaited private moment? I''ll handle it. You two continue, continue."


    John red at [Deception] with a look that could kill, wanting to punch his head in.


    But he couldn''t do anything about it and had to y along.


    "Leonard, tell me more. Did you really almost get killed by the Elven Queen when you were with the elves?"


    "Yes, that was a really thrilling experience, but let''s save it forter when F can tell it too. That way Rachel can hear it as well."


    "Alright, actually, I''m just really happy that you''re back. I dreamed about the day we might meet again, but I never thought it woulde so suddenly..."


    "I''ve been preparing for decades. How can it be sudden?"


    As soon as John finished speaking, Seraphina''sughter exploded in his mind.


    Yes, she had beenughing at him the whole time.


    Every word he said was met with Seraphina''s relentlessughter in his head, much like [Deception], who was also enjoying his misery.


    Damn it, if I had known it would be like this, I would have made [Deception] take on this role. This is pure torture!


    Talking sweetly to a woman he didn''t know at all made John feel embarrassed. Seraphina and [Deception] were just having a st at his expense.


    I need to take back control!


    With this in mind, John changed the subject and asked, "I''ve been talking about myself all this time. What about you? How have you been since I left?"


    "Not well! Your sudden departure left me heartbroken for a long time. I almost made mistakes at work and had to take some time off to cool down. It was only with Rachel''s help that I barely managed toe out of that shadow."


    After that, I focused on improving my abilities. During several patrol missions, I detected dangers in time and managed to achieve some merits. Now, I am already at the squad leader level, in charge of a dozen people under me!"


    Hearing this, John nodded thoughtfully.


    John had already seen through Sherry''s level: 52. Her strength was definitely not weak, with abat power of at least five thousand points, possibly even slightly stronger than Deception in normal condition.


    With such strength, she was only a squad leader in the Guard. It could only be said that, true to its reputation, thebat power in the mid-tote stage maps rose sharply.


    "Unfortunately, I''m past the age for that. Otherwise, I might consider joining the Ocean Guard and be a soldier under yourmand."


    "If you really have this intention, I can help you! But I wouldn''t want you to be just my soldier. I want you to be the general, in charge of the entire Ocean Guard! By then, I would leave the Guard and stay at home, taking care of the family."


    At this point, Sherry''s cheeks were already flushed, extremely shy.


    "General... that might be a bit difficult, don''t you think? I might not be up to it."


    "You can definitely do it! I can feel it. You have be much stronger. You''re no longer the Leonard who needed my protection. If it''s you, you can definitely do it!"