Endless Debt Chapter 674 - 185: Journey of Immortality

The rain poured down, and the observation deck was enveloped in an impenetrable mist. Lightning flashed and thunder roared between the clouds, while waves of fury crashed relentlessly against the Paradise, causing the cruise ship to sway slightly, as if it were shaken by a mountain range.

Ewen stood cautiously with Cinderella on the observation deck. From several stories up, they could clearly face the storm. Ewen whispered his amazement, the scenery before them bore a destructive beauty, as if it were the last moment before the world’s end, eternally frozen here.

"I love this kind of severely bad weather," Ewen said, "It feels like we’ve arrived in another world."

Cinderella leaned against the damp railing, tightening her buttons. It was very cold here, as the chilly wind slipped through the gaps in her collar, seeping into her body.

"Then you should become an adventurer, one who challenges nature’s extremes."

Cinderella suggested to Ewen, as she and Ewen gazed at the tempestuous storm rolling in, while her peripheral vision kept analyzing Ewen.

Ewen Flesher might appear as a deeply downcast traveler, but in reality, he was a renowned writer. Apart from this dual identity, he was also someone who constantly hid a short sword in his left arm... an assassin?

"How interesting, Ewen," the stark contrast piqued Cinderella’s curiosity. She lay on the railing, tilted her head, and asked, "So aside from being a writer, you’re a retired assassin?"

"Don’t mind the assassin identity, okay?"

Ewen shook his head, unable to comprehend why Cinderella cared so much about this. Did she think being an assassin was cool? Such a child, indeed.

"Then... are you the Night Hunter in the story?"

Cinderella’s eyes gleamed, "Those novels aren’t fantasy stories, but your autobiography? You’ve written your hunting career into a novel, and the people on the train are enemies aware of this fact, coming to kill you!"

Before Ewen could stop Cinderella’s vivid imagination, she started to babble a whole lot.

"Wow! Will they chase us here? And the deformed, bizarre demons you wrote about in your story, won’t they also be real?"

Thinking of those hunters roaming the night wasn’t a fabrication, Cinderella found herself speechless with excitement. She then reasoned that if the Night Hunter exists, then their nemesis, the demons, certainly must exist too in this world.

Cinderella looked at the distant dark corners, unconsciously moving closer to Ewen, as if hiding a bloodthirsty monster in that depth.

Cinderella glanced at Ewen and whispered, "No... it can’t be, right?"

"Yes, it can!"

Ewen suddenly shouted, and simultaneously, thunder streaked across the sky, the pale light illuminating his face, depicting Ewen as sinister and terrifying.

The anticipated scream did not sound. Ewen maintained his sinister expression while Cinderella looked completely aggrieved, tears pooling in her eyes.

Ewen awkwardly retracted his expression; in his memory, this is the first time he encountered such a situation, unsure how to comfort Cinderella. He could only awkwardly turn his gaze away, muttering to himself.

"Sorry."

Ewen looked at the sea with guilt. The waves gathered into white streaks, ebbing and flowing.

Cinderella seemed truly upset and silent. Ewen turned his head to break the silence, only to see Cinderella reaching out, catching raindrops from the wind, then smearing them on her face, playing a crying scene.

Their eyes met.

"The weather is really nice, isn’t it?"

Cinderella’s words now sounded immensely hollow.

In an instant, Ewen felt his guilt was for naught, as Cinderella looked like she’d been caught stealing, her gaze wandering everywhere.

Cinderella even defended herself, "I thought of all my sad incidents since childhood but just couldn’t cry..."

Ewen didn’t know what to say. Since he met Cinderella, he felt like facing a strange mystery, a cunning sprite. She always brought up odd topics that left him at a loss for words.

"Oh, dear."

Ewen covered his forehead, realizing this was his mistake. He shouldn’t have teased Cinderella. When it comes to this, Cinderella is professional, always turning things around.

The atmosphere reverted to its initial state. Faint string music wafted through the wind and rain, leaving only the two of them on the desolate observation deck, watching the vast storm, unsure of their thoughts.

Ewen mumbled, "Didn’t expect you’d read my books."

"I also didn’t expect the mysterious Blue Jay to be like this," Cinderella scanned Ewen up and down, "Quite interesting."

Cinderella didn’t explain what she meant by interesting.

"What is it?" Ewen reached into his pocket and took out a pen, "Want a signature?"

"No, no."

Cinderella waved her hand and continued, "There’s quite a disparity between you and the image I imagined."

"Shattered your fantasy?"

Ewen laughed, as if expecting this moment for a long time, "Didn’t expect the mysterious Blue Jay is merely an ordinary person... might be even worse than an ordinary person."

Cinderella said, "Ordinary people can’t settle assassins so decisively."

Ewen also replied, "Ordinary girls can’t calmly cooperate with me in killing enemies."

The conversation veered back to a deadlock. Ewen remained silent, while Cinderella shrugged her shoulders.

They were all people with secrets, gathered together temporarily through various strange experiences, like a wolf and a hyena traveling together. Under this seemingly close relationship lay unbridgeable boundaries. The two tacitly kept silent but occasionally tested each other.

Curiosity.

Ewen squinted his eyes, facing the cold wind head-on, with the drizzle hitting his face. In a daze, he seemed to have returned to many years ago, when he was still a young man, his first time facing a storm, and his first time at sea.

"Did you tell that person this is the end of your journey?"

Cinderella wiped the raindrops off her face, recalling the conversation between Ewen and Nolen. Cinderella wasn’t sure how long Ewen had been traveling or where he had come from, but from the conversation, it seemed Free Port was Ewen’s final destination.

Ewen said, "I guess so."

"What will you do after you finish your journey? Go home to continue writing?"

"I told you before, I don’t like endings, not to mention so-called final destinations," Ewen smiled with squinty eyes, "The end of one journey marks the beginning of another."

"So what do you plan to do on your next journey?" Cinderella continued to ask, "You embarked on this journey to visit old friends, so what will drive you next time?"

Ewen thought for a moment, smiled, and shook his head, "You wouldn’t believe it even if I told you."

"Go ahead and tell me," Cinderella was very curious, "Just pretend to fool me."

"Hmm..."

Ewen furrowed his brows and then revealed the secret in his heart.

"Immortality."

Cinderella was taken aback for a moment, and Ewen went on to emphasize.

"This journey is merely to say goodbye to old friends, to avoid leaving any regrets behind. The journey that follows after this is the real journey.

The journey to seek immortality."

Lightning danced in the sky, casting Ewen’s face in black and white, his pale hair swirling in the fierce wind. Cinderella looked into Ewen’s eyes, in which she could see her own clear reflection.

Cinderella praised, "Sounds like something a villain in a story would say."

She then asked, "Immortality? Are you serious?"

Ewen laughed, "See, I knew you wouldn’t believe it."

"Saying goodbye to old friends, avoiding regrets... Do you think you might die on the path to seeking immortality?"

"That’s immortality after all, Cinderella. Ignoring the shackles of fate and time comes at a price when you want to seize such a thing."

Regarding death, Ewen was unafraid.

Cinderella felt somewhat shocked, guessing Ewen was fooling her because how could immortality exist in this world? Yet she also felt he wasn’t lying.

The girl trembled, as if the cold wind wrapped around her body, freezing her nerves. The atmosphere truly resembled a story, where a sinister secret is birthed, and another evil will rises, with a rational Poet plunging into madness in search of immortality.

Ewen’s smile grew increasingly strange, as if he were deliberately smiling, forcing the corners of his mouth upwards, baring his teeth.

Cinderella stepped back in fear, and after another clap of thunder, Ewen suddenly dropped all bizarre behavior, returning to his familiar self, as if what had just happened was merely an illusion.

"Did I scare you?"

Ewen looked victorious, "I do have a knack for telling horror stories."

Cinderella crossed her arms in front of her chest, standing dazed for a long time before coming to her senses, speaking slowly.

"Horror story?" Cinderella said, "Was that just a story?"

"What else would it be?"

Ewen maintained a nonchalant demeanor, looking as if everything he had said was just a fabricated lie, "You don’t really believe in the existence of immortality, do you?"

Ewen then whispered, "You also don’t believe there really exists a Night Hunter or a Demon in this world, do you?"

Cinderella was silent, showing an aggrieved expression, and this time it wasn’t an act—she was truly frightened by the terrifying aura Ewen exuded.

"Jerk!"

She hit Ewen’s body in exasperation, while Ewen laughed heartily, feeling great about getting the upper hand with the girl.

"Stop testing each other, Cinderella."

Ewen grasped the girl’s hands, holding her as still as a cat picked up.

"You’re curious about my secret, and I’m curious about yours," Ewen suggested, "How about we exchange secrets?

I’ll tell you my past, and you’ll tell me your future."

Ewen didn’t wait for Cinderella’s response, facing the storm, and began telling his story.

"It was thirty-three years ago..."