Sarriels words seemed simple but to Ryu they were game changing.
'Infamy and goodwill…'
Now that he thought about it, Sarriel was perfectly correct. If Faith was just about notoriety, why did it have to be either good or bad? In fact, it would make sense if it was both.
Even taking it a step further, Ryu suddenly remembered back to the Zu Clan. They had been responsible for all sorts of atrocities but they were still considered one of the most powerful Clans in the history of Sacrum.
Ryu had always thought that this was a matter of timeline. The Zu Clan should have committed the worst of its acts near the tail end of its dynasty, it was only in this way that they managed to survive. Maybe those acts were even a last effort to recover their waning strength. But now… Ryu suddenly felt that these matters weren't so simple.
That man, that very same man that had somehow met all four Zu Ancestors in vastly different timelines… Maybe it wasn't such a coincidence after all. Maybe it was the fact that the knowledge he brought back helped such things.
But that left the largest elephant in the room… Why?
What was special about the Zu Clan? Even now, they were just a shell of their former selves. If not for a debt of gratitude Ryu felt toward his Master, they would have died during the collapse of the Ice Devil Legacy World because he had had more than enough strength to kill them all.
Ryu shook his head. These were useless thoughts. The scope of that man was far beyond him. If he was going to waste his time trying to understand an existence like that, he might as well focus on the Phoenix Sky God instead, at least that way he could find a way to release himself of this chain that was weighing him down.
Ryu very much wanted to connect with his former Spiritual Foundation. In fact, if he had a choice right now between it and his current one, he wouldn't even hesitate.
He knew well that his original Spiritual Foundation wasn't necessarily of a high Grade, but he didn't care. He would rather be in full control of himself. Any weaknesses brought about by poor talent could be more than made up for with not only his other Talents, but various other methods.
Ryu had done a lot of research into improving Spiritual Foundations for the sake of his parents during his first life, but much of that effort was put into resurrecting extinct Spiritual Herbs. If he entered a world where that was no longer a problem…
He was confident in his ability.
"It seems that this is goodbye." Ryu suddenly said.
He looked over toward Sarriel, a calm expression on his face. By now, the battle in the distance had gone away from them enough for Sarriel to leave undetected as she wished. Though that group had definitely spotted them, it wasn't like Heaven's Warriors would just allow them to peel off as they pleased. Plus, they hadn't antagonized them in any way so there was no need for them to harm themselves in the attempt at getting revenge.
It was also obvious to them that they were natives since Heaven's Warriors made no attempt to attack them. So, they would also be aware of the suppressive effects they would face.
Sarriel looked over to Ryu, maybe a bit surprised that he didn't seem to care enough to try and stop her. The well of knowledge she had alone was worth maybe more than anything alone. She had fully expected Ryu to be more shameless than this, or at least make her tell him more. And yet…
It felt that as soon as Ryu had lost interest in Sarriel, he had also lost interest in anything she had to offer. He simply didn't care enough.
This new world? He wouldn't mind exploring it himself. Or, heck, if he got the chance, maybe he would deal with one of these Invaders himself and see what sort of treasures or information they had on them.
"Good luck on your endeavors."
Ryu took a step forward and vanished, appearing back on the very same planet he had been exploring before. Though it didn't seem to have anything valuable on it, he was too fascinated by this new environment. He just wanted to see what it had to offer.
Sarriel frowned lightly. No one liked being rejected. Even if she didn't have feelings for Ryu, she wouldn't like it, let alone considering how complicated their relationship actually was. No matter what, this man was still her first kiss.
She could tell that Ryu would likely never bring that up again. In that past, he had only done so because he still felt that lingering attachment to her. But, now that it was gone, he felt no need to. To him, she was now no different from the young miss of the Loom Clan, a woman he had little to no connection with. He didn't even look up to see her off, he was already immersed in studying another Spiritual Herb.
After a few moments, Sarriel's brows relaxed. This could be considered her last bit of Karma in this world. When next she returned, it would be with the man she had chosen and the blood of her enemies having long since dried on her blade.
With a wave of her hand, something within her spatial ring flickered and an orb appeared in her hand. Her wrist flexed and it shot down until it hovered before Ryu.
Without looking back, Sarriel took a step forward, her figure vanishing into the distance. Her mind was set and her goal was clear.
Ryu was snapped out of his Meditative State, his head tilting as he looked at the hovering orb.
He looked up and saw Sarriel's retreating back in the distance. But, even with his eyes, she would soon vanish for good.