Li Ang walked out of the Frost Tower Church himself.

The night view of Refusing Winter City was visually filled with warmth, and the warmth radiated by the heating magic array ensured that no one worried about freezing due to wind and snow inside the city.

Following the steps down the mountain, Li Ang proceeded downwards, heading towards a familiar place from his memories.

He tentatively knocked on the door of a residence. As the door opened, Viel's face appeared from behind it.

"You finally came, kid."

The old leader embraced Li Ang as he let him in: "I was thinking you might lose track of time tonight and completely forget about your old pal."

"Come, have a seat."

Viel's home was a four-bedroom house with brick walls and an external insulation layer. The fireplace in the living room was blazing warmly.

Also welcoming Li Ang was Viel's wife, whose facial features hinted at her youthful beauty.

Though Viel was gravely injured and retired, he eventually reached the mid-tier of the Transcendent Realm. He was quite a notable figure in the Four Major Aerial Realms. The woman he ended up with came from a well-respected literati family in Refusing Winter City, and her every gesture reflected her excellent upbringing.

From just a few words of introduction, Viel indirectly conveyed that his wife managed most household affairs. Meanwhile, he spent his time helping out around the city; the only time he was really needed was when the mining team set out, as he would escort them through the snow to ward off Demons.

When he was younger, his dreams were the same as many in Nebis—that was, to sail to The Other Side of the Clouds.

Such a dream never came to fruition, but having returned to his homeland, life was stable and regular, with his children attending prestigious schools. Overall, he was at peace and content, something ordinary people wouldn't find much to complain about.

"Regarding The Soul Apex, I pieced together a bit from some information."

After some casual conversation, Viel brought up The Soul Apex.

Since everything had already happened, pretending not to acknowledge it would simply create an awkward feeling, so it was better to address it head-on.

"Years ago, Rams stopped replying to my letters asking about the team's status. Later, you and several old friends visited me and shared some things, which made it clear to me who was truly working hard for the team.

"A few days ago, I saw that The Soul Apex ranked first."

Viel poured a full glass of wine. Li Ang, who seldom touched alcohol, got slightly dizzy after just a small sip, so Viel's wife brewed him some herbal tea. He watched Viel drink alone.

"My first reaction wasn't happiness. I was stunned—I should have been happy, right?"

Viel took a sip of wine. "Then I heard about their recruitment news, checked the member announcements, and didn't see your name. That's when I understood."

Whether due to getting slightly drunk, Viel's body language grew more expressive. He finally bowed deeply, resting his hands on his knees, and solemnly bowed to Li Ang.

"Sorry, I was wrong, failed to judge people correctly, trusted the wrong person.

"You carried our team to the top, only to receive such treatment in the end.

"Back then, I had several candidates in mind for the captain—it seems I chose the worst one."

Li Ang grabbed Viel's shoulders and pulled him up. "At this point, talking about the past is meaningless.

"Rams willingly made a fool of himself to amuse others and took on many tasks. Saying he wasn't suitable for that position—who could have said it back then?

"Our Soul Apex—who the captain was didn't really matter. No one thought it would turn out like this in the end."

"Ah, the adventures of those days were indeed joyful."

Their eyes vaguely reflected past adventures.

Viel, who could switch between the main attacker and vanguard, had a heart just like many others, ready to charge into battle. He loved gathering monsters together to clear them away, always competing to act first.

So when he had to serve as a vanguard, drawing attention and enduring damage, others would jest that he couldn't clear monsters, provoking him into howls of protest.

As the main attacker, only Li Ang could beat Viel to the punch and slay enough Demons, so Viel only admired Li Ang's attacking skills.

Whenever the two of them got carried away slaying monsters, an assistant leader—both a healer and a damage dealer—would tease them mockingly. If they responded with sarcasm, the whole team would quickly fall into a heated debate, ending in laughter.

When the perfect equipment suited for him was obtained, Viel would brag about it to imply priority, yet it always ended up in the right hands eventually.

Amidst laughter and banter, battling was not about who failed at what, but who succeeded at something. When gaps appeared in the battle line, someone would immediately step up to fill them, and others could swiftly take over command as needed.

It was through such collaboration that they could continually move forward without feeling exhaustion or hardship.

"Kitan retired early, Farina is in the Banquet of the Gods, Xiaomo's with the Fellowship of Fortunate Stars, and those few peculiar ones have vanished somewhere."

Viel clutched his glass: "If only... if everyone could have stayed together."

Li Ang gazed at Viel. Before the old man's hair turned gray, he truly resembled a tale's gallant hero.

Loud and clear voice, steady hands, someone to trust one's back to. With clear goals, he was handsome and gallant, quietly persuasive and followed. Witty and humorous, able to jest at others and take jokes himself; with him around, the group's morale always soared.

"You can't shoulder all the blame. Originally, you pieced together a team from people all over. Once you left, those who liked to be lone wolves started leaving first." Li Ang said.

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