After eating the meal, Dylan got up and washed the dishes for a bit before returning to the dining area.
Upon sitting down, he had opened the conversation once again.
"I hope that the meal I have prepared satiated your hunger somewhat."
"I must have embarrassed myself. I did not think that I would eat as much as I did but the food was just too splendid." Victoria replied while wiping her mouth with her napkin.
"That's good to know. I would like to clarify what you meant earlier."
"Which statement are you referring to?"
"That I am awake now?"
"Oh, you have been unconscious for a few days." Victoria's face became more serious.
He asked earnestly, "May I ask how long I have been unconscious for?"
"It has been five days already."
'I have been asleep for that long?'
Dylan was slightly shocked but he managed to quickly regain composure, "It seems I have worried my benefactor needlessly."
"Wait, why didn't you tell me that I have already been asleep for that long, Scarlet? How did you even eat during that time?" Dylan then looked at Scarlet, questioning.
Scarlet reassured her. "Oh, gramps and granny came by to check in on us and gave me food! So, don't worry about it."
"Oh, that's good to know." Dylan nodded as he remembered that there was a kind elderly couple who couldn't have children that was very kind to them.
'What a kind elderly couple. They looked out for these two siblings...'
When that old couple discovered that there were two orphaned siblings living in this old abandoned home, they kept coming by and offered to give them fruits and cooked meals.
When Scarlet was little, they even offered to take care of her while Dylan was out making a living. That's why Dylan owed them a lot.
'Hehe, he's so concerned about his little sister.' Victoria thought his concern for his sister was very cute.
"You are too formal with me, Dylan. Although I am uncertain if you are aware of what truly transpired, but it is I who should be grateful for you since you were the reason I am still alive. Thank you very much." Victoria bowed with heartfelt gratitude.
"..." Dylan had a puzzled face. He did not know how someone with his meager strength could help some superhuman who could move faster than the eye can see.
The last thing that Dylan Ford could see from the younger Dylan's memories were being flung in the air after trying to stop Kaiden, trying to protect Leila and being hit by the heavenly tribulation lightning before eventually waking up in the unknown space where they saw the Cosmic God Mansion.
"As I have thought, you seem to not have any recollection of what happened." Victoria said.
"May I ask Lady Benefactor to enlighten me as to what had occurred??" Dylan asked.
"It may be difficult to believe but..." Victoria hesitated for a moment before eventually deciding to tell the events of that day.
She first started recounting the story of her being chased by a group of Evil Cultivators lying in wait for them. She then proceeded to say that they were pushed to the extent where they had to us a Void Flicker Stone to escape to the outskirts of Soaring Cloud City.
"That was when I encountered you as we travelled through the main road." Victoria stated before returning to the story.
From Kaiden's bravery of defending her to the point of her Awakening, she told the entire story. She eventually reached the part where the heavenly tribulation clouds emerged and struck down.
She said that it was Kaiden who broke the heavenly isolation but Dylan was the one who was actually hit by the heavenly tribulation lightning.
"It was then that you transformed into a handsome-" Victoria blushed and cut her words short as she tried to play it off as a passing comment, "into a white-haired man with the same-colored eyes as yours."
"He was like a god. Without breaking a sweat, he dominated the pair of Malevolent Magnates and finished the entire struggle in a single move..."
"..." Dylan tried his best to digest this new information that was being told to him.
The revelation of his hidden power left Dylan reeling. How could he, a man who felt he possessed only meager strength, have stood against beings of such immense power?
The image of himself transforming into a godlike being felt entirely alien to the memories he held.
As Victoria spoke, the gap between the man he believed himself to be and the entity he had apparently become widened, leaving him with more questions than answers.
"So, the Soaring Cloud City Lord is proposing that I am a reincarnation of a godly being? This being also possess the power of Cosmic Energy?" Dylan reiterated the conclusions from the people who were experts in this stuff.
"..." Scarlet was just there, staring at them cutely as she was completely clueless to the context of what they were even talking about.
"Yes. The Soaring Cloud City Lord has extended an invite to you to come to his manor the moment that you wake up. They would like to further discuss a few things with you." Victoria repeated the offer that Alistair had given five days ago.
"I see." Dylan nodded as he was assessing the situation based on what was told to him and his very own experiences.
'A handsome white haired individual with a deep blue and a crimson orange eye... That sounds like one of the few people that we saw stood by the Cosmic God's side. But they said he could use Cosmic Energy which I believe should be the power you can harness using the cultivation method of the Cosmic God. Was he a disciple of the Cosmic God then?'
'But why would the soul of Cosmic God's Disciple appear when the lightning hit this Dylan's body?'
'When I fell from the sky and crashed into this Dylan, did I take form of the lightning? Why could I take form of the lightning in the first place?'
'Then, we were transported into an unknown space where we could see the Cosmic God Mansion... Why were we transported there in the first place? What is our connection with the Cosmic God Mansion?'
'Was it really just a coincidence that both of our names are Dylan? Is there a more esoteric reason for why we met each other? What happened to the other Dylan? How come I can use his body instead?'
"..." Dylan Ford had a million questions right now circulating in his head. He sat there on the table with his hands clasped together as his eyes looked down on the plate he had just eaten.
"It's okay. I understand that is a lot to take in. We can simply go to the manor in another day." Victoria said with concern. She knew that all of this was too much information for someone who just woke up.
Being a supposed reincarnation of a supreme expert was something that would shock a lot of people. But what intrigued her was that most people would be elated by hearing this news and they might even become more prideful than they should be.
Yet, Dylan only sat there contemplating everything. As though he was trying to make sense of everything that was happening to him with unusual calmness and collectedness that seemed unsuited for his age.
'His entire vibe seemed to change the moment he started thinking.' Victoria thought as a curious light flickered in her beautiful eyes.
"Hm, worry not, Lady Benefactor. I am full able to go to the City Lord's Manor today." Dylan immediately decided that he should go so he could better understand the situation and this world as a whole.
"If you're certain that you're healthy enough, then we can go immediately. A carriage is waiting for me outside. What about Scarlet?" Victoria said in concern.
"Great, we can leave immediately. Don't worry, Lady Benefactor. Scarlet is an introvert. She doesn't really like to go outside. She's a responsible child and well-behaved child. When I do work, she stays here in the house and waits obediently. We have neighbors who come and check on us." Dylan said.
"Yep, yes I am." Scarlet agreed cheekily.
The previous Dylan was a guard to a local store in the town by day and a local hunter who took jobs that would capture and kill dangerous beasts at night. Although not at the level of Mystical beasts, these beast all have Spirit Energy with them. Thus, they would still be a lot stronger than regular wild animals.
Once captured and kills those beasts, he will flay them and sell them in the meat shops of the town. Killing tow birds in one stone. That's how Dylan makes a living. But doing so meant that he would be away for most of the day and can only return around late afternoon.
Scarlet has always stayed inside the house. Generally, no one really dares to approach the house due to the folktale about the fire foxes.
Even if there were predatory bastards that don't believe in the stories and still try to infiltrate the house, they were only met with a miserable end.
Scarlet had those mysterious fire foxes that will protect her from any danger. The younger Dylan knew this and that's why he can hunt without worries about Scarlet's safety. Based on simply aura, Dylan felt like those things did not lose out any power than General Michael Paulson.
But the real reason she had was, Dylan suddenly remembered something. It was the words of the younger Dylan in his head.
"If someone were to discover Scarlet's strange physique, they might... tell the city lord and take Scarlet away! I need to hide this! No one should know this!"
Scarlet has extraordinary circumstances related to her physique. Dylan was very protective of Scarlet. That's why he rarely takes her out to town or the city.
"How about this? We bring Scarlet so that she can see the city as well." Victoria suggested because she could not bear the thought of leaving a child at home alone.
"What?! I can go outside?! Hooraaay, you're awesome, Big Sis!" Scarlet started jumping from joy.
"But Lady Benefactor, I-" Dylan wanted to express his concern. Actually, it was more of the younger Dylan's anxiety that made him want to speak
"Don't worry. I will stay with you guys to protect her." Victoria reassured.
"... Thank you for this, Lady Benefactor." Dylan felt a bit more relieved. From what it seemed back in Dylan's memories, Victoria was stronger than the City Lord.
Thus, if ever the City Lord accidentally discovers Scarlet's unique physique and decides to take it away, then Victoria would be able to protect them.
'She seems to be way too kind for her to have any ulterior motives. Maybe she just doesn't want to leave Scarlet here because she's fond of her?' Dylan thought.
He was a very accurate judge of character more often than not, as he handpicked the people that allowed him to establish the fastest growing technological empire back in Earth. Of course, barring one person, his own brother, that is.
"Also, you keep on calling me Lady Benefactor. We're not that far in terms of age. You may just call me Victoria." Victoria sweetly smiled at him.
"Understood, Lady Victoria." He nodded.
"But what about the house and our stuff? They might get stolen..." Scarlet suddenly halted her happiness as she thought about how things would be.
"Fire Foxes!" Scarlet called.
Then, the nine fire fox spirits suddenly materialized out of thin air.
"Guard this house okay!" Scarlet commanded them trying to look stern but it only made her look cute.
The fire foxes nodded and immediately disappeared like flickering flames.
"?!" This scene greatly shocked Victoria as well. 'Are those beast spirits? They seemed to be high-grade ones as well... She can communicate with them?!'
Dylan approached her and whispered, "This was also one of the reasons why I didn't want her to go out... She has a very unique ability..."
Victoria was a bit taken aback but she now understood why Dylan was apprehensive in making Scarlet go outside. Noticing Dylan's concern, she knew that this was supposed to be handled with confidence.
"I understand. Worry not, this secret is safe with me."
"Thank you." Dylan was very thankful for her understanding.
"Hooray, I'm going to the big city!" Scarlet was still too happy that she can finally go outside!
"Let's go to the carriage, you two."
"Yes!"