prynovel Chapter 1663 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [7] [The indifferent are devoid of true feelings.]
Chapter 1663 Final Chapter: Crossing the Shore [7] [The indifferent are devoid of true feelings.]
Chapter 1663 Final Chapter - Crossing the Shore [7] - [The indifferent are devoid of sincerity.]
After Su Ming'an finished weaving the dream, he collapsed from exhaustion. His injuries were so severe that his exposed heart was almost visible, and his heartbeat was getting slower and slower... He was on the verge of death.
“So, it was all a dream…” Bei Wang looked at Su Ming’an’s gloves.
Compared to the truth about the witch, this story is as beautiful as an illusion.
Faced with an insurmountable witch, Su Ming'an did not back down, but chose to weave a dream in her presence. Did he believe that this fairytale dream could melt away the witch's millennia-long resentment?
how is this possible.
Can a fairy tale about a hunter and a girl living together in the forest really soothe the witch's pain and hatred that has lasted for thousands of years? It's ridiculous.
However, Tianyu's body suddenly began to tremble violently.
Su Lin's "Dream Weaver" power can make someone on the verge of collapse experience the happiness of rolling around in a sunlit flowerbed, or it can plunge someone into an inescapable nightmare. For Tianyu, whose personality is unstable, this dream that blurs the lines between reality and illusion is like a sharp sword.
How wonderful dreams can be.
How painful it is to wake up from a dream and be shattered.
Su Ming'an could not use dreams to redeem the resentful witch; what he wanted to awaken was the consciousness of Tianyu, the woman—Bei Wang's friend, that innocent, aloof, noble, and composed soul.
"Huff... Ha... Ha... Ha..." Suddenly, as if waking from a nightmare, Tianyu opened his eyes wide, clutched his chest, and gasped for breath.
This dream caused confusion in her personality; she woke up and the male consciousness took over.
“Tianyu, you’re back,” said Beiwang, who shared the body.
Tianyu gasped for breath, looking at Su Qi's gradually cooling corpse on the ground, at Su Ming'an who had exhausted his strength and fainted while weaving dreams, and at her own slightly trembling hands.
The fingers encased in the ice crystal gloves curled up, then relaxed. For the first time, a blank stare appeared on Tianyu's cold face, as if something hard was shattering inside.
“I did… something unforgivable.” Tianyu quickly understood the situation. As her personality became confused, the male body’s memories gradually flowed into her brain. “I stole the destiny that should have belonged to the Lin Clan. I raised them and then killed them. I made generation after generation of innocent people repeat my pain… I turned myself and them into monsters.”
Bei Wang couldn't stand it anymore and immediately said, "That's not you!"
“Even if it’s not me, it’s still my body…” Tianyu said.
“That’s not you at all! You don’t know anything, and you’re completely different from that consciousness!” Bei Wang retorted.
“Even if it wasn’t my will, I can’t deny that it’s a sin,” Tianyu said. “I’m just a separate consciousness… but the one who committed the sin is still ‘me’.”
Bei Wang opened his mouth, sensing something was wrong. Why should someone who knew nothing bear the blame? Was Tianyu's integrity the reason for her confession?
Why should people with high moral standards take the blame for the sins of those with low moral standards?
"Let's not talk about that. Let's check on Su Ming'an first." Tianyu reached out and touched the icicle on Su Ming'an's chest. The exposed flesh at the wound was shocking. He was so badly injured that you could even see his beating heart.
She pursed her lips and frowned deeply.
"Is there any way to save him?" Bei Wang asked.
Tianyu shook her head, clutching her forehead, still feeling confused and with a splitting headache: "Even if we go outside to find someone now, it's too late, he's too badly injured..."
Bei Wang fell silent.
He had actually guessed that Su Ming'an possessed some kind of time-reversal ability. If Su Ming'an died here, perhaps everything would start over immediately, and Su Ming'an would definitely find a better path than he had now...
But what then?
The witch's curse continues relentlessly, never ending. When "Tianyu's" consciousness awakens again, it remains an unbreakable cycle.
In fact, with Bei Wang's clever mind, he had already figured out the only way to save Su Ming'an.
After a moment, Tianyu regained her composure, and as usual, her voice was clear, cold, and firm: "This endless nightmare must be ended."
She made her judgment quickly, swiftly and decisively.
But how can this nightmarish cycle be stopped? If it could be done, the witch wouldn't repeat the tragedy again and again. Witches are immortal; to escape, they can only pass on their sins to the next person.
However, the clever Beiwang and Tianyu had already figured out the only way to end the sins. They couldn't look each other in the eye, yet they understood each other's thoughts.
Bei Wang opened his mouth, but Tian Yu spoke first:
“Little North Look, I’ll answer the question you once asked me about ‘love’.”
She glanced sideways, and a slight ripple appeared on her icy, beautiful face.
It's strange. She has the exact same face as "Tianyu" from before, but when she looks at you expressionlessly, she only makes you feel at ease.
"Love is what makes hunters willingly stay in the forest," she said.
"Why do hunters stay in the forest?" Bei Wang blurted out. "Hunters can take the girl with them and leave, leaving behind the eternal curse! Love is like a mother going out to find medicine for a hunter, going to a very, very far place!"
Love is about leaving! Not staying!
This is really unreasonable... There's clearly nothing left in the forest.
But he thought of the black cat that kept walking in the mud, and the cat seemed to think that love is about staying.
Her heart pounded faster and faster in her chest. Within the same body, Bei Wang could sense her emotions… complex, resentful, sorrowful, and painful…
Suddenly learning that there is another "self" who has committed heinous sins for generations to come, one almost wants to curse the whole world. How can one accept this so quickly? But her first reaction is to stop this sin.
Her heartbeat grew faster and faster, while Su Ming'an's heartbeat in front of her grew softer and softer.
The consciousness of the hating witch "Tianyu" fluctuated uneasily, as if it was about to awaken.
"Is it okay?" Tianyu asked briefly. She didn't say anything, but Beiwang knew what she was asking.
“…Okay,” Bei Wang said. “It’s your choice.”
They were all very clever; they had already figured out that there was only one way to save Su Ming'an.
—The Witch's Legacy.
The only solution to this deadlock is to grant the witch's identity to someone from outside the realm who doesn't need to stay here. Otherwise, generation after generation of the Rin clan will continue to suffer like Su Qi.
Even if it weren't Su Ming'an here today, but some other trustworthy player, Tianyu would still make the same decision immediately—this sin of the "witch" must end.
Only the players can end this sin.
“This is the only way. Give him all my power, the contract with the World Tree… and let him take it away.” Tianyu stretched out his hand.
A burst of azure light erupted, and her long, icy blue hair cascaded with a moonlit glow. Before the Witch of Hatred, "Tianyu," could awaken, Tianyu acted without hesitation. She lightly touched her heart with her fingertips. A sliver of light was drawn out, vaguely revealing the silhouette of a small, white-haired girl.
"—And you will end this cycle of sin." Without much communication, Bei Wang fully understood her thoughts.
The light transformed into an earring.
Tianyu handed the earring to the north and looked up.
This is Tianyu's guardian artifact; it will transform into the purest frost guardian power and merge into Beiwang's soul.
She said calmly:
"Wearing it is like having me by your side. When you are strong enough, strong enough to break the established rules, strong enough to truly define your own future..."
Silent anticipation was reflected in the witch's icy blue eyes:
"Then take it and fly out of this 'forest'... which is called 'fate' and 'curse'."
"Whoosh—!"
She ignited a grand yet tranquil rain of blue light, which reflected in Bei Wang's trembling eyes.
At the same time, Su Ming'an slowly opened his eyes.
He silently watched Tianyu make his decision in an instant, his chin resting on his knees, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth.
...Despicable, you despicable one.
He said to himself.
He knew perfectly well that a man of Tianyu's noble character would choose death immediately upon learning the truth, thus severing this sin. He knew she would die, yet he still chose to weave a dream, letting her know the truth, so that the male form of the witch he hated, "Tianyu," would perish with her.
To prevent himself and Ashley from being killed by the witch, he did so decisively.
Although he only told her the truth, preventing Tianyu from being deceived and from continuing to be an ignorant executioner, wasn't he taking advantage of her nobility?
He's really... despicable.
He broke his promise during Su Qi's fair duel and then took advantage of Tian Yu's virtues. He was truly never a noble person, and too many people were deceived by his halo and flowers.
too fast.
Tianyu made her decision far too quickly. The moment she stepped out of Su Ming'an's Dreamweaver, she immediately assessed the situation and made the decision to end her life, just like her swift and decisive actions. Compared to her, I couldn't be more despicable.
Bei Wang's consciousness was only briefly pulled back before being pulled back by the timeline. Tian Yu's body and even his soul would be annihilated there.
“I always felt that there was still a lot of time, and that there were still many things we hadn’t said to each other,” Tianyu said to Beiwang.
As the light shimmered, ice flowers bloomed at our feet.
Bei Wang rarely spoke, and Tian Yu also rarely spoke. The two of them would often go for a long time without saying a word, as quiet as a block of ice.
But now, the farewell came too suddenly. Bei Wang was just taking a break to think about his future journey when he suddenly learned the devastating truth. Before he could even process the truth, he had to say goodbye.
There are too many partings in this world, so sudden that they are hard to accept. It's as if in the blink of an eye, a turn of the head, a period at the end, and familiar faces are gone.
"Shh."
Bei Wang felt a sweet taste in her throat as Tian Yu's hand pierced her heart.
The two shared a body and experienced the same pain at this moment, a mixture of bone-chilling cold and excruciating agony.
Bei Wang subconsciously manipulated his body, as if by some survival instinct, trying to pry her hand back, but his palm was forcibly deflected by her sudden burst of will.
"Help me, Su Ming'an." Tian Yu turned his head and stared intently at Su Ming'an.
Su Ming'an opened his mouth, still feeling ashamed of himself.
"—You did nothing wrong, and I am very grateful to you for telling me the truth." Tianyu's eyes were resolute. "There's no need to belittle yourself. Fortunately, you gave me a chance to end my sins. Otherwise, once all of you players left, I would have fallen into an even more terrible cycle, unable to find any way to end it, and become the next Witch of Despair and Hatred. You have the courage to bear the blame, and you have the courage to grasp the hilt of the sword and help me commit suicide—you are someone I greatly admire and respect."
"I……"
“To think of protecting yourself by telling the truth shouldn’t be called despicable, but intelligent,” Tianyu said. “Because you’re living to save others. Otherwise, you probably would rather die than harm anyone. How can I call this spirit cowardice and weakness? The bravest person is one who dares to live with the burden of sin.”
"You just have too high a moral standard. You're being too hard on yourself about this. Please learn to forgive yourself sometimes, my savior."
Frost spread along the palm, the chill penetrating to the bone marrow and freezing the blood.
"Snapped".
A blood-stained hand supported Tianyu's palm. Su Ming'an breathed weakly, helping Tianyu steady his hand and grasp his heart.
My hands clenched tighter and tighter, and my heart began to shatter.
The wind blew across my cheeks, bringing a sharp pain. All I could see was a monotonous, icy landscape, with neither sky nor ocean in sight. Frozen blood dripped onto the ground, turning into solidified frost.
Bei Wang saw her determination and stopped trying to stop her, instead taking control of her words. The words never rushed out urgently, because if they weren't spoken now, there would be no chance at all. The fear of "too late" forced the always-stuttering little hunter to begin the most fluent outpouring of her life.
—As if under the final rays of love and warmth, the mute finally learned to sing with abandon.
“In the Land of the Dead, you and Prince El competed for the position of Divine Messenger… At that time, I felt that you would definitely win in the end…” Bei Wang began, stumbling.
“If I have the opportunity to travel again, I would definitely like to see you all again,” Tianyu said, his voice calm but his words clear.
“You may look cold, but your heart is warm… Mom said that people like that are very good…”
"Next time, if cycles truly exist in this world, Bei Wang, Su Ming'an, please let me meet you again."
"Then the great war broke out. You knew it was dangerous, but you still agreed to go to the most dangerous battlefield..."
"However, I actually hope that this time will be the end."
“Tao’er said you are a kind-hearted deity, and I think she’s right… Others always think that higher races are cold-hearted, but I know you are different…”
"It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Regarding the Blackwater Dream... Since I have the talent to dream, I want to take a look and share some of their burden... My only worry is that being inside your body might affect you..."
"When you are in the very distant future, when you have broken free from all constraints and are no longer forced to save a world like ours... then wear this earring, as if you were taking me with you on a journey to the future."
The hunter learned quickly; his speech became incredibly fluent, as if he had evolved, like a human who had never lost his voice.
As if his adrenaline was surging, he spoke as much as he could before the fear of parting could overwhelm him, even speaking far more than the other person.
Then, Tianyu's voice began to stumble.
The fading radiance gradually robbed her of her vocal cords.
Then, his voice began to become clear.
In the warmth and love, the little hunter's speech became more and more fluent.
Same mouth, different words.
One is laughing, the other is crying.
Like a psychopath with a split personality, the hunter and the girl tried to persuade each other, quickly uttering their last words.
It's all because I'm usually too quiet, keeping everything bottled up inside. I always thought I'd talk about it slowly during the trip after everything was over. Why did it happen so suddenly? Why so fast?
"I believe you will be able to go very, very far with your animal friends, the blue bear, the black cat, the playful raccoon...
Her chest and abdomen had gradually frozen over, turning her into an immovable ice sculpture.
“Tianyu, I want to take you out of this shackled forest. I don’t want you to be frozen here forever… It’s too cold here…”
"Looking north, I hope you can leave this sealed sandbox world... become a magician of the universe, flying freely on a broomstick..."
"Why weren't you on that journey?"
"I never considered you to be thieves who stole my life..."
"Why wouldn't you be in that kind of future?"
“You, Su Mingan, Lu…you are all…my dear savior friends…”
Why did you end up with this kind of life?
"Your expression is always just like mine... cold and aloof... but you look beautiful when you smile... come on... give it a try..."
"Tianyu".
"Please give it a try, smile..."
Engage muscles...
Engage your lips and teeth...
The muscles pulled the right corner of his mouth up, his lips moving to reveal his white teeth and rosy lips. The left corner of his mouth looked slightly out of place due to the trembling of sadness, and his entire mouth presented a slanted curve.
But he smiled; he was smiling.
The boy trembled as he maintained that awkward smile. His muscles were frozen by the extreme cold, making his cheeks ache. His eyes felt watery and stung. His nose felt blocked, and his throat felt tight and sore, as if he couldn't swallow something.
The temperature was so low, his cheeks ached, and forcing a smile felt like tearing his skin apart, as if something had shattered. His non-existent heart pounded with pain, yet he continued to smile.
Choking back tears, yet smiling.
Tianyu couldn't see the smile because it was also her face, but she could feel the subtle twitching of her facial muscles, the cold wind touching her teeth, and the slight squinting of her eyes—she could imagine what that smile looked like on his face.
That was not a campfire.
It is better than a bonfire.
Tianyu raised his hand. His lips touched the back of his hand, as if in a farewell kiss. This was the noblest etiquette of the Celestial Clan, reserved for their most sincere friends.
She pressed her palm against her face and then reached out to Su Ming'an.
"..." Su Ming'an's expression remained frozen.
He slowly, with his blood-soaked hand, grasped Tianyu's hand.
If he had accepted Yueyue's invitation to chocolates and entered her dream, would these people have been spared? It was all his choice; he caused these consequences…
But can we accept such an ending?
Who knows if this will lead to an even more terrifying future?
"I'm sorry..." he gritted his teeth and forced out the words.
He didn't know what he was blaming himself for. Tianyu had already thanked him, and he knew she was genuinely grateful. Yet he kept apologizing, over and over again.
“I am the one who should…apologize,” Tianyu said haltingly. “On behalf of us Rovasha people, I apologize to you.”
"Please, don't worry too much about... those Rovasa who once fought you for control of your bodies."
“They were just… too scared… I’m so sorry…”
"You were clearly here to rescue people..."
"You are my...very good friends."
"Thank you... players... for coming to my world."
……
—The icy white starlight, like fireflies, floated quietly, as if millions of stars were blinking at the same time.
Beneath the vast, boundless ice cave, atop its crystal-clear walls, the white-haired girl's long hair fluttered. Wisps of energy flowed from her ethereal heart, transforming into countless droplets. Each drop that landed on the crystal wall sprouted an ice crystal branch; each drop that fell to the ground bloomed into a translucent ice flower. As thousands upon thousands of drops of her heart's "blood" flowed out, her skin changed from rosy to pale.
This is the source of energy that the witch provides to the World Tree, the blood of the immortal heart. Now, she has poured it all out, abandoning all its nourishment and power.
Where the Star Spring flows, ice flowers surge and bloom, instantly covering the entire field of vision.
It was as if countless roots were being forcibly plucked from the depths of his soul, carrying with them millennia of memories, pain, longing, and resentment, falling into Su Ming'an's eyes—
On a spring day when the glaciers were just beginning to melt, the first witch knelt beneath the World Tree and begged for mercy.
In a village ablaze under the moonlight, a little girl stands on a stake with innocent eyes, screaming in agony as her father throws flames at her as she is burned alive.
A child huddled in the wilderness was picked up by a pair of cold hands and heard a gentle lie: "From today onwards, you have a home."
Generation after generation of the Rin clan, blinded by their own glory, turned on each other, and in the end, the victor had his head ripped off by the witch and put on a skin.
The former witch who died in the wooden house was wearing an elaborate long dress and a lace hat with lily of the valley in her hair. Her beautiful hands tightly clutched the envelope she left for Beiwang, and it was hard to tell whether it was a blessing or a curse.
And then there's Tianyu herself—the "good" part that was stripped away, sitting alone on a branch of the World Tree, gazing at the smoke rising from the distant village, playing the golden stringed lyre of the Celestial Tribe, the still young girl seemingly dreaming of the future...
Dust drifted across his chin, across his lips, across his icy blue eyes—eyes that had once reflected a thousand years of solitude, and also the smiles of villagers.
"Whoosh..."
A silent avalanche began.
All the frost trembled and a mournful hum echoed in the air as the World Tree cried out in despair upon sensing the break in the contract.
Ice crystals are spreading wildly, enveloping the entire cave in an eternal ice coffin. Here, Su Qi's body will be forever sealed, along with the final remnants of this sinful cycle of reincarnation.
Tianyu himself gradually turned into an immobile ice sculpture, becoming one with the ice flowers blooming all over the ground.
A glimmer of light, like an ice crystal, gently clung to Bei Wang's left earlobe, solidifying into an exquisitely crafted ice-blue earring. The earring's shape resembled a miniature snowflake, or perhaps a frozen tear.
The last thing Bei Wang heard was her extremely faint voice, almost inaudible—
"Shh...little hunter..."
"I'll give you one last gift..."
The boy slowly closed his eyes. He didn't know what gift Tianyu was going to give him; he had never seen her buy anything... a luxurious beaded necklace? A beautiful staff? An ancient spellbook? She had never lacked these things.
Slowly, he felt his arms cross over his shoulders, embracing him tightly. Hugging, hugging.
Everything was cold, including my heart.
Only this embrace, like a campfire, enveloped him.
what……
The little hunter felt an unparalleled warmth.
It's like being in bed as a child, with his mother slipping under the covers and gently embracing him.
It's like snuggling up in a warm, cozy room and sleeping soundly until dawn.
It's like as long as you close your eyes, you don't have to be afraid of anything.
Despite the extremely low temperature, he felt an unparalleled warmth as if by illusion. His hands, beyond his control, gently patted his shoulders again and again, caressing, circling, and tightening, as if someone were really holding him tightly, using his hands to bury their head in his neck, breathing soft, warm breath, and whispering in his ear what they had eaten that day and who they had met.
Like an older sister, like a mother, like a teacher, like a friend.
"So warm..."
Frost bloomed like flowers on the dome and the walls, and he seemed to have become a white ice wolf, running tirelessly in the wind of the snowfield until the girl hugged him, pressed her forehead to his, and kissed him goodbye.
With trembling fingers, the tearful boy realized he had finally regained control of his limbs.
This means that her consciousness has completely disappeared.
She is gone.
Before his body completely froze, Bei Wang stretched out his arm with all his might, ice shards peeling off his fingertips, leaving crooked marks—
Sha, shasha.
【——Tianyu】
A line of Rovasa text.
Then below, he carved with force:
【--sunlight】
Like a little hunter writing characters with a stick, stroke by stroke, in the sand.
……
The hunter approached the girl, reached out, and gently wiped away her tears.
Then he picked up a stick and clumsily wrote in the sand:
"Daughter of Ice and Snow, let's travel together with me, the black cat, and the bear."
"The sunlight there is the most beautiful..."
"I know you love beautiful sunlight, let's dance in the beautiful sunlight..."
……
There lives a group of evil witches in the forest.
Relying on "adoption" and "inheritance," each generation of witches takes on the shackles with resentment, only to pass them on to the next innocent in despair. They are forever consumed by anger and hatred.
As shattered ice crystals scattered across her shoulders, the witch still chose to perish.
But this time, it wasn't because of hatred.
This is the only time, and the first time, that the witch chose to end her life because of love.
From then on, the witch adopted children not out of resentment.
It was for love.
……
……
"Ding dong!"
……
[Sunlight (Red): "Hate has built an eternal prison, but human smiles are different. I see your smile, and I hope to soothe the sorrow between your brows."]
【Spirit +10】
[Passive (Dispel): When wearing this item, one will not feel cold or be slowed by ice spells below the level of a god.]
[Note: The earring features the image of a young girl. Wearing it is like taking her on a trip?]
……
[You have acquired the spells "Tianyu" - "Ice Crystal Whale", "Ice Peach Blossom", "Witch's Ice Whirlwind Dance", and "Thawing Veil".]
[You have gained the power of the "Witch" race! (This race's power is your personal power that you can take with you; it is not considered part of Rovasa's possession ability.)]
……
[You have ended the witch's curse, gaining 100 achievement points!]
[Achievement "Breaking the Witch's Curse" obtained.]
[Breaking the witch's curse: From now on, there will only be love.]
……
The ending of "Global Travel: The Infinite World Tree Evolution Starting from a Confined Prince" has been recorded.
……
Gazing at the girl frozen into an ice sculpture amidst the snow and ice, Su Ming'an's gaze pierced through her pupils for a moment, glimpsing a very, very distant future.
There, thousands upon thousands of ice flowers bloom in unison, smiling broadly as they greet the sunless winter night.
What your palm touches is not frost, but real, soft tenderness.
Some people once leaned on his shoulder like this, and turned into eternal ice sculptures...
"Xiao Bei..." Su Ming'an murmured subconsciously.
"Tianyu..."
Hearing the call, Bei Wang's consciousness, which had not yet departed, floated in the air, as if sensing Su Ming'an's call. Because he was also called "Xiao Bei".
However, the next moment, his consciousness was quickly pulled back, leaving only Su Ming'an alone in the silent ice cave.
Amidst the countless ice flowers, a young man with long, purplish-black hair stood.
Petals of all sizes bloomed on his arms and face alongside the ice vines. Leaning against the icy flowerbed, he raised his hand, and in his palm was a key pattern—the key Su Qi had left behind after his death.
The white-haired boy and Tianyu were frozen into ice sculptures and rest peacefully in this cave.
A quiet young man.
Two silent corpses.
As Su Ming'an gazed at this scene, he suddenly felt exhausted, an overwhelming sense of disgust washing over him. As the two corpses rushed into his heart, Su Qi's key and Tian Yu's bloodline paved the way to the future. His heart felt as if it were being violently torn apart by some emotion that was about to explode, a feeling of unease he rarely experienced.
—What's wrong with me?
Su Ming'an slowly lowered his head, and through the crystal-clear ice wall, he saw his own weary eyes. Gray, silent... like those of a dying crow.
Haven't we gotten used to it? We've become accustomed to death and sacrifice.
One person's sacrifice can help the strongest person move forward a certain distance. In this game, isn't that "as it should be"?
……
"I know, so what?" Xi Rui remained calm, seemingly unmoved. "He won't be soft-hearted as long as she's Su Ming'an's target. This time, she's become his obstacle, and her fate is nothing more than death. Whether she's a friend or a friend, what difference does it make? Will he give up on getting the [key]? Even if she's his friend, he'll at most say a few conciliatory words before taking action. We might as well strike first and avoid prolonged suffering."
……
Suddenly, Su Ming'an abruptly removed the ring, the movement so fast that it even created a gust of wind.
"boom!!!"
The ring slammed against the ice wall, echoing in layers. It bounced a few times on the crystalline surface before finally rolling into a patch of ice flowers in the corner.
He maintained the throwing posture, his muscles tense, his chest heaving violently, and he was breathing heavily.
This sudden outburst of anger felt foreign to him. His breath condensed into puffs of white mist in the cold air. He closed his eyes.
The number of names is almost thirty, and that's just the number of people important to him...
He rationally knew this was a symptom of his soul reaching its limit, making it difficult to maintain absolute calm and causing him to act abnormally. After a moment of recuperation, he reopened his eyes and murmured to himself:
Okay, you know what you're supposed to do...
Those words about "there are no born victims" were what you read to Su Qi, part of your strategy. You knew perfectly well that along this journey, the one thing you had in abundance was victims. And yet, you could never change that; you could only choose to respect their deaths…
You can't save everyone; you can only pick up their weapons and keep moving forward...
What are you being hypocritical about? The moment you started weaving your dream, didn't you foresee Tianyu's sacrifice? You knew she would choose this path... You simply told her the truth, so she wouldn't be kept in the dark...
No, you're still the real culprit...you despicable person...if you hadn't told her, if you hadn't told her...
This kind of venting will only make you waver and make you more vulnerable... Calm down...
Okay, calm down, take a deep breath.
Su Ming'an, you still have a long way to go. Accept your despicable identity. Only after you've finished that journey will you have time to repent.
My head hurts so much, my brain feels like it's being torn apart...
Take a deep breath...
Remember who you are... Remember what you are meant to do...
Many people are waiting for you...
A moment later, Su Ming'an closed his eyes and then opened them again.
The redness in his eyes gradually faded, and his rapid breathing gradually calmed down.
He picked up the ring, slipped it back onto his finger, and glanced at the densely packed names. He picked up the tattered trench coat, draped it over his shoulders, and used it to cover the hole in his chest.
He walked out unsteadily.
Sometimes, he felt that Mizushima Haru was right; he was a terrifying and cold monster.
But the time for the monster to rest has not yet come.
……
In the normal timeline, Bei Wang wakes up from a dream.
He sat in the chair, clutching his chest, his face covered in tears.
The drizzling rain was still falling outside the window, and the faint sounds of people moving around could be heard; everything seemed the same as usual.
But there's an emptiness in my heart.
The boy wiped away his tears, got out of bed, and walked to the window.
In the morning light, he noticed an ice crystal on his desk.
They are earrings, clear and transparent, reflecting a faint blue hue in the sunlight.
He walked over in a daze and picked up the earring.
It felt cool to the touch, but not cold. Holding it in my hand gave me a strange sense of security, as if... someone had once held my hand like this and given me a hug.
Bei Wang held the ice crystals up to his eyes.
Looking at the world through it, everything is veiled by an icy blue filter: distant mountains, cooking smoke... and his own bewildered and sorrowful face.
“This is…” he murmured.
At the center of the ice crystal, a faint blue light flickered.
It sounded like an answer.
It felt like a farewell.
[Wait until the day you become powerful enough to break all the laws.]
【Young maiden, I will take you flying out of this forest】
He couldn't put the earring back in his original ear, so he looked up and pierced his ear, causing blood to gush out. He then put on the earring and looked at himself in the mirror.
After everything is over...
He would wear her earrings... on a journey to the distant universe.
It was agreed upon.
No matter which cosmic cycle we are in, no matter what the future holds...
……
"Where are you going next?" Su Ming'an asked Bei Wang.
[Bei Wang looked up and gazed at Su Ming'an, who was wearing cat ears:]
"The road...is gone."
"Yamada... is gone too."
"I want to find my friend."
"We've found you."
"I want to find everyone else too."
[Bei Wang gently tapped his ear, which was adorned with a crystal blue earring.]
"Tianyu will be a friend on my journey."
It turns out that Beiwang brought back Rovasa's friend.
"Tianyu is inside your earring? Is it a spatial artifact?" Su Ming'an had seen similar artifacts before. They could hold a living person inside an ornament for convenient travel—truly amazing.
[He gazed northward, momentarily stunned.]
Then, he slowly revealed a pure and gentle smile:
【"Um."】
"I promised her."
……
"I just had a dream."
"I will see you again."
—Yukio Mishima
……
……
Rovasa, the Palace of the World, the succession ceremony.
In the gap where the mountains meet the sky, pale rouge dissolves in the water, spreading across the sky.
Countless towering spires pierce the gradually changing sky, and massive columns require several people to encircle them. The impossibly high stained-glass windows blend with the skylight, bathing the temple in a flowing radiance.
In front of the palace was a square that could hold tens of thousands of people. The dark mass of people, like a tide, spread outwards from the white jade steps at the foot of the temple. Nobles, dressed in their family's finest robes, were scattered near the high platform; monks and scholars, draped in plain robes, formed their own squares; further away, countless faces of commoners looked up, merging into a blurred sea.
At the center of the world, surrounded by a vast sea of people, atop a high platform under the spotlight—
A young man sat in a wheelchair. He had loose black hair, a golden six-pointed star on his forehead, and his pure white holy robe was trimmed with intricate gold. Even his hands, which were folded on his knees, were covered with fine silver gloves. The ancient patterns embroidered on the silk gleamed with a magnificent, cold light under the lights of the temple and the square.
—Su Wenli, the orphaned son of the world's ruler.
Today is his succession ceremony, but he ascended the platform in a coma, like a puppet without a soul.