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Chapter 409 - 406: "Will you... take me home?

Chapter 409: Chapter 406: "Will you... take me home?

Luna came abruptly and left just as decisively, her teammates following her departure like silent statues.

As Su Ming’an watched her leave, he suddenly heard Nailuo’s voice.

It was as if she hadn’t understood their conversation about "players" and the "Eighth World" at all, her voice still calm.

"Rin," she said, her voice particularly clear in the faint breeze, "...I want to go home."

"Let’s go, I’ll get the Soul Hunt to arrange a ship for you to go back," said Su Ming’an.

It was now noon, and his specialized skill had stalled at lv.2, unable to advance.

It seemed that Nailuo could only impart limited knowledge, enough to help him level up once, and any further teaching would just be a repetition of words, a waste of time.

However, even a single level up for a specialized skill was remarkable, and he felt an indistinct sense of superiority in being able to "hit wherever he pointed," although this was probably an illusion...

His current gains were already sufficient. He planned to catch up on some sleep in the afternoon and then face the final stage in the evening, climbing up to that city at noon the next day.

According to Pulaya’s rules, the feast ended on the second day, which was also the last day for Replica Activation at noon when he must ascend to Upper Town; this timing was set by the instance, and he couldn’t advance it.

Since Nailuo wanted to go home, he would send her home early. After all, she was from the Yate Empire, and even if something had happened to the Yate Vessel, he could still send her back.

He turned and saw the girl standing on the hillside, her back to him.

Her red hair was still vibrant behind her, trailing down to her lower back like tiny flames flickering intensely in the breeze.

When she heard his words, she turned, a hint of bewilderment flashing in her eyes.

"What do you mean, ’go home’?" she asked.

"The Yate Empire, if you want to go back, you can go with a merchant ship," Su Ming’an said. "You have no relatives here, and the living conditions are harsh; there’s no need for you to stay."

"..." She looked at him somewhat blankly, her gaze unusually clear, as if all emotion had been abruptly wiped from her eyes.

"My home is the Yate Empire?" she asked.

"?" Su Ming’an had just realized something was amiss when he saw her suddenly let out a chuckle.

"Just kidding, Rin," she said. "I don’t want to go back now, it’s quite nice here. Duoya and the others are all very polite, and they’ve given me free housing and living resources. Compared to the Mil Family of the Yate Empire, where I had to be extremely careful and everything revolved around etiquette, I prefer to stay on this land of freedom... at least..."

She moved her hand, and from somewhere, she produced her poorly wielded spear again.

"...at least here, I can be with my spear," she said softly.

It seemed she had left out half a sentence.

Besides being with her spear, she seemed to want to accompany something else.

"Rin, are you leaving tomorrow? To that city in the sky?" she asked.

"Yeah, it’s very likely I won’t come back," Su Ming’an said.

Based on the nature of the instance, once he went up, the storyline would surely end, and then the instance would close, with no chance for him to come back down.

"...I will remember you," she said, "I’ll always remember you."

She looked over.

Seemingly caught in a misty gaze insulated from the outside world, her particularly clear eyes sparkled as if enlivened by firelight, twinkling vividly when she looked his way.

Nailuo possessed the confident beauty of a novel’s heroine, her eyes exquisitely long, her gaze hooking, her eyelashes so long they seemed curlable. When expressionless, she was as dignified and graceful as a lady from the medieval era, but once she smiled, she came to life like a paper figure, sweet and nimble.

"Even if I forget everyone, everything... even if I grow old, so old I can no longer see... I will still remember you," she said.

Since the sinking of the Yate Vessel, Su Ming’an had never seen her smile so happily.

This miss, who had been throwing tantrums at him since the beginning of the instance, was now as clean as a gust of wind.

To others, it surely seemed like she had grown through disaster, becoming more rational.

But in fact, she had never changed.

"You have a long life ahead," Su Ming’an said. "I hope you meet someone better."

Nailuo lowered her head.

When she raised her head again, her eyes were clear and tranquil.

"So, farewell,"

she said.

"Farewell," Su Ming’an said.

"I am really leaving now, and I won’t be attending your farewell ceremony tomorrow. From now on, I will live happily in Pulaya, practicing with my spear, carving wood, drinking rice wine... Perhaps, I will even become a brave and valiant Soul Hunter and find a handsome young man who loves me," Nailuo said, "In this world, there will never be another woman who loves you as much as I do. No one will love you the way Miss here does. Aren’t you going to seize the last chance?"

"Nailuo," Su Ming’an repeated, "I’m not Su Rin. Su Rin might have liked you once, but I don’t like you."

He knew she couldn’t understand him, she was an unawakened NPC and simply couldn’t comprehend why a Player would become Su Rin.

He just wanted to emphasize that he was not the original Su Rin, and he shouldn’t be the object of her affection.

The one she should like would be the second-generation Su Rin, Kaya who fled to the Yate Empire, and the young master of the Su Family, who was a childhood friend and a good match for her.

As he spoke these words, he saw the calmness in her eyes.

"Do you think Miss here is longing for your love?"

Her emotions suddenly surged violently as if enraged by his words, "— Miss here is telling you, if you dare come and be a third wheel, I will definitely kill you. Stay away from me in the future!"

She turned and left, moving very quickly, her voice flitting in the wind like an elf. She didn’t look back, as if not giving any space for someone to hold her back.

The fiery red spear in her hand swayed slightly, like the vertical stabilizer of a bird.

Just as her figure was about to disappear from his sight completely, she paused for a moment, and a faint voice came through the wind.

"Sleep well," she said, "Climb that city, and then... end the disaster of this land."

The system notification sound rang out:

...

[NPC (Nailuo), Favorability: 85+5 (Love of Linger)]

...

Su Ming’an returned to the Eastern District to catch up on sleep.

Unless something unexpected happened, he wouldn’t have another chance to sleep until the instance was over.

The most crucial final day in the Seventh World was upon them.

He fell into a deep sleep amid his thoughts.

It was as if he plunged into a dark sweet dream in an instant, the extremely tired man fell asleep swiftly, even lying on a rudimentary bed—it was as if he was resting on soft clouds.

The complex thoughts in his mind quickly became shallow and disappeared in his sleep.

Sleep allowed one to break free from entangled thoughts, to escape everything, and to fall into a state of pure tranquility.

— Until evening.

Someone knocked on his door.

"Lord Su Rin."

He awoke from his deep sleep and opened the door.

It was nearing night now, with the blood-red sunset casting its light upon the gradually thawing river, as if spreading a thick path of blood.

Outside the door stood Deputy Minister Duoya, basking in the radiant sunset.

On her face, which was always brimming with a smile, there was now a trace of grief.

"I’m sorry to disturb your rest. But... You should come take a look over here,"

...

Su Ming’an saw Nailuo again, the one he had already said goodbye to.

He had thought that their parting in the morning was their last.

But when he stood outside the door, and saw the girl sitting inside with a vacant look in her eyes, his footsteps halted.

At that moment, he thought he had seen wrong.

Nailuo was a vivacious, generous girl, blazing and brilliant like fire. She was incredibly brave, with a spirit of adventure that seemed to fear neither heaven nor earth.

In this land of drab colors, she was the brightest hue, seemingly forever full of energy.

When he thought of her, the deepest impression was that of her flame-like red hair, like a fire that would never extinguish.

...But at this moment.

But now.

Through the door, seeing the girl still vacant-eyed despite the aid of the healing Soul Hunt, his motion to push the door stiffened.

"Don’t go in just yet, she is undergoing treatment," Duoya spoke softly.

"What happened to her?"

"..." Duoya remained silent for a while.

When she spoke again, her voice was even softer, "Sir Su Rin. The pearl from the royal city’s underground treasury can restore one’s appearance... but it can only restore appearance."

"..."

Su Ming’an looked through the small window on the door, into the room.

The girl inside still had a youthful face; her skin was wrinkle-free and fair as a pearl.

However, her drooping head of white hair and those murky eyes were already hinting at everything.

The princess’s experiment had snatched away her life force and soul, and even with the pearl mending her appearance, her life continued to inexorably draw to a close.

This was an inevitable passage, a transit from life to death that no one could stay.

"Her condition suddenly worsened, she may have been forcing herself to keep going. And this pretense has exacerbated the drain on her already scarce life force," Duoya sighed, "This child... always pretending to be fine. If she hadn’t fainted on the roadside, we wouldn’t have known anything was wrong with her."

"What is her condition now?"

"Her physical state isn’t that bad, but it’s obvious that her mental issues are grave. Her soul is damaged, like a bag with a hole that can’t be plugged," Duoya said, "A clear sign is... she seems somewhat dementia-stricken. Now, she seems unresponsive to everything, even when we talk to her, as if she has forgotten it all. This is a symptom of her soul nearing exhaustion, already encroaching upon her brain... I am afraid, she doesn’t have long to live."

Su Ming’an looked into the room.

The still, white-haired girl sat motionless on the chair, her gaze empty.

As if trapped within her own world.

Nailuo’s memory began failing since yesterday, and when she came over with an umbrella, she spoke in disjointed sentences.

[Everyone is going to die.]

He remembered her saying that.

But, in just one afternoon, her condition had deteriorated to this extent.

The medical Soul Hunt was attempting to communicate with her, "Miss, miss? Can you hear what I’m saying? Do you remember what happened to yourself?"

Nailuo shook her head bewilderedly.

"Miss, then do remember anything?" the medical Soul Hunt was patient, "Your age, your hometown, or even... your own name?"

"... I don’t remember," Nailuo replied with a lost look, "I don’t remember."

"She’s already forgotten her own name, deputy chief," the medical Soul Hunt exhaled with a sigh, standing up straight and looking at Duoya at the doorway, "She must have lost all her memories by now, and next to go will be the loss of her senses..."

Suddenly, the medical Soul Hunt noticed Nailuo stir.

The girl, who had been sitting in the chair looking foolish ever since she woke up, suddenly stood up.

And there stood the legendary Su Rin outside the door, locking eyes with her.

"Do you remember my name?" he asked.

Duoya by his side shook her head, "It’s no use, sir, she doesn’t even remember her own name..."

"Rin."

The silent girl suddenly spoke.

When she cried out this name, her voice was choked, and it was unclear whether she wanted to cry or laugh.

Light gently fell upon her, casting into her somewhat faded eyes.

She suddenly stood up, and with unsteady steps, she walked toward the door.

Su Ming’an turned to his side and saw her walking past him.

—Until she spread her arms as if to embrace the vast and azure sky.

The breeze lifted her pale hair and blood-red coat, billowing her swaying robe and skirt.

At this moment, she seemed as if she might be carried away by the wind between heaven and earth.

...

[Listen, Su Rin.]

[I don’t care if you’re some kind of mastermind or why the Yate Vessel sank, I only know—you saved me, and I like you.]

[—I think even if I’ve grown old like this, hard of hearing, I still wouldn’t mishear your name.]

[Even if I forget everyone, everything else... Even if I grow so old that I can’t even see... I will still remember you.]

...

The girl with fluttering white hair gazed at an area where no one stood, with a broad smile on her face.

"Rin," she said to the air, uttering the name with a childlike delight on her face.

Through those faded eyes.

She seemed to see, in that vacant area, a young man standing on the boundary between sunlight and shadow, holding flowers, looking back at her.

It takes at least ten days to travel from Pulaya to the Yate Empire.

She wouldn’t make it.

So she decided "she didn’t want to go home anymore".

It takes half a day to walk from the Southern District hillside to the residential area.

She wouldn’t make it.

So she said "don’t come to see me".

She was acutely aware of her physical condition, aware of her inevitable end, aware that she could never return to that land, that she would die in foreign soil.

Thus, anger and lies became her shield to refuse to hurt others; she didn’t want to get close to anyone in her limited days left.

But at this moment,

Bathing in the setting sun, as if she would melt into the wind,

She suddenly, suddenly wanted to walk to his side.

...

Su Ming’an silently watched this scene.

He watched her pale hair being lifted by the wind, saw her eyes, aged like those of an old person, brimming with childlike joy, watched her faltering steps, from inside to the outside of the door.

"Rin."

The girl said to the air:

"Take me... home. Okay?"

...

Su Ming’an closed his eyes.

He felt as though he was constantly losing things.