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Chapter 769 - 767: "Ice.

Chapter 769: Chapter 767: "Ice.

Su Ming’an quietly watched everything before him.

The scarlet tubing, like flowing flames, obscured his entire view, and he could hear the confessional cries of Beili Sier by his ears.

Even though he knew Beili Sier might have set a trap for him, having had previous experiences with Sen Kylstia and Yao Wen, Su Ming’an still wanted to try to trust Beili Sier. Perhaps Beili Sier would bring him a surprise, maybe Beili Sier had never deceived him.

However, when he distrusted others, Sen and Yao Wen made him realize he had never been betrayed. After he chose to try to trust again, he was met with betrayal once more.

"..."

A familiar emotional resonance arrived, and Su Ming’an closed his eyes.

Everything before his eyes was blurred, as if all the world’s sorrow and joy were added to his body, and his ears were filled with fragmented whispers.

He saw a valley. Birds chirped and flowers fragranced, peach blossoms in full bloom, and a white-haired, blue-eyed youth traversed through the clear stream. His senses were gradually replaced by "Beili Sier’s" emotional empathy.

The war had not yet reached the valley. This was many years ago.

"—Little Beili! Once I regain a human body, I want to taste what alcohol is like!" A water dispenser appliance approached, its metal arms tightly embracing Beili Sier.

The appliance people were Beili Sier’s former friends. After their bodies had been destroyed by the war, they had their consciousness embedded into appliances to continue surviving with him.

"I was only thirteen or fourteen before my consciousness was implanted into a water dispenser. All those things that minors can’t touch, I want to try them all after regaining a human form," said the water dispenser, its voice muffled.

Beili Sier smiled in response, "Alright. I will definitely let you return to human bodies; I will certainly help you survive."

He paused, looking at the distant sky, and promised, "I will definitely give you all a bright future."

"Little Beili! Little Beili!"

More and more appliance people gathered around him, looking at Beili Sier, circling him.

Like a fairy tale, in the valley’s banquet, appliance people danced around Beili Sier, their "clitter-clatter" noises, the synthetic electronic sounds, and the heavy metallic beats... These sounds merged together into a symphony of electronic music.

For Beili Sier, this was the sound of "life," and it comforted him more than any music could.

His gaze moved, memorizing the faces of each appliance person in his heart. He knew that appliance people would break down, would be scrapped, and he needed enough energy to keep them alive.

"Will you wait for me to come home?" he promised his friends.

So, the young boy, carrying heavy luggage, bid farewell to his monstrous friends—like the beginning of a fairy tale, the handsome little Prince walked out of the valley alone.

The Ruined World was chaotic and cruel; the creatures of this world were experiencing a great calamity of civilization. Everywhere there were bandits murdering and robbing, or starving refugees drifting from place to place.

The young boy walked a long road; he witnessed these, observed these, empathizing with the sorrow and joy of all things.

In his eyes, there was no pity, no sympathy, no indignation or sorrow for the myriad situations of the world.

Funny jokes could not make him smile; tragic sad stories could not evoke his empathy; years left no trace on him; his eyes never stained with the signs of time.

Some said that extremely pure individuals were like millennia-old ice that never melts; storms could not destroy him, fires could not melt him, insects could not gnaw at him. The young man known as Beili Sier was born resolute, his thinking stubborn and singular, with only one goal in his eyes.

Yasa Acto.

Besides collecting energy, the young man only wanted to find this person.

He stepped over soft lawns, over deserts of varying depths, over ice fields flowing with crystal hues, crossed high mountains, and waded through streams, and went to "the fake Acto’s" grave to lay fresh flowers.

The young man walked like this, wearing out thousands of cloth shoes, his white hair growing and then cut. Time and again he returned to the valley, set down the energy, and set off again and again.

Because he did not tire or grow weary, he would always continue walking.

Until one day, when Beili Sier returned to the valley, he encountered an acquaintance, Lin Guang.

Under the ginkgo tree, he saw Lin Guang looking up, letting the golden ginkgo leaves fall around the edges of his light-colored pupils. Lin Guang’s face, considered a "demon" by outsiders, didn’t carry the heavy, muddy expression, but rather a purity like that of a newborn child. Surprisingly, the people gathered around Lin Guang, the "demon," listening to him tell stories.

"’Why is this student crying?’ a green lizard asked, tail held high as it scurried by.

’He is crying for a red rose, unable to find one to use for his courtship. So, I want to dye a white rose red with my blood, as a gift for his love,’ the nightingale told everyone.

’For a red rose?’ the small animals exclaimed. ’How absurd!’"

As Lin Guang narrated this story, his low voice echoed through the valley, although his tone was unvarying. The people still listened with relish.

They, listening to this story, loudly said:

"For a red rose?"

"How absurd!"

"To die for a red rose, what a great cost, when isn’t life precious? Sitting in the verdant forest, watching the sun, the chariot drawn by golden horses, and the moon race through the deep night sky—it’s such joy!"

"The student didn’t love the nightingale, but a beautiful girl. The nightingale was just a bird, and birds and humans are destined to never be together. Why should it die for the student’s happiness?"

They rambled on, expressing misunderstanding toward the nightingale.

Lin Guang placed his hand on his chest, his eyes full of confusion: "...yet, ’love’ is more precious than life, how can a little bird’s heart compare to a human’s heart."

His expression became even more perplexed, as if a layer of fog had accumulated between his pupils:

"So..."

"Can you tell me what love is?"

"—Lin Guang!" Beili Sier’s voice interrupted Lin Guang’s reverie, "What are you doing in my valley? Leave this place!"

"I’m touring, just passing by and thought I’d take a look," Lin Guang said. He too was travel-worn, with his backpack stuffed full of postcards and sheet music.

Their gazes met, like two sides of a mirror.

One side lived in the light, among his cherished companions, dwelling in a paradise for decades, surrounded by thick love and friendship, experiencing nothing but indulgence and warmth.

The other lived in darkness, labeled as a demon by everyone, feeling only fear and revulsion, his eyes only seeing harsh winters, even self-harm required to perceive emotions.

Although they both measured the earth with their feet and harbored feelings for the same person, their experiences were entirely different.

One lived in spring, the other existed in harsh winter.

"Leave this place, my valley does not welcome imitators," Beili Sier said.

"I’m just here to remind you, leave the valley soon; it’s no longer safe," Lin Guang said.

Beili Sier shook his head, his wording still polite even though he was addressing someone labeled as a demon: "Please leave."

No one would believe Lin Guang. His name represented all the negative emotions, sins, and errors of the world. Even if he spoke persuasively, it would turn into words of a curse.

"Over the years, I have traveled to many places, felt many people’s emotions, and I’ve understood many things," Lin Guang slowly said: "So, although your attitude angers me, I won’t kill you, for Lewis would hate me. I will not advise you to leave anymore, allowing you to repent your foolishness alone in the future, which I prefer."

Lin Guang left the place.

Beili Sier stayed in the valley and did not leave.

Two months later, countless Mechanical Armies surrounded the valley, led by a deity bearing the semblance of "Yasa Acto."

"Su Ming’an, why have you come?" Beili Sier looked up, puzzled.

"Beili Sier," the Deity’s eyes revealed an indescribable gentleness. He stared at Beili Sier, "Come back to Doomsday City with me, I need you to help me set a trap."

"Sorry, I refuse. Resources are scarce lately, and my home appliance companions aren’t doing well. I need to stay with them," Beili Sier said.

"I see."

The Deity was still smiling.

The next moment, the Mechanical Army behind the Deity opened fire simultaneously.

Explosions, scorching, tearing... The fiery strong wind forcefully shredded everything; trees fell, flowers and grass withered, and the talking home appliances turned into piles of shattered metal pieces.

In the blood-red wind, Beili Sier still held half an apple in his hand, by his feet, the water dispenser appliance lay by the brook’s edge, broken into tiny metal pieces.

"... "

Beili Sier was stunned.

Soon, he began to scream loudly, crying and cursing. His tears distorted his handsome features, his pupils filled with magnified despair.

Destroying a piece of unmeltable ice is quite simple, just strike from within.

— Destroy everything he cares about, everything that sustains his life and emotions, dismantle every beauty he could perceive, turn him into a machine with only one goal; that way, any solid ice will melt.

The Deity was clearly adept at this. He knew everything about this world; he even knew that Beili Sier was afraid of heights, how could he not seize the most vulnerable part of Beili Sier.

"Bursting, sorrow, extreme negative emotions... very good." The Deity, looking at the tear-streaked Beili Sier, said with satisfaction, "Only such intense emotional resonance can make him break down."

"You liar... you promised to protect my home appliance companions." Beili Sier cried, "No, you’re not Su Ming’an. You’re not like him, you..."

The Deity stepped slowly to his side.

"Who do you think I am?" he whispered in Beili Sier’s ear like a demon reaping souls.

Beili Sier just stared at him.

"... "

In their prolonged staring, the valley fell silent.

As their gazes met, Beili Sier’s pupils trembled momentarily. His look transitioned from fear, despair, to acceptance. Finally, he lowered his head.

"In a few days it will be... Fuyuan Festival. I want to survive, please don’t destroy my consciousness," Beili Sier said softly, "But if the destruction of the Ruined World cannot be stopped, please bury my corpse back here at the final moment."

"Let’s go," the Deity said.

Beili Sier was detained in the central government building, awaiting the completion of the trap.

He sat in the empty hall, often hugging the remnants of his companions and weeping, eventually falling into a deep sleep. In his dreams, he still lived in that beautiful valley, his companions singing around him, their mingled voices more melodious than the finest music in the world, resonating with his life’s soul.

— But the resonance was gone.

Gone forever.

When Cinderella refused the help of her Fairy Lady, no one else had the spare heart to care about an unfortunate castle maid.

Caught between sleep and wakefulness, this illusion sunk him deeper because being awake was painful, his heart ached like pricking needles.

So he might as well sleep forever.

"... One day, you’ll come back, won’t you?"

"Come back..."

"Come back..."

Even if delirious, the illusion of happiness was enough to comfort his wind-broken heart.

Because he never tired, never wearied, so he would always wait. From daylight to darkness, from darkness to the next daylight.

As the ice melted, the spring mirrored the harsh winter, he finally perceived the gloom, anger, sorrow, and despair—emotions Lin Guang had been experiencing all along.

Sitting on the cold ground, his heart filled with mad and brutal negative emotions, his pupils slowly distorted and covered.

The only thought in his mind.

Keep waiting.

Keep waiting.

Remember, someone named Beili Sier is waiting for you to come back.

— Perhaps one day, that person will indeed come back.

...

"Chief!!"

"Su Ming’an!"

"Bang—!"

The soldiers and players finally cleared the obstacles by the stairs and charged onto this floor.

After a violent noise of door breaking, numerous figures rushed into the hall, the count reaching thousands, instantly filling the ice-white scene with shades of black, grey, and brown.

People saw— in the center of the hall, was a young man with white hair and blue eyes, his face streaked with tears, staring at the ground as if trapped again in an illusion.

And around him, the strange crimson tubes tightly entwined a person, the constricting tubes squeezing that person’s body, revealing his peacefully sleeping face.

"Chief!" the people shouted.

His eyes were closed, more peaceful than when awake, reminiscent of a gently flowing stream on a hillside. It seemed like no sound could penetrate his ears.

Just as people were about to rush forward, suddenly lights began to turn on all around.

"Click, click, click."

In the gloomy hall, lights lit up from near to far, sequentially. In an instant, the high-intensity brightness forced people to squint.

"— Gentlemen, welcome here," came a voice.

At the edge of the hall’s circular railing, a figure slowly appeared.

He was dressed in a crisp white suit, a silver ginkgo-patterned cufflink on his wrist, reflecting star-like fine light. Even though his features were clear in the light, he still seemed to be shrouded in a thin veil of haze.

He looked at everyone with a smile yet his gaze was cold, as though he was looking at a group of ants destined to perish.

"... Deity." Noel at the forefront raised the Blue Rose Scepter towards him and said coldly,

"Release him."