activa-t Chapter 67 This time it's really over.
Chapter 67 This time it's really over.
He saw a person
That person stood alone at the beginning of that road, in that silent world where even the wind could not be heard.
The person wasn't dressed in any particularly extravagant attire, simply wearing a white trench coat. He stood there calmly, the hood obscuring half his face, making it impossible to see his features clearly.
The person simply looked up silently at the endless road, then slowly lowered their head again and continued walking forward.
Let's end all of this at the end of the world.
May death end my time.
May hope guide them into the future.
【…】
May my future lead to a new beginning.
I also wish...for fate.
【dissipate】
He watched that person walk forward step by step, without looking back, without lingering.
The chains could not stop the other person's steps; instead, each time that person passed by, a chain would break, turning into dust and dissipating into the air.
Why do you want to end all of this?
He seemed to sense the other person's feelings—
It's relief, it's relief, it's acceptance...
And, a strong unwillingness to accept fate.
But there was also an added element of obedience.
"..."
As he turned around, the person's gaze had already fallen upon him:
The other party has already reached the end of everything.
"Do you want to kill me?"
He had anticipated it—the remaining chains would affect him directly.
Only by his departure can that person achieve his goal.
【No】
What I want to kill... is the shackles of fate.
[Those who want to be free...]
[That future frozen in time]
[All of... the future I acquired through a trade, a future frozen in time for everyone]
He watched as the longsword in the other man's hand gradually took shape. The blade slowly condensed in the air before being steadily raised and swung with both hands.
Through the void, he saw that shattered world—and that blinding crimson.
Oh, he remembered.
So that slash I saw in the space back then...
The target was himself.
Please...live on.
{Join us...into a new world}
The fluctuations in space abruptly ceased, and the red light hovered before him, as if time had frozen for a moment. He wanted to turn and flee, but a faint yet resolute voice resonated deep within him, causing him to involuntarily stop in his tracks.
May death reshape the world.
Is he free now? But it seems he doesn't want to leave like this.
"Please help me..."
The instant the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize he had said something terrible, and froze on the spot—
Whose promise was this?
[…]
Please freeze me in the past.
【[Re-flowing]】
Who caught him? Who pushed him out of this space?
And who will return everything to him?
I have this feeling... like I've done this to myself countless times in the past.
You...
【After all, this was a promise we made to each other】
【【Although……】】
Oh well, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
The moment he looked up, those familiar yet unfamiliar eyes crashed into his world.
As he was about to leave, he heard the echoes of the world, saw the blood-stained sand, and felt the endless sorrow...
And that incredibly profound cry for help.
"Help me! Brother Wunian!"
--------
"!!!"
I woke up with a start, turned my head and found that the person next to me had disappeared. Without thinking about why, I threw on some clothes and rushed out.
Dawn was approaching, and the sky was beginning to lighten, all around was quiet. However, in this moment of tranquility, he felt the noise around him growing louder, making it impossible for him to relax.
"Mo Wunian? Shouldn't you be resting right now?"
"How did you end up here?"
"Commander! Is there a problem with the B12 battalion's defensive line?!"
He flung open the command post door and, seeing Luo Hongbin's obviously disturbed expression, his already chaotic mind nearly snapped. He clenched his fists and struggled to ask...
"..."
"Please answer me!"
"...I specifically told someone not to tell you about this. Ji Yan wouldn't tell you..."
"I heard it."
"?"
He walked step by step to the other person's table, frowned, closed his eyes, and suppressed the agitation in his heart. Then he slowly opened his eyes and spoke through gritted teeth.
"It was me... I heard the cries for help."
"...Please tell me what's going on over there?"
Luo Hongbin looked up at Mo Wunian, who was gazing at him almost pleadingly. He then glanced down at the intelligence that had been transmitted not long ago, sighed, and after a moment's thought, told him the information.
"Last night, we received an urgent message from the support team."
"B12 Battalion's defenses are on the verge of collapse. The tsunami-level aftershocks and the ferocious heron's surprise attack damaged their communication equipment first, preventing them from transmitting accurate information in a timely manner..."
"Just over ten minutes ago, the support team announced that the defensive line had fallen, with only a few members remaining carrying intelligence and heading back... I also sent people to meet them not long ago."
"You're sending them to provide backup?!"
Seeing that the other person was about to slam their fist on the table, Luo Hongbin quickly waved his hand to stop them.
"Mo Wunian, I know you're feeling very conflicted right now..."
"But you just led the team to repel a wave of remnant elephants not long ago, and your condition is not suitable for going to the front line again... You've already broken your monthly rest schedule many times..."
"So you're just sending them to support the team that's highly likely to encounter the tsunami-level aftermath?!"
"Let them buy time with their lives?!"
"..."
He snapped back to his senses, his rationality returning, realizing that his words had disregarded the feelings of the person before him. Suppressing his resentment, he continued speaking.
"Feel sorry……"
"But I cannot accept this arrangement."
"Let me go with you."
"My perception of frequency is no worse for those who resonate with me."
"Even if my strength isn't enough to defeat that monster, it should be enough to buy me some time."
"Safety will also be better guaranteed."
"...Leave it to me."
He exhaled a long breath, gazing at the person before him. He knew the other understood what he was trying to say. He stood upright, calmly awaiting the person's final choice.
"Alas... Mo Wunian"
"They've only been gone for about ten minutes... Ji Yan is in the group too."
"I've sent you the coordinates via communications. Once you've picked up the person, you can come back to take over the defense."
"...May you traverse the long night and return victorious."
Luo Hongbin watched as the other party quickly checked the communications, confirmed the target, and then turned and left. He sighed weakly, looking as if he had aged ten years.
"This kid is even more terrifying than us veterans when he's willing to fight to the death..."
"His strength and methods demonstrate a maturity beyond his years."
"only……"
He values the people around him too much.
It's inevitable that lives will be lost on the battlefield. Veterans like him, who have served for many years, are used to it. While they feel regret and heartache, they quickly accept this reality and throw themselves into the next battle as soon as possible.
But that person was different. He took all the obsession with the deceased upon himself, and always thought that he could take everyone back by himself...
Finally, in this situation, he has placed his own life and death on the very bottom:
God knows how terrified he was when he saw that person throw the sword amidst the pile of debris; he was so frightened he almost jumped in with his gun to save the man himself.
Although the battle ended in a complete victory, and the longsword thrown by the opponent at the crucial moment successfully saved the person who had cried for help, the price paid was a ten-centimeter-long wound piercing the opponent's abdomen.
Everyone present, except for the injured person, could see how violently the child named Ji Yan's hands trembled when he saw it.
"...He probably wouldn't be thinking of rescuing people from the hands of the fiendish and ruthless heron, would he?"
"That's a tsunami-level afterimage, something even a Resonator would have a hard time dealing with..."
Looking at the intelligence report in his hand, then at the sky about to break through the dawn, Luo Hongbin rubbed his temples, feeling utterly helpless.
But at that moment, he suddenly realized something and abruptly looked at the person leading the team according to the intelligence report—
"……etc?!"
"I think the leader of this support team is his adjutant?"
"……broken!!!"
Realizing this, Luo Hongbin jumped to his feet in fright and hurriedly pushed open the door, but the person was already gone.
Trembling, she returned to her room, frantically pulled out her phone, and hurriedly sent a message to the only person who might be able to persuade the other party.
--------
Meanwhile, the team that had set off earlier was also moving forward rapidly, each step taken with extreme caution, constantly on guard against a sudden attack from the remaining elephants.
"Everyone, stay alert! The aftermath we're facing could very well be a tsunami-level event. We can't afford to be distracted in the slightest!"
"Go back alive! Don't make meaningless sacrifices, think of your family!"
The Lunar New Year is almost here! They're waiting for you to come home for a family reunion—
The leader's shout was like a thunderclap, further jolting Ji Yan's already tense nerves. Standing in the center of the group, clutching his first-aid kit, he silently followed the path.
"Teacher...please get some rest."
"Don't come this time."
He sighed, his gaze sweeping across the road shrouded in yellow sand, a mix of emotions welling up inside him. Before setting off, he had repeatedly confirmed the other person's safety, only turning away resolutely when he was absolutely certain.
If that person knew that the trouble happened on Nan Chui's side this time... even if General Ge Shu were present, he probably wouldn't be able to persuade the other party.
His teacher, in the first place, couldn't accept the departure of someone close to him.
"Watch out! Something is approaching us!"
In an instant, the entire team shifted formation, everyone's eyes fixed ahead like hawks. Amidst the billowing dust, several figures sped towards them, until a few hoarse yet urgent shouts pierced the air.
"We are the night-returning soldiers from the intelligence analysis section of B12 Battalion..."
"...Help...help us!"
As the dust settled, the crowd could see the newcomers clearly: just over a dozen people, their uniforms almost entirely soaked in blood, each bearing some kind of injury, and they were calling for help with their last ounce of strength.
Upon seeing this, the team leader immediately became anxious, hurriedly put down his weapon, and turned to shout loudly to the team.
"Quick! Where's the medic? We need to save him!"
"The rest of you should check the surroundings in case the elephants suddenly attack!"
Ji Yan immediately rushed out from the center of the group and sprinted towards the wounded. After quickly scanning the surroundings, he immediately determined who needed treatment first. He then took out the necessary items from the medical kit and prepared to begin the rescue.
"What's going on over there... why are there so few people coming out..."
"What about the people who went there to provide support..."
"The defenses have fallen... The fiendish heron damaged the communication equipment and interfered with the magnetic field, preventing us from reporting the situation to them immediately..."
"We couldn't even bring out intelligence before... there wasn't enough time for transmission..."
"It's the support team! It's them..."
"They deliberately stayed behind to buy us time so that we could bring back the intelligence..."
"...That was a tsunami-level force...that raging flames...it took the lives of many brothers in an instant with just a slight breath..."
While rapidly treating the wounded, he overheard snippets of conversation, causing Ji Yan's heart to sink to the bottom. Suppressing the grief welling in his eyes, he was about to continue treatment when the terminal suddenly rang, breaking the heavy atmosphere.
He tapped the screen absentmindedly, glanced at it briefly, and was about to put the terminal down and return to his task.
However, in that fleeting glance, he seemed to catch something, causing him to startle and immediately stop what he was doing. He picked up the terminal again, nervously and urgently rereading the message, afraid of missing a single detail.
A few minutes ago—
Mo Wunian is already on his way; be prepared to meet him.
[They're moving very fast; they should catch up with you soon.]
Finished!
This is a message that just arrived—
[Stop him! Don't let him do something foolish!]
[The person leading the team is Nan Chui! He already knows that the person leading the team is his adjutant!!!]
It's completely over.
Seeing these messages, he felt his heart die instantly: not only had his teacher arrived, but he also learned that the person leading the team was Nan Chui!
You have to understand that this guy is the kind of person who would throw his sword at anyone who cries for help on the battlefield, not to mention that the person who got into trouble this time was his adjutant and friend!
Hearing the lamentations coming from the other side, it was clear that the group was still grieving the loss of their defensive line and the sacrifice of their support team. A tightness gripped me, fearing these words might trigger the sensitive nerves of those about to arrive and escalate the situation further. I quickly turned to try and stop them. However, it seemed everything was too late…
"you say……"
"That idiot Nan Chui stayed there for a bit of information!"
"Are they out of their minds?!"
"Do they think they can stop a tsunami-level aftermath?!"
Looking at that person's figure, his brain completely froze.
This is truly the end.