Imperial Capital.
Research Institute.
A previously stable monitoring line suddenly fluctuated violently, directly breaking through the set threshold. The device beside it issued wailing alarms.
…
“According to data detection, he should have remembered most of it,” Director Pei reported. “The chip implanted in his brain domain is probably mostly destroyed. Can only be used one last time.”
The floor was a mess. Emperor Rosh, after raging for several minutes, had already regained composure.
“Good thing the plan has already progressed quite far. All these years spent, plus the C9 Sector in the Purge Plan shelved…” Emperor Rosh took a deep breath. “Adding this time, what a pity about those stolen incubators.”
Director Pei: “The ice sculptures from Ice-Cast City a hundred years ago made into incubators—barely enough in the institute’s underground. The insect eggs sent to the chaotic magnetic zone one after another are also sufficient. Wall-Stabbing Ants are low-level, but fortunately their hatching ability is strong.”
“Thanks to you for thinking up the method of establishing the Hall of Divine Mercy over a decade ago.”
Those who couldn’t endure and died, whose bodies were suitable for freezing into vessels for nurturing insect eggs, stayed at the research institute as incubators. All others unqualified were thrown into the chaotic magnetic zone as food for Wall-Stabbing Ants.
Just one survived the ordeal: Elansno. The Empire’s blade, keeping Federation and Northwest Sector balanced, bleeding each other dry, all while weakening the continent’s total war capacity.
Emperor Rosh was silent for a moment, saying: “Now, both Lan Xia and Elansno are trouble. These two truly left an impression on me.”
“There’s one method that could destroy them both together,” Director Pei said with a smile. “But Elansno surprised me too much. Those videos of him, I must properly preserve and take with me.”
“Of all creatures called humans, I admire him most.”
Emperor Rosh nodded: “Indeed.”
“Humans.”
The Purge Plan—what it purged was never anti-Federation elements.
——
The robbery of the Hall of Divine Mercy’s first batch of orphans caused an uproar. Lieutenant General Wright of the Second Army’s disappearance added fuel to the fire.
Many who didn’t know the truth, who supported the Hall of Divine Mercy’s reopening, pointed arrows toward the Northwest Sector’s Dawn organization, and at Elansno who’d also participated but returned safely—
Wasn’t he S-level? Wasn’t he invincible? Why did he allow those anti-Federation elements to steal the people away!
The masses followed blindly. Sometimes their anger didn’t even make sense.
But no matter what, the Federation’s royal family still made no statement.
First Army.
Nie Liang leaned against Elansno’s room door, switching to a backup light-brain to send messages. Expression calm, fingers flying.
[Silver Crow]: Is the crawler dead is the crawler dead is the crawler dead???
[Silver Crow]: Not dead yet not dead yet are you even useful??
[Silver Crow]: The Admiral says he recovered his memories, locked himself in his room seeing no one for a full 29 hours 47 minutes 13 seconds now.
Mania transmitted through the screen.
Since Elansno returned to the First Army, he hadn’t said half a word. Directly locked his room door. Wouldn’t eat. Not a single message.
[Lan R]: Stay calm.
[Lan R]: Crawler death progress already at 98.11%.
[Silver Crow]: Too slow. Much later than you initially predicted.
Nie Liang constantly anticipated the crawler’s death.
[Lan R]: Don’t worry. I’m counting on what I steal to sell for a good price to Gray River.
[Lan R]: There’s definitely something under the research institute. Every time the crawler crawls over those underground star lines, it’s like encountering low temperatures. Crawling speed frozen nearly to a halt. That’s why time was delayed.
[Lan R]: But your idol locking himself up—what’s that about? Recovering memories, what stimulus? Don’t tell me it’s really like we guessed—hiss!
[Silver Crow]: Don’t know. Not saying. Scram.
Lan Zhouhe clicked his tongue. The royal family had nothing left worth his time. He belonged to Gray River’s affiliated intelligence network. Though tasked with overthrowing the Federation, he wasn’t bound by Gray River’s commands.
Whatever information they obtained, they could even price it themselves, sell to Gray River. Of course could also buy information from Gray River.
But if trying to cheat money, they’d face Gray River intelligence network’s blockade order. Stripped completely bare, never able to operate again.
Lan Zhouhe sensed this time he’d hooked a big fish. Planned to collect everything completely then sell to Gray River. Pull off one big score. Both an achievement and lots of money.
[Lan R]: You’re worried. Why not go in and check?
[Silver Crow]: The Admiral won’t let me in.
[Lan R]: Aren’t you afraid something happens to your idol?
This was exactly Nie Liang’s worry.
Just earlier when the Admiral locked himself in, he’d seemed very calm. He couldn’t discern anything.
Irritation intensified.
[Silver Crow]: When will the crawler die when will the crawler die when will the crawler…
A pitch-black wall of text flooded over. Screen full of this one sentence.
Lan Zhouhe: “…”
Brain-dead fanatic.
He decisively logged off and shut down.
Nie Liang hesitated a moment, still reached out to knock on the door: “Admiral?”
Unexpectedly, the door opened.
Nie Liang froze one second, then entered.
Elansno’s room was right next to the office. Very close. Furnishings extremely simple and clean. Nie Liang swept a glance around, didn’t find where the person was, yet faintly smelled bloody scent coming from the bedroom.
He couldn’t care about anything else. In two or three steps rushed over and pushed open the door.
After seeing clearly the scene inside, he felt all the blood in his body turn half cold.
The floor covered in bloodstains. New and old.
The Admiral was putting on clothes, chest wrapped in bandages, round after round. Deep red blood seeping through. A knife on the table.
Nie Liang gripped the doorframe, voice hoarse: “…Admiral, what happened?”
The Admiral’s expression was extremely calm, as if just noticing he’d arrived: “Prepare a spacecraft. Come with me.”
Nie Liang insisted: “What happened to you?”
…
Inside the soul sea.
Gong Du flipped through the script, sighing: “Nie Liang must’ve been specially trained, right? Every prompt he gives is perfect. Makes it easy for me to play along.”
Kang Quan’s storyline was complete. Died at the proper moment.
Working so hard to return this collapsed world line to its proper track—not only could he save this small world, he’d also gain part of the fortune value from Kang Quan as an important supporting character.
No matter how you calculated, not a loss.
The small light orb relayed what happened on Emperor Rosh’s side: “Master strategist.”
Gong Du: “You flatter me.”
Small light orb: “But you’re still taking a makeup exam. Got curious and checked your grades. Actually only single digits.”
Small light orb flew in a circle: “I don’t understand.”
Gong Du: “…”
He actually didn’t understand either.
…
Elansno fastened his buttons.
Nie Liang noticed he wasn’t wearing military uniform, but had changed into black civilian clothes.
“This is punishment.”
Elansno was answering how his injuries came about.
“I hurt someone. He must have been in pain then.” Their first meeting—he’d kicked Brother.
Elansno’s face was pale. He smiled: “So I’m letting myself have a taste too.”
He looked at Nie Liang who seemed frozen, stood up, saying softly: “Let’s go. To Dawn City.”
Nie Liang immediately blocked him: “…Admiral, let me see your wounds. Did you… apply medicine?”
Elansno: “If you won’t go, move. Don’t block the way.”
Nie Liang: “Did you apply medicine?”
Elansno raised his eyes.
Temperature around them silently dropped.
Little mad bird’s entire patience was reserved for Elansno. He said quietly: “…I’m guessing after remembering, there’s someone you care about in Dawn City. Right now you smell heavily of blood. If he smells it, he’ll worry.”
[…bloody and filthy.]
Elansno: “You’re right. Also wrong.”
He sat to one side: “Medicine box is in the cabinet. You apply it.”
Nie Liang sighed in relief, quickly taking out the medicine box, then crouching before Elansno. Unbuttoning, putting on gloves, carefully peeling open the bandages—only then did he realize that breath of relief came too soon.
The knife wounds at his ribs were deep enough to see bone. He couldn’t count how many cuts covered them.
Nie Liang’s fingers trembled. He silently applied medicine, sprayed painkiller on clean bandages, rewrapping Elansno.
Buttoning up.
Elansno asked: “Can you still smell blood?”
He seemed to care most about this.
Nie Liang shook his head.
Perhaps still a little, but once the wind blew, it’d mostly scatter.
Elansno stood and left.
Nie Liang followed close behind. By the looks of it, the Admiral—with mental power nearly depleted, thirty hours without sleep or food, plus injured.
Should be resting properly now.
But right now he couldn’t say half a word of persuasion. He sensed after recovering memories, the Admiral’s spirit was extremely taut. Adding the over a thousand prior brain stimulations…
Was the Admiral’s current mental state really still normal?
If the Federation really was behind it, then why hadn’t the Admiral mentioned the Federation once since returning? Was that person in Dawn City truly important to this extent?
But current circumstances absolutely wouldn’t allow him to drag over Doctor Kane to examine the Admiral. Nie Liang could only follow close behind, boarding an unmarked spacecraft together, leaving the First Army.
…
Northwest Sector.
Dawn City.
Under dusky twilight, the temporarily built cemetery stood solemn.
Algiers, Shou Bing, Jin Daike, and Lian Yao led. Their frames no longer slender, grown tall and mature. Already faintly showing the shadows of young adults.
Behind them, warriors stood in orderly formation.
All wore black clothing, white flowers on their chests.
This cemetery was just completed. Like others who died for Dawn, Uncle Quan and others who perished in this Hall of Divine Mercy operation were all buried here.
Lan Xia didn’t participate.
He stood atop the high city wall, setting sun at his back. Black windbreaker like a silhouette, gazing toward the cemetery ahead.
He was thinking about Elansno.
Why save him at that final moment?
Strange yet familiar feeling. If A-Nuo hadn’t already died, he really would…
Suddenly, light footsteps came from behind. Someone lightly landed at his right rear.
Lan Xia turned slightly, eyes contracting, yet restrained himself from immediately attacking. “It’s you.”
He paused, expression complex: “You still came.”
In the sinking dusk, the silver-white-haired youth appeared on the city wall at some unknown time. Completely unconcealed, even though people in this city viewed him as an enemy who must be killed.
Seemingly as rumored—arrogant to a certain degree.
Nie Liang like a shadow, silently following behind Elansno.
Elansno heard his voice. Fingers curled slightly. He seemed also wary of Lan Xia, avoiding Lan Xia’s gaze.
“How did you know I’d come?”
From beginning to end, he didn’t let Lan Xia see his eyes.
Lan Xia’s gaze moved toward the cemetery: “After all, Instructor Quan died for you.”
Warm sunset light brushed the sorrow of tombstones into magnificence.
Elansno looked over, lowering his voice, asking hoarsely: “…Why aren’t you going over?”
“Those four are Dawn’s true leaders. That’s enough,” Lan Xia said flatly. “Today, these people who died at the Federation’s hands are the protagonists.”
He turned his head slightly: “I’m not. Neither are you.”
Elansno said nothing.
Had no position to speak either.
The funeral was very simple. Everyone sang a song in low voices.
Elansno: “…Such a familiar melody.”
Lan Xia glanced at him, gaze emptying for a moment: “It’s a nursery rhyme. Every child heard it growing up. My younger brother… once learned it and sang it for me.”
“Dawn changed the words. Turned it into a requiem.”
Quiet, gentle melody drifted far and wide.
They sang:
“Twinkle twinkle little star, lighting up heaven and earth clear.”
“Dawn born from blood so bright, look up and see the starry sea near.”
“Wind is chasing, clouds are chasing.”
“Who are you missing?”
“Aurora’s night sky grand and fair, free spirits returning there.”
“Going home now, going home then.”
“Still remember the way, yes?”
“Twinkle twinkle little star…”
A nursery rhyme nearly everyone had heard, most widely spread—could awaken the deepest yearning in hearts, the softest, warmest memories.
The graves weren’t lonely.
So wandering souls finally came home.
Elansno said softly:
“I still remember.”
Author’s Note:
About Emperor Rosh’s foreshadowing—wrapping up a wave.
Treasures who forgot can go back and look:
Chapter 11 middle section—description of Purge Plan and Ice-Cast City
Chapter 14 opening—introduction about chaotic magnetic zone and Wall-Stabbing Ants
Chapter 28—Brother confesses being thrown near the chaotic magnetic zone
Doesn’t affect anything.
PS: That requiem at the end—I adapted “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “Fireflies Fly,” rewrote the lyrics, fused them together. When reading, you can try singing along. Don’t mock me… *cough cough* I think it has quite a feeling.
——
**
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152
Hmm, does it? Lol.
Good song