ABST Chapter 42

Gong Du stayed in the medical pod for a full three days before his life was pulled back.

 

Elansno’s body wasn’t really mechanical. Killing the king-worm certainly wasn’t simple. He was almost getting PTSD from bugs now.

 

Of course, the body was secondary. Mainly it was mental domain depletion.

 

Perhaps as punishment for wanting fewer deaths, avoiding Silver Crow, and advancing the plot early—after returning from the chaotic magnetic zone, his mental domain was nearly destroyed.

 

How destroyed? In Small light orb’s words, like a sieve full of thorns. That he didn’t go mad from pain on the spot was all thanks to it blocking the pain.

 

Gong Du himself felt nothing, just found the physicians constantly hovering before him somewhat excessive. Algiers even specially transferred Kane over to care for him. Such grand treatment left him somewhat flattered.

 

Small light orb: “Don’t you know what you did?”

 

Gong Du sighed: “This isn’t the ending a villain should have.”

 

The king-worm was dead. The final cleanup battle hadn’t been scheduled yet. Everyone was waiting for news from Elansno.

 

…

 

Medical Room. Jin Daike frowned deeply, looking at Elansno’s test report with no idea where to start.

 

“Brother, should we tell him he might never be able to use mental power again?”

 

Algiers was silent: “…For now, let’s not tell him. Let him recuperate properly.” Someone as proud as Elansno—could he accept becoming a half-crippled person?

 

“Not just mental power, but also limbs and finger dexterity.”

 

Jin Daike turned a page: “Don’t know what he experienced down there. His body is like machinery about to break down…”

 

A light cough came. Jin Daike’s voice suddenly stopped.

 

At the doorway stood a person—when he’d arrived unknown. Elansno was pale-faced, but his purple eyes held a light smile. Military uniform draped over him, he knocked the door with extremely light force: “Why not tell me directly?”

 

…

 

Ten minutes later.

 

Jin Daike poured him a cup of warm water, then remembered he couldn’t even drink that now. She took it back, not knowing how to speak.

 

Elansno took the initiative. From his spatial button he took out a glass bottle containing a worm—body twisting constantly, barely alive.

 

Jin Daike exclaimed: “This is?!”

 

Elansno smiled: “Rosh.”

 

Spatial buttons couldn’t store living things, but apparently brain-worms weren’t subject to this restriction.

 

“I won’t easily let Rosh go. Tortured it for a long time down in the chaotic magnetic zone.” Elansno glossed over the torture content. “Didn’t expect it to still be alive. This obviously has high research value, doesn’t it?”

 

“I think spending its remaining life in a laboratory would be an excellent choice.”

 

Jin Daike took a deep breath. Looking at Rosh again, her gaze had become extremely cold: “Of course.”

 

She put away the worm. After hesitating, she said: “Brother’s meaning is to have you return to the Imperial Capital as soon as possible. There, you’ll receive better care.”

 

She didn’t know why, but always felt that after killing the king-worm and taking revenge on Rosh, something about Elansno seemed different.

 

That heavy, deep, oppressive feeling invisibly disappeared.

 

Becoming light and airy, as if no one could grasp him.

 

Elansno: “After finishing the last cleanup battle, I’ll go back.”

 

Jin Daike: “You’re not fit for the battlefield now!”

 

“Why not?” Elansno smiled, pointing at the test report on the table. “Because I’m crippled?”

 

Jin Daike was speechless. She instinctively denied: “No…”

 

But then she paused, because she couldn’t find another reason. No matter what reason, the root seemed to be ‘Elansno is crippled’ and therefore couldn’t go to the battlefield.

 

She really didn’t want to connect these words with the pale person before her, but this was the truth.

 

“Don’t think of me as too weak. I’ve been on battlefields since age fourteen, killed countless people, participated in countless battles.”

 

Elansno stated calmly: “As long as I’m not dead, no matter how severely injured, once I put on this military uniform, on the battlefield, I’m the invincible Admiral Elansno.”

 

Jin Daike’s pupils trembled slightly.

 

That small portion of people on StarNet who defended Elansno like madmen—they weren’t entirely unreasonable. This person’s charisma was always a fatal poison that made people willingly follow.

 

Elansno: “Only one battle with the Zerg remains. I’ll participate, then return with you. You’ve never heard me lie, have you?”

 

Jin Daike frowned, still hesitating.

 

Elansno: “I won’t personally fight, only command.”

 

“…Alright.” Jin Daike indeed had never heard him lie. She nodded. “The moment the war ends, immediately return to the Imperial Capital.”

 

She needed to report to Algiers and left early.

 

After a long while, Elansno smiled silently.

 

“Brother, your students are so easy to deceive.”

 

——

 

The final battle was named the Battle of Dawn.

 

Remaining Zerg south of the Imperial Capital were driven out and eliminated. The few survivors all fled near the chaotic magnetic zone. But they could no longer sense the king-worm’s existence.

 

Countless large screens in the Imperial Capital broadcast the current situation in the Northwest Sector.

 

The triumph ceremony preparations had already begun. This ceremony would last ten days. Countless people simultaneously headed to the Imperial Capital, preparing to welcome home the warriors—whether eternally sleeping or still alive.

 

One after another, ashes of fallen warriors from south of the Imperial Capital and the Northwest Sector had arrived at the capital.

 

Thousands of military ships carrying ashes stood in silent vigil. The living and the dead—they all anticipated this battle destined for victory.

 

Northwest Sector.

 

The moment Elansno’s figure appeared, many people breathed a sigh of relief.

 

[Told you he was fine.]

 

[After today, no one should demand his judgment anymore. Only an idiot would seek death at this moment. Surviving means a lifetime of glory and wealth.]

 

[This is just cleanup. Doesn’t even need him to act.]

 

[Heard the Northwest Sector’s return ships are prepared?]

 

[Hahahaha, returning will bring supreme glory, right?]

 

Countless artillery shells flew into the chaotic magnetic zone. All hidden Zerg were blasted out. Red-eyed soldiers charged forward, not sparing even a single egg.

 

An entire afternoon plus half an evening passed. The chaotic magnetic zone was razed to the ground.

 

Only, no one saw that extremely familiar golden light or the figure who always charged ahead anymore.

 

Not until the entire chaotic magnetic zone registered not a single egg did people react.

 

Where was Elansno?

 

Where did Elansno go?

 

Why didn’t he charge to the front today?

 

Why didn’t they see that mental power brilliant as dawn again?

 

And from the Far North Sector, a crow flew closer and closer, happily carrying a gemstone.

 

——

 

Elansno removed his mask. He took an extremely small spacecraft heading south.

 

Heard that with good luck, one could see magnificent auroras in the direction near the Southern Domain.

 

The Northwest Sector was very close to the Southern Domain. No gemstones like the Far North Sector, not as cold as the Northwest Sector, but still an ice field. The spacecraft only needed half a day to reach it.

 

He’d participated in the last battle—only showed his face once, then left the Northwest Sector. Yes, this Admiral who’d fought for fourteen years became a ‘deserter’ for the first time.

 

But he felt extremely relaxed and happy.

 

Didn’t want to care about anything.

 

Only today, he didn’t want to be Elansno. He wanted to purely be a Lan Nuo who didn’t think about anything.

 

Lan Nuo died fourteen years ago. What did he understand about battlefields, about life and death?

 

In those simple dozen years, the thing he did most, most earnestly, was just ‘remembering,’ then finding Brother.

 

That livestream drone bound to him could barely keep up at first, then fell further and further behind until the screen went black. Still, it kept chasing.

 

Elansno had no news for a long time. Algiers’s unease grew heavier.

 

Jin Daike had blown up Elansno’s comm device but still couldn’t connect. That liar! He promised to return to the Imperial Capital with her after the battle!

 

“Already sent people to search. Livestream drone tracking, but signal very unstable. Can only roughly determine he’s southward.”

 

Shou Bing glanced at the returned message. “Grand Commander, don’t panic yet. Settle the warriors who’ve arrived at the capital. Will the triumph ceremony proceed as scheduled?”

 

Algiers frowned: “We’ll see.”

 

Someone disagreed: “Are we supposed to postpone the set date because of one person?”

 

Lian Yao sneered: “If you killed the king-worm, forget the triumph ceremony—I’d tattoo your name on my body, no problem.”

 

“Alright, stop arguing.”

 

The triumph ceremony was to celebrate victory and let warriors who died on the battlefield rest. Most had no remains, so their families could only send some old belongings.

 

The ten-day period—each day had a set number of soldiers to be buried. They couldn’t make those martyrs’ families wait in vain.

 

Algiers made the decision: “The ceremony proceeds on time. Increase personnel searching for Elansno.”

 

——

 

Elansno descended from the spacecraft.

 

Icy cold air instantly enveloped him. He wore only a thin military uniform. The moment he landed, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

 

His body really couldn’t withstand hardship anymore…

 

Forcing himself to rally, he took out his comm device and activated recording mode. Elansno thought it over and felt he should properly bid farewell to Brother’s students.

 

Recording mode started. His appearance clearly appeared in the device.

 

Elansno smiled and said: “Hello, I’m leaving now.”

 

“Very sorry for making you care for me so long. I know you hate me, want to avenge Brother. It’s okay—I’ll do it myself.”

 

“Really so tired. I never knew I could be this tired one day. Walking here, seems I can’t walk anymore.” Elansno glanced around at the flat ice field.

 

Night fell deep. Stars twinkled. No aurora appeared yet.

 

His eyes dimmed. “I want to say one more thing…”

 

Elansno decided to wait a bit longer. He removed the silver-gray sphere he’d worn all along. “I don’t want to give you Brother’s ashes.”

 

“He was so good to you for five years—long enough to make me jealous. You received too much care and love from him. I only have this. Don’t want to leave any for you.”

 

Elansno paused, speaking somewhat like a stubborn child: “Curse me however you want. I just won’t give it to you.”

 

He didn’t know his current appearance was actually somewhat pitifully beggar-like, tightly clutching his only remaining treasure, afraid it would be snatched away.

 

He said many more fragmented things. Suddenly the sky was shrouded by ethereal, magnificent aurora, sprinkling on the ice field like light, floating clouds. But at the aurora’s center lay a mad storm that could tear people apart.

 

Elansno froze slightly, turned his head, pure joy flashing in his eyes.

 

He said to the comm device: “I should go now.”

 

Elansno left behind a small pebble. He didn’t take that seed but left it beside the comm device.

 

Thus, he finally felt light and free, with no attachments. Wearing Brother’s ashes, he walked toward the aurora.

 

In the extreme distance, a fly-sized livestream drone stumbled closer, crackling unstably. Gradually flying near and sensing the person bound to it, it faithfully began livestreaming.

 

On countless large screens in the Imperial Capital appeared a desolate snow field.

 

Clean, snow-white, pure, crystal-clear—a world of utmost clarity.

 

Everyone stopped to watch. In the snowfield and aurora, they saw an extremely familiar figure.

 

“Elansno?”

 

“How could it be him?”

 

“Where is he?”

 

“He’s not wearing a mask… Elansno actually looks like this? So young.”

 

“Seems familiar.”

 

Countless questions, but no one could answer.

 

Algiers lost his composure, knocked over his teacup, and stood abruptly. “How could…”

 

He suddenly remembered something Teacher had casually mentioned once.

 

Teacher said he and younger brother A-Nuo once agreed to see the aurora together. Only later, A-Nuo perished in the fire. He went to see the aurora alone, without A-Nuo beside him.

 

The youth walking in the snowfield smiled at the corner of his lips, softly singing a song.

 

The livestream drone drew closer before they could barely hear what he sang. The requiem that hadn’t stopped during the triumph ceremony.

 

The melody was very slow—like a hymn, gentle and low.

 

[Twinkle twinkle little star, illuminating heaven and earth clear]

 

Elansno squinted. He wondered—coming to see Brother like this, would Brother be angry? Though he’d specially changed into new clothes without bloodstains, just cleaned up too. Brother wouldn’t notice.

 

Even if he noticed, at worst, he’d act stubborn. Brother wouldn’t stay angry at him forever anyway.

 

[Dawn floats bright in blood, look up to see the starry sea level…]

 

Once promised Brother many things, seemed none had a chance to be realized. Hearing Algiers and them mention later events—if he hadn’t set fire to the Hall of Divine Mercy then, would the ending have been different?

 

People silently watching the large screens didn’t know why, but their eyes stung badly, hearts stuffed with cotton-like discomfort.

 

Some people realized they seemed to be witnessing the most pure, most romantic, most grand self-funeral—

 

Deep within the aurora was a storm that would shred all life forms into particles.

 

Someone started first. Many people, watching the screens, softly began singing along.

 

[Wind is chasing, clouds are chasing]

 

[Who are you missing]

 

Elansno felt somewhat dazed, remembering back when he’d just recalled Brother—at the walls of Dawn City, the conversation with Brother.

 

[“Today, those who died at the Federation’s hands are the protagonists. Not me, not you either.”

 

“…Such a familiar melody.”

 

“It’s a nursery rhyme every child has heard. My younger brother… once learned it and sang it to me.”

 

“I still remember.”]

 

Blame him for being too timid then, speaking too softly—Brother didn’t hear. Otherwise, Brother definitely could have recognized him, right?

 

…Though, hard to say.

 

After all, Brother was an idiot.

 

But singing this song to find Brother—even an idiot would recognize him, right?

 

Elansno smiled, yet a tear dropped from his eye. During those few seconds of falling, it froze completely, hit the ground, and instantly shattered.

 

[Under the aurora, night’s magnificent vastness, free souls return]

 

[Going home? Go home then]

 

[Still remember the way, right?]

 

Countless souls who died in battle found their way home in the requiem.

 

The lost child finally came home.

 

The clean, pure snowfield could embrace all sins and struggles. Here, all children could receive a dream beautiful as a fairy tale—without pain, without separation, filled with the fragrance of sweets and joyful laughter.

 

Lan Nuo smiled gently, holding Brother’s ashes like holding Brother’s hand.

 

He finally walked into the aurora.

 

He slept peacefully in the storm deep within the aurora.

 

**

 

 

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