Chapter 631: One Last Time

Chapter 631 One Last Time

By the time Chen Xiaolian was finished, the floor before Bluesea had become littered with cigarette butts.

“You mean to say… … I had once possessed the same extraordinary abilities that you possess? Also, I had died twice?”

“Stronger than me. At least, that was before I received Skyblade’s power.” After saying that, Chen Xiaolian revealed a bitter smile. “However, not only is Skyblade’s power no more right now, even my own strength will be temporarily unavailable.”

“If so… … what evidence do you have?” Bluesea, who had entered a momentary state of silence, slowly spoke up, “Evidence for the things you said about the truth of this world, the Development Team, Players, Awakened ones, Irregularities, and… … that you were acquainted with me.”

“Evidence?” Chen Xiaolian smiled and replied, “Mr Bluesea, as a soldier of the Public’s Republic of China, you are probably a complete atheist, no? After your death, you did not just disappear. Instead, you came to this weird place, encountered someone like me and those monsters. Are those not evidence enough?”

“Not enough.” Bluesea shook his head.

“Fine.” Chen Xiaolian lit up a cigarette for himself. “Then, after hearing about what I have to say next, you will believe me.”

“Say it first, I will be the judge of that.”

“You know what? The young woman that I am looking for, the one known as Qiao Qiao is my girlfriend. However, did I tell you who her father is?”

Bluesea knitted his brows. “She is your girlfriend. How would I know who her father is?”

Chen Xiaolian looked at Bluesea keenly and said slowly, “Qiao Qiao’s father – his name is Qiao Yi Feng.”

A solemn look suddenly appeared on Bluesea’s face. “Qiao Yifeng? Which Qiao Yifeng?”

“Could there be any other Qiao Yifeng?” Chen Xiaolian smiled. “The guild that you led back in Zero City is named Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild. The Mountain refers to Qiao Yifeng and the Sea refers to you, Bluesea.”

Bluesea was silent for a moment. “What about the Blade and Flame?”

“I do not know their names.” Chen Xiaolian spread his hands. “All I know is, Skyblade has a son, a fatso. As for Thunderflame… … she is a woman. Her little sister is Qiao Yifeng’s wife, and also Qiao Qiao’s mother.”

“… …. …” The light on the cigarette in Bluesea’s hand reached his fingers, searing his fingers, causing him to drop it. After he stamped out the cigarette fire, Bluesea said, “I figured it out. Its Liang Feng and… … Cui Yunyan. I remember that Liang Feng does have a son and Qiao Yifeng did marry Cui Yunyan’s younger sister. However, even after she died, they two of them did not have a daughter.”

Chen Xiaolian raised a finger and pointed upward. “I told you before, after Awakened ones die, those fellows from the Upper Plane… … or rather, the system, will create a false set of memories for you, which involves everyone you ever knew. However, things are different for Irregularities like me and Qiao Qiao. When we die, the system will erase all traces of our existence from the outside world, including the ordinary humans’ memories of us.”

“You… … can you give more details about that?” Bluesea contemplated the issue with a focused look, not missing out on even a single word that Chen Xiaolian said.

Chen Xiaolian considered it for a moment. “Skyblade… … the one you refer to as Liang Feng, died as an Awakened. After his death, he was refreshed into an ordinary human. In his memories, and the memories of the ordinary people around him, the things he went through as an Awakened never happened. The system created out a set of memories of him being an ordinary human. Liang Feng himself, and all the ordinary humans around him will believe those memories to be true. However, all the Awakened ones who have had contact with him when he was Skyblade, such as you, will still remember him as Skyblade.

“However, Qiao Qiao is not an Awakened. Rather, she is an Irregularity. After her death… … she completely disappeared. No ordinary humans will remember her. It is as though the one known as Qiao Qiao had never existed.

“In that final battle in Zero City, you ended up getting killed in action. Like Skyblade, the system arranged a new set of identity and memories for you. While you can still remember Qiao Yifeng and the others, in your memories, they are simply ordinary humans, former comrade-in-arms of your soldiering days. As an ordinary human, however, you will no longer possess any memories regarding Qiao Qiao’s existence.”

Bluesea’s head was lowered as he pondered the issue. After a considerable amount of time, he finally and slowly, nodded his head. “The things you said… … logically speaking, there is no problem with them.”

“Those are all facts. Of course there wouldn’t be any problems.” Chen Xiaolian smiled.

Bluesea was a smart person. Chen Xiaolian knew that very well.

All the things he said were things that ordinary humans may find difficult to accept. However, back when Bluesea first became an Awakened, he had also gone through such an experience.

Seeing as how he was able to successfully accept the facts back then, Chen Xiaolian was confident that Bluesea would be able to believe what he had just said as well.

“However… … about what you said earlier, you committing suicide to find Brother Qiao’s daughter.” Bluesea suddenly raised his head. “Even if you find her, you two will still be unable to return, no?”

“… … yes.”

Chen Xiaolian hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.

While he had enough trust in Bluesea’s character, there was a third person inside the room.

Bluesea cast a lengthy look at Chen Xiaolian without saying anything.

The atmosphere within the room fell into a peculiar state of silence.

“So, what do you plan on doing now?”

Clearing his throat gently, Bluesea broke the silence.

“I am thinking… … of finding that Coalition.” Chen Xiaolian looked at Lu Leiya, who remained seated on the sofa. “I believe that Qiao Qiao will not simply join them. However, there is the possibility that she is captured by them. From what I can see, that is the most likely possibility.”

Bluesea gave it some thought and nodded. “A sound speculation. However, do not forget. Just now, you had killed off two of their members. That muscular man that Lu Leiya encountered had stated: anyone who kills their members will be hunted to death for certain.”

“Who could know?” Chen Xiaolian shrugged. “Both the thin man and Wu Ya are dead. Who could know that I killed them?”

“Are you certain?”

“Of course not.” Chen Xiaolian smiled. “However, the odds are enough for me to go take this gamble. The materials in this World’s End are too limited. Moreover, a refresh generally happens every once in a while. All those Irregularities are exceptionally poor scavengers. There is no way all of them would have a communication device with them. The others… … perhaps, they don’t even know that the two of them had died.”

“All right. Then… … what can I do to help?”

“You?” Chen Xiaolian revealed a wry smile. “If you are still the Mr Bluesea that I once knew, you will naturally be able to help. However… … do not forget, you are now just an ordinary human.”

Bluesea smiled as well. “Are you no different right now?”

Chen Xiaolian’s eyes swiftly darted to the side as he glanced at Lu Leiya, who remained seated silently in the corner of a sofa. “We… … let us go take a walk in the yard.”

Bluesea nodded and got up. Walking toward Lu Leiya, he said, “Thank you for telling us those important matters. If you feel tired, go take a rest.”

“Mm…” Lu Leiya nodded his head, stood up, and walked to the door. As he was about to leave, he suddenly turned to look at Chen Xiaolian. “Ah…”

Chen Xiaolian looked back at Lu Leiya, waiting for him to continue. However, Lu Leiya simply shook his head and forced out a smile. “It’s nothing. I… … I… I am leaving now.”

After walking out of the house, he shut the door and stood on the small path within the residence’s lawn. Inhaling deeply, he looked up at the sky for a long time. Then, his entire body slowly and limply fell into a crouching posture.

“We… … is it… … no matter what… … we are destined to die?”

…

In the backyard, Bluesea and Chen Xiaolian were walking side by side across the grassy yard.

The house was the typical American residential house found in little towns. The grassy yard behind the house was wide. However, due to the lack of maintenance, the yard had become somewhat messy.

“You were hurt in the fight against Wu Ya, right?” Bluesea said gently. “I do not know how much damage you took. However, if you were in your usual state, we would not have suffered so miserably when we encountered those giant ants in the desert.”

“Yes.” Chen Xiaolian nodded.

“That is why I seriously doubt that the present you can singlehandedly rescue Brother Qiao’s daughter.”

Chen Xiaolian shook his head. “My wounds are slowly recovering. All it needs is time. Besides… … I have no intention of clashing with the Coalition directly. When I encounter the fellows from the Coalition, I will not put up a fight and just let myself be captured. If they want to imprison me, I will have the opportunity to meet Qiao Qiao.”

“Time? Do you have that?” Bluesea thought about it. “It is better for me to go with you.”

“Like I said, you are just an ordinary human now.” Chen Xiaolian shook his head firmly. “If anything happens, you will die. Besides, you have other things to do.”

“Like what?”

“Those… … people. The people inside this town.” Chen Xiaolian extended his hand to draw a circle in the air. “The Irregularities are currently on clearing duty. It is just a matter of time before they reach this place. This town does not possess any concealing functions. When they discover this place, what do you think the consequences will be?”

Bluesea scoffed. “And? What can I do?”

“Naturally, move them.” Chen Xiaolian was surprised. “You… … you had no intentions of managing them?”

Bluesea sighed. He then sat down on a beach chair in the yard. With a peculiar expression, he looked at Chen Xiaolian and said, “You tell me, where should I move them to?”

“… … …” Chen Xiaolian immediately grew silent.

“You should know, there are very few places suitable for humans in this world.” Bluesea plucked out a strand of grass and gently wrapped it around his fingertip. “The instance dungeons around this little town are either a wasteland or a desert. There is even a ruined place, one that looks like the aftermath of a battle. We have over 100 people here. If we leave this place, do you think we can survive?”

“Right, you told me about that before.” Chen Xiaolian sighed as he nodded his head.

“Do you remember why I brought those people out to the Manhattan instance dungeon? We are about to finish up all the foodstuffs here,” Bluesea said coolly. “This is not a big town. It only has one commercial street. The food inside those grocery stores will not be re-stocked. After a few months, the supplies inside them are quickly running out. In the beginning, we did not consider about the long-term and everyone was allowed to take them freely. It wasn’t until recently that we gathered up all the foodstuffs and began rationing. Even so, it won’t last long. Given our present level of foodstuffs, we can at best last for only another week or so.”

“Over 100 people here…” Chen Xiaolian knitted his brows. “If so, even if you did succeed in bringing those foodstuffs back, that small amount will probably not last even one day, right?”

“What little foodstuffs we can bring back are still foodstuffs. The most important objective was to find a place to move to. Originally, we thought that the Manhattan instance dungeon is a good choice for that. However… … as you can see, the Coalition guys are hunting around in that place. Moreover, those monsters… … who knows how many more of them are there?”

“Surely you do not plan on having them stay here and wait for death?”

“Wait for death?” Bluesea raised his head to look at Chen Xiaolian. There was a faint smile on his face. “All of us, are we not already dead?”

“… … …”

“Thinking about it, I had died twice, right? Back in Zero City, the Awakened me died and was refreshed into an ordinary human without any memories of my Awakened past. You are the one who told me that. Then… … over one month ago, I died when the bomb we were testing detonated prematurely. That came from my own memories. I… … have had a full life.”

Bluesea then got up. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Back in Manhattan, you and that Wu Ya talked for a long time, but in the end, you still fought him. The reason for that is because you wanted to protect me, right? However… … since this place is just a Recycle Bin, the only reason we could live this long is because a BUG had occurred within this world. Being killed by the Irregularities from the Coalition, or cleared by the system; in the end, our end is already set in stone, is it not?”

“… … yes.”

Chen Xiaolian could only be open about it and nod his head.

Earlier, when he was telling Bluesea about the world, he had intentionally talked about this part in a vague manner, not going into the details. 

Even so, Bluesea was keen enough to see through the crux of the matter.

Although he had been refreshed into an ordinary human, the smart Bluesea remained smart.

“Besides, this death will last forever. We will completely return to nothingness.” Bluesea walked toward the backyard door. “Qiao Qiao is Brother Qiao’s daughter while you are my friend. Although those memories no longer exist, I believe them to be true. Since my end is to return to nothingness, then… …”

He turned around and smiled at Chen Xiaolian. “Before that happens, why not burn brightly one last time?”

…