51 51

◎The Key to a "Sweet" Ending◎

"What does 'same origin' mean? Does it mean you came from the same place?" Mu and Qing asked two questions in a row.

"Maybe, I can't say for sure either." Baoyan shrugged.

Mu and Qing knew that her classmates were all extraordinary people, and it was pointless to dwell on their origins at this moment.

The most important thing is to stop Archiefa.

She and Nightmare entered the swarm of insects.

The dense golden dots formed a scene like dark clouds pressing down on the sun. When Mu and Qing entered the swarm of insects, the insects did not attack her, but instead rushed towards the Nightmare like moths to a flame.

The Nightmare casually crushed the insects that attacked him, but there were too many insects. He killed quite a few with one slap, but it didn't have much impact on the overall number of insects.

Mu and Qing had no choice but to leave Bao Yan behind and let him play with the bugs by himself, while they went deep into the swarm.

When she was alone, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine when faced with these strangely shaped insects.

Her high school classmates rarely cooperated with each other; fighting was the norm. In order to survive, she would take advantage of their hostile attitude towards each other.

Of course, she had also worked with Archiefa, and if she could, she wished she had never used Archiefa's abilities in her entire life.

She hated Archie's bugs so much, and she hated Archie so much too.

The deeper you go into the swarm, the larger the insects become; near the depths, one insect can be as big as a cat.

Mu and Qing could see the insect's complete appearance: its wings, downy hairs, and its strange face.

Hidden beneath the layers of protection of the insect swarm is, of course, Archiefa.

"Achifa".

Mu and Qing never understood whether she disliked Archifa because of the insects or simply because she disliked him.

The swarm of insects parted, revealing their king to Mu and Qing.

Deep, emerald-like eyes, short golden hair, a stunning face, and a dangerous heart.

He is Archiefa, and he is smiling.

But he didn't understand smiling, nor did he know the meaning of smiling to humans; he was just smiling.

The number of insects around him was increasing; one insect shook its body, and then another insect appeared.

“He Qing, you’ve arrived faster than I expected.” Achifa sat on an abandoned park bench, the dilapidated bench resembling his royal throne.

The insects near Mu and Qing suddenly burst open, dripping golden sap onto the ground, which then disappeared in a moment.

“The ability to deceive.” Archifa’s eyes darkened. He stood up and moved closer to Mu and Qing. “Ah, so all these years I couldn’t find you, you were with them all along.”

He did not receive any explanation from Mu and Qing.

"Are you willing to leave here?" Mu Heqing asked.

"Of course not, with you here, how could I possibly leave?"

"What if I leave here?"

“Then everyone here deserves to die too, they’ve been taking over you for so long.” Archiefa still smiled.

Mu and Qing felt disgusted by everything in front of them—so many insects, Achifa's smile—she was so far removed from a normal life.

Before they arrived, she could eat with her friends and talk with her parents, but after they came, she couldn't do anything.

Mu and Qing were not surprised by Achifa's answer; if he refused to leave, then he would die.

Mu and Qing remained expressionless as more insects exploded, their corpses coalescing into a thin, metallic stream.

"Do you know how many bugs are here?" Achifa suddenly asked.

Mu and Qing remained silent, focusing solely on killing the insects.

“Seven years. Every day I think of you, every day I hate you, countless insects appear. The more I hate you, the more insects appear here.” Archifa’s voice was slightly hoarse.

Mu Heqing glanced at the countless swarms of insects. She couldn't understand what she had done to make him so concerned.

"Then you're too fragile." A male voice intervened between the two.

With a flick of his wrist, he finally killed the insects that had been entangled him and stepped into the heart of the swarm.

“Unlike me, I’ve always been grateful to He Qing. As long as I can see He Qing, I don’t care about anything else.” Bao Yan bent down and rested his chin on Mu He Qing’s head.

Mu and Qing walked away, leaving Bao Yan's chin hanging in the air.

A jet-black crow flew in, swooping down on the swarm of insects. A large number of insects were swept away by the crow's wings and turned into dust.

Feathered corpses have also arrived.

"Okay, it seems the relationship between the three of you is still the same as always."

It was the same in high school; Mu and Qing always rejected him, and even when he took back all his insects, she wouldn't get close to him.

It's unclear what it was about the Nightmare and Feathered Skeleton that attracted Mu and Qing, making her stay with those two guys all the time.

Is it the face?

Achifa believes he is not bad-looking.

A flock of jet-black crows mingled with golden insects, their cawing incessant.

However, the result was the same as the previous analysis: the number of Feathered Ravens was less than that of the insect swarm. Archifa could carry his insects with him, but the Feathered Ravens could not.

With the Nightmare trapped, it was difficult for him to offer any help, and Mu and Qing, who used the Deception ability, were naturally not as strong as Deception.

They quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

Achifa watched the three struggling figures, his voice trembling slightly with excitement as he tasted the long-lost joy of victory.

This time, he's sure to win!

His gaze lingered between the Feathered Corpse and the Nightmare. So, who would be the first to die?

Ah, the Nightmare can't be killed in a short time, only the Feathered Skeleton remains.

The golden swarm tore through the crow's barrier, gathering into a force that knocked Yu Hai to the ground. The golden insects settled on Yu Hai's black clothes and crawled all over his face.

"Yu Hai." Mu Heqing turned to look at Yu Hai, who was lying on the ground.

When the crows saw their master fall, they also started cawing in flocks.

“He Qing.” Yu Hai’s mouth opened and closed, and insects landed on his nose, on his hair, and on his delicate earrings.

Perhaps because they are able to come back to life, they are always indifferent and unconcerned about death.

Just like when he died last time.

Mu and Qing couldn't help but recall the scene of Yu Hai's last death.

In the dilapidated campus filled with withered leaves, he knelt quietly on the ground, the corpses of crows circling his body, his eyes silently fixed on Mu and Qing.

Behind him, the Nightmare was like a beast unleashed from its cage. A bloody smile played on his lips. He had just killed his classmate and his friend, yet he acted as if nothing had happened, slowly wiping the blood from his hands.

At that moment, Mu Heqing thought that she should have screamed, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten so sick later.

She crouched down, suppressing her nausea, and brushed the insects off Yu Hai's face.

"He Qing, use my power." Yu Hai placed a metallic-looking feather in Mu He Qing's hand.

Accepting the feather means that she has re-established a connection with the feather skeleton.

What happens when so many links are established?

She didn't know.

Feathered Corpse is about to be devoured by the swarm of insects. Before his next resurrection, the crow can become a source of power for Mu and Qing.

Accept it; if the swarm spreads, all those she loves will die.

She took the feather from Yu Hai's hand.

She instantly sensed all the crows, these black birds, and another batch that was about to arrive.

There is hope. If we can hold out until the crows arrive, it's not impossible for Archiefa's insects to be completely wiped out.

Mu Heqing's spirits lifted, and she commanded the flock of crows to fight the swarm of insects. At the same time, she also used her deceptive abilities, and finally, a portion of the dense swarm of insects disappeared.

“He Qing, it’s no use. This is only part of it. I have many more, many more.” Archifa seemed to be watching Mu He Qing’s death throes.

Nightmare was still frowning as he swatted at the bugs, which was about as easy as swatting a mosquito with his bare hands.

"He Qing, do you remember? Back in No. 13 Middle School, when you were lost, who helped you find the exit and rescued you?"

"It's not Nightmare, it's not Feathered Corpse, it's me, it's me!"

Mu and Qing closed their eyes. It was indeed Archifa, but she had also paid a heavy price. There were many strange places in the Thirteenth Middle School, and no matter how much she tried to avoid them, she would sometimes accidentally wander into them.

She nearly starved to death inside the labyrinth once, and it was Archie who saved her, but was he really such a kind-hearted guy?

He let his insects crawl on her body, watching her ugliness and making a fool of herself. If it weren't for the principal's prohibition, he would have definitely let her die there.

She didn't want to live that kind of life anymore.

More explosions rang out, driven by a vengeful impulse, as flocks of black birds collided with swarms of insects, leaving behind a trail of carcasses.

This will never end.

Mu and Qing wondered, was there no other way to get rid of these insects?

She needs to use more abilities, much more.

Who cares what the price is, she's already done it all!

The black flock of birds and the sound of explosions rang out wildly. Mu and Qing's eyes were glazed over. She wondered, just how much of their power could humans borrow?

She could barely see the colors in front of her anymore.

Forget about gold, black, Archifa, or Nightmare; she had only one thought: to kill all the insects in front of her.

That's enough.

The soft, elegant voice rang in their ears again. Mu and Qing looked toward the source of the voice in a daze, only to find it was Hua Zha.

She thought the scam wouldn't happen.

"Ah, Hua Zha is here too. Qing has so many acquaintances around him." Archiefa's killing intent surged.

He felt rejected once again.

They always do this, excluding him.

"What's enough?" Mu Heqing asked, calming herself down and suppressing her heart palpitations. She had used too much of her power, and with her mind in turmoil, her body was swaying precariously.

Hua Zha held a glass tube in his white-gloved hand, the opening of which was plugged with a cork. The red liquid inside the tube was as viscous as blood.

Upon seeing what Huazha held, a dangerous instinct struck Mu Heqing's heart, and her left eye twitched.

"What is this?" Archie asked first, stopping the insects from attacking. His deep green eyes were fixed on the glass tube in Huazha's hand.

Seeing that the insects had stopped attacking, the Nightmare impatiently crushed a few of them to death. He then bypassed Mu and Qing and directly pulled up the Feathered Skeleton lying on the ground.

Yu Hai was still alive, but his already deathly face was now even paler.

"This is the fruit of love, the key to a sweet ending, and the raw material for creating perfection and youth."

His ostentatious and extravagant eyes curved slightly, like a player about to complete a game, his eyes brimming with a terrifying excitement.