Chapter 176: The Truth: The Last Heartbeat [VIP]

The cylinder is still shiny after six thousand years, and together with the transparent shell of the protective shield, it reflects Yaris's quiet face.

He slowly reached out his hand, smiling as he touched the metal base of the cylinder.

"Well, my guess was right. This is exactly what I imagined... where everything began, and where everything ends."

"Yaris, you...you don't have to worry. We can stay here as long as we want. There's no need to rush..."

"Don't worry...but I really don't have time..."

The mysterious powder seemed to inject enormous energy into Yaris's body. He leaned on Xiao Yun and looked at the transparent cylinder in front of him with interest.

"Xiao, I'm different from you. I don't have the power to choose, I don't have the power of this world... No matter how many times... No matter what identity I enter this world, I can only lie there and wait to be chosen... To escape the control of God, I chose a very long road, and in return... in return... All the pain I've suffered is my own fault... Fortunately, I finally waited for you, finally held your hand... and even..."

"Yaris, saying so much in one breath will put a huge burden on your body..."

"It doesn't matter... I have nothing to lose and nothing to be afraid of..."

Yaris looked up, gazing at Xiao Yun infatuatedly. "According to regulations, the High Priest's remains must be cremated in the sacred tower. During cremation, a crack will open in the barrier surrounding the ninth floor... This is the perfect time to enter the ninth floor in this world..."

"To enter the ninth floor, the key lies on the eighth floor... The machine on the eighth floor is called the Planetary Machine—you have been recognized by it and have been granted senior administrator privileges... You can use the pendant I gave you that sealed my blood to seek recognition from the machine... Let it take you to the ninth floor... On the ninth floor, the ninth floor..."

"Yaris, you—"

"Can you give me some more water?"

Xiao Yun bit his lip and put the glass of water next to Yaris's lips again.

Yaris greedily sipped the water that had dissolved the mysterious powder, leaned on Xiao Yun's shoulder, and took a deep breath: "Time is running out, hold my hand tight... We have to hurry..."

"Um."

Xiao Yun held back his tears and held Yaris's hand.

The mysterious baby holding the ball appeared before his eyes again.

The baby was suspended within a massive cylinder at full power, gleaming with dark light. Stars shifted constantly within its body, converging towards the ball of light it held tightly in its arms...

Sudden--

A white light that was powerful enough to destroy the world fell, and the dark baby and the ball of light in his arms suddenly disappeared. When his figure reappeared, it turned into the translucent baby and dark ball of light that he accidentally saw on the ship.

The baby raised its eyelids, revealing golden eyes without pupils or whites, and looked at him quietly.

"That's—"

Before he finished speaking, everything disappeared with the wind.

"Someone is coming..."

Earl Kang suddenly said.

"——Who? Who's here?"

Xiao Yun asked unhappily.

"'Death Sage'."

"Let him in..."

Yaris spoke hoarsely.

As he said this, a man wrapped in a white cloak walked into the room.

He stood behind Earl Kang without saying a word, quietly watching the two people leaning on each other.

Yaris glanced at the Sage of Death, then immediately returned his gaze to Xiao Yun, a faint smile on his face. "I know you and Count Kang have a secret agreement to put me in a life support capsule... You want to use this method to keep me alive, to live longer and longer..."

"Yaris——"

"But that's impossible. My fate was determined from the beginning... and... if you don't send me to the Divine Tower for cremation, the barrier on the ninth floor of the Divine Tower will not open, and you won't be able to enter the ninth floor..."

"It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! I would rather never enter the ninth floor! Never know the secret of the ninth floor! I just want you to be alive! As long as your heartbeat is still..."

"You are wrong. If you cannot enter the ninth floor... If you cannot know the secret of the ninth floor, all my efforts... Everything will be in vain..."

Yaris's voice gradually became softer and his eyelids drooped weakly.

"For so many years, I have been trying to make myself look like a great being. In reality, I am just a child who knows nothing... In front of the universe, I am no different from dust, but... but... even if I am just dust in the universe, I am still... still..."

"I know... I've always known..."

Xiao Yun held his hand tightly, as if this action could give him his life.

"I—I've always had a dream. I dream of returning to where it all began. I dream of becoming a bird, flying out of the cage, soaring high into the sky, into the universe. One day... I will catch up with the stars..."

"Yaris...you look tired..."

"Well, I'm going to sleep for a while... Xiao, I'm sorry. We finally met again, but we didn't have enough time to spend together slowly. I was still thinking about myself... I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Can you, can you -"

His voice suddenly stopped, his eyes closed, and his body leaned in Xiao Yun's arms.

The whole sky was silent.

Xiao Yun stared at him blankly, tears streaming down his cheeks silently, as if

Earl Kang slowly turned his head and said, "Let's go out first... for a while..."

"I'm sorry, I—"

The "Sage of Death" took a breath, held back his sobs, and walked out of the three-layer door with Earl Kang.

…

Only Xiao Yun was left in the dome space.

Yaris closed his eyes and lay quietly in his arms.

Xiao Yun straightened Yaris's body, took off his protective helmet, took out a comb, combed his shiny black hair neatly, changed his clothes into his favorite style, and then carefully put him into the life support cabin left by Earl Kang, with his pale hands folded on his chest.

Every movement he made was gentle, so gentle that it couldn't be any gentler.

"Yaris, you're asleep, but it doesn't matter. I'll come to see you every day, all the time. As long as I'm alive, I'll never forget you... I know you're just asleep, and you'll wake up... When you wake up, you'll have a brand new, healthy body..."

He lowered his head, pressed his cheek against Yaris's hands, and kissed the love goddess ring on Yaris's left index finger.

"When you said your last wish was to visit the ruins of the Eternal Empire's capital deep in the Death Desert, I actually already knew what would happen, but I... I... I'm very happy to be able to... Really, I'm very happy, really very happy..."

"...Don't worry, I won't try to catch up with you until our dream becomes reality... But I hope you can wait for me... Once I've dealt with everything we agreed on, I'll definitely come after you..."

"It seems you really have fallen asleep... It doesn't matter. When you wake up, you will have freedom and a healthy body..."

Xiao Yun spoke softly, afraid of disturbing Yaris's sleep.

…

…

The world is eerily quiet.

In a tent not far from the ruins of the Eternal Empire's capital, everyone was silent.

The scent of Bisarua lingered in the air, as if just to prove that its user once really existed in this world.

As the sun gradually rises during the day, the temperature in the desert begins to rise.

The Sage of Death looked at Xiao Yun, who was silently guarding Yaris, and couldn't help but say, "He's gone. He's just a shell in the life support cabin, with a heartbeat maintained by instruments. You should accept reality—"

"I know...but..."

Xiao Yun smiled faintly: "For me now, as long as Yaris's body still has a 'heartbeat', as long as his face remains the same, I will consider him still 'alive'... No matter what, I want him to be 'alive'... 'Alive' is enough..."

"And you?"

The Sage of Death looked at Earl Kang helplessly: "Even for you, wasting the precious life support capsule in a place like this is really—"

"It's okay, it's okay..."

Earl Kang looked up, his gaze passing through the Sage of Death, and quietly watched Xiao Yun and Yaris, who lay in the life support capsule, relying on instruments to maintain his final heartbeat: "I owe them a lot. Now I can do something for them, I am very happy..."

"I, I don't understand why you all... I'm really worried about you, especially him... He was so calm just now, not even shedding a tear... If he had cried, I would have felt more at ease... But he... He's so quiet, I'm worried, very, very worried..."

The "Sage of Death" said with a wry smile, trying to divert Xiao Yun's attention with the secrets of the Eternal Empire and the "Sage of Death".

"After the catastrophe, some researchers managed to survive thanks to the protection of the Gods' Mansion. However, due to the gods' surveillance, they were unable to leave the Death Desert and could only survive and reproduce here. Thus, the magic and technology heritage known as the 'Sage of Death' was born. For six thousand years, we have lived here, generation after generation, avoiding the gods' surveillance while searching for the truth in our own way and continuing our research. In fact, we have already..."

"I'm sorry, but I have no interest in the secrets of the Eternal Empire."

Xiao Yun interrupted the Sage of Death sullenly, "From the beginning to the end, I just wanted to fulfill his wish and realize his dream... This may sound incredible, but I... I really have never truly cared about the fate of the world, even though I have everything he desires..."

"is that so?"

The Sage of Death was stunned.

"Yes."

Xiao Yun's tone was incredibly calm. "To me, no one in this world is more important than him... Without him, I would be without love and home... Of course, I won't abandon this world, because he wants me to stay and take on the responsibility of the world... But I... I will never be able to love this world as deeply as he does, to use any means necessary to free it from the control of the gods..."

"T-That's also..."

"You are the descendant of scientific researchers who survived the catastrophe. You should know what a star baby is."

“Yes, yes.”

The Death Sage stammered.

"The Star Child in the Eternal Empire's observational records is a Son of Darkness embracing a sphere of light. But do you know? The Star Child also has a second form: a Son of Light embracing a sphere of darkness. Only when these two forms merge into one can it become the true Star Child... He gave birth to light from darkness, and enveloped darkness in light..."

Xiao Yun said sarcastically, "If Yaris is the darkness that breeds light, then I am the light that envelops darkness."

…

…

The Silver Moon Palace, renowned in the Western Continent for its elegance and beauty, has been exceptionally fragrant with the scent of flowers and quiet in recent nights.

Thousands of people, including foreign envoys, came here from all directions, but no one made a loud noise.

They wore black clothes, held candles in their hands, followed the priests holding hanging stoves, walked in the palace full of flowers, and prayed for the dead.

More flowers were picked and brought into the deep bedroom, placed next to the sleeping owner.

"...You said you'd rather be lying among Rosamari than covered in gorgeous jewels."

Next to the life support cabin, Xiao Yun whispered, "So I change the freshest Rosamaria in your room every day, so that you can always be immersed in the fragrance of Rosamaria..."

"Yeah yeah……"

Marina, dressed in black, smiled awkwardly, placed a bunch of freshly picked crimson rosa caninas next to the life support capsule, and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what are you going to do next?"

"What do you think I should do?"

Xiao Yun asked back.

"I……"

"He wants me to enter the ninth floor as soon as possible and get all the truth, but I just want to stay with him for a long time."

"Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Marina looked at Xiao Yun with some concern.

"What are you worried about?"

"I……"

Marina mustered up her courage and whispered, "Everyone is worried about you. You've been so quiet lately...you..."

"Because I haven't shed a tear?"

“…”

"Why do I have to shed tears?"

"Your Majesty, although this may anger you, everyone would actually feel relieved if you wept. However, you... have been back for three days now. You've been carrying out your official duties as normal during the day, and returning to Silver Moon Palace at night to arrange flowers... Ulysses included, we're all terrified. Your current state worries everyone..."

"Is that so... What should I do to make you feel at ease? Cover my face and cry uncontrollably, tearing out my hair? Smashing things like crazy? Or even—committing suicide for love?"

Xiao Yun said sharply, and without waiting for Marina to answer, he shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm sorry. I'm not saying this to mock you or because I feel uncomfortable with your words, but... but right now I really can't cry at all. I feel very happy..."

"happiness?"

"Yes...I am very happy..."

Xiao Yun lowered his head and looked at Yaris's face through the crystal cover: "He just fell asleep, he didn't leave me."

“…”

"Jaris has lived in agony for many years. Archduchess Anna's coldness and Archduke Ilex's ruthlessness have convinced him that everyone's love for him stems from his looks, his ancestry, and his deliberate display of kindness, elegance, and profound literacy. Once he loses even the smallest of these, those who claim to love him will turn away from him."

"I know... I know... I know all this..."

Marina tried hard to hold back her tears: "I'm sorry, but... Your Majesty, we have to accept the reality. He will never open his eyes again, he will never speak to us again, he..."

"He told me more than once that he hoped he would be as beautiful in his coffin as he was in life, and that everyone who saw him would mistakenly think he was just asleep... He was too anxious... too afraid of losing love, so he always treated himself harshly, not even allowing others to see his less-than-perfect side... He did it, he really was just asleep... And I, my life, have also ended, my soul lies in there with him..."

Having said that, Xiao Yun showed a calm smile.

"I know a lot of people talk about me behind my back. They don't understand why I don't cry, but I... I really don't feel the urge to cry at all. I even feel incredibly relieved, really... No matter what others think, this is how I feel... Ah, is this what 'death' feels like? A part of me is dead and gone, with him forever."

"you……"

Marina showed an expression of unbearable pain and choked up, "You make me feel very uncomfortable right now... Just looking at you makes me feel like I'm about to collapse... I..."

"Rather than caring about me, you should care more about your brother or Kairusha..."

"They don't need my attention."

Marina said dejectedly, "We all knew this day would come, and we'd prepared for it long ago... Whether it was Mikael or Kairusha... they'd already made their choices long ago, and I'd always known their choices... But you, you're different... His Highness Yaris repeatedly told me that if... he wanted you to live, you had to live..."

"I advise you to go to Kairusha right now."

Xiao Yun said gently, "Yaris has always treated you as a non-blood sister, hoping that you would become Kairusha's wife in the future and give birth to healthy, free children with Kairusha... Later, Kairusha contracted radiation sickness and didn't know how long he would live, so no one mentioned it anymore... But now, the 'Sage of Death' has sent medicine to treat radiation sickness, and he will recover soon. You and him..."

"I'm not here to discuss my marriage with you, I'm here to discuss the funeral with you!"

Marina said sadly, "Everyone is waiting for you, we all know that... but we have to accept reality even if we don't want to... You're only pushing yourself into a desperate situation! This is definitely not what His Highness Yaris wants to see!"

"but--"

"According to tradition, the high priest's funeral must be held in Dinos. On the seventh day, the coffin is carried to the ziggurat, and the funeral procession circles the ziggurat with continuous prayers... Afterwards, we will build a memorial temple and burial mausoleum on the island in the middle of Lake Lilia according to his wishes..."

"Stop it! I don't want to hear it!"

Xiao Yun angrily emphasized: "He just fell asleep! His heart is still beating!"

"His Majesty……"

Marina's tears flowed again.

"Go out..."

Xiao Yun spoke dejectedly, his tone gradually returning to gentleness: "I know you've been very tired recently, please have a good rest."

"I...I'm sorry..."

Sobbing, Marina walked out of the bedroom.

…

…

Night fell again, and all preparations for the funeral were completed, but——

"Your Majesty, are you still unwilling to accept reality?"

Marina nodded hesitantly. "He refused to accept it... I understand how he feels, because I also..."

"But……"

"Yes, now everyone..."

"All right……"

Ulysses sighed and walked into the bedroom where the candlelight was flickering.

…

The bedroom where the deceased was sleeping was already filled with colorful flowers, as gorgeous as the garden of the gods.

Kelly knelt on his knees in front of the life support capsule and prayed devoutly, with an unsheathed dagger lying on the ground.

"--What are you doing!"

Ulysses shouted, interrupting Kellyl's actions.

"Your Majesty Prime Minister."

Kelly looked up and smiled without any uneasiness, "I'm sorry."

"I understand that you love him and want to pursue him to that world to continue taking care of him, but this is where he sleeps peacefully. Please, please try not to..."

Ulysses was a little speechless.

He didn't even dare to look up at Kelly's face.

Kellyl smiled, stood up, put the dagger back into the scabbard, and hung it on his waist: "Ah, I'm so sorry, I didn't notice this."

Like countless nights before, Kelly walked to the bedside where the life support cabin and a large number of flowers were placed, looked at the sleeping face through the crystal canopy, and skillfully untied the curtains.

"good evening."

Turned around and prepared to leave.

Ulysses stopped him: "You are still young, you don't have to - well, if you have made up your mind, I won't stop you. I understand how you feel... you..."

"Your Highness needs my care."

Speaking softly, Kelly left quietly.

Ulysses walked to the bed, carefully lifted the soft gauze, and looked at the pale and beautiful face like a flower in the dim candlelight.

"Your Highness Yaris, if you... honestly, my feelings towards you are very complicated. I can't help but dislike you, but I can't help but hate you. You're like... well, I don't know how to properly describe how I feel right now... Maybe it was His Highness Edmund's words that shook me, or maybe it's because I still have doubts about you in my heart... But now..."

Ulysses sighed in frustration.

"Your Majesty is unwilling to admit that you have... He believes that as long as he can keep your heartbeat... you will still... Alas, I actually don't know how to deal with this situation... Please lend me your wisdom, please let me..."

Suddenly, there were chaotic footsteps outside the door.

Then the door opened.

Ulysses turned around and saw Alfonso in a formal suit, looking dazed.

"Your Majesty Alfonso—"

“Get out of the way!”

Alfonso spoke rudely, shook off the people behind him, pushed away Ulysses who was blocking his way, strode into the room, looked at the life support cabin among the flowers, and suddenly burst into tears.

"His Highness Yaris——"

He stumbled towards the life support cabin and said with a sob: "You really just fell asleep. Your face is exactly the same as before, and there is even a blush on your face... Lucien wanted to hide you, but I want to take you away. I know you like freedom and you don't like being locked in a cage. You, you need..."

Seeing Alfonso's near-madness, Ulysses didn't know how to comfort him for a moment. He could only pull him away from the life support capsule with the servants who came over, and reminded him sadly: "Your Majesty Alfonso, as the monarch of a foreign country, you shouldn't-"

"You shouldn't do anything!"

Alfonso's face was haggard, with traces of tears on it, but his voice was calm.

"He said he wanted to fly like a bird and swim like a fish, and I promised him I would help him get free! I'm going to set him free now! He shouldn't be locked in a cage! He—"

"—If you open the life support capsule, His Highness's last heartbeat will stop."

Ulysses said excitedly.

"--What did you say!"

Alfonso was shocked.

However--

It's too late.

A white wind flowed out from the Death Goddess ring on Alfonso's finger, passed through the curtain, swept over the top of the life support cabin, and silently opened the crystal top cover.

Everyone - especially Xiao Yun who had just arrived - was panicked!