Chapter 420: Towards the Future (Part 1)

Guardian Spirit in the Clouds, P197

Until the aircraft landed, I was in disbelief at what had happened.

"We actually won." Balansay was still in shock, with the long cut on his face.

"I think it has nothing to do with winning or losing, it's just that we were lucky," I stammered.

Yes, we defeated the great evil spirit—more accurately, we begged it for mercy. I spun a convincing lie, and Balanzai roared it back with his powerful voice. We told him that someone else was responsible for the crash, and we were pursuing that lead. If we brought this aircraft down, the truth it sought would be lost forever.

So we managed to get through this life-or-death crisis by talking to each other, even though Balansay and I were just two stupid idiots who couldn't even handle our daily lives, let alone find the truth. But no matter what, we survived.

Under the night sky, the airport glowed with a familiar red light, and departing passengers complained about the turbulent ride. This time, no guardian spirits came to exchange shifts and greet me, for they had all evacuated back to base. In my eyes, the airport was deserted, and ghosts began to linger above people's heads.

The world has changed, but people still live as usual. They are unaware of the current situation and do not know that life in the future will not get better but only worse.

Balancer grabbed a stone and hurled it into the air, driving a ghost away. He ignored the frightened passengers who turned to glare at him.

"What should we do next?" the stupid boy asked me.

"What's next?" I asked. "I swear to God, I've already secured this order. I have a clear conscience."

"But we can't just sit there and do nothing." Balansay spread his hands. "What about the other aircraft? I know you're not that kind of person. You'll feel more guilty than I do."

I got even angrier. "What do you know? Do you know me well?"

"Nonsense, we are friends!" he said as a matter of course.

He had a matter-of-fact expression, as if he were my best friend or childhood sweetheart. But the truth was quite the opposite. We were just people we met by chance during a mission, and he was just an insignificant passerby in my long life.

Yet I couldn't say anything to refute it, because deep down I really did think so. I couldn't just sit back and watch.

I am a guardian spirit, and protection is the meaning of my existence.

"Next, we'll go find those guys with some conscience and try to recruit some people to patch things up, and try to change the guardian spirits' plans." I walked towards the dormitory. "After that... never mind. We'll talk about it later."

“I like that word.”

"You're just following me like that? Where's your life, buddy?"

"I think saving the world is more important than delivering food," he said. "Besides, I can't bear to watch you suffer alone. That would be too disloyal."

I found myself gradually beginning to like this guy.

"Okay, let's go then." I said happily, "We'll see what happens next."

We went to the supermarket to pick up some food on sale and ended the long day with some nonsense from old shows.

[The first part of "Guardian Spirits in the Sky", finished.]

The second part of "Guardian Spirit" will be released at the end of 3002. Please look forward to the new adventure of "me" and Balancel Skye!

·

Chu Hengkong closed the book and looked at it carefully.

He had begun reading the book on his first day in the city-state, and had only just finished it on the last day of his journey. He felt that his reading speed had slowed down, far from the quick glance he'd had as a child. Perhaps it was true that excessive martial arts training had dulled his brain, or perhaps he had become set in his ways and was resisting new ideas.

He went down to the lobby for a cup of tea and some sweet bread for breakfast. The Aquatic Bookstore was decorated with lights and colorful banners today, and the stingy, demanding staff had generously filled the manager's bowl with snacks. The big seal nestled in the bowl, eating and crying.

Gulibo stroked his seal beard sympathetically and said, "Don't worry, Manager. We will help you eat the snacks you hid."

"Quack!" screamed the big seal.

The crucian carp editor patted its majestic back and encouraged it, "Have some backbone—don't embarrass yourself!"

"I don't want to go to work! I don't want to!" the seal wailed.

After Trek's promotion to captain, the position of third captain naturally became vacant. However, the Third Order always needs someone in charge, and even a stamping mascot must be at least a Sephiroth Five. So, at this time of manpower shortage in the city-state, the council members, after deliberation, unanimously decided to let a well-regarded civilian take the position first, and to consider a formal plan when a new captain becomes available.

The owner of the Big Seal Shop, who has a good reputation in the local area and outstanding military achievements, seems to be the only good citizen who meets the requirements at present. So from today on, he will be promoted from shop owner to acting captain.

Li Ke touched the seal fur sympathetically: "Manager, you work hard..."

"Please work harder to increase your metamorphic point to 5 and take my place in the sea of ​​suffering..."

Chu Hengkong watched for a while and noticed that the staff went about their business after feeding the bookstore and didn't seem particularly sad about the manager's departure. He asked the otter editor, "What's going to happen to the bookstore in the future?"

"First, the store manager isn't involved in the bookstore's operations. His absence will save us a significant amount of food expenses." The Otter Editor pushed his glasses up. "Second, the Divine Guard Captain is allowed to have a side hustle. His attendance at work won't interfere with running the bookstore or submitting manuscripts every month. The sun will rise normally."

Chu Hengkong couldn't help but sympathize: "The store manager's future life will be really fulfilling..."

The Otter editor noticed the book in his hand and nodded to the recommended bookshelf this month: "It's on the bestseller list again this month, which is a remarkable achievement for a new author's new work."

After the Jingsha Independence War, many citizens took notice of this prophetic book. They lamented its late discovery and eagerly hailed Miss Iron Sparrow 987 as a folk prophet. However, despite searching the five major meridian systems, no one could find the shy girl. Readers speculated that she might have sought refuge on another Dust Island, while others pessimistically suggested she had left during the previous war.

"Actually, she's an old friend of mine," Chu Hengkong told the editor. "She was embarrassed to say she could only write this far, so she left it unfinished and quietly ran away... But she told me the outline, and then I continued writing the second book for her."

"Really?" Editor Otter raised an eyebrow. "No offense, I heard you're not very good at writing stories."

"I can practice."

Chu Hengkong promised himself that he would submit the manuscript on time, adding a new item to his mental to-do list. He then walked out of the bookstore and strolled along the sunny street.

Houses along the road were toppled here and there, the impact of the sacred trees' fusion so severe that many people's houses collapsed. Some were gloomy, some were full of energy as they worked to rebuild their homes. Citizens who had finished their work first sang from the treetops, and the small flowers everywhere cheered the people on.

Many citizens recognized him and cheered excitedly, and even young girls came to him for autographs. After the Battle of Jingsha, their names had become synonymous with city-state heroes. Rumor had it that a plant statue of them was already under construction at Mansa Star Fort. Chu Hengkong was determined to escape before the statue was completed, lest he get carried away and stay for months longer.

He walked aimlessly until he came to a solitary cliff on the edge of the city-state, near the sea. There was no one here, and the sunlight sparsely filtered through the gaps between the leaves, falling on the wet green grass.

Chu Hengkong thought this place was pretty good, so he dug a shallow pit in the sunny spot. He glanced at the book in his hand one last time, at the protagonist, the simple-minded but strong-limbed delivery driver.

Balansay Sky, Balance sky.

Balance the sky.

"Not like me at all." Chu Hengkong smiled.

He rummaged through his pockets for a long time and found a watch. It was a valuable brand from Earth. Although it was quite old, the hands still worked normally. There were few scratches on the watch, indicating that the previous owner had taken good care of it.

He thought that the girl might occasionally take the time to maintain the watch, even though she was always busy and rarely had time to use it. He had originally considered burying it, but then he felt it was a pity and put the watch on his wrist. The gift he had given away had come full circle, finally returning to his own hands.

But there had to be something in the grave, so Chu Hengkong buried the book she had written and brought a stone to use as a tombstone. He hesitated for a long time before carving the words. After all, she was a difficult person to define, and no matter what he wrote, she would probably laugh at him. In the end, he simply gave up and wrote a simple inscription that could be seen everywhere.

A friend

Chu Hengkong erected the tombstone and suddenly felt a lot more relaxed. So he sat down against the tombstone, staring at the sea in a daze, clearing his mind.

After a while, the boss sat down next to him.

"How does it feel to bury your first love with your own hands?"

"She's not my first love." Chu Hengkong said, "You are my first love."

Velvet coughed loudly, her face turning red, and he patted the girl's back gently.

"But you know, it's not appropriate for us to be in a relationship. I thought it through before I fell in love with Wang Quan..."

But I didn’t like it for long, right?

It was just that night when she came to celebrate his birthday, he watched her every smile and frown, and although he knew it was just a casual flirtation, he was still moved. It might have been just a meaningless agitation unique to adolescence, but he still remembers it.

Since you remember it, it means you liked it.

He slowly comforted the girl, "Boss, don't worry. I'm not that kind of man who doesn't know what to do. I can clearly distinguish between my childhood fantasies and my current life. I promise that the relationship between us will never change... Hey!"

"Chu Hengkong, shut up."

Velvet stepped on him hard, and Chu Hengkong looked up at the sky in silence, wondering when this girl's inexplicable temper would be cured.

He couldn't think of anything to say, so he just sat there in a daze, while Velvet used the Y2K system to handle various trivial matters. After a while, he finally remembered something and asked, "Boss, the rules of the Blood Alliance are passed down through death."

"yes."

"But I didn't inherit your responsibilities after you died."

Velvet has no relatives or friends, and he is the only one she can rely on in the vast family of the whole world. He can't think of anyone else who is qualified to inherit the responsibilities of the Velus family.

Velvet stopped what she was doing and thought for a while.

"Akong, I believe that once a person dies, they can no longer be resurrected," she said. "The original spirits have already made the mistake of the Black Moon, and they won't let the same mistake happen again and again. Therefore, those of us who came from Earth may not have truly died from the beginning to the end."

Without true death, there is no inheritance.

"Then this doesn't sound like a coincidence."

“No one is saved without a reason.” Velvet said, “Do you remember how you got here?”

"I was summoned here while I was eating sashimi and fishing. I'm probably not on the same path as you guys."

"I'm used to it. You're always the special one."

Chu Hengkong thought of something else: "Now that Wang Quan is truly dead, I don't have any inheritance?"

"I don't think she could bear to torture you any further before she died."

Velvet narrowed her eyes, her tone calm.

"So she inherited the curse to me, and now I am the King of the Blood Alliance."

·

Three days later, Huilong City.

Guo Yutu raised his hand in a military salute, his expression listless. "Blood Alliance assassin Guo Yutu reports for duty."

Laelna Barry's face was as black as charcoal: "Blood Alliance Killer Laelna is here to report..."

Qingxia grabbed them both and said warmly, "Welcome! From now on, we are all in this together. If we die, we will die together!"

"I really regret not dying on the walls of Mansa Star Castle."

"Why didn't I die on Earth..."

The two veteran Blood Alliance killers came to their workstations sadly, and the other killers after No. 10 gave them sympathetic and understanding looks.

Velvet inherited not only the royal authority but also its responsibilities. The assassins now obeyed her just as they had previously obeyed the royal authority. Although she promised to release the Fallen from their contamination contracts in the near future based on their contributions, the assassins were well aware of her treacherous and vicious nature.

It is better to hope for the mercy of the king than to hope for her mercy. The brothers will probably spend their lives here before they lose their usefulness.

Inside the Huilong Temple, Ji Huaisu carefully grasped a shimmering clip and snipped a glittering golden thread from Velvet's eye. Quickly, she tossed the thread into a jade pendant, sweat pouring down her face. "Fuck, who made up these complicated rules? They nearly broke my hand!"

Vander's eyes were expressionless. "Vilbert was burned four times during your failed surgery. I think she has more say..."

"Didn't I treat her too? It's normal to have some minor trauma during this delicate surgery!"

Velvet rubbed her dry eyes and stood up from the operating table. The jade pendant was emitting a shimmering golden light, projecting the characters that had been appearing in her vision.

Qing Ye read out the sentence word by word: "It's still... 3 years before the aliens invade Earth? 2 years? Why does this number keep changing?"

"The flow of time on Earth and in the Shendong Realm is different. This is a conversion I made based on the information I currently have," Velvet explained. "About two to three years from Shendong Realm standard time, my hometown will be invaded by the outsiders."

“That’s plenty of time,” Shaxx commented.

Upon hearing this, Ji Huaisu slapped his thigh and said, "You should have told me about this earlier. Then we can all go together and fight as many as we can!"

"But there's a high probability that at the same time, the crisis in the Shendong Realm will also arrive. I'm afraid that by then we'll be dealing with a true world-destroying crisis."

"Wow, that's scary." Ji Huaisu stuck out his tongue. "To be honest, I'm not really nervous. After all, the world seems to be collapsing every day. I'm used to it..."

"Sister Huaisu, I really envy your mental quality. You have a lot of things to do! Just the current disorganized situation is enough to make you feel like you're doomed!" Qingye screamed.

Fander slipped away quietly and found Chu Hengkong practicing martial arts outside the temple. He was still full of energy, spending his time practicing when he had nothing to worry about.

"What do you say, buddy?"

"Not much to say, if the enemy comes, just fight."

Vander squinted his eyes. "I remember when we just finished the wilderness expedition, you said we shouldn't become machines of meaning, and that we should live a life with both tension and relaxation."

"It's a different time now." Chu Hengkong smiled. "As people gain different intelligence, their choices will also be different. What you once thought was your understanding may turn out to be a mistake when you look back in the future."

"You're like a philosopher."

He put down his knife, sat down, and poured himself a glass of wine.

"It's unrealistic to talk about people without considering their circumstances." Chu Hengkong mused. "If I were thrown into the same situation, I can't guarantee that I wouldn't become another Vansalar or Dark Kingdom... But I'm lucky that I know their experiences, so I won't make the same mistakes now."

"If I want to save the world but not be a meaningful machine, what am I supposed to be?"

"Become a meaningful hero!" Chu Hengkong stretched lazily. "A hero is the best. He has great achievements and is also charming and suave."

"I want to live happily and then save the world for them to see!"

·

An empty life has found meaning.

Although it is not absolutely correct, nor is it a perfect ideal. It is not a thought that is entirely derived from oneself, but rather inherited from the wishes of others.

But that was the answer he came to after many adventures and he believed it to be the correct one.

He will move forward with this answer and have a clear conscience.

So, time flows slowly in the countdown.

The once collapsed buildings are rebuilt, the decadent hearts of the people are revived, and as the plans of the heretics are being planned in full swing, the people who are going to save the world are experiencing growth.

And so, time came to a year later.

"Hey, buddy, the latest news!" Fander hurried over with the scroll. "Jingluo Prefecture has officially announced the start of the nationwide military campaign, and many generals on the island have responded to the call. If this continues, civil war on Shura Island will soon begin!"

Chu Hengkong put away his sword and put on his coat. He grabbed the scroll of news and put it and Fander in his pocket.

"Let's go," he said.

So, a new adventure is about to begin——

Inherit the will and responsibility and move towards the distance.

[The first half of "Forging a Destiny and Rising" is finished.]

(End of this chapter)