"I...I can't just collapse like this..." Ning Yu used his last bit of strength to gather his remaining power and attempt his first ability technique again—"Gather." This time, his right hand twitched slightly...
With his last ounce of strength, he gathered his remaining, faint power and began attempting his first ability technique—"Gather." His right hand twitched slightly, and this time, a faint ray of light actually gathered at his fingertips. Though as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, this light was like a ray of dawn in the darkness, illuminating Ning Yu's heart. He felt it; the warm power hadn't completely vanished; it was still there, only suppressed and dispersed.
"Gather...gather for me!" Ning Yu roared inwardly, like a trapped beast desperately trying to grasp this last glimmer of hope. His trembling fingers moved with difficulty, struggling to gather and expand that faint light...
However, the challenge space seemed to sense his struggle. The previously regular interference fluctuations suddenly became violent, like raging waves, crashing towards Ning Yu wave after wave. His already weakened body could not withstand such an impact, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the metal ground in front of him red.
"Brother Ning!" Hearing the commotion outside, Brother Wu anxiously pounded on the door. "How are you?!"
However, the only response he received was Ning Yu's painful groan.
A sharp pain swept through his entire body, and Ning Yu's vision went black; he almost fainted again. But he held on, gritting his teeth to keep from collapsing. He knew that once he fell, he would never be able to stand up again.
"No... I can't give up... I can't..." Ning Yu cried out in his heart, trying hard to see the scene before him, but found that his vision was already blurry. He felt his body getting colder and colder, and his consciousness began to fade, as if he would be swallowed by darkness at any moment.
In a daze, he seemed to see Mu Xue's anxious face and hear her gentle voice: "You promised me... you would come back alive..."
"Mu Xue..." Ning Yu uttered a name with difficulty, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible. He tried to reach out and grab something, but grasped nothing.
"Give up...it's no use..." That chilling voice rang in his ears again, tinged with mockery and sarcasm, "You've already failed...your abilities...your future...will all be gone..."
Ning Yu's hand fell limply to his side, and the faint light dissipated, plunging the entire challenge space into deathly silence once more.
Only that glaring crimson remained, slowly spreading across the cold metal floor… A bone-chilling cold seeped into Ning Yu's body from the metal floor; he curled up, his consciousness struggling on the edge of darkness. The chilling voice in his ears seemed like a call from hell, tempting him to give up the fight. In his mind, Mu Xue's image gradually blurred; he couldn't even remember her face, only the words "Come back alive" remained, etched as deeply as a brand.
I'm not reconciled!
A fierce will to survive burned like a flame within him. If he gave up now, all his previous efforts and sacrifices would be meaningless! Mu Xue was still waiting for him; he couldn't fall!
Ning Yu gritted his teeth, mustered all his strength, and stretched out his trembling fingers, trying to grasp something. However, his fingers only touched the cold, hard ground. His body felt as if all his strength had been drained away, and even breathing became incredibly difficult.
"Give up..." the chilling voice rang out again, tinged with a hint of triumphant joy, "You have already failed..."
No! I didn't!
Ning Yu roared inwardly, struggling to stand up, but falling down again and again. His body felt like it no longer belonged to him; the intense pain almost made him lose consciousness.
But he still didn't give up.
He tried again and again, using the last ounce of strength to support his swaying body. He knew that if he gave up now, there would be no hope of redemption.
Finally, after numerous attempts, Ning Yu's fingers touched something. It was a small piece of metal, its sharp edges cutting his finger and causing a sharp pain.
Blood dripped down, blooming into alluring flowers on the cold metal floor.
"Cough cough..." Ning Yu coughed up a mouthful of blood, but amidst the excruciating pain, he felt a strange sensation. It wasn't pain, but rather a kind of... tingling?
He struggled to open his heavy eyelids; his vision was still blurry, but he felt that familiar, warm power returning...
“This feeling…” Ning Yu murmured to himself, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
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