Chapter 66 How to Survive Today (Part 2) Laigushi is attacked by the Black Tower...
Lai Gushi was annoyed by the way Black Tower and Sluggum played with him like cats.
The core machine kept reporting errors, and he was caught up in it all. He wondered what those guys were up to in there. He admitted that the two geniuses were indeed interesting, worthy of their names, but they were still a bit lacking when it came to facing him. So he simply decided not to play along anymore, activated the emergency protocol, and planned to ignore the deliberately created loopholes and head straight for Stikocia.
However, as soon as he arrived at the place, he realized that something was wrong.
Logically, nighttime should indeed be a time for rest. But it was too quiet; the sound of the wind, the water, breathing... everything he could sense about Onphalus had vanished without a trace, beyond his control.
Lai Gushi was agitated and couldn't help but become more serious. He randomly selected a resident's house and broke down the door.
Everything inside seemed normal. The homeowner was lying in bed, breathing steadily, simply asleep.
—It appears that she is just asleep.
What now envelops this place is no longer the [sky] and the [earth], but [time]. The red power belonging to [time] envelops the entire Stikosia, and the eaves glow with a faint red light.
Lai Gushi suddenly realized he'd been tricked. That mysterious memory traveler had escaped right under his nose before, so when did he suddenly become his partner again?
"……Oh."
He was so angry he laughed, and with his administrator privileges activated, he planned to go to the core machine to cause trouble for you, only to find that the path there was closed to him.
...How could that be? [The Path] governs this part of the power, but it shouldn't be able to touch such a core realm.
Tibo is the messenger, Tian is the doorkeeper, and Tianning is the priestess. They each hold divine authority over the [path]. Among them, Tian's divine power best matches the concept of path, but isn't she already...?
Damn it. It seems like we really messed things up.
...
Danheng keenly sensed something was amiss in the night breeze.
The Kuroshio Current is never this...impatient. Its impatience is mixed with a hint of anger, and it comes on strong.
He straightened up, his gaze sharpening, and sent a message to you who were far away in your dreams.
[Danger. ]
At the same time, warnings from the Long Night Moon and the Black Tower also arrived one after another.
My memories have been attacked; I can sense the power of destruction at play.
[Tsk, that Omnic Bro is such a sore loser, he ran away with his tail between his legs. I reckon he went to find you guys. He also discovered the Engraving Anchor, the connection is unstable, everything... be careful...]
You and March 7th exchange a glance. She suddenly stood up, her pink-blue eyes flashing with determination, and whispered to you that she was going to help Chang Yeyue.
You nod, feeling her power being drained from your mind.
It's nighttime in the dream, a time when everything should be quiet and you should be resting. But you've been very vigilant, so your response has been relatively swift.
Krydella and Hathaway appeared in your room in a flash, their sharp gazes fixed on the twinkling starry sky outside the window.
Ripples spread across the sky. The seemingly impenetrable night sky now rippled like a fragile lake, emitting a heavy, pounding sound.
"Clang—clang—clang—"
The dream world was clearly in turmoil. People, dressed in pajamas and with disheveled hair, ran out of their homes in surprise and uncertainty, gathered in the square, and looked up at the trembling sky above them in twos and threes.
"Is it Lai Gushi who has arrived?"
"It seems so. I wonder if the Saviors have collected enough emotions yet?"
"Mother--"
“Don’t be afraid, good child, don’t be afraid. His Majesty Caesar and the Savior will save us… Oh God, Cephalus, please protect us…”
Although people have been prepared for Lai Gushi's plan after so many days of your preaching and encouragement, and are no longer completely confused, they are still afraid.
With such immense and terrifying power, could they really accomplish this alone...?
The crowd outside the window began to stir, and you couldn't help but feel a little flustered, so you took a step forward:
“Cerudela, we must…”
"Wait a minute."
Krydella's voice, however, was very calm.
You turn around and see that half of her face is hidden in the darkness, while the other half is illuminated by the moonlight. Her blue eyes are churning with emotions, yet she manages to suppress them.
Hazel frowned, radiating a surging fighting spirit. She noticed your gaze, but gave you a reassuring smile, revealing her usual gentleness, as if the surging sea was protecting the treasures of the ocean.
Krydella remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together. Her aura was more restrained than that of Hathaway, yet equally powerful—she was intentionally controlling herself.
"...This is a good time."
You suddenly realize what she's talking about.
Indeed, if the dream continues in such a bland way, you may fail before you've collected enough emotional viruses from people and run out of power.
The invasion by the Regulus was indeed a powerful remedy. People often unleash their deepest potential in times of crisis; if they could gather all the necessary resources this time—
"Isn't that too risky?"
You have some worries.
“Taking a risky step.” Keludela’s tone remained unchanged.
Hathaway explained for her, “Caesar means that even if we fail, we can unite the remaining Golden Blood and do everything we can to protect you and your people.”
"And what about you?"
The fate of the Golden Blood seems to always be like this, inescapable. Your tone involuntarily carried a hint of urgency, unwilling to see the tragedy of the last Fire Chase repeat itself.
“From the very beginning, I have never been afraid of defeat,” Krydella replied calmly.
But her tone quickly softened, "...In case of crisis, savior, you must protect yourself first."
*
In fact, the Golden Clan alone could not withstand the attack of the Legus.
Unfortunately, he was facing Changyeyue—her [memory] power was truly terrifying, and her dreams were indestructible, so even he had to expend some effort.
The roots of the earth relentlessly entangled him, preventing him from going any further.
Changye Yue was just gazing up at Laigu Shi outside the sky when she suddenly felt a familiar presence beside her.
She was taken aback. "March...?"
"I'm here to help you!" March 7th yelled, rolling up her sleeves to cheer herself on. "Let's bet everything and let this kid taste the power of my mysterious strength!"
Chang Yeyue was amused by her, and the tense atmosphere relaxed. "Okay."
The two pink figures gradually merged into one. The dream barrier flashed, fading from pure red to a dreamy pinkish-blue.
The hostility has decreased, but the resolve has become stronger.
Dan Heng also noticed the change and breathed a sigh of relief, "March."
A slender figure emerged from the shadows beside him, with a black umbrella, pale skin, and eyes that sparkled with liveliness and cunning.
"It's been so long since we fought side by side, Teacher Danheng." She put her hands on her hips. "To protect our youngest member of the train crew, and the people of Onfaros, let's advance towards this cold, mechanical head—"
"..."
She spoke with passion and indignation, but Danheng remained silent for a moment.
He sighed. "You've gone the wrong way. The exit from the dream is on the other side."
"...Ugh, it's all because this place is so confusing, everything is white, I didn't notice for a moment..."
How come she seemed quite intelligent during the Long Night Moon event, but became so comical during the March 7th event?
...
"Mom, am I going to die?"
For young children, death is still a heavy and distant concept.
Many children cannot yet understand death. In reality, even when a loved one passes away, elders simply wipe away their tears, hug the little ones, and sob as they say that their loved ones have simply gone to a very, very far place.
Later, Tibo became involved in the education of Stikosia, telling the children that death was not scary. It was the end of the west wind, with warm sunshine, relatives wearing flower wreaths, and an endless sea of flowers... The wind rustled through the flowers, like reciting a hymn to spring.
But when faced with death, their inner fears are triggered, and the children still can't help but feel scared.
The mother bent down and hugged the innocent child tightly.
“…We’ll be fine.” She didn’t dare to promise too much.
"—Citizens!"
A speaker suddenly stood up from the crowd, jumped onto the flower bed in a few steps, raised his arms, and shouted:
"Don't place all your hopes on the Golden Descendants! Our destiny, our own destiny, will be in our own hands!"
"In the past, we always followed in the footsteps of the Titans—but that foolish era has passed. In this dream, we have been baptized by the truth! ... Lord Caesar has already told us that this time, the one who can truly protect everyone and Onphalus is not the Golden Blood, nor the Savior alone—but all of us!"
Lai Gu Shi revealed his true form, his indifferent expression appearing from outside the sky as he gazed down at the ants below.
“One person’s strength may be insignificant,” he said, “but when combined, even the smallest drop of water can form a river! Let’s stop waiting for others to save our destiny; we ourselves must make changes—”
The child sniffed, “When the Savior came to school last time, he told us that each of us is a [Savior]…”
To your surprise, the crowd gradually calmed down, while Tian exclaimed with delight at the core machine:
"The progress is slowing down even faster! At this rate, everyone will definitely be unable to…!"
Krydella's tense lips relaxed.
Faced with fate, what would everyone want to do in the last second?
The cracks in the sky are getting bigger and bigger. You know that shattering is inevitable. March 7th and Danheng are just stalling for time.
No one gave any instructions, no one spoke, yet the crowd spontaneously calmed down and dispersed.
Someone remained in the courtyard, roaring, "If you want to trample on my city-state, cut off my head first!" They showed no fear of those mechanical eyes that seemed to be divine punishment.
Some people didn't even leave their doors, but stayed with their families, watching the flickering candlelight reflected on the walls, revealing the peaceful faces of each family member.
Some people came to the rooftop and leaned against their lovers, letting the night wind blow through their hair and tangle their robes, making them indistinguishable from one another, as if they would grow like this forever, until they grew into two oak trees that could be embraced by one arm.
"My dear, I want to recite a love poem for you."
"Like usual?"
"It's just like any other time."
Sofia returned to her family's small courtyard, watered the flowers one last time, then curled up next to her grandmother's recliner, pressed her cheek against her arm, and closed her eyes.
The flowers swayed in the night breeze, and in a daze, Sofia seemed to really see the sea of flowers at the end of the west wind, surrounding her and her family, leading them towards the unknown future.
She recalled her school days, the banter with her friends, and her favorite time of day: tending to the flowers and plants in the morning light, humming the tunes her grandmother used to sing to her when she was a child.
"Will I be able to wait until next morning?"
No one answered her; her words faded into the cracking sound of the sky breaking.
In a daze, Sofia felt a pair of familiar, wrinkled hands cover the back of her hands, as warm and reassuring as when she first took her first steps.
"Grandma," she whispered, even knowing she wouldn't get a response, "I'm here to keep you and Mom and Dad company."
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Author's note: Lai Gu Shi is about to elbow you to death, hahaha!
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