Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Ao Tian: "With a thunderous crash, Ao Tian makes a dazzling entrance!"

Ao Tian, who had been missing for ages, burst onto the scene with an excited flourish, only to realize Chen Zui was unconscious. It quickly assessed the situation.

Chen Zui was severely injured!

Ao Tian then swiftly surveyed the outside: a town reduced to rubble under a torrential downpour, bodies strewn everywhere, and the ground awash not with rainwater, but with blood.

It spotted Ren Feng, Hu Yue, Wang Lingqi, and Wu Meilin next to Chen Zui.

Gao Qiang was nowhere to be seen.

Ao Tian was aghast at the horrific sight. It had still arrived too late…

Finally, its gaze fell upon Hu Xue, who seemed utterly lifeless. Her beautiful long red hair was scorched, as was half her body.

She sat hunched over, motionless, letting the relentless rain beat down on her.

Though she was still breathing, she was already dead inside.

Ao Tian knew everyone’s ultimate fate; it had read the book’s plot. But reading about it and witnessing it firsthand were two vastly different experiences.

The book had dismissed their deaths in just a few paragraphs.

It was impossible to imagine the reality would be this brutal.

"Sigh…"

Ao Tian let out a weary sigh.

"Why did everyone die?"

Chen Zui regained a sliver of consciousness, sensed Ao Tian’s return, and asked, bewildered.

Chen Zui had expected some casualties, but he never thought everyone would perish. Could the protagonist really handle all future monsters alone?

"You’re awake! You scared me half to death. I’m just relieved you’re okay."

Ao Tian sniffled, on the verge of tears.

"How could they all… die?"

Chen Zui murmured, his voice heavy with pain and disbelief.

Ao Tian sighed again: "Because they weren’t just not protagonists; they weren’t even important supporting characters in this book."

Though it sounded heartless, that was the stark truth.

"What you’re experiencing now is merely the beginning of the story. Without your presence, Ren Feng would have actually separated from Hu Xue and the others before even reaching the town."

"Hu Xue and her group were simply part of the 'crowd' mentioned in the book."

"The crowd rushed towards the monsters."

"The crowd fought desperately against the monsters."

"One after another, they died."

"That was their entire role in the book."

With just a few brief lines, their purpose as characters was fulfilled, often without even being named.

Books always needed such characters.

If Ao Tian hadn’t witnessed it today, it would never have realized how truly tragic the "crowd" it had barely noticed while reading actually was.

They, too, fought tooth and nail against monsters. They, too, lost friends, lovers, and family.

Though their end was tragic, they were still the protagonists of their own lives.

"The town was destroyed. Ren Feng was injured and fell unconscious during the great battle with the monsters. It was the Shou Protagonist, Su He, who saved him."

"The two supported each other and continued their journey northward."

"Along the way, Ren Feng developed feelings for the Shou Protagonist. They would meet several other male supporting characters who also admired Su He at the northern base, forming the true protagonist group."

"In the original work, this entire sequence was actually just one chapter."

Ao Tian laid out the true plot for Chen Zui.

Chen Zui couldn’t accept it at first. He had personally lived through it all, witnessed everyone’s sacrifices, and seen their deaths.

His head began to throb again.

"However, didn’t you mention wanting to trade this mission’s reward for something else? I got it for you."

"I just want everyone to come back to life."

"What a coincidence! That’s exactly what I exchanged for you!" Ao Tian’s tone brimmed with pride. If it had a body, it would surely be standing with hands on hips right now.

"What did you say?"

"Otherwise, what do you think I’ve been doing offline for so long? I told you I’d do my best to help you, my host."

Ao Tian had pleaded with its superior for a long time. It recalled the past few days.

When it first brought up the matter, its superior immediately refused. So, it resorted to Chen Zui’s own persuasive tactics.

"Leader, don’t you want to be a pioneer, the most unique and excellent leader?"

The leader said no.

Ao Tian persisted, wheedling and nagging, until finally pulling out its trump card: "In this world, we were attacked by the Transmigration Bureau, which prevented us from binding with the host immediately. You promised to compensate both me and the host. I don’t care, I don’t care—I want this reward!"

"If you don’t agree, you’ll lose me, your top-ranked system with the highest mission success rate!"

"Can you bear that consequence?"

"Can our Dark Transmigration Bureau bear it?!"

It began to whine and throw a tantrum.

"Dearest Leader~ Please agree. Don’t let your subordinate feel disheartened, boo hoo…"

After its relentless pestering, it finally managed to sway the leader and secure the reward.

Leader: "This reward will cause quite a few complications in this world’s future. You’ll need to stay and help me handle them. As for Chen Zui’s next world, we’ll temporarily assign another system to him."

Although Ao Tian was reluctant, it couldn't have its cake and eat it too; it knew when to quit while it was ahead.

"Then send my junior, Liang Chen."

"Alright."

"But there’s one more thing. Lately, while sorting through Chen Zui’s memories, I discovered a missing piece."

"What?"

"Moreover, the shock of everyone’s deaths in this world has made his memories unstable again. When he leaves this world, we’ll need to temporarily seal his memories of this world. Once I’ve fully sorted them out, and after he’s spent another world recovering, returning his memories should no longer be an issue."

"You’re the best, Leader!"

"If I weren’t becoming human, I’d definitely stick with you forever."

"Alright, alright. Ever since you got this host, your flattery has gotten out of hand."

In any case, Ao Tian finally managed to secure the reward, though it hadn’t been able to change their fates before everyone died. It could only hope that after being resurrected, they wouldn’t carry any psychological scars.

Chen Zui: "You’re saying everyone can be brought back to life?"

Ao Tian: "Yes~"

Chen Zui paused for a moment, then spoke again, his voice calmer: "Will it cost you anything?"

He still remembered the 996 punishment. Though it was a different system, it was better to clarify.

If Ao Tian also had to pay such a price, he wouldn’t agree to Ao Tian making such a huge sacrifice.

His concern warmed Ao Tian’s heart. Everything it had done these past few days was worth it.

"No, nothing like that. It was exchanged using the mission reward from this world. This mission will be deemed a failure, so you’ll need to complete one more world."

If that was the case, then there was essentially no loss. Chen Zui had grown fond of everyone, and he could accept making sacrifices himself, but Ao Tian was different.

Hearing Ao Tian’s explanation, Chen Zui felt relieved.

"Ao Tian."

"Thank you, truly."

"Oh, come on, what are friends for?"

"But you’ll be heading straight to the next world. After everyone here is resurrected, our Dark Transmigration Bureau will immediately intervene in this world to ensure stability."

Hearing this, Chen Zui thought of Ren Feng. Were they really going to part ways like this?

A pang of sadness.

His heart ached slightly.

He recalled every moment spent with Ren Feng.

If Ren Feng had a choice, he believed Ren Feng would also choose to let everyone live.

He trusted that Ren Feng would understand. After experiencing such a world, what mattered most was that everyone, including themselves, could live well.

"Alright, I understand."

"Goodbye, Host."

Chen Zui: "See you in the next world."

Ao Tian didn’t tell Chen Zui that they would be separated for one world.

It didn’t matter. Once this was over, it would return. It trusted its junior, Liang Chen, with Chen Zui.

Chen Zui lost consciousness once more.

Ao Tian: "Leader, let’s begin."

The continuous rain suddenly froze, raindrops suspended above the ground. The ripples in the puddles had just begun to spread but now hung motionless.

Even the wind paused.

Only Hu Xue’s hand, lightly patting Hu Yue’s, continued moving. She was still murmuring: "Have you seen your brother Gao Qiang? Wait for me, both of you. I'm coming right…"

All the raindrops began to glow with a golden light, then started to rise upwards.

The world was rewinding.

Utility poles gradually straightened themselves.

Hu Xue watched as the blood vanished from Hu Yue’s face, her own burnt hair grew back, and Gao Qiang’s body slowly reformed.

Hu Xue’s pupils widened in shock.

All the rainwater returned to the sky, houses rebuilt themselves, and the rice plants in the fields perked back up.

The wounds on the bodies lying everywhere slowly healed.

Only the monsters’ bodies gradually turned transparent until they vanished completely.

Su He looked up, but nothing happened for what felt like an eternity.

This time, he had hidden here. If his aunt and the others had won, they would surely arrest and punish him.

But if they had won, they would have called him out.

Yet there was nothing.

Still so quiet.

They must have lost, and the monsters had left…

He thought, then left the underground shelter, climbing the steps to the exit. After a moment’s hesitation, he pushed the door open.

The scene outside made no sense to him—it was beyond his comprehension. A brick at his feet suddenly flew up and flew back into a nearby wall, fitting itself perfectly into place.

He turned his gaze and spotted the fiery red hair.

It was Hu Xue!

She survived!

Seeing corpses littering the ground, Su He realized this was his only chance. Before leaving this place, he would send this woman to her grave!

Su He drew his dagger and advanced on Hu Xue.

Hu Xue was completely stunned and overjoyed—not only were Xiao Yue and Gao Qiang recovering, but even the gunshot wound on Wu Meilin’s head was healing.

The bullet with which Wu Meilin had taken her own life flew out of the nearby wall and returned to the handgun in her hand.

Wu Meilin slowly opened her eyes and saw Su He approaching Hu Xue from behind, dagger in hand, poised to stab her.

Before she could even process how she had come back to life, she instinctively raised her gun.

"Bang!"

A few drops of hot blood splattered onto Hu Xue’s red hair, momentarily indistinguishable.

Su He’s hand froze just behind Hu Xue’s back. One more inch with the dagger and he would have achieved his goal, but instead, the dagger clattered to the ground.

Su He’s face was filled with disbelief—he had been shot, he was going to die…

Blood trickled down from his forehead.

Fear replaced the disbelief on his face. As he slowly turned his gaze and met Wu Meilin’s eyes, he felt both anger and a glimmer of hope.

"A-Aunt…"

"Save…"

Before he could utter the last word, he had already collapsed into a corpse, eyes wide open in death, falling to the ground.

A tear streamed down Wu Meilin’s face, but she didn’t regret pulling the trigger.

Ao Tian: "Ah! The male lead is dead! Well, what’s done is done."

Anyway, they had fully taken over this world now—it just meant a little more work.

The sun shone brightly.

All who had been lost were back.

——

Two days later.

Ren Feng stood amidst the fields, gazing at the golden wheat stalks as everyone joyfully harvested.

An old man happily passed out mung bean soup to everyone.

But one tall figure was absent.

He looked toward the horizon.

Only one person had died in the great battle against the monsters two days ago—his beloved.

But he believed Chen Zui wasn’t dead. One day, he would return to his side, along with the little octopus.

"Ren Feng, let’s go home~" Gao Qiang waved to him from a short distance away.

The two walked side by side back to the town, where they saw the Hu sisters emerging from the clinic. They gathered together, chatting about the day’s events.

Ren Feng remained silent.

The group exchanged glances, then stopped, all looking at Ren Feng.

Ren Feng: "What’s wrong?"

Hu Xue spoke for them: "Ren Feng, let’s go look for Chen Zui and the little octopus together."

Hu Yue and Gao Qiang grinned: "Yeah, let’s bring them back together."

——

A car pulled out of the town, a plump golden wheat stalk swaying on its roof.

Kang Haiqing watched them leave, then turned and noticed Wu Meilin standing not far away.

Wu Meilin tore her eyes away from the car, nodded to him, and turned to walk back. The streetlights came on, and Lin Ling came running over in delight.

"Leader, two Healing Supers have awakened!"

Wang Lingqi, who was preparing for night duty at the clinic, jumped with joy upon hearing the news.

——

A breeze blew, and a strand of fiery red hair drifted out from the car window.

Gao Qiang: "Let’s head for the ocean first."

Hu Yue: "Good idea. Maybe they’re ocean princes~"

Hu Xue: "Maybe they’ll even invite us to the Dragon Palace. Oh, I wonder if there are mermaids—they’re said to be gorgeous."

Gao Qiang immediately grew alert: "Xiao Xue, you promised to be my girlfriend."

Hu Xue smoothed his wind-tousled hair: "I know, I know, don’t be such a jealous guy~"

Ren Feng smiled as he watched them.

Chen Zui.

Little octopus.

We’ll meet again.