Chapter 195: Goodbye

In a playground that looks like a jungle.

Di Yifugui is leading the Brother Xiao backers in a siege of a pact player.

If Xiao Lan had been there, he would have noticed that this was a familiar face -

The dreadlocked guy with a baseball bat wearing beach trousers that appeared on The Endymion.

At the moment the pigtails are feeling annoyed.

The group in front of me were not strong, mostly mid-level players, with the occasional high-level ones not exactly top characters.

If they had been separated, he could have given them all a bash one at a time and it wouldn't have taken much time at all.

But the group fought with a clear division of labour.

The green-haired smart guy in the distance was commanded to split up into several sections.

Those who carry damage, those who output in melee, those who create obstacles, those who steal from long distances, make it look like a boss fight in a game.

And ......

He looked to Zhao Xiaohe, a rare healing ability in this swarm of little bugs.

Although it appears to be only intermediate, it has given him a lot of trouble.

Not only that, the group is so slippery.

Even those physical players are hit and run, not even letting him come back to hammer people to death.

Their fighting style is unconventional and they use all kinds of dirty tricks, making them difficult to deal with.

Dodging a Millennium Kill and a Monkey Steals Peach, Pigtail felt the veins on his head popping out.

The little buggers, they are so annoying, the green one jumping up and down is especially annoying.

His face grimaced and his grip tightened hard on the baseball bat in his hand as his eyes swept dangerously across the room.

He intended to give them a straightforward once and for all, so that they would understand that the deed was not for them guys to provoke.

Dreadlock raised his weapon and the ground beneath his feet suddenly sank an inch.

The besieging players also sensed that the situation was not good and it seemed to be opening up.

They watched his movements carefully, ready to ...... slip away first if they saw a bad situation.

But suddenly, the dreadlocks froze in their movements.

His forehead lit up with the mark of the covenant, but instead of absorbing his power, the mark grew larger and larger, later even gradually spreading over half of his body.

The dreadlocks felt wrong and tensed their muscles just as they were about to resist.

But he was surprised to find that he could not defy the power of the mark of the covenant at all, which made his heart sink suddenly.

The markings continued to expand and continued to begin to erode his will.

Dreadlocks struggled, trying to keep himself awake.

But the gleam in his eyes still grew weaker and weaker, gradually becoming dull.

In the next instant, the hard white armour completely enveloped him, transforming him into a white knight.

The White Knight stood still, motionless, as if he were a statue.

Di Yifugui felt bad, he was not sure what this was, but it was obvious that the other side was getting stronger.

She shouted at the first opportunity, "Run!"

The Brother Xiao backers didn't hesitate for a second, and within three seconds the previously crowded battlefield was instantly silenced.

They, slipped away, taking the rubbish with them.

It seems that the Three Second Runner's Speedy Method really wasn't a waste of time.

A few moments later, the eye area of the white knight's helmet lit up with light.

A powerful pressure emanated from his body, cold and terrifying.

The dreadlock's personal will was completely lost, but his body moved of its own accord and a spear then appeared in his hand.

The White Knight's head turned slightly, searching for his opponent, only to find that his surroundings had long since been empty.

White Knight: "......"

--

Another playground.

It appears to be a city of steel and concrete.

Mu Yang, the indentured player in front of him, who was about to take his lunch, turned into a white knight with a longsword at almost the same time, and his strength increased instantly, almost sending him away with a single blow.

It was only when Cheng Wenyi appeared in time to grab him by the collar from behind and drag him away from the spot that Mu Yang was able to escape.

Mu Yang looked at the white knight with palpitations, "Boss, what is this?"

Cheng Wenyi moved his wrist, "I don't know, let's have a fight and see. Mu Yang you stay away from him for now, just support from a distance."

"Good." Mu Yang nodded.

Having finished his explanation, Cheng Wenyi rushed towards the White Knight who suddenly appeared in front of him.

Cheng Wenyi raises his rifle at the white knight.

The silver bullet was tricky and went straight into the slit of the White Knight's helmet.

The bullet, which could have easily penetrated several walls, hit the White Knight without making the slightest sound, as if it had been swallowed up.

The White Knight was attacked and instantly charged towards Cheng Wenyi.

Despite being covered in heavy armour, it didn't seem to affect his speed at all as his snow-white longsword swept violently towards Cheng Wenyi.

The sword blade was so fast that only a streak remained, carrying an icy killing intent.

Cheng Wenyi jumped straight into place, moving with the utmost lightness, lending a hand on the building around him before leaping higher again.

He was in mid-air and still returned fire with his gun raised, his accuracy not affected in the slightest.

Under Xiao Chengyan's Spartan upbringing, Cheng Wenyi was not only skilled, but also had both melee and long-range capabilities.

Finding an opportunity, Cheng Wenyi approached the White Knight and threw a hard kick to his chest.

The moment the kick hit, Cheng Wenyi was slightly surprised, he felt as if what he had under his feet was a solid barrier, unshakeable.

The long white sword swung once more towards Cheng Wenyi.

Cheng Wenyi dodged sideways, but this time he was cut on the arm due to the close proximity.

After pulling away from the White Knight again, Cheng Wenyi frowned slightly.

This attack is so weird, it's clearly a physical attack but his skills can't eliminate it.

The White Knight is ready to charge at Cheng Wenyi again with his feet on the ground.

Just then, a mud puddle appeared out of thin air beneath his feet, which seemed to have an infinite suction force, sucking his feet firmly into place and causing him to stall in his movements.

It was Mu Yang who activated his skills.

This time he summoned a mage character, and it was he who had just released a well-timed mire spell and managed to keep the White Knight temporarily under control.

Cheng Wenyi took the opportunity to replace his own ammunition.

This time he replaced it with a red bullet.

The surface of the red bullet flows with patterns of flame, which appear to be burning if you look closely.

"Bang-" The red bullet traced a searing arc through the air, heading straight for the White Knight.

The bullets exploded in the White Knight's body.

The flame and temperature like a cannonball explosion shattered all the glass around it.

However, after the explosion, the White Knight remained standing in the same place.

A red bullet was embedded in his arm like a brand and was burning.

Cheng Wenyi: "This guy is really sturdy ......"

With that, another barrage of red bullets poured out, the constant sound of explosions and churning heat waves made the surroundings look like hell.

A series of explosions followed.

The original bearing of the White Knight fell silent and not the slightest movement could be heard.

But the smoke had not yet cleared and it was impossible to see what was going on inside.

Cheng Wenyi did not drop down, he still kept his gun raised and on guard.

Suddenly, a powerful suction appeared.

Cheng Wenyi felt like he was being attacked by some irresistible force and his body lurched forward involuntarily.

In the smoke ahead, a long white sword was emitting Guang Bai and coming towards his head.

"Boss!" Mu Yang, in a hurry, directly backhanded an earth wall spell and stood between Cheng Wenyi and the White Knight.

Under the attack of the white longsword, the earth wall spell lasted only a split second before it shattered in response to the sound.

But it was enough of a moment for Cheng Wenyi to take the opportunity to disengage himself from his opponent's odd controlling force.

Once again the figure of the White Knight stepped out of the smoke and dust.

He has several more red scorching bullet marks that are growing, but they will still not stop him anytime soon.

Cheng Wenyi's face sank.

Not because he had attacked for so long and the other side was still alive and kicking, but because -

His hair was cut off in one piece.

His perfect hair ...... is -broken- out!

Do you know how important his hair is? Know how even a small amount of his hair missing can affect the integrity of his entire look?

Not to mention a sword so devoid of beauty.

The notch is so flat, unlined and lacking in design.

Never before has there been such an ugly gap in his hair.

Cheng Wenyi is pissed off.

He took out a golden bullet and put it in the gun.

Cheng Wenyi's tone still sounded calm: " Mu Yang, you go farther away."

Despite the calm tone of his boss, Mu Yang sensed something was wrong when he saw his boss's face.

Seeing this he manoeuvred the mage straight into giving himself a lightening spell and disappeared in a flash.

It was as fast as if they were running for their lives.

It ran out far, so far that the city where the battle had just been fought was no longer visible.

Mu Yang felt almost safe when there was a loud explosion behind him.

He looked back just in time to see the mushroom cloud rising in the distance as if it were a small nuclear explosion.

It seems that the boss is really angry.

Why was this guy so thoughtless as to do it to his boss's hair.

You know, his boss is a "you cut my hair, I'll cut your head" kind of guy.

--

Xiao Lan plunges all the way down.

He seemed to have been falling for so long, so long that the concept of time was lost and he was on the verge of not being able to remember who he was.

Finally, Xiao Lan felt her feet hit solid ground.

The walls around the building are somewhat dirty, with various stains and scratches left on them, revealing the vicissitudes of time.

Xiao Lan looked around, what was he up to?

The smell of each family's meal is coming from the building, the sky is a glorious evening sun, and the sounds of people greeting each other as they return home can be heard faintly in your ears.

Oh ...... right, he's going home here.

It was the weekend and he was coming home from his part-time job for dinner.

When Xiao Lan returned home, he felt his body and found that he did not have his keys with him.

So he had to knock on the door to get the person inside to open it for him.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The door was opened shortly after hearing a knock.

The person who answered the door was a very beautiful woman, exuding an air of gentleness but determination.

She is not young, but the slight lines on her face still do not detract from her beauty, but she is a little too thin and looks like she is not in good health.

This is Xiao Lan's mother, Wen Qi.

Wen Qi smiled when she saw Xiao Lan, " Lanlan, why did you forget your keys?"

Xiao Lan nodded at her, "Well, I probably forgot on the way out."

Xiao Lan enters the house, which is very old and small, but clean and tidy.

The mother and son sold their original house to pay off their debts and often bounced around in various rental properties.

It is a very old house that they have recently rented, and the location is not good, but it is better because the rent is cheap.

Inside the house is the smell of rice.

Wen Qi is a very good cook and in Xiao Lan's mind, her mother's cooking has always been better than the food served in restaurants.

Wen Qi said to her son, "You're tired, go wash your hands, I've made you beef brisket today."

Although they have no money and cannot afford to live in a nice house or wear nice clothes.

However, Wen Qi is still very concerned about the nutrition of her children.

She never fails to feed her children, whether it's meat, vegetables or milk, and arranges for Xiao Lan.

Maybe Xiao Lan didn't grow as tall as some people, and there was some motherly care involved.

Xiao Lan looks around and feels somehow nostalgic.

After the nostalgia he felt strange, this is his home, why does it feel as if he hasn't been back for a long time ......

Wen Qi noticed her son's oddity and couldn't help but laugh: "Why are you staring? You're almost an adult and you still like to stare."

Xiao Lan heard the word 'adulthood' and had another odd feeling in her heart.

Coming of age, what seems to happen ......

But in a flash, he put the thought out of his mind and went ahead to wash his hands and get ready for dinner.

At the dinner table, Xiao Lan eats her mother's homemade food.

The moment his mouth was taken over by the familiar taste, he suddenly felt his eyes heat up a little.

He didn't know what it was about, was he just too hungry today?

Wen Qi suddenly spoke up and said, "I got a call from my doctor today saying that a new treatment has recently become available to try to cure my illness ......"

Xiao Lan said, "Then we'll go and have a look tomorrow."

Wen Qi is a little hesitant: "But the cost of ...... treatment ......"

Xiao Lan: "It's okay, it's important to heal, I'll find a way."

Wen Qi looked at his son, and his eyes seemed to glitter with some complex emotion he could not understand.

It took a long time before she nodded, "Good."

Early the next morning, Xiao Lan took time off from her part-time job to accompany her mother to the hospital.

This was followed by many, many tests, then consultations and finally surgery.

After waiting nervously outside the operating theatre for a long time, Xiao Lan was finally able to see her mother being wheeled out.

The doctor told Xiao Lan, "The surgery was a success, so just take it easy and come back for regular check-ups."

Wen Qi is still asleep under the effects of the anaesthetic, her quiet, sleeping face pale and beautiful.

Xiao Lan looked at his mother's sleeping face and listened to the happy news from the doctor, but once again an odd feeling surfaced in his heart.

It's like ...... it's like he knew this operation wouldn't work ......

The mother who emerged from the operating theatre did not seem to be sleeping peacefully in this way.

Instead, it grew cold, turning grey and the eyes would never open again.

Xiao Lan intercepted his dangerous thoughts just in time.

It was a good thing that Mum had been cured, he must have been too worried so he thought too much about it.

After thanking the doctor, Xiao Lan went back to the ward with her mother.

After a further period of recovery, Wen Qi was finally able to be discharged from hospital.

Xiao Lan packed her things in a good mood and went home with her mother.

It was early summer and the streets were overgrown with sycamores.

Some of the dazzling sunlight falls through the gaps in the leaves, creating a Little Xiao patch of light on the ground.

The weather, however, was not too hot and made it comfortable.

Strolling down the street, Wen Qi smiled lightly for the first time: "We're going to get better and better."

Xiao Lan also laughed, "Yeah."

Wen Qi said, "When the time comes, we will try to find our missing dad, and if he can come back, we can be reunited as a family."

The word "Dad" seemed to flick a switch, and the feeling that something was wrong in the back of his mind gradually connected.

Dad, it doesn't seem to be the same as what mum said ......

He's not missing, but ......

A young man's voice, languid in its condescension, rang out in his head.

"A tyrant? Oh, the real tyrant is Xiao Chengyan, and I'm not even two-tenths of him."

" Xiao Chengyan never explained anything to me, but simply said 'Since it's my son, I'll give him a chance as a gift of adulthood.' I think you should know that phrase better than I do."

Then came another voice, this time much lower.

"Resistance, change, cannot be without sacrifice, it is the same at all times, anyone can die, there is no reason why I should be an exception."

"Watching the fireworks?"

"Goodbye son, hahahahahahahahahaha ......"

Xiao Lan realised what was going on instantly.

Dad, Xiao Chengyan, Advent World, The Paradox ......

He looked at his palms, which had many more wounds from his part-time job and were calloused from years of training.

Turning his head again to look at his own face in the window reflection, the young man in the reflection had long since come of age, his features clearly defined, his eyes clear and determined, and this was not at all how he had looked back then.

How had he not realised it before?

As she walked, Wen Qi realised that her son was not following her.

She turned her head in some confusion, "What's the matter Lanlan? Have you been too tired lately and are you feeling a bit sick?"

With that she surveyed her son, trying to find something wrong in him.

Xiao Lan looked at her mother, who was flushed and looked younger without the pain of her illness, and finally came to her senses.

His mother didn't actually get better at all; that operation turned out to be a failure and she died at that time.

She died pale and emaciated, barely visible in her former beauty.

His mother, who shouldn't be here.

The mother before him was nothing more than a fabrication made up from his memories.

It is all a sham, a sweet illusion.

All the sense of defiance that had been welling up in his mind before was telling him to come to his senses quickly.

This is not your world, beautiful as it is.

Xiao Lan looked at Wen Qi and whispered, "I'm leaving."

Wen Qi wondered, "Where are we going? Aren't we going home?"

Xiao Lan shook her head, "I'm going to ...... to face what I have to do and there are a lot of people waiting for me. I don't know if I'll succeed in the end, but I have to do it."

The battle with Advent continues, ignoring the fact that the player is in deep trouble and that Luo is dead or alive.

He had to do something to break the situation.

Wen Qi seemed a little confused, and seemed to connect the dots as she tried to ask, "The same as Dad?"

Xiao Lan, surprised at her perceptiveness, nodded anyway.

Wen Qi was somewhat impressed: "You guys na ...... are really worthy of being father and son ......"

She looked up at her son, who was considerably taller than herself, with a look of both relief and dismay in her eyes.

Wen Qi but still smiled up, "Come on, mum can't help you much and I don't know what it is that could make you all so reckless. But I hope you take care of yourself, stick to your own path and don't be afraid."

Although she is only an illusion pieced together from Xiao Lan's memories, her concern for her son is real at this moment.

Xiao Lan gave her one last, lingering look, "Goodbye, Mum."

Having said that, he turned to leave.

Wen Qi's voice came from behind her, "Come back early and we'll bake you your favourite biscuits."

Xiao Lan's footsteps pause slightly, but he doesn't turn around, just says softly, "Good."

But what Mum doesn't know is that -

Her children will no longer be able to eat the biscuits she made with her own hands.