The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c95p2

Chapter 95: Hope p2

Indeed, in Chou Ke’s eyes, the hope Luo Ling possessed was poison.

She… wasn’t despairing enough.

She couldn’t be the lone guardian of eternity, the “grave keeper.”

“Leave, Miss Luo Ling,” Chou Ke shook his head and said, “I alone, just with Victoria’s fall, can achieve the ‘grave keeper’ level. I just want to leave behind the last remnants of civilization, not to achieve some grand ambition.”

Even “grave keepers” had varying levels of power, and Chou Ke just wanted to become one, not to use it to achieve something greater.

If it were Zi Ke, he wouldn’t be satisfied and would continue to spread his influence without restraint, until Doomsday arrived, or all origin points were consumed by nothingness, becoming a part of the vast void.

“If it’s just the ‘grave keeper’ you speak of, I should be qualified,” Luo Ling frowned slightly and said in a deep voice.

The reason she was still willing to talk to Chou Ke was because she could see his sincerity, his genuine concern for the world’s end.

But even so, she still couldn’t tolerate the consequences of his actions.

“You can’t.”

Chou Ke stared at Luo Ling intently.

“Why not? I can even walk through the void without any tools,” Luo Ling said.

Hearing this, Chou Ke looked deeply at Xuanyuan E and said, “Xuanyuan E, is this how she captured you?”

He knew Yin Ke’s abilities very well. Within the void, she was practically invincible. Even Zi Ke and Chou Ke combined couldn’t defeat a fully unleashed Yin Ke in the void.

It wasn’t “perhaps,” but “definitely.”

Yin Ke in the void was that powerful.

But what if the source of her power was cut off?

Walking through the void without any tools sounded simple, but Chou Ke knew that being able to do this meant either being completely eroded by Doomsday, like Yin Ke, or being able to make even nothingness submit.

Judging from Miss Luo Ling’s state and her miraculous methods, it was probably the latter.

If it was the latter…

Yin Ke’s strength couldn’t be exerted at all. She was just a weak and crippled woman, easily captured.

Xuanyuan E didn’t say anything, her expression still calm, her thoughts hidden, and Chou Ke took it as a tacit agreement.

“Just this… isn’t enough.” Chou Ke shook his head and sighed softly. “You have hope in your heart, and this hope will only push everything towards a worse outcome…

Suppose, when Doomsday arrives, would you follow in the footsteps of the former Transcendence and create a miracle, or would you let Doomsday rage, watching the world meet its end, becoming a ‘grave keeper,’ guarding the eternal loneliness?”

“I…”

Luo Ling hesitated, unable to answer.

The choice she wanted to make… seemed simple.

Follow Transcendence.

However, even Transcendence failed. The four origin points weren’t the hope of salvation, but merely witnesses to this world’s funeral.

If it was just watching the world meet its end, how could she bear it?

Luo Ling slowly closed her eyes.

She hadn’t thought this through enough.

She was only eighteen years old, having just celebrated a simple birthday not long ago. The time she had spent facing the truth was too short. She hadn’t found her own path, even though she had seen countless paths…

The terrifying cyclical predicament of Victoria in the past, whether it was the Old Man or Philosopher, despite their vastly different beliefs, they both offered their own answers to saving the world.

The Old Man, exhausting his illusory power, forcibly kept the world at its most stable moment, while Philosopher, regardless of the cost, wanted to create his ideal new world. Even though they ultimately fell prey to the Doomsday Messengers and the Woman’s schemes, they remained true to their choices.

The Doomsday Messengers, for the continuation of star civilizations’ spirits, were willing to sacrifice the present world, hastening Doomsday’s arrival, just to preserve a trace.

Auspicious Timing, borrowing the power of an outer god, attempted to rebuild a paradise, escaping Doomsday’s terrifying gaze.

Not to mention, the beginning of the four origin points, Transcendence’s sacrifice, leaving behind a sliver of… hope?

The source of all this was the world’s funeral Luo Ling witnessed in her dream, as if experiencing it firsthand.

She had seen many paths, but the time she had to ponder them… wasn’t enough.

“You will follow Transcendence, Miss Luo Ling,” Chou Ke said calmly, “This is why you can’t be a ‘grave keeper.’

Because even Transcendence failed. You think you’re inferior to Transcendence, so how can you succeed?

If you fail… Transcendence’s demise will be your demise.”

He had lived through countless years in his myriad avatars, witnessing countless rises and falls.

All the world’s changes were reflected in his eyes.

It was precisely because of this that Chou Ke became so despairing.

Zi Ke and the other Messengers were ambitious. Chou Ke knew that they didn’t want to lose all opportunities because of Doomsday’s arrival. This was bad, but not unacceptable.

Without enough “grave keepers,” even monopolizing all the opportunities, there might still be hope of fulfilling Chou Ke’s wish, because this ambition might be annihilated by the despair of Doomsday’s arrival.

But Luo Ling, a being with hope, absolutely couldn’t be the sole “grave keeper.”

She would destroy everything.

“I still have time.”

Luo Ling whispered.

She still had some unanswered questions about herself. As long as she solved them, reaching or even surpassing the former Transcendence was possible.

There were still too many unknowns about this world… and about herself.

Perhaps, this sliver of hope wasn’t poison.

Perhaps, there was still a chance.

Perhaps…

She wouldn’t completely fail like the former Transcendence.

“But we don’t have time, nor do we have a chance.”

Chou Ke shook his head and sighed softly, his aged face filled with loneliness.

If it weren’t for the lack of time, why would the Doomsday Messengers resort to this?

The “focused attack” plan, such a risky gamble, wasn’t Chou Ke’s usual cautious approach.

Zi Ke couldn’t possibly lie about this. Doomsday’s arrival was truly brought forward.

If they waited any longer, the hoped-for “grave keeper” wouldn’t appear before Doomsday arrived.

By then, it would be too late.

He and this Miss Luo Ling had an irreconcilable difference.

Zi Ke still hadn’t appeared, and Chou Ke didn’t know his plans, but it didn’t matter. Even if he had to bear this lonely responsibility alone, he had no regrets.

As long as he could devour all of Victoria, Chou Ke could become a “grave keeper.” Since the other Messengers were dead, whatever Zi Ke planned didn’t matter anymore.

Therefore, the only obstacle before him was this Miss Luo Ling.

“…”

Luo Ling remained silent. She knew that this battle was unavoidable.

The current Chou Ke wasn’t a “grave keeper” yet. He needed to sacrifice all of Victoria, completely consuming it with Doomsday, to reach that level.

But in Luo Ling’s eyes, she still had time and a chance, a meager hope, to prevent the most despairing end.

This difference left no room for compromise.

She respected the path Chou Ke chose in despair, but it didn’t mean she had to give up on her own persistence.

Chou Ke had to die.

“Unfortunately…”

Luo Ling said softly.

She raised her hand slightly, but saw Xuanyuan E beside her draw her sword first, then look at her with a meaningful gaze.

“…Yes, I understand.”

Luo Ling saw Xuanyuan E’s thoughts and nodded, taking a step back.

Xuanyuan E wanted to settle this.

She knew that Chou Ke would definitely lose today.

No matter what…

But she wanted to personally send this “old father” to his final rest.

As for Chou Ke’s words, Xuanyuan E already knew. She was closest to Chou Ke in the past and had naturally heard him talk about his pessimistic and despairing ideals.

However…

Xuanyuan E slowly closed her eyes.

She vaguely saw something in the depths of her mind.

A brilliant and dazzling color.

Hope.

Indeed, also hope.

She didn’t think Miss Luo Ling’s hope was the poison Chou Ke described.

She was willing to bet everything she had to help Miss Luo Ling walk this path, not just becoming a pitiful “grave keeper” guarding eternal loneliness.

“If you need this sword,” Xuanyuan E whispered in her heart, “feel free to use it.”

The invincible sword of the Xuanyuan clan was also in her hand.

“Yin… no, Xuanyuan E,” Chou Ke suddenly smiled, a hint of his former kindness, as if seeing through something, “If it’s you… it’s fine.”

“…It’s all the same.”

Xuanyuan E stood with her sword drawn.

Now, with the embedded puppet, she was no longer the helpless, crippled woman from before, faintly revealing her past, the invincible Xuanyuan sword intent.

The Emperor of Judgment.

This was the Emperor’s Authority.

He devoted everything to fighting against Doomsday. His sword intent could even cut through nothingness, reaching its essence.

If there was any being in this world, besides Transcendence, capable of directly confronting Doomsday, even just slightly resisting it, it was only the former Emperor.

The awe-inspiring sword intent sliced through nothingness, as if recreating a fraction of the Emperor’s former glory.

Even without Doomsday’s power, Xuanyuan E was among the strongest in the world. Even the current strongest member of the Xuanyuan clan could only be considered her equal. The long years in nothingness hadn’t dulled the sharpness of her sword intent, but instead, tempered by time, it became more restrained and deadly.

However, her opponent was Chou Ke.

Chou Ke possessed the Doomsday Authority, the power that was once Xuanyuan E’s greatest reliance, but now unusable.

Moreover, he had completely abandoned his part of Transcendence and obtained the sources of Wei Ke and Xu Ke’s power, his strength greatly increased.

A mere sword intent, even if it could cut through the spreading nothingness and reach its essence, couldn’t escape the Doomsday Authority.

Chou Ke casually faced Xuanyuan E. The sword intent entered his body, but nothing happened.

Luo Ling seemed to have sensed something. She stared at Chou Ke, murmuring softly with a puzzled look, “Devour?”

At this moment, she seemed to sense a power similar to Devour, the Doomsday Authority she had used for a long time. Although she rarely used it now because it would push her closer to Doomsday, no one in this world was more familiar with this Authority than her.

No, it wasn’t Devour…

Luo Ling quickly dismissed the idea.

But it was definitely related to Devour.

“The fall of Columbia in the past…”

Luo Ling whispered.

Although the greatest benefits were obtained by Luo Ling and Su Wan, how could the scheming Doomsday Messengers gain nothing?

This Devour-like Authority should be one of their gains.

It was very likely that the Doomsday Messengers only obtained an incomplete part of the ability back then, and in the following years, through the trace of true Doomsday in the “Pilgrimage Path” and their understanding of nothingness, it transformed into an Authority.

It couldn’t compare to Luo Ling’s original version, but it was a genuine Doomsday Authority.

In a one-on-one fight, Xuanyuan E wouldn’t be Chou Ke’s opponent.

Unless she entered the void, then, at the cost of destroying her embedded puppet, exerted the same power as during her time as a Doomsday Messenger.

This way, Xuanyuan E’s life would be one step closer to true nothingness.

But… there was no need.

It wasn’t a one-on-one fight…

The reason Luo Ling brought others along was for a righteous gang fight!

“Miss Xuanyuan E, let me help you.”

Luo Ling’s voice echoed beside Xuanyuan E’s ear, and she felt a small body gently embrace her from behind, white hair scattering, intertwining with her own silver hair, almost indistinguishable.

“This way, you can use my Puppet Ballad ability.”

The voice that echoed again was slightly childish. Xuanyuan E turned her head slightly and saw the white-haired girl’s delicate face, her pale eyelashes fluttering slightly above her closed eyes.

Since Xuanyuan E intended to personally send Chou Ke to his final rest, why not fulfill her wish?

The Authority of Silent Demise, Kingdom of Ember, unleashed.

Instantly, everything around them turned dark.