Chapter 98: Disappearance p1
Chou Ke closed his eyes, carefully experiencing this memory.
Moments later, his face paled drastically. When he opened his eyes again, his expression was ashen.
“Is this… the only ending for our future?”
After witnessing this memory, Chou Ke understood why Luo Ling was unmoved by his despair, simply because she had already witnessed an even crueler reality.
Within this past, unrecorded by any means, lay a future far more terrifying than he had imagined.
Only now did Chou Ke suddenly realize that his “preserving civilization” plan… might have the same outcome, a similar ending to this dream.
Also in a graveyard, an insignificant tomb, and perhaps… not even fresh flowers before it.
It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with this plan. As a continuation of the former Valhalla’s spirit, the “preserving civilization” plan was proposed by Chou Ke and perfected by all the Doomsday Messengers.
But…
He overlooked the most crucial point.
How could the “tombstones” and the “grave keepers” survive Doomsday’s arrival?
Chou Ke’s previous answer was that, as long as they reached the Godchosen level, able to use the Doomsday Authority without any cost, they could achieve this.
To verify this idea, Chou Ke even personally entered the depths of the void, using his own body and will to truly experience the arrival of Doomsday.
The final conclusion confirmed his idea.
Both “grave keepers” and “tombstones” could survive Doomsday’s arrival.
In other words, the “preserving civilization” plan was feasible, the only way out for this world.
Thus, Chou Ke devoted all his effort, regardless of the cost, to complete this plan.
But upon seeing Luo Ling’s dream, Chou Ke realized that the Doomsday arrival he used for verification was actually just a ripple.
Due to his own limitations, Chou Ke couldn’t reach the deepest part of the void. Even with the information he obtained from Xuanyuan E’s exploration, it wasn’t enough.
He completely underestimated the terror of this disaster, even though before this, his words were considered exaggerated by everyone, even the other Doomsday Messengers.
“Star civilizations… were so brilliant…” Chou Ke stared at the sky, trying to see through the veil of the void, and sighed softly, “But the outcome… was so tragic.”
Even if the “preserving civilization” plan succeeded…
When the true Doomsday arrived, it would all be reduced to ashes.
This was… Doomsday’s merciless rule.
However…
Chou Ke retracted his gaze from the sky and looked at Luo Ling, almost asleep on Xuanyuan E’s back, and whispered, “Who… are you?”
He clearly saw that in this dream, this mysterious girl was called Transcendence, perhaps just a symbolic representation, not the true Transcendence.
But judging from the reactions of the woman in black and the other guests, it couldn’t be that simple.
Or rather, the fact that she could create this sorrowful dream already explained everything.
“Hmm?”
Luo Ling raised her head, rubbed her eyes, and forced herself to stay awake, answering, “I’m Luo Ling… I know what you want to ask, but this is the only answer I can give you, nothing more.”
“I see…”
Chou Ke sighed deeply. He really wanted to know the true answer, but it was no longer possible in his lifetime.
He looked into Luo Ling’s eyes, her usual expression, even after experiencing this despairing dream, the girl hadn’t given up hope.
Chou Ke initially thought that it was because of Luo Ling’s ignorance of the truth that she possessed this unrealistic hope, a poison that would drag the world into an irreversible abyss, hence his intention to act.
But now…
Chou Ke asked himself, if he had witnessed the world’s funeral before this, he would have probably given up struggling, unable to resist this despair, no matter how many avatars he created, eventually choosing to end his own life, an almost inevitable outcome.
He absolutely couldn’t possibly hold onto such a meager hope like Miss Luo Ling.
Even after witnessing such a terrifying end, she still didn’t give up.
“…I lost.”
Chou Ke suddenly aged decades, his body even showing signs of decay and death.
Even without Luo Ling and Xuanyuan E attacking, Chou Ke’s life was already nearing its end.
His previous admission of Luo Ling and Xuanyuan E’s victory was just acknowledging the outcome of this battle. This second “loss” was the collapse of his belief, his complete defeat.
“Elder Chou…”
Xuanyuan E’s expression softened, and she slowly crouched down, taking Chou Ke’s almost decaying, wrinkled hand, her voice filled with complex emotions.
“Hehe… there’s no need for such an expression. You did well, Little Sister.”
Chou Ke forced a smile, slowly raising his hand, wanting to wipe the tears from Xuanyuan E’s eyes.
But he couldn’t even lift it, lacking even this meager strength.
“My defeat is… inevitable. If I had won, it would have been a disaster for this world.”
Chou Ke whispered, his voice hoarse and raspy.
Nearing death, he regained his former gentleness, the kind old man in Xuanyuan E’s memories.
If he won, he would have personally destroyed the world’s last sliver of hope. Now, having failed… he felt at peace.
Chou Ke had already realized the inevitable failure of the “preserving civilization” plan, all his past efforts turning to ashes, hence his despair.
No…
Wait.
Just then, as if thinking of something, a light suddenly appeared in Chou Ke’s cloudy eyes.
He used his last bit of strength to sit up, but his decaying body couldn’t support him, until Xuanyuan E reached out to help, finally allowing him to sit up straight.
“Miss Luo Ling, you should already know… about my ‘preserving civilization’ plan, right?”
Chou Ke gasped slightly, staring at Luo Ling, his eyes no longer filled with pessimism, but a hint of hope.
“Yes…”
Luo Ling’s head bobbed up and down, seemingly nodding, but more like being lifted and dropped.
“The reason the ‘preserving civilization’ plan failed is simply because the ‘grave keepers’ and the ‘tombstones’ weren’t qualified.” Chou Ke’s eyes shone brightly. “But… it’s just that we weren’t qualified. You’re different.”
If there was anyone in this world who could bear the responsibility of “grave keeper,” it was only Miss Luo Ling.
He wasn’t qualified, Zi Ke wasn’t qualified, and Xuanyuan E wasn’t qualified either.
Only this mysterious girl, who witnessed the world’s funeral firsthand, could do it.
Luo Ling remained silent, looking at this old man, sensing the faint hope emanating from Chou Ke in his final moments, a hope connected to her.
“I entrust my lifelong wish to you, but I don’t ask you to walk this path. I only hope that when facing the end, you have another choice.”
Chou Ke said seriously, each word incredibly clear.
But his life force was like a candle in the wind, every breeze taking away a bit of its warmth, until the candle was extinguished.
Even so, he still stared at Luo Ling intently, waiting for her answer with the strength fueled by his burning life force.
“‘Preserving civilization’…”
Luo Ling closed her eyes, a heavy drowsiness washing over her, dream and reality intertwining.
She vaguely saw countless endings, each leading to endless darkness and Silent Demise.
The fading of hope seemed inevitable.
But even so…
“I accept.”
Luo Ling said in a deep voice, looking at Chou Ke with a solemn gaze. She knew that what she accepted was the last wish of a failing civilization, a dying faction, struggling until the very end.
Light yet heavy.
Heavy with the weight of an entire civilization, yet light enough to be easily abandoned.
“…That’s good.”
The wrinkles on Chou Ke’s face smoothed out, and an unprecedentedly relaxed smile appeared on his aged face.
He hadn’t expected that, after all this, the mission of “grave keeper” would fall upon this girl.
He had initially thought that under the “preserving civilization” plan, more “grave keepers” could be born, but he failed.
Then he thought that, by choosing to suppress despair and taking this step, even alone, he could ensure the “tombstones'” survival, but he also failed.
And now…
There was only one “grave keeper,” and it wasn’t him.
And she might not even walk this path.
But he truly felt… what hope was.
Something he had never experienced in his long life.
“This is our Doomsday headquarters, and my life’s work, all here.”
Chou Ke extracted a strand of power and sent it towards Luo Ling.
Doomsday headquarters was the original “tombstone,” and after countless years of construction, it had become the Doomsday Messengers’ most important fortress.
Although due to Mao Ke leaking information and Su Wan’s surprise attack, the Doomsday Messengers stationed at headquarters were annihilated in an instant, the headquarters itself remained intact.
After all, unlike other branch stations, headquarters, since its creation, was meant to withstand Doomsday’s arrival, maintaining its existence, not to be used as a weapon.
Although facing the true Doomsday, headquarters would likely be destroyed as well, at least it could withstand Columbia at the Final Hour.
It could be said that this was the Doomsday Messengers’ true foundation.
Unfortunately, Doomsday headquarters wasn’t solely controlled by Chou Ke. Zi Ke and Xuanyuan E also had partial control, even now, none of them could seize it from each other, it could only be voluntarily relinquished.
After all, who would have thought that Xuanyuan E, an original Messenger, would betray them?
Of course, if one were to be precise, the current Chou Ke could also be considered a traitor.
Betraying Zi Ke’s Doomsday Messengers.
Luo Ling reached out with both hands, gently touching this power.
Instantly, a magnificent fortress appeared in her vision, silently existing within the void.
“Doomsday headquarters…”
At the same time, an immeasurable amount of information flooded into her mind, Chou Ke’s life’s work, his research on Doomsday and Transcendence.
Including the Mysterious Tomb, the ancient ruins, and so on…
This information was vast, complex, and fragmented. The information Luo Ling obtained from the remnants of the Mysterious Tomb was just a drop in the ocean compared to this.
The complete “preserving civilization” plan was also included in this information.
Feeling Chou Ke’s expectant gaze, Luo Ling felt a heavy weight on her shoulders.
The former Valhalla, facing the disaster of Doomsday, exhausted all their efforts and was utterly defeated, leaving behind “Valhalla” as their legacy, inherited by the original Twelve Messengers.
The original Twelve Messengers, based on the “Valhalla” plan, developed the current Doomsday Messengers’ massive scale and the “preserving civilization” plan to welcome the world’s end.
Now, this plan had fallen into Luo Ling’s hands.
However…
“I can’t guarantee… I’ll make the choice you wish for,” Luo Ling whispered. “Just as you said, even if there’s just a sliver of hope, I won’t give up on it.”
Hearing Luo Ling’s answer, Chou Ke grinned, his body finally relaxing, collapsing backward.
Xuanyuan E wanted to catch him, but Chou Ke stopped her with a raised hand.
“It’s fine,” Chou Ke murmured, slowly closing his eyes, “It’s all the same.”
As his voice faded, his aged body could no longer hold on, starting to crumble, inch by inch.
The power of Doomsday tore him apart, turning him into nothingness.
In the blink of an eye, only a faint, spreading nothingness remained on the ground, continuing to erode this territory.
Luo Ling silently watched this scene, raised her hand, and used her Authority, Savior Witch, reversing this trace of Doomsday, turning it into Transcendence.
The dark nothingness instantly vanished, turning into a dazzling, scattering brilliance, faintly revealing the kind smile of the hunched old man.
“Farewell, Elder Chou.”
After the brilliance dissipated, Xuanyuan E sighed softly, stabbed her sword into the ground where Chou Ke had been, and released her grip on the hilt.
The straight blade, like a wordless tombstone, stood in this deep crater. This was the Xuanyuan clan’s simple funeral rite, whether for enemy or friend.
“Miss Luo Ling, next…”
Xuanyuan E said, but before she could finish, she saw Luo Ling’s sleeping profile.
Luo Ling, exhausted after this series of events, could only barely stay awake to send Chou Ke off. After he disappeared, she instantly fell asleep, even a soft snore escaping her lips.
“…..”
Xuanyuan E looked at Luo Ling’s profile, her slightly trembling eyelashes clearly visible in the scattered brilliance, and even she, with her cold and indifferent nature, couldn’t help but feel a strange stirring in her heart.
This feeling… was unfamiliar.
She seemed to have never experienced it before.
“Forget it, let’s go back.”
Xuanyuan E composed herself, then, as if sensing something, subconsciously looked in a certain direction.
“This is…”
Very familiar.
Incredibly familiar.
“The Xuanyuan clan.”
