dognovel Chapter 88 The truth?
Chapter 88 The truth?
A few days later, the recapture operation officially began, with Geshulin personally leading the army northward into the wilderness, their target—the Lord of the Formless Demon!
He watched as the white figure charged ahead, its form ablaze with purple flames, weaving through the afterimages and burning everything around it to ashes.
They marched forward with almost nothing in their path; everything went so smoothly…
It went so smoothly that even someone who knew what was going to happen next almost had a misconception.
This created the illusion that they could succeed this time.
"..."
"So why can't we win?"
Because all of this is inevitable.
"If I went... would the outcome be different?"
You've already experienced this.
"..."
Let them live, let him live.
[The reason we plead for victory...]
[I just want more people to survive]
That person wasn't lying; this had always been his wish.
In a rare instance, he did not apply to go to the front lines, but instead chose to stay behind and assist with handling matters.
When he applied, everyone else in the military was terrified, thinking something was wrong with him. But then they realized what was happening and immediately approved his application, afraid he might change his mind.
He could only sigh helplessly, say nothing, and turn to go back to work.
He wanted to get as many people back as possible before the rain came.
As the battle intensified, even those stationed at the rear could feel a suffocating atmosphere permeating the surroundings.
During his limited rest periods, the scenes floating in his dreams became increasingly vivid.
As he walked through the rain to follow the person, all he could hear were incessant wails behind him, pleading for hope.
When he turned around to try and stop them, he could only watch helplessly as the world-destroying black light swallowed the white figure.
But when he stopped, he could only watch helplessly as the rain washed away the scorched earth, and there was nothing he could do.
So where does the key to breaking this deadlock lie?!
When you decide to die
[This is the moment the new world is born.]
Our destinies have intersected.
"..."
"I think I understand."
He turned around and met the gaze of another version of himself. That other person had been calmly observing him until he responded with that one sentence.
"Mo Wunian" [墨无念]
"Don't let the predetermined ending come to pass."
He thought he understood where the key to breaking the deadlock lay.
The Battle of the Curved Blade was indeed his inevitable doom.
But he will use this life to break the inevitable fate of everyone.
---------
"...People are coming...The wounded are bleeding heavily..."
"Have the supplies caught up...? The final assault is about to begin..."
"Finally we've made it this far...and reclaimed so much lost territory..."
"We can finally end all of this."
As he moved through the military compound handling various matters, the constant chatter around him only exacerbated his already troubled mind, making him even more anxious.
Just as I was about to take the documents to the other side, I heard someone calling my name. After sensing the situation for a moment, I realized that the person who came was the commander of the Broken Faction and the head of the medical department.
"Mo Wunian x2!"
Turning around to make sure I was facing them, I was about to say something when I heard two more people make requests at the same time.
"I'd like to ask you to lead the team at the front lines—"
"I'd like to trouble you to stay behind and help us with some tasks—"
"..."
The scene fell silent instantly. Although he couldn't see what the two people's expressions were like, he could easily guess what was going on.
"Heh, your medical department must have quite a few people on it..."
"Are we missing one more?"
"Even your broken faction doesn't necessarily lack that much~"
"There are so many wounded... not to mention his own poor health..."
"Don't you still have the taboo of fire..."
"Then why didn't you mention General Geshu..."
Somewhat flustered, she stood between the two men, clutching the documents tightly, unable to get a word in edgewise.
"Alright, alright... there's no point in us arguing here..."
"Mo Wunian, what is your choice?"
"I……"
"Mo Wunian, General Geshu requests your presence."
Before he could make a decision, he was abruptly interrupted. He only needed to sense his surroundings slightly to recognize who it was—
"Xia Cai? What brings you here?"
Xia Cai ignored the three puzzled people, merely glancing indifferently at the people in front of her before finally fixing her gaze on Mo Wunian, who was still standing there dumbfounded.
He frowned slightly in displeasure, snatched the document from the other person's hand, and then yelled at the two people who wanted to continue arguing.
"Have you had enough of arguing?"
Instead of arguing like this, you two should think about how to deal with the upcoming all-out attack.
"This battle can only be won!"
"As for Mo Wunian's whereabouts... the general will make arrangements."
Xia Cai spoke to the other two in an unfriendly tone, then immediately turned her attention to another person.
"...Mo Wunian, don't keep the general waiting."
"Don't let him down."
The last sentence was emphasized heavily, and he could naturally understand the other person's intention.
"...Okay, I understand."
"Then the copywriting is yours."
After nodding in acknowledgment, he quickly left the noisy area, his steps firm and swift. As he walked, a swift wind brushed his face, tossing his long, black hair; a light drizzle hung in the air, as if foreshadowing the changes to come.
In his endless darkness, that person reappeared, walking beside him, their steps in sync. No matter where he went, the other followed suit, the two never stopping, as if bound together by an invisible rope, embarking together on this unknown path.
"...Mo Wunian"
"You want him to live more than anyone else, right?"
【…】
"You want them to live more than anyone else, don't you?"
【…】
"Me too"
He stopped and looked up at the desolate wilderness. Although he couldn't see it, he could clearly feel the oppressive aura emanating from the enormous stone statue.
"...No wonder that kid Ji Yan said I would die here."
"I was originally thinking about seeing what it would be like if I survived."
"Now it seems everything was inevitable."
He sighed to himself, thinking: "Anyway, I've prepared everything I need to. I shouldn't have any more worries after I die."
Now he also needs to confirm something very important.
"System, are you really sure I'm just confused about the timing of my arrival?"
"uncertain"
"...She's quite eloquent."
"Thank you for the compliment"
Hearing the response from the blue panel in his mind, he almost lost his composure, but the next moment he heard the answer he wanted.
"Because I examined the timeline here... it's more than just distorted."
"What do you mean?"
"Timeline discrepancies usually only occur on one timeline, and are typically caused by excessive human interference that disrupts the arrangement of all events."
"The host should know about this kind of thing from reading novels before."
"But the results I'm getting now show that many timelines that shouldn't intersect are constantly merging..."
The system's voice grew softer and softer, and an unwarranted shock crept into its cold, mechanical tone.
"...Explain."
"Does the host know about parallel universes?"
"...Don't tell me other parallel worlds have merged in."
"It's not that bad, but it's close enough."
"?"
"Host, have you ever read those stories about reincarnation to save others?"
"I'm a seasoned bookworm, I've definitely read this kind of article before."
"...Could it really be what I'm thinking?"
The blue panel in his mind remained silent for a moment, but then uttered that one sentence.
"...If that's what the host is thinking, then it should be correct."
"Memories that shouldn't belong to the people here are constantly being mixed in and integrated."
"Furthermore... hosts have appeared in other timelines as well."
"Whether long or short, it definitely exists."
"Furthermore, if an external factor like a host is introduced into another timeline... there might even be overlapping events."
"...And what's strange is that this is completely different from what has happened before..."
"Logically speaking, even if other people recall the memory, it should be a separate line..."
"But how can it be a state of continuous integration at present..."
"What the world consciousness is doing... violating treaties again, and letting this kind of thing happen..."
"That's enough, I think it's complicated enough."
"Can't understand"
"..."
"In short, the plot of this storyline should have changed long before the host arrived, and the characters from the original storyline should remember more things as the timelines merge."
"And... the host is aware of that too, right?"
He lowered his head and nodded slightly, shifting his gaze to the person beside him. In this endless darkness, he could only make out that lonely silhouette.
"...I realized it."
"Is Mo Wunian just me? Not just someone who created a physical body and an identity?"
"……Yes"
"Only this can explain why the host felt completely at ease when loading into the system."
"This system didn't expect things to turn out this way either..."
"……I see"
"The Reincarnation Suicide Squad is actually myself..."
The system, seeing that the person before it seemed oblivious to the gravity of the situation, simply sighed silently and continued moving forward, its mechanical voice trembling once more.
"The host is not surprised..."
"Or is it painful?"
His steps halted once more. Faced with the system's questions, the person who had already touched upon the truth was speechless, only able to blink blankly.
"……I have no idea"
"?"
"I don't know what emotions I should express."
"At first, I thought I would be shocked, panicked... or even desperate after learning the truth."
"But when it actually happened, I didn't feel much of anything."
"Even... a feeling of relief?"
"..."
"Perhaps we've been kept in the dark...deceived all along?"
"When the truth began to surface, I only felt relieved."
"Regardless of how I reincarnate, or why I possess this ability to reincarnate..."
"I've touched the truth, and one day I'll know everything."
"This is my destiny."
The rain obscured the person's figure, but he could notice that his reflection was looking at him, its gaze no longer calm but filled with a turbulent emotion.
"...And if that's the case, I roughly know where the key to breaking the deadlock lies."
"?What?"
“Different points in time are already merging, and Mo Wunian at this point in time should also have memories of his previous reincarnations…”
"But it does seem that a crucial part is missing, which must have been intentional."
"And as you mentioned before, there might be overlapping events..."
"I bet that crucial moment will happen again..."
"At the end of Mo Wunian's fate"
His sword strike wasn't a matter of demanding death to break free from the shackles of fate; it was simply an end to everything with the very essence of his life.
Therefore, if he were strong enough, he could have clung to life for a while longer after unleashing that sword strike.
Although, based on what appeared in his dream, one sword might not be enough.
But what if we add another one? What if we add another person who can also wield that sword?
Perhaps his strength simply wasn't enough to allow him to unleash two sword strikes simultaneously to achieve his desired goal...
But if I were to reveal another version of myself, how would you face it?
"...So what does the host intend to do at that point in time?"
The system was already feeling more panicked than ever before because of what was happening before it; even as a system, it had never encountered such a situation.
I never expected my host to be a bit crazy, daring to exploit even such a bug-level vulnerability.
"System...you've been following me for so long, I thought you knew me well."
"Don't you understand what I'm supposed to do?"
"..."
"I will use a sword... to lead those behind me back home."
"Then let another me use another sword... let me guide that moment to the turning point of that person's destiny—"
"Break it!"
So what if he's greedy?! So what if he can't stand seeing the people he cares about leave?!
You should know that what he hates most in his life is being asked to make choices: when they say they're giving him choices, but in the end there's only one answer.
He couldn't let go of anything, he was unwilling to give up anything; he was a complete and utterly greedy person.
What can that do?
Kill him at best; death means nothing to him anymore anyway.
The thought that I might have died countless times in a past unknown to him made me increasingly indifferent to such things.
Anyway, it was him who died, not someone he cared about.
Rain splashed onto his face, and when he turned around again, all he could see was darkness; no one was with him anymore.
He was left alone, walking through the long, dark night, unable to see any light.
However, he was already used to this situation and no longer felt helpless.
He already knew the key to breaking the deadlock, and the truth that had been concealed was about to surface. He would no longer be afraid of the unknown and the confusion.
And he had already heard the arguing.