Chapter 3028: The Final Farewell!
Watching this scene, even Mila's eyes couldn't help but redden!
She finally understood why Jiangnan Gege had always had such a deep obsession with money from beginning to end. A single coin can stump a hero!
Jiangnan had truly been poor and afraid since childhood. Even later when he earned money, he didn't squander it recklessly. He just saved and saved. The birth of Jiang Pixiu didn't happen without reason!
Mila so wanted to pat Jiangnan at this moment, gently comfort him, tell him not to be afraid, that dreams would start from here!
Everything would get better. Along the way, you'll meet many companions, kind elders, warm-hearted teachers, comrades-in-arms who share life and death, brothers!
People who love you, people who care about you, people you care about...
Along this path, there will be laughter and joy, happiness and cheer. Just keep walking like this, all the way to the future, forever and ever!
But Mila couldn't do that. She couldn't interfere with the past anymore. She could only watch from the side, silently guarding her Jiangnan Gege...
In the end, Jiangnan still couldn't fall asleep. He crawled out from under the covers, rubbed his reddened eyes, and went to the bedside table to flip open a worn-out book, preparing to preview his lessons...
Jiangnan hadn't placed all his hopes on becoming a Spirit Warrior. Studying hard was still the fastest shortcut to changing his destiny!
So Jiangnan had always been a good student...
After thinking it over, Jiangnan still didn't turn on the light. Turning on the light wasted electricity, and the rental was self-sufficient for utilities. Though it wouldn't save much money, every little bit helped~
In front of the bedside table, the young man seriously read his textbook by the moonlight streaming through the window. This scene... seemed eternal...
If you ignored Jiangnan's English accent...
"Super~ Supermarket! Money~ A lot of money! Give~ Give me money?"
Mila: (•́ω•̀•) Eh...
Day after day passed like this. Mila never left. She just followed Jiangnan, silently watching his simple yet not-so-simple life!
Because even living such a simple life, Jiangnan had given it his all...
In the months that followed, the vendor cloth placed in the storage room and the small stool were covered in dust...
During this time, Aunt Zhou did come to the storage room a few times, but she never noticed the extra vendor cloth and small stool, because they were just too inconspicuous!
Until Jiangnan, who truly had no money left, started thinking of ways to earn money to sustain his life. After scouting out good projects, he decided to set up a street stall to earn living expenses!
He mentioned to Aunt Zhou if she had any unwanted rags he could use as vendor cloth. Aunt Zhou told Jiangnan to look for himself in the storage room!
So Jiangnan opened the storage room, searched for a long time, and finally found that dusty, unremarkable vendor cloth, along with the small stool placed beside it...
Everything was so natural, so seamless!
At this moment, Jiangnan had no idea where the vendor cloth came from, how the small stool got there, and certainly didn't know that beside him, there was a Mila who didn't belong to this time and space, watching him with a face full of smiles...
Having obtained the vendor cloth and small stool, Jiangnan began his money-making endeavor. He set up a street stall, sold hand-grabbed pancakes and grilled cold noodles. His life gradually improved, and the money he earned was enough to cover his daily expenses, with even some left over!
Of course, during this period, Jiangnan also experienced awakening his spatial ability, being assessed as having garbage talent, and not catching Li Mingshan's eye!
Mila silently watched all of this...
Until the year he turned 18, at the Jiangnan night market. At his small stall, Jiangnan was enthusiastically hawking his goods when he ran into Li Muyan, Wang Lin, and the others!
A conflict broke out. Jiangnan teleported half a meter and was already exhausted, knocked to the ground with one punch by Wang Lin!
Blood from his mouth splattered onto the vendor cloth!
A voice also rang out in Jiangnan's mind...
[bUi~ Blood components detected. Strongest Street Stall System beginning fusion~]
[Fusion successful! Presenting stall owner with one piece of vendor cloth, one small stool, one ten-draw bundle~]
[Would you like to draw...]
Jiangnan was stunned...
[Would you like to draw?]
[Asking again: Would you like to draw?]
[Are you going to draw or what the hell?]
Jiangnan: ???
Draw! Draw! Why wouldn't I draw?
[Lucky spin wheel, ten-draw lottery beginning!]
[Thank you for your patronage! Consolation prize: One bottle of Strength Potion...]
[Congratulations on winning! Prize: One Marrow Cleansing Fruit...]
Jiangnan's eyes lit up...
...
And so... the dream began from here...
Mila watched this scene with smiling eyes, watching Jiangnan drink the Strength Potion, brutally beat Wang Lin, immensely satisfying!
(งᵒ̌ꇴᵒ̌)ง "Yes! Just like that! Beat him to a pulp! Hehe~ This is it... the place where everything begins..."
"It's time for me to go... In the life ahead, Lan Bao'er will be with you. Everything... will be fine..."
"You'll meet Sister Xuexue, Sister Yaoyao, you'll meet me, meet so many people... Your life from this moment on will no longer be lonely..."
Mila didn't linger. Seeing this was enough. Everything was connected. The time loop was already complete. Enough!
But her work wasn't done. Mila returned to the River of Time, flowing downstream, heading straight for her own time and space!
The telomerase in her body was almost depleted. Mila was about to collapse, but she knew she absolutely couldn't fall on the River of Time!
She had to go back and establish the time bridge!
And on the way back, Mila didn't see the light points she had seen on the way here...
...
Now, beneath the Void of Nothingness above the Dimensional Star City, below the System Terminal!
Everyone waited anxiously. At this moment, only a few seconds had passed since Mila's time-space travel departure, and even the light point where she had been hadn't dissipated yet!
The next moment, at the spot where Mila had disappeared, a dazzling golden light appeared!
Mila! She had successfully returned!
But she didn't even have time to greet anyone. Her golden hair had already turned completely white, devoid of any luster!
The returning Mila hurriedly rushed straight toward the slot in the center of the System Terminal!
If she didn't seal herself in a Time Amber soon, Mila would die, completely disappear!
Rushing to the center slot, Mila's body erupted with intense golden light. A pillar of light burst forth from her body, shooting straight into the sky!
It formed a Time Bridge, its end disappearing into the void, while one end was already connected to the System located in the past time!
Countless Time Crystal Sands emerged, more and more!
At this moment, Mila was withered and aged. Her head full of white hair, she exuded an air of decrepitude. Her once-beautiful face was now covered in wrinkles!
Mila placed her hands before her chest in a praying gesture, slowly closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips, as Time Amber spread, sealing this moment of Mila forever!
She transformed into a translucent golden amber, embedded in the center slot of the System Terminal. Because of the Time Amber, the Time Bridge was also stabilized!
The Time Ring环绕 the System Terminal flickered a few times before gradually lighting up!
Li Bing watched this scene, her eyes blazing with brilliant light, her fists clenched tight!
"It's... it's done! The past has been successfully remedied. The time loop is basically formed. All that's left is for us to send the System items we've made back to the past one by one!"
Without needing Li Bing's reminder, Jiangnan had already noticed. The time loop was complete. The Dream Reality was no longer rootless; it had foundation and evidence!
The Dream Reality in his eyes was rapidly solidifying, becoming unique!
And the original Reality was fading away, completely turning into nothingness. It would be as if it never happened, ceasing to exist!
Jiangnan: !!!
"Wait for me! I need to say goodbye! If I miss this chance, I'll never have another opportunity to tell myself!"
As he spoke, Jiangnan directly activated Black Hole Devouring Star and entered the Life Forbidden Zone!
Everyone was startled. Say goodbye to whom?
Was there someone who needed a farewell?
They didn't know that Jiangnan wanted to say goodbye—to say goodbye to the Jiangnan of the original Reality...
Above the Life Forbidden Zone, Jiangnan's Eternal Divine Form appeared!
The pages of reality also emerged!
Sure enough, after the time loop of the Dream Reality was completed, it was rapidly becoming real!
And beneath the covering Dream Reality, the original Reality was quickly fading away!
After all, there could only be one reality. If one existed, the other would disappear, as if it had never happened!
Jiangnan was filled with anxiety!
He still hadn't told himself that answer!
With a flash of his form, he was already in the crack between the two realities!
Jiangnan didn't look back at the Dream Reality that belonged to him. Instead, he looked ahead at the rapidly disappearing original Reality, frantically searching through the pages!
Finally, Jiangnan found it. He found that node in the original Reality where Mila and Lan were about to be sacrificed to create the System and send it back to the past!
...
Original Reality, in the Interdimensional Cluster Stars Alliance!
In the room, the Jiangnan of the original Reality sat cross-legged on the floor. His eyes were already red from crying!
He was holding the aged Mila and Lan, who was almost completely assimilated by the Void Engine!
Li Bing stood at the doorframe, her back against it, her eyes full of reluctance. She couldn't help but turn her head away, because this decision was too cruel for Jiangnan, Mila, and Lan...
The Jiangnan of the original Reality cried, tears pouring down like rain!
"I'm sorry. Jiangnan Gege is useless. I couldn't keep you, couldn't save you, couldn't change reality... And now I have to personally... personally..."
His heart was bleeding. Along the way, too many people had fallen on the road, had left him. There were almost no one left by his side!
And now Lan and Mila, who had come all this way with him, were also leaving...
How could he bear it?
The aged Mila shook her head, smiling: "Jiangnan Gege~ Even though calling you that is strange, I still want to call you that..."
"You are my whole world. You always have been. So... let me save my world once too. All the effort won't be in vain!"
"In that Dream Reality, everything will be as beautiful as a dream. We'll be together forever, always... always..."
Lan also patted Jiangnan on the back, her eyes full of reluctance: "Brother Jiangnan, I don't have much time left. Let me give it one last try, and save you once too, okay?"
"I don't blame you. I've never blamed you! Let's go create a dream together. That dream will eventually become reality..."
Jiangnan cried, holding them both tighter!
He didn't know if this would succeed, what kind of ending would come, whether the Dream Reality built with all their efforts could really change everything and turn everything into beauty!
It might all be for nothing. Perhaps Mila and Lan's sacrifice would be meaningless, a waste of effort!
That would be equivalent to his escape, personally ending both their lives!
He didn't know. He couldn't possibly know if it would succeed!
Li Bing sighed: "Everything is ready. It's about time. Send Mila and Lan... on their final journey!"
...
At this moment, in the crack between realities in the Life Forbidden Zone, the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality, with red eyes, desperately tried to squeeze into the pages!
But Truth fiercely blocked him, not allowing him to enter, even though the pages of the original Reality were about to disappear!
Yet Jiangnan still frantically charged in!
"I want to tell you! That answer! I have to tell you! Let me in!"
"I don't want you to disappear with regrets, completely ceasing to exist!"
"This answer! It's up to me to tell you! Don't fucking stop me!"
Jiangnan was completely insane. A dazzling golden radiance burst from his body!
Perhaps because the original Reality was about to completely dissipate, the effect of Truth gradually weakened!
Just before it disappeared, it really let the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality squeeze into the pages of the original Reality!
At this moment, the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality suddenly appeared in the original Reality, in that room!
But he couldn't do anything. He couldn't even move. Truth bound him, firmly restraining him!
Because he didn't belong here. He didn't belong to the original Reality!
The Jiangnan of the original Reality suddenly stiffened, as if sensing something. He couldn't help but rub his eyes and look up: "Mila, Lan, Sister Li Bing, could you step out for a moment? Wait for me. I'll be right there..."
The three were startled, but they took it as Jiangnan needing some time alone to calm his emotions...
All three left the room and closed the door for Jiangnan!
In the room... there was only Jiangnan left!
But that wasn't actually the case. There were two people in the room: the Jiangnan of the original Reality and the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality...
It's just that the Jiangnan of the original Reality couldn't see the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality!
Bound by Truth, the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality couldn't do anything either!
The Jiangnan of the original Reality sat cross-legged on the floor, not turning around, just looking down at the tear stains on the ground...
The room was very quiet. Finally, the Jiangnan of the original Reality spoke...
"You... came, huh..."
"In the Dream Reality... is everyone still here? Did anyone leave? Did everyone have a dreamlike and beautiful life?"
"Along this journey... were you happy? Were you joyful?"
In the room, Jiangnan talked to himself, more like asking his own heart!
But Jiangnan knew that another self... could hear him!
The Jiangnan of the Dream Reality was frantic with anxiety. He had so much he wanted to say to this self!
He wanted to tell this self that everything was fine! Some people left along the way, but not many. We won the Star Ruins War. Humanity wasn't turned into slave species!
I now stand at the peak of the Starry Sky. I will defeat Xun Zu and give the Dream Reality the most perfect ending!
Along this journey, I was truly happy! Truly joyful! Truly blissful!
Laughter and joy have always accompanied me!
The time loop is complete! Your dream! It has been created! Because I came from that dream!
And this dream will become reality!
Your decision wasn't wrong. It was the right choice. You didn't personally bury Mila and Lan. Everything had meaning!
Jiangnan had so much to say, but he couldn't say any of it!
Bound by Truth, Jiangnan couldn't do anything!
But at this moment, Jiangnan was completely desperate. Power surged. Will burned!
Whatever the cost, he had to personally tell this answer!
To say goodbye to you in the original Reality!
Using all his strength, the restraint of Truth seemed to loosen slightly, allowing Jiangnan to make some movement!
Thousands of words condensed into a single sound:
"Mmm~"
Just a simple "mmm," as if it had used up all of Jiangnan's strength. His body was almost crushed by Truth!
But this single "mmm" sound was properly conveyed. The voice was very soft!
Yet it echoed in the ears of the Jiangnan of the original Reality, lingering for a long time...
He was stunned. Then a glimmer of hope lit up in his dim eyes!
"It could... be such a beautiful thing?"
"Hahaha~ Hahahahaha!"
The Jiangnan of the original Reality sat cross-legged on the ground, looked up, and laughed heartily, laughing out loud!
He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he laughed like this, since he was this happy!
He had obtained that answer!
All the effort wouldn't be in vain!
Reality would also turn into beauty!
"Enough! It's enough! Thank you... thank you for coming to tell me this!"
"This... is exactly the answer I wanted!"
"Go back! Go back to your reality, your dream. Live well, live happily, joyfully, and freely, until the very end!"
"We... have to go!"
At this moment, the Jiangnan of the original Reality stood up from the ground, a long-lost smile on his face, and walked with light steps, pushing open the door of the room!
Blinding light streamed in through the crack in the door, illuminating the dim room and also drowning his silhouette!
Suddenly, the pressure on the Jiangnan of the Dream Reality suddenly loosened!
In front of him, everything suddenly disappeared...
That scene was the last thing he saw...
The original Reality disappeared. The entire timeline disappeared. And everything that the original Reality carried also vanished along with it, as if it had never existed!
The time loop was complete. Now there was only the Dream Reality timeline left, and this reality had already become unique...
Looking at the nothingness before him and the Dream Reality behind him that had already become unique,
Jiangnan stood alone above the Life Forbidden Zone, looking up, tears streaming down his face...
"I properly conveyed it, right? The Jiangnan of the original Reality heard it, right?"
"This... is the answer you wanted! As long as it was conveyed... that's good!"
pS: A 5000-word chapter, another day of bursting with effort~