Chapter 1132: The Greatest Ordinary
On the ground covered in fragments, a conversation arose from within the void.
"How are you holding up...?" asked one patch of empty ground.
"I... I'm still..." Another empty patch tried to answer, but its words seemed to get stuck.
"Don't force it," the ground said. "'Concealment' can hold out a little longer... Use this time to recover some more of your sanity."
"Let them run first..." came the voice from the other empty patch. "Lin Qin, Xiao Xiao, Kim Won-hun, you all run... Take Han Yimo with you."
Xiao Xiao shook her head at the empty ground. "Let's go together. Without my protection, you won't even make it out of this square. The moment you two 'reveal' yourselves, you'll die."
"That's right," Kim Won-hun added from the side. "I still have some strength left. This time, Paradise Gate's mission objective was always to cover the retreat for the Absolute Path."
"It's... it's fine..." Dr. Zhao's voice came through the empty space again. "To be honest with you, now that 'Dissociation' is over, I'm useless to everyone. There's no need for you to protect me anymore."
"But..." Lin Qin furrowed his brow, wanting to say more but hesitating.
"I'm not trying to be brave..." Dr. Zhao's voice was clearly weak. "This round of 'Dissociation' has left me dizzy and unable to take a single step... If possible... you should take this human-monkey and go."
The human-monkey's voice also came from beside Dr. Zhao. "Don't be foolish... Do you think making the giant bell, the display screen, and two people 'concealed' all at once was easy? I haven't activated 'Fragrance' in too long, and now I can't move either."
"Haha..." Dr. Zhao let out a laugh. "Then why are you playing the hero?"
"Playing the hero...?" The human-monkey and Dr. Zhao chatted as if no one else was there. "Is that even possible? I didn't even say my name, nor did I show my face. No one in this mission will remember me. So I'm destined not to be a hero—only a 'shadow.'"
Everyone listened to the lighthearted banter echoing from the empty ground, but their faces were filled with sorrow.
"Go..." Dr. Zhao said. "That chaotic crowd is about to rush here any moment... There's no point in staying and dying for nothing."
"Yes, go," the human-monkey agreed.
Lin Qin and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance, knowing the two had made their choice.
They still had a barely alive Han Yimo to look after right now. If they also had to carry the excessively "echoed" wounded, the human-monkey and Dr. Zhao, then none of them would be able to escape.
The best option was to abandon the two.
Xiao Xiao decisively walked over and hoisted Han Yimo from the ground onto her shoulder. Han Yimo seemed to have woken up, but his injuries made it impossible for him to stand on his own.
"We're leaving now," Xiao Xiao said.
"Hey... what about Old Zhao..." Han Yimo called out weakly from Xiao Xiao's shoulder. "I haven't seen him since earlier... Aren't you taking him with you..."
"He's no longer here," Xiao Xiao replied. "People's memories of him will stop at the moment he became a hero."
"What nonsense..." Han Yimo continued. "We promised to save the world together... How could he end up being the hero alone..."
"Let's go."
Xiao Xiao reached out and patted Han Yimo on the back, then signaled Lin Qin with her eyes. Together with Kim Won-hun, they moved their feet and left the scene just before the horde of "Supporters" charged in.
Then, the fragments on the ground shifted slightly, as if an invisible figure slowly sat down.
"Let's sit for a while," Dr. Zhao said. "Still feeling dizzy?"
"I'm okay, but every hole in my face is bleeding," the human-monkey replied.
Hearing this, Dr. Zhao extended his own invisible hand and touched his eyes, then lightly rubbed his fingers together. He realized that he, too, seemed to be bleeding.
"How should I put it..." Dr. Zhao sighed. "Thank goodness I can't see it, or else it would be too terrifying. This amount of bleeding doesn't look like conjunctivitis causing ocular surface bleeding—it's more like fundus hemorrhage from an ocular disease... After all, the blood is already flowing out..."
"You're a doctor?" the human-monkey asked, slowly sitting down on the fragments as well. Hunters rushed past them on all sides, and by sheer luck, no one collided with either of them.
"Oh, but not an ophthalmologist—a brain surgeon," Dr. Zhao said, stretching his limbs on the empty ground, feeling an indescribable sense of relief.
"Sounds impressive," the human-monkey remarked. "Were you a famous brain surgeon?"
"'Famous'...?" Dr. Zhao seemed to be laughing. "Those two words are terrifying. Many people come seeking your help because you're 'famous' enough, but if you fail to meet their expectations, 'fame' becomes the best weapon for them to curse you."
"So every profession has its own troubles, huh?"
"I don't know what troubles other brain surgeons have," Dr. Zhao said with a bitter smile. "But whenever I performed a craniotomy, the biggest challenge was how to remove the bone flap. It usually took a lot of my energy and a long time. And some special surgeries require the patient to be conscious during the craniotomy. The prolonged cutting is a huge psychological and emotional blow to them. I often thought, if I had a superpower... Ah, forget it..."
Dr. Zhao let out a forced laugh. "Saying anything now is just regret."
"Doctor, you're a good person," the human-monkey said, changing the subject.
"Hmm...?"
"Everyone's 'fragrance' comes from their obsession in life," the human-monkey said in a low voice. "Your obsession was neither wealth nor lust—it was simply to increase efficiency and reduce patient suffering during craniotomies. The word 'Dissociation' alone proves you're a good person."
"'Dissociation'..." Dr. Zhao sighed. "Yes, what a perfect ability for surgery... It can easily remove a person's skull, cut open the dura mater... and even shatter gallstones in other departments. It's just a pity I'll never have the chance again."
"No, you will," the human-monkey said. "Today, you cut open the skull of the entire 'Land of Termination.' It's about time this place's long-accumulated sickness was treated."
"Ha..." Dr. Zhao turned to look at the human-monkey and saw that the human-monkey had already manifested his form.
He looked down at himself and realized he had also lost his "Concealment." The White Tiger had already noticed the two sitting among the fragments. His expression was filled with rage as he led a group of "Participants" toward them.
"Young man, you're not that old, are you?" Dr. Zhao asked casually. "What do you do?"
"I'm a frustrated stage magician," the human-monkey said. "Unfortunately, 'stage magic' was no longer popular in my time. People preferred 'close-up magic.'"
"Oh...?" Dr. Zhao sounded puzzled. "There's that much distinction?"
The human-monkey slowly stood up, facing the White Tiger and the group of "Supporters."
"It's all right. I'm content," the human-monkey said with a smile. "Because today, I performed the greatest magic trick of my life."
"Yeah..." Dr. Zhao nodded as well. "We should all be content..."
As he spoke, the White Tiger arrived before them, filled with murderous intent.
Amidst a massive explosion, two lives flickered and scattered like starlight in a single second.
They vanished without a sound, leaving as peacefully as if they had never set foot on this land.