A long darkness.
Chen Xiaolian felt as if he were dreaming.
He dreamt of sitting on the rooftop of a skyscraper, perched on the edge, his feet dangling and swaying. Below him, the street was filled with a continuous stream of vehicles, but the sound was too distant to be heard.
The evening breeze tousled his hair.
In the dream, he felt like something should happen.
Then, a hand reached out beside him, offering a bottle of liquor.
Chen Xiaolian turned around and saw those bright moon-like eyes and that radiant smile.
"Keep walking on this path, I will... always be with you."
I will... always be with you.
I will... always... be with...
Chen Xiaolian took the bottle, watching the face gradually fade away.
He lowered his head, looked at the liquor in his hand, took a sip, and tears welled in his eyes.
Deception... all lies!
It's all lies!
"Hey, why would you say such things to deceive me... just to comfort me?"
In the dream, Chen Xiaolian stared blankly into the distance.
...
The Tidal Warplane glided smoothly through the clouds.
Inside the cockpit, the atmosphere was so quiet it felt almost suffocating.
It was so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
No one spoke, not a single word.
Roddy was wrapped in bandages, sitting in the pilot's seat, his eyes fixed firmly on the instrument panel, gripping the control stick tightly.
Lun Tai stood beside him, his face bearing bruises from the battle, his shoulder wrapped in bandages, his arm hanging in front of him. His eyes were fixed on the clouds outside the window.
Xia Xiaolei sat in the cabin, hands clutching his hair, head bowed, eyes staring at his own toes.
Soo Soo curled up in a corner, her face turned inward, tears silently streaming down her face.
Qimu Xi looked at everyone with a hint of panic, but dared not say a word, only clenching her fingers tightly, knuckles turning white.
Chen Xiaolian lay in a treatment pod.
This was the Tidal Warplane's built-in treatment pod, immersed in a healing nutrient solution. In the pale green liquid, a breathing tube was inserted into Chen Xiaolian's mouth, his breath steady, eyes closed, body floating in the liquid. Gradually, his injuries were healing.
Finally, he opened his eyes.
Struggling within the liquid, Chen Xiaolian opened his eyes, but his vision was blurry, blocked by the green fluid.
After a few struggles, the treatment pod responded, and its cover automatically lifted. Chen Xiaolian sat up, reached up, and pulled out the breathing tube from his mouth, coughing forcefully.
He looked around.
Roddy, Lun Tai, Soo Soo, Xia Xiaolei, Qimu Xi...
And then, there was no one else.
Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath and looked again.
Counting again: Roddy, Lun Tai, Soo Soo, Xia Xiaolei, Qimu Xi...
No one else.
Including himself, there were a total of six people.
Hmm, six.
Not seven.
"The... the Guild Leader is awake."
Qimu Xi was the first to notice Chen Xiaolian and immediately walked over. The others in the cabin turned their heads. Roddy immediately jumped up from the pilot's seat and strode over, even pushing aside Lun Tai who was in front.
Chen Xiaolian's expression seemed somewhat vacant, with a slight furrow in his brow and a loose gaze.
"Little Face!"
"Little Face!!" Roddy shouted twice, even reaching out to shake Chen Xiaolian in front of his eyes.
Chen Xiaolian raised his head and glanced at Roddy.
"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Lun Tai asked behind Roddy, his voice heavy.
Chen Xiaolian glanced at Lun Tai, then suddenly stood up and crawled out of the treatment pod.
Despite being soaked, Chen Xiaolian didn't seem to mind. He just reached up, grabbed a towel from the shelf, wiped his face, and then looked at everyone. "Is the Instance over?"
"It's over," Lun Tai replied softly. "We..."
"Are we on our way back now?" Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath. "Vice Leader, report the situation."
Lun Tai was stunned. He never expected Chen Xiaolian to make such a request. After hesitating for a moment, Lun Tai carefully explained, "After the Instance timed out, our mission was successful. The Demon King was successfully resurrected, and the Instance ended, forcibly terminating all battles. We were withdrawn from the Instance. After leaving the Instance, we were teleported to the outskirts of Tel Aviv, about several kilometers from the city center, with no other teams around. Then... I made the decision to immediately retrieve the Tidal Warplane, and we all returned. Currently, we are..."
"Enough!!" Roddy suddenly interrupted Lun Tai angrily, then grabbed Chen Xiaolian's shoulder. "What... what's wrong with you?! What time is it now, and you're still asking these questions?! Qiao Qiao, Qiao Qiao is dead!! Qiao Qiao is dead!!!"
As he spoke, Roddy's eyes turned red.
Chen Xiaolian looked at Roddy with an almost cold and cruel gaze, sharp as needles, gradually forcing Roddy to step back, then prying open Roddy's grip on his shoulder and forcefully shaking it off.
"I know," Chen Xiaolian's tone was icy. "I saw her disappear with my own eyes."
Roddy was stunned. He seemed to not recognize Chen Xiaolian, staring at him carefully for a few seconds before shouting, "What's wrong with you?! Chen Xiaolian!! How can you be so indifferent!! So calm!! Qiao Qiao! That's Qiao Qiao! Qiao Qiao is dead!! That's Qiao Qiao, Qiao Qiao!!"
As he spoke, tears welled up in Roddy's eyes.
As if he wanted to confront Chen Xiaolian again, Roddy seemed to be held back tightly by Lun Tai. Lun Tai held Roddy firmly and looked at Chen Xiaolian with a puzzled expression, then frowned, whispering to Roddy, "Don't get agitated... Guild Leader, he seems... he seems a little off."
A little off?
Roddy watched as Chen Xiaolian walked coldly into one of the cabins, closing the door behind him, followed by the sound of running water coming from inside.
After a few minutes, Chen Xiaolian, who had finished washing off the nutrient treatment fluid and changed into clean clothes, walked out of the cabin and looked at the people inside.
Soo Soo hesitated at the doorway, and Chen Xiaolian reached out to her.
Soo Soo immediately rushed into his arms, burying herself in Chen Xiaolian's embrace.
"Sister!! Sister is gone! She's gone!! Gone!!" Soo Soo cried out in anguish.
Chen Xiaolian frowned, his hand gently stroking Soo Soo's hair, his fingers unusually steady.
"Guild Leader, are you okay?" Xia Xiaolei couldn't help but whisper. "You... if you want to cry, just cry... it's okay... actually, each of us has already cried a lot. You... you... at this moment, you don't have to hold back. If you want to cry, just cry..."
As he spoke, Xia Xiaolei's voice began to choke up.
Chen Xiaolian's gaze was indifferent yet troubled as he looked at everyone. He furrowed his brow, holding Soo Soo in his arms, but then he extended a finger and tapped his temple.
"I... I feel terrible, but... I don't know why, I don't feel like crying right now," Chen Xiaolian took a deep breath. "It's strange... Qiao Qiao died, disappeared right before my eyes... but, why... why do I feel... empty here... with no feeling at all... not... not at all."
As he spoke, he took another deep breath, his gaze becoming even more peculiar.
"What... what are you saying?!!" Roddy suddenly exploded, breaking free from Lun Tai and lunging at Chen Xiaolian, grabbing Chen Xiaolian's neck tightly. "That's Qiao Qiao!!! It's Qiao Qiao!! She's your woman!! She's dead! And you say you feel nothing?! No feeling at all?!! Chen Xiaolian! You bastard! Bastard!!!"
Chen Xiaolian let Roddy shake him by the neck with all his might, but he seemed to be in a daze.
She... she was my woman.
But... why do I feel no urge of sadness in my heart?
Do I love her?
Chen Xiaolian immediately gave himself an answer: Yes, definitely!
Then... if she's dead, am I sad?
Chen Xiaolian felt bewildered.
Inside, there was emptiness, no trace of emotion.
Truly nothing.
Not even a bit.
Just empty, empty, empty...
Sadness, tears, crying...?
But why can't I cry?
I... I lost someone so important, so precious...
Why don't I feel any sadness?
Why?
Lun Tai stepped forward again and forcibly pulled Roddy back. This time, Lun Tai held Roddy tightly, restraining his arms. "Roddy! Roddy!! Calm down! Guild Leader... something seems off about him! He's not right."
Roddy took a few deep breaths, calming down as he looked at Chen Xiaolian.
Chen Xiaolian reached out his hand and looked at his own fingers, furrowing his brow.
He... is truly not right?
Roddy quickly regained his composure.
Looking at the others, each one of them regarded Chen Xiaolian with a strange look in their eyes.
After a few seconds, Chen Xiaolian looked up at everyone, then at Soo Soo in his arms, took a deep breath, and said, "I... I feel a bit dizzy. I need to rest for a while. My mind is a bit confused right now. Lun Tai, you take over command. I... I need..."
As he spoke, Chen Xiaolian swayed and suddenly sat down. Fortunately, Soo Soo in his arms reacted quickly, reaching out to hold Chen Xiaolian, but she found Chen Xiaolian already leaning over, unconscious.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Quick! Help him up!"
"Quick!!"
Several people hurriedly placed Chen Xiaolian on a bed in the rest cabin, securing him in place. Then, they all inexplicably stared at Chen Xiaolian lying unconscious on the bed.
Lun Tai took out a simple medical kit and examined Chen Xiaolian's body.
"His... his injuries are not serious. The healing potion has already restored his injuries, but his body is still very weak."
"It's probably... the side effects after using attribute burning." Roddy, who knew Chen Xiaolian best, spoke up. "The last move he used, so for the next period of time, he will be very weak and needs to recover slowly. This is normal."
"I... I think the Guild Leader seems a bit off," Qimu Xi whispered softly. "Qiao Qiao sacrificed herself, but he... seems like..."
"Shut up!!!" Soo Soo suddenly screamed, glaring fiercely at Qimu Xi. "Shut up!! Xiaolian Oppa is very sad!! He must be very sad!! He must be trying hard to suppress his grief!! How can you say such things about him!! Sister is gone, and the one who is most heartbroken must be Xiaolian Oppa!!"
Qimu Xi stepped back, murmuring, "I... I didn't mean that. What I meant was, maybe the Guild Leader is grieving excessively, so the situation is not normal, and we..."
"Enough." Lun Tai held Qimu Xi's shoulder and spoke in a deep voice. "There's no misunderstanding, I understand what Qimu Xi meant."
With that, he glanced at everyone. "I'm not very familiar with this aspect, but I've also heard that in cases of excessive grief, there are rare situations where people behave differently from others. Some people may have a stress response and appear calm on the surface, but actually, it's an exaggerated reaction to grief, and they don't outwardly express it; their inner feelings are closed off... Perhaps, Little Face is experiencing this kind of situation right now."
Pausing for a moment, Lun Tai whispered, "Let him rest first. When he wakes up, let's not provoke him anymore. We can't say for sure what his current condition is. Let's wait until we're back at the base to assess the situation."
...
Jerusalem Airport.
Nicole wore large sunglasses that covered half of her face as she sat in the airport lounge.
Under the sunglasses, one could still vaguely see the injuries on her face that had not completely healed, with bruising and marks around her mouth.
Glancing at the time, Nicole frowned.
That guy... hasn't come.
Could he really be dead? Killed by Meine?
Did that guy really die like that?
Nicole felt a bit uncertain.
At that moment, she heard the sound of wheels rolling on the ground behind her.
Nicole turned her head and saw a wheelchair that had appeared behind her at some point.
Sitting in the wheelchair was that guy, with his familiar face sporting a mischievous grin, though his head was still wrapped in bandages. One hand hung suspended in front of his chest.
"You were getting impatient waiting for me?" Tian Lie smiled. "Or were you hoping I would just die instead?"
Nicole seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, but then she deliberately smirked, "If you were dead, maybe I'd be a little happier."
"Women... always say one thing but mean another." Tian Lie sighed intentionally, then shook his head. "Alright, alright, after going through this experience, we've established some camaraderie in battle, so let's not quarrel like this."
With that, he moved his neck slightly, wincing in pain.
"You really got beat up badly by Meine," Nicole shook her head.
"Hmph," Tian Lie smirked. "You should see how she looks now, it's ten times worse than me."
"So, neither of you managed to kill each other?" Nicole asked curiously. "Is Meine really that strong?"
Tian Lie abandoned his playful demeanor and became serious. "She... is strong, truly worthy of being the leader of the Knight Order. However... I should have been stronger than her, but..."
"Alright, don't boast." Nicole shook her head. "You're in a wheelchair from getting beat up and you're still trying to save face."
Tian Lie chuckled nonchalantly.
But in his heart, he added, "But... my strength hasn't fully recovered yet."
"What happened when you entered the magic circle? I received a system message saying we won the Instance mission. How did it go? Tell me," Tian Lie sat in the wheelchair and stretched lazily.
But as he stretched, Tian Lie froze.
Because he heard Nicole say something.
"We won the Instance, but... there were casualties in the Meteor Rock Guild. Qiao Qiao died in battle."
"..."
Tian Lie immediately narrowed his eyes and looked at Nicole, "You mean... Qiao Qiao, is dead?"
"Yes, she's dead."
Tian Lie frowned, "Tell me in detail."
A few minutes later, Nicole finished recounting the battle, and Tian Lie's expression grew more troubled.
"The Angel's Wing, the Angel's Wing... it's actually the Angel's Wing!" he chuckled coldly, "Those lunatics in Jerusalem, they actually obtained this artifact! Hmph..."
"I'm also curious. As far as I know, the owner of this thing isn't Meine! It's someone else," Nicole glanced deliberately at Tian Lie, "If my sources are correct, the Angel's Wing should be in the hands of someone in the Thornflower Group, right?"
Tian Lie remained silent, furrowing his brow in thought.
Nicole shook her head. Since Tian Lie had nothing to say, she didn't press further. However, suddenly, she added, "Oh, by the way, there's one more thing..."
"What?"
"Well... I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but I felt something strange," Nicole pondered, "When Qiao Qiao died in battle, I sensed a slight magical disturbance."
"A magical disturbance?" Tian Lie's expression turned curious.
"Yes, a magical disturbance," Nicole thought for a moment, "I was not too far from Chen Xiaolian at the time. I distinctly felt a trace of magical fluctuation, and this magical fluctuation directly affected Chen Xiaolian."
"Wait, are you suggesting... someone cast a spell on Chen Xiaolian when Qiao Qiao died?"
"Yes."
"What kind of spell?"
"I don't know," Nicole shook her head with a wry smile, "At that moment, it seemed like nobody else noticed. Only I did... Or perhaps, the members of the Meteor Rock Guild aren't adept at detecting magical forces, so I noticed it. But as for the specifics of the spell, I have no idea... Anyway, it didn't seem malicious because Chen Xiaolian didn't exhibit any adverse changes."
"Then who cast the spell?" Tian Lie inquired.
Nicole's gaze immediately became oddly serious, "I don't know... At that time, in the underground palace, there were only three people proficient in magic. Natasha specializes in frost power, but I can confirm it wasn't her. Because Natasha was already injured and unconscious at that time, and she was very weak.
The other two people... One is the little girl, Soo Soo, who can summon fire with her light power.
And the other... is Qiao Qiao herself."
"A benevolent spell... but what could it be?" Tian Lie pondered.
"I don't think it was a physical type, because Chen Xiaolian didn't undergo any physical changes after being affected by the spell. I suppose it might have been a spell that affected his mental state... but beyond that, I can't say. After all, I'm not a mage," Nicole shook her head, "I've just fought against mages before and received training in defending against magical attacks, so I'm sensitive to magical fluctuations, but I'm not a mage myself."
Tian Lie nodded, "And then?"
"Then the Instance ended, and everyone inside was forcefully teleported out. I was teleported to Jerusalem. Following our initial agreement, I came to the airport to wait for you. If I couldn't find you, I would assume you were also dead, and I would return home alone."
Tian Lie nodded and glanced at Nicole again, "By the way, you didn't reveal your identity while you were with them, did you?"
Upon hearing this, Nicole frowned and let out a bitter laugh.
Reveal her identity?
Perhaps... she hadn't...
...
"Idiot... the Floating Angel, it's not supposed to be used like that!"
Roddy suddenly opened his eyes.
He realized he had fallen asleep in the driver's seat, probably due to exhaustion after the intense battle.
In his dream, he seemed to see that strange woman again.
The woman... who controlled the Floating Angel!!
Ah, right! The Floating Angel!!
Roddy suddenly broke out in a cold sweat!
That woman who controlled the Floating Angel during the final battle successfully held back the Archangel... but...
After the end of the Instance, the Floating Angel... was taken away by her!!
Roddy's heart suddenly trembled, and a thought struck him like lightning.
She... she is... she... is...
Is this... possible?!