Chapter 60: Returning Home

“…… Biti ft. “

“I’m here.”

“I like you.”

“You’re a super great person.”

He wanted to say something, but in the end, he just closed his mouth.

With a sigh, he continued forward with me.

As we climbed the Mountain of white bones, the wind and sand gradually peeled away our flesh, turning us into white bone.

“Lu Xiu, you’re so ugly.”

“…… Aren’t you too?”

“I’m better looking than you.”

“… Fine, have it your way.”

“Lu Xiu, why can we still talk even though we’ve turned into bones?”

“Because this is all an illusion.”

“Eh?”

“All you need to know is that you don’t have to be afraid of anything. I’m right here.”

“Okay.”

Moving upward, at last, only one giant zombie stood in our way.

It was piloting a massive mecha.

“…… I think I’ve probably gone crazy,” Lu Xiu muttered.

“Why?”

“It’s obvious you’ve never played any games.”

Lu Xiu drew his sword.

“Is this not an illusion?” I asked.

“I don’t think so. Prepare for battle.”

After saying that, he took the lead and charged forward.

He twisted his body to dodge the hammer-like strike of the machine’s fist and slashed down on it. Sparks flew. He immediately retreated, dodging the remaining attacks.

When he turned his head to look at me, the shout in his mouth stopped abruptly.

Behind him, a massive bone giant rose from the ground, growing out of the Mountain of white bones. And standing spiritedly atop its head was me.

“What are you doing?!”

“I’m making a robot!”

He awkwardly dodged the giant zombies thrown by the zombie mecha. In the next second, a shadow descended from above. That iron fist accurately predicted his movement and smashed down violently!

*Clack, clack — *

The fist stopped in mid-air, caught by a skeletal claw.

“Take this!”

I let out a loud shout, and my other fist smashed toward the small zombie on top of the zombie mecha’s head.

*Thud!*

A massive pressure of wind rose, mixed with countless blown-away white bones.

The zombie mecha slowly toppled backward, crushing a large hole into the Mountain of white bones. I then lifted Lu Xiu up and placed him on top of the bone giant, standing beside me.

“Lu Xiu, do you want to play?”

“Forget it.”

“Oh,” I nodded. The bone giant clenched both fists and struck down. After a *thud*, the Mountain of white bones fell into silence once again.

Then, the bone giant, along with the entire crimson sea of sand, went silent within the tide.

They were washed clean, and everything before our eyes turned back into that deathly silent, pitch-black circular platform.

In front of us, a figure floated quietly — the disk.

The moment I saw the other party, the fear of death washed over me, and I squeezed Lu Xiu’s hand.

“Ow, ow, ow! Don’t use so much force.”

Lu Xiu sighed and squeezed my hand twice. “It’s still in a state of slumber. As long as you don’t go too far and wake it up, everything will be fine.”

“Otherwise, why would it have needed other demons to protect it before? It’s to prevent its slumber from being disturbed.”

“Then why is it sleeping?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s a mechanic, or maybe it just wants to.”

That sounds so self-indulgent.

After Lu Xiu finished speaking, he took a small mirror from his pocket, less than the size of a palm, and then pulled out some other things I didn’t understand.

“What are you doing?”

“Summoning a demon.”

“But didn’t it fail to work before?”

He shook his head and revealed a somewhat cunning smile.

“This is different. When I summon a demon, regardless of whether the other party comes or helps me, they’ll leave behind a scent.”

“And here… this is the death demon’s territory. Or rather, we’re right next to it… Tsk tsk… Think about it. You wake up and find someone else’s scent on your bed…”

His smile was terrifying.

No wonder the negation demon said Lu Xiu had a bad reputation. I was finally experiencing it for myself.

“Lu Xiu, I have another way.”

“Hmm? What way?”

“It’s just… uh… poke it.” I pointed at the death demon.

“It’s just, I can’t say it… *sob sob*…”

I gestured, but it was still hard to put the content into words.

“I know, I know…” He suddenly reached out and patted my head. “Then we’ll do as you say.”

“You’re not going to ask me why?”

He gave a smile. “Didn’t I say it? Because Kuyan Fire Village will turn into taro puree boba milk foam under the sunlight, creating the apple atmospheric effect.”

After a silence, I really couldn’t hold back my laughter. “You’re so silly.”

“I’m following your lead.”

“The past me wasn’t me. The current me is the real me.”

After saying that, I gave him a thumbs-up.

“Lu Xiu, wait for me to come back wearing armor!”

“What kind of new expression is that?”

“I saw someone say it in a novel.”

After that, my mouth on the stomach opened, delivering the pitch-black dagger. I gripped the dagger and took a deep breath.

“Let’s go.”

Lu Xiu’s voice sounded beside me, startling me. “Eh?”

“What is it?”

“Are you coming with me too?”

“Don’t say such silly things.” He poked my forehead. “We’re Partners, after all.”

“…… Yeah. Lu Xiu, you’re a good person.”

“Stop giving me ‘good person’ cards.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s not something you can eat.”

Together with Lu Xiu, I walked up to the death demon.

At this moment, on the rotating wheel, the eyeless and faceless head slowly turned into my appearance. Countless kinds of death, countless kinds of torture…

I held Lu Xiu’s hand with one of my own, feeling the warmth coming from him.

But I still had Lu Xiu.

As long as Lu Xiu was here, I wouldn’t be afraid of anything.

*Clang — *

That pitch-black dagger was slowly raised and, finally, gently pierced into my head.

A strange sensation washed over me, and my vision blurred. All the scenery receded like ripples on water, leaving only an eye — a pupil-less eye.

I was startled and was about to close my eyes, but then I heard the chirping of insects by my ear.

Thus, my eyelids disappeared.

I met those eyes.

I wanted to cover them with my hands, but then I heard the sound of vegetation withering.

Thus, my hands disappeared.

I tried to turn my head, but I heard the wailing of animals and the screams of humans.

Thus, my entire body disappeared. Only my head remained, staring back at it.

— Stare directly into death —

‘Am I… dead?’

No, I wasn’t dead.

I tried to speak.

But there was no tongue in my mouth.

I tried to breathe.

But I couldn’t see the tip of my nose.

My sense of hearing was also stripped away as my ears disappeared.

I fell into an eternal silence.

But at this final moment, my mouth wordlessly opened.

In suffocation, in wordlessness, in silence and death.

*Hum — *

As if a ripple had sounded, the first soundwave appeared in this world.

It was the sound of water.

The origin of life.

Water was blown by the wind, and the tides spread.

The tides surged and rolled, sending life onto the earth.

The earth flourished, forests grew everywhere, nurturing living beings, and then humans appeared.

Insects, plants, animals… until at last, the shouts of humans.

The death of sound was denied.

The death of life was denied.

And my death was denied.

It was:

DENYING DEATH —

EMBRACING LIFE —

In front of me, that pupil-less eye trembled. Finally, a green sprout bored its way out. From the pupil, from within death.

A white flower bloomed toward me.

**[SUPREME.]**

“Cough, cough…” I coughed out green leaves that had grown in my mouth. “Urgh…”

I felt my entire body itching. It was both painful and itchy.

One vine after another broke through my skin, spreading across my entire body.

**[HEAVEN HAS AWAKENED.]**

A large cluster of green fruits grew from my mouth, from my eyes, from my ears, and from my nostrils…

**[BE CAREFUL.]**

The voice faded.

And the white flower withered.

In the entire darkness, only that giant tree hung with red apples remained.

Subsequently, this darkness also shattered.

“Cough, cough — Urgh — “

I took a huge breath of air and coughed violently.

“Sui?!”

Lu Xiu hurriedly patted my back.

I was alive…

“I’m alive…”

“You’re alive.”

Just as he was about to speak, he saw the death demon in front of us had opened its eyes.

His body froze.

But in the next second, the death demon closed its eyes and fell back into slumber.

He let out a sigh of relief, picked me up, and walked toward the edge of the platform.

“How do you feel? Is there anywhere that feels uncomfortable?”

I shook my head, snuggled into his arms, and tugged at his clothes. “Lu Xiu.”

“What’s wrong? Does it hurt or…”

“I’m hungry.”

He paused for a moment and quickened his pace. “Once we get out… there are still canned goods in the chest.”

“You’re a good person.”

He suddenly spoke.

“You’re the one. Thank you… Sui.”

“Hehe. Then I want three extra-large cups of Kuyan Fire Village.”

“…… No way.”

“Eh?” I sat up in his arms, my eyes wide. “Why?”

“Because that exceeds the daily expenses. If you keep eating like this, sooner or later, you’ll eat me out of house and home.”

I curled my lip, but my gaze bypassed his shoulder to look at the death demon standing still in the center of the platform.

**[SUPREME. HEAVEN HAS AWAKENED. BE CAREFUL.]**

Those words were still echoing in my mind.

In my head, the previous conversation with Lu Xiu played once more:

‘What about the Demon of Life and the death demon? Which one is more powerful?’

‘The death demon?’

‘No, it’s the Demon of Life…’

Was it the Demon of Life who said those words to me?

But why did it tell me that…

And… the negation demon’s dagger ultimately led to another even more powerful root demon…

Had all of this truly come to an end?

Or was it just beginning?

I didn’t know.

But the only thing I was sure of was…

My stomach was hungry.

Very, very hungry.