Collapse Iron: After transmigrating, he was exposed to the entire universe by the Last King.

Page 157

"Rick: If you have the opportunity, please do me the honor of participating in my exclusive interview with you."

"Kameili: What, there's a competitor here!"

March 7: I know Mr. Rick, I remember he was a director.

"Carmelo: Even laymen are trying to steal my job?!"

On the eve of the beginning of reincarnation, the first Bai E knelt on one knee, his knuckles white as he gripped the ground tightly. The churning pain in his chest almost tore him apart—it was the despair of having personally ended his best friend's life, a despair that made even his breath taste rusty.

[Xi Lian lay quietly on the light and dust at the heart of the cosmic vortex, her tattered clothes still warm with golden-red lingering heat. Her last remaining strength was held in her throat as she slowly uttered the words she had spoken in the wheat fields of the Sorrowful Secret Pavilion, carried by the wind:]

"That must be...a romantic story unlike any other."

The voice was as soft as a dying candle flame, lacking its former vibrant energy, yet the hope hidden in the last syllable rang out brighter than the spark at the dawn of creation.

The moment she closed her eyes, it was as if she had pierced through the mists of countless reincarnations and glimpsed a completely different ending—

There, Bai Er no longer needs to burn himself out alone; the true hero is coming in the light.

There, the Golden Blood, chasing the fire, will no longer fight alone; they will stand shoulder to shoulder with heroes, their swords aimed at "destruction," cleaving through the cage woven by fate.

There, they can finally lay down the burdens of time and reach the fulfillment that is rightfully theirs.

"You think so too... right?"

Her final gaze upon Byr was filled with unwavering certainty—she saw the Savior, sword as torch, illuminating the true dawn for Onphalus.

The instant her words fell, her body, enveloped in Bai E's suddenly tightening embrace, transformed into countless tiny sparks of fire.

The points of light gently brushed against his cheek, like "time" giving him a final, tentative embrace, before gradually dissipating into the void with the currents from the vortex's core.

Bai E stood frozen in place, tears finally welling up in his eyes. But before the tear, carrying a thousand sorrows, could even touch the warmth of his palm, it was scorched into vapor by the flames burning around him, leaving not even a trace.

He gazed at the cluster of "stars" belonging to Xi Lian in his palm—the last glimmer of light before she vanished, flickering between his fingers, like her gaze that never truly left.

He slowly picked up the hilt of the ceremonial sword, the lines of time gleaming in his palm, as if still warm from the moment she handed it to him.

He was hunched over, each breath accompanied by a dull, tearing pain in his chest, yet with sheer stubbornness, he managed to stand up, supporting himself on the sword.

[His knuckles turned white from the force of his grip, clutching the cluster of stars as if grasping at Onphalus's last remaining hope.]

He raised his other hand, his rough fingertips brushing against his cheek, wiping away the tears that had evaporated before they could fall—even sorrow was too stingy to leave a trace.

[What surged in his eyes was no longer pain, but the flames that consumed everything—the resolute confrontation with "destruction" when all twelve flames converged within him.]

[Kauslana forged this power into his very bones and blood, and with this body that bore the weight of countless reincarnations, he faced his predetermined destiny, faced the hovering "destruction"—]

[Let out a roar that shakes the entire universe!]

Wings unfurled behind him with a roar, carrying starlight and wind. He carried the weight of the entire "world" on his back and leaped into the sky above the vortex of creation.

A figure pierces through the chaos, seeking a ray of true dawn in the endless darkness.

This is the prologue to the first cycle.

From that moment on, Caiuslana, the one who bore the weight of the world, truly etched the fate of Onpharos into his very soul.

[Thus began a cycle of despair that spanned countless lifetimes.]

"That Moment Summer: It's begun."

"All Enemies: The First Savior...?"

"White Dew: Have all the tears evaporated, or have I simply forgotten how to cry?"

"Bai Lu: Won't this... make me sick...?"

"Ling Sha: I now understand why Pavilion Master Bai E was so... insane when facing the Ancestor of Extinction."

"Jiaoqiu: He's venting, venting the anger hidden in his heart."

"Kafka: Fate is predetermined, but very few people see it."

Jiang Lin: Is fate... predetermined...?

"Star: This White Calamity is so good, it's like a finishing blow!"

March 7th: Now we can only watch...

"Pam: Pam has sped up."

"Saifei: Oh? Grey is coming soon too? I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to Onpharos after you arrive."

"Star: When did you get that nickname?"

"Star: Never mind, it's not important. I'm not the only one who came this time. Hehehe, Lao Gu Shi, prepare to face your punishment."

"Laigushi: I have emphasized this many times, but the result will not change."

"Screw Gum: Speculating on the reason for the confidence of the omnic named Rigus."

"Mirror Stream: Kathelana, pitiful yet venerable savior, forge your own sword to slay the doomed fate and the gods."

"Sunday: Hope preserved from the endless, the beginning of everything."

"The Robin: May all this have a good ending, and may there be less such suffering in the world."

"Bai'er: Move forward, past and future me."

"The Fire-Stealing Walker: Everything... will..."

"Potio: Save the world in your own way."

Scott: Why aren't you cuddling anymore?

"Potio: What the hell is this? Watch out, I love you to death, you little company dog."

Ellie: As expected, it's Mr. Pam I know, but... so Pam's true identity is a sea patrol ranger...?

Pam: ???

"The world is collapsing, and people are crying out."

"It's time for us to say goodbye here..."

【"partner."】

The setting sun bathed the cobblestone path of the harbor in a warm gold. Caislana stood at the pier, the hem of her dress fluttering slightly in the salty wind.

He turned to the side, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse behind him—a humanoid silhouette without a defined face, bathed in twilight, its outline so indistinct it seemed about to be crushed by the wind.

【“…”】

"The secluded pavilion of my childhood, the gentle breeze and the sound of the waves remain the same." The ethereal voice was so soft it seemed to cling to the wind, tinged with a touch of melancholy.

[Karslana's lips curled into a rare, faint smile; only in the lingering warmth of this memory could the heaviness on his shoulders ease slightly.]

"Everything is as usual. I'm glad I could take one last look back at it."

[“You know, this is just a corner of memory; the real, tragic secret pavilion…”]

The phantom's words lingered on the tip of its tongue, the final syllable as if afraid of hurting something, not daring to fully express the second half of the sentence.

【"I know."】

[Karslana's voice remained calm, like a stone immersed in cool water.]

"I've come to say goodbye. Perhaps we'll never see each other again."

"You can stay here forever; time will stand still for you."

"Let it flow. I should get going."

[Karslana raised his eyes again to gaze into the distance, where the horizon was now etched with the dark marks of collapse.]

Even if it's a road of no return?

"When have we ever had the option to turn back?"

"...Are you afraid? After understanding your true nature..."

The phantom's voice deepened.

["Will you perceive the motivation I give you as a seductive whisper of 'destruction'?"]

【“…”】

The setting sun cast a slanting light on his face, and Caiuslan slowly closed his eyes—those eyes that once burned with fire now held no luster, only a very soft sigh mingling with the sound of the waves and drifting into the distance.

Chapter 181 Heroes of the Past 5

"Bai'er: Where is this...?"

"The Fire Thief: The Elegant Secret Pavilion of My Memory..."

Jingyuan: This is what a paradise on earth is like.

Su Chang: Isn't anyone curious about who that golden figure is?

Gui Naifen: Could it be... there's a pastry maker too?

"Xia Die: Perhaps... this is some kind of desire in Lord Bai E's heart."

Himeko: Is this a farewell to him...?

"Ranpo: He must be the embodiment of the ninja way in the heart of the savior ninja."

"Potio: Holy crap, it's making me so envious."

"Those convictions and choices that stem from one's own heart, I don't believe they are the design of some so-called 'fate'..."

The sorrow and melancholy that had lingered in Caislana's eyes had completely faded, leaving only an unwavering determination, as firm as cold iron, fixed in his eyes.

"If we are born merely a string of numbers simulating life, then you are the image I aspire to be, the person I want to become."

"A real, living person. A true 'hero.'"

As he finished speaking, he finally turned around slowly, his back ramrod straight, his gaze meeting the figure that had always been blurry yet etched into his soul—his "hero."

"Then why say goodbye here? You can take me with you on your journey. I will stay by your side, guiding you, as always."

The figure remained outlineless, like a hazy light, yet he and Caislana had long since grown accustomed to this invisible bond through countless glances exchanged.

【“…”】

[Kauslan paused, a brief silence like the sound of a receding tide, then gently shook his head, his voice carrying an undeniable resolve.]