first player

Chapter 1585 Final Chapter: Crossing the Sea [51] "Who Killed the Mockingbird (5)"

In the hidden basement, Feng Chang gathered all the clan members.

Siber stood silently in the damp corner, ignored by everyone.

"The Mother Goddess demands that we hand over the white stone," Feng Chang said, looking around.

“We cannot hand it over.” An elder immediately stood up to object: “The white stone is a priceless treasure left to our clan by the Seven-Colored Holy God, and it is something our clan has always protected. We cannot hand it over!”

...The Seven-Colored Holy God? Who? Siber's eyes darted around.

"Why has the Mother Goddess set her sights on our clan's most precious treasure? Although it has been passed down through generations, it is just an ordinary stone in our eyes, completely useless," Kelna asked in bewilderment.

"I'm afraid... the Red Tower Empire has its eye on us." Kandoa's words silenced everyone: "We recently won the war, and the Queen fears our race's growing strength. She wants to find a reason to abandon us after we've served our purpose. As long as we refuse to hand over the White Stone, we'll have a reason to be executed..."

The room was completely quiet.

"Damn it, let's fight them!" a teenager roared as he stood up. "Is this how heroes are treated?! We'll just destroy that empire! We don't believe in that Mother Goddess at all; she just suddenly descended from heaven and forced us to believe in her!"

"Yeah, fight them, fight them, let's go for it..." A big, goofy guy drooled and stammered in agreement.

"Let's fight! We'll fight to the very last moment! Our clan is descended from the Seven-Colored Holy God. If we hand over His most precious treasure, what difference is there between us and betraying our ancestors and our faith?" Lucia exclaimed excitedly.

Siber stood in the corner, watching all of this.

"...Do you have any thoughts?" Suddenly, a pair of eyes as vast as the sea looked at her, and a young man in a black robe gazed at her.

Hundreds of eyes converged on her.

In Siber's memory, nothing like this had ever happened in the Dome.

Wake up, Siber. They're just people who look alike, have similar personalities, and similar memories. They're a race created by a guy in Rovasa called "The Seven-Colored Saint." They've lived in Rovasa since childhood, and they're not the people you know...

You know, so much time has passed, my brother and the others have...

These people were merely the "original" ones who grew up in the area of ​​Rovasa, including the chieftains.

Siber quickly composed herself and said, "I'm not aware of the situation, so I won't comment."

Kelna and the other young people looked at her with disdain: "Why ask the little cultist for her opinion? Her thoughts are not important at all."

Feng Chang stared at her for a moment, then looked away and turned to the crowd.

“We fought them…” He paused, then continued, “And then what?”

Everyone watched him silently.

"The Red Tower Empire has a population of over a million, and the Radiant Mother Goddess has hundreds of millions of followers, while my race only numbers around a hundred. Even if we have noble blood and great abilities, and can fight a hundred against one... even if we fight them all, and they all die, then what?" Feng Chang's voice was calm as he slowly spread his hands:
"From now on, there will be no more of our people in this world, and our names will be completely lost to history. We have just won a war involving millions of soldiers as generals. If we are wiped out, who will stand up when faced with another brutal war?"

One of the boys retorted, "They're kicking us while we're down. Are we supposed to fight for them from now on?!"

Feng Chang gently shook his head, his blue eyes like tranquil stars: "It's not for them, but... for our descendants, for the tribal heritage, to live up to our ancestor, the Seven-Colored Holy God, and to protect that stone."

"Whether it's enduring humiliation or suffering shame... we must preserve our last bloodline."

“At the very least, someone has to live on with that white stone. Even if we don’t know what the white stone is for, it must not fall into the hands of the Radiant Mother Goddess. I feel… that She is already showing signs of demonic transformation.”

"For the sake of this world's hope, we cannot let our passion and impulsiveness lead to our complete annihilation."

The room was extremely quiet.

Several young clansmen began to sob; they had realized they were facing a dead end. The empire had abandoned them after using them, and the Mother Goddess had her eyes on the clan's most precious treasure—what could they do? Even if they fought to the death, there was no way to survive.

A somber atmosphere pervaded the air, everyone's face was solemn, filled with sighs and sobs of varying pitches.

The young clan chief on the stage remained calm throughout, a few drops of water dripping from the damp basement. Wearing a sacrificial crown, he already resembled a leader.

Siber had always hated him for this, this self-righteous and noble demeanor, always talking about ideals and then rushing to his death, each time leaving her speechless with his demise.

But this is not the Heavenly Realm, nor is there any authority over reincarnation here.

When someone dies, they're truly dead; once dead, there's no going back. This guy... still has the word "death" stuck in his throat.

People discussed for a long time and remained silent for a long time. Finally, an elder named Feng Le stood up.

“We will follow the chief’s arrangements.” He knelt on one knee and bowed his white-haired head.

After him, people exchanged glances and slowly knelt down.

"We will follow the chief's instructions."

"Chief, please make the arrangements. We will all obey."

"Chieftain, in order to prevent that Radiant Mother Goddess from profiting, we are willing to give everything to protect our clan's most precious treasure, the White Stone."

They changed the title from "Young Chieftain" to "Chieftain".

Ultimately, they decided to draw lots. Of the 376 people in the clan, ten young men were chosen to escape with the white stone, while the rest pretended to surrender, but in reality, they were determined to perish together, taking the fake stone towards the Radiant Mother Goddess to buy time for their escape.

"Ten people, split into five teams and escape separately, only one team carries the real white stone." Feng Chang quickly arranged: "The remaining three hundred and sixty-six people, come with me to pay homage to the Mother Goddess."

"Aren't you going to draw lots?" Siber finally couldn't hold back any longer and broke her silence.

Those blue eyes, just like hers, looked over, shimmering with indifference and tranquility, devoid of any tenderness.

He has always been like this, showing no mercy even to his own sister.

But this time, he was dealing with himself.

“As the clan leader, I am the one who should not run away. You are not young anymore, so why are you asking such a question?” Feng Chang said calmly.

...You think I don't know the answer, you damn brother!

Siber clenched her fists. She almost thought she had returned to the past; everything was so similar, so full of déjà vu. Yet, the rational mind in her heart told her so clearly that she had lost them.

It took her far too long to ascend to a higher dimension. By the time she returned to the Vault of Heaven, more than one generation had passed. Her old friends and relatives had all turned to dust.

Did they miss her before they died? A deity to be worshipped, a girl who was not understood.

She regretted not being able to say goodbye before he passed away. When "he" appeared before her again, it was time to say goodbye once more.

She pulled out a stick from the wooden box; it was a red stick.

Ironically, she was very lucky this time.

"Good luck, go and escape." Feng Chang glanced at her slip of paper and waved his hand.
"Those who didn't win, come with me."

Siber watched as the faces of her tribesmen, some familiar and some unfamiliar, gradually receded into the distance.

They clearly looked down on her, and Kelnash even called her a "little cultist," but at this moment, Kelnash only glanced at her before silently following Feng Chang out.

—What exactly controls them?
Is it a foolish belief, collectivist conformity, stupidity in not knowing how to protect oneself, or a deeply rooted ethnic belief?

"Faith" was a power that had followed Siber throughout her life, yet now she found herself somewhat bewildered by it. People could be born because of it, turn against each other because of it, become ugly because of it, and even die because of it.

One by one, they emerged from the basement, as if carrying torches, stepping out of a narrow, dark cave.

“It’s not shameful, it’s about survival.” Feng Chang’s words still echoed in my ears:

"To live is not for revenge, not to resort to blood and fire, but to let our voices ring out again in this forest, to let out again the voice of the nightingale."

Wow – Wow –

Suddenly, Siber saw that the 366 tribesmen walking out gradually grew a pair of wings behind them.

Those wings, originating from the backs and shoulders of each silent traveler, first stretched and shaped silently through the bones, like tenacious vines sprouting branches under the moonlight. Then, a thin halo spread out, revealing the dark green and deep blue of the night.

Wow – Wow –

Three hundred and sixty-six pairs of wings spread out. Contrary to the expected overwhelming grandeur that blotted out the sun, they were silent, sorrowful, and beautiful. They did not flap, but simply stretched and drooped quietly behind the travelers, like solemn sacrificial robes covering their backs as they headed towards the abyss.

At that moment, Siber realized with absolute clarity that they were indeed not "them".

They were not the first tribe of the Vault.

Instead, it was Rovasa's "Nightingale Clan".

The people Feng Chang and others in Rovasa were called "Primordial," and they were a group of Nightingale Clan.

The empire, having served its purpose, turned its back on its patrons. Fearing the Nightingale Clan's powerful voices displayed during the war, the Empress, in the name of the Radiant Mother Goddess, forced the Nightingale Clan to hand over their most precious treasures and sought a pretext to destroy these war heroes.

What era did she actually arrive in?
"If we face death, and if no one seeks revenge, who will sing for us in the future?" a young boy asked timidly, his ears trembling and his heart filled with fear.

The young chieftain of the Nightingale Clan walked at the forefront, carrying a wooden box containing fake stones, gazing at the distant black walls and the high sky:

"There will be an ideal era, with one or more ideal world lords, who are radiant and righteous. They will allow us to sing, to chant bold songs, and to loudly praise freedom. Fairness and justice can be obtained without the need for blood and fire."

"When that day comes, you can sing your hearts out. As for us, we will dye the roses red with our blood. Sooner or later, someone will turn the page of history, witness our story, and vindicate us."

He turned around, looking at the 366 tribesmen, and then at the ten young tribesmen who remained in the "cave," including Siber.

The figures walking gradually blurred, and the outlines of people melted into the dim light. Only the flocks of drooping wings became clearer and heavier in Siber's vision.

They replaced human forms, like singing nightingales.

The young clan leader turned around and quietly glanced at Siber. In his eyes was a free and magnificent sky, while in Siber's eyes was a vast and inclusive sea.

……

"Go." The young clan leader looked at her.
"You go toward the light of day, we go toward the light of fire."

……

When Su Ming'an woke up, he was still under the dark ruins. He touched the side and found that Shi Ying was not there.

He suddenly came to his senses and found only bloodstains around him.

...She ran away? We can't let her swallow the white stone!

He guessed that the white stone was part of the "synthetic giant jellyfish," and if it were swallowed, the Rin tribe would be unable to appear in the world. Previously, it was the Radiant Mother Goddess who almost killed the newborn Rin tribe, causing Hui Bai and Xiao Bai to disappear without a trace. This time, the Radiant Mother Goddess could not be allowed to succeed again.

He instinctively felt that someone was working in cahoots with him from the inside; otherwise, how could the Lord of Dreams have so easily infiltrated Rovasa? The Radiant Mother Goddess was the most suspicious candidate—Her attitude had changed drastically, and more and more things were becoming connected to her.

“Shi Ying is not a great person. She has encountered too much malice. She may not be able to resist the temptation to become the world lord and clear her family’s name…” For a moment, Su Ming’an even suspected that she was so gently coaxing him to sleep just to hide it from him and secretly swallow the white stone.
He must be suspicious because he has been deceived too many times.

He used spatial vibration to blast away the rubble, stepped onto the ground, and found a trail of blood flowing from his feet into the distance.

...Shi Ying indeed ran away.

Su Ming'an took a deep breath, inwardly cursing herself for not resting. After all, if she hadn't secretly swallowed the white stone, she would definitely have come back to find him, instead of sneaking away alone.

Of course, there's another possibility: she was being chased by enemies and lured them away to escape. But he didn't find any trace of anyone else.

He followed the trail of blood. Along the way, he discovered that his senses had returned, indicating that he had slept well.

"Let's see if we can catch up with her in time..."

He ran for a long time and then saw an astonishing scene—

The setting sun sank heavily towards the distant horizon, the sky flowing with fiery orange-red hues, spilling over the uneven, broken walls and ruins.

Dozens of cold, metallic cameras hovered in the air, like silent, one-eyed men. Judging by their model numbers, they were all cameras placed by Phoenix Contact.

Phoenix himself stood in the center of this blood-red twilight, atop a small hill made of concrete and twisted steel bars. He was covered in blood, his clothes tattered, his pupils unfocused as he stared down below.

Beneath the ruins lay a black-haired young man in a well-tailored white suit, lying like an expensive piece of porcelain carelessly discarded among the cold rubble. His pristine white was completely stained with deep red, and blood flowing from his seven orifices covered his handsome features, meandering down his face.

A little further away, a pink-haired woman wearing a floral mask was wrapped in a heavy robe. Her expression and injuries were unclear. Her posture was extremely unnatural, as if her neck was being suspended by invisible threads.

Near a corner of a half-collapsed wall, what shocked Su Ming'an the most was that the red-haired girl's body was pierced by a thick, rusty steel bar, the cold metal penetrating her chest cavity.

Her heart was torn apart by steel bars, and several pieces of still-warm flesh rolled down, presenting a strange, cruel, and suffocating beauty in the sunset, like a precious but broken ruby.

Her head hung low, her disheveled red hair partially obscuring her face, and a clear expression of fear was frozen on her face.

The white stone has vanished without a trace, leaving only a bloody hole through her chest.

High in the sky, a lone gull circled and glided, uttering a few monotonous but long cries.

Su Ming'an stood atop the ruins, surrounded by a blood-stained wind. He stared in shock at the scene, clearly hearing the sound of his own breathing.

……

Who cruelly pierced her heart, defeated the Phoenix people, and took away the White Stone?
—Who killed her?
……