I don't want to come up with a funny book title anymore.

That was a memory Zhong Lizhuo didn't want to recall, yet it haunted him in the midnight recurrence—

Even though it wasn't night, the sky was as dark as ink.

The gale raged through the streets and alleys, howling mournfully, like the lamentations of countless wronged souls.

Some withered trees twisted their branches, baring their fangs and claws, as if trying to grasp the last remaining vestige of life in the world.

They were on the verge of victory, but the outcome was not what they had hoped for.

It turns out that their greatest enemy was not the royal family, nor the federation, nor even the alien race.

Instead, it is the return of world-destroying darkness.

It once bewitched the chaos, causing a great calamity to befall the world. Xie Fengnan used every means to gain a chance to start over.

But people often learn only one thing from history: to repeat the same mistakes.

Even if given another chance, many people would still choose the same path and follow the predetermined outcome.

A world-ending darkness surged from every corner of the world, and wherever it went, life vanished and hope was extinguished.

The screams and cries for help of the people were very faint in the roar of darkness.

"I will stop as long as Xie Fengnan is killed." It conveyed its demands to the world.

The voice was icy cold and filled with endless malice, echoing in the minds of every survivor.

Xie Fengnan stood quietly in the place closest to the darkness, his figure appearing somewhat frail in the face of the vast darkness.

But his eyes showed no fear, only determination.

The crowd began to stir, and countless eyes turned to Xie Fengnan, their gazes filled with complex emotions.

There was reluctance, hesitation, but mostly a restless urge to survive.

Do you really believe what it says?

It wasn't that no one questioned his words, but faced with a life-or-death decision, his words seemed somewhat powerless.

The darkness grew ever more intense, relentlessly engulfing everything around it.

"He is our last hope, we can't let him go to his death!" someone shouted, their voice trembling with tears.

“But if we don’t do this, we’ll all die!” another voice trembled with despair.

Under the oppression of darkness, the balance in people's hearts began to shift, and their gaze wavered between Xie Fengnan and the darkness.

They knew they couldn't kill Xie Fengnan, so they had to use something else to kidnap him.

"If he doesn't take his own life, then we will..."

A pale-faced middle-aged man mumbled something, his voice low but causing a huge uproar in the crowd.

"No...we can't do this..."

"But we don't want to die either!"

The darkness emitted a dull rumble, as if mocking humanity's insignificance and struggle, while the wind tore apart people's cries and arguments.

Xie Fengnan took it all in. The trolley problem was never a solution, but he had to make a choice.

It's either me dying alone, or us all dying together.

It's called a choice, but there's really no choice at all.

Because he couldn't bear to part with it.

The beautiful memories of the past, the promises yet to be fulfilled, and the person I deeply love.

"I know you're scared." Xie Fengnan took a few steps forward, each step seeming to measure the distance between life and death.

"I'm also very scared, scared that I won't see tomorrow's sun, scared that the world will be plunged into complete darkness."

He didn't stop walking; he continued step by step into the darkness.

“I am willing to sacrifice myself, not because I am threatened by you, but because I want the people I care about to live.”

Xie Fengnan knew that he had to go to the end, to that place that no one wanted to face.

Low sobs could be heard from the crowd; some covered their faces, while others lowered their heads.

"Actually, I don't want to die either, but I have no choice."

Xie Fengnan was born to face a calamity, and from the moment of his birth, the gears of fate began to turn.

The world gave him the best of everything: a warm family, the love of his parents, like-minded friends, brothers who fought alongside him, unparalleled talent, and a love for life.

The process may have been somewhat tortuous, but he was indeed surrounded by love as he grew up.

Today, the world needs him, and it needs his sacrifice.

Xie Fengnan knew he was going to die after he learned that the system was another version of himself.

He just didn't expect this day to come so soon; he had only recently turned eighteen.

A slight, bitter smile appeared on his lips. "It's really... a little frustrating."

Everyone listened in silence to his "last words," then Zhongli Zhuo rushed forward a few steps, shouting, "Thank you, Fengnan!"

Xie Fengnan heard the shout, paused for a moment, but did not turn around.

He was afraid that if he turned back, he would lose the courage to move forward.

"Nan Nan! No!" Gu Huan Yan tried to rush over to stop Xie Feng Nan, but was held back by the other members of the Xie family.

Xie Liuguang is seriously injured and unconscious, Xie Xinghe is in critical condition, Xie Xingmo is missing, and Xie Fengnan is about to die. Only Gu Huanyan can take charge of the situation.

The Xie family cannot afford to lose them again.

If they could, they wouldn't want to just stand by and watch Xie Fengnan do such a thing.

But it's easier said than done: "I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me."

Every person has something to worry about while they are alive.

Xie Fengnan's concern made him act without hesitation, but Gu Huanyan's concern also prevented him from dying in front of her.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Let me go! Don't stop me! He's only eighteen! He hasn't grown up yet! He hasn't... really seen this world properly..."

Hearing this, everyone felt even more ashamed.

Demanding that a teenager step forward in a time of crisis is indeed their failure.

But... they were helpless in the face of this disaster.

Regardless of whether the doomsday darkness was true or not, they had no choice but to try.

If it's true, then they will naturally remember this young hero.

If it's fake, then they'll just die a little later than Xie Fengnan.

For the sake of humanity, and for the greater good, they cannot and will not stop Xie Fengnan.

Faced with the instinct to survive, the struggle of humanity is magnified infinitely.

They all understood that sending Xie Fengnan to his death would be cruel to him, but if they tried to stop him, they would all lose their hope of survival.

"Huanyan, we...we don't want this either...but we have no other choice..."

Gu Huanyan turned her head, wanting to say something, but in the end she closed her mouth in dejection.

She desperately wanted to question them: why did they have to let their child die and be sacrificed?

But she understood that Xie Fengnan was not dying because of their demands or threats.

He knew that if he persisted, no one could kill him.

Even the darkness that destroys the world cannot.

But nothing else—nothing, no person, no matter, no matter what—will be left behind.

Because he once possessed everything he imagined to be wonderful, Xie Fengnan could not accept losing it all.

The process of becoming sensible is about accepting constant loss; growing up is a process in which no one survives.

Xie Fengnan was still a childish teenager, so he chose to sacrifice himself.

Previously, this was a script that Xie Fengnan disliked very much.

Why should the survivors bear such a heavy burden?

Chen Wanjun is dead, Ye Jingtang is dead, Ruyuan is dead, and Jiang Moran is dead.

As they died, they all told themselves to live well.

If possible, I hope he can also do his part to prevent tragedies from happening in the world again.

It's okay if you don't want to. How can you force someone else to do something you can't do yourself?

At that time, Xie Fengnan was thinking, "What about me?"

Where should I die? When should I die? How can I make the most of all the hardships and wandering I've endured along the way?

Even at this very moment, his father, brother, and other relatives are either on the verge of death or missing: Zhong Lizhuo, Ivangeline, Xie Fei, Chi Yanli…

I don't know how.

They may die, or they may not.

But Xie Fengnan felt that at least they shouldn't die now, or for such a ridiculous reason as the destruction of the world.

Just a short while ago, everyone was still dreaming of a bright future.

With the fall of the monarchy, the surrender of the Federation, and the defeat of the alien races, the vision of world peace seemed within reach.

Why is the world suddenly about to end?

Well, it wasn't sudden at all; there were signs all along.

But that's not the point. Anyway, Xie Fengnan doesn't want anyone else to die before him.

Past experiences began to surface in his mind, and Xie Fengnan's pace quickened until he was almost running.

The world-ending darkness is like a colossal beast with its jaws wide open, awaiting its arrival.

"Goodbye."

Xie Fengnan's voice dissipated in the wind, as if it had never existed.

They saw the figure enveloped in darkness, committing suicide.

The Xuanyuan Sword let out mournful cries; it did not want to do such a thing, but it could not disobey its master's will.

Gu Huanyan's tears finally burst forth, and her body slumped to the ground, her fingers digging deep into the soil.

Eighteen years ago, she could only watch Xie Fengnan being taken away, and now she can only watch him walk toward death.

She can't change anything; she's still the same powerless person.

"Nan Nan..." Gu Huan Yan's voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

In the crowd, some people knelt down and wept uncontrollably.

Some people clenched their fists so tightly that their nails dug deep into their palms.

Some people tilted their heads back, trying to force the tears back into their eyes.

As Xie Fengnan died, the unsettling roar grew weaker and weaker, and a ray of golden light bloomed in the darkness.

It exudes a warm, sacred aura, its light soft and not dazzling, yet extremely captivating.

The golden light grew brighter and brighter, illuminating an ever-expanding area. The desolate land began to come back to life, and tender green shoots emerged from the withered branches, growing and spreading rapidly.

"Is it...Nan Nan?" Gu Huan Yan's face was still filled with grief.

No one answered her question. Everyone watched in astonishment as the golden light expanded until it illuminated the entire world.

This is why Xie Fengnan chose to die; only by putting himself in a life-or-death situation could he take the final step.

He couldn't take this step in his first life, so he had to reverse everything and start over.

In this life, thanks to the plans he made in his first life and the help of others, he has emerged from this ordeal.

But it's too rushed now.

This is probably why the darkness that threatens to destroy the world is so impatient.

If Xie Fengnan were given a few more years, resolving this crisis would not be easy, but it certainly wouldn't have required paying such a high price.

His life.

"Hahahaha..." The dark voice was filled with smugness, "Xie Fengnan, I won!"

"You're talking nonsense! The winner is Nan Nan!" Gu Huan Yan retorted angrily.

The dark laughter grew increasingly maniacal: "My only goal from beginning to end has been his life!"

"His sacrifice can indeed suppress me back to my original state, giving you a chance to breathe."

"It may be a very long time for you, but for me it is just a blink of an eye."

"By then, will there be another Xie Fengnan?"

"I have plenty of time and patience. When I return, you will all become my nourishment!"

Everyone's faces turned pale. Before they could even savor the relief of surviving a disaster, fear gripped their hearts once again.

"By then, we will definitely find a way to eliminate you." Gu Huanyan's voice was full of determination.

As if it had heard something utterly ridiculous, the darkness dismissed it with disdain.

"Destroy me? You ants? Even Xie Fengnan couldn't do it, so what can you do?"

The wind howled, stirring up dust, and Xie Liuguang's figure reappeared before everyone's eyes.

"We will do what Nan Nan couldn't do, and we will finish the path he didn't complete."

You may laugh at our insignificance, but you can never destroy our will!

The voice in the darkness paused slightly, seemingly intimidated by the imposing aura, but quickly resumed its mocking tone: "Willpower? Ridiculous! Can willpower withstand destruction? Can it withstand death?"

"You'll all end up like Xie Fengnan... Damn it!"

The golden light didn't let it finish speaking; the darkness vanished.

The world is regaining its vitality, and the sunlight has finally pierced through the clouds and shone on the earth, warm and bright.

People saw a unique little point of light appear in front of Gu Huanyan and Xie Liuguang.

They all tacitly guessed that it was Xie Fengnan saying his final goodbye.

"Nannan..."

Gu Huanyan reached out and caught it. The light trembled slightly in her palm, as if it were telling a story.

"Are you leaving?" Gu Huanyan murmured softly, her voice filled with reluctance.

The light flickered a few times, as if in response, and then slowly disappeared.

At that moment, Zhongli Zhuo felt as if the sky had fallen.

The real world is no longer dark, but his world will never be bright again.