It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"Oh, Qi wants to go back to the village because he promised Mom a few days ago that he would go back to help with the farm work. We're free here anyway, so we'll just let him go."

Before Qi could speak, the squadron leader beside him enthusiastically explained to Yamashita Kanon. Apparently, as an adult, he would still take care of the youngsters in such situations.

Hearing this, Yamashita Kanon frowned and replied,

"The Holy Son said that it's best not to go out casually, in case the Periya people take advantage of the situation and invade. If it's not absolutely necessary to go out, it's better not to go out."

Tsk, damned Son of God, how could you say such a thing? This is clearly restricting personal freedom. This is obviously wrong. Do you really think you are a big shot?

The more Ah Qi listened, the more anxious he became, fearing that the other party would use his status as the Holy Son to detain him, leaving him unable to do anything. But he didn't dare to act rashly. Even if there were no clues, he still shouldn't offend Yamashita Kanon. After all, Ah Qi knew her temper, and it would be bad if she was targeted.

At this moment, you should keep a low profile as much as possible.

"Aqi is an adult now. He knows what he should and shouldn't do. If he dies, there will be no one to take care of my old mother, so trust him."

The squadron leader was still helping Aqi with a nonchalant expression. To express his opinion, Aqi turned around, smiled brightly, and replied to Yamashita Kanon,

"Well, I'm just going home for a visit. Nothing will go wrong."

But even with these words, Yamashita Kanon's gloomy expression remained unbrightened. She took a deep breath, as if about to say something, but then she held out her hand towards Aqi. Unsure of what she was about to do, Aqi suddenly became extremely nervous. Compared to Shengzi, he felt that this woman before him was far more unfathomable.

Could it be that she had already eavesdropped on my conversation with the Periya tribe? Or perhaps, had she discovered the communicator in my ear? Impossible! But what exactly did she want to do?

The moment Yamashita Kanon's hand reached him, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. But when Yamashita Kanon's hand fell on him, he only heard one sentence,

"You don't look well. You need to rest. If war breaks out again someday, you won't survive in your current state."

Yamashita Kanon's hand lingered on Aqi's shoulder for a moment, and then she left and walked in the opposite direction of the village. She slowly left a sentence,

"Go ahead, just be back before nightfall. But if you're still not back by nightfall, the Holy Son and I will definitely come looking for you. Then, don't blame me for disturbing your old mother's peace."

Seeing the other person's figure gradually walking away without looking at him again, Ah Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the squadron leader next to him and complained unconsciously,

"Huh, that's a lot of pressure. Is that the big shot?"

"Okay, stop talking about others and go do your own thing, little brat. Your family is waiting for you."

The squadron leader didn't intend to talk to Aqi about this or that. He kicked Aqi out with a big foot, cursing and laughing. After Aqi left the camp, his face turned cold.

Just wait, sooner or later, I will surpass you big shots.

Walking near the village, he stopped at a designated clearing and gently scooped up several seemingly small metal props. He hid them in his body and walked back to the camp at dusk.

It seemed that the Holy Son and his companion were not in the tent at this time, which was the perfect opportunity. He walked around to the tent where the two had set up camp and set up the necessary items. Afterwards, he grabbed a meal, found his friends, and sat down in the tent where he usually stayed.

After the Holy Son's very serious speech yesterday, the group, which had grown slightly, shrank again. Now, only a handful of people were sitting here attending the meeting. However, they didn't seem that uneasy. One of them saw that Ah Qi seemed to be about to speak and asked directly and excitedly,

"Aqi, you said we can go meet the Periya people again. Is this true? Have you already discussed this with the Holy Son?"

"Yeah, it's agreed."

Ah Qi didn't even blink, and replied directly. Because to him, this was already a unilateral verdict, it was also "agreed upon."

"Great, that's great! I've been wanting to experience the feeling of being the lead actor for a long time. You know, the village song that day wasn't really something amazing, and there are so many fantastical scripts out there! I really want to try them all out—"

For these young people, there weren't many entertainment options on a regular basis. Being able to personally experience the life of a Dragon Quest protagonist was definitely a truly wonderful experience. Therefore, not only the speaker, but everyone else present couldn't contain their joy after receiving Qi's message.

Seeing that everyone was in a good mood, Ah Qi also became more energetic. He said to everyone,

"However, in order not to disturb the people in the village, we still have to sneak out, just like we did before. Lady Saint said that not everyone can completely distinguish such things. She gave us the right to leave because she trusts us."

This is theoretically correct. For some people, if you tell them you can meet tonight, they will take it for granted that everything is normal. But for some people, they can distinguish everything clearly. Today's affairs are today's, and tomorrow's affairs are tomorrow's.

Aqi and the others may be the latter type of people, but unfortunately, they are actually neither of them. They are just idiots who are even more stupid than the first type.

Although it made sense, it sounded a bit strange to everyone. One of them thought for a long time and then asked Aqi with some uneasiness,

"Did the Holy Son really agree? It shouldn't be difficult to ask her to come out and explain to the villagers..."

"Well, she's already agreed. If you don't want to go, you can leave."

Chapter 688 Execution

For some reason, Ah Qi's tone was particularly resolute today. Perhaps it was because, after an all-nighter, his spirits had been strained to the limit, and after directly rebelling against his superiors and murdering them, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Or perhaps it was simply a feeling of "feeling like I'm doing it again."

It was the first time for those people to see Ah Qi with such an expression, but since there were still many people who wanted to go to the Periya tribe, they had no choice but to raise their own objections. And so, with some hesitation, everyone set off.

Such a small group took advantage of the night, slipped out of the tent during the shift change, and followed their usual route to the Periya tribe. They didn't have Bai Lin's speed, and by the time they arrived at the Periya tribe's hiding place, it was already a long time, and they were all very tired.

Therefore, this glittering, completely peaceful other world that slowly rises from the ground, with cool air and comfortable resting places, has become an existence that they extremely desire in their hearts.

"Welcome here, seekers of knowledge. We have been waiting for you for a long time. Come in quickly."

Thus, at the cordial invitation of the Periya people, these young people were invited into this place. And the stage they were going to stand on today was a super large and luxurious stage built by the Periya people. This was something that did not exist when Bai Lin came last time.

It was incredibly luxurious, perfectly decorated, with a not-too-bright floor, turntables, lighting, and a set design—everything was complete. When the red curtain was completely unveiled and all the lights turned on, the young people present cheered in unison. Only Ah Qi seemed perfectly composed, not expressing himself too much.

"Today, the stage we built is finally open. After all, it's our private venue, so there's nothing wrong with using it as your training ground. However, the most important thing on stage is the performance. So, let's perform a show with Qi first, and then prepare for everyone's performance attempts."

"Hey - it's Qi again."

Everyone sat in rows of chairs, somewhat listless. They were probably more interested in acting than watching. When Aqi walked backstage, the Periya people also explained,

"Aqi has already made preparations and rehearsed with us, so this time we're also showing you the format of our project. It can be considered a model for learning."

Thus begins the first act. Ah Qi plays a poor scholar who rises to the occasion amidst turbulent times, rebuking the powerful and standing up for justice. However, in doing so, he loses his beloved.

While the fantasy wasn't particularly intense, using a fictional setting, the character who spoke for the people did indeed resonate with the impoverished villagers. Several young people in the seats couldn't help but shed tears, deeply affected by their tragic experiences.

After the intermission, the scholar Ah Qi rises to prominence. He endures hardship and successfully saves a city. But despite all his achievements, he still cannot escape punishment from those above him.

Finally, he was placed on the scaffold for beheading. The people around him cheered, but the cold rain continued to fall, just like the guards standing with their hands behind their backs, their expressions unchanged.

"You can take my life, but you can never suppress this precious spirit!"

After uttering his final words with a resolute look in his eyes, the massive guillotine, at the executioner's command, descended. Blood splattered everywhere, just like the suppressed emotions that were instantly released.

As the head finally rolled to the ground and spun in front of everyone, the people instantly let out a huge roar and rushed to the execution platform together, rushing towards the so-called law enforcers. The people below the stage also screamed in shock, but they were not angry and sad, but...

“Aa ...

Someone is dead, someone is dead!

One of the calmer ones was the first to quiet down. He frowned and asked a member of the Periya tribe at the edge of the stage,

"What's going on? Is this your new technology? It's so realistic, haha..."

"Shh, the show is still winding down, please don't be too anxious. The rest of the audience please be quiet too."

The Periya tribe member did not respond immediately, but reminded him. After the curtain fell, the Periya tribe members gathered in front of the stage and bowed, then they replied,

"Are you satisfied, everyone? This is what we strive for: the most realistic performance effect, empathy. We imitated the form of singing folk songs in the village and acted out the protagonist's death in a way that you can empathize with. In other words, a real death."

"You mean, you really have to kill Aqi?!"

The voice of doubt and surprise wiped out the remaining hope of the people in the audience. And the Periya people replied,

"Yes. Our research project is nearing completion, and we've learned that Qi, living among those soldiers, is mentally repressed and in great pain. Although we are of the same kind, we cannot bring humans back to the main research area. So, after much consideration, we unanimously agree that it is most appropriate for him to sacrifice himself here."

"To pursue the truth, to dedicate one's life to the most glorious moment, how wonderful it is—"

"Nonsense! You're murdering people! I clearly saw Ah Qi's face filled with pain and disbelief at the last moment before his death. He absolutely wouldn't agree with this, and you definitely didn't get his consent!"

The man in the audience immediately rejected the Periya tribe's statement. He pointed his finger at the other party and said,

"Can you really sacrifice yourself so easily? This is just an excuse for you to murder others. When we return, we will report everything to the Holy Son!"

The poor young people, after receiving a lecture, actually said things like, "Although we violated the teacher's rules, we still have to go back and tell the teacher." They were really badly indoctrinated. They thought they were right, but unfortunately, the world is far beyond their imagination.

"Yes, if it is a necessary sacrifice in pursuit of truth, we will definitely make it."

Chapter 689: Thousands of Realities

The Periya people answered without hesitation.

The world is still too vast for these young people who grew up in the village. Although some races may be friendly to humans, their cultures inevitably lead to misunderstandings. Just like a child who sees a thirsty dog ​​and instinctively gives it their favorite Coke, their kindness is not friendly at all; it is a deadly poison.

And what if they have other understandings and come up with "even less friendly" ideas?

Seeing the young man in front of them was shocked, the Periya people started to discuss something in detail. The harsh noise made the minds of the young people in the audience even more confused. They couldn't control their emotions and pointed at their neighbors who once looked so cute on the stage and cursed loudly.

"Madmen...you are a bunch of lunatics and murderers!"

But no matter how aggressive or loud the voices from the audience were, they were unable to suppress the discussion of the Periya people. They were just doing their own thing. Then, one of them walked forward and declared to the young people in the audience,

"According to our analysis, the possibility that Aqi shares our thoughts is still the majority. So you don't have to worry. Aqi is like a rising star, forming this galaxy filled with truth. He is happy and great."

"And you can also come to the front like him and stand by our side. That is the best choice. We have now realized that Ah Qi's death is enough to make you give up your ideas and even your interests. Therefore, the best option now is to keep you here."

"After all, the Holy Son is currently restrained. So as long as they don't let you go, we'll have plenty of time to move on. After completing our research on the project, we really don't need to stay with you anymore."

"As for whether to make a great sacrifice or be executed by us upon reaching the alien territory, you still have the right to choose."

The Periya tribe held even their own lives in abject disdain, and like these panicked young people, they could only grant this minimal human right, this final, final opportunity for choice. Their presence offered no value, and would only raise questions about their contact with humans. Therefore, they believed they must die.

Pitifully, Bai Lin and Yamashita Kanon, the only ones who had a chance to save the young men, had been trapped and stranded. Despair spread completely. Severely indoctrinated, they seemed to finally be unable to contain their emotions, erupting in a primal madness. And just then, the theater's doors burst open, followed by the sound of armor clashing.

A black knight in a cloak took off her hood. She glanced at Aqi's body in the distance, then took a deep breath and reached out one hand to cover her visor.

Instantly, the hellish heat transformed into materialized pressure, like a demonic hand, pressing down upon the theater. This theater, considered a great testing ground by the Perians, began to melt and crumble. The mask, held by the hand, also crumbled, disintegrating bit by bit, turning into dust that flowed from the knight's hand.

Her white hair fluttered in the scorching wind, yet it swayed gracefully, as if perfectly adapted to the environment. Hidden beneath her visor, the deep purple, animalistic eyes revealed an absolute hatred. The purple flames, determined to rip and burn everything, eroded her flesh and burned her armor. Her next move was to pounce upon the targets before her.

"You don't need to explain. I'll kill them all depending on the situation."

Faced with this statement, the Periya people made no excuses. They seemed to know that their fate was doomed. They just looked ahead silently, waiting for their punishment.

After these words, Bai Lin's figure flashed and leaped into the air. But in the blink of an eye, she seemed to have leaped into the night sky again, and the flames around her disappeared in an instant. When she regained consciousness, she was standing on the mountain between the infinite Milky Way. The moonlight was unusually cold, just like her current state of mind.

Bai Lin raised his hands, looked at his empty hands, and thought in disbelief,

What did I just see? Was it an illusion because I didn’t get enough sleep?

Later, Bai Lin seemed to remember that Aqi and the others were still in danger, and thinking she had no time to think about anything else, she decided to set sail again. Although she discovered that Aqi had set a trap for her, she was not affected much and quickly broke it. No matter how naughty the children were, as parents, they couldn't just let them go, so Bai Lin naturally prioritized saving them.

But when Bai Lin took another step, she was stunned again. The world spun, time shifted, and the excessive light of day stung her eyes, and she seemed to be lying in a pool of milky white liquid.

In the world overflowing with light, four-legged creatures as dazzling as the light roared and gathered together, attacking Bai Lin. She subconsciously raised her hand to block it, but the imagined impact did not follow.

When she slowly released her hands, the scene around her was completely different from before. The whole place was filled with red blood, and a large number of burning corpses were surging in the world along with the seemingly wriggling floor. She stood up and looked at the world in front of her, her mind in a state of confusion.

"What's going on? Could it be that I've been hit by an illusion?"

"Precisely because it's not an illusion, this device we designed is the most unique feature."

The Periya people standing in the theater patiently explained to Aqi, who was worried about whether Bai Lin would break free early.

"This is a device that transports creatures within a designated area between worlds. It allows them to travel back and forth between worlds at different latitudes and timelines in an extremely chaotic state. Because they are inherently in a chaotic state, their abilities are difficult to use. Even with powerful spatial abilities, they cannot be used here."

"Under the influence of this device, time passes in the blink of an eye. Those affected by it are completely unable to accurately perceive the outside world. Time, space, everything is meaningless because they are all chaotic."

Chapter 690 Save People First

"Under the influence of that device, she could be in the future or the past. She could see the real thing, or she could only see meaningless fragments that never existed. But no matter what she saw or discovered, she couldn't see through everything. Because there is no theory there."

"Finally, under the dual pressure of body and mind, when she leaves the device, her spirit will inevitably reach its limit and collapse. When she opens her eyes again, those confusing and chaotic chapters will only leave her with vague memories, like a nightmare."

"It's simple. A byproduct of failed research, it unexpectedly developed both the ability to restrain and forget. It's probably like the work of engineers among you humans."

The Periyar looked sideways at Aqi, who also looked completely clueless, clearly unable to comprehend the various terms being uttered by the other party. The Periyar also seemed to understand something and said nothing more.

"In short, we should just continue doing our work and not worry about the Holy Son."

As the Periya people had said, Bai Lin was on the verge of a mental breakdown. It felt as if she had traveled through countless places, both existing and nonexistent, in the blink of an eye. The constant stream of events had left her mentally exhausted. Although she bore no scars, the endless phantom pain penetrated her bones, searing her soul.

What the hell is this? I really don't understand. Can an illusion be so real? It's hard to say. After all, I've never seen an illusion where I used to live. Maybe it's just that real.

Someone who couldn't comprehend the situation would likely generalize their own thoughts and impose them on the situation based on their own understanding. Clearly, from Bai Lin's perspective, this place was something akin to an illusion.

In short, Bai Lin, not understanding what was going on, decided to commit suicide. He'd heard that suicide was a way to end the illusion. Even if it wasn't an illusion, he could just return to the resurrection point and meet with Sora, and have her send him back.

Even so, even if I wanted to do that now, it was difficult. After all, there were a bunch of shadowy tentacles wrapped around me, but they didn't attack me, just wanted to drag me down and drown me. And I couldn't even muster any strength, couldn't even open my backpack.

Even the annoying Kronostea seemed a bit disconnected at this moment. What the hell had those little brats done to him to make things so difficult? Were they really that determined to find the Periya tribe and cast their next child?!

Bai Lin closed her eyes slightly, as if waiting for the tentacles to unleash their force and suffocate her to death. However, she was also very clear that despite the countless wounds on her body, these illusions had never actually caused her any harm. However, she seemed to have no other choice but to wait for the opportunity to smash herself headfirst into death...

Just as the thought of giving up was brewing, Bai Lin felt a sharp sensation, causing her eyes to flutter open. Suddenly, the shadow-filled world shattered like a mirror, with countless cracks appearing across various planes. An ominous light then shone into the depths of the space.

I saw a figure standing proudly in front of me, with long clothes fluttering in the wind. Broken mirrors flew past her, but she just slowly supported her scabbard and perfectly retracted the long blade in her hand.

"Concepts like cause and effect, fate, space, and time are nothing but impurities. I can easily cut through things like this. You are still too out of practice, Holy Son."

Yamashita Kanon put the knife back on her waist, turned sideways, and looked at Bai Lin. Bai Lin would not ignore the "rescue" and directly retort after being rescued by someone. She struggled to get up from the sea of ​​tentacles, gave Yamashita Kanon a crooked smile, and after enduring for a full second, she said,

"Is it because I haven't practiced enough? This isn't swordsmanship, this is magic!"

"This is swordsmanship."