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

"She must have softened her heart. Was such a thriving race to be completely erased from history for such an absurd and accidental reason? She couldn't accept it, nor did she want to. During this time, her remaining humanity had been gradually rediscovered. She once again felt that living like this was the right thing to do. There was nothing wrong in thinking of other ways to escape, to avoid this unwinnable battle. Even if she and the others didn't do it, there would always be someone else who would."

"She probably has this thought in her subconscious. From ancient times to the present, the world has never lacked sacrifices. Heroes, those who follow heroes, and all kinds of people who sacrifice themselves for themselves or not for themselves are countless."

"But you understand the result..."

Shancha's face drooped slightly. She gently stroked her face with her hand, sighed, and said,

"No matter how many people are sacrificed, it won't be enough. The world is filled with far too much unhappiness, and that can't be changed by a small number of sacrifices. But they are also lives, and who would want them to be sacrificed? Especially those who have lived with them and shared beautiful feelings."

At that farewell party, which was unlike her style, her words were as sharp as ever. Everyone knew that if they let her go, they would likely never see her again, so they tried every possible means. They used all sorts of persuasion, sobbing, and even some unnatural behavior.

But that day, she was like a weathered old woman, unperturbed by the others' actions. She comforted the people who came before her one after another, clearing the fog in the hearts of those who were lost, letting the words of this farewell party guide them forward. Even though she was gone, she seemed to remain by their side, inspiring them and accompanying them.

Naturally, these three weapons were the final ones to appear. Shancha offered the same challenge she had offered Bai Lin today. As we know, she ultimately gave up her last chance at survival and chose to leave.

This type of gun used in gambling is very common. And when she and Bai Lin fired their final shot, their technique was identical, without any gimmickry. The specially tuned gun made it impossible to tell how many revolutions it made, leaving no room for reaction. Cheating on a physical level would be extremely difficult, but they still employed ordinary physical means. They simply jammed the cylinder, the internal structure damaged by the force of their fingertips, causing the chamber to separate from the magazine, making it impossible to load the gun and, naturally, to fire it.

An outsider wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but the three of them were firearms themselves, so as long as they were in a normal state of mind, they couldn't fail to distinguish them.

"I think this could be considered our fault. Our conversation made her feel that everything she had done was not in vain, that sacrificing herself here was not the wrong decision at all. I wanted her to stay, even if she was no longer a hero, her strong body was no longer strong, and she became an ordinary, hunched old woman. It wouldn't matter. I should have been completely resolute in this idea."

"But the hero's fate was decided from the beginning. She's far more resolute than I am. The subconscious is, after all, just a little bit of the subconscious. No matter what we say, she won't change. This is what I realized before firing the third shot. Dawn, you should feel the same way, right?"

Shancha asked, and Dawn looked away, then nodded in silence. Ordinary people couldn't stop the heroes from doing anything. All they could do was give them another chance to choose.

Think about the people you care about, think about me, even if it's just for me, stay, okay? That's probably how it feels.

Perhaps fate had foreseen this, but the day after she said goodbye, the day before her departure, the weapon the dwarves had crafted for her was finished. It was a floral pendant, not some heirloom weapon. At this point, forging weapons for someone like her was unnecessary. Everything about her was set in stone, and she had her own unique methods for dealing with any unique situation. So, the pendant was created for a single purpose.

That is, to allow her to bask freely in the sunlight. No longer confined to the darkness of the underground, her great deeds should be witnessed by the world, under the most dazzling light in the world—the sun. That is what the dwarves long for, what they have always believed. She is a hero, a hero who can stand in the world at any moment.

Perhaps the object's symbolic meaning was far greater than its practical significance. No one witnessed that battle, and no one knew its details. Everyone's memory was frozen in that moment. She took a step forward, waved goodbye, and said goodbye.

And after that, she had nothing left.

"No way, it can't be...that kind of situation?"

After hearing Shancha's description and thinking about the dwarves' inexplicable clan loyalty, and the fact that Bai Lin had just witnessed a similar situation not long ago, Bai Lin instantly connected the dots and came to a terrifying conclusion. Shancha sighed and nodded slightly.

"It's not... too sentimental. The moment she made that decision, she already knew and accepted the outcome. Since she chose to cheat, it means that she doesn't care if she doesn't come back alive."

"The only things that can remember her existence now are the four of us talking here, and the oath we took without being present."

Chapter 813 She is like this

"Originally, she and the dwarves were as close as family, companions to each other. But in the dwarves' hearts, only a vague thought remained. That was waiting for a hero to return. And as time passed, and after her departure, she became just like a hero who had encountered the dwarves in history and never returned, the dwarves' thoughts naturally evolved into—"

"Waiting for the arrival of a hero."

Shancha's voice was calm, but each word she spoke was incredibly powerful, stirring ripples in Bai Lin's heart. She glanced at the dawn beside her with a slightly shocked look. She bit her lower lip tightly, remained silent, and did not look at Bai Lin, as if she was also enduring something. Then, she glanced at the poet. From her masked face, she could not see any emotional fluctuations, only her incomparable calmness. The poet spoke,

"That is indeed the case, Holy Son. The dwarves, after her teachings and given that their race lacks a specific faith, naturally cannot have a specific memory of the departed hero like the people of Twilight Country do."

"This is how distorted this world is."

Bai Lin's face was gloomy. She shook her head and replied to the poet,

"That's not the question. I do feel sad about this. But...but am I supposed to use the name of a hero who sacrificed herself and left hope for her entire clan, to impersonate her and completely replace her from history? I really—"

"You don't need to think like that, Holy Son."

Shancha calmly interrupted Bai Lin's words and pulled her gaze back. She stared at Bai Lin and said,

"This was also within her calculations. Her sacrifice not only provided hope for the dwarves' future, but also created more hope for the entire world. The outcome of that battle is self-evident. The fact that no one has ever seen her body is the best proof of her death. But even if she lost, she certainly left enough scars on her opponent to create more possibilities."

"She is just that kind of person, strong and rational. If she were completely inhuman, she might be even stronger, but then she wouldn't act like a hero."

"At the same time, she certainly hoped you would do this. Please don't let her kindness down. Accept her support and shoulder the weight of this world as soon as possible. The hope she placed in you, and all those who have suffered similar treatment, are entrusted to you."

As someone who had experienced countless things with people like her, Shancha remained unusually calm about this matter. All that could be heard was a slight drop in her voice and a slight tremor in her hands on the table.

Bai Lin lowered her head slightly, her expression also deeply shaken. A struggle was brewing within her, her eyes filled with anxiety and a complex mix of emotions. She was thinking, and this simple nod or shake of the head had precipitated the longest period of contemplation she had seen in recent memory. Even during the three previous shots, she had never remained silent like this.

The air pressure in the room gradually dropped. The dimly lit lamp flickered, swaying in the breeze. The flickering light and shadow seemed to urge others to make their own decisions quickly.

There's no moral issue with doing this, and it's what the original owner wanted. Having said that, as a smart person, I should know what to do...

"Sorry, I'm not very smart and I don't understand this."

After a long moment of thought, Bai Lin raised her head. Her expression was no longer gloomy, but only calm. Without exception, everyone showed expressions of astonishment, but Bai Lin didn't care about it. She just continued,

"I'm a very narrow-minded person. Regardless of whether it helps me or not, I don't want to do something I don't want to do. Even if I ascend to this position, do you want me to take the current dwarves with me to see her off? It hasn't been that long since she left. From your description, I can probably guess that even if they went, they would just be sacrificed for nothing."

"Even if we don't directly face the highest difficulty, I don't want to take them to do something else. The dwarves have formed their own society and have their own beliefs. They want to start by protecting the surrounding area. I don't want to force them to do this or that."

"Let's talk about production. These resources... may be very useful to humans. But humans have more problems than just technology and productivity. The information I brought back about civilization is enough to cause those researchers a lot of trouble. Even if we dig up the mineral resources, there will only be a constant shortage, and it will eventually become endless exploitation. I don't want to see that situation either. At the very least, we have to put order into the human race first."

"In general, I disagree. Whether it's her good intentions or her considerations for the greater good, I reject them all. Even if I were alone, what I should do remains the same, and I will definitely succeed."

Bai Lin finished his speech with great passion. While his words might have been a bit harsh, they were also very rational and not simply impulsive. After hearing this, Shan Cha nodded thoughtfully and asked,

"Do you mean to stop being a hero to the dwarves?"

"Huh? When did I ever say that?"

Bai Lin replied very naturally, then she exhaled and said slowly,

"Of course I want to do that, but not in her name. I want to be a hero, not just gain resources by relying on the legacy of my predecessors."

"Of course, the goals I'm pursuing are not necessarily the same as theirs. They have their own lives and don't necessarily have to go in the same direction as me.

"They can follow me, but the prerequisite is that you don't interfere with their own thoughts and actions. They have their own lives, each of them is a vibrant and independent being. If following me affects their own wishes, I will never allow it."

This passage might seem a little difficult to understand, but its meaning is actually quite straightforward. Bai Lin wants to be a "hero," to end the dwarves' so-called dark period and give them the answer to do what they want. However, she refuses to take the place of others, and instead seeks to do things her own way.

Chapter 814: Heart Will Wither

The three people sitting at the table naturally understood what was going on. This time, it was the turn of the remaining three people to remain silent. The first to break the silence was Dawn. After a long pause, she spoke to Bai Lin and said,

"...Is this really okay? Actually, it doesn't matter. After those three shots, we already recognized you."

"That's not the problem. You still don't understand what I mean. I don't do this simply because I don't want to. It has nothing to do with what you think or what she thinks. I'm naturally happy that you can agree with me, but I also hope that you can agree that I handled this matter in my own way."

As she spoke, Bai Lin turned her gaze towards the poet. She looked at him, and from the mask that concealed her expression, she could sense a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. She listened to Bai Lin continue to speak.

"You just need to trust me. This is my own decision. It's exactly the same as the situation when I fired the gun earlier. If it were you, poet, you should understand, right?"

The seemingly abrupt question was met with a gentle nod from the poet. Perhaps this was the result she expected, and it was precisely because of this that she fell in love with the hero named Bai Lin. Bai Lin also smiled at this action and said,

"Then, once we're out, I'll briefly explain the whole situation to the dwarves. The specific choices they make will be left to them. The hero's own actions are their own choice, and whether they need to change their goals should also be left to their own judgment. Whatever they choose, I will support them."

After all, no matter how you look at it, Bai Lin is a hero to the dwarves. Her goal is to save the world, and the dwarves would never set their sights on destroying it. So even if she's not "the legendary hero they've been waiting for," she's still a hero.

Shancha put her hands on her chin, she seemed to be thinking about something. After Bai Lin finished speaking, she felt relieved and said,

"Is that so... You're such a hero, huh? Now that things have come to this, I kind of don't want to see you go on, Holy Son. It's the same with her. Why do people like you, without the destiny to win, have to die?"

"But if it were you, you would probably say something like, even if destiny isn't enough, I never thought I would definitely fail."

This is indeed Bai Lin's style. Bai Lin nodded, gave the other party a thumbs up, and said,

"Indeed. My attitude towards those things is always the same. Left eye twitching means wealth, right eye twitching means feudal superstition. If you don't believe it, then nothing exists. Anyway, I believe that I must succeed, and I will succeed."

“…If possible, I really hope I can also witness that miraculous success.”

"However, my mission may have come to an end here."

As Shancha spoke, the space around them suddenly shook. The walls and air merged together, shattering like glass and gradually becoming dilapidated. Shancha, who sat there with her hands folded, also underwent a drastic change.

Her once pristine appearance was now covered in scars. On her body, wounds were visible, revealing the bones. Where her organs should have been, they were empty, as if hollowed out. Her usual calm demeanor was completely gone.

Two lines of bright red tears flowed from her hollow, dry eyes. She reached out her hand, wiped the corners of her eyes, and said,

"I'm sorry... this may sound a little scary, but I've really reached my limit. Whether it's the tragedy I don't want to see or the success I long to see, I no longer have the chance to see them."

"You—sister! What are you doing…"

Seeing Shancha's appearance, Dawn suddenly screamed. She completely ignored the other person's terrifying appearance and rushed out of the dilapidated space. She quickly approached her side, knelt down, placed her hands beside her, and asked. Shancha coughed twice and replied,

"It's not a big deal, Dawn. Although we are not native to this world, we were given consciousness after arriving here. Therefore, we are immune to erosion and can be remembered by others. The dwarves' memories of the three of us were manually erased. But conversely, we will gradually forget her."

"For this reason, I begged her to leave us this ability. This was the request I made privately after the three shots that day. The price is this: my body will be gradually eroded until it completely disappears."

"But I don't really care. She'd rather die than be forgotten. You said before...how could I be so heartless as to let her die? Now you see, I'm actually quite emotional."

As she spoke, Shancha slightly closed her eyes, but the red tears still flowed from the corners of her eyes. She continued,

"For these hundreds of years, I haven't preached to you. You've always been immersed in the grief of her passing, and in your confusion and anger about this decision. Because I know full well that forcing you to listen to me is useless."

"And now, you understand everything, and I have my sights set on the next hero to take over. I... no longer need to hide this tattered facade. My mission is accomplished. I just don't know if there's any chance of me seeing her after I go down there."

Everyone's emotions will eventually be fully released. Even if most ordinary people are numb to the hardships of life, they still want to let their pain out in tears one day. However, they lack the energy and the people to confide in, so they maintain a numb appearance and suppress their pain.

At this moment of death, perhaps all that was considered dignity and pretense was completely unimportant. Centuries had passed without easing the burden of hardship on Shan Cha, but today, she no longer needed to conceal her past. Her mission was complete.

"Why?! Couldn't you have told us earlier? Even if I couldn't understand those things, could I have just watched you slowly die without caring about anything? The three of us share this burden. We can obviously survive together!"

Chapter 815 Next, it’s up to you

Poxiao was incredibly agitated. Her face was grim, and her tone and expression held a hint of pale anger. But her eyes were filled with confusion and sorrow, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, difficult to contain. Shancha opened her hollow eyes, stiffly straining to look in her direction, staring at the other person and saying,

"Because... I don't know exactly when she will come. I've already made up my mind. If that so-called hero hasn't arrived before I can no longer hold on, I will hide all of this. The moment this world collapses, you will naturally forget all of this and devote yourself to your new lives."

"Of course, this isn't necessarily what you want, but... this is actually her true heart. However, judging by the results, it seems that if we share the burden, we can indeed wait for her to arrive. But, it doesn't matter."

"Having come this far, knowing that you have found hope and that her goal can be achieved, I am already very satisfied. So, there is no need to shed tears for me. That's all. From now on, I leave it to you."

Poxiao certainly couldn't stand it. She seemed about to say something, but Shancha's hand had already risen, cupping her cheek. This action instantly dispelled all of Poxiao's restlessness. From her slender, cold fingers, one could sense the signs of life draining away, yet she wiped the corners of Poxiao's eyes with such gentleness.

"Make the choice you believe is right. Whether it's to live well or to continue to struggle, a brand new path has been presented before you... Seize the future. This time, we can finally see that world for real."

"Goodbye, my dear...sister."

The morning light filtered through the mist, carrying the delicate fragrance of camellias across the mountains to the horizon, until the dusk faded away. As the last words faded, the camellias completely dissipated into the air. Like the fragrance of tea fading into the twilight, there was no sound, no shocking farewell, but only a sense of missing something important.

On her seat, a seemingly inexplicable metal component and a slowly rising key, seemingly the color of blood, lay. Dawn's emotions had reached a point of extreme desolation, her eyes hollow, yet tears continued to flow.

She grabbed the key. Bai Lin, who had always felt it was inappropriate to interfere, felt something was amiss. She moved away from the poet and asked Dawn,

"This is……?"

"This is the ability she left behind. The ability to create this space, preserve our memories, create realistic illusions, and the blizzard outside."

Dawn explained. Her expression did not seem so calm, but her words were still clearly audible. Bai Lin pondered for a moment and replied,

"Have you thought it through?"

"If it were you, I would probably be able to hold on until the day you succeed. However, no matter what the outcome, I will still use it. Even if I choose to live a new life, I don't want to forget all this."

Poxiao folded his hands and also slightly closed his eyes. This time, Bai Lin did not stop him. But the other party also made another move at this time. She picked up the part on the chair.

"This is her gun bolt, but it's broken. I think you'll understand what I'm saying. Perhaps she's already thought of this, or perhaps there's still some mercy in this world, so she left this broken part behind. Anyway, take it with you."

"Whatever you do to the dwarves, if we want to preserve our memories, we can't leave this space. From what Shancha has said, if you want to take her place, Shancha will risk disappearing completely to leave here with you. But for now, this is enough. Even if they don't understand what it is, the dwarves will have a sense of it."

"Just like humans subconsciously feel that gems are precious when they see them, this is a symbol hidden in the subconscious."

Bai Lin took the bolt from the other man's hand and nodded gently. She didn't say much. Perhaps she wanted to say something, but when it came to her lips, nothing came out. The poet was already standing at the doorway back home. In the dim space, there was a flickering white light.

Bai Lin also walked towards that direction, but he also looked back every three steps. When he reached the door, he managed to utter a word.

"You have to hold on, believe me, it won't take long."

Hearing Bai Lin say this, although it couldn't dispel the sadness in Po Xiao's heart, it could at least make her feel some emotions. Po Xiao gave Bai Lin a slight smile, and then replied,

"Well, you too, just do what you want."

After this round of farewells, Bai Lin didn't hesitate. She plunged into the glowing door. In just a moment, the world around her was completely transformed.

The hollow halo once again surrounded her, filling her vision. This time, before her was a camellia that had fallen from a branch, still in full bloom.

Mottled traces of gunpowder and the ravages of time eroded its pristine white petals, yet left unsullied its icy, elegant white core. It seemed to give Bai Lin a feeling of not existing in this world. She reached out, as she had done countless times before, her gaze returning to darkness.

It was like a dream. Bai Lin, who had returned to the dwarves, was somewhat dazed. She stared at the bolt of the gun in her hand, a little dazed.

"Wow, Holy Son, you're back!"

The one who reacted the fastest and loudest this time was Akagi Lu. She jumped out and rushed towards Bai Lin in an instant. The dwarves guarding the door also came over very quickly.

"You are back, Lord Saint!"

"Are you okay, Holy Son? You don't look well. Do you need any help? Hey, Akagi Lu, don't be so anxious. Lord Holy Son doesn't look well. If you hurt him again, I won't forgive you."

The various dwarves, upon seeing Bai Lin emerge, all expressed a mixture of joy and worry. Their boisterous voices, brimming with emotion, completely pulled Bai Lin's consciousness from his dream, bringing him back to the reality he was experiencing.

Looking at the people in front of her, Bai Lin shook her head slightly, rubbed the Akagi Lu who was holding her, and signaled her to let go first. Then, in a long tone, she slowly said,