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

Or rather, this world has no room for her.

She might still have a human form. Upon closer inspection, she looked like a woman, so she could be called "her." Mysterious and powerful, this was the most intuitive aura coming from her. And...

"beauty?"

"Beautiful." Though completely observable, even the species couldn't be confirmed, this word could clearly be used to define it, a definition created by humans. A sense of familiarity deepened in Bai Lin's mind. This inexplicable feeling intensified Bai Lin's inner fear.

Yet, she felt a damned familiarity, a sense of intimacy with him. A feeling that made her want to reach out and be pulled into his embrace—this was a crisis, her mind was fully aware of it. Yet, her feet kept dragging forward.

But at that moment, the other person tilted slightly, revealing a "face"—a truly shocking face. It contained only a gaping, crimson mouth. It was still, yet countless sounds seemed to stream forth from it. This was likely the primary cause of Bai Lin's ear bleeding.

More importantly, her perception of Bai Lin deepened. It was as if she hadn't noticed him before, and only now had she turned her attention to him. It was at this moment that Bai Lin clearly caught a glimpse of his presence. She concentrated her mind, trying to observe with her own eyes.

That person has the same feeling as a poet... or should be a poet, who is weaving destiny—

A stinging pain shot through Bai Lin's eyes. Observing in this imperfect state seemed to push her mind and body to the brink of their limits. The taboos Vandortino had brought from various universes hadn't been able to break through Bai Lin's mental defenses, but in just a moment, she was already defeated.

When she regained consciousness, Bai Lin had collapsed to her knees, unable to move. This time, the warmth in her body was truly fading. Not just her sight and hearing, but all her senses were fading from her. The pain, worse than lingchi (a form of torture), peeled away from her body like a thread, gradually stripping away every trace of her human vitality.

This... what the hell, it's so inexplicable. Just like the last time Qi Li had that bastard poet, it was something inexplicable, only this time it was more intuitive.

What's going on? Have we had enough of this cliché? The previous plot hole hasn't even been filled yet, and this one's already followed, and it's quite repetitive. This kind of development would be a bit of a bummer in any script. Isn't that poet of light crazy and looks like a writer? Come over and fight this bitch! Holy shit, she's really stealing your tropes. This is unacceptable.

At this moment, Bai Lin's mind was already in a state of extreme confusion. Even she herself couldn't tell what she was thinking. However, these thoughts were soon completely dispelled.

In a flash, all sensations vanished. His mind went blank. He didn't need to think, couldn't think, and just drifted with the flow... Unfree, yet incredibly exhilarating. It was as if Bai Lin had instantly returned to the state of a baby, a sense of relief.

Then, she felt herself being embraced by someone. The warmth moved her.

Is this a dream?

-

On a gloomy, rainy night, the sound of dripping water washed away the life on the streets. Although not many people would go out in Camitlan at night, such rain still dampened the mood of many people.

Except for one place, it was still extremely noisy.

Tavern.

Brightly lit, the smell of blood, sweat, and alcohol. When the filth and bustle merge, it becomes an atmosphere. That cheerfulness repels the upper-class Mercedes-Benzes who shy away from the smell, and welcomes everyone who, even if they don't like it, is happy to step through the tavern's doors and enjoy the warmth.

Here, everyone clinks glasses and congratulates each other. There's no real reason, just to be happy and relaxed. Most of the people who come here are adventurers with no fixed place to stay.

Chapter 1049 Drinking

Or perhaps it's just some office workers, spending their evenings on cheap alcohol and affordable late-night snacks, a way to make up for a tired and frustrated day. By the next morning, the place will be deserted again, returning to the flow of society.

Or perhaps it could be said that the night here is an indispensable part of social mobility.

The bar was mostly populated by men, their tired, dusty complexions fitting the gloom they'd temporarily suppressed through a moment of revelry. There were a few women among them, but regardless of gender, they all looked similar. They were simply enjoying one of their activities: drinking, bragging, and studying for a doctorate. They were getting drunk, letting off steam.

It's tacky here, but it's also pretty good. At least the people here agree with it.

At that moment, an unexpected guest, completely different from the others, appeared at the door of the tavern. The difference made the owner, who was busy at the front desk, feel a surge of electricity running through his body.

She stood outside the doorway, letting the rain pour down her hair, adding a touch of melancholy to her already messy look. She seemed to emanate a powerful emotion, one that even the pub's laughter and chatter couldn't suppress.

She wasn't out for fun, nor did she look like one of those drunken souls. The only thing that could be distinguished was that, despite the heavy armor she wore, she was clearly a very beautiful, young woman.

Although the man's face didn't seem particularly out of place wielding weapons or wearing armor, it didn't strike one as odd at all. Instead, it gave one a sense of steely hardness. Even though he looked endearing, he also wore a stern, "Keep Away" warning. For a moment, the boss was unsure how to react to this man.

Whose daughter is this? No, this must be a monster transformed. I've never heard of such a beautiful knight... But even if she wants to transform, she shouldn't use such a dangerous appearance. She's a little girl, at least give her a towel first...

Without waiting for the boss's response, Bai Lin had already sat down at the bar very naturally. She took out a few gold coins and said skillfully,

"Bring the wine."

There was no doubt that her voice was extremely clear. However, it sounded strange to the other person. No one would have imagined that someone who seemed to have no connection with this tavern would say these two words. But -

When he came to his senses, the boss had already placed several large barrels of beer on the table. Perhaps because he had heard these words, he had acted naturally and instinctively. Then, he hurriedly accepted two bills and, without even standing at the counter, found a seat outside to watch over the shop.

Bai Lin didn't react at all, or perhaps she didn't care. She casually grabbed a wine glass and poured herself a fresh one. She stared at the cheap, murky liquid, as if trying to discern something from the swirling vortex beneath the foam. This made the eyes reflected in it look dim and lifeless, like an old man's.

She shook it a little, said nothing, and drank it all. After finishing, she put the glass down heavily and said silently,

"No disrespect to any of you tonight, sorry."

Heavy words were spoken in a voice that only she could hear. Although it was in a noisy bar, this was undoubtedly her night of drinking alone.

It was just getting dark, and the wine cup had just been turned, but it was still far from what Bai Lin wanted to drink. She quickly continued drinking.

Normally, while most people wouldn't be too clever to think anything of such a beauty appearing in a place like this late at night, there would always be some who harbored malicious intent. However, ever since Bai Lin took her seat at the bar, the number of people near it quickly vanished. She seemed to be the center of attention, her aura, completely out of place within the bustling pub, carving out a niche of her own.

No one dared to approach her. Even the boss wanted to give something as a gift to this big customer who came alone late at night. Even though he had some good intentions, he didn't have the courage to approach her.

To say she ruined other people's good mood might be a bit too much, but she did disrupt part of the original atmosphere.

The reason why he felt out of place here and yet came to a place like this was because Bai Lin used to hang out in pubs, and he thought that in a slightly more familiar environment, he might be able to relax a little like before.

But there is none at all.

She continued to drink in big gulps, like a hungry man who never knew how to be full, eager to fill her bottomless desire. In the blink of an eye, several large barrels of wine were completely swallowed. She shook her head and glanced at the boss next to her.

"Hey."

The boss, who had been found in an instant, was once again stunned. While his previous alcohol consumption was still considered within the human range, he still looked sober. This was a bit unusual.

Rather than being awake, it's more like she's no different from when she first walked in. Perhaps, she can never be called awake.

"Take some more."

Before the other party could respond, Bai Lin's words had already flown out. She placed a large order and then waited patiently for the wine to be served. The owner, fearing to keep her waiting too long, quickly presented the product to her request. Bai Lin quickly began another round of drinking.

The warm lights inside couldn't illuminate the bar, let alone the rainy night. They slanted across Bai Lin's shoulders, seemingly offering a pitiful warmth, but Bai Lin remained perpetually drinking, or in the process of drinking. Her figure shattered the pitiful light, shattering it again and again, unable to contain her body at all.

Gradually, golden liquid began to splatter across the table. Perhaps it was from drinking too quickly, or perhaps it was simply dripping from the corner of her mouth. She began to drink more and more generously, and just like this rainy night, her emotions gradually became more intense.

Soon, the wine was gone again. This time, Bai Lin patted the table lightly.

"boss."

Her tone was quite calm, not much different from before, except that her voice was a little louder. Hearing this, the tavern owner hurried over.

And so, round after round of drinking continued.

It was unknown how much time had passed, but everyone felt that it should have been the middle of the night. But perhaps it was just because Bai Lin drank so quickly that time seemed to pass quickly.

Chapter 1050 Bring some wine

After several rounds, more and more people began to gather in the tavern. Even without Bai Lin's unusual appearance, her drinking behavior was shocking and eye-catching enough. In the past, a crowd would have gathered around her, witnessing the birth of the great drinking king who could drink a thousand cups without falling, and cheering her on loudly.

But today was different. None of them had the courage to do that. At most, they were just sitting at a distant table, making small bets to see how long she could hold out. Since the atmosphere wasn't very lively, Bai Lin soon became someone else's entertainment after drinking.

"Tell me, how could she, a girl, come here alone to get drunk? With the amount of alcohol she can drink, is she still a human being?"

"Don't you know this? You can tell she's drinking like this, because she's heartbroken. If you ask me, the person who made her sad is not a human being..."

"You better cut the slack and stop using your base thoughts to speculate about other girls. What's the matter? Does sadness necessarily mean love? Stop talking and drink your own. Who knows what her status is. If you knew you were talking so much, I'd chop you up."

With random conversations like this, or the small bets mentioned earlier, Bai Lin became something like this in their eyes. The crowd was discussing her densely, but there were also scattered people, each in their own area, some even sitting at the bar a few meters away from her. It seemed as if the tavern had returned to its previous state, except for the addition of a large number of strange people.

And the misfortune finally came. When the wine barrels around Bai Lin were piled up like a hill, she let out a long breath. Then, she clenched her teeth and uttered a few words weakly,

"Why……"

As the other woman spoke, the boss instinctively assumed she was calling him and instinctively prepared to fetch the wine. When he realized what was happening, he was surprised to see she was about to say something. But this time, without waiting for a response, Bai Lin, like before, gulped down her wine. The sound of her swallowing drowned out the clamor of noise around her. But once the wine in her cup was gone, a myriad of emotions surged through her.

“Why is this happening?”

She asked this question angrily, her voice a little hoarse, and seemed to have a hint of tears. The still wet hair was thrown over her shoulders, but it still left a shadow covering her. Her face became more distorted in this shadow, as if it was angry and aggrieved.

"Why did they all sacrifice so much? Why did they all die? How could they be so stupid? Why, why, why!"

She banged her wine glass against the table, her emotions seeming a bit off balance. It was as if the effects of the alcohol had finally worn off, and even her tone was becoming increasingly unstable.

"How the hell does this make sense? Am I not the Son of God? I'm the chosen, the most powerful, the hero who's supposed to save the world, right? Well, if you have any problems, any difficulties, why don't you tell me? Why don't you let me try? I'm immortal, so even if I have to die, why don't you just let me die? Can't I just die alone?"

Bai Lin's words, like her already tangled emotions, became increasingly muddled and incomprehensible. Did she even know what she was saying? It was hard to say. Quickly and with great energy, Bai Lin placed her glass under the barrel, but no more wine could be poured from it.

A nameless rage surged within her, and she flung the wine glass in her hand, throwing it wide open, landing at the boss's feet. Seeing this, the boss was startled and flustered, but he dared not even think of anger. However, he also understood that the other party had clearly been drunk, and he had to do something, at least to curb the destructive behavior...

"Hey, boss, get some wine!"

However, this time, Bai Lin still didn't give him a chance to react. With a tone that was almost scolding, she orchestrated the boss's actions for the next few seconds. Once again, the boss swallowed his fluctuating emotions and, with trepidation, followed Bai Lin's orders. But only after he brought the wine barrel did he realize he had forgotten to bring a new glass.

But Bai Lin didn't seem to care about this at all. She held the barrel and drank a few mouthfuls, then put it down heavily. She wiped the wine that oozed from the corner of her mouth, and her upper body leaned forward very weakly. Then, she roared violently again.

"Fuck, why?! I don't understand. I don't get it. What are you all doing to be so great? I'm the hero, I'm the hero! Who asked you to save me and let me die... Why do you have to risk your life for something? Can't you let me try again?!"

The lingering rain seemed to surge even more with the gusts of chilly wind, and even the lights in the house seemed to be floating. Bai Lin hugged the wine barrel, and his words were not only incomprehensible, but also becoming increasingly incoherent.

She seemed to be blaming something, or even demanding self-destruction. She banged her head against the bar, her behavior completely losing control.

"Hey, come on. You're supposed to be an adventurer, right? I don't really understand, but you sound like the kind of chosen one recognized by the church! Don't be too hard on yourself. The dead can't be resurrected. It's okay to have a few more drinks here to blow off some steam, but blaming yourself like this is pointless!"

The man sitting at the bar a little further away from Bai Lin came closer. He seemed to have a wealth of experience and immediately understood Bai Lin's background and current situation. Although his understanding was somewhat ordinary, it was also correct.

Bai Lin raised her head and looked at the other person as if she heard someone talking. Her face was full of smiles, a smile that was close to crazy and creepy. But she completely ignored the other person's words and just asked herself,

"Hey, tell me, tell me, isn't it better for me to try it than to die for sure? Don't you agree?"

She didn't seem to expect the other party's answer. After asking, she hugged the barrel and drank it in big gulps. A large amount of liquid poured into her mouth, as if it was suppressing her own emotions and blocking her mouth, so that she could not say anything else. Seeing this, the other party clasped his hands and hugged the barrel.

"Stop talking, you can't drink anymore! If you keep going like this, it's not good for you or this place—"

Chapter 1051 Collapse, Drunk

But before the other party could finish his words, the man felt a huge shock coming. Bai Lin just swung the wine barrel lightly, and his whole body flew out and fell to the ground. Bai Lin casually threw away the empty wine barrel, grabbed another one, and muttered,

"It's so boring, so dull! This wine isn't good... Why can I still see them, and the rain that day? I don't want to see anything!"

She looked at the table and uttered these words. Under that blurred vision, a lot of tears kept pouring down, perhaps this was the rain and dew she spoke of. She looked at the mottled traces of tears dripping down, but she was completely unaware of her own heartache. Obviously, these tears were shed by herself, but the words in her mouth were no longer her own, just like the words Bai Lin kept repeating.

In fact, she knew everything. She questioned everything, but she was the one who was most clear-headed.

Why would they die rather than let themselves try? The answer is obvious...

She couldn't do it herself, nothing she could do. She couldn't save them, and asking her to do it would only make things worse. The poet's decisions were always right, never once, and this time would be no exception.

She started cursing everyone, but she was only cursing herself.

The only one who is wrong and incompetent is yourself.

"Hey, boss, bring some stronger liquor!"

"Miss...you've almost drained our liquor store. Besides, that guy just said you can't drink anymore. Please, please go back home early."

After hearing Bai Lin's repeated order, the boss finally regained some courage to refute. But at this point, Bai Lin just grabbed another barrel of wine. She seemed to no longer care whether the other party had brought her wine or not, and continued to drink.

"Everyone is an idiot, an idiot, hopeless... idiot! Idiot! Hopeless! I... I need to drink more. Don't show up again, I don't want to see you! If you want to die, then die. Damn it, damn it——"

Lost control. When she came to her senses, Bai Lin had already reached the point of losing control. Her consciousness seemed to have completely drifted away from this world. Under the impact of alcohol and spirit, she completely released her suppressed emotions.

She saw countless illusions, but she didn't want to think that the experience of these days was indeed an illusion. She closed her eyes, but the pain still echoed in her eyes.

Tonight, her tears flowed like a dam, tonight, she collapsed into drunkenness. Her behavior was uncontrollable, like that of thousands of drunkards driven mad by the frustrations of life. But just as her reasons for getting drunk were stronger than those of ordinary people, so too was her strength.

It was really unfortunate that no one in this small shop could stop her.

The noise and drunkenness continued like this. In her dreamlike dance, the past melted away, and the alcohol poured into the painful present.

-

If someone who looks like a frail girl can walk into a relatively chaotic tavern in the middle of the night, then why can't someone who seems to have something in common with her appear on a dark street in the middle of the night?

A blonde girl, hooded, walked alone in the rainy night. Compared to Bai Lin's half-dead face, her complexion was remarkably healthy. If there was any difference between her and an ordinary person, it was only because the night's colors made her look a little darker. She seemed to be walking in a determined direction, her steps steady.

This person was Katipello Noriel. Everyone knew that she was not a girl who would walk at night, but no one really thought of her as an ordinary woman who could not do so.

Tonight, she was on her way home, having been delayed by something. This was indeed a very common occurrence for her. However, she had been feeling a certain inexplicable anxiety these past few days, especially tonight. This made her clutch her coat tightly, and she glanced around with increased vigilance.

Fortunately, the surrounding streets were still normal, and it looked like nothing unexpected was going to happen. The tavern in the distance was also a bit noisy as usual, and everything was very——

Suddenly, a massive object flew out from before her eyes. It was a large piece of wooden furniture. A closer look revealed it to be the tavern's bar. The tavern owner, clinging to it tightly, was thrown from the tavern with it, landing on the ground, grimacing in pain.

...It seems that things are a bit too lively.

Out of humanity, Katie Pello quickened her pace, walked to the side of the bar, and cast a healing spell on the painful boss. While asking,

"What's going on here, boss?"

The steady, clear voice, the soothing healing glow, and the beautiful face he saw as soon as he opened his eyes, all of this made the boss feel instantly at ease. As soon as he was able to stand up, he could no longer suppress his emotions and looked at Katie as if she were his savior.

"Little girl, you're a pastor, right? You may have good intentions, but this isn't my fault, so please stay out of my way. Damn it! A powerful adventurer came to my shop today to get drunk. She's drunk and making a scene, and no one can stop her!"

"Right now, I'm on my way to the guards' base to get some reinforcements. If you're interested, go to the end of the street and call me. That way, we can handle this more efficiently."

Katie frowned slightly upon hearing this. This kind of thing didn't happen often. Places like taverns were more common, with both moderately powerful adventurers and ordinary people alike. An adventurer who could bring these people together without being able to stop them was already well-known within the city for his strength. Such people rarely entered cheap taverns, and it was even less likely they would get drunk and act crazy.