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

The hand holding the camera began to tremble. The light in his sight flickered intensely. And at that moment, a brilliant light that shouldn't have appeared appeared in his sight in an arc.

It was a smile. Pure, spontaneous, the simplest expression of human kindness. He'd seen the energetic new hire smile like this before, and he'd seen his wife smile like this before. Adults, children, men, women, young and old, whether genuine or not, all have moments of unintentional laughter. That expression often warms hearts, giving those struggling through the dark a sense of connection.

At least, looking back, I've always been warmed by smiles. Even on this trip, I could see the smiles of young girls. It's a light and beautiful feeling, but it also gives me a heavy resolve and the motivation to keep moving forward.

Ah...was this hallucination? I really want to see my wife's smile again.

The uncle thought so in a trance, but then he realized something was wrong.

This is true.

Tomoe was watching, observing everything the uncle did. Her hand on the shutter button remained unmoved from beginning to end. Then, as if she had exhausted all her strength, she let the camera slip from her grasp. She fell heavily to the ground.

……

ah……?

At the same time, the uncle also fell to the ground and knelt heavily on the ground.

Since we can no longer go out together as a family, then everything I do here has no meaning. Even without me, they can still barely survive here, or perhaps after a long time, they can no longer bear this kind of restraint and will go on to another life together. There, we will meet again.

If possible, I'd like to stay with them a little longer. But I'm tired. Honestly, even if I return in this state, I'm not sure there'll be enough medicine to cure me. Dying before their eyes would be a crushing blow, and leaving them after running out of medicine and wearing them down would be a catastrophic waste.

I no longer have any reason to move forward, but you still have, don't you? So, I'll give you this opportunity. I've said it from the beginning, in a place where life and death are treated like a joke, you can't hesitate too much. Newcomers like you need to understand this most.

I failed to save my people, and I failed to save that human girl. And now, I have done all I can. As for you...

You must live well on our behalf and do what you should do.

Ba, that's what she was thinking. Her thoughts might not be as complicated as the uncle's, but she was thinking just as much.

Wasn't she, an ordinary person with good intentions? From the midst of her peaceful daily life, she was suddenly dragged into this hell. Unable to escape, the scene she faced at this final stage had sealed the final shackles on her already exhausted heart.

She didn't say anything else, and her thoughts stopped there. Tomoe made what she believed was the right decision, and after that, she closed her eyes.

"Little girl! Little girl!"

The uncle pounded on the glass door in front of him, calling out at the top of his lungs. Unbeknownst to some emotion, tears welled up in his eyes, completely losing any semblance of composure, letting the unbearable truth fully reveal itself. But no matter how he called out, the outcome was already determined.

The glass wall gradually returned to its present state. He collapsed to his knees before the wall, his clapping hands growing weaker and weaker, before finally falling. Rage and tears surged together, his cries completely drowned out by an endless sense of weariness.

Compared to before when he had been thinking a lot, now he seemed to be thinking of nothing at all. This was because his brain had stopped thinking, filled with all kinds of emotions, but with nowhere to vent.

Incompetent, powerless, and inaction.

He didn't know how long it was before another scream rang out, and he finally regained consciousness and managed to get up. He stood silently in front of the glass wall that had reappeared, looking at Ba Yi's motionless form, unsure what expression to put on this little girl he had only known for less than a day.

He himself is tired too.

Looking at the other man's wounded body, he suddenly thought of something. After all, the authorities had already announced it when there were only two of them left. Now that he was alone, the game should have been over. Why did they open the glass wall again instead of letting him leave?

There is only one answer, Ba is still alive.

The uncle's heart was struck again as he quickly thought of this miraculous possibility. He didn't show any emotion on the outside, but his mind was working rapidly.

Chapter 1117 Punishment

From the afterglow of escaping danger after pressing the shutter button in fear, to the regret, guilt, and powerlessness he felt after discovering everything, at this moment, he seemed incomparably calm.

The uncle walked to the front of the glass wall, gently placed his hands on it, and said,

"In the past, I sold my willfulness and worked hard day and night to ensure that my family could live well, but I neglected to accompany them. Now, I no longer have the chance to see them."

"One day I took a leave of absence to go home and celebrate my daughter's birthday. It was the first time I could see them in recent years. But the moment I opened the door, the world seemed to play a joke on me. It collapsed in an instant, leaving only the small space under my feet, as if a stain that had not been formatted cleanly remained. And then, I didn't know how I ended up here."

The uncle's expression gradually became solemn, with a hint of bitterness in the complexity, and a slight wry smile slowly emerged.

"Ah, this is terrifying. When I was little, I even dreamed of traveling to another world, but when I finally got here, I nearly lost my life. Even though you guys have been protecting me ever since, these things are still terrifying. I can't handle them at all."

"I don't know what you're thinking, little girl. It sounds like you're trapped here. But your family is clearly still alive, right? Even if you can't get out, wouldn't it be nice to stay with them for a while? Don't try to fight like this recklessly. Spend more time with them. Don't end up like me."

After saying this, Tomoe trembled, then she reluctantly sat up from the ground. She picked up the camera at hand, first yelled hoarsely, then cursed as loudly as possible in a low voice,

“…Idiot.”

Like a ghost, she stared with her bloodstained face pressed against the glass door in front of her.

"Do you know how much I was prepared to make the decision I just made? How could you say such things to me? The people you're looking for should be your surviving family members, right? If that's the case, you should go see them in person! You're different from me, you still have a chance—"

"I didn't, I didn't! Even if I saw her, what would it matter? In this world, can an ordinary person like me protect her? I worked hard all my life but couldn't give them a good life, and now it's all burned to ashes. Compared to a good-for-nothing like me, a kind-hearted young man like you can give her a better chance."

The uncle denied it repeatedly, and his expression looked a little abnormal. He staggered and leaned back on the workstation behind him, and kicked the SLR on the ground again.

"Really, I appreciate your care along the way. But I've made up my mind. When you survive, please take good care of my daughter..."

"Why? If you give up now, I'll kill your daughter when you die!"

Tomoe shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to reassure him. The old man just shook his head and smiled.

Because it is absolutely impossible for a person who is willing to sacrifice himself to do so.

The glass walls on either side faded away again. This time, the duration was noticeably shorter than before. Surprised at first, Ba also patted the wall, calling out to the other party. But when she received no response, a terrifying thought entered her mind.

With mixed emotions and near despair, Tomoe limped over and picked up the greatsword from the ground. She knew that a foolish old man like that wouldn't change his mind after saying so much. She could probably guess why the organizers chose to close the glass wall at this moment.

He probably wanted to torture both of them to death.

From the second round on, Ba had sensed something was amiss. No matter how he tried, he always scored 0 points, and the questions seemed vastly different from the beginning. This moment between the two of them undoubtedly led to a gradual decline in their will to survive.

Ultimately, the interaction of this information was entirely at the mercy of the organizers. Even if they manipulated the rules, seemingly allowing the game to continue in a series of rounds while actually attacking Rin and El, they would be completely unaware. So, Tomoe could only do one thing, guided by her own will.

First, she couldn't possibly ruin the uncle's intentions. Taking a photo was essential to prevent gossip and penalties against both parties. Of course, even if she did so, she might still be punished, depending on how ruthless the organizers were.

Secondly, she needed to change her strategy. While simply defending was already difficult, those hand-shaped objects were clearly being transported in from another dimension. She needed to find an opportunity and break in directly.

Thinking of this, Ba wanted to remind the uncle not to get depressed. That would be exactly what the organizers wanted. But even knowing this, the uncle seemed unable to do anything. It only took one time to eliminate him, unlike himself.

Given her current state, could she really withstand the pressure and turn defense into offense? Ba had no confidence. But she had to do it.

Because someone entrusted her with their last wish.

On the other side, a somewhat anxious uncle seemed to be deep in thought. He was extremely afraid of the unknown and impending death.

Most death row prisoners can't sleep on their last night. The execution method is announced in advance, but he doesn't even know how he will die, which makes him even more anxious and uneasy. He couldn't help but grab the origami in his hand.

"I'm sorry, daughter, I can't celebrate your birthday. But there will be someone more capable than your father to take good care of you. She's a very gentle big sister, so don't cause her any trouble..."

He recalled the past years and recounted them, trying to calm his trembling heart. However, more and more tears began to fall, wetting the folded paper.

No one here would see his weakness, and he wouldn't bother anyone anymore. It seemed like only adults had the right to cry at times like these. And it wasn't long before the alarm clock for his crying time suddenly rang.

"Time is up, 0 points, punishment will be given."

The answer was expected, but the moment the door opened, the uncle suddenly realized something. His body was quickly slammed into the wall behind him by a large number of hand-shaped energy bodies, and it also began to collapse rapidly. But the tears on his face, the liquid that represented regret and sorrow, disappeared along with a sense of surprise.

In a trance, he stood still. The energy was actually dissolving in his body.

Chapter 1118 Don’t Come Over

The collision, the cancellation, still ravaging his body, though not as thoroughly. But the uncle seemed to have suddenly realized something, his eyes becoming even more determined. He roared, striding forward with all his might, using his body to resist the torrent.

He went upstream, relying on his rekindled will to survive. His clear eyes were no longer obscured by the darkness. Soon, he stepped through the space door that had given birth to his hand.

The resistance vanished instantly, replaced by an equally surging sense of strangeness. In this world, there were candy trees made of centipedes, a black castle constructed of twisted, wild wood, and a creaking skeleton carousel.

It should have been so dazzling, something that should have existed in a fairy tale, something that gave people hope and sparkled with beauty. But now, it was all utterly dilapidated, like a child's heart had been ravaged and trampled upon, creating this scene.

And a child was sitting at the gate of the castle.

She was completely black, with only her glowing eyes visible. From her appearance, one could barely tell that she had a fox-like appearance.

Without saying anything, she looked at the uncle for a few minutes, and her eyes moved slightly in an instant. Huge thorns grew out of the bushes on the ground, directly piercing the uncle's hand and nailing it into the space behind him.

"Losers should be punished."

"Why are you here?"

A somewhat eerie, yet mechanical, voice emanated from the other person's throat. It was as if she wasn't familiar enough with speaking. Although her voice didn't sound childish, the man standing in front of the girl knew this best.

The uncle bit his lower lip tightly, and soon put on a smiling face.

"Because I am your father, Xiao Hei."

That's right, when those hands emerged from the space gate, the uncle finally felt his daughter's presence. He also understood why he had predicted that he was only one step away from her.

It turned out that she had always been so close to him, but he had never expected it. Now that he knew the truth, his original desire to sacrifice himself was naturally gone.

No matter what, as a father, there is no reason to abandon your children.

"Father?"

Xiao Hei's emotions seemed to fluctuate, but this only caused the uncle's other hand to be stuck on the wall. The uncle, who was already seriously injured, coughed up a mouthful of blood and then said,

"We haven't seen each other for a long time, and this is also my problem. I have always believed that as long as I keep working hard, and I am working hard for our family, I will be able to get through it one day and give you a happy life."

"Giving children a happy dream, protecting them, and letting them grow freely is the responsibility of adults. But now, I find that I have completely failed to do this..."

"At first, I tried to find time to go home as often as possible. But later, when I thought about the trivial matters that might arise at home, I was too lazy to go in even if I occasionally passed by home on the way to work. I felt so exhausted that I couldn't face helping you anymore. I comforted myself by thinking that work was the priority and she would take care of the rest, avoiding the problem that I thought I could solve, but in fact it was always with me. When I came to my senses, I was not by your side when you needed me the most."

The uncle lowered his eyebrows, took a deep breath, and then said solemnly,

"Sorry, I am late."

The saying "men farm and women weave" certainly makes sense; it's a good thing that the wife carries the household and the two can work together to support the family. But if you want to avoid even family problems, then what are you really working for if you're constantly wandering around?

People living in this world should naturally have their own self. You can say that after work, you should relax as much as possible. But if you say that I have worked so hard and have fulfilled my responsibilities——

This is absolutely wrong.

Responsibility isn't something you fulfill just because you're tired. When you decide to give birth to a child, you should be prepared to protect it, both physically and mentally. Even if the outside world is a hail of swords and guns, you must be determined to protect your child with your body.

Perhaps you'd argue that fathers are human too, and shouldn't be so perfect. But if they can't achieve that, wouldn't it be fine if they didn't have children? And fathers who give birth to the next generation, no matter how impoverished their lives may be, as long as they are moving in this direction, deserve the title.

After saying that, the uncle struggled with his hands as hard as he could, and actually broke his hands, and walked forward again.

"Don't come over here! I don't understand anything you're saying, and I don't even know you!"

As Xiao Hei's shout, which sounded more human, rang out, a huge spike emerged from the ground and pierced through the uncle's chest, causing him to frown. He coughed twice, looked at his daughter, who was also breathing heavily and seemed very excited, and said,

"It's okay. It's normal to get angry after such a big thing... But killing is wrong. If you're angry, just vent it on me, your father. Don't do anything to others casually—"

Before he could finish his words, the uncle was instantly pierced by countless sharp thorns. Xiao Hei raised her hands, her eyes flickering, as if her mind was constantly being assaulted. Then, her mind seemed to be flooded with memories, which made her hands involuntarily clasp her head.

She seemed to remember something, and the voice of the person before her was so familiar. She felt that what he said was right, but Xiao Hei's heart was driving her to kill and harm. She had done countless such things... Under the encouragement of that pink-haired big sister, she had already done wrong things.

The impact of the contradictions exploded in her mind. But before she could think about it, a real explosion sounded from in front of her. The uncle actually exploded the pile of thorns.

"This hurts... But as long as I can see you again, it doesn't matter what you do to me, Dad."

The man's posture remained firm, and in this dark world, his smile seemed vivid and bright. And he took a firm step and took another step forward.

-

Bai Lin was in the midst of countless illusory worlds, and he seemed to be very calm as he held his body in check.

Chapter 1119 I am thinking

The surrounding scenery shifted constantly, interweaving and blending together. Reality and illusion merged, making it difficult to distinguish true from false. But Bai Lin had encountered this situation before. It was probably similar when facing the Periya tribe. Only this time, it was Nancy who had specially set the stage for her...

"Why don't you attack?"

Nancy's voice echoed. She seemed to be still happy, but a little more tired. But Bai Lin remained unmoved.

"Because I was thinking. I was thinking, El told me that she could sense the aura of the Goddess of Dusk. But I didn't detect any of it from you."

"Either you've acquired a sentient being, allowing it to act spontaneously after you and I begin fighting, continuing to injure the remaining individuals. Or... it's a living being, a complete Twilight God. I think the latter is highly likely. So, I'm wondering what kind of deal you struck with the Twilight God, and why did you keep it with you?"

As soon as Katie entered the fray, both sides had become unable to read each other's minds, creating a defensive barrier. Consequently, they could only speculate and communicate based on the information they had. Initially, Bai Lin had intended to pin Nancy down and beat her until she spoke. But her instincts had caught on. Even after being beaten so severely, Nancy seemed perfectly at ease.

When asked by her, Nancy replied with great interest,

"Hmm... then it can't be that I got some object and used my genius mind to transform it into my own magic circle or something?"

"That possibility isn't ruled out, but I'd say you're more interested in playing with living people than with dead things. Deciphering the remains of the Dusk God and using them for your own actions doesn't seem like your style. Given your level of narcissism, creating something original from scratch is more like what you'd do."

"Oh my, your girlfriend is still here, and you dare to act so knowledgeable about other girls? Such almost flirtatious words are not suitable for this situation."

Nancy teased with interest, hiding behind the illusion, and then her eyes fixed,

"But you're right. Human hearts are much more interesting than magic. And the Dusk Gods are truly an interesting bunch."

"So pitiful, their world is destroyed, and they gradually forget their past and lose themselves every day. They leave no trace of themselves in this world, rejected by the world, and face the inevitable death. They are very diverse, but... can they still be called themselves?"

Nancy changed her posture and her tone became more high-pitched.

"Whether they cling to increasingly twisted obsessions or gradually assimilate into the world, they undoubtedly aren't retaining their original selves. That's incredibly pitiful. It's like children abandoned by their parents in a miserable world, mistakenly believing they've matured. Through their own choices, they're actually gradually losing themselves."

"Luckily, the one I picked up was actually a child. Coincidentally, she also looked like a cute little fox. So, I treated her like a child. If she wanted to kill someone, I would pretend that she really did. If she wanted to imitate me in doing evil, I would teach her how to do evil."