People walked across the ruins along the tunnel, which led to the city's complex underground network; heading down meant welcoming a new life.
The price of freedom was that they would have to face a completely unknown future, and no one knew what tomorrow would bring.
Perhaps they would be brushed away in this tunnel like dust, or perhaps the pages of history would be turned by them.
But no matter the outcome,
In this era where the light of day had not yet dawned, they would be like a group of fire-eaters before the dawn, illuminating the dark wilderness, and those with the same vision would see this fire.
Across any length of time, even if their broken bodies turned to flame, there would always be a pair of strong hands to firmly take this entropic fire and hold the torch high, until the legacy of the fire-eater was passed down.
Someone always says that before the dawn arrives, someone needs to light up the darkness.
But oh, the people I love, what is left for the loner who ignites their withered life?
Nothing but ashes, silence, and void.
The hearts of those prostrate before the daybreak have already been linked together in the same vision.
Please take a good look; before the dawn arrives, the eternal fire has already been lit across the scarred plains.
"Your Excellency, what is your name?" Someone noticed Xu Xiaoyou leaving and hurriedly asked.
Many people stopped in their tracks; many among them had already come to view Xu Xiaoyou as a savior and leader.
She was the one who had stepped forward to lead them in firing the first shot of resistance, and seeing her intend to leave, they showed looks of bewilderment and unease, speaking up to try and make her stay.
"I will stay, of course," Xu Xiaoyou turned back and said, her gaze calm and steady.
"But not right now. I will be back soon. If you have not yet learned to hold the torch by the time I return, I shall bring the torch to you."
"If you have already held the torch high, then I shall bring you the dawn."
"I promise."
The weight of that promise put the people's hearts at ease.
"As for my name."
Xu Xiaoyou closed her eyes, pondering for a moment.
"You may simply call me Princess."
With the dungeon end, they had secured victory in this match and returned to Skyline City as players.
The news on the light curtains was broadcasting reports of large-scale uprisings by awakened ones.
After someone fired the first shot, riots by androids occurred within various giant towers.
Some resistance was quickly suppressed, while the scale of other armed resistance forces expanded rapidly during their escape, growing more intense and even occupying certain areas as bases.
"Look at the mess you've made," Bai Youyou shot Xu Xiaoyou a glance. "You're not going to just walk away after fooling them, are you?"
"Of course not," Xu Xiaoyou shook her head. "From the officially announced schedule, we can tell that the Skyline City map has one last dungeon. In all likelihood, we will participate through role-playing again, and I will fulfill my promise then."
"Sometimes, before a resistance breaks out in full force, people's thoughts have already reached a consensus. The prerequisite for a prairie fire is just a tiny spark. Once someone starts it, this fire will not stop."
At that moment, Tang Xin also teleported back and smiled at everyone.
"Speaking of which, did we forget someone?" Angelina asked.
"Where is Meijiu?"
Xu Xiaoyou: "..."
"Yuzu!" Just then, a gnashing voice came from behind, and a red-haired girl drenched from head to toe rushed over.
She lunged at Xu Xiaoyou ferociously, baring her teeth as if ready to fight for her life.
"I contributed so much to the team, kiting four whole mechanical officers for ages, and it hurt like hell! You, on the other hand, actually forgot me there! Do you have any idea how close I came to dying!"
"I didn't forget you. How could you call that forgetting?" Xu Xiaoyou explained. "I believed in your strength and felt you could escape the predicament on your own, so I temporarily set your matter aside. It was just a slight drop in priority. After everything was finished, I certainly would have gone back for you..."
"I'm not listening, Yuzu's just chanting scriptures. No, wait, you tell me, what the heck do you mean by 'priority'?!"
After a bout of bickering, Akabane crossed her arms gloomily, recalling the previous scene. "I had fainted at the time, and a little girl named Le Tong dragged me to a restroom, dodging the pursuit of the mechanical officers. By the time I woke up, the dungeon was over and you had all logged out. Not a single person thought to look for me."
Under the brilliant sunset, the golden light spreading from the distant horizon danced between the high-rises, thinning the clouds in the sky.
The sunlight was fragmented by branches and leaves, shining warmly on their faces in a pleasant manner.
As the girls walked out of the subway station, Akabane stretched her back while Angelina clasped her hands behind her head, let out a bored yawn.
Bai Youyou followed steadily behind the group, and Tang Xin suddenly thought of something.
"I have a general understanding of how you cleared the dungeon. What I'm curious about is, if one's charm isn't high enough to persuade those mechanical officers, how would they deal with the Label Catcher?"
"Have any of you played dodgeball?" Xu Xiaoyou asked suddenly.
"Dodgeball? I used to love playing that! No one could beat me back then!" Akabane said, tilting her head up.
Xu Xiaoyou's thoughts seemed to drift far away, a dull light flickering in her eyes.
She said, "Where I come from, in dodgeball, the ones kicking the ball are the cats, and the ones dodging are the mice. Mice can also eliminate cats."
"If a cat is hit by a ball kicked by another cat, they're out. A cunning mouse will stand in front of a cat when it's distracted, lure other cats to kick the ball at them, then dodge, letting the ball hit the cat behind them."
"With these rules, some cats and mice reach an understanding, and the mice might even actively find ways to eliminate their own companions. Usually, if people see you playing like that, there's a freestyle brawl after the match."
"By the same logic, if charm isn't enough to persuade the mechanical officers, then players have to use a 'dodgeball' method to make the mechanical officers' attacks land precisely on the Label Catcher, accumulating damage to slowly kill him."
"That is the victory method the dungeon designer envisioned, or rather, preferred players to achieve."
"Who would have expected some Pomelo Pest to turn an entire train's worth of people into awakened ones with just a few words?" Akabane looked over.
"What do you mean 'a few words'? I put a lot of thought into that final speech. I started brainstorming way back at the Fire Medical Center, okay?"
"Besides, that's not called turning them; it's called resistance. The nature of the two is completely different."
"Hmph, I'm not going to argue with you. No matter what, you'll always find a way to talk back."
"That's because I think things through over and over before I act, so I rarely make mistakes."
"Look, Big Sister Tang, she's doing it again," Akabane whispered, leaning toward Tang Xin.
"What do you all want for dinner?" Tang Xin asked.
"As long as it's not another 'formal' dinner," Bai Youyou said with a sigh. "I can accept anything."
"Is that malt beer machine broken? Why hasn't any beer come out lately?" Angelina asked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"I turned it off," Xu Xiaoyou said helplessly. "My intention was for you to relax, Anya, not for you to stand in front of it every day and chug from the bottle. If I bring a drunkard into the training map, those team captains will kick me out."
The five figures drifted further away, the sunlight meeting them head-on and stretching long shadows behind the girls.
The wind brushed through the rustling leaves like an old camera clicking its shutter, as time painted the photograph with color.
Rate on N.U.
