"Boom——!!"

A strawberry candy hit the ground, exploding into a dazzling light in the corridor, blocking the pursuing robots.

"This way!" The blue-skinned robot led the way. Facing the maze-like mechanical corridor, he navigated it accurately and quickly, taking Noel through small doors, crawling through dog holes, and entering ventilation shafts...

In the narrow space, the puppet threads were at their most effective. Bullets and cannon fire were deflected, exploding into bursts of fireworks. The pursuers chased like dogs, worn out to the point of exhaustion.

"Up here!"

The two of them slipped into the ventilation shaft, and Noel immediately destroyed the passage below. Accompanied by the sound of crumbling bricks, the sounds of pursuit finally fell silent.

"It's a bit safer now. Follow me," Blue led the way forward, crawling.

Cool air blew through the ventilation duct, causing Noel to yawn. He felt his eyelids fighting to stay open. He hadn't matured yet when he broke out of his shell, lacking nutrients, and now he felt sleepy.

To avoid falling asleep, Noel focused on the moving metal legs ahead and casually struck up a conversation:

"Blue, have you ever thought about buying yourself some clothes?"

"Huh?" Blue seemed puzzled, his mechanical gears turning in his head. He had never considered this issue, and subconsciously felt a tinge of shyness, scratching his exposed metal skin: "No, I haven't. Aren't we on the run? You're actually concerned about this."

"Chatting while crawling is better than silently squirming around," Noel moved forward. "Otherwise, if you're too tense, your calves will cramp when you run later."

"Uh, okay..." Blue's mind struggled to keep up. He was just an ordinary model, with outdated chipsets and components. He knew he was slow and couldn't follow others' trains of thought, only responding as best as he could: "The temperature sensor is fixed, so I don't need to wear nice clothes... Turn ahead."

"Hmm." Noel observed Blue, using the conversation to keep himself awake: "I think you'd look great in a suit, with your tall frame."

"Ah... really?" Blue was a bit overwhelmed. He was accustomed to the cold, unfeeling machinery and performing the same tasks day in and day out. It had been too long since someone talked to him like this. He mustered his circuits to come up with the best response: "...Thank you."

Yes, thanking was the best response in his programming.

Thanking was the sincerest response and could never be wrong.

"Really," Noel said, "Keep talking with me, or I'll fall asleep."

"Alright."

"Can you tell me about Luowasha?"

"I don't know much. I've been working here since I gained consciousness... Never been outside. The mechanics who worked outside told me the sky outside is blue, and the grass is green, but I can't imagine what that looks like..." Blue said, feeling embarrassed.

"So you do the same thing day after day, without rest or food, working 24 hours a day."

"Yes... The Mechanical Master often tells us that if we don't work, others will do it instead," Blue's voice was muffled, echoing in the ventilation duct. "Occasionally, we get a half-hour break, and that's when I lie on the floor and chat with my comrades. We dream that if we work hard enough, one day we'll be able to sleep as long as we want, eat any mechanical liquid we desire... Working a little harder now for a better life later."

"...Later?"

"After we're worn out from work, we'll be sent to the surface to live a free life."

"But you chose to escape."

"Yes," Blue's voice lowered:

"Because the Master of the End of All Things showed me the truth in a dream... all those comrades who went to retire after being worn out were dismantled for parts. The happiness we yearned for... doesn't exist at all."

"From birth, we are just tools. The harder we work, the more jobs we take on, enabling the Mechanical Master to live a better life."

"That was when I awoke. Why must I walk a life path where I can see the end? Why must I work myself to death? From the first moment I saw you, I thought of today's escape plan. I wanted to use your strength to escape together."

"What do you want to do after escaping?" Noel gradually understood Blue's thoughts.

"The sky my companions talked about, I want to see what color it is... I also want to taste peach-flavored mechanical juice. I've heard it's delicious. I've only tasted flavorless things..." Blue's eyes slightly moved upward, dreaming, and a faint mechanical grinding sound came from his cheeks.

"It seems the Master of the End of All Things is truly a good person," Noel mused.

"I don't know if he is good or bad, but he showed me another possibility, gave me another choice... Right turn ahead."

"After we get out, I'll take you to try peach-flavored mechanical juice. You can introduce me to the Master of the End of All Things. How about that?" Noel suggested.

Blue's circuits raced, and after a moment, the temperature on his metal face slightly increased, seemingly a sign of overthinking. He shyly lowered his head and mumbled:

"...And a suit."

"Alright," Noel laughed, "and a suit that suits you."

"Uh-huh," Blue replied softly.

Iron-skinned robots never wore anything so exquisite, but this new friend of his was skilled in appreciation. Whether it was peaches, blue skies, or exquisite clothing, people who love life always know better than those trapped in iron frameworks.

Even though their initial encounter was just a mutual escape, at this moment, Blue felt Noel's kindness and warmth. It wasn't in his incessant talking, but in the warmth emitted by this blond-haired boy, which could be felt without even touching.

"Thank you... my friend." It was Blue's first time meeting someone like this. A life of numbness almost made him as rigid as a piece of iron.

"My name is Phoenix," the blond friend said with a bright smile.

"Thank you... Phoenix."

If there really was a phoenix in the world, it might be someone like this blond boy.

Blue lowered his head, holding back a sentence he hadn't told Noel. It was what he instinctively admired the first moment he saw Noel in the nutrient tank.

—From the first glance, he was captivated by that direct beauty, the beauty of an Ancient Divine Beast.

This beauty touched his mental instrument dial and even spread to his mechanical mind, making him mistakenly believe he possessed the emotions of an organic being.

Embedding this bold escape plan, naturally infused with a longing for freedom, was his genuine desire to help this beautiful creature escape.

The machine born into shackles had long rotted in the numbness of day after day. In truth, even if he escaped, his machinery wouldn't function much longer.

But Phoenix, born to belong to the sky, shouldn't be trapped in a nutrient tank or rot away with him.

—If he acted on this belief...

Blue turned his head slightly, catching a glimpse of the flowing blond hair behind him, akin to a bird's feathers. The boy's blue eyes glowed faintly, purer than his murky artificial eyes.

—Does this mean his mission doesn't lie in becoming a monotonous, numb component, but in pursuing what his heart yearns for? Like aesthetics, like emotions, like... freedom?

"It looks like the exit is ahead," Noel looked up.

"Alright."

...

[· 16:35, April 5, 2025]

His chest gently pulsed, something expanding and contracting.

Fu En should have felt saddened by Qi Jue's betrayal, but more than anything, he was thrilled, excited, and passionate at the sight of his idol... to the point where he instinctively charged forward, completely forgetting his own weakness. His mind screamed one overwhelming thought—he must protect his idol!

"Let go! Let go of my idol!!!" Fu En clutched his bleeding wound, stumbling as he sprinted forward.

Xi Ting didn't even bother to glance back, her arm transforming into a sharp sword that pierced through Fu En without any hesitation.

Blood flowed everywhere.

"Overestimating yourself." Xi Ting said coldly, her gaze locking onto Su Ming'an: "The noisy thing has disappeared, we..."

The next moment, her eyes widened.

Blood suddenly gushed from Su Ming'an's shoulder, while Fu En was still alive.

...

[Noah's Chain (Gold Level):

Effect 2: You can designate any player and share any damage they receive in the next 10 seconds, cooldown time fifteen minutes.]

...

Su Ming'an had protected Fu En.

Fu En was the only person on the platform who could move, and he could see Eni and Tian Yu's positions.

"Fu En, take them and leave, I'll hold off Xi Ting and Lotasha." Su Ming'an shouted to Fu En.

Fu En gritted his teeth and immediately rolled and crawled away.

He never thought his first meeting with his idol would be under such circumstances.

Xi Ting narrowed her eyes: "Should I call you arrogant or confident... Little Magpie. Your enemies are a God and a Royal, do you really think you can hold them off until your companions escape? It's unnecessary to make it so troublesome, if you just nod and join us, everything will be perfect."

Su Ming'an shrugged: "I would love to."

... Unfortunately, his main quest was to kill the Goddess of Life.

"Stubborn." Xi Ting reached out a claw towards Su Ming'an, her expression carrying a touch of contempt, clearly not considering Su Ming'an's combat power as a threat.

Su Ming'an raised his eyes.

... Sique, this is the "friendly" friend you let me meet, indeed.

Although he did manage to meet the Goddess of Life, in a way, Sique truly didn't find the wrong person...

In this moment, Xi Ting suddenly sensed a hint of danger, a warning from her Sixth Sense, honed over countless battles—

Why did she feel danger? In his normal state, Sique wasn't supposed to be her match.

The next moment, she understood.

An abrupt gravitational pull dragged at her arm, she suddenly felt dizzy, her body oozing with sticky sludge, extremely negative emotions exploded in her heart.

Sorrow, anger, despair, pain...

Before she could catch her breath, she felt the surrounding air begin to ripple and tear—

"Boom——!!!"

Su Ming'an stepped on the puppet threads, gliding smoothly across the vibrating area, sliding from the stage down to the front of the Goddess of Life, descending lightly.

A violent rumbling sounded from behind, mixed with the sound of bones cracking, and blood-red text floated up on the damage interface.

...

[HP-3721! (Weakness Strike! Critical hit! Positional Suppression!)]

...

Xi Ting lay on the ground, her skeleton shattered by the shock, several ribs broken on the floor.

Gravity Suppression + Judgment + Full Mana Space Vibration. This was Su Ming'an's most stable and fierce strike.

His combat power was enough to go head-to-head with a Third-level God, and just because he avoided direct confrontation with the Royals before, didn't mean he couldn't beat them. Xi Ting thought she could easily handle him, not realizing that what she was facing was not a weak and helpless bird, but a Super Jellyfish.

The mighty Undead Emperor, smashed to the ground by a single hand from the Super Jellyfish.

Su Ming'an switched to the Bright State, drawing out the Sword of Yarman.

In front of him, Qi Jue tilted his head, green hair swaying: "You're strong, it was Xi Ting who underestimated you... but are you planning to face me without any Mana, Sique?"

At this time, Fu En got up from the ground and met Qi Jue's gaze.

Seeing the situation turning dire, Fu En couldn't help but speak: "Qi Jue..."

He never expected his knight to be the Goddess of Life, accompanying him for eighteen years.

The godly descent at eight years old finally had an explanation—because the Goddess of Life was by his side, of course she could save him when he stumbled from a great height.

Scenes from the past flashed before him, the knight's tenderness, protection, devotion... the knight always managed to tolerate his arrogance again and again. But this time, could he spare his idol? This was his only wish...

"Qi Jue..." he began, hesitatingly, trying to plead.

However, Qi Jue glanced at him and said calmly, "Why are you still alive?"

At this moment, Fu En's voice caught in his throat, unable to utter another word.

He wasn't smart, but he wasn't stupid either, and suddenly many things became clear to him.

Qi Jue had protected him meticulously for more than ten years—to make him a sacrifice for the Goddess of Life to descend to the world.

Qi Jue recounted the teachings of the Goddess of Life every night, patiently answering his every question—that was to make him accept the Goddess, to prevent too much rejection.

Qi Jue saved him from his father's hand because... not to dirty the Goddess's sight.

And as for the divine descent when he stumbled at eight—

"... Was that descent for me?" Fu En couldn't help wanting to confirm. Qi Jue was the only person in this world who treated him well, this concern... even if there was just a little bit of true feeling.

Qi Jue thought for a moment: "That descent was indeed for you, to gain your trust."

Fu En's eyes lit up, almost grasping the last thread of hope.

—However, those green eyes still wouldn't look at him.

"Because your stumble then was pushed by me." Qi Jue said calmly.

In the eyes of a God, there is only power and brethren.

The long eighteen years of a human life is just a fleeting moment to Him. Did he really think that He would favor an arrogant, confident, and temperamental prince? Was it the piano lessons with their tunes that bewildered him? Or was it the sunflowers planted together in the garden that bewildered him?

"You are even less worthy than a vibrant flower to be liked by me, at least they understand the way of life better than you." Qi Jue extended a hand:

"Goodbye."

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