Chapter 1796: Chapter 1795: Farewell
The air is filled with a solemn atmosphere.
The young man stared at the dense crowd blocked by the barrier tape, momentarily dazed.
It wasn’t until the ponytailed woman behind gently nudged him that he snapped out of it, lowered his head, glanced at the crowd ahead, and slowly moved forward.
His originally light steps became heavy at this moment, the silence and solemnity in the air spread into everyone’s hearts like an invisible dye.
A black coffin, covered with a white flag printed with the Glorious Palace’s pattern, emerged from the wide gate.
The sky was dark and gloomy, as if clouds were gathering in the firmament, like an invisible hand pressing down on the earth, pressing down on everyone’s heart.
The young man slightly turned his head and glanced at the black coffin beside him.
At this moment, the countless discussions with his companions about the deaths of those inside the coffins transformed into an invisible ’Qi’, entwining his soul.
Those equally young people inside the coffins once encountered ’injustice’ and ’massacre’, these simple words gradually merged with his memory and understanding.
He didn’t know what to say, only sensing a kind of invisible sadness pouring into his heart, with a faint shimmer moistening his eyes.
As the entire procession slowly moved forward, the surrounding people also gently gazed at the continuous line of coffins.
When the dense coffins were sent out from the gate, the gaze of the onlookers shifted from bewilderment, to shock, to compassion.
It seemed people knew what kind of bodies these were to receive this time, but they didn’t anticipate so many coffins.
So many people died in Ains’ massacre.
Death in the news was just a number, even not a number when intentionally hidden by the news.
But when it became a never-ending stream, slowly passing in front of the crowd, it became something tangible and visible.
Unconsciously, the onlookers moved slowly in line with the coffins’ forward advance.
When the last coffin left the gate, the city police began to gather the barrier tape, opening up the road.
And the crowd on both sides gathered together, following those coffins.
"Dest," the ponytail woman looked at the surrounding crowd, approached slowly, looking at the broad-faced man, softly asking, "What did Dawn City publicize to gather so many people?"
"I don’t know either," Dest also glanced bewilderedly at the dense crowd around, "There are too many people coming."
"Actually, the city government didn’t do much publicity," the man in black ahead quietly interjected, and slowly spoke, "The city government just informed everyone through notice boards what these young people did, what kind of appeals they made, but also what kind of harm they suffered from the corporations."
"Then why are so many people coming?" Dest asked somewhat puzzled.
The man in black glanced back at him, then shook his head, "I don’t know either. When I came, they told me that perhaps not many people would come."
Then, the man in black raised his head, slightly gazed at the dense crowd, most of whom had simple clothing and were thin in frame, paused, and speculatively said, "Maybe, it’s because they have all been oppressed by the corporations, had friends like these young people."
Listening to his words, Dest also raised his head, looking at the surrounding crowd.
The people following the coffins, densely squeezed together, could only see the buildings at the street’s far end, but not the boundary of the crowd.
"But in other cities, I haven’t seen such a large crowd for a send-off." The young man beside couldn’t help but remark.
"That’s because other cities won’t hold such receptions and send-offs for these nameless young people," the man in black gazed at the crowd, calmly said, "Even if there are, under the suppression of the corporations, people wouldn’t dare to come out."
"They may not be sending off these young people inside the coffins, but their once friends, partners, relatives," the ponytailed woman beside also thoughtfully said, "those nameless heroes they couldn’t send off."
Dest raised his head, looking at the dense crowd, silently contemplating, "This is Dawn City."
The young man beside opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but couldn’t organize a sentence for a long time, only softly empathizing, "You all speak so well; I just noticed their sheer number, knowing seeing them makes me somewhat empathetically uncomfortable."
"Because people with these experiences, those who had relatives or friends killed due to the corporations, are not just in Dawn City," Dest lowered his head, continuing to walk slowly forward, "Even you and I are such people."
The ponytailed woman lowered her head, didn’t speak anymore, continuing forward following the coffins.
The young man thoughtfully looked ahead, slowly moving forward.
BOOM——
A clap of thunder brightened the firmament and illuminated the pedestrians slowly moving forward.
——
Ains
The dim clouds gradually covered the entire firmament.
Looking up from the old streets, through the slender gaps between the city buildings, could only vaguely see a depressing and shadowy firmament.
"The storm is coming." The man in white robes lowered his head, retracting his gaze from the city gaps, looking at the crowd behind, "Is everything prepared?"
"Almost, Priest." A youthful shadow in white robes approached the man quickly, saying, "All arrangements have been completed, can start action immediately."
The man first raised his hand, glanced at the time, then turned his gaze over, again looking at the youthful shadow in white, "Give me the communicator."
"Okay." The youthful shadow in white promptly handed over a communicator.
The man took the communicator, after a brief silence, pressed the button on it.
Along with a faint red light flickering over, the communicator’s communications page slowly lit up, the man holding it quickly said, "Everyone check completion status, afterward, everyone stand by in place."
"Number 1 completed." "Number 2 completed." "Number 3 completed."······
One by one rapid reports sounded in the communicator until the last completion sound echoed, he hoarsely opened his mouth, "Everyone, stand by."
And the youthful shadow standing in front of the man also raised his head, somewhat puzzledly looking at him.
"Just stand here," the man in white pointed, letting the youthful shadow stay in place, then raised his head, hoarsely spoke, "The great Death Pope is guiding us to the Divine Being’s realm, now, we’ve completed everything except for the last thing."
His gaze glanced briefly at the youthful shadow’s bewildered eyes, continuing slowly, "We all know death is not the end, it’s merely the beginning of a longer eternal life, under the gaze of the great Divine Being, we will obtain a longer, more enduring life in the Netherworld."
The young figure in the white robe standing in front of him lifted his head and looked at the man, that gaze even more confused, as if everything happening before him had already exceeded the initial plan he understood.
However, the white-robed man did not stop speaking; instead, he continued, "We are the most loyal servants of the Divine Being, and the Divine Being has always bestowed favor upon us. Now, it is time for us to demonstrate our loyalty and devotion to the Divine Being."
From the communicator, someone seemed to realize something, and faint sounds of unrest were heard.
Still, the words of the white-robed man showed no pause as he went on, "I hope you all understand that death is with us; this is merely the beginning of our longer life."
At this moment, the young figure in the white robe standing in front of the man finally realized something. He raised his head, stretched out his hand, attempting to grasp the white-robed man, "Priest, please!"
And at this moment, purplish rays of light had already formed at his feet, instantly constructing into intricate patterns, even transforming into slender ropes, entwining his ankles, his body, binding his whole being.
This was precisely the pattern he had just painted himself.
"No! Priest!" "Save me! Priest!"...
From the communicator came one after another, fluctuating pleas of mercy.
Yet hearing these sounds, the white-robed man’s face showed no change, merely calm gaze watching all this, letting out a light sigh, "It seems you have yet to understand the essence of death; I hope between life and death, you can glimpse deeper truth."
"Pri...est..."
The young figure standing before the white-robed man looked at him, attempting with difficulty to stretch his hand forward to grasp the white-robed man’s body.
But the intricate purple rays transformed into slender lines, further entwining his entire body.
Those slender rays almost instantaneously tore through his clothing, cut into his skin, like thin blades, slicing open his flesh.
However, at the parts where flesh was sliced open, no blood flowed out, or rather, the surging blood was absorbed cleanly the moment it met those lines, leaving nothing but pure whiteness.
"Ah—" The painful howl echoed under the gray firmament, that young figure in the white robe seemed to want to say something, but already couldn’t utter a word.
The white-robed man quietly watched all this, gazing at the young figure in the white robe being wrapped up in those slender lines before him, entwined into an unbroken mass.
From the communicator came sounds of painful and intense howls.
Yet the white-robed man simply quietly gazed at all this, quietly listened to these howls.
"Still, some have not made a sound," he said hoarsely, "the Divine Being continuously favors us; now is the time for us to offer our devotion to the Divine Being. Your devotion, the Divine Being will certainly see,"
He lifted his head, looking at the young figure enveloped in the purple lines, hoarsely saying, "We shall attain true immortality in the Netherworld."
Accompanying his words, the young figure wrapped in purple lines started melting like ice and snow, merging into the earth beneath, merging into the purple lines.
The Array, somewhat dimmed before, now illuminated with brilliant rays of light, lighting up the somber sky.
The sound of pain and howls from the communicator gradually diminished at this moment, ultimately fading completely into silent silence.
And the white-robed man merely quietly watched it all, slowly stepping forward, entering into the dense and brilliant Array.
He lifted his head, looking at the sky, as if his gaze could pierce infinitely high and see the Divine Being above the Starry Sky.
The world seemed to quiet down at this moment.
He opened his arms, looking towards the sky, a sharp voice breaking through the dim and deep silence, "God, please favor us!"
Boom—
Thunder illuminated the firmament above, awakening the crowd under the twilight.
Sudden brilliance flared up beneath the white-robed man’s feet, lighting up the whole earth as if illuminating it like a scorching sun.
Numerous slender threads surged up from the ground, enveloping the white-robed man’s body, he lifted his head, with a hint of madness in his shout, emitting some strange yet sacred song, "All beings born weak suffer, only seeing death can they find eternity!"
Those intricate lines instantly enveloped his body like a beast opening a giant mouth, devouring the sweet prey.
The white-robed man’s body almost immediately melted completely, flowing into the earth.
Countless dazzling rays of light lit up from the Array, spreading towards all sides.
Boom—
Thick clouds obscured the sky, roaring thunder echoed among the clouds.
These intricate Array lines, like crazed long snakes, started creeping through the gaps between tall buildings, attempting to envelope all surrounding tall buildings.
"Ah ah ah—" "What is this?!!!"...
Panic-stricken howls resonated between the tall buildings.
"Stop!"
A sound like a mighty bell echoed under the dim sky, and beneath these dazzling Array lights, an elderly man with a Curved Handle Staff slowly emerged from a corner of the nearby street.
And with his voice, the rapidly climbing lines came to an abrupt halt at this moment, unable to move upwards even a bit.
The once dazzling Array lights quickly dimmed in an instant, some unseen and terrifying force spread through the space, pressing the rapidly climbing lines downward.
Soon, the spreading lines were again suppressed into the earth.
The elderly man with the staff lifted his head, looked at the surrounding dim lines, his gaze deep.
Boom Boom Boom—
At this moment, dense thunders exploded in the sky.
During this, dazzling brilliance ignited between the city filled with high-rises.
These were arrays ablaze with radiance, the brilliance spreading to all directions, enveloping the surrounding buildings.
The formally dressed elderly man with the Curved Handle Staff turned back, looking at those radiances, a somber expression on his face.
Thick clouds completely covered the sky.
