Quadruple split.

Chapter 2768 Phantom Pain
"Um……"

After everything returned to calm, Akira, whose arms were severed at the elbows and whose body below the chest had disappeared, leaving only a third of himself lying on the ground, slightly raised his head and nodded to the sin of this world that was slowly approaching him and looking down at him with cold eyes, saying, "It was my miscalculation."

"..."

The King of Sin stared coldly at the 'natural enemy' before him, which should have been dead by any means, but whose health was still barely locked due to frequent data modifications. After a long while, he asked, "Where is Silent Prayer?"

"I sent her away."

Akira replied calmly, "If I had died from your attack just now, she might have been affected by this deduced timeline, and her mental state could have been easily damaged beyond control. However... it seems that this preparation was unnecessary. Should I thank you for showing mercy?"

What just happened—

The King of Sin ignored the other party's apology and continued to ask, "How much does she remember?"

"She will hardly remember that this is the 'gap' I prepared. Everything that happened here exists only in concept, so even in order to protect her mind, the memories here cannot be preserved."

Ming Sheng shook his head and said seriously, "Strictly speaking, her memory should be stuck at the time when she was playing with 'Wen Qiu', and Wen Qiu will not remember my appearance. As for the time when I occupied her, it will be harmlessly fed back to her in the form of dreams in the future."

The King of Sin nodded coldly, then gave a succinct evaluation: "Useless."

"I did everything I was supposed to do."

Akira stared at the other person intently, and said expressionlessly, "It was Ji Xiaodao who made an incomprehensible and illogical move. You have no reason to question my performance."

The King of Sin: "...I've given you enough time."

"You knew I would come? You also knew I would try to change Ji Xiaodao's unfair fate?"

Akira paused for a moment, then asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"Aren't you very good at deduction?"

The King of Sin sneered, looking down at Akira, who was on the verge of losing his life: "Why don't you try to deduce why I know about this?"

Akira shook his head and said without hesitation, "I cannot make any effective calculations about you. You are the sin of this world, while I... at least in the realm of innocence, am the karma of the next world."

"If you're in the afterlife, why come here?"

The King of Sin stared at Akira's indifferent, calm, and unwavering eyes, which seemed to devour all light and shadow but reflected no light at all, and asked, "Are you sure I can stay here forever, or simply meet my end in this 'other world'?"

Akira shook his head and said honestly, "No, it's because the person I'm monitoring has become fond of [Innocent Realm] recently, and I was just dragged into playing this game."

"..."

Upon hearing this overly 'childish' reason, even the King of Sin was speechless for a moment, only breaking the silence again after several seconds: "This is not a stage where you have the right or qualification to intervene, especially when you can't even find the way back to her fate."

"I don't deny that."

"Don't let me see you again."

"I will. I have no reason to come here except for Ji Xiaodao. Even if I need to correct some other mistakes... it has nothing to do with you."

"I'll give you a piece of advice."

"I am listening."

"The more you do, the deeper you get involved. I've said it before, this is not a stage where you have the right or the qualification to intervene."

"There is no compelling reason to deny something, but mistakes cannot be ignored."

"Ah."

"However, I probably won't be coming back anytime soon."

"You can also try to test my patience and see if you can still be tolerated to this extent next time."

"...I will remember that."

Akira nodded, then could no longer suppress the irresistible death, turning into white light and disappearing.

……

Game time AM04:05
Onic City, Central Administrative District, Prince's Residence, Garden

"what!"

The girl, held in Ji Xiaodao's arms, suddenly widened her eyes in surprise and exclaimed, "It's Brother Mo! Brother Mo is here!"

"Ok?"

Less than two minutes after coming down, the girl who hadn't had a chance to chat with Wen Qiu was slightly taken aback. She then turned around and saw that the guy who had just said he was going to 'rest for a bit' was actually there. She immediately frowned and glared at him: "Didn't you say you were going to rest?"

"..."

Mo didn't speak, but leaned down slightly and lifted Wenqiu, who was now trying to climb onto him on tiptoe after leaving Ji Xiaodao's embrace. He let the girl sit happily on his shoulders and then stood beside Ji Xiaodao like a statue, bathed in the moonlight and starlight, lost in thought.

Wait... bathed in moonlight and starlight?

Ji Xiaodao suddenly snapped out of his daze, looked up at the starry sky above Onic City, which, while not as brilliant as the night sky of the Caselo Plains, was far superior to that of a normal first-tier city outside the game. He then looked at the crescent moon, which radiated a chilling coldness and was sharp yet poignantly beautiful. He suddenly realized that the stars had not become stingy and indifferent at the usual 'specific moment,' but were shining brightly above everyone, including someone else.

Beautiful and dazzling.

"..."

In the end, Ji Xiaodao gave up the idea of ​​saying a few more words. She sat lazily on the bench, bathed in the intoxicating evening breeze, looking at the moon, the stars, and the flowers and plants around her that were well-maintained by the overcast sky and still being tended by Li Fo after she left. She looked at the girl who was chattering incessantly, and at Mo, who sat on his shoulders and swayed back and forth like a statue, yet always adjusted his center of gravity to prevent the girl from falling because she was so engrossed in her own world.

"...Why are you still so worried...aren't you...asking me..."

“…jeans…t-shirt…”

"...You've also acted in... dramas, right?"

"...But Chen...is here to guard..."

"...Be decisive...and subdue them directly..."

"...Don't just leave the door open for him..."

"Can't catch... a share."

“Listen, Ji Xiao… today…”

"...The chairman will review...the budget...don't worry?"

"...Let's check it again...we are students..."

"Ah... saying I admit defeat... I was just kidding."

"...In fulfilling the obligation...the result made me...feel a little more at ease."

"...Who knew..."

"Walk……"

"Holding hands..."

"Yes, let's hold hands, since you get lost so easily."

……

"?"

Despite enjoying a refreshing evening breeze and being in the game "Innocent Realm," which allows for uninterrupted sleep, Ji Xiaodao inexplicably felt drowsy. Suddenly, he raised his head and looked around in confusion.

I don't know when Qiu left, but there's a new message in my message box saying she's going to Merlin to play.

As for that person, they had long since vanished without a trace. If Ji Xiaodao remembered correctly, the other person left shortly after Wen Qiu left. Why didn't he go with them?
What are those sounds that linger in my ears, sounds that feel strangely familiar yet also carry a faint sense of unfamiliarity and emptiness?
After regaining her senses, the girl tried to recall those words, but couldn't find even a trace of them. The only thing she remembered was that the person was standing beside her until those touching yet frightening words completely disappeared.

"call--"

After taking a deep breath, Ji Xiaodao made up his mind, stood up and quickly returned to the mansion, ignoring Li Fo who was bowing respectfully to him in the first-floor hall, and went straight to the study.

As always, there was no knocking. Ji Xiaodao turned the handle and slowly entered.

Behind the mask in the shadows, a pair of jet-black eyes turned toward the door at the same time.

The moment their eyes met, Ji Xiaodao suddenly felt a little dazed.

In a daze, the other person was not the 'king' who was now completely shrouded in shadow, forever alone, ruling over the guilty, but a guy with gentle eyes and a smile, who, although he didn't seem easy to get along with, genuinely loved this world and everyone around him.

In a daze, she seemed to have become an equally unfamiliar person, her...

It's so good that she's not herself.

A faint smile played on the corners of her lips as the girl walked slowly to the table perfect for 'moon basking'. She crossed her arms and leaned against it, leaving behind the image of the girl she so admired but felt no longing for.

After all, that fearsome guy was right beside him, so whoever that person in his delusion was had absolutely nothing to do with him.

The girl that Ji Xiaodao discovered in a daze, who resembled herself, was so fulfilling that she had absolutely no reason to associate with the gloomy masked man in front of her.

Those will be two parallel lines that will never intersect.

And that is why it can only be a fragile dream bubble that quietly brews in a drowsy state and is destined to quietly disappear when one is awake.

"Hey."

Her crimson eyes blinked gently, reflecting the figure lurking in the depths of darkness: "Do you dream when you sleep?"

"forgotten."

While carefully reviewing several reports about Ramorok, the King of Sin replied with three words indifferently.

"forgotten?"

The girl was clearly not satisfied with the answer and asked irritably, "Even if most people can't remember the content of their dreams, they at least know whether they've had a dream or not, right? Or do you think saying that makes you seem cool and handsome?"

Half a minute later, the profile of Ramorok was becoming more and more complete. Having finished most of the preparations, the King of Sin casually put down the document and turned to look at Ji Xiaodao, who no longer expected to get an answer to the question he had just asked: "A dream that cannot be remembered is just as meaningless as a dream that has never existed."

"A very abstract explanation."

The girl gave a soft hum, casually brushed aside a strand of hair that fell across her forehead, and said indifferently, "But it's not without reason."

"..."

"However, I recently dreamed that my sister's cooking skills had greatly improved and she had won over several kittens, which was quite meaningful."

"..."

"And you? You've never even had a dream like this?"

"..."

"Speaking of which, when you were basking in the moonlight down there, why didn't any dark clouds drift over and give you the silent treatment?"

"..."

"If you have the chance in the future, would you like to try sunbathing again? You've been going online quite late lately."

"..."

"Speaking of which, Mo."

"..."

Do you still want me to leave?

"Is this also related to the dream you mentioned?"

"No, I just suddenly wanted to ask."

"It doesn't matter."

"……Um."

"..."

"correct."

"..."

Did you rest well today?

"..."

"..."

"……fine."

……

Real time, 07:01 AM
Mo Tan's Apartment, Dexin District, City B

"Woo!"

Almost the instant he left the [Boundary of Innocence] and his mind returned to reality, Mo Tan in the game pod suddenly clutched his head tightly and let out a painful groan.

He didn't know why, even though he was perfectly normal until five minutes before going offline, he suddenly fell into a splitting headache, startling Ji Xiaoge, Gu Xiaole, Jadeka, Ya Ya, and A Liang next to him. After that, although Mo Tan tried his best to endure it, the pain that almost tore his skull apart continued until the last second before the server shut down. What was even more frightening was that his symptoms did not improve at all until he left the [Innocent Realm].

It's even gotten worse!

This can't go on...

Despite the excruciating pain that nearly made him faint, Mo Tan gritted his teeth and opened the game pod from the inside. He then struggled to climb out and fell to the ground in a disheveled state.

As if his brain was boiling, as if his brain was trembling, he curled up on the living room floor, covering his temples with trembling hands, trying to stabilize his body... or mental state through deep breathing.

However, the results were minimal.

This pain was not unfamiliar to him. In fact, he had experienced this state once before after he had a conversation with "himself" and "himself" in his own mental world. However, the symptoms only lasted for a short while then. Although it made him faint for a moment, it did not last as long as it did now.

He even had the illusion that the pain would continue until he fainted or collapsed.

"This...this won't do..."

After rolling to the side twice while clutching his head, Mo Tan gritted his teeth and stood up, leaning on the sofa. He staggered into the bathroom, turned on the tap and let the cold water run for about a minute. Then, holding his breath, he put his head into the sink and desperately opened his eyes.

The pain continued, but the willpower prevailed under the sudden stimulus.

First, turn on the computer, log into 'Mo's' email and send an email to Ji Xiaoge, who must be worried, to let her know I'm safe. Then call Yi Dong—no, then go straight to [Strange and Unusual]—

Despite the excruciating pain, Mo Tan left the bathroom and slowly walked towards the living room.

Then, about two meters away from the computer, he fell to the ground with a 'thud'.

In the three seconds before losing consciousness, Tan Mo had a sudden inspiration. He took out his phone and blindly dialed a string of 111111, accurately sending it to Xue Yin.

In the instant he lost consciousness, Mo vaguely heard a panicked cry—

"Mo-chan!"

Chapter 2759: The End