Above Destiny

Chapter 785 A Page of the Vast Ocean (Thanks to Ysera苍嘉 for being the Alliance Leader)

It was like snow falling heavily from a burning furnace.

The pale specks danced, rising and falling amidst the azure waves and shattered sky, moving with the wind and heading in all directions.

In the quiet warehouse, a door that had been sealed for a long time was opened.

The mountain of notices, the announcements that had been prepared long ago, and the invitations that had been finalized since the first day Ji Jue arrived here, finally saw the light of day again.

There were no lengthy introductions or boasts, only simple and straightforward content, printed in both the Federation and Empire languages ​​on both sides, with dense text filling every corner.

"First Large-Scale Recruitment Announcement for Coast Group's Qicheng Industrial Park".

Coast Group cordially invites you to join us and is currently recruiting for the following positions: Operations, Assembly, Quality Inspection, Maintenance, Materials, Warehouse Management... Forklift Operator, Large Truck Driver... Shipbuilding, Repair, Crew, Shipwright... Security Guard, Gatekeeper, General Staff... Night school training is also available... Full insurance coverage and excellent benefits.

They rose up in a flurry, soaring lightly in the wind, traversing long and long distances, scattering across everything burning in the flames, heading towards the place where flowers bloom.

It was everywhere, overwhelming and pervasive.

They fell into the mud, into the sewage and ruins.

It fell into the flames.

It fell into the palm of every mutated hand, delivering this invitation to every pair of empty eyes, carrying the invitation and guarantee signed by Ji Jue.

"What is this? I don't understand."

"So complicated."

"It hurts my eyes, it's uncomfortable... I feel unwell..." In the narrow alley, the hunched homeless man shifted restlessly, swaying his distorted body, muttering incoherently, "Those who see it feel uncomfortable..."

Subconsciously, he crumpled the flyer in his hand into a ball, and instinctively tore it into shreds.

But then another flyer fell from the sky, making him irritable and angry. He tore it to shreds, and then another, and another… He avoided his gaze, not wanting to see the words that stung his eyes. But even as he ventured deeper into the alley, the flyers continued to fall on him, one after another.

Until he had nowhere to run, he looked up and saw the snow falling everywhere.

A muffled roar, like that of a wild beast, came from its throat.

They curled up.

Amidst the falling flyers, he clutched his head, trembling, and sobbing.

But I don't know why I feel so sad and scared.

It was just an instinctive unease.

It was as if those deliberately forgotten pains and torments were about to be recalled once again, causing him to choke up and wail uncontrollably.

"look……"

"Lies, all lies!"

"But……"

"What if?"

"What if it's true?"

A low murmur arose, in the dark ditches, in the dilapidated shacks... as if it were everywhere, rising and falling, converging together.

A ripple appeared on the still, desolate sea of ​​suffering.

"It's meaningless, don't overthink it, it's all the same."

"They're lying again."

"He's gone, and everything will be over."

"People change all the time."

"It's all a lie."

Frustrated, the penniless man tore the piece of paper in his hand to shreds, threw it on the ground, and roared, "They're all liars!"

He staggered, trying to close the door, to go back to his bed, to forget everything, but when he turned around, he saw broken glass and his own reflection in it.

A tiny flower blooms on a face covered in cracks.

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to see a gaunt worker with calloused hands, hunched over, walking with the same unsteady gait.

It's like another version of myself, an even more... version of myself that I envy.

Head held high, spine straight, looking at him.

That peaceful look in his eyes...

"Mr. Ji paid me my salary, not a penny less."

"Mr. Ji treated my illness, and the money he spent was enough to cover the cost of just two extra days of work."

In the refuge on Ro Island, the old boatman, wrapped in a blanket, picked up the flowers in front of him and carefully placed them in a vase on the table, admiring their blooming appearance.

He said that from now on, when you are hungry, you should not eat rotten flesh, and when you are sick, you should not pray to your ancestors.

"You don't need to be afraid at night."

Under the shelter's lights, a group of sleepless young people huddled together playing cards. When they got excited, one of them grinned:
"I also want to buy a refrigerator... a small one is fine too..."

Someone said, "I heard that if you perform well, you can even travel to Haizhou. I want to go and see the Federation."

"Then I need to earn some more money so I can buy some local specialties back later."

"The first phase has already ended; you signed up too late."

"It will take some more time..."

"Go to sleep, don't stay up late, you might have to work tomorrow afternoon."

"Wasn't it supposed to be a holiday?"

"Then you can sleep for a little longer."

Between those slightly crowded and messy bunk beds, faces of all ages and genders were visible, some worried, some calm, some excited, and some restless.

Yet, his expression radiated a certain... almost illusory sense of peace.

When you close your eyes and fall asleep, there's no need to fear tomorrow.

They even have the courage to talk about the future.

As long as you work, you can support your family; as long as you sign a contract, you can take care of your family.

As long as you work diligently, you don't need to worry about being abandoned... You don't need to be afraid that just because you stumbled, got sick, or made a mistake, you will fall into an abyss with no chance of ever getting back up.

There's no need to sell your life cheaply, no need to abandon your dignity.

Those responses from the soul rang in everyone's ears, telling them:

"We too can have a future."

The ripples in the quagmire gradually intensified, and countless consciousnesses, immersed in it, surged instinctively amidst the connecting blossoms, subconsciously resisting, denying, and even becoming angry.

"That's all a lie!"

"That was all a lie!"

"No one would be that kind!"

Their only response was silence, devoid of any displeasure.

Those pairs of eyes, whether cloudy or clear, remained calm, simply gazing at those angry and weary faces. They listened, they remained calm, and they gave their answer:
"But he did it."

He kept all his promises.

One effort, one reward. One drop of sweat, one achievement.

As long as you can get up, you can keep moving forward.

Even if you're exhausted and can't walk anymore, you don't have to worry about being abandoned...

It sounds like a lie that each of those rulers keeps repeating, a dream that can never be realized, for the Seven Cities, for everyone, for each and every one of you.

They all talked about how wonderful the future was and how prosperous the prospects were, but no one ever talked about the present.

No one has ever said that you can have a future too.

But now, as completely different promises arrive before each person with invitations that fall lightly, the quagmire that should have been utterly silent is once again stirred up.

Those numb and weary souls raised their heads from their despair and gazed at the blooming flowers so close at hand.

Excitement, confusion, disdain, or disgust.

There are so many different things.

But no matter who it is, there is always a moment when they seem to want to say something but hold back.

It was as if I heard a voice from afar.

But it seemed to resonate from deep within, from a corner of myself that I had completely forgotten, from the self that once possessed hope and dreams.

"What if there's still a chance?"

A flyer, a notice, an invitation.

An opportunity.

Even if it's insignificant, even if it's out of reach.

Even if you accept it, give it your all, and struggle with all your might, there may be no good result; it may just be a fleeting moment.

But as long as it can make the world around me, and myself, a little better...

Even just a little bit.

Are you still willing to make a choice?
In that instant, in the deathly silence, in the stench of the garbage dump, a trembling hand, mutated into a caliper, struggled to rise and extend...

They picked up the pieces of paper that had fallen into the mud.

I carefully picked it up, patted off the mud stains, and examined it closely.

They searched for the right job for themselves, word by word.

I watched it once, and then again.

For some reason, the world before my eyes became increasingly blurry, and drops of water fell from my cheeks onto the paper.

He hugged that light, fluttering page, and then, unable to hold back any longer, he burst into tears!
The crying, which had been silent for a long time, began again.

Beneath the shattered sky, sounds came from all directions, from every corner, sharp or low, hoarse or loud.

It was as if I had finally woken up from an endless nightmare.

They opened their eyes again.

Feeling thirst, bitterness, pain, exhaustion, and confusion, I could no longer bear it, and cried out in anguish, tears streaming down my face.

Just like a newborn baby.

It's just like……

Just like a real person.

In the mire of suffering, those who had long since lost everything reached out their hands once again.

Thus, cracks appeared in the realm of depravity.

A deafening roar erupted.

Right in front of Ji Jue, the incomplete Celestial Body suddenly trembled, as if being ravaged by an unseen weight, shivering and convulsing, and little by little, bent over and knelt on the ground.

It's too much to bear this terrifying, invisible weight!

That was countless souls trying to rise from the mire... wanting to completely drag down the ascended celestial beings!

In the void, the projection of the Crimson Banner reappeared, radiating intense light, rising inch by inch into the dark sky, like the blazing sun descending!

The dazzling light kept expanding, expanding, and expanding again.

Using countless scattered leaflets as bait and lighthouses covering seven cities as a medium, they wantonly eroded the realm of the Fallen, bringing into control every soul that reached out its hand.

It is becoming more and more dazzling and more and more intense.

This caused cracks to spread across the solemn and majestic foundation of heaven and humanity.

The flames raged and spread rapidly, until they completely ignited the night sky, burning away all the venomous and corrupt stars!

No matter how hard Fernán tried to salvage the situation, no matter how powerful the divine forces were in suppressing it, it was all in vain.

When the first soul chooses to reach out in the midst of a muddled and hopeless state of depravity, it triggers an unstoppable chain reaction.

When a third of the people in the seven cities chose to get back up, the small ripples turned into earth-shattering waves.

When those who have forgotten the future are willing to face pain once again, the erosion of the stagnant flames can no longer spread.

Even if all they did was bend down and pick up a flyer that had fallen from the sky.

They have made their choice.

Whether ascension or fall awaits them.

At least, I can still choose for myself!
"...A life of achievement?"

In the sewers, a homeless man, barely alive, clutched a flyer in his hand. He looked up, his broken face illuminated by a sliver of sunlight, a picture of utter wretchedness.

Yet, a glimmer of hope appeared in her empty eyes.

"Sounds...not bad at all..."

coastal?

It must be a good place, right?
I think I've heard about it from someone, but unfortunately, it's too far away.

I wish I could go.

in case……

He clutched the flyer, staring blankly at the fading light of day. His pupils gradually widened, losing focus and their luster.

No more sound.

On the objectified face, a crack silently spread out, slightly upturned.

It looks like he's laughing.

So peaceful.

(End of this chapter)