Strange Voyage: Summoning the Fourth Disaster.

Chapter 808 In the Name of the Mayfly

"found it?"

"I don't understand you."

“I am still following my father’s instructions and have not found the meaning of life.”

Upon hearing Bedavin's words, the mayfly was puzzled. After carefully examining its current situation, it questioned his statement.

Bedavin chuckled at this.

Do you remember what I just said?

"Life itself has no inherent meaning, yet every moment of life has meaning. It is not a universally accepted standard, so... whether meaning exists or not depends solely on yourself."

"Just now, you asked me for advice because you regard me as a senior who has found the meaning of life, so my advice is important and may help you find meaning."

"But you did not heed my advice and still chose to follow the instructions."

"And in my view, what drives you to make this choice is meaning."

"Of course, you could say you still haven't found it, after all, this is just my own opinion."

Bedavon was still smiling.

Although he talked a lot of seemingly roundabout and repetitive things, the final conclusion he reached was somewhat of a mystery.

Even Wei Yu, who was standing nearby, was getting a headache from listening to this.

But...mayflies seem to have an exceptionally strong ability to understand.

After pondering for a short while, he looked up, seemingly having gained some insight.

At the same time, Wei Yu suddenly realized that its aura seemed to have become stronger.

Furthermore, the remaining time in the task prompt has also changed.

[Remaining time: 39 minutes and 42 seconds]

The mayfly's remaining energy is burning rapidly!
"Is this so..."

"I think I understand something."

"Thank you."

The mayfly thanked him very sincerely.

Then, he raised his hand, assuming a fighting stance.

"Then let's get on with it."

"The mayfly said."

He now possesses a near-human way of thinking.

He knew very well that Bedavin was the murderer who caused his father's death, and even he himself died because of the machine-devouring hive created by Bedavin.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration for mayflies to regard them as enemies.

But at the same time, the mayfly's reason told him that compared to killing Bedavin to take revenge, extinguishing the flames of hatred and finding the meaning of life was obviously more important.

Because... that was Father's order.

"..."

Although Wei Yu felt that things were developing in a strange way, since Fu You had made preparations, he naturally had nothing to say and raised the Gray Soul in his hand.

To this, Bedavon chuckled softly and shook his head.

“When I was studying with my teacher, I read an interesting story.”

"That was a land of artisans that had been lost."

"The artisans there aimed to create the most wondrous and powerful tools, resorting to any means necessary, bordering on madness. In the end, they mobilized the entire nation, sacrificing the hands of all their skilled craftsmen in a blood sacrifice... in an effort to forge the greatest masterpiece in the world..."

"When I first read this story, I didn't take it seriously. I thought it was just a legend, and I didn't believe that people from any country would willingly sacrifice their most important thing for such a thing."

"But now, I think I understand a little bit."

"Fine……"

Bedavin looked at the mayfly before him with satisfaction in his eyes, but his last words also carried a hint of regret.

"Since this is something you have to do..."

"Then I, this obnoxious craftsman, will use my life to give you the final forging..."

After Bedavin finished speaking,

The flesh and blood chair and his aura were no longer suppressed, but rose instantly.

At the same time, the light rain and the mayfly were also ready for battle.

This time, the mayfly has become exceptionally strong and determined.

Regardless, this is something he has to do!

……

Before their power was enhanced, the team of Mayfly and Drizzle was still able to hold their own against Bedavan.

But now, with the enhanced mayfly and the light rain, the difficulty of the battle has naturally decreased by a level.

Correspondingly, Bedavin's pressure increased sharply.

Furthermore... he didn't seem to have any fighting spirit to win at all costs; it was more like a gratified acceptance.

With one side gaining and the other losing, the outcome was already predetermined.

Thus, with the combined efforts of the mayfly and the light rain, they successfully killed him using the Gray Soul. When he died, his eyes held a hint of relief and resignation.

You have defeated Blood Machine Glory - Bedavon.

Wei Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the energy-burning mechanical body doesn't get tired or sweat, the mental fatigue is hard to eliminate.

To be honest, this is the most complex instance he has ever experienced.

The image of Bedavan before him also left a deep impression on him.

He is not some mindless, self-aware zombie boss, nor is he a pure madman or a bad guy.

He can be considered sinful, after all, he destroyed the peaceful lives of many people in the land for his own selfish reasons, especially the mayfly father and son.

But he was also rational and elegant, and had a conscience.

After all, he would regret the mayfly incident and sigh about it, and he would stop fighting because of the mayfly's questions. Even when he was injured, he remained magnanimous and did not pursue the matter.

Everything he did was to prove his beliefs, and for that, everything else was secondary.

Defining him by ordinary standards of good and evil might be correct, but it seems somewhat simplistic...

"ended."

Wei Yu approached Bedavin's body, looked at the glowing, fallen objects, and reached out to pick them up.

In his view, once Bedavan is killed, the "core" that is sufficient to sustain the mayflies' continued survival should also appear.

However, as the fallen items appeared before his eyes one by one, Wei Yu's mood grew increasingly heavy.

[Received: Wax oil...]

[Acquired: Blood Supply Mask (Excellent)]

[Acquired: Chip/Phantom Entity]

【…】

Until the last item was carefully read by Wei Yu.

He also didn't see anything about the "core".

This instantly cast a shadow over his heart.

Could it be that... even killing Bedavan really couldn't repair the mayfly's core?

Does that mean his life is only left with less than twenty minutes after the battle?

ephemera……

The thought of the name "mayfly" made Wei Yu's heart sink.

But he still held onto a sliver of hope, turned around, approached the mayfly, and asked it a question.

"Mayfly...is there anything you can use on this Bedavan?"

"For example, something that can repair the core?"

Hear this.

The mayfly, which had been deep in thought, snapped out of its reverie and went to the spot where Bedavan had died. After observing it carefully for a moment, it shook its head.

"No, I haven't found anything that can repair or replace the core." "Hmm... I'm afraid that's impossible to find either."

The mayfly pondered for a moment before speaking, seemingly oblivious to the fact that its life was rapidly fading away.

"What do you mean?" Upon hearing this, Wei Yu almost knew where the story was headed and sighed inwardly.

"That was the core my father created for me," the mayfly simply said.

Wei Yu immediately understood what he meant.

The existence of mayflies is very special.

Although he was a defective product, it did not diminish the effort his father put into creating him.

This means that the core of the mayfly is not a mass-produced product like other mechanical creations; it can be said to be unique.

In this situation, it's highly unlikely that anything could replace the mayfly's core.

This may explain why Bedavon didn't mention this matter at all.

It seems they guessed Wei Yu's thoughts.

Are you feeling disappointed and sad because I didn't find the core?

Although the mayfly asked a question, it did not wait for Wei Yu's reply.

“I really want you to not care, but I’m afraid you can’t. I can understand that a little bit now.”

"However, what I want to say is that whether life can continue is really not important to me."

"The length of life is not measured by time."

The mayfly now seems to understand and see through a lot.

Compared to the impulsive guy who had just gained power, he is now calm and wise. Unlike ordinary mechanical creations that are cold and emotionless, he is more like a kind old man who has seen through the ways of the world.

"It seems... killing Bedavan has given you quite a few new insights and experiences?"

Seeing that he didn't seem to care, Wei Yu naturally stopped dwelling on the matter and instead asked a question.

"No, killing him is not important."

"The important thing is that after killing him, I was able to think about it further."

The mayfly spoke calmly, turning to look at the light rain.

"Wei Yu, may I ask you a question?"

Wei Yu looked a little puzzled, but nodded nonetheless: "Go ahead."

“I can sense that you don’t seem to belong here, nor to the place you used to be, and you might not even belong to this world.”

"But that's not important."

"What I want to ask is, have you found the meaning of life?"

"Does everything that just happened and is happening now have any meaning for you?"

The mayfly's insight was astonishing, but he did not delve into that point; instead, he asked another philosophical question.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yu fell silent for a moment.

He is a seasoned gamer; for him, games are simply a way to pass the time and derive pleasure and enjoyment from them.

Now, if an NPC asks him about the significance of this matter, how should he answer?

You're just an NPC, and your only purpose to me is to advance the game's storyline?

Wei Yu paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "I'm not sure what the meaning of my life and existence is, but... I think it is meaningful."

He responded to an "NPC" very seriously, but he was not ashamed of it.

The mayfly nodded.

"Thank you, my friend."

"Thank you for saving me, extending my life, helping me avenge myself, and helping me find the meaning of life."

"Thank you."

"Although I didn't mean it purely out of kindness... I'm glad I could help you." Seemingly influenced by the other person, Wei Yu unconsciously became more candid.

But the mayfly didn't care.

He raised his head and, like Bedavan before him, glanced at the sky.

It was still raining continuously, the sky was dark, and there was not a trace of sunshine.

He reached out his hand and felt it for a while.

The light rain waited quietly, without interruption.

Until the other person silently stopped feeling it again.

“Wei Yu, I have one last question.”

"Which of the abilities I just used do you think would be most helpful to you, or which one do you want most?"

"The mayfly asked."

Upon hearing this, Wei Yu frowned slightly. He wasn't stupid; he couldn't possibly miss the obvious implication in Fu You's words.

"...You still have plenty of time, let's talk about it later."

Even though she knew the mayfly wouldn't live long, Wei Yu still hoped it could live for as long as possible.

He was willing to accept doing this even if he didn't get any reward.

The mayfly did not refute this.

"Light rain, listen to me."

"You just said that you haven't found meaning yet."

"You've helped me a lot, so I want to help you too."

“I don’t care how much time I have left. Dying one second ago or the next second makes no difference, but whether I helped you or not is a completely different matter…”

"For me, helping my friends in my final moments is what matters."

"So... think carefully about what I just said, what abilities do you need from me?"

"This is important to me, let me finish it."

The mayfly's tone was earnest and serious.

Wei Yu remained silent for a long while.

"...Let's go with that telekinetic field."

"Okay, I understand." The mayfly nodded.

Then, the energy in his body began to surge and churn rapidly, being mobilized.

From Wei Yu's perspective, he could clearly see that the mayfly's remaining time was decreasing at an extremely terrifying rate.

In the blink of an eye, only a few seconds remained.

But he had already condensed his power, and with the help of that azure power, he offered it to the light rain in front of him.

"Remember to keep this safe; I hope it will be helpful to you."

Goodbye, friend.

[Time Remaining: Seven Seconds]

"What a long life..."

"Father, I did it."

After muttering to itself, the mayfly's body completely lost its last bit of energy. The incantation stopped flowing, and its eyes flickered twice before darkening.

But if he could have expressions, he'd probably be smiling happily right now...

……

call……

A cold wind swept through the Dead Machine Jungle, scattering the mayfly's body.

Wei Yu looked at the mayfly's relic in her palm; it was a small ring.

In the Name of the Mayfly (Collection)

[Type: Accessories]

[Effects: ① Provides you with a self-recharging "mental field" periodically without consumption, which you can use freely. ② Wearing this accessory provides you with a small amount of life regeneration.]

[Note: The life of a mayfly is short; emerging from the ruins, he only has a few short hours to live… But his life is also long: past memories, his father's instructions, the meaning of his existence, the help of his friends—all of these infinitely prolong his life within a limited time… This is for his father, for his friends, and even more so for himself… In the name of the mayfly.]

(End of this chapter)