There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Is that why he felt it was okay not to say anything?

because……

Because the glimmer of hope I was searching for had always been right in front of us!

This "one" can be understood as "the last time", "the first time", or it can be understood as "the only difference" in this dream world besides us, "something" that I absolutely cannot ignore.

This "one" is both a metaphorical reference and a tangible entity, something that has been replicated countless times before my eyes...

I see!

…………

As the sound of the wind gradually faded away, I once again descended from my dream onto this dark and desolate mountaintop. The overwhelming darkness swallowed up all hope in the world. If there was no turning point, this world would, as old Yorkson had said, forever sink into silence and desolation, becoming a dead star wandering in the universe.

The special sense of seeing in the dark still works. The huge black shadow has broken through the dream and appeared in the sky, presenting an eerie stillness. Undoubtedly, it will be noticed and overcome the huge time difference in ten seconds and continue to devour this world.

I only have ten seconds left. I don't know if my thinking is correct, but as a man who has awakened the strongest Stand, "Star Platinum," and can move in frozen time... cough cough, anyway, the old man's Stand bought me time. I will stake my last hope and sing a hymn to human courage!

"System command: Charge mode activated!"

As the true Stand user's "colonization system" activated, I took a deep breath, my feet instantly slamming into the rocky ground. I leaned forward, rapidly unleashing power from my legs. The immense, uncontrollable force within me nearly tore me in two, snapping my arm off my shoulder and sending it flying. But I gritted my teeth and charged up for a full nine seconds, releasing control only in the final second. A terrifying, mysterious energy flowed through my waist, spine, and shoulders, reaching my hand…

Countless fist shadows appeared out of thin air, and the ferocious and tireless attacks were swung hundreds of times in a second or even less, turning into an overwhelming barrage of fist shadows that struck the darkness, creating terrifying gusts of air.

"Ora ora ora ora ora!!! Break apart!!!"

Amidst my screams and cries of pain, a crisp sound of crystal shattering finally rang out.

Chapter 431 The Bells of Destruction

The sound of crystals shattering echoed continuously. A figure emitting phosphorescence slowly emerged from the darkness, stepping onto the dark earth. Finally, a long-awaited glimmer of light arrived.

Smiling, Mr. Rhodes emerged from the shattered phosphorescent star crystal and asked me incredulously, "Marcus, how did you break this crystalline barrier? This special substance has many drawbacks, such as the fact that people inside disappear upon death and it cannot resist the effects of observation on quantum ghosts, but in terms of hardness, it surpasses the hardest substance in the human world. How could you possibly break it with your bare hands?!"

After throwing my final, charged punch, I lunged forward, landing face-first on the hard, cold ground. I could clearly feel severe damage to all the parts of my body that had exerted force. My arm was dislocated, my fist was shattered, and my entire spine was as brittle as a fried dough stick. Without the medical technology of the stars, I would have had to say goodbye to cycling for the rest of my life.

“Mr. Rhodes…no matter how hard your single-substance tortoise shell is, it still has a resonant frequency…I merely threw countless punches in a second, found its resonant frequency, and then smashed it open in one fell swoop…” I said with difficulty, “Do you really have a way…to deal with this monster? And weren’t you a ghost? How did you come back to life as a light bulb? Did you learn from Gandalf the White?”

Mr. Rhodes, his body radiating a faint phosphorescence, looked up at the black shadow hovering in the sky. The vast, planet-like shadow was breaking through the boundary and descending once more into this dark and lightless world. The storm stirred up by the tattered black wings violently swept across Mount Mads, almost uprooting the mountain.

But Mr. Rhodes maintained his calm smile and said to me, “Marcus, the tortoise shell you mentioned isn’t just an ordinary crystal. It can protect the Quantum Ghost while simultaneously infiltrating every ecosystem to absorb energy and shape my body. And coincidentally, the energy in this dark world is extremely pure…”

“Mr. Rhodes, I’m not trying to be mean, but this one trick won’t solve anything… Once the ‘Thousand-Faced God’ decides to turn this place into chaos, we won’t be able to resist!” I said weakly, lying on the ground—this time I can finally relax and be a couch potato.

But Mr. Rhodes stepped forward fearlessly: "When I devised this plan in the parallel universe, I already knew the conspiracy. That's why Albert Wilmas was willing to sacrifice his life to obtain the unorthodox trioctahedron..."

"Why? What's the difference?!" I continued to be unable to open my mouth or even breathe in the raging wind, feeling as if I was about to be broken down into ether in the chaotic storm and completely erased from the world.

I turned my head with difficulty and saw Mr. Rod facing a swollen monster that looked like a bat falling from the sky. Its fiery red single eye was split into three lobes, and its terrifying appearance was enough to kill someone with just one glance.

“You’re wrong!” Mr. Rhodes’s voice echoed stubbornly in the gale. “Unlike other incarnations, the ugly incarnation of the ‘Thousand-Faced God’ has one major weakness: it fears light! I have phosphorescence on my body, so it cannot destroy me with its dark storm! As long as I have enough light, I can completely banish it!”

The monster in the sky let out a sharp cry and accelerated its descent. Even with its massive body crushing down, it was an irresistible physical attack.

Rhodes stood on the edge of the cliff, reaching out his hand once more and turning the ancient bronze ring on his wrist!

A blinding light instantly emanated from that tiny ring, slowly condensing into a tangible stream of light that pierced through the abyss in front of Mr. Rhodes and shot straight down to the foot of the mountain.

This light was just the beginning. At a certain location at the foot of the mountain, a dazzling light suddenly appeared, forming an almost impossible-to-conceal trajectory of light that shot straight into the dark and lightless sky.

In that signal-like ray of light, a vast and dazzling aurora borealis suddenly lit up the dark sky, stretching across the Milky Way, and darkness could no longer obscure the world.

Amidst this bizarre aurora, a figure stood solemnly against the sky.

He had no face, was twice the height of an average person, wore pointed boots, and was draped in a tattered, psychedelic-colored robe with a wisp of silk hanging from the top of his hood.

He seemed to have wings on his back; sometimes he seemed to have a halo above his head; sometimes he spewed infinite light from his eyes and mouth; sometimes dazzling flames of burning thorns bloomed beneath his feet; sometimes three bright, radiant figures separated from the dazzling light...

A strange halo seemed to dance around him, while the light emanating from his eyes belonged entirely to another world. Against the backdrop of shadows, this light, aggressive and writhing, flowed from beneath the gaunt god's tattered robes, illuminating the chaotic, lightless darkness!

"The Lord of Light?! Isn't this place chaotic enough? First there was the 'Deep Sea Cataclysm,' then the 'God of a Thousand Faces,' and now the 'Lord of Light' has been summoned. Three terrifying beings have appeared at the same time. How are we going to clean this up?!" I exclaimed in shock.

But Mr. Rhodes just smiled mysteriously and said to me, "Let them fly!"

The King of Light descended from the heavens in his colossal form of light, illuminating the world without restraint. The Night Demon avatar of the "Thousand-Faced God" danced in the sky, attempting to spread fear from the darkness, but was driven away with nowhere to hide. The deep shadows were almost utterly vulnerable before the intense radiation of light!

Perhaps sensing the unusual aura, the faceless face of the King of Light let out a roar that shook the space, as if he had seen his mortal enemy. He recklessly enlarged his body, pressing down on the black demonic shadow.

But in that instant, the darkness that shrouded the earth was lifted as if a corner of a black veil had been lifted, and the abyss where "Deepsea Cataclysm" was hiding was revealed once again. Countless terrifying dark green poisonous fumes continued to rise from the cracks, and huge and bloated figures kept writhing, as if trying to squeeze into this world again, to become a force that permeated the earth, and to join the chaotic battle in the sky.

White light, black shadow, and green mist, after a brief period of dispersion, finally collided irresistibly.

In the instant after the collision, the whole world seemed to fall silent for half a second. Under the pressure, the "Night Demon" became even more profound and deep, the "King of Light" burned in mid-air into a dazzling and blinding sun-like body, and the green mist of the "Deep Sea Cataclysm" was ignited like dry tinder.

Then, a glowing fireball appeared at the point of impact. After the fireball extinguished, it formed a rising cloud of smoke. The massive shockwave, near the projection point of the explosion's epicenter, created a huge column of dust due to reflection and negative phase suction. The rising dust column connected with the smoke cloud, rising infinitely high to the horizon, forming a towering mushroom-shaped cloud that stretched across the sky!

Mr. Rhodes' phosphorescent body once again blocked my way, his eyes fixed on the astonishing phenomenon in the sky, and he murmured something.

"Lilia, Poppy, Rick... I won't lose this time..."

Chapter 432 A Blink in the River of Time

The close-range nuclear explosion, like an eraser, plowed across the contaminated land on the map. The devastation was enough to break the hearts of anyone who heard of it and bring tears to their eyes.

A bright, intense flash appeared in the air at the moment of the explosion, followed by the formation of a fireball that grew larger and brighter. The terrifying shockwave reflected off the ground and returned to the fireball, deforming it into a "bun" shape, round at the top and flat at the bottom. This shockwave, falling from the sky, smashed all the buildings on the ground like a hammer, with "Happiness Town" directly below bearing the brunt of the impact.

In that instant, buildings crumbled into ruins, towers and rubble. The sudden burst of light ignited the town, baking the people and the land like a microwave oven.

The remaining Deep Ones in the town were powerless against the shockwave and intense heat, turning the polluted town to dust and burying the town's story, shrouded in mist, into history.

The light radiation and shockwave then spread to the ocean surface, causing the seawater to boil violently. Countless deformed cartilaginous fish, coelenterates, crustaceans, and many more indescribable demonic creatures tumbled and floated to the surface. A putrid stench, like that of a giant corpse, permeated the sea, mixed with poisonous mist.

The subsequent shockwave further shattered the very foundation of this land. The shockwave, propagating through the soil and rock, exerted compressive and pushing forces on the surrounding area, generating unimaginable acceleration and triggering a powerful geological movement.

The underwater reefs shattered, and the seismic waves penetrated the fissures where the "Deepsea Cataclysm" was located, destroying the nameless ancient city that had risen from the sea. The buildings that had been submerged in the abyss where the sun never shone wailed as they sank to the bottom of the water once again.

But this time, the island also experienced significant landslides. Multiple sections of the cliffs on Mount Mades collapsed, with soil and rocks crumbling, creating a cataclysmic geological disaster that cleaved half of the mountain into a deep sea fissure, completely suppressing this abyss of evil.

Finally, the dust column and smoke rising from the ground combined to form a towering mushroom cloud that stretched to the horizon, creating a colossal object that seemed to stretch endlessly before my eyes.

The Night Demon, the incarnation of the "Thousand-Faced God," hid in the sky, flapping its enormous wings that could obscure the sun and moon, trying to fly higher and escape into the dark and lightless universe, to find cover in the dim starlight.

However, the mushroom cloud, like a raging beast, rose slowly, but the intense light and high-energy radiation it emitted instantly tore apart the Night Demon's body.

The body, composed of dark matter, was ignited by the intense light and instantly disintegrated into wisps of gray mist. Its three eyes, burning with hellfire, never saw the scenery of outer space until its very last moment.

The turmoil caused by the explosion lasted for nearly half an hour before the aftershocks gradually subsided, leaving behind only a small town razed to the ground and a bare mountain ridge where trees had evaporated into black charcoal powder.

The radiant light emanating from the Church of the King of Light, which had reached straight to the sky, gradually dimmed with the passage of time. As the last ray of light disappeared, the church building, which had barely survived the nuclear explosion, collapsed with a deafening roar, leaving the town utterly reduced to ashes.

Even with Mr. Rhodes' protection, the scene before me became increasingly blurry, and I lost consciousness amidst the growing dizziness. Under the influence of radiation, the iridescent phosphorescence in Mr. Rhodes' skin became increasingly clear, even forming complex patterns that wrapped around his body, spreading across his surface like vines.

But as the phosphorescence intensified, Mr. Rhodes's condition grew increasingly weak, as if the wildly growing patterns were devouring his life force. In the last moment before my vision disappeared, I looked past Mr. Rhodes's swaying, glowing body and seemed to see a being radiating white light reaching out to support him, gently resting his head on its shoulder…

…………

"Marcus! Wake up!"

I woke up in a daze and found myself in a white, empty space again. When I opened my eyes, I saw Old Man Hook's unpleasant old face once more.

"How...how did I get back here?" As I adjusted to the weightlessness of not having a body, fragmented memories slowly surfaced.

Old Man Hook, unusually, showed concern in his eyes and said, "You died of radiation sickness this time. Rhodes from that world shielded you from the light radiation, but the neutron flux still destroyed your body."

At this point, old Yorkson added, "I have to say, to survive for half an hour after being exposed to a nuclear explosion at close range... that's a lifespan comparable to a cockroach. I really don't know what kind of constitution you have..."

I ignored his gossip, thinking to myself, "Have I succeeded? Is this the plan old Yorkson was talking about?"

Such a tragic ending is something I could never have imagined.

The King of Radiation, the "King of Light," seemed to have performed a miracle, using a nuclear explosion to drive away the light-fearing Night Demon incarnation, destroy the "Deep Sea Cataclysm" rift, and save the world from certain death.

But is it all worth it...?

"By the way, where's old Yorkson?" I suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this question, Old Man Hook replied unhappily, as if he had swallowed a fly, "After he returned from the primordial dream, his spirit was almost shattered. Fortunately, the Outer Gods didn't target him intentionally, which is why he survived. That old bastard should be able to stay alive after sleeping for a month or two."

“Marcus, pull yourself together.” Old Man Hook seemed to read my mind and said in a deep voice, “This result is already a huge victory for humanity. Whether it’s the ‘Final Catastrophe’, the ‘Deep Sea Cataclysm’, or even in the eyes of the ‘Thousand-Faced God’ who is keen on manipulating humanity, humanity is just a gray speck on a glass bead in the endless universe.”

“Sometimes, some accidental actions by humans may attract the attention of these beings, but whether it is with good intentions or malice, it is just a blink of an eye in the long river of these beings from the creation of the universe to the end of heat death. As long as we can sever our connection with these beings, it will be a complete victory.”

"This is something we old men have come to realize while protecting Mineral Town. What you see as a tragic sacrifice is just a negligible sacrifice in this gamble."

I said, "Old man, you underestimate me. I've seen the world destroyed, humans turned into orange juice, and people turning the Earth into spaceships to escape. Seeing a nuclear explosion is nothing to me. I just thought of Mineral Town and wondered if it would face the same threat..."

Old Man Hook nodded slightly: "As expected of the person who inherited my ranch! Don't worry, I'll take care of finding a way back. I'm sure we can find hope of returning to Mineral Town!"

I rolled my eyes inwardly. I just hoped this old man wouldn't trick me like old Yorkson did. If it weren't for Mr. Rhodes, who had gotten lost in this other world, I probably would have died here.

"Old Man Hook, you can take your time with your research. First, send me back to the parallel world. I want to see what's going on there."

Chapter 433 The End of the Mystery (Part 1)

"I knew you would come back."

An old building with a unique floor plan and dome welcomed an unexpected guest on a sunny midday.

The building's wide, semi-circular arched walls allow ample sunlight to flood the corridors. The second floor features a triangular gable corresponding to the arched section on the first floor, below which are rectangular windows. The facade, composed of simple geometric shapes, gives the entire building a unique and serene style, instilling a sense of inner peace.

Mr. Rhodes smiled at me, turning his head to greet me from his hospital bed. Judging from the simple yet tasteful furnishings in the room, Mr. Rhodes had not received the detention and trial treatment previously threatened by the school board; on the contrary, he was being treated with special favor.

"How did you find me?" he asked.

I pushed open the hospital door, sat casually on the empty bed next to me, and picked up an apple to eat.

“I didn’t expect you to be taken away so quickly, Mr. Rhodes. But I figured you must have been taken by the University of Michigan. Luckily, there was a search and rescue ship at sea, so I asked around and came here.”

Mr. Rhodes frowned. "Getting into the academy isn't that easy, is it?"

I waved my hand: "It's alright, only the two dogs at the school gate were a bit fierce. They chased me for two whole blocks, and I finally managed to subdue them with two sausages."

God knows why those two big mutts at the gate were so fierce. When they bit people, their eyes glowed red. I would believe it if you said they were monsters reincarnated. They pulled off their chains and pounced on me.

Mr. Rhodes exclaimed in surprise, "You've encountered them? Their ancestors once defeated incredible terrors..."

"No wonder it was so fierce." I casually tossed the half-eaten apple out the window, and instantly two dark figures leaped up and began scrambling for it in mid-air. The victor barked triumphantly, while the loser could only whimper softly and crawl into the doorway to rub against me.

“Marcus, you actually managed to tame these two…” Mr. Rhodes was even more astonished, watching me skillfully stroke the dog’s back fur, as if I were a long-time owner.

"Just a petty trick..." After teasing it for a while, I chased the fierce dog out the door and had it continue to keep watch for me near the hospital building. "Mr. Rhodes, your current situation seems to have taken us by surprise. I encountered at least three patrols of security personnel on my way here, and now you're the only one left in this hospital building. Is this protection or imprisonment?"