Great, we're doomed now!

Upon closer inspection, a faint golden light flowed between the claws and the armor, and the same ripple-like energy rippled slightly beneath Ye Shou's feet.

Clang!

With a single swing of the sword, golden ripples left faint traces in the air, while the gutted dragon, screaming in agony, burst into flames and quickly burned to ashes.

'These guys are pure dark creatures, like that bat?' Ye Shou narrowed his eyes.

After being killed twenty or thirty times in succession, the dragons became somewhat fearful and hovered in mid-air, not daring to come down. Ye Shou then raised his head and looked at them coldly.

Golden ripples appeared on his hand, growing brighter and brighter—

Suddenly, Ye Shou clenched his fist, the golden light dissipated, and he gripped his sword again and assumed a fighting stance.

Judging from the way this monster is running rampant, it seems that the ancient civilization is already in its doomsday. At this time, too bright a light is like a lighthouse, attracting attention... It's better to keep a low profile.

Although it's troublesome to kill them one by one, it's still better than attracting Melba, Golza, or the like.

-

The main force of the flying dragon swarm did not pursue them; only a few scattered individuals chased after them relentlessly. The group did not turn back to fight back, but simply continued to flee. Fortunately, these social creatures had little sense of security and stopped chasing after getting some distance away from the main force.

The ancient refugees, who had survived the catastrophe, helped each other and took refuge in an array made of huge artificial stone pillars.

These towering stone pillars stand askew, forming natural shelters and narrow passages between each other. They seem to possess a certain magnetic field, making the surrounding darkness less intense and the view clearer, providing a relatively safe place to breathe for the time being.

The terrified people sat slumped on the ground, panting heavily, their faces a mixture of fear, exhaustion, and relief.

The children's cries subsided into suppressed sobs, while the adults silently examined their own and their loved ones' injuries, or stared blankly at the dim sky beyond the stone formation.

This brief respite between life and death allowed my tense nerves to relax slightly, revealing my utter despair.

After catching their breath, someone finally remembered the figure that looked like a steel demon from earlier.

"That...that person, I don't know which tribe he's from, he's still outside..."

"To cover our retreat, one person held off so many demonic birds..."

"Thank him, but he shouldn't have killed the demon bird directly. That would have angered an even stronger darkness. Will we even be able to survive?"

"Even if we can't escape, waiting to die is better than resisting... Otherwise, we won't even have a 'dream of peace'."

"As long as our souls are not tainted by killing, we will surely enjoy peace after death."

"Could he already be..." someone whispered, their voice filled with worry, "How pitiful, killing so many demonic birds, he must be going through painful dreams after he dies."

“There are too many of those dragons. How long can one person, no matter how strong, hold out? He doesn’t look like someone from the garrison.”

Among the crowd, an elderly man with white hair and beard, his face etched with the marks of time and worry, sighed deeply.

"If only our tribe's giants were still here."

"..."

He wore a white robe similar to the others, but the material seemed better, and his demeanor was more serene. His sigh carried a sense of nostalgia, as well as a profound sense of helplessness.

No one spoke.

They drove the giants away together, and now it's too late for regrets.

But there's nothing we can do about it... The Titans always force them to face the darkness, always lead people into battle, but the battles are never-ending...

They felt exhausted and didn't want the giants to torture and force them anymore... it was pointless.

Human life is very short, and the process is full of pain and struggle, which is truly tragic.

But as long as you escape, as long as you submit, as long as you refuse, you can escape despair—

As long as Zigela remains open, they will have one last paradise called "Dreamland"!

Just keep running. If you can't escape, activate the pre-programmed mechanism in your brain when you're near death. The essence of Zigera pollen will allow your soul to enter an eternal dream.

You cannot resist!

Once such thoughts arise, the soul becomes defiled, and dreams turn into omens...

So, although they were very grateful to Ye Shou for saving them, no one would turn back.

If there is danger, just don't go to see it.

Wow~~~

Just then, a slight noise came from the outer edge of the stone formation, which sounded like stones rolling down.

The crowd, which had just calmed down, tensed up again in an instant. People huddled together in fear, their eyes fixed on the source of the sound, lest the monster return.

A figure appeared silently in the shadow of the stone pillar. The strangely designed black power armor was stained with dark red blood and showed signs of wear, but it was still intact and exuded a cold and reliable metallic feel.

"It's me." Ye Shou's voice came through the helmet, slightly muffled, but it effectively quieted the restless crowd.

"Humans?"

Ye Shou took off his helmet and saw that they were his kind. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but many people were also curious about his appearance.

It should be noted that this type of armor was not common in the ancient times.

The elder pushed through the crowd, strode forward, and bowed deeply to Ye Shou, speaking earnestly: "Great warrior, thank you for extending a helping hand and saving us humble people. May the Eternal Dream guide you on the path to happiness."

His attitude was respectful and grateful, but what he said made Ye Shou frown.

He nodded slightly in response, but his gaze bypassed the elder and landed directly on the woman at the back of the crowd who had previously stopped him from attacking the flying dragon.

She was looking at Ye Shou with gratitude, her expression genuine and heartfelt joy that he had survived—which made him even more puzzled.

The elder followed Ye Shou's gaze, a complex expression on his face. He opened his mouth as if to explain something, but in the end he just shook his head.

He turned back to Ye Shou and said, "No matter what happened before, this place is not safe. The demon bird may return at any time, or it may bring something even more terrifying."

Please come with us. There is another, more secluded gathering place. Once we are in a safe place, we can discuss this further.

Although we don't know which tribe you come from, we will answer any questions you may have to the best of our ability.

Ye Shou glanced at the elder, then at the expectant refugees, and nodded after a moment's thought.

The joy on everyone's faces was not because they had bodyguards, but because they were happy that Ye Shou also had the opportunity to cleanse himself of filth and find peace.

"The big brother who dances with a sword~"

A childish voice came from behind him. Ye Shou felt his right hand being pulled and looked down. He saw a little girl with beautiful silver hair wearing a short robe and trousers looking up at him.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Ye Shou's tone softened as he saw such an adorable creature.

"Thank you for saving Mom, everyone, and me!"

The little girl smiled brightly and took out a pale yellow flower from behind her back, holding it up to Ye Shou.

"Every single drop of Yuyueyi Six-Flower Pollen contains a beautiful dream~"

I want to give this most beautiful Chijera flower to my older brother!

"..."

Ye Shou clenched his slightly trembling fist.

Chapter 229 The Difference Between Gods and Heroes

It feels familiar... Did a little girl say something similar to me in front of a statue before?

But their state of mind is completely different.

Ye Shou pinched the flower stem with his fingertips and carefully observed the seemingly ordinary pale yellow flower, from the slightly wrinkled petals to the blooming bud, and the almost invisible pollen surrounding it.

A sweet yet not cloying fragrance calmed the mind. Even Ye Shou felt exceptionally peaceful, and his anxiety and worries lessened considerably. It wasn't that he forgot his surroundings, but rather that he had the thought, "There's no need to think about it; just let things take their natural course."

However, he wouldn't linger in this atmosphere for long. Firstly, he subconsciously harbored hostility towards it. Secondly, the pollen affected his brain's secretions, causing his body to produce a rejection reaction. Ordinary people might not notice it, but Ye Shou could.

[Transition Effects] can counteract this kind of persistent negative effect.

A high concentration of light factors can also generate mental resistance... This is probably the key reason why human beings can maintain their own identity.

He repeatedly reflected on himself, taking things out of the space as he walked.

After revising several Gundam blueprints and designing an outfit for Ruri to wear on their next date, I drank a bottle of cola and then went back to carefully check the blueprint data. I did this several times to confirm that my intelligence, libido, appetite, and passion hadn't declined.

In a rational state, and not affected by the ubiquitous pollen particles in the air, Ye Shou began to examine his current situation.

He looked up at the gray sky, then looked down and glanced at the crowd silently walking across the rocky beach. Everyone, young and old, helped each other. There was no fighting over supplies or blaming each other. It was a scene of hardship but also great harmony.

...But everyone inevitably had a few yellow flowers, some open and some still in bud, in their backpacks and hands, which seemed particularly glaring to Ye Shou.

What Ye Shou regarded as a monstrous threat was not frightening at all to these ancient refugees; on the contrary, it was a magical existence that brought them happiness.

As long as they hold this flower called "Zijera," their bodies will automatically be filled with strength, and their worries will disappear, even though danger still surrounds them and they don't know when they will be chased by monsters.

But at least before that, they were carefree and happy.

Ye Shou followed the crowd, and his unusual attire attracted a lot of attention. The elders asked him if he came from outer space, and Ye Shou honestly said that he was an Earthling, but his hometown was far away and he was thrown here in an accident.

They accepted it without much surprise, and lacked interest in investigating further.

The ancient civilization was not some backward medieval fantasy world. Although it existed in the form of tribal alliances, that was due to their beliefs. In fact, their technology was very advanced, and they were very knowledgeable. No matter where Ye Shou came from, they would not regard him as an outsider.

Ye Shouze was curious as to why they were fleeing on foot. Logically speaking, the ancient times should not have lacked vehicles, and they should even have been able to create weapons capable of fighting monsters!

The elder replied that the Earth now experiences a periodic natural disaster called "Black Fog," which causes most technological devices to malfunction and become ineffective. Even the most secure shelters cannot isolate them, resulting in a significant decline in their technological capabilities.

After each black fog, the strength and number of monsters increase significantly. Earth is now completely uninhabitable. Most of the survivors have already escaped Earth in spaceships, but they were a step too late.

"There's no other way. Zijera's activity level is getting lower and lower, and it will take a long time to collect them."

The elder showed Ye Shou a glass test tube containing green extract, as well as other special containers that could preserve the activity of pollen.

Zigela's essence not only has the same effects as pollen, allowing people to enter a pleasant dream state, but also has the special function of keeping human cells from aging.

The universe may seem vast, but it is actually a huge desert. The ancient people did not migrate voluntarily but fled, and they had very few resources to prepare. Therefore, this essence was indispensable.

Ye Shou remained silent throughout. He took the essence, examined it for a moment, and then handed it back without saying anything.

His state of mind is constantly changing. When he first received the flowers, he was filled with absurdity, anger, and sorrow, but now he can look at it all calmly.

But it was just "looking".

He didn't know how to evaluate it, how to salvage the situation, or even to simply step on the gas, so he could only "watch".

Language is indeed too frivolous in the face of reality...

It was through the elder's introduction that Ye Shou realized he had been making an error based on empiricism all along:

Based on his memories from his previous life, he had always considered Gijera to be a creation of Gatanothor, a vanguard of the dark forces, and a member of the ancient monsters—but that was not actually the case.