I, the final BOSS of the beta test server!

"Want revenge, Gray?"

"Kill me, this heartless traitor, this hideous beast who stole your brother Rast's soul and body, who would do anything to become stronger and to achieve eternity."

"It's just that, based on your current situation, you have no right to seek revenge on me."

The abundant majesty disappeared in the night mist, leaving only the evil laughter echoing for a long time.

"If you want to kill me, then hate me, despise me..."

"Then, live on in ugliness."

Chapter 126: The Spark of the Shore Guardian (Two in One)

As the two legends restrained their power, the bright sun that illuminated the night and dispelled the storm and the fertile realm also disappeared.

The illusory vortex swallowed up the light, and Rast's figure disappeared behind the twisted door, leaving only the howling wind on the top of the cliff.

It was as if everything that had happened here before, that fairy tale-like confession, that battle between the admirer and the admired... had never happened.

The heavy rain came pouring down again, and the endless night without stars or moonlight descended again.

Gray subconsciously reached out towards the end of the cliff, in the direction where the young man had stood... as if trying to grasp something that was about to disappear.

But in the end, her hand was empty, leaving only a curtain of rushing water, moistening the long starless night.

Heavy rain covered the sky and the whole world was silent. Gray knelt on the muddy rocks, and the light in her emerald green eyes was weaker than ever before.

After spending half a year like a fairy tale, she lost everything again.

Everything seemed to have returned to the Frozen Water Town ten years ago. The dreamy bubbles shattered beside her, and the girl knelt on the ruins that had weathered into ashes, as if she had been abandoned by the whole world.

……

"Do you feel unwilling, little devil?"

"I'm so weak that I can only watch the things I cherish slip through my fingers, and I can't do anything about it."

An unknown amount of time had passed before peaceful words came from behind Gray. Although they were mixed in with the howling sound of wind and rain, every word was distinct and clearly imprinted in her mind.

"If you feel unwilling, then don't forget this regret."

"Because this is proof that you haven't given up yet, proof that you haven't given up on yourself."

"Cesare... Leader."

Gray raised her head slightly and saw the old man standing in front of her, like an old lion.

"I……"

Looking at the leader of the shore guards, she opened her mouth, but didn't know how to start.

Leader Cessel had clearly reminded him that his brother Last had already betrayed him.

It was obvious that information from all sides had already indicated signs.

However, he still refused to listen to the advice of Chief Cessel, and still refused to believe the obvious facts, and insisted on going up the mountain to confront Brother Rast.

Then, he found himself in such an embarrassing situation that he was almost captured by his brother Rast and taken to the gravekeeper as a gift.

Although green and immature...

But just by listening to the conversation just now, Gray herself could understand that the long sequence step on her body was obviously not as simple as she had thought in the past.

Whether it was Brother Rast, Chief Cecil, or the legendary gravekeeper, they had all long since discovered the uniqueness and value of being able to control "fate"...

Although he didn't know what would happen if he was captured by the gravekeeper...but just thinking about it would tell him that it would involve a huge secret, and even affect the rise and fall of the entire gravekeeper organization.

If Chief Sissel had not arrived in time and taken action, he would probably have been taken away by the gravekeeper, and everything would have fallen into an irreversible abyss.

but--

even so.

Knowing that brother Rast has betrayed him.

However, when she saw with her own eyes that the scorching sun's light from Chief Cessel engulfed half of Brother Rast's body, Gray still subconsciously spoke up, wanting to stop it from happening.

Gray had acted without even thinking, but it was undoubtedly irresponsible to the organization and a betrayal to her deceased sister, the Shadow Servant...

Such complicated thoughts were all entangled together at this moment, lingering in Gray's mind, making her thoughts extremely chaotic and difficult to sort out for a while.

However, looking at the girl kneeling on the cliff in front of him with her head lowered and mumbling, the old man did not show any rebuke on his face.

"Don't explain this to me."

"Although the Shore Guardians are like a machine that constantly moves towards a common goal, regardless of the cost, means, or sacrifice..."

"However, this cold machine is also made up of living people."

"Whether it's you or me, we are just ordinary people among them."

"Early in the days before you joined the Shore Watchers, I reviewed your file and learned of your connection with Last during the Evil God 'Red Moon's' uncontrolled pollution incident in Frozen Water Town."

"Even though as a leader, I often have to put aside my personal feelings and be responsible for the fate of the entire organization and even this era's civilization, this doesn't mean I can't understand your feelings."

"only--"

The old man squatted down slightly, so that his eyes were level with Gray who was sitting on the ground.

"Don't you want revenge?"

"Or rather, it wasn't revenge... but rather finding Luster and beating him awake with my fists."

"Tell him directly that pursuing power by any means necessary, abandoning humanity in pursuit of eternal immortality... such thoughts and ideas were wrong from the very beginning."

"Awaken his humanity and find the man you once admired and longed for."

"Then, bring him back to the shore keepers."

The old man's words were neither hurried nor slow, but when they fell into Gray's ears, the girl's drooping face couldn't help but lift up a little.

Soaked by the heavy rain, hidden under the gray hair that was clinging to the face... the emerald green eyes unconsciously widened, and the originally dazed eyes regained some luster.

This is indeed what Gray longs for, and it is also her only wish at the moment.

But soon, those bright eyes dimmed again.

"But... I can't do that with my current self."

"At this moment, I am far, far behind Brother Last in every aspect."

This is not Grey being self-deprecating, but a judgment based on realistic conditions, an obvious fact.

After a life of wandering all over the continent, and the growth brought about by the shattered dreams at this moment...Grey had already learned not to have those unrealistic dreams, but to move forward step by step with her feet on the ground.

Just because of the difference in mentality, there is no possibility for me to defeat Brother Last at this moment.

Even now, Gray still remembered the scene. The boy was bathed in the flames like the sunrise. His skin and flesh were clearly burned away, revealing his pale bones...but he never showed even the slightest expression of pain. He was still able to accurately complete the last action and shoot the pollutant before his tendons and nerves were completely burned.

Gray asked herself if she could do the same thing.

Of course, if one can constantly hone one's character, it may not be impossible to achieve.

On the other hand, although his own long-stage sequence that could control fate, whether in terms of talent, future potential or value, had been recognized by the legends of both hostile parties...his brother Rast also took in the Star Cup of the God of Death.

Moreover, Gray had a premonition in her heart, a ripple of fate rising from the depths of her soul...

Even though he didn't possess the "Star of Death", the secrets hidden in Brother Rast... were definitely not inferior to his own.

"It's a good thing to be able to face up to one's own shortcomings and take one step at a time."

"Last is truly extraordinary... If he hadn't ultimately chosen to betray me, I would have even considered training Last to be my successor."

"only--"

"The distance between you and him may not be impossible to fill."

A few traces of reminiscence flashed silently in Cecil's old eyes.

Looking at the girl in front of her, her eyes first flickered with hope, then dimmed again, returning to the state of loss...

For some reason, Cecil was reminded of the woman who had died in his arms at sunset not long ago.

Back then, when I succeeded the previous generation and truly became the leader of the shore guards—

Shadow Servant, no... The way Sharona looked at herself at that time was so similar to the way Gray looks at this moment.

Looking at the figure that was once so familiar but has begun to become strange and is gradually moving away, I want to catch up with that back, but I am afraid that I will not be able to reach it.

However, at that time, I was so engrossed in taking over the leadership of the shore guardians, the glory and the extremely heavy sense of mission... that I didn't notice it.

It was not until the last ray of shadow quietly melted away in the sunlight that he truly understood Sharona's intentions.

But it's all too late, leaving only regrets.

Such memories only flashed through Cecil's heart for a moment, unnoticed by Grey.

"I can give you a chance, a chance that will allow you to catch up with Rast."

The old man's voice returned to its previous calmness, but within the calmness, there was a certain solemnity.

"If you are willing to bear the corresponding price."

……

"The opportunity to catch up with Brother Luster..."

"Also, what's the corresponding price?"

Gray raised her lowered head slightly, and a hint of confusion flashed in her emerald green eyes.

"Ah."

Cecil nodded silently, then slowly extended his hand.

next moment.

A faint light gathered in his palm.

Then, it turned into an illusory flame.

Compared to the blazing flames that Cecil had erupted before, which dispelled the darkness of night and turned the entire sky into daylight, the small flame in his hand at this moment was undoubtedly much dimmer, as if it could be extinguished by any breeze.

However, looking at the illusory firework in his hand, Cecil's eyes seemed more serious than ever.

"This is something only the Shore Keepers' leaders and their successors are qualified to know. It is also something passed down from one Shore Keeper leader to another."

"In the beginning, it was just a tiny spark."

"However, as generations of shore keepers perfected it, they entrusted their lifelong knowledge to it, passing the torch from generation to generation..."

“A seed that was once barren can one day grow into a towering tree.”

"Become a spark that illuminates the darkness deeper than the night and ignites the entire world."

Cecil's expression changed. The old man who had been looking at the sunset with a bit of sadness now looked younger.

The lines between his eyebrows were no longer as peaceful and calm as before, but now resembled a lion awakening. His every word and action was filled with thunder and lightning, the majesty and glory of a shore guardian, as if he had returned to the days when he had just succeeded as the leader of the shore guardians.

"Facing the object of your former admiration, facing the invitation that you once longed for so much and regarded as the whole meaning of life."

"This time, you chose to flatly refuse."

"From that moment on, you are qualified to carry this fire."

Looking at the flame that was swaying in the wind and rain but still burning brightly, Gray subconsciously stretched out her hand, wanting to touch the flame.

But, the next moment——

"The fire of the Shore Keeper doesn't represent the glory and brilliance you imagine."

"This is more of a pair of shackles, a chain, and even... a curse."

"A curse that will stay with you for the rest of your life, like a thorn in your flesh, from which you can never escape, until the end of your life."

"You will shoulder the weight of human civilization's destiny... forever wandering between epochs and time, roaming the deepest reaches of the starry sea."

Cecil's old voice echoed in Gray's ears.

For some reason, it was somewhat similar to the words that Brother Last had explained to Gray in her memory of Frozen Water Town.

"So, before actually making a choice—"

"It's better to think about it carefully first."

A pale silver light flashed in Cecil's eyes and disappeared.