I, the final BOSS of the beta test server!

"In the past, I acted for the ideals left by my mother..."

"I became a Transcendent and inherited the order of the Chariot, all for the obsession of the Ranger."

"But now, I have one more reason to keep going."

“It’s not for the obsession with the deceased, but for this world that gives me hope.”

She looked at Lust: "And the person who made me have hope for the world again."

At this moment the sun sets and the curtain of night covers the whole world.

In the increasingly dark night, Rast saw the light in Hiltina's eyes.

Her eyes were brighter than ever, outshining the stars and the moon in the night sky.

The notification about the bond level increase in the Fool's Library did not appear.

But for some reason, Rast felt that there had been some subtle changes in his relationship with Hiltina.

A change that he couldn't explain or rationalize even with his long experience as a cowherd.

……

"That's all I've said."

"Next, it's time to talk about your story."

When Hiltina spoke again, there was no trace of gloom in her voice anymore.

In just a moment, she turned back into the majestic silver swordsman.

"I?"

Luster was stunned.

"Yes."

Hiltina crossed her arms.

The long chestnut hair fell down, fluttering in the evening breeze, making a rustling sound.

"You've listened to all my worries...but I know nothing about you. That's a little unfair."

"I inherited my mother's ideals and chose to become a Night Traveler, fighting in the night world for the Rangers' obsession."

"As for Fran and the others, they may have initially fought for power and to improve their social status, but ultimately, they fought because they wanted to protect this beautiful world and the people around them."

"But, what about you, Rust?"

"You are not a resident of this world. Perhaps you once came from here, but three hundred years have passed, enough for you to lose that sense of belonging."

"Why would you, someone so free and unrestrained, choose to fight so desperately in the night world?"

She stared into Rast's eyes with her light brown eyes.

"That was before we entered the Resonance of the Calamity."

"You told me we were the same kind."

"What exactly does that sentence mean?"

Chapter 80: Soul Anchor, Borrowed Dream

"Why do you ask this suddenly?"

Luster stopped in his tracks.

The sky has changed from scarlet to a dull dark blue, and night has fallen silently.

"Because this is indeed suspicious."

Hiltina crossed her arms.

"I had thought—"

"The reason you chose to join Starry University and become a Night Traveler was more out of consideration for finding a place to stay for yourself."

"After all, you have no relatives in this world. You need money, a place to stay, and a certain social status to survive better in this world."

"This is the most reasonable explanation, and it's also the conclusion Ishtar came to when she conducted a psychological analysis on you."

"But, if so—"

"Then you wouldn't have chosen to enter the remnant of the disaster with me at that time."

"Raiding the Echo of Calamity is not a freshman's obligation. The risks far outweigh the rewards."

She cast a suggestive look on Rast.

When she was in Deep Blue Harbor, Hiltina deeply felt Rast's drive.

No unnecessary movements—

All words and actions are only for the sole purpose of passing through Deep Blue Port and ending the cycle, and they will do so at any cost.

Just like a machine, driven by the burning core, it moves along the route of the optimal solution towards the preset goal without leaving any unnecessary redundancy.

That's why Shiltina felt a sense of disharmony with Last.

Because if his goal was just to "live a better life in the real world", he would not have needed to enter the Echo of the Disaster, let alone make himself so miserable and life-threatening.

As for the fact that Rast did these things for himself...

As soon as this speculation arose, Hiltina subconsciously denied it.

She doesn't think she has that much charm.

Besides——

Xiltina had a vague feeling.

It seems that Rust can behave in various ways and get along well with everyone.

But in fact, his heart is like a piece of steel that has been hammered thousands of times, hard and cold.

In some ways, he might be even more unkind than his father, the emperor who was hailed as the perfect monarch.

The latter understands human nature, but has to be unkind in many cases because of his responsibilities as a king.

The former seemed to understand human nature, and could get along well with himself and Dean Yin, and even became a bosom friend with a 100% favorable rating...

But in fact, deep within his broken body, in the burning furnace, there was not a single trace of impurities called humanity left.

Hiltina had sensed this abnormality a long time ago with some inexplicable intuition.

But given the relationship between them at that time, if Rast didn't say anything, then Hiltina wouldn't ask.

Just now.

After regaining hope for the world because of the young man in front of him,

She couldn't help but feel curious about the man named Last.

Shrouded in the darkness of night, the deserted streets fell into a brief silence.

The silhouettes of the two people under the dim sky looked like stone sculptures.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter."

"Prying into other people's secrets casually is not in line with the etiquette of the nobility."

Just as Xiltina was about to say the words she had prepared long ago, she heard the young man in front of her laugh.

"Actually, it's not something that can be put on the table."

Luster smiled and looked at the pale night sky.

"Every one of us had many dreams when we were young, right?"

"For example, I dreamed of becoming a hero because I read the story of Dragon Quest in a picture book. I also dreamed of becoming a scientist because I heard about how scientists promoted the development of civilization."

"There are also those who want to be painters, astronauts, inventors, and those who want to build castles that float in the sky... and so on."

"But ultimately, it all comes down to the admiration I developed when I was young, from witnessing the brilliance of others."

"Or rather, it's a borrowed dream."

"Hiltina, you are like this. It was the lady named Cecilia who left the Ranger's obsession to you."

"And so am I, which is why I said earlier that we are of the same kind."

There was a slight pause in his words.

“When I was very young, someone rescued me from the burning Canaan.”

"To this day, I still remember that scene... the crumbling ruins flanked by red flames and black smoke, and the woman's smile of genuine joy after she rescued me."

"Because that smile is so beautiful, I can't help but yearn for it."

"It has also become a curse that, no matter how many years have passed and how much wear and tear it has endured, is always deeply engraved in the depths of my memory and has never been forgotten."

There were cheers coming from the distant auditorium; the evening dance party of the celebration had begun.

Lights of various colors lit up at the same time, and along with the rising fireworks, they were projected into the night sky.

The next moment, the fireworks soaring into the sky shattered into dazzling fireworks, imprinted in the dark night sky.

The auditorium stood tall above the earth, its towering spire reaching into the dark clouds.

"Of course, everyone has had this kind of dream as a child. It's nothing special."

"Normally, as we grow older and our state of mind changes, these unrealistic dreams from our childhood will naturally be forgotten..."

"Just like when children dream of becoming doctors and teachers when they are young, their ideal when they grow up is often to become rich."

"If I could grow up normally like an ordinary person and have a complete life... then the longings I had as a child would probably be gradually forgotten, becoming just a casual topic of conversation after dinner."

"But you know what happened later."

"My life was forever frozen on that same day in Deep Blue Harbor, and I can no longer move forward."

Rast smiled and looked in the direction of the noisy and cheerful sounds coming from the distance.

The brightly lit auditorium looked like a towering tower in the boy's eyes.

"Memories fade with time, the soul is damaged by the weather... Even the concept of self itself becomes ambiguous in the eternal cycle."

"In order to prevent my self-awareness from disappearing, I was like a drowning person, desperately looking to the longing in my memory as a lifeline."

“I see it as an anchor point for my soul—”

"As long as I haven't forgotten that longing and yearning, it means that the self called Last hasn't died in Deep Blue Harbor, leaving behind only an empty and hollow shell."

Luster turned his eyes away from the brightly lit tower.

Those dark eyes were once again obscured by the night, becoming difficult to see clearly.

"Memories are gradually worn away, and time beautifies and polishes them."

"To this day, I'm not sure whether the longing and desire in my heart are still the same as they were at the beginning. Perhaps it has been distorted beyond recognition."

"But, whether it's true or not... it has indeed become an obsession deep in my soul, a mark that I can never forget."

"It's also proof that I'm still alive."

"It was precisely to fulfill that wish that I was able to leave Deep Blue Harbor and join Starry University."

"Even to meeting you." Last's words dissipated in the evening breeze.

Hiltina turned sideways and looked at the boy beside her.

His expression was still calm and solemn, as if nothing could stir up any waves in his heart, but his voice was quite gentle, with a hint of inexplicable depression.

This reminded Hiltina of the first time they met in Deep Blue Harbor and how she felt when she saw Last's sleeping face.

Not only was she not as mysterious as usual, she was even a little weak.

Chapter 81 Don’t Abandon Little Tina

The night is already deep.

Most of the buildings had already started to turn off their lights, leaving only the street lights which were lit one by one, emitting a mercury-white light that briefly illuminated the silent night.

When Hiltina came back to her senses from her conversation with Last, she found that they had walked a long way along an unknown fork in the main road of the academy.