A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

They couldn't even last a day, only half a day.

A futile and useless struggle.

Perhaps it really has no meaning, but it is the last thing the priest can do for this world.

If no one else is going to do this, then at least I'll do it myself.

Perhaps, my brief struggle can save some people.

How can a mortal body stop the surging golden seeds, or support a broken wall?

But what the priest didn't know was that, besides him, who else in this world could persevere?

No one could last that long, not a single one, only he could do it—

In the midst of despair, they gave ordinary people that "half a day" of time.

Neither Bray, nor Dorothea, nor even Gurid or Betley... will do.

No, saying that he alone persevered would be disrespectful to the sacrificed Kinsun people.

It should be said that it was "them," a group of villagers who were once persecuted by evil people but ultimately managed to protect this world.

And in their entire village, only one child remained.

The priest looked at his arms and sighed deeply.

Both arms shattered like glass, but the fragments did not scatter; instead, they remained in place, seemingly detached, due to some strange force.

Amidst the fragments, there was not flesh and blood, but a mysterious aura like a vast galaxy.

It's beautiful, it's cruel.

There were no mirrors around, but the priest knew that it wasn't just his arms that were like this; his whole body was probably in this state.

Finally, it was my turn.

When all your supporters have disappeared, you're left all alone.

Is his own heart a kindred spirit in the world, a true soul, or merely a figment of Father Thun's imagination...?

Everything seems to have become unimportant.

Because he was already all alone.

He wondered, were the children still alive in the capital? Was that kind Sister Lizbern still alive?

If he could make a wish, he would hope that everyone could survive.

Even though he knew this wish was too extravagant, he couldn't help but think it.

Do you think the priest himself wanted to live? Of course he did.

He also wanted to see what those children looked like alive and witness their hopeful future.

Moreover... he also wanted to know if he was truly the only Kyrgyz slave left...

If not, he must make sure to be good friends with the other person.

As for why, it might be to prove that they still have people who can see the future.

Instead of a group of people who tragically disappeared into the long river of history.

Philly, who was usually so talkative, was nowhere to be seen from the very beginning.

This made Father Thun feel that the surroundings were excessively quiet.

Girls who are used to being noisy and mischievous will definitely feel very unnatural if they can't see them for a while.

Father Thun stretched out his hand blankly, as if trying to grasp the sun, to catch a ray of sunlight.

It was as if if he caught that ray of sunlight, he could grasp the hope of survival.

But even if that's true, so what?

How can mortals possibly have the ability to catch the sunlight?

Just as he was thinking this, a message entered his mind.

---

Ability Acquired: "Chengyang"

---

The moment that "sound" rang out, Father Thun caught that ray of sunlight that should have been out of reach.

The priest's eyes, which had been on the verge of dying out, were instantly rekindled.

There was a warmth in my hand, and a very strange tactile sensation.

Unbelievable... So this is what sunlight is like?

"So that's how it is." In that instant, he understood what Bray had done.

People gained possibilities and opportunities to move towards the future.

"In that case...you all have a good time." Who exactly was the "you all" the priest was referring to?

Only he himself knows.

He looked up at the sky, wishing that future generations could still see such a view—

“That’s wonderful,” the priest said in a gentle voice.

"Hehe, goodbye, Thun." The playful voice rang out before falling silent again.

It only lasted for a second or two.

The light in the priest's eyes dimmed.

"Ping—" The ring hanging around his neck shattered with that crisp sound.

"No wonder you didn't come out."

"I'm so sorry."

If the priest hadn't insisted on holding up the Wall of Impending Death, Philly wouldn't have had to disappear.

"Um... goodbye."

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in his shattered body, and even the black priest's robes could not block it.

The priest released his grip on the sunlight and shook his head.

As he released his grip, the mangled body swayed in a gentle breeze—

Like countless specks of crystal dust, they drifted away.

In the end, he let go of the sunlight that didn't belong to him.

For Bray, the most familiar place is not the battlefield.

Instead, they are streets.

No matter how dilapidated the street is, it is more comfortable than a battlefield.

With the help of Nicol Bolas, the dying Bray was able to cross the sea and reach the Eastern Continent.

Although Bray had been treating his injuries along the way, they were simply too severe.

He walked unsteadily down the street, as if he might fall at any moment.

Nicolaes stood behind Bray with the demeanor of a young girl, making no attempt to help him up.

Because He knew that Bray didn't need anyone's help, even in his current state.

Seeing how difficult it was for Brena to walk, He helplessly shrugged.

In front of Bray was a little girl who was crying her eyes out.

It was dark, with only the surrounding torches providing illumination.

Bray was probably more than a hundred meters away from the little girl.

Both he and the little girl could see each other.

However, Bray may not see as clearly as the little girl, since his vision is currently very blurry.

His vision was somewhat blurred, especially since it was nighttime.

But he could still recognize the little girl as his daughter at a glance.

The first to move was a girl named Nia.

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!!!! Daddy!!!" Nia ran towards Bree.

At first it was just a jog, but later it was almost all sprints.

As she ran over, she repeated a simple word over and over, just like a child who had just learned to speak.

"Whoa!" Nia slipped and fell to the ground because she was running too fast.

Nia fell heavily to the ground, her forehead scraped and bleeding slightly.

Even so, the girl got up again and continued running towards Bray.

Her tears weren't from the fall, but simply from seeing her father.

“I kept my promise.” Bray opened his arms and caught Nia as she ran towards him.

Because Bray was very weak, he was knocked to the ground and fell flat on his back by Nia.

"Daddy, Nia is so scared! So scared!"

Suddenly, with a 'bang,' everything was gone.

"And then Nia knew nothing more!"

"But I'm so scared!"

"I'm so scared, so scared, so scared!" Nia buried her head in Bray's chest, her small body trembling.

The feeling of being swallowed by nothingness is terrifying, not just for children, but for adults as well.

“It’s alright, Daddy’s here.” Bray gently patted Nia’s back.

He kept his promise and returned within six months.

Although he spent many years in his dreams, he still remembered the promise and never forgot it.

If I had been any later, or had been less lucky, I might never have seen my daughter again.

Nia burst into tears in Bray's arms, clutching his clothes tightly and refusing to let go.

Who could know how scared Nia was? She was afraid she would disappear, and she was also afraid her father would disappear.

She cried until her voice was hoarse and her face was flushed, but she still didn't stop.

It seemed the little girl wanted to release all the fear she had accumulated over the past six months.

Bray hugged the little girl, gently patted her back, and rocked her softly.

He clumsily coaxed Nia, carefully protecting this fragile child.

After a long time, Nia cried herself to sleep and fell into a deep sleep.

It was at this moment that she truly found her safe haven, her "big tree" for life.

"Bray, welcome back." Only after Nia had fallen completely asleep did Levy quietly approach Bray's side.

Her tail was twitching incessantly, as if she wanted to do something but was hesitant.

"Levy, I'm back."

“Come here, give me a hug,” Bray said to Levy.

"Levy might run into Nia and wake her up," Levy said weakly.

There's also Nia in Bray's arms; if Levy were to pick her up, she would definitely bump into Nia.

It was rare for Nia to be so tired that she fell asleep, and Levy didn't want to wake her.

“It’s okay, come on over.” Bray shook his head.

Levy's long ears twitched up and down like a fan, and then she buried herself in Bray's arms.

The fireball, which also survived, silently jumped away, giving its little master enough space.