flstandardbreds Chapter 119 The Fool's Puzzle, Part 9
Chapter 119 The Fool's Puzzle, Part 9
If I hadn't met him—I might still be traveling freely.
Perhaps if I had chosen to travel alone back then, I wouldn't have had to face this helpless situation.
But there's no right or wrong in choices... the one who's wrong is always the person, and even the standard of right and wrong differs for different people. Because the result of each choice is one's own life.
Life is without mistakes, and regret won't solve anything.
Ha! He survived, and then he died—what an unlovable story that no one would read. I can only imagine how many readers would despise me if this witch's journey were to end. I'm such a terrible writer.
It's such a pity. I've tried so hard to write about my own life.
There's nothing we can do if things don't turn out well.
Elena closed her eyes, waiting for the moment when the stage curtain fell and the story came to an end.
Despite the excruciating pain throughout her body, the sword that was meant to end her life did not arrive. Elena slowly opened her eyes again, only to find that the sword that was about to be swung at her was hovering less than half a millimeter above her forehead.
Elena stared in shock at Qin, who was trembling all over—what was wrong with him?
"You—stop—myself!" Qin used all her strength to lift the sword and then forcefully flung it into the distance.
“You’re really strong—what do you think this will change?” Qin’s other hoarse voice said, “A bet is a bet, Qin, you’ve already lost. In fact, you should have lost a long time ago.”
"Quickly—go—" Qin used all her strength to throw her body into the white sea of fire, hoping that the flames would turn her into nothingness.
But that was fire created by a demon; how could it possibly be of any use to me?
Elena struggled to stand up, but collapsed again due to exhaustion.
I really want to take a nap.
I wish this were all a nightmare, and that when I woke up, I would still be with him, traveling without any worries.
She no longer had the strength to escape, and besides—even if she escaped this time, that demon wouldn't let her go. Elena quickly accepted her fate; there was nothing she could do now except grip her wand tightly.
"As expected of the host I chose, you are truly troublesome, but the more you resist, the happier I am," the druid said. "Do you think that you have borrowed my power so many times without any cost? Every time you use my power, I am subtly changing you, making it possible for you to be where you are today."
"Shut up—"
“Honestly. You’re like a sore loser. You humans are much better at cheating than we demons,” the druid said. “Let’s see how long you can keep this up.”
Qin silently gritted her teeth and persevered.
I realized that I had been changed so deeply without even realizing it, which is why I didn't hesitate to unleash my full power when I fought the giant.
Indeed, making a deal with the devil... always results in the betrayal of one's soul.
The blood-red vision gradually blurred.
Qin reached out with his convulsing hand to grasp something. His blood-red world was filled with nothing but ashes. Even if it was nothing, he had survived even the most desperate times... What was it that I was trying to grasp when I reached out back then?
When I was a child, in that dark laboratory, watching my teacher Alice say goodbye and walk away, what was I trying to hold onto when I reached out my hand?
What was it that I lacked back then, and what did I want to gain?
Why have I lived for so long...?
Qin stretched out his hand as if trying to grasp something, and in the hazy light, he seemed to have grasped something.
He saw a simply dressed, black-haired witch smiling at him. She always smiled like that. Even though life was always playing tricks on her, he rarely saw her cry. He was holding her outstretched hand at that moment.
“Teacher Alice…” Jean murmured.
Now, is it finally your turn to pick me up?
"Qin, have you had enough of living?" Qin seemed to hear the voice of her teacher, Alice. Her voice was always so pleasant. If she had been born in a normal country, she might have become a singer and perhaps even have many fans.
Have you lived enough...?
This issue never seems to have been a problem for me.
I've had enough of living—I should have answered that without hesitation—I thought I would have shouted it out without hesitation.
but now……
"Teacher... I seem to... want to live... but I don't know why..." Qin replied, not knowing why.
The answer to that question, which I could have answered without hesitation and which I thought would never change, has changed without my even realizing it, at some point and in some place.
"Then... please continue to live," Alice's voice said.
Alice's blurry figure gradually faded away, and her faint, tangible sensation also disappeared.
After her vision blurred again, another figure appeared in front of Qin. She had elegant gray hair, held a black umbrella, and reached out her hand to her: "It's time to continue your journey."
So it was around this time?
Qin stretched out her hand, which was covered in wounds and gushing blood, and tried to grasp the hand that was being extended to her, the hand that had once been willing to extend to someone who had been exiled by the world.
"Thank you...you...Elena..."
……
Elena stared wide-eyed at Qin, who had risen again from the sea of fire.
So... is he finally going to execute me?
"Qin—you—how could this be?" the hoarse voice roared hysterically, "This is impossible!"
“You’re absolutely right—we humans are the best at cheating. I’m not willing to accept the consequences of a bet.”
"Why did you..."
"Now, please shut up, okay?"
"No...no...I can't accept this!!"
Please—shut up—
"what--"
After a muffled roar that silenced the flames, no more sound was heard. Then, the black and white flames burning beside Qin gradually died down, and slowly, the flames throughout the entire Kingdom of Items subsided.
But Qin remained standing quietly in place.
Like a sculpture...
"Jin?" Elena asked tentatively. Although her body was completely immobile, she could still move her lips with difficulty. The scene of being executed by Jin that she had imagined did not appear; instead, this scene left her somewhat at a loss.
Although she can't do anything about it right now.
But Qin did not respond.
"Are you... alright?" Elena continued to ask.
Qin still didn't respond...
He will not……
Elena instinctively thought of the worst-case scenario: could she have perished together with the demon? Her consciousness and the demon collapsed simultaneously, leaving only a physical body behind.
After all, there really must be precedents for this.
While there aren't many records of demonic possession, it's not entirely unheard of.
"Qin, you..." Don't die—you—you—you mustn't die—
"Let it be a little quieter." Qin opened her eyes again. "I need some time to sort things out. I'll get some sleep first, and everything will be alright."
"you are still alive?"
"You want me dead, don't you?" Qin tilted her head and said expressionlessly—that's just right. Don't show that creepy smile again, or you'll have nightmares.
"Don't talk nonsense."
"Oh." Qin kept her eyes closed.
Just be fine.
As soon as her mind relaxed, fatigue overwhelmed Elena, and her eyelids began to droop uncontrollably. The moment she closed her eyes, Elena drifted into a deep sleep.