Night World Players

Chapter 178: Rewriting the End of the Fairy Tale of You and Me (5k)

In the present world, Fanxing University, school hospital.

"At this point, the nerve suture surgery is almost over."

"99% of the severed nerve bundles have been reconnected. From now on, he only needs to spend some time recuperating, and his neurological function should be restored to normal."

The doctor in a white coat packed up his surgical instruments, pushed away the medical microscope that showed nerve fibers in front of him, stood up beside the operating table, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He is also a graduate of Star University, but is not affiliated with the school hospital. After graduation, he chose to serve the royal family of Granville and is highly respected for his superb medical skills.

As a genuine "imperial physician," it would be unlikely for him to return to the Star University Hospital to perform surgery on a student...

However, the identity of the person he was serving this time seemed a little unusual.

There was nothing wrong with the request simply coming from Hiltina... As the royal physician, he knew some of the inside stories of the royal family and understood that Her Highness Hiltina never liked to regard herself as a princess, and would never use this identity to bully or force others to do things.

However, on the eve of this neurosurgery, he vaguely received a hint, or a warning.

The hint came from the second princess of the empire, Her Highness Ophelia.

As for the hint... it made the imperial physician seriously suspect that if he messed up the operation, then perhaps the next morning, his entire family would be poured into cement piles and sunk into the bay outside the imperial capital.

Of course, the actual hint he received was not so simple and crude.

However, considering the true character of the Second Princess Ophelia, the little swan of the Empire, as rumored in the Imperial Capital, and Her Majesty Ophelia's reputation for making even the most aristocratic children stop crying...

The imperial physician felt that this was not just a groundless association or unnecessary worry.

In fact, after seeing the patient's true injuries, the difficulty of the operation far exceeded the expectations of the imperial physician.

As a graduate of Star University, his Night Blade is named "Molecular Blade". Although it is named after a knife, this Night Blade does not have any overly powerful frontal combat effect.

The greatest benefit of the Night Blade's "Molecular Knife" is that it allows him to perform ultra-high-precision micro-cutting on a molecular basis - for example, carving a lifelike statue of His Majesty Emperor Aaron from a strand of hair is no problem at all.

Relying on such a special Night Blade, he also became a medical authority in the fields of minimally invasive surgery and neurosurgery, which require ultra-high precision operations. He performed countless operations and treated countless difficult and complicated diseases in his life.

But even so, the operation just performed was the only challenge for this royal physician.

The dense plant roots penetrated the nerves throughout the body. Although they had long since withered, the nerve fibers throughout the body were still torn apart by radiation under the action of the plant roots, spreading from the heart to the extremities.

Every inch of blood vessels was invaded and broken by the withered plant roots, and more than eighty percent of the nerve bundles were completely severed.

It took a full day and night of surgery just to use the "molecular knife" Night Blade to completely clean out the remaining withered plant roots from the patient's blood vessels and nerve endings.

As for the subsequent suturing of the broken organs in the patient's body, repairing the broken blood vessels, and re-bridging the broken nerve synapses, the complexity increases exponentially.

The operation lasted for seven days and seven nights, and six assistant doctors were replaced. If this imperial physician had not been a graduate of Fanxing University and a true transcendent who had experienced the trials of the night world... he would have probably fainted on the operating table long ago.

But no matter what, this operation, which concerned the life and death of two people, was finally completed.

In this way, not only would he not have to face punishment from Her Highness Ophelia, he might even be able to get some rewards.

The doctor breathed a sigh of relief and put away the instruments in his hands. Cotton balls and gauze soaked in blood were everywhere in the medical waste bag beside him.

He was sorting out the surgical instruments and equipment. When he saw the medical file filled with the patient's information, he couldn't help but speak:
"Laster, a sophomore at Starry University, has been enrolled for half a year, and is nineteen years old..."

"Dean Yin, are you sure this junior of mine is really only nineteen years old?"

The repair surgery of suturing broken nerves and blood vessels requires extremely high surgical precision. Under normal circumstances, the patient must be under general anesthesia, otherwise a slight stress-induced pain reaction may make the surgery useless.

However, since 80% of the body's blood vessels and nerves are involved in such a large-scale neurosurgery, even with the experience of the imperial physicians, there is no complete assurance. After the repair of nerves and tendons in one area is completed, the patient must be confirmed in real time whether the nerve function has returned to normal to judge the effectiveness of the operation.

Originally, the imperial physician wanted to split the operation into several segments, with each anesthesia only restoring a small portion of the function, and then proceed to the next anesthesia operation after confirming the function.

But the patient, named Last, directly rejected the proposal and instead requested surgery without anesthesia.

When the imperial physician heard this request, he felt dizzy and thought that it was all over. He had been practicing medicine for many years and now he could finally die with peace of mind. He even imagined himself turning into a cement pile and sinking to the bottom of the sea after the operation failed.

After all, as the imperial physician of the palace, he had seen too many cases of battle-hardened officers and generals who shamelessly drank a bottle of liquor before surgery and said that anesthesia was not needed, but then cried like a 200-pound child when the knife was actually used on the operating table.

But no one expected that during the entire operation, let alone rolling on the ground in pain, the patient did not even frown - he just silently watched his blood vessels being torn, the broken ends being peeled off from the nerve sheath, and then sutured together.

"Well, maybe, probably, about nineteen..." A large ferret on the windowsill nearby shook its furry tail. "Anyway, that's what's registered on the obelisk at Starry University."

According to standard procedures, such a major operation must have a guardian or relative present, but no one knows what happened... Dean Snow Ferret, who the imperial physician had come into contact with during his student days, actually became the relative of this patient.

He became more and more curious about the true identity of this junior fellow named Last, on whom he had just performed surgery.

He was actually involved with both princesses and Dean Yin at the same time.

"In short, just treat him as if he's really nineteen and that's it."

Dean Yin threatened fiercely, "Don't ask if you don't need to know. And remember not to talk nonsense after you leave. Of course, if you're not afraid of retaliation from a certain scheming little princess, then you can do whatever you want."

Last's identity and origins were directly linked to the secrets of the Night World, and held the highest level of confidentiality. Even in the entire modern world, no more than five people knew the truth. Dean Yin certainly couldn't tell the imperial physician the truth.

Last's real age remains a mystery to this day, and even he himself is not sure.

"understand."

"Although I have already graduated from Starry University, as the saying goes, a teacher is a father for life. I will definitely listen carefully to Dean Yin's teachings."

The imperial physician nodded and bowed, and it was obvious that he had been bullied by Dean Yin many times when he was a student.

"I've never seen you so manipulative and slick before in the academy. As expected, becoming a royal physician and being close to that old man Aaron is not going to bring good things." Dean Yin flicked his tail and said, "If there's nothing else to do, I'll dismiss the court."

"learn."

The imperial physician packed up his equipment and prepared to leave, but before leaving, he couldn't help but look back at the black-haired boy who was resting quietly on the hospital bed.

The so-called "pain" is a stimulating nerve impulse evolved by higher organisms in order to seek benefits and avoid harm and stay away from danger. It is an instinct engraved deep in human genes.

Therefore, everyone is born delicate and afraid of pain.

It’s just that some people have suffered more and faced pain more often, so they are accustomed to pain... It’s not that they are not afraid of pain, but that they can endure it better.

It is hard to imagine what kind of experience this young man, who is only "19 years old" in the eyes of Dean Yin, has gone through to allow him to remain calm when faced with the physiological instinct of having his nerve endings pulled.

If the imperial physician hadn't personally dissected the other person's body and stitched up every tendon, blood vessel, and organ... he might have guessed that the other person was a robot. A machine with a human appearance.

……

Only after the imperial physician left the school hospital did Dean Yin jump out of the window and land on the bedside table next to Last's bed.

"You guy..."

Dean Yin sighed, but didn't know what to say: "You always get yourself so bruised and battered. It feels like the school hospital is almost becoming your home."

Its tail rested on Luster's shoulder in boredom. "I've been here for so long that my dried fish has become stained with the smell of disinfectant. I've lost my appetite. When you're discharged from the hospital, remember to treat me to a big meal to make it up to me."

Lying on the hospital bed, Last ignored Dean Yin's complaints.

He just closed his eyes slightly, and after a long time, he spoke softly again: "Where is Axia? How is she?"

According to her last memory in the night world, Akxia should have successfully left the night world and returned to the current time node, which is the correct history.

However, that was just my guess after all. No one could be sure whether the Night World would cause any more trouble like it did with Queen Helen.

"Well, Xiao Xia has also returned safely."

"Her physical condition is much better than when you returned, with her blood vessels and organs shattered and hanging on for her last breath... She was just a little weak from sleeping for so long, and she was discharged smoothly after a few days of recuperation."

Dean Yin stood at the head of the bed like a cat, licking his paws with his tongue. "She and Little Tina came to see you several times, but you were undergoing nerve repair surgery at the time, so I kept them out."

"As for her identity, we have already investigated it and have some clues."

"Although the night world is mysterious, it certainly doesn't go awry for no reason. The reason Xiao Xia suddenly gained the identity of Queen Helen after entering the Sixth Epoch's Historical Echoes... there must be a reason behind it."

"According to my speculation, the relationship between Xiao Xia and Queen Helen is not some vague thing like a past life or reincarnation."

"It's because they are one person."

"That Queen Helen—that was Xiao Xia's former identity in the Sixth Epoch, before she lost her memories and powers."

Dean Yin shook his tail. "The blood of the Old God of Death indeed flows within Xiao Xia's body. She is the perfect vessel created by that Old God of Death, and she lived in the world as Queen Helen as early as the Sixth Epoch."

"However, in real history, the Sixth Epoch ended before that old God of Death could even find the opportunity to revive."

"And Xiao Xia fell back into the abyss, entering a long slumber and self-sealing until the end of the Sixth Epoch... The Seventh Epoch, which is the era we live in now, was opened up."

"Little Xia was discovered and adopted by the old principal while exploring a certain ruin... Now it seems that the ruins where she was found might be the Paradise Royal City from the Sixth Epoch, the location of the Nether Abyss, where Little Xia sealed herself and slept."

Dean Yin paused. "Although we've speculated in the past, for example, that the Gravekeepers survive into the modern era, those were merely speculations, never truly confirmed."

"And Xiao Xia is the first person we've confirmed to have truly transcended that 'Pale Age,' living from the old era reflected in the night world to the present day."

At this point, a hint of seriousness flashed across Dean Yin's ruby-like eyes.

This is an unprecedented discovery and can even be regarded as a milestone in Starry University's exploration of the night world.

It was through this discovery that Starry University was able to truly confirm that the many historical reflections reflected in the night world were not illusions occurring in another time and space, but were truly connected to the world they lived in and the present world.

This is a true history that has been passed down to this day, and Akxia is a historical witness who has experienced both the Sixth and Seventh Ages, and has historical research value beyond imagination.

"It's a pity that Xiao Xia seems to have lost most of her power and almost all of her memories during that slumber that spanned an entire era."

As he spoke, Dean Yin couldn't help but shook his head with some regret.

"Not only has her power faded with time, but she has also long forgotten everything she experienced in the Sixth Epoch... If not for this, we might have been able to learn some secrets in advance."

"For example, what exactly will the Sixth Epoch Civilization end like, and what will the final catastrophe that epoch ultimately face be like?"

Dean Yin shook his head for a long time, then suddenly seemed to remember something and spoke again:
"By the way, Xiao Xia asked me to tell you..."

"After you recover from your injuries and are discharged from the hospital—"

"She wants to meet you again there."

Dean Yin couldn't help but wag his tail in confusion as he spoke. "Yes, she was talking about 'there'... I wasn't paying attention because you were in surgery, so I don't know what place Xiao Xia was talking about."

The little ferret retrieved the smart terminal from its secondary dimension, curled it up with its tail, and unlocked it with its claw marks before opening the chat app to send a message: "I'll go ask for you..."

"No, Dean Yin, that's not necessary."

However, the little ferret's actions were stopped by Rast with a gentle voice.

He looked at the map application that appeared on the touch screen of the smart terminal in his hand. "I roughly know where Akxia is talking about."

The Sixth Age and the Seventh Age in which we live today.

An entire era, a time span of thousands or even tens of thousands of years, can indeed change many things.

It was enough to bring about the downfall of a once prosperous kingdom, reducing it to ruins covered in dust... It was also enough to make the once sincere, passionate, and brilliant ideals fade into oblivion, until they degenerated into an incomparably hideous, ugly, and distorted form.

However, there are always some things that will not change.

Last's gaze fell on a corner of the map application.

He had discovered this as early as the Sixth Epoch, although the place names had already undergone many iterations with the changes in civilization and the passage of time.

However, many of the real world's landforms and contours still vaguely resemble those of the Sixth Epoch, such as the Broken Coast and the Endless Sea...

Another example is the cliff shrouded in the pale golden sunset on the outskirts of the former Paradise City.

Even though the paradise has been destroyed and the royal city has returned to dust, the mountain still stands there quietly, no matter how times change and how the world changes.

"On that cliff..."

Last's mumbling was so soft that even Dean Yin beside him didn't hear it.

"Once again, I write the story between the caged bird and the boy, you and I..."

"The final, fairytale ending?"

(End of this chapter)