Night World Players

Chapter 249 Ophelia: How could we possibly win?
"The Granville Empire may appear strong and prosperous today, but this prosperity has also made it a target of criticism."

"The apparent peace is merely a facade... In reality, both the Tomb Keepers and other major powers on the Western Continent are waiting for an opportunity to bring the once-powerful empire to its doom."

"Both Sister Wang and I are perfectly clear about this."

Ophelia smiled and spoke.

"Or rather, from the very beginning, from the moment Sister Wang announced to the outside world that she would protect the murderer of the gravedigger angel, that is, Brother Last—"

"She was already prepared to be at odds with the whole world."

Between the tomb keepers and the shore keepers lies a deep-seated blood feud that has spanned several eras—a conflict that can never be reconciled and is truly a fight to the death.

Hiltina's choice to protect Rust meant declaring war on this ancient, secretive organization hidden behind the curtain of history, whose members were all legends at the very least.

This was an obvious fact, and Hiltina knew it from the beginning... She was prepared and willing to pay the corresponding price and bear all the consequences.

"To declare war on the whole world...?"

Ophelia saw a smile appear on the boy's lips: "That's really very much in the style of Hiltina."

"There's nothing we can do; after all, Sister Wang is the 'battle chariot.'"

Ophelia spoke softly: "Isn't the so-called 'chariot' someone who can ignore all difficulties and obstacles and pave the way with their own hands...?"

"Even if a mountain were to block Sister Wang's way, she probably wouldn't choose to go around it, but would instead draw her sword and shatter it."

She gazed at the dark sky in the distant part of Raste's mental world.

"If it were my father, or if I were in Sister Wang's position... I would probably first feign politeness with the tomb keeper, putting on a harmless appearance to show weakness to the enemy."

"When the time is right, we'll stab the tomb guardians in the back from the shadows... After all, those old relics, though powerful, are at least legendary, but perhaps because they've been sleeping for too long and are all out of their minds, seem to be a bit slow on the uptake."

"However, I cannot imagine Sister Wang being hypocritical, wearing a mask of pretense to negotiate with the enemy—"

“If we really did that, then Sister Wang wouldn’t be Sister Wang anymore.”

Ophelia recalled the scene she had witnessed two years ago, the day the Holy Sword recognized its master once again after a thousand years.

That was Hiltina's declaration of rebellion to her father, a vow of unparalleled nobility—

Similarly, it is an extremely greedy demand that I want everything, including "the only person I want to protect," "the ideal of a ranger," and "the mission of the royal family and clan."

For ordinary people, even just carrying one of these things is enough to make them feel suffocated.

But Hiltina carried these heavy missions and responsibilities on her shoulders, moving forward on her own path without hindrance, like a divine chariot, crushing everything in her way to dust.

“Yes, if she were to stop... then Hiltina wouldn’t be Hiltina.”

"But isn't that precisely why your sister is so strong and so radiant?"

"Even though I'm in a world where the 'Guardians of the Shore' no longer exist, I can still feel that I'm not alone."

The black-haired boy in front of Ophelia nodded in agreement.

"So, so that we can reunite better someday—"

"Ophelia, please keep the news that my soul has been revived a secret from the outside world."

“A pawn hidden in the shadows, an unexpected piece by the enemy… can play a far greater role than a pawn that is out in the open.”

"But I really do miss her."

From the wind that swept across the red wasteland, came the young man's soft sigh: "I've never felt that two years could be so long before."

Upon hearing this, Ophelia was slightly taken aback.

As someone who knows the inside story of Rust's past, she knows very well what kind of time Rust went through before leaving the Night World and becoming a member of the Real World.

That was the ability and mindset of an ordinary person with no strength to even kill a chicken, trapped in the historical echoes of Deep Blue Harbor for three hundred years... a time loop hell that could drive anyone mad.

For ordinary people whose lifespan is only a few decades, two years is an extremely long time, one-tenth of the total lifespan of many people.

But for Rust, these two years are nothing compared to the three hundred years he spent in Deep Blue Harbor; he should have gotten used to it by now.

Perhaps because they were in each other's mental world, Last sensed the ripples of emotion and guessed what was on their minds—

The next moment, Ophelia heard the boy standing on the wasteland speak again:
"If it were me in the past, these two years would really be nothing... Compared to the years I have experienced, it is just a drop in the ocean."

"only--"

His voice paused slightly.

"Although because my physical body withered and perished, and the ruins were no match for the weight of my soul, I fell into a long slumber."

"However, during this time, I still maintained my perception of the outside world... Apart from being unable to move and losing my sight, even as a vegetable, I could still hear sounds from the outside world and smell the pungent odor of disinfectant in the ward."

Ophelia noticed the boy's voice and softened it slightly.

Although the change was so subtle, it sounded so distinct to Ophelia.

"And during this lonely time when I was in a dark mental world, and could only sleep alone..."

"Yet there will always be a voice filled with guilt and longing, accompanied by the fragrance of violets."

"Every afternoon when the temperature rose slightly, she would hold my hand by my bedside and pour out her heart to me—"

"The longing she felt for me day and night, the shared memories we had, the various trivial matters, troubles and difficulties she encountered while fulfilling her duties as a princess... and the little things in life, the mundane yet interesting daily routines that could bring a smile to one's face."

Last turned around and looked behind him at the empty red wilderness beneath the dark sky filled with gears.

Ophelia followed the boy's gaze, and then her eyes froze.

On that red wasteland, tiny green seeds were clearly being nurtured, making the desolate wilderness no longer lifeless, but adding a touch of vitality.

At this moment, those emerald green dots of light were extremely faint, and if one did not look carefully, they would be completely undetectable.

But one day, these once tiny seeds will sprout again in the morning dew, and a new spring will grow on the wasteland burned by wildfire.

Last and Ophelia gazed together at the scattered patches of green across the wasteland, their eyes softening.

“There’s a saying in my hometown: when a lie is repeated a thousand times, people will believe it, as long as the things it describes are beautiful enough. For example, when an elderly noblewoman hears a young man praising her beauty, even if she knows it’s a lie, she will still be overjoyed.” “Moreover, the words that the young girl who held my hand tightly by my sickbed repeated to me a thousand times were not false, but came from the depths of her heart…”

"Back in the last cycle of Deep Blue Harbor, that female knight who shone like a chariot had already secured a place in my heart."

Last smiled slightly: "So gradually, I discovered that deep within my own heart, a longing for her had also begun to sprout—"

"This emotion originated from Hiltina's calls and confessions day and night, but it also filled the void in my original mental world, allowing my emotions as a human being to be perfected and made more complete."

"If it weren't for these emotions from others that filled the gaps in my mental world, my soul might still be asleep and unable to complete its transformation in such a short time."

He gazed at the lush greenery on the red wilderness: "Perhaps it was initially an emotion borrowed from others, but as you can see, today it has become a part of my soul."

"In this day and age, falsehood is taken for truth, and truth is taken for falsehood."

Upon hearing this, a strange expression appeared in Ophelia's crimson eyes.

"So, Brother Last also harbors the same feelings for Sister..."

She gave a lively and bright smile: "If that's the case, then I'm relieved."

"At least my sister's longing over the past two years has not been just her own unrequited love... but thankfully it has been a two-way journey."

"By the way, Brother Last... look at your current mental world—"

"You've already surpassed the legendary level by now, haven't you?"

Ophelia turned her gaze back from Last to the crimson wasteland, subtly changing the subject.

"What you mentioned earlier—the final step that's still missing."

"Could it be that they are about to take another step beyond the legendary level?"

To go further beyond the legendary realm would mean coming very close to the realm of angels.

"more or less."

Last seemed to sense Ophelia's intention to change the subject, but he simply smiled: "In that battle, I destroyed the 'Library of Fools' and lost the protection of that powerful Nightblade—"

"But for me, this is also a rare opportunity... to overturn everything and start over, and then rebuild a brand new tower."

"If I can take this step, then that brand-new 'Library of Fools'... will no longer be an external force borrowed from others, like a cheat code, but a power that truly belongs to me."

"In addition, I have something even more important to do before I actually take this step."

There was a slight pause in his words.

Even though the black-haired, black-eyed boy was right in front of her, Ophelia suddenly felt that his gaze had become very, very far away, as if it had passed over her and reached some distant place.

"In the night world, there is someone waiting for me to bring her back."

……

Ophelia's expression froze for a moment upon hearing the profound emotions contained in the boy's words.

But she quickly regained her composure, smiled, lifted her skirt, and gave Last a standard courtly curtsy.

“Well then, Brother Last… please allow me to take my leave now.”

After saying that, as if she were running away from something, Ophelia's mind stirred slightly, and she quickly separated her consciousness from the night world and returned to reality.

The mental landscape of a red wasteland filled with gears slowly faded away, replaced by a clean, silent hospital corridor.

Ophelia slowly took two steps back before finding support against the corridor wall.

The hospital wards were very soundproof, and the whole world was completely silent.

Ophelia leaned silently against the wall, feeling the bittersweet emotions slowly fermenting and growing stronger within her.

Such intense emotional ripples would have been impossible to conceal if it had been delayed even a second longer, which is why she was so eager to escape the night world.

Ophelia von Fresberg.

Despite her prestigious title, the second princess of the empire is actually a person who lives like a mirror.

The mirror looked dazzling, beautiful and exquisite... but it couldn't emit light itself; it could only reflect the light from others.

But if she were to leave behind those dazzling people, those glorious beliefs and emotions, her heart would be empty, as if they had never existed.

Therefore, Ophelia sincerely worshipped, relied on, admired, and even adored those whose souls shone brightly and whose spirits shone like gold... those who were noble and dazzling.

That's why she so admires her older sister, Wang, to the point that Dean Yin describes her as having a sister complex bordering on the pathological.

In Ophelia's eyes, who lived her entire life only to meet the expectations of others, Hiltina's indifference to worldly opinions and her unwavering determination were so radiant and inspiring.

but.

Two years ago, at dusk, in the sky above the capital, she witnessed a light that was in no way inferior to her sister Wang's, and perhaps even more dazzling.

that day.

The figure of that boy, who resembled the demon king Satan Yell, was firmly etched into the depths of her soul and could never be forgotten by the audience... Besides Hiltina, wasn't Ophelia herself among them?
but--

At this moment.

Looking down the corridor, through the isolation window of the ward, he saw his older sister holding the boy's hand, pouring out her heart.

In his mind's recollection of that red wasteland, Last candidly recounted his longing for Hiltina.

Ophelia felt a sharp pain piercing her heart.

An indescribable bitterness welled up in her heart, a feeling Ophelia had never experienced before, making her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe.

The girl's body slid slowly down the wall, collapsing helplessly onto the cold corridor.

"How can this be……"

"We won."

(End of this chapter)