Durin's Diary

Chapter 936 Drunk, Still Sleeping Under the Flowers

In the small garden next to the lighthouse, an old woman on a deck chair under a cherry blossom tree suddenly awoke with a start.

She seemed to be having a very long dream, in which she remembered that young Eastern girl again. She came up in an elevator, just like in her memory. The only difference was that there was a child with antlers standing next to her with a pout.

Just like she was deceived by him back then. At that time, she and he were young, neighbors and classmates. He went out to play with the boys and lied to her about it.

She was really, really angry, just like that little girl.

Why would I have such a dream?

She shouldn't have been there at that time. The deer-like life form was clearly part of the second batch of artificial life forms, so how could she have ended up there?

This must be a dream.

She sighed, the old woman sitting in the rocking chair looking into the distance, at the distant horizon where the sea and sky met, where dark clouds seemed to be hanging overhead, as if it were about to rain.

If it rains, will this land awaken once again, just as she imagined?

But the black smoke falling from the distant sky didn't seem like a good omen.

Finally, someone thought of this place, and the photo frame that was given to that young boy back then finally came to fruition.

With this thought in mind, she lowered her head and looked at the cub beside her. This was a grassland spirit who was willing to follow her. It said that Mrs. Noger was getting old and that she wanted to help Director Sun take good care of Mrs. Noger.

Silly boy.

She looked at the little child, whose blue eyes also noticed the old lady's gaze directed at her.

Madam, is there anything I can help you with?

Someone is coming... carrying the pocket watch and the picture frame. Tell the children... don't stop him, let him come over.

It's raining.

Amidst the wind, rain, and lightning, the dilapidated lighthouse, the withered cherry blossom tree, the skeleton on the rocking chair beneath the tree, and the mechanical body with a pair of blue prosthetic eyes standing to the side were illuminated.

………………

Dulin's plan was to bypass Kyushu from the south and head directly south along the sea level to his destination.

The method was good, and it was indeed effective, but as he was able to see the northern coastline, the Puppet Bone's patrol drones eventually discovered Dulin.

Although Dulin managed to shoot them down before they could raise the alarm each time, the Puppet Bones were clearly suspicious of the disappearing patrols, so when the sixth patrol drone crashed into the sea, a squadron of Puppet Bones heavy fighters appeared.

They spotted Dulin and immediately surrounded him.

The fact that the puppet bones like to fight head-on is a good thing for Dulin; if they scattered and fled, it would be a problem.

However, after shooting down two waves of enemy aircraft, the follow-up fighter squadron that was pursuing Dulin suddenly stopped firing and scattered.

To Dulin's surprise, a drone approached him, its lights flashing. Eleven recognized the rhythm of the flashing lights.

It says someone is waiting for you at the cape ahead.

It seems we haven't come to the wrong place.

Dulin sighed, then stopped maneuvering and began to fly straight.

Are you crazy?! That could very well be an evil god!

Big Orange screamed. "She already invited me, do you think we have a chance to escape now?"

Du Lin asked back.

Why not give it a try?

Daju asked.

I'm not a coward, let's go.

Having said that, Dulin had already flown to the cape.

There, Dulin saw a completely collapsed lighthouse, a small, completely withered garden with a dead tree in the middle, and a skeleton staring at Dulin with its empty eye sockets from a rocking chair beneath the tree.

Come down, child. You're carrying that pocket watch and photo frame. You must have met Luo's descendants and Director Sun's rational alter ego, right?

The whisper that struck Dulin's soul sent a shiver down his spine, but Dulin still fell to the ground.

A vine rose up from the ground to support Dulin's gear.

He approached the moving skeleton: "Are you Mrs. Norgell?"

• It's been a long time since anyone called me by my surname; you're the first.

Seeing the photo frame and pocket watch that Dulin took out of his pocket, it stretched out its 'hand'.

First, there was the pocket watch, which sighed with reminiscence: "This belonged to Xiao Luo, Xiao Sun's lover. It was said to have been passed down from his ancestors. It was supposed to be given to Xiao Sun because they were truly in love, but then Chaos came..."

“Yes, they’re here.” Dulin nodded.

The lovers ultimately couldn't be together. He descended to earth for the sake of the creatures in the ecosystem, while she chose to seal off the research center with her life for the sake of all living beings in the ecosystem. This was the noblest form of self-sacrifice. You Easterners have always been like madmen, sacrificing yourselves for the sake of all living beings and the world, never thinking that the world is a cycle of reversals, with war, revolution, and peace encompassing the entire trajectory of civilization. What's the use of sacrifice? Their sacrifices ultimately became nameless figures in history, forgotten, misunderstood, and ridiculed.

At this point, it sighed and handed the pocket watch back to Dulin.

Dulin took the pocket watch from her hands as she was being reborn.

“I can’t understand how you Easterners think, but I saw Xiao Sun’s ending. She and I both lost the love of our lives, but she is also different from me. I lost my husband in an accident, while she said goodbye to her lover for her ideals and beliefs. Lovers don’t always end up together, but she is different from me…”

The skeleton before her was gradually transforming, and finally, even the outer skin had completely regenerated. Looking at the young man and woman in the photo frame, the old woman wept bitterly: "Why is fate so unfair to me? Why did I have to lose him? Why did I have to become a god? Why…"

Dulin didn't finish speaking; he simply stared silently at the old woman before him.

Finally, she stood up. The old woman, dressed in men's clothing, walked to the edge of the cape. She looked at the sea and said, "I have had long dreams. In my dreams, I have seen all kinds of people, some I know and some I don't. Just now, I saw a girl in my dream. She was small and had antlers. At first, I didn't know who she was, but now you have her scent on you... I understand."

She turned around and looked at Dulin: "In this world, there will never be a shortage of children who would do anything for love. She really likes you... she loves you so much that she is even willing to come to the stage where the gods gather, and dance with the gods with her mortal spirit."

As she said this, she smiled and extended her hand.

A rapier appeared in her hand.

"Come on, child, let me see what kind of magic you have that makes young girls so reckless."

Dulin didn't say a word, but silently pulled out the repaired Qian Yue.

"Madam, please enlighten me."

(End of this chapter)