The Heartthrob Guide: Dodder of S-Class Sentinels

Chapter 207 The way home
It was this call of "sister" that completely woke Lin Nan up.

She grabbed the "person" next to her and lifted him up—

With his illusion shattered, "he" finally revealed his true colors. However, "he" probably didn't expect Lin Nan to wake up so quickly. Still in the process of emerging from his cocoon, "he" was abruptly interrupted and caught red-handed, looking neither human nor strange, and staring at Lin Nan at close range.

"..."

The "little boy" only paused for a second before reacting immediately, baring his teeth at Lin Nan as if to bite her.

Several vines quickly flung the thing far away.

[Oh my god, that scared me to death!]

[I almost fell for their trick!]

[Baby is so scared!]

[He's a mutant who grows by absorbing the spiritual energy of others!]

No wonder they targeted us from the start.

Boss, your disguise isn't very convincing.

The vines chattered and swayed, finally making Lin Nan feel as if she had returned to a familiar world.

This alien species has higher mental strength than her, so it must have seen through her identity from the beginning, which is why it approached her in this way.

What she didn't expect was that not all mutants were mindless monsters; there were also advanced species that looked no different from ordinary people!

They have developed the ability to camouflage themselves, allowing them to move freely in the human world...

Just thinking about it is terrifying!

Lin Nan silently got up from the ground, her eyes glowing with green light. A cool breeze blew by her feet, and her black hair, which was scattered behind her, was lifted by the wind, revealing her beautiful butterfly bones.

From the butterfly bone, a green light was shining from the inside out, and an enormous tree slowly appeared behind her.

The giant tree's roots pierced the boundary between reality and spirit, sinking deep into the earth. Branches hanging from its crown moved without wind, producing a clear, bell-like sound. Suddenly, in the vast, boundless darkness, countless stars were scattered, like a magnificent, beautiful galaxy descending from the universe, becoming the celestial dome of this world—

Kansai stared blankly at the scene before him, his knife falling unconsciously to his side. He had never seen such a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

He reached out his hand, trembling, wanting to touch the floating starlight, but just as his fingertips were about to touch it, he felt a warm and powerful force gently enveloping him.

All the mental pollution in him was instantly cleansed.

"What is this..." he asked in shock.

But no one answered him.

Beneath the boundless starry sky, towering trees stand majestically, their thick branches stretching ever into the darkness. Where the branches brush past, the darkness recedes like a tide, revealing scorched ground and the remains of alien creatures.

"This...is...impossible..."

The alien creature not far away let out a sharp wail, countless scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness, and black mist surged wildly, condensing into a giant hand that blotted out the sky and reached out to grab Lin Nan.

The moment the giant hand touched the starlight, it emitted a piercing hissing sound. The black mist dissolved rapidly as if it had encountered strong acid. But the alien species were clearly unwilling to give up. More mutated creatures crawled out of the mist and swarmed towards the giant tree.

Lin Nan stood under the tree, stroking the golden runes on the trunk, and looked at the overwhelming black mist without any fear.

Energy in this world is conserved.

If even the soul can transform into another form, then pollutants certainly can too.

So-called pollution is nothing more than emotions of extreme sadness and despair, so don't be afraid—

Lin Nan told herself this again and again. Then, she slowly opened her arms, gently accepting everything as the black mist surged towards her...

I'm in so much pain...

I want to go home...

Where is my child?

"Mom and Dad, I can't find my way home."

I've finally saved enough for the bus fare home. Just hang in there a little longer, and I'll see my children.

【…】

A dense swirling of emotions filled Lin Nan's mind. The last obsessions of countless people buried here before their deaths converged into a massive, chaotic vortex, violently engulfing her.

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, her expression constantly shifting between pain, sorrow, and despair, and blood flowed down her nostrils and the corners of her mouth, dripping onto the roots of the ancient tree.

It's so painful—

These were ordinary people who had tragically died on their way home or away from home. The past lives of countless people flashed through her mind like a movie replay.

She saw young children crying and searching for their parents amidst corpses; she saw weary travelers spending all their savings to buy a ticket; she saw separated couples promising to meet again… Countless people boarded the trains with heavy hearts, but these trains failed to take them home—

Each scene, filled with everyone's despair and resentment, cut repeatedly into Lin Nan's consciousness like a series of dull knives.

These people, like her, got lost on their way home...

Lin Nan clutched his head in anguish and collapsed onto the tree roots.

A pair of transparent hands gently grasped her.

It seemed as if someone had come to her side.

"Don't be afraid, Guide Lin, absorb them, just like you absorb me..."

Hearing that familiar voice again, Lin Nan finally couldn't hold back her tears. Her voice was hoarse as she asked the question that had been troubling her all this time: "Xiu, are you happy here?"

The person didn't answer her immediately, but instead lay down quietly at her feet like a puppy.

Although she couldn't see him, she could feel his love—silent yet overflowing, just as always.

Of course, Guide Lin's body was very warm.

He said.

Lin Nan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, as if something in the scene had been formally completed at that moment!

She closed her eyes, feeling the power emanating from the tree.

The golden runes engraved on the tree trunk began to flow down the branches like water, spreading throughout the entire tree like burning lava.

A tremendous suction force was constantly drawing away her emotions, then brewing new energy at the roots. Countless red flowers began to wither, their petals fluttering in the air. When the blood-red robe that had been attached to the flowers was finally devoured by the tree, a huge golden light burst forth from the tree's roots. This light, like a pillar of light shooting into the sky, pierced through the thick, inky darkness.

When the warm, damp air, like that of spring, permeated the entire space, this polluted area finally shattered completely, like a broken mirror, with a "crack"—

The wrecked train emitted its final, long whistle.

It teetered on the brink of collapse, but finally reached its destination when it ran out of energy stones.

(End of this chapter)