I, the Masked Swordsman, started my journey through a Lostbelt.

"Goooo!"

Du Wei's pupils contracted slightly.

The feeling was disgusting, like being entangled by a venomous snake.

"So...."

The sound came from somewhere.

The owner of the voice is either a god or a demon.

Or rather, it's neither of those.

The serpent, perched atop its divine throne in the singularity, is smiling as it waves its baton.

The enchanting opera has begun.

...divide...line...

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Chapter Twenty-Four: Reminiscing About the Past, the Essence of Longing [Please Subscribe! Please Give Flowers!]

Let's talk about the past in a little more detail.

Yes, this is about Du Wei's past, and also the root cause of his desires.

As we all know, one needs something precious in life to have the motivation to move forward.

Only efforts built upon this foundation can bring happiness.

Happiness caused by other factors is only temporary, at best a painkiller to suppress pain.

Even after the effects of the medication wear off, the emptiness will still be felt.

Du Wei’s past was so uninteresting.

For him, all his actions were of little significance, and there was almost nothing in his life that could be considered important.

"Friends" are merely passersby with whom one has long-term interactions.

There are no friends who truly understand and confide in me.

If you separate from a "friend," you'll probably never contact them again.

The reason, of course, is that they feel there's no point in communicating.

The friend was unaware of his unusual behavior.

Not to mention parents.

They are important to Du Wei.

Yes, it is important.

This is also because Du Wei received an excellent innate education, so he felt it was important and a matter of course.

Everyone considers their parents to be important figures.

He is the same as a "human being".

But is this perception of "importance" correct?

To give a more easily understandable example.

To Du Wei, all living things were worth about the same as a feather.

Parents, as "important" figures, are probably only worth about two or three feathers.

So, can this be considered important?

Knowing that they are an abnormal being.

If you see all life as having equal value, then you won't favor anyone.

That is to say, they will not feel love for anyone.

Because they are all the same.

Perhaps he shouldn't have been born as a human being.

Unable to be satisfied, unable to feel.

They don't feel like they're living as human beings at all.

Living is simply because of the biological instinct to survive, while choosing to die feels like too much of a waste.

Driven by a longing, I tried to find it.

However, all that was given was repeated pain, and twice the effort yielded twice the emptiness.

Gradually, an idea began to take root in my mind.

This world is not a suitable world for me to live in.

I gave love, but all I got in return was this emptiness.

I don't know when it started, but I feel increasingly alienated from the world, and my unfulfilled desires are growing ever stronger.

Just as a wild beast cannot control the growth of its claws and fangs.

If one cannot find something that satisfies them, then this world is nothing more than this.

After the sigh comes numbness.

The only thing that allows you to savor the emotions is the story.

Books, legends, films, and other media are all acceptable.

All of the above are stories created by the creators by infusing their own emotions and stripping away any sense of reality—"experiences."

This was quite pure in Du Wei's eyes.

It is as pure and immaculate as snow, a beautiful world that exists only in our imagination.

Only by savoring this "experience" can one truly feel the emotions.

However, these emotions are hypocritical.

It's just an experience borrowed from others; once you get used to it, it becomes boring.

Just like painkillers whose effects always wear off.

They didn't want outsiders to notice anything unusual.

Du Wei can only put on a mask of hypocrisy to the outside world; everything he does is just an act to survive.

Tired of searching for important things.

The more you search, the more you are hurt by reality.

Do not have expectations of others, do not have expectations of yourself, and do not have expectations of reality.

But on the other hand, they also want to find something "pure".

It's quite contradictory and ironic.

On the surface, he is an ordinary person with joys and sorrows.

Its essence, however, is so distorted and empty.

The world is so ugly and devoid of passion; extreme hatred leads to absolute ruthlessness.

What exactly is the fundamental emotion that constitutes him?

Yes, it's anger and love.

The anger of not being able to obtain what is important, and the anger of not being able to keep the feeling of "love" in one's heart.

There was nothing he could do but feel disgust.

If Du Wei remained immersed in emptiness, he would likely die as a mortal, devoid of feeling and emotion.

Sad, sigh.

Let's return to the question of why we can't find what's important.

The root cause is the inherent flaws in human nature.

People often like to emphasize that "everyone is equal".

People often say that "no one is special".

It does sound incredibly inclusive, a world where everyone can live a vibrant life.

This is what happens when humans build a nation.

This is also the world where Du Wei first lived; just hearing about it evokes a genuine feeling.

How ugly, how filthy.

Nothing is more infuriating than hypocrisy.

Everyone is equal; no one is special.

This is even worse than sweet talk.

It's simply a beautiful lie told by a liar.