Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

An ominous black aura crept up his head, and nameless rage and bloodlust instantly corrupted him. The curse of the earth seized their ankles. The fallen demon bit into them, even though the main force of the demons was still dozens of meters away.

"Roar!!" The beast began its hunt, heading towards the fleeing lamb, its hands stained with the blood of its brethren. The demon stood on the bridge built of goodwill.

"Run! Someone has fallen!!"

"Help me!! I don't want to die!!"

"Rosa!!!" Jeremiah roared as he watched the chaotic wave of people engulf the girl, the panicked crowd carrying him away into the distance.

"You cannot harm your own people, sir!"

"Please stay calm!!"

The phantoms tried to persuade the Fallen, but to no avail. They had no ill intentions and could not think of harming anyone. They could only use their bodies to form a barrier to separate the demons and the exiles.

But the collapse had already begun, the nightmare had arrived, and this place, less than twenty meters from the cliff that symbolized hope, had become an abyss where evil gathered.

Having given their all to protect the exiles, the exhausted phantoms began to collapse. Like a domino effect, under the impact of negative emotions, the bridge broke, and a small number of exiles and phantoms fell into the abyss.

Meanwhile, the demons, their eyes red, finally saw the prey they had been longing for.

Chapter 773 The Heartless Youth

bump!

A sharp pain shot through her left arm. The moment the thought of agony crossed her mind, she found her eyes welling up with tears, her vision blurred. Her hair was covered in dirt, half her face still flushed from the impact, her head was spinning, and her mind was a complete darkness. Rosa endured the pain, using her intact right hand to pull her body out of the ground. Her mind hadn't recovered from the chaos; piercing screams were tearing at her spirit, and the acrid smell of smoke made her cough uncontrollably. She didn't want to open her eyes; she had fallen into hell.

"help me!"

"It hurts! It hurts!"

Please don't do this! I beg you!

With her eyes closed, the sounds became clearer—those agonizing cries, those distorted voices of utter devastation, perfectly conveying despair to Rosa's ears. She wept softly along with those sounds, her kneeling body only able to pray in despair. Her left hand was completely numb; she couldn't even clasp her hands together.

The scorching wind felt like it was cutting into her skin. This horrific scene reminded Rosa of the time she accidentally stumbled into the Bloodbath, where the oppressive power of the blood-soaked monster made her tremble so much that she couldn't even muster the thought of running away. But now, the situation was far more dire. The ladder had collapsed, and she, along with a small group of others, had fallen into the demons' encirclement. It was only a matter of time before they were torn apart. With her back against the cliff, there was no way out.

The stinging pain in her left arm intensified, and the unimaginable agony turned Rosa into an ordinary girl. She forgot how to endure and lost her usual composure; any action was futile.

Turns out I'm the same way...

How terrifying! I don't want to fall here, impaled on a spear, my body torn to pieces! No, no, no…

Someone please save me... It hurts so much... It hurts so much...

Fine scales slithered along her back, slightly agitating Rosa. Anxiety made her open her eyes, and the great phantom [Serpent] stared intently at her, looking down at the poor Cinderella with its half-burnt head.

The snake's body was mostly gone; its once beautiful bluish-green scales were reduced to a small patch. Flames still burned on its body, embers flickering deep within the cracks at its tip. Its body carried the bodies of its companions, bound to its surface with vines and branches as if asleep. The most beautiful garden was no longer lush; the new life it carried was now broken and dead. Sorrow was etched on its human-like face, along with the scorch marks.

The approach of the snake made Rosa unconsciously lower her head. She leaned to the side and slowly backed away, trying to bury herself in the shadows.

“Rosa, come with me, there’s still a chance.” Without further explanation, the giant phantom coiled its tentacles around the girl’s waist, dragging her along the dust. Within the barrier formed by the phantom’s corpses, most of the exiles scaled the cliff, but without the phantoms, they chose to fall, fulfilling their promise to protect everyone, using their own bodies to block the demons’ attacks. The phantoms’ bodies were far stronger than ordinary people’s, and they could even mimic rock.

Although unrestrained violence far surpasses that of stubborn rocks.

The snake's body was warm, and its layers of intertwined branches kept the chaos at bay. Rosa felt drowsy, unsure whether it was from the warmth or from blood loss. Seeing her other companions who had suffered the same fate, the most capable guide barely regained her composure.

"Rosa!"

"Lady Rosa!"

They had found a pillar of support, but ironically, that pillar had already broken. Rosa gave a self-deprecating smile. A sharp pain in her shoulder brought the girl back to her senses. She discovered that the phantoms had made an emergency splint for her arm with straw rope. These phantoms, their bodies shattered, still had clear eyes amidst the smoke of battle.

“I…” A wave of bitterness welled up in her nose, and Rosa was about to say something when she was interrupted by [Snake].

“Our damage is great, my dear. It will take all our strength to get you up there again. We only have one chance. There’s no time to talk, Rosa. You have to do as we say and squeeze in with the others.”

Time seemed incredibly tight. Before the words were even finished, the [Snake] transformed again, her body forming a cradle that enveloped everyone, including Rosa. The remaining phantoms burrowed into her body, merging into the crack where sparks were burning. A crackling sound filled the air as Rosa felt the cradle rising, albeit very, very slowly.

Are we safe...? Did we succeed?

This thought suddenly popped into Rosa's head. She saw their graves, scattered stones, burning plants, and ruins made up of phantoms, enacting a heart-wrenching tragedy.

A chill ran down Rosa's spine, and a figure shrouded in black robes appeared before her eyes. The Lord of Illusions, a being like a malevolent god. No, no… that can wait. Right now, she must survive!

As if mocking the naivety of her ideas, the cradle began to shake violently, the phantom suddenly began to wail, and the outermost layer of the deformed cradle began to peel off. Through the gap that appeared in front of her, Rosa saw the demon igniting the roots of the cradle.

The claws wreathed in black energy burned like flames. His right hand held a curved blade, scorching and slicing the roots simultaneously. Although his face was contorted in madness, every wrinkle on his face felt familiar to Rosa, making her feel powerless.

“Uncle Bradley.” Jeremiah’s father, the forerunner of depravity, came to greet his children.

Rosa suddenly felt a sense of relief. She recalled many memories from her childhood: her father's dedication to the entire exile group, and this man before her who played with her, her second father, the man with the loudest laughter. Even in his current sinister grin, Rosa could see the shadow of that man from her past.

“Perhaps this isn’t so bad…” Rosa thought silently, leaning forward and slowly climbing over the cradle’s railing. Someone had to stop him, someone had to block his attack. I was the most suitable person; they were all afraid, they… This was the guide’s job…

The phantoms were exhausted. Their tentacles that were holding me back were so weak; even I could easily break free. My body lost its balance, and I gradually lost control of my center of gravity. The demon opened its arms, and Rosa smiled.

"Are you here to welcome me, Uncle?"

A dark shadow fell from above, its face less than ten centimeters from Rosa's nose, disappearing in a flash. Rosa remembered those eyes, that always-hidden, sea-like color, that blue that could absorb all tears. Like a swooping raven, it roared, tearing at her hoarse throat.

How could you do this, Father!

"That's the girl I like!!"

Father and son, their snow-white blades clashing in the air, killing intent and determination, two similar faces, an ominous aura entangled them, causing the two to charge into the ruins like wild beasts.

Chapter 774 The Dead's Advice

I'm almost forgetting why I put on a stern face in the first place.

At first, it was because I didn't want to be too much like him, Bradley, my father who laughed like a fool. You could say he painted all the colors of Rosa and my childhood; perhaps Rosa's optimism was inherited from him. Despite not being related by blood, Rosa was incredibly similar to him, and there was a sense of closeness that drew me to him.

I think his pessimism was understandable; no matter how loudly he laughed, it couldn't hide the cruel reality. I don't know when it started, but I began to resent his blind smile and no longer liked our similarities, even though everyone said we were cut from the same mold. After realizing my feelings for Rosa, I increasingly didn't want to be a copy of my father. Rosa's attitude towards my changes didn't change; it remained the same as his.

“You and she have switched roles.” The man laughed merrily, his hand patting my shoulder as heavy as ever.

"In what way?" I couldn't stand his easygoing nature, and I couldn't understand how he could be so close to his son like a brother. He could be stern, but he had never been like this to me.

“Of course it’s personality, kid. Are you still dreaming of turning your life around into a prince? That’s incredibly unrealistic.” He said, making me want to punch him in the face, and I laughed even louder. “Rosa, that girl was just like you when she was little. You were a cheerful little fool when you were little, while she never laughed. Now it’s the other way around. Well, thanks to my efforts, your dad.”

"Stop, I'm just tired of laughing, I don't want to live with a mask on anymore." I stubbornly severed ties with you, even though we both knew blood was thicker than water.

He stopped laughing, his serious gaze reflecting the essence of the other children.

“Her father guided us toward the light, and I cannot watch Rosa go astray alone. Even if it means dividing my love for my son, I will favor my other daughter. Jeremiah, you can accuse me of being an incompetent father.”

"I've already said, I have nothing to do with you now." I never thought you weren't good enough, Father. Those words only lingered in my heart.

Bradley looked up at the gray sky, hooked his arm around my neck, and pulled me firmly into his arms.

"You like Rosa? Don't worry, I won't tell." He said in a joking tone, saying something I couldn't bear to deny.

"Ah."

"Will you protect her? With all your might?" I think this damned man has taken on the role of my father-in-law. His smile is intermittent, stopping as Rosa stops, revealing himself to me. "She's a princess, and princesses are fragile. My son, when her father left, I saw that side of her. She was a delicate girl being supported, but reality keeps taking away her support. Her father was, and so am I. I hope you love her, not because of youthful impulsiveness, but with a more resilient emotion. If one day I'm gone, you must become her new support."

Filled with enthusiasm, I readily agreed. He smiled, and in that unique smile, I seemed to see my own growth.

Teenagers are those who say the most passionate things and do the most foolish things.

My actions were utterly chaotic. I never imagined that this turn of events would hit me harder than Rosa; I was more vulnerable than the delicate princess. I failed to be her support, but she became mine.

You have always stood on the opposite side of me. Now it is Rosa who supports my sky, while what fills her sky is a sense of responsibility to her people and an optimistic dream.

I think your efforts were worthwhile; Rosa is far more outstanding than me.

Rosa did a better job than me in the face of despair. I became a complete pessimist, and the thing I hated most became myself—this pathetic and cowardly self.

I could only watch her steps toward the light, grateful for her love and care for me. Her dream was beautiful, like a flower blooming in this desert. I savored the sweet rain and followed in her footsteps.

If I had a choice, I would be her stepping stone.

"Are you satisfied now?! Father?! Jeremiah has followed the same path as you!! I have completely become you!!" Wielding his scimitar, Jeremiah's boiling malice had already eroded his mind. All his words were transformed into roars, resorting to violence in the hands of his closest person.

"She still has sweet dreams, how can she let you damned bunch, and this vile land, bind her? Get out of here!!" The black mist engulfed the boy, and the grinning demon and the indifferent demon collided.

"Fall down!! You should have died long ago!! Old man!!" Leaving his last words, the boy degenerated into a howling beast, becoming exactly like him.

Jeremiah's love for Rosa and his longing for Brady were corrupted by evil thoughts, and he degenerated into a monster driven only by the desire to kill, starting with his father.

The boy's feelings were conveyed, in the way she least expected.

The cradle arrived in new land. The exiles, survivors of the catastrophe, rushed towards the unfamiliar land with tears in their eyes. Rosa stared at the chaos below the cliff, the billowing smoke making her eyes red.

"We did it, Rosa." The snake, clinging to the edge, forced a smile with its mutilated face—a heartbreaking smile.

"Yes, thank you, thank you everyone, Phantom." Rosa stood on the edge of the cliff, a gentle breeze ruffling her dust-covered dress. Cinderella and the fairy were saying their final goodbyes.

The giant phantom's tentacles lifted up another small basket containing the sleeping little creature, which together were less than the size of a lunch basket.

"Do me a favor, my dear, let them sleep in the spot where the flowers are most abundant; they like to sleep cuddling with their roots."

"And you."

"I also need to rest." Before she finished speaking, cracks began to appear on the snake's body, scales fell off, and vines fell into the deep valley. Her eyes were closed, and she looked as peaceful as if she had fallen into a soft bed.

Rosa nodded to the void beneath her feet, picked up the basket, and entrusted it to an exile.

"Lady Rosa...you..."

"My dream has been fulfilled, and I've done what I promised you." With tears still wet on her face, Rosa hugged her injured arm, her frail body teetering on the edge of the cliff.

Her mind went blank, and a sliver of azure sky appeared before her—a sight Bosso had never seen before. She reached out, straining to reach out, only to find herself drifting further and further away from that beauty. Bosso, the last princess, made her choice: to fall with the one who loved her most.

That's so high, it must have hurt terribly if they fell. If I also turned into a demon, could I survive in another way? But I can't bring myself to hate them.

"Jeremiah, don't stray too far from me."

Thinking this through, Rosa closed her eyes.

A moment later, feeling no impact on her body, smelling the thick smoke and feeling a despair that had long since subsided, Rosa opened her eyes blankly and looked at the snake beneath her, which was now smiling and acting as a cushion.

“With the help of the phantom, it’s all done… You can…” Rosa murmured.

"I can help you one more time." The weak voice was like a dream. The great phantom's body protected Rosa layer by layer, offering a final act of tenderness before the demon caused another disturbance.

"I don't understand, I don't comprehend it. Ignoring warnings and recklessly squandering his doting affection, perhaps that's also a form of malice. We... Phantom isn't kind..."

"Even in the end, they remain a willful and pathetic group with no future."