Whose world-class drama are they criticizing?

“Simon never hated you, not even when he was consumed by the curse and his humanity was gone,” Lane shouted at Kiri’s retreating figure. “Though that sounds hellish, I guess…”

"He didn't want to see you cry back then, so he etched a smile on your lips."

Fuck you.

It's one thing to like telling dwarf jokes, but to also like telling hell jokes?

Kiri froze, wanting to turn around and ask Ryan if he had laughed when he said those words. Who the hell was the patient here? This little idiot was more insane than anyone else.

Is this supposed to be comforting someone?

Just when you think Ryan is finally personifying, this kid always manages to push the boundaries of rhetoric.

Kiri subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth; the scar was deeply etched into his bone.

After holding back for a long time, he said sarcastically, "If this is true, then it is truly the most vicious and profound curse in the world."

"Family ties are the most vicious and profound curse in the world."

Unexpectedly, Ryan did not deny this statement.

Although it is still a riddle-like text.

But Ryan, having experienced death, had some insightful views on these topics.

“It is more deeply rooted than the Root Curse. We hurt each other in the name of love, we depend on each other yet curse each other. We will run away from it, we will hate it, we will need it, and we will return to it.”

"In this rotten world, everything withers and dies, except for it."

"So, Kiri Blair."

With his pale silver eyes reflecting Kiri's retreating figure, Ryan said, "Fight with love in your heart."

"Die with love in your heart."

"I assure you, there will always be something left after the straw is burned."

Chapter 68 Never Wither

"I assure you, there will always be something left after the straw is burned."

Ryan said.

The answer to this riddle is simple: after you two die, you'll get tons of gold coins!

【Azure Silver Ash】is an extremely rare relic, born only from the ashes of a cursed apostle upon their death. By sacrificing magical power, it can briefly summon a lightless spirit to fight for you.

Simply put, it's about hiring a big brother.

Although each dose can only be used once, it can be a life-saving trump card if used at the most critical moment.

Upon hearing that Kiri was going to participate, the players patiently watched from the sidelines. Wow, there's even a beast fight to watch!

"I say that Hua Liudi will definitely beat Hua Liuge in the end."

"Second hair".

"Kirigo's defenses are at least based on the 'Building Bomb,' and if you add a 'Sick Baby' sonic attack, then it's a polygonal 'Building Bomb.'"

"If I were to control Kirigo, I'd use one hand to fight and the other to relentlessly attack its demonic orb, making it cry out with a continuous bard-like attack. How could Kirigo possibly fight that?"

"When the time comes, Brother Kiri will breakdance, with the baby providing accompaniment. The two will work together like a dancing zombie."

"666, I have nothing to say."

After hearing Ryan's riddle, Kiri remained silent.

Fight with love in your heart.

Kiri ignored the outrageous remarks of the lightless people beside him—listening to too much of that stuff would drive one insane—he simply nodded calmly, continued walking forward, entered the courtyard, and pushed open the gate.

Thirty years later, he met Simon Blair again.

Kiri almost didn't recognize Simon.

The Blair family was one of the oldest families in the Westerlands. Although they were known as the 'Straw Family,' like the Lumin family, they inherited the golden bloodline of their ancestor Charlie, and their trademark was their beautiful blond hair.

The Lu Ming family home was a bright, sun-kissed gold, while the Blair family home was a bright, wheat-yellow color.

But Simon's bright yellow had faded, and his hair, like real straw, lay shriveled and scattered around his shoulders, presenting a lifeless, withered yellow.

Their father died at the hands of the Lightless long ago.

Simon Blair inherited the family and reorganized the Straw Knights. He was truly in his prime then, but now he huddles in a dark corner, his eyes cloudy, cradling a withered infant, murmuring distorted songs, so thin that his whole body is just a skeleton.

Like straw in the wind.

Kiri stared at Simon, the man he had hated most in the past thirty years.

In any case, there's only one opening line between brothers.

"Brother, I'm back."

Simon looked up and saw Kiri too. The same withered yellow hair, the same cloudy eyes, the same emaciated body—they looked like they were made from the same mold.

Simon's lips moved.

But in the end, he said nothing.

He put the baby back in the display window.

The next instant, Kiri was blasted against the wall.

The punch was quite heavy. Kiri felt his ribs break layer by layer, and his chest caved in deeply. He coughed several times, and his shrunken lungs vomited dry, yellow blood.

For an ordinary player, this punch would turn them into fragments of the Lightless.

You fucking have a really strong grip.

Kiri spat on the ground, blood mixed with fragments of internal organs.

This was just an ordinary punch, devoid of any skill, relying solely on pure speed and power—in short, a wild, unorthodox punch. Since Ryan had taken Simon's sword, he could only fight like a street thug.

This idiot guy is really crazy.

Kiri thought to himself that his bones were healing rapidly, but were being replaced by withered branches. The more wounds he suffered, the less human he became. First his blood vessels, then his skin, and now his bones. His blood vessels were withered roots, his skin was withered bark, and his bones were withered branches.

Nevertheless, Kiri smiled.

He even dropped the sword in his hand.

"So you hate me too, huh?"

Kiri raised his arm, clenched his fist, and a wide smile spread across his lips, the blood-red spores wriggling with the most unrestrained laughter. "Alright, then let's go without any worries."

Simon Blair.

"We used to fight like this when we were kids."

Without a word, Kiri sprang up the wall, pressed down on Simon, and delivered a powerful upward punch, instantly striking the latter and sending him crashing backward.

The withered plant instantly stitched up Simon's wound, and with a wave of his hand, he directly deflected Kiri's attack.

Wow... Ryan's watching this is amazing, is he already elbowing me?

Withered flesh and pale bones bloomed between Kiri and Simon.

There are no tricks involved; it's just the instinct of living beings.

It was just the purest form of fighting, just the purest form of harm.

They healed quickly from their wounds, attacking each other without a care, harboring the deepest malice and the most vicious curses.

But at the same time.

Even as the fighting became so fierce, they tacitly refrained from making any unnecessary noise.

They fought in silence.

Even the trembling of muscles, the ringing of fists, and the impact of collisions were deliberately suppressed to the minimum.

So the baby was still able to sleep peacefully.

This was unexpected for all the hardcore gamers. They didn't know that the fight between brothers didn't need outsiders to interfere, much less a child to shed blood.

Even without reason, Simon still maintained everything through instinct.

"Baby, my baby..." he continued to murmur a distorted lullaby.

As human tissue dwindles, humanity slowly fades, and consciousness gradually blurs. As Kiri listens to the unpleasant melody, he recalls past events.

This lullaby is called "Rice Fragrance Lullaby," a children's song passed down from Daohua Village.

The reason Simon, a grown man, could hum a few lines was because he had sung them for Kiri before.

In those years, he had nightmares.

Simon learned the song "Lullaby of the Rice Flowers" from a peasant woman and sang it to him by his bedside.

Although his consciousness was becoming increasingly blurred, his past memories were becoming clearer.

As if in a hallucination, he suddenly remembered the lyrics that followed.

"Baby, my baby."

"The night is deep, I wish you could fall asleep with the pillow of rice blossoms."

Simon smashed Kiri's head, and the splattered blood blossomed in the air.

"The evening breeze gently caresses the rice seedlings, and the rice ears shimmer with golden light in the distance."

Simon tore open Kiri's skin, and the biting cold wind seeped into his bones.

"Frogs croak softly by the fields, and the fragrance of rice blossoms wafts gently."

"The crescent moon hangs in the sky, accompanying the rice fields into dreams."

Dusk slowly faded away, and night was approaching. But the night in Wuguangling had no moon, only a white sun, only a white night.

The Pale Eclipse hangs eternally high in the sky.

Kiri looked up at Simon Blair.

His arm struck Simon hard in the abdomen.

Ryan had told Kiri that Simon contracted the curse by eating the withered bread, so the spores were located in his organs.

The blazing fire in his hand burned fiercely.

The spores were engulfed by the flames, along with all the roots that extended from them, all of which were burned. Skin, flesh, and bones—Simon was bathed in the fire, in the warm, peaceful fire. The straw knight who had wandered for thirty years could finally rest in peace.

"Baby, my baby."

"The night is deep, I wish you could fall asleep with the pillow of rice blossoms."

"You will grow strong like wheat, while I grow old slowly."

"Burn me!"

But before turning to ashes, Simon raised his burning palm, the flames brushing against Kiri's cheek, past the deep, bone-revealing wound and curse at the corner of his mouth.

Kiri was somewhat stunned.

In fact, he had never beaten Simon in all these years, but this time it was very easy.

Did Simon's immediate attack on him stem from the same purpose he had?

From Simon's perspective, he sees his younger brother whose mind is being corrupted by a curse and wants to help him break free.

But Simon forgot about the Blazing Fire.

He first set himself on fire, then used the flames to set his younger brother on fire.

Absurd idea....

Kiri shook his head in denial, realizing he was going crazy too. How could a patient with withering disease retain any willpower? Clearly, all humanity and willpower had withered away.

Whatever the truth is, it doesn't matter anymore.

It's all in vain.

If he could get away with it so easily, he would have done so long ago.

The flames burned away the spores, and Kiri felt excruciating pain, but the next second, the spores regenerated.

Having lived with the disease for thirty years, the curse was not only rooted in his physical body, but also in his soul.