“I told you not to look next, but you probably wouldn’t listen anyway.”
Ryann sighed, then manipulated the Crown of Golden Dawn to stop outside the Crystal Nest.
In the dream, the final stretch of distance was also traversed.
Jiang Jianming finally stopped crying, even though dense pain still tore at his chest.
He seemed to be able to guess what was about to happen, yet also couldn’t guess at all.
Ryann had completely lost contact with the Black Shark Base. There were no instruments here, no researchers, and he himself was already at the end of his rope.
How was this person going to extract the crystal particles from his body?
“Jiang.”
Ryann gazed calmly at the distant starry sky. “I still feel like you’re here.”
On his skin, already damaged by backlash, fine crystalline substances began to appear.
“I once just wanted to give you back a complete and free life in this new empire you’ve long anticipated.”
“Especially… after learning that your matching Base Body was also a non-crystal race.”
Jiang Jianming froze.
He frowned. “…What?”
He suddenly realized, then started breathing rapidly.
Indeed… he was also a Base Body carrying a projected consciousness, someone from the same era as Emperor Kaios!
Although he had guessed this in his heart, he never imagined he would get confirmation in such a bizarre situation!
“Lin Ge said we should never let you remember those hardships, to live an ordinary life again, and absolutely not get involved in the crystal particle wars. I also… I also…”
Ryann couldn’t continue. Jiang Jianming gazed at him intently, unconsciously finishing the sentence. “You also thought that would be the best choice for me.”
“But,” Ryann smiled, blinking once gently, “I happened to meet you again, once more.”
Once again seeing those eyes gazing at the sea of stars, and that soul unwilling to be mediocre.
It turned out that whether in the broken wasteland of chaotic times, or born in a seemingly peaceful prosperous empire, the indomitable would always remain unyielding.
“So I knew you would come… I wanted you to come.”
No matter how long the road, no matter how tired you might become halfway, even if the price was remembering those past hardships again.
I still want you to cut through thorns and thistles, to trudge here…
The young Crown Prince closed his eyes, his brow furrowing in pain as dense crystal particles began to overflow from his wounds!
“Come back to our unfinished journey.”
Once again.
Become the one who brings dawn to the empire.
“Come see me, accompany me in triumph.”
Countless golden crystal patterns tore through flesh and blood, crawling all over the Crown Prince’s skin, making him look like a cracking crystal doll.
Jiang Jianming watched this scene in extreme shock.
“Wait,” he instinctively tried to reach out, only realizing how foolish this action was when his fingertips passed through nothingness, “You’re going to…”
A flash of white light in his mind, and he seemed to understand.
— Crystal particles had been implanted in human bodies, but the two previous great wars had already proven that Ryann could use mental willpower to counter-suppress the consciousness of the crystal particles.
So if a person’s control over crystal particles reached a certain height, to the extent of being able to control the consciousness of every crystal particle in their body, then what?
Would it be possible to forcibly separate the crystal particles from the body?
If a person’s control over crystal particles even surpassed the racial consciousness of crystal particles returning to the Crystal Nest?
Would it be possible to make those crystal particles, after being separated, remain somewhere for a long time?
Like subjects kneeling in darkness, waiting to be summoned.
Waiting for years, for someone’s arrival.
Jiang Jianming’s whole body shuddered.
Deep in his memory, everything spun. The Silver Big Dipper, the Stele of Heroes, the Crown of Golden Dawn covered in dark blood…
He used Seth to open the cockpit, and dense crystal particles rushed towards him, making him break down in tears just like today.
“If you’re willing… I… I will…”
Ryann raised his hand with difficulty, his eyes soft.
“Always walk ahead of you…”
“Protect you.”
Blood-stained fingers tapped on the keyboard, leaving five lines of text.
Those five lines that had haunted Jiang Jianming countless times in his midnight dreams, etched deeply in his heart.
[My beloved]
The next second, Jiang Jianming heard a tearing sound.
So close.
“…!”
Ryann’s whole body tensed up, he gritted his teeth in pain, veins bulging at his temples.
As if an invisible hand was pulling the crystal particles out of his body, tearing apart the connected skin, flesh, and bones, blood spraying.
[Please]
Thud, a muffled sound.
The excruciating pain of being shattered made Ryann unable to sit anymore. He collapsed diagonally from the pilot seat, falling onto the cold deck, his platinum-blonde hair soaking in fresh blood.
He let out a soft groan, his fingers convulsing, leaving messy red marks on the ground.
This was just the beginning.
Soon, a second tear erupted, white bones visible in the cracked flesh; then came the third and fourth, internal organs rupturing, bones breaking, blood vessels exploding.
[Ignite those withered years]
The once proud and mighty king could now only gasp in his own pool of blood.
Ryann coughed up bloody foam from his throat, but with a smile at the corner of his eye, he said softly. “Don’t be afraid…”
The frequency of tearing became faster and faster, more and more blood stained the cockpit of the Crown of Golden Dawn, gradually becoming the scene Jiang Jianming was familiar with.
[Pass through the embers of the old civilization]
“And don’t think about learning from me…”
Ryann murmured hoarsely, “I can do this to this extent because from the beginning I was… heh, you’ll remember.”
“…You will eventually,” his eyes suddenly became unfocused, “remember everything…”
The Crown of Golden Dawn was quiet inside, the voice echoing then fading away.
[With the stars of ten thousand miles]
Jiang Jianming watched.
He didn’t even dare to blink, just watching his Little Highness tear himself apart until he was broken beyond recognition, barely breathing as he passed out.
Outside the mecha, the universe remained eternally silent.
In the darkness, Jiang Jianming gently moved closer.
He knelt on one knee in the pool of blood.
“Your Highness.”
His voice was very soft, as if afraid of shattering something.
[Before the dawn of humanity arrives]
Jiang Jianming simply lay down, lying next to Ryann in that pool of dark blood.
He felt as if he was sinking into a sea of stars, his heart more sorrowful than ever before, yet also more vast.
“What kind of person was my original self, to be worth all this from you, hm?”
Looking past the hellish scene, his eyes glistening with tears, he gently nuzzled Ryann’s forehead with his nose like a cat.
“I’m just… an ordinary…”
Weak in power, lowly in status, unable to do anything without you…
“Disabled human, that’s all.”
[Wake up in my arms…]
“Isn’t that right?”
Jiang Jianming asked with a slightly soft nasal tone, “Hm?”
Knowing full well he couldn’t be heard, knowing…
He still asked. “Your Highness, why do you love me so much?”
Just as Ryann had asked him a similar question.
“The ring…”
Suddenly, Ryann slightly opened his eyes, consciousness hazy, breath weak, “The ring… wear it…”
“No matter when… always wear it…”
Jiang Jianming sighed softly, saying, “I understand.”
“I love you, Jiang… I love you.”
On the verge of death, fine droplets once again moistened his eyelashes.
This person was crying again.
“This time, can you…”
“Promise me… let me love you…”
It seemed that after the memory fusion, certain qualities in Ryann had softened considerably, whether crying or laughing, everything was so vivid.
But that spine-chilling tearing erupted once again.
“Haven’t I already promised?”
Jiang Jianming’s voice was ethereal, “Your proposal, and this ring.”
“Next time… also…”
“I’ve promised that too.”
And so it went, until everything quieted down.
The young man, no longer in human form, leaned silently against the pilot seat.
He should have died, but he didn’t.
His body underwent a strange transformation. Crystals began to emerge chaotically, filling in his broken wounds.
Just like Margaret, he was turning into a whole new kind of monster.
If there was any difference, it was that Ryann clearly could still maintain clear consciousness, and the crystal particles inside him continued to disperse outwards!
And Jiang Jianming could still only watch. The emotions of shock and grief switched too quickly, his mind was now somewhat numb.
He thought dazedly about what Ryann had just said – Ryann said, “From the beginning I was…”, was what?
What was Emperor Kaios’s background again…
His thoughts in chaos, Jiang Jianming couldn’t remember for a moment.
Ryann frowned in restraint, those mutations on him waxing and waning.
He seemed to be concerned about damaging the mecha, set a final program on the control screen, then struggled to get up and pushed open the cockpit door, throwing himself out.
Outside the cabin was the misty white Crystal Nest.
Due to the weapons fired earlier, the ground of the Crystal Nest was covered in cracks, many areas lost their luster, and vast amounts of crystal particles were chaotically drifting, trying to repair those scars.
The blood-covered youth fell onto the white crystal.
Behind him, the built-in program of L-Crown of Golden Dawn activated, and the mecha flew away from the Crystal Nest.
After some time, it would be recovered by the First Fortress of the Silver Big Dipper, then sleep for a long time inside the Stele of Heroes.
Ryann looked back, squinting as he watched the Crown of Golden Dawn become a small dot and disappear.
The tug-of-war of crystal growth and recession on his body continued. He no longer much resembled a human life form.
His mission was also complete.
He had fired Black Shark Base’s weapons into the Crystal Nest, acted as a guide for the Silver Big Dipper, and left behind all the crystal particles of the entire Base Body.
Even if, taking a huge step back, Jiang Jianming didn’t choose this cruel path, when true danger came one day, he would at least hand over the crystal bone ring and the intelligence Seth to the empire.
At that time, this power would still be able to protect future generations.
So, whether for personal or public reasons.
Whether for the survival of the race, or for his beloved.
He had done his utmost.
Throughout history, these two things were often in conflict. To be able to achieve both now was truly a fortunate thing.
But Ryann still went forward, walking towards the depths of the Crystal Nest.
Just like how, long after, Jiang Jianming would escort the unconscious him through the bottom of the fortress, knowing they had entered a desperate situation, yet still facing the tide-like alien creatures with his blade.
The brave and unyielding must fight to the very last moment, before allowing their proud necks to accept death’s kiss.
The space all around was shaking slightly.
Crystal particles, dense to a terrifying degree, swarmed in, gnawing freely at this emperor who had once made them shrink back.
They had once had their consciousness polluted by this person, and now could finally torture his flesh and erode his spirit to their heart’s content.
“Come on then.”
Yet Ryann contemptuously stretched out his arms. “Look at you… is this all you’re capable of…”
As he spoke, the crystal particles belonging to him inside his body continued to disperse, as if determined to squeeze out every last bit before stopping.
The L-Crown of Golden Dawn had already gone far, but that was just as well.
The crystal particles he controlled were too domineering, and the cockpit space was too small.
Over time, after consciousness wore away, crystal particles of too high concentration might harm Jiang Jianming.
“The rest of this…”
Ryann muttered to himself, “I’ll go see you in advance, I miss you so much.”
He closed his eyes. In the microscopic world invisible to the human eye, a colorless, transparent crystal particle trembled to the extreme—
—…Whoosh.
It turned golden red.
Like a seed, or a handful of ignited starfire.
A prairie fire spreads.
The final surge of crystal particles suddenly lifted from Ryann’s body, also drawing the last trace of life force from the Base Body.
Billions of particles shimmering with golden-red luster detached from the young Crown Prince’s body, swirling like a nebula. They broke free from the dead Crystal Nest, ascending towards the universe.
Like a blood-stained white bird, spreading its wings and taking flight.
My beloved, please give me the lonely courage to cross the darkness.
Let me fly across the sea of stars, back to your side.
……
Before this vast and fragmented dream ended, Jiang Jianming saw where this stream of crystal particles was headed.
He saw this faint thread of consciousness trudging through the dark universe, crossing a distance of several light-years.
“They” had lost their way countless times, nearly forgotten themselves countless times, and been ravaged by other crystal particles in the cosmic domain countless times.
But “they” also awoke countless times, continued forward countless times, and even countered attacking crystal particles countless times, propagating their self-awareness further and faster.
Later, “they” reached the empire.
Reached the First Star System.
Reached the imperial capital.
At that time, it was night in the Third District of the imperial capital, Aslan Star City. On the highest peak of the Star City, rain poured down in torrents.
Scholars had predicted that there would be a beautiful meteor shower today.
Many backpackers had prepared to spend a dreamy night on the mountaintop. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, so they came with high spirits but left disappointed.
No one could have predicted that at this time, a young disabled human would climb the mountain as if possessed in such stormy weather, clutching a dead crystal in his hand.
Just as no one could have predicted that the story of all this had already begun its chapter much, much earlier.
Later, and later still.
The rain stopped, the clouds dispersed.
The night sky, washed clean, was clearer and purer than ever before, like a piece of dark blue glass.
The disabled human had already contracted crystal disorder as he had sought. He was soaked to the bone, shivering in the mud and tangled grass, fainting countless times from the excruciating pain of his attacks, even when awake his consciousness was hazy.
So… when in his dazed state he saw golden-red “meteor showers” streaking across the sky, thousands of brilliant colors like birds returning to their nest, rushing towards him with mournful cries.
He mistook it all for nothing more than an illusory dream.
