WTYTIAAN Chapter 245

## Chapter 245

He saw countless fine threads wrapped around Sean’s soul body, gradually tightening as Sean struggled. The direction those threads connected to was—

The alchemical array imprinted on the plaza.

One end of those almost transparent threads was wrapped around Sean’s soul body, and the other end disappeared into the array. One could faintly sense the transmission of energy.

It wasn’t simply taking energy from Sean and sending it into the array. The threads also fed back a stream of power from the array into Sean’s soul body. But for some reason, this power couldn’t be stored in Sean’s soul body for long, dissipating almost as soon as it was delivered.

Could this be why Sean’s soul body had weakened so rapidly in such a short time?

Yan Yunqing took down his heavy sword and slashed at the threads, but struck empty air.

The threads had no substance, as if they were purely composed of energy. Therefore, Yan Yunqing’s attempt to use the heavy sword to cut the threads wrapped around Sean was not feasible.

Yan Yunqing tried several times and failed, so he had to put away the heavy sword and try using magic attacks, but they also couldn’t make contact.

“Tch, what a pain.” Yan Yunqing watched Sean still struggling, but the movements were getting smaller and smaller. He felt that Sean’s soul body would dissipate in the next second.

Even worse news was that Yan Yunqing discovered that the surrounding buildings were collapsing faster as Sean’s struggle slowed down.

Although he couldn’t be sure that the fall of Eran Dyke City was because of Sean, Yan Yunqing’s intuition told him that the two must be related to some extent.

He should still try to prevent the fall of Eran Dyke City as much as possible. After all, his mission was almost complete. Who could stand a mission NPC suddenly wanting to ‘commit suicide’?

Yan Yunqing rummaged through his backpack. Because the surrounding buildings were collapsing faster and were about to approach the plaza, Yan Yunqing didn’t have the patience to search the entire backpack. He could only take out the weapons in the backpack one by one and try them.

Weapons that qualify to be included in the Demon King’s backpack were either divine weapons or had special abilities. Most of them were not yet at his level of use, and only a small portion had opened up permissions for him.

For example, his heavy sword was the first weapon given to him by Divik and was the most convenient weapon for him to use at present.

Yan Yunqing quickly took out a weapon and slashed it down, but it didn’t work. He put it away and changed to the next one.

He tried all the weapons in this way. Because it was so streamlined, he didn’t waste much time. But none of these weapons could cut these threads.

Yan Yunqing was a little helpless. He counted down in his heart, and when he thought there were only three minutes left, he would activate [Selinvar’s Remembrance] and be ready to leave here at any time.

Yan Yunqing took out another weapon and waved it casually. The threads were cut in two the moment the blade passed, and the energy transmission was suspended.

Yan Yunqing was about to put away the weapon and take out the next one to try when he belatedly realized that this weapon seemed to be effective against these threads?

Yan Yunqing lowered his head and took a closer look. He was holding an unremarkable dagger.

[Nameless Blade]

An unnamed knife. It was once given to someone as a gift, and it was the thing they cherished most. 50% chance to ignore defense and deal true damage.

Huh…?

Yan Yunqing blinked, but he didn’t have time to think about it in detail. He quickly waved the dagger, cutting the threads wrapped around Sean one by one.

It wasn’t always successful, and it occasionally failed a few times. The feeling of using it was both dull and sharp.

So, cutting these threads actually relies on the weapon effect of this dagger? True damage that ignores defense…?

After Yan Yunqing cut off the threads on Sean’s body, Sean’s struggling movements gradually stopped. In the next second, his soul body softened, and the entire undead was about to fall to the ground. Yan Yunqing quickly caught the undead, and the magic power in his hand circulated, using magic power to lift him up.

Yan Yunqing put away the dagger. This dagger was also his old partner. On the first day he traveled to this world, he relied on this dagger to cut open the iron cage and escape. Later, he used this dagger to kill many people and monsters. Of course, most of them were clucking chickens bought from the villagers.

A dagger without basic attack stats, only that seemingly fair but actually luck-dependent 50% chance of dealing true damage, can only be a chicken-killing knife in Yan Yunqing’s hands now.

He didn’t expect this special true damage to have other uses.

However…

Yan Yunqing’s thoughts drifted away for a moment. He thought of the description on the game panel, that ‘most cherished gift’. Yan Yunqing still couldn’t recall any relevant clues.

It was clearly said to be a gift, but Yan Yunqing couldn’t remember who gave it to whom. But since it appeared in his backpack, it should be a gift for him, right?

But even now, he still has no impression at all.

This thought only emerged for a moment, and Yan Yunqing quickly suppressed it, carrying the calmed Sean and running towards the city wall behind the plaza that he had originally planned to go to.

The threads on Sean’s body were cut off, and his soul body didn’t continue to weaken at an extremely fast rate like before, but the surrounding buildings still didn’t stop collapsing, and even accelerated their collapse.

Yan Yunqing clicked his tongue. It seemed that his deduction was wrong. The array absorbed Sean’s power to delay the fall of Eran Dyke City.

But he had already saved him, and Yan Yunqing wouldn’t throw Sean back to fend for himself. He simply used water ropes from water magic to tie Sean around the waist, like a balloon being pulled, and ran out with the floating Sean.

With a leap, he jumped onto a step. After several small jumps in a row, Yan Yunqing suspended himself and leaped onto the roof of a house. Following the eaves and stepping over the bricks and tiles, Yan Yunqing’s posture was extremely relaxed. This agility didn’t look like a swordsman at all, but more like a ranger split off from it.

“Right.” Sean, who had been silent since he stopped struggling, suddenly reminded him. Yan Yunqing turned his head and glanced at him, and ran in the direction he pointed.

“Are you so trusting of me? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll just point you in a random direction and let you go to your death?” Sean floated in mid-air, letting himself be tied up and run, his tone unlike the excitement just now, nor the initial calmness, but with a hint of resentment.

Resentment about what?

Yan Yunqing glanced at him again because of this tone, a little inexplicably.

“I’m not following your route, but I judged that it’s indeed better to go to the right to get out of this collapsed area.” Yan Yunqing casually explained, and then asked: “Do you know what’s going on? Why did your lair suddenly have an earthquake?”

Sean: “… Isn’t the word lair too bad?”

“Isn’t it? Can’t this be considered your lair?” Yan Yunqing retorted.

Sean quietly: “Heh.”

Yan Yunqing found that his emotions had increased, which was completely different from the calm feeling of the dead just now. In simple terms, Sean now had a sense of being alive.

This sounds very hellish, an undead looking like he’s alive.

But Yan Yunqing did feel the change in Sean.

So what’s the situation?

“I really didn’t think about sacrificing the people of an entire city.” Sean silently floated beside him, and when Yan Yunqing was multitasking, escaping while thinking, he silently spoke.

Yan Yunqing didn’t even stop when he heard the words, “But in fact, you did sacrifice an entire city. I’m very curious. According to what you said at the beginning, this array will use blood as a medium to summon undead who are related by blood. But this Eran Dyke City doesn’t seem to have the appearance of undead in the end.”

If undead appeared, then everyone in the city would be sacrificed, and the undead would be summoned to kill and kill all the enemies – it should be corpses everywhere, instead of everyone being frozen in an instant, turning into the wax figures that can fully show the past.

“… Hmm.” Sean responded in a low voice, “That was my last resort, but I didn’t expect it to become like this after the array was activated.”

“The last resort means that before the city was breached, you arranged the array in advance in various places in the city, ready to summon undead at any time?”

This is one of the loopholes in Sean’s previous narrative. In Sean’s description, he only thought of this long-sealed alchemical array at the last moment of Eran Dyke City’s survival, wanting to break the pot and try to summon those Eran Dyke warriors who died first.

However, this statement is not valid, because according to what Sean inadvertently revealed before, the array that can freeze the people of the entire city is not only imprinted in the plaza area, but also covers the entire city. The plaza is only the core array.

Eran Dyke City can only be regarded as a small and medium-sized city, not big, but to imprint this array on the entire city, it is definitely not something that can be completed in a few hours. It must be prepared at least ten days in advance, or even longer.

So activating this array was premeditated by Sean.

Sean was silent for a while before saying, “You are really keen, who are you?”

Yan Yunqing didn’t answer this question, but Sean didn’t dwell on it, just sighed, “Yes, I really didn’t think of this method temporarily, but a month earlier – a month before the city was breached, I had already prepared for this day.”

“Turn the people of the entire city into undead?”

Sean was surprised: “Of course not.”

“Although I don’t reject necromancy that much, I also know that if all the people in Eran Dyke City become undead, my family will no longer exist, and even the glory for which my father and grandfather died in battle will be erased together–”

“Just because the family had a head who used necromancy.”

“Death is not that important to people like us, the glory of the family is greater than everything.” Sean paused and smiled, “This is what I learned since I was a child. Even if I think it’s nonsense, I’m still bound by this rule, unconsciously working hard for that ethereal family glory.”

Yan Yunqing didn’t want to say whether the so-called family glory was nonsense, because it involved the beliefs of individuals and groups.

“So you didn’t want to activate this array at the beginning. What changed your mind and caused this result?”

A brief blank appeared on Sean’s face. He seemed dazed for a moment, but quickly came back to his senses. He looked ahead and once again corrected Yan Yunqing’s direction of advancement, “Go from there, it will be faster to get out from there. There are still many buildings that can be used to gain leverage.”

This time, Yan Yunqing really changed direction according to Sean’s words.

Seeing Yan Yunqing choosing to give him a bit of trust, Sean suddenly felt satisfied and didn’t hesitate to continue telling the story: “Eran Dyke City was about to fail at that time. In my judgment, Eran Dyke City could only last about seven days under such a fierce offensive. When the city is breached, everything will turn into nothing.”

“I was unwilling to wait, but I also knew that I would die. But I had to die with value.” Sean chuckled, “Like my father and grandfather, I said they gave me a very good example. It is also because of their sacrifice that even under my leadership, Eran Dyke City is getting worse and worse, the people of Eran Dyke City are still willing to believe me and my family.”

“So now it’s my turn to sacrifice. Only if I sacrifice, my family can continue to continue and continue to be admired and trusted by the people of Eran Dyke City.”

“The array, the real thing to sacrifice,”

“Is me.”

Sean’s voice was calm and with a bit of obsession. He clearly said words that were very disapproving of the family’s philosophy, but revealed absolute belief in his words.

Hearing this, Yan Yunqing suddenly understood why the array would absorb the power of Sean’s soul body, and even after he cut off those threads, the city collapsed faster.

It turned out that this city existed because of Sean’s power.

This also explains why Sean’s soul body was so weak from the beginning that he couldn’t even depict his entire face, and he couldn’t even show what he looked like when he was alive.

But even so weak, Sean’s soul body still exists, also because of the array.

“But it’s useless for me to just sacrifice myself. I must solve this group of mad dog rebels and choose someone who can continue to lead the family.” Sean said, “The family is not a problem. Although I have been cultivated as an heir since I was a child, I am not the only candidate for heir.”

Sean was a little proud when he said this, “One of them is my own brother. Of course, these heir candidates are not as qualified as me, so I was the only one who could take the position in the first place.”

Yan Yunqing slandered in his heart: He was clearly unwilling to take over the family in the previous narrative, but now he looks very proud.

Is this duplicity? Tsk, men are such vain guys who like to save face.

“You chose your own brother?” Yan Yunqing followed his words.

Sean snorted, “My brother is a fool and has no ability to protect the family. I handed this important task to – a cousin of the collateral line, she is capable, but because of her poor background, the family has always positioned her as my deputy.”

“I told her: Now, Pasha, you’re promoted.”

Sean was extremely excited, as if he was really telling a story with ups and downs, “How is it, isn’t what I said handsome?”

Yan Yunqing: …

“Hmm… it’s okay.” Yan Yunqing reluctantly agreed.

Sean sneered, obviously noticing Yan Yunqing’s perfunctory attitude, but didn’t care too much and continued to say: “After the family affairs are arranged, it is to solve the group of mad dogs… oh, I mean the rebels.”

“At that time, I thought of the array that I had studied before. This is indeed the only way to annihilate the group of mad dogs and save Eran Dyke City and the family.”

“I prepared a lot of magic ore. I will use my own flesh and blood as the price, and the power of the magic ore will assist me to summon the Eran Dyke warriors who once died on this land to help Eran Dyke City get through this disaster.”

Sean said very seriously.

Yan Yunqing admitted that he was really touched by Sean’s words at this moment.

Even if Sean’s motives were not pure, he did want to save this city, and at the cost of sacrificing himself.

Judge actions, not motives; if judged by motives, there are no saints.

“But in the end, something went wrong,”

Sean’s originally high-spirited tone suddenly fell silent, and he admitted after a long silence: “Yes, but in the end, something went wrong.”

Yan Yunqing stepped on a roof that was about to sink and jumped lightly, jumping to a small watchtower. He saw the city wall that was also collapsing at a glance.

The good news is that his judgment was correct. The sinking area was only Eran Dyke City. Everything outside the city wall was calm. Only the rolling yellow sand near the edge of the city wall seemed to be mourning the imminent fall of Eran Dyke City.

Yan Yunqing stood on the watchtower and did not choose to go out immediately. He looked at Sean with a premonition.

However, Sean was still immersed in the memories of the past.

“Originally, I estimated that there would be at most seven days before the final defeat and fall, but Eran Dyke City persisted longer than I thought. They survived seven days, survived ten days, survived half a month… and finally survived a month before finally losing.”

Sean really didn’t lie about this. In the memory, on the day the city gate was broken, blood dyed the sky of Eran Dyke City red.

“Because they persisted for a long enough time, I also had time to study the alchemical array that I had put aside, and I made some improvements to the alchemical array…”

Sean’s expression was vaguely sad, “I originally thought that I could summon the undead better, and it would be best to reduce some casualties, but…”

“I was still self-righteous.”

“My talent in alchemy is nothing more than that. How can I have the ability to change the alchemical array left by that person?”

“On the day the city was breached, I arranged everything as quickly as possible and went to the tomb I built for myself – which is the plaza.”

“I sacrificed myself, and everything was going in the direction I had planned, but something went wrong in the middle.”

“The array did not successfully summon the undead, but after devouring my flesh and blood, it activated the power of the magic ore.”

“That is the magic ore enough to summon tens of thousands of undead back. The moment the power was activated, it was equivalent to a magician above level 100 releasing a forbidden magic with all his magic power.”

In that instant, the power from the magic ore swept through the entire city.

Eran Dyke City instantly turned into – crystal stones.

Yan Yunqing suddenly realized that those wax figures that looked like sculptures were actually the performance after being crystallized in an instant after the power of the magic ore exploded.

So that’s how it is.

The reason why Eran Dyke City is so weirdly like a place forgotten by time, solidified in that moment, is because the power of the magic ore was maximized and formed instantly.

This method comparable to the gods was not made by the gods.

But artificial…

An ‘artificial’ incident where someone wanted to sacrifice himself to save the city, but killed the entire city instead.

“Do you think I did something wrong?” Sean turned his head, looking at Eran Dyke City, which had mostly sunk into the yellow sand, with only a small part exposed, and asked, “Did I choose the wrong thing?”

After his father and grandfather sacrificed one after another, he chose to take over the position of city lord and take over the family. Did he choose the wrong thing?

In the face of life and death, he chose to sacrifice himself in exchange for a bright future for the family and half of Eran Dyke City’s survival. Did he choose the wrong thing?

After deciding to sacrifice, he was worried that the alchemical array left by Kienn would turn the people in the city into undead. He chose to modify the array based on his own understanding. Did he choose the wrong thing?

Yan Yunqing lowered his eyes. When he heard Sean’s question, he had already guessed what Sean’s wish was.

Sean’s wish is –

He wants to know whether the things he did in the past were right or wrong.

It really is…

Very much in line with the dramatic ending of the game!

Yan Yunqing looked at the gradually collapsing Eran Dyke City with Sean and asked, “What do you think?”

Sean glanced at Yan Yunqing in surprise, “…I thought you would evaluate my choice.”

Yan Yunqing shrugged, “And then comfort you? Or scold you?”

Sean was noncommittal.

Yan Yunqing smiled: “Please, what do you take me for? Your father? Or your grandfather?”

Sean was stunned.

Yan Yunqing turned his head, his eyes moved from Eran Dyke City, which was about to sink into the yellow sand, to the farther place, the yellow sand that seemed to be still calm but could not be seen to the end.

“The ending has been determined, and how the process is has no meaning. Others’ evaluation has no meaning to you.”

“Instead of asking me whether your choice is right or wrong, it is better to ask yourself.”

“Do you have a clear conscience?”

“If you have a clear conscience, then accept it calmly. You have done your best, whether it is a good or bad ending.”

“What if you have a guilty conscience?”

“Then try to save it.”

Yan Yunqing thought for a while, “Just like those behaviors you beautified at the beginning, make yourself feel better and then choose to accept it.”

Sean was silent.

After a long time, he murmured: “What’s the difference between this and having a clear conscience?”

Yan Yunqing blinked, his dark red eyes showing a bit of innocence: “A difference in conscience?”

Sean: …

Sean took a deep breath, seemingly restraining the urge to fight Yan Yunqing.

Sean closed his eyes and raised his hand.

A gentle force lifted Yan Yunqing’s body. Yan Yunqing looked up at Sean. Sean turned his face away, unwilling to look at him.

Only a little of the spire of the watchtower was still exposed outside the yellow sand under his feet. The place where Yan Yunqing was standing was submerged by the yellow sand the moment he was lifted up.

Yan Yunqing did not notice Sean’s malice, so he relaxed his body and let the force push him out of the sinking area.

Yan Yunqing landed on a sand dune outside the city and watched Sean sitting on the spire of the watchtower where they had just stood, looking back at the area that had completely sunk into the yellow sand, the area belonging to Eran Dyke City.

That was the place where he once grew up and also the place he once wanted to protect.

Now, it is nothing but a handful of loess, all annihilated in the fine sand. Perhaps no one will ever remember this city called Eran Dyke again.

Nor will they remember that there was once a city lord of Eran Dyke named Ron Sean.

Yan Yunqing seemed to hear a long sigh from afar again.

With melancholy and remembrance.

With that sigh, Sean was buried in the yellow sand along with Eran Dyke City.

[The ‘Sean’s Wish’ has been completed]

The words “Task completed” popped up on the task panel. Yan Yunqing didn’t know if it was his illusion, but this task completion seemed to be given very unwillingly.

Yan Yunqing looked at the area belonging to Eran Dyke City, which was completely sunk, and was clean, as if everything had never existed.

They all fell into the past.