But Fu En shook his head:

"What I mean is... the sacrifice has not been successfully offered, the Goddess of Life has already descended, if we don't want to violate the [rules]... we must replace the sacrifice."

"Tian Yu has a noble identity and cannot become a sacrifice, or we will incur retaliation from the Sky Plane. And Eni, that useless fool, has an extremely low compatibility and cannot become a sacrifice. So it seems there's only one person left."

"You say it." He lifted his head, his slightly bright eyes watching Su Ming'an:

"...Isn't that useless fool quite lucky?"

Su Ming'an's eyes slightly widened.

Fu En smiled and held the broken Knight's Sword in his arms, the white Life Source Stream surrounding him. It seemed he already realized his own ending, his smile was both angry and resentful.

"It seems in this lifetime I haven't gained anything."

"Everyone says Prince Fu En was born in a honey jar. He has a noble identity, parental love, and the unwavering loyalty of a knight."

"In the end, I have nothing left."

He caressed the broken Knight's Sword, touching the hilt with his forehead. It was where the hand would grip, where his knight had protected him day in and day out for years.

But it turned out, that wasn't protection, it was just nurturing a sacrifice.

In the end, even the gaze of the knight was fixed on Sique, unable to see him. He was like a clown entertaining himself, hoping the stage lights could shine on him, putting on a farewell show battling the traitor knight to the death.

But the spotlight was for others, he had nothing. When the stage was over, it was his turn, insignificant and tiny, headed for the execution ground.

Resting his forehead on the Knight's Sword, it seemed he could increasingly hear that beating heart, one beat, one beat, again and again... He remembered when he was eight years old, being saved, the knight smilingly had him listen to the heartbeat beneath the armor, promising that this heart would forever beat for him.

But in the end, the knight's sharp sword pierced his heart, leading him to the altar.

The story of the goddess and Sique was epic, intertwined with love and hate, full of twists and turns, captivating. But the story of the goddess and him was dull, filled only with deception, while he foolishly believed someone in this world would love him regardless of the cost.

Indeed. Did he really think a deity would like an arrogant, confident, and irritable prince? Was it the Moonlight Sonata Qin Si played that bewildered him? Or the sunflowers they planted in the garden that bewildered him?

Eighteen years of constant companionship, heartfelt vows—on what basis would a god take pity on humanity?

"Yes,"

"Everything said was lies."

His voice grew hoarse, his throat choking with something:

"...Yet I took it seriously."

Su Ming'an took a step forward.

He saw Fu En's body beginning to radiate, realizing the Knight's Sword Fu En was holding was actually the tool for the sacrifice—his act of holding the blade wasn't sentimentality but a sacrifice.

"But there's no way, I am a selfish ghost." Fu En was still looking at the Knight's Sword, speaking as if to the air:

"I wanted that arrogant fool Eni to be the sacrifice, but that fool was too trashy, had no compatibility when they went on stage. So it has to be me."

"I really wanted to escape, to abandon all responsibilities and run away, even if the entire Undead Territory gets obliterated by the rules. I'm such a cowardly person, nurtured to be selfish, but I'm originally within the realm of the rules, there's no way to escape."

There's no escape.

Everywhere he looked was a dead end, his knight personally pushed him onto it.

Then, he looked at Su Ming'an, showing a look of joy: "Idol, I am a huge fan of yours, my room is filled with your books."

Su Ming'an said: "Want an autograph?"

Fu En: "I just want a wish, idol."

Su Ming'an: "...You say it."

What wish could a prince have? A grand funeral after death, to ask Su Ming'an to protect the kingdom, or to ask for some special props?

Right, Fu En had said that his greatest wish was for Sique to pat his head...

Su Ming'an stepped forward, raising his wrist, already planning to give Fu En a pat on the head.

Yet the boy lowered his eyes, smiling as he spoke.

...

"My wish is..."

"If there's a slightest possibility... in the future, could you... write Qi Jue out again?"

...

He gave up his own wish, choosing Qi Jue's wish.

No one ever tried to save him.

But the goddess would.

Even if love was just false deceit, this love indeed accompanied his barren life, watering him with falseness.

Su Ming'an didn't expect Fu En to make such a wish.

"He just took the wrong path, he's just missing you too much. Give him another chance, please write him out again... I don't understand your creators' ways, but erased words can be written again, and erased names can be rewritten... can you?" His eyes slightly shone, the short golden hair glistening with a layer of orange-red glow, due to physical exhaustion, his calves were trembling.

"I don't know." In the end, Su Ming'an could only give this answer. He really didn't know, it wasn't a skill he mastered: "...I don't know."

But Fu En said: "It's okay."

He didn't insist, just lowered his head, muttering to the blade:

"Alright, alright, it's up to here..."

"No one cares what happens to a minor character like me, nor does anyone care whether I live or die, up to here is enough..."

"If I talk too long, it'll just annoy people."

"Let's leave it at that... Qi Jue."

He slowly closed his eyes, life force continuously being drawn away by the sword, and he tightly held onto this black hole, silently praying.

"...Please take me away."

Take me away.

Leave this desolate and disgusting land.

Leave the ministers' mocking and jesting gaze.

Leave the greedy and covetous eyes of the king.

The pure white brilliance kissed his body, the vast snow of the land embraced him, his short golden hair lifted, his eyelashes lingered in the sunlight, pieces of fabric and flesh dissolved, disappearing with the ticking countdown...

In the dreams at night, he countless times dreamed of the knight.

The knight smiled, extending a hand to him, saying—

"The sunflower garden in your royal palace is so beautiful, I've never seen anything like it."

"Also, you commanded the gardener to plant the dandelions I advised you before, seeing you taking such care makes me feel flattered."

"However, you suggested taking a walk with me, please forgive me for declining. That's the only thing, I can't accompany you to do it."

Faced with his questioning gaze, the knight put a finger to his lips, revealing a mysterious smile:

"...The reason is a secret."

Now Fu En finally knew the reason.

Because the knight just wanted to take a walk with a friend.

And all Fu En needed to do was to tend to the sunflowers.

...

Tian Yu raised her head.

This was the second snowfall she witnessed today.

The northern lands often had such snow, gentle and unhurried, not intense, letting people feel caressed and embraced by the fluffy snow.

Yet today, the snow felt somewhat scorching.

She extended a finger, a snowflake landing on her fingertip, she could feel the warmth... coming from within the Little Prince's body.

This was the sacrifice turning into pure white flesh, a warm current of silent snow had melted into him.

She then saw a purple figure, striding forward, raising a hand,

—gently, gently placed on the Little Prince's head,

—tenderly patting the Little Prince's head, fingers curling inward, the gesture gentle. Like a deity softly stroking a lamb, or like one person caressing a friend.

"A free pat." Su Ming'an said, "Wouldn't count as a wish."

The Little Prince smiled, and though it was not a relieved smile, it seemed somewhat unwilling:

"Thank you, thank you..."

"""

This can't be considered a smile of relief in the last moment.

It is even somewhat hideous and distorted, carrying strong self-repression.

He doesn't even know how to face Sique, who is his idol, but also the one who made his knight betray him and brought about his tragedy. Yet undoubtedly, deep down, he still yearns.

With the last bit of strength, he moved forward, his transparent hands reaching out as the Knight's Sword fell to the ground, and he grasped Su Ming'an's wrist.

Scorching, burning, like a piece of snow.

"Sique..." he began to speak:

"Is... the radiance of the world... the shepherd of time... the lighthouse of beings..."

"Every time father touches my head, his eyes make me want to vomit. Every time mother touches my head, her eyes are filled with both love and hate... She envies me, but I don't even want it..."

"Something like this is hard to speak of, listened by others, it feels like a tremendous shame."

"So, it's great that Eni, that loser, isn't here, saving him from seeing me in such a sorry state."

"You tell him, I have already left the Hell Plane, seeking opportunity, and will surely do better than him in the future."

"Okay," Su Ming'an said.

But there are too many things he has to remember, too many people he has to bid farewell to.

Prince Fu'en gasped urgently:

"Hmph... For you all to live... I unwillingly sacrificed myself... this... is way stronger... than that loser... Hmph."

These were his last words.

Not a eulogy for the knight, nor a blessing for the idol, just child's boastful bravado.

He really was a child.

Born naively, lived naively, died naively.

Always deceived, believing himself loved.

Always steeped in bitterness, believing himself to be happy.

Thinking the knight would always be by his side, while the lord died because of the knight.

"Wow——!"

The palm of Su Ming'an felt scorching hot, and suddenly he saw a magnificent scene of snow before him—the heavy snow, drifting and obscuring his vision, like swan feathers abruptly blown up by the air current, and the next moment, there was nothing beneath his palm.

Countless white fragments floated in the air.

The youth's expression always had a kind of pure joy, unpretentious, uncomplicated, unhesitant.

Until the moment he disappeared, his eyes remained clear.

—It was a kind of pure happiness.

Su Ming'an stepped forward, picking up the knight's sword, now completely devoid of its luster, the hilt hot as if carrying the warmth of the youth's forehead. A sunflower earring lay on the ground; turns out the youth collected the other half of the single earring.

Under the same hall, in the same heavy snow.

...

——Did he catch up with his knight?

...

[·April 5, 2025, 9:10]

In front was a steaming bowl of wide noodles.

"Delicious! Delicious! Chew, chew, chew..."

Chen Yuhang ate the noodles in big mouthfuls, the old lady next him smiled and said: "Tasty, right? You all can rest at my place, wait till those soldiers go away, then you can leave."

"Exactly, Auntie, let me tell you, the exams have really been getting more and more intense lately." Chen Yuhang complained loudly: "A few years ago, math only tested the Amputation Venus, but in recent years, conic sections and derivatives have become more abstract. I want to choose arts, but no one wants it. Mendel tortures us in biology, and in chemistry, it's x and y that torment us, really annoying..."

In front of Su Ming'an was also a bowl of noodles, but Sique, being picky, hadn't touched his chopsticks.

"Qin Si, could you talk about your actions so far?" asked Su Ming'an.

Qin Si didn't hide anything: "I belong to the Eyepupil Race, whose survival way is similar to parasites, absorbing nutrients by possession of others' eyes. My current body is someone else's; my real body is just an eye."

This race sounds terrifying.

"After the start, I received a task to quell the war, but unlucky me encountered the High-class Race, got chased to the war zone, and ended up meeting you."

Su Ming'an pondered: "Just follow me for now."

Although he didn't have much affection for Qin Si, he needed to protect the healer.

The three of them chatted at the old woman's place for a while, artillery fired non-stop outside. About half an hour later, Su Ming'an suddenly felt his whole body in pain, as if his flesh were being gnawed, torn piece by piece.

...What happened?

Why did he suddenly feel such pain?

He quickly checked his body, finding no wounds, and his health points were unchanged. Then it would be the main perspective that had trouble.

…What exactly is Sique doing?

Before he could switch over, a system prompt suddenly popped up.

...

[TE4·"Will the wingless bird grow flesh because of you?" ("The Feaster of The Last Supper among twelve or more) Perfect Completion Progress: 100%]

...

...What?

Sique, what on earth are you doing!?

Su Ming'an widened his eyes, immediately flipping open the book, wanting to switch perspectives.

Then, a chilling sound rang out.

...

"Ding-dong!"

[Congratulations on the Perfect Pass!]

[Achieved the Perfect Completion Route · (TE) Will the wingless bird grow flesh because of you?]

[Route Evaluation: SSS (Perfect!)]

[(TE: Will the wingless bird grow flesh because of you?):]

["He once thought he was a magnificent deity, but discovered himself to be a solitary Judas."]

["Crows circled around him, singing in unison: 'I am your descendant! I am your descendant!'"]

["'We are eagles, bears, and lions!'"]

["The Merciful Lord thus severed his own finger, giving it to the mighty tiger, to fill his flesh and blood with abundance."]

["Took his own innards again, gifting them to the clever fox, to endow its breath and heartbeats with vigor."]

["Then dismantled his bones, distributing them to the agile wolf, to fortify its legs and body's resilience."]

["They received it, rejoicing and exuberant."]

[——They had it, and were joyful.]

["They shared, ecstatic as could be."]

[——They shared, and were elated.]

["Twelve candles flickered, lighting up thoughts, communication, and exploration."]

["Eagle, bear, lion, tiger, wolf, deer, python, spider, rabbit, ocelot, butterfly, fox, and shark wiped their mouths clean, and with one voice proclaimed——"]

["Merciful Lord, forgive our sins!"]

[——Oh Merciful Lord, please forgive me!]

["Bird, bird, you have grown flesh and blood!"]

[——Your believers, your birds, have grown flesh and blood!]

...

[The ending has been recorded and will be included in the final evaluation.]

...

[The Eleventh World has ended and will soon transmit you back to the Main God World.]

...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.