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墨書 Inktalez
The moment the cloak was lifted, the crowd fell silent.
Especially in the Ekria Family section, all the guards displayed expressions of disbelief, and Dachi even tumbled from his wheelchair, shock written all over his face.
"You lied to me!!" Huxiu Neier's face twisted in rage as he roared.
Not far away, the Undead Staff suddenly trembled violently, countless black Souls transforming into streams of light that surged into Huxiu Neier's body, causing his deathly aura to spike and whipping up a fierce wind around him!
Garen remained calm: "I did not lie to you."
Huxiu Neier glared at Garen: "This is our deal! You promised not to expose me. Hmph, since you won't keep your end of the bargain, don't even think about using my power!"
The surrounding deathly aura grew increasingly violent, accompanied by piercing howls that made many tremble in fear. Nearby, Tifet placed a hand on the hilt of his sword but hesitated to draw it; he clearly understood that to unleash the extreme power of the Undead Staff, he would need Huxiu Neier's cooperation.
The most critical factor was that the Holy Eye had already activated, and the entire Watchtower was now operational.
Eliminating this Soul was not difficult, but doing so would mean that the entire Watchtower would fail in its mission.
Garen maintained his composure: "I made a choice for you."
Killing intent radiated from Huxiu Neier, who coldly replied, "A choice? Hmph, self-righteous fool, I don't need you to make choices for me! And you know very well that I had already made my decision!"
Garen shrugged: "Is that so? Avoidance cannot be considered a choice."
At these words, Huxiu Neier paused slightly, unconsciously furrowing his brow.
Despite the chaotic aura surrounding him at that moment, he had regained his sense of self after passing through Merlin's mirror and was able to seriously contemplate certain issues. For instance, what Garen had just proposed: avoidance was not an option.
Whether it was the deal with Garen or the earlier pretense of conversing with a passerby and Rody, it seemed like Huxiu Neier had made those decisions actively, but in reality, they were all forms of evasion.
He wanted to pull back his cloak and reveal his identity to Rody, to share the words he had not had the chance to say.
But he did not. He remained at a distance, merely observing.
"So what? I admit I may not be your match, but you broke the agreement, so don’t expect my help!" Huxiu Neier's gaze flickered as he coldly regarded Garen. "Or do you have something else to say?"
Garen shook his head. "Someone will tell you, but it won't be me."
Huxiu Neier was momentarily taken aback when a voice came from behind him.
"Father... is that you?"
Clearly visible, Huxiu Neier's body trembled slightly as he stiffly turned around to see Rody standing on the steps, slowly approaching.
No... he couldn't let Rody recognize him! He couldn't let Rody see him in this half-human, half-ghost state!
Just as Huxiu Neier resolved to deny it with words, Garen's voice reached him.
"Have you really thought this through?"
Garen snapped a green leaf in his mouth and said softly, "This might be your last meeting. How do you want to end it?"
As the core existence of the Undead Staff, the Watchtower drawing from Death Extremity meant that Huxiu Neier's power would completely vanish. He might not disappear outright, but he could never again appear in front of ordinary people like this.
"Are you really ready?"
You, who once spoiled him so much, are truly about to leave. He will never see you again.
The howling Soul suddenly quieted down.
Huxiu Neier glanced at Garen with a complex expression before turning to Rody: "It's me."
The world seemed to fall silent in that moment.
Rody stared blankly at that familiar face. Unlike the last time in the Nightmare Realm, he did not shed tears this time. In the dream, he clearly understood that the Huxiu Neier he saw was a fabrication, pieced together from his memories... But now, seeing Huxiu Neier in person, he suddenly felt lost, gripping the hem of his clothes tightly and tugging back and forth.
This scene resembled the times when Rody, as a child, faced Huxiu Neier's reprimands after doing something wrong, filled with anxiety.
Seeing this, Huxiu Neier couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He gently ruffled Rody's hair and forced a smile: "But this time, I really have to go."
"I'm glad to see your changes; you are even better than before. I believe your mother would be very happy to see this..."
As he spoke, Huxiu Neier's voice gradually trailed off.
It wasn't that there was nothing more to say.
Rather, there were too many words he wanted to express, and he didn't know where to begin, which left him at a loss for words.
But compared to leaving without a word, this was already the best conclusion!
After a moment of silence, Huxiu Neier withdrew his hand from Rody's head, took a deep look at Garen, and then turned to walk towards the stone tablet.
Throughout the entire process, Rody kept his head down, looking lost and absent-minded.
Garen noticed a hint of weariness in Huxiu Neier's eyes. It wasn't boredom; rather, it was the ease that came after shedding a heavy burden. It was clear that Huxiu Neier had let go of this mental knot. Perhaps there would still be regrets, perhaps this ending wasn't perfect, but it was certainly better than having no ending at all.
The moment Huxiu Neier stepped onto the stone tablet, the Undead Staff suddenly trembled. The lines on the tablet were instantly illuminated, and beams of Black Purple light surged forth, shooting straight toward the top of the tower like arrows!
The Undead Staff floated upwards, with Huxiu Neier's projection above it. As the extreme power rapidly dissipated, his body gradually became ethereal and faint, as if he could vanish at any moment...
Dachi watched his brother about to disappear, memories from their childhood flooding back to him, causing his eyes to redden. Ultimately, he turned his gaze to Rody. Even as a man nearing middle age, he couldn't help but feel heartache for this child... But just then, Dachi froze. He saw Rody's lips move and suddenly break into a smile.
"Father! You can go in peace!"
Huxiu Neier was taken aback, but he saw Rody's smile shining brightly as he awkwardly scratched his head.
"Well... I used to be really bad and always made you angry. Although I didn't like your scolding, I knew it was because you cared about me... Anyway, I will do my best from now on! Mentor Garen cares about me; he taught me to be brave and also about justice!" Rody pointed towards the Newbies on the steps.
"Not only that, but I have many good friends. They are all Novices—uh, so am I... But everyone is great and working hard! Dostodoro and the others are also getting better! Everyone is changing! Uncle Dachi takes good care of me; he's very thoughtful, though he always forgets to add seasoning when frying pancakes. Pancakes without flavor are really not tasty!"
"As for a wife... uh, I just turned ten this year, so I don't have plans for that yet. But I will definitely find the right person in the future; she will surely be gentle and virtuous like Mom!"
Suddenly saying all this felt strange to everyone at first, but gradually their gazes toward Rody softened. Dachi couldn't help but smile knowingly.
This child's acting was truly clumsy; he clearly wanted to cry with tears ready to spill at any moment but forced himself to hold it back while pretending to be carefree and cheerful.
He didn't choose to wail or express deep sorrow because that would be selfish; it would only be an outpouring of his own emotions. Instead, what he conveyed before his loved one was about to leave was: "I'm fine; you can rest easy!"
Garen looked at the beaming Rody and recalled the carriage ride from Rona Street.
Yes, the transformation that belonged to Rody's journey of growth had truly been completed.
He knew that Huxiu Neier had many things to say but didn’t know where to start. However, it was fine; he would say those things himself!
Huxiu Neier gazed at Rody, the weariness in his eyes vanished, and his gaze softened.
"Don't worry! I will take good care of myself and listen more to Uncle Dachi and Mentor Garen. I won't let you down with the surname you gave me. I... I will definitely become better and better!"
After saying this, Rody could no longer hold back; tears streamed down his face like a river bursting its banks. He clenched his hands tightly, trying not to tremble from the sobs, while forcing a smile at the corners of his mouth.
"Good child."
In the sky above, Huxiu Neier waved his hand.
Then he disappeared into the shimmering light all around.
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