Infinite: Dawn Game

Chapter 964 Sober

"You're too modest, Shi Jiu!"

Xu Han quickly replied, "In my eyes, you are the best!"

Yu Shijiu looked embarrassed, "Really, Brother Han?"

Xu Han gave a thumbs up again: "That's absolutely true!"

He Lingling, who was always whining and useless: "..."

She sneered, deciding in her heart that one day she would shut the school up with a strange piece of flesh!

While chatting with Yu Shijiu, Xu Han suddenly shivered for no reason and quickly wrapped his green coat tighter around himself.

Goodness... there's so much black fog, and it's so cold...

Anjie and Chen Yi stood quietly to one side without saying a word, exchanged a glance, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Although one "passenger" after another is appearing in the carriage, this is, after all, Lin Hai's "memory." Once he comes to terms with it, this game instance can "end."

The soft-hearted Chen Yi felt a little sad watching this, saying, "Lin Hai has had a tough time too."

Anjie: "...Everyone must have had a tough time."

Putting everything else aside, which of those five had it easy? They probably all suffered a lot while they were alive.

Thinking of something, Anjie took out an orange from her system inventory and started peeling it.

Hmm, I'm a little hungry.

Chen Yi sighed again, a complex look appearing in his eyes, which were squeezed into slits by his fat. "Sister An... pain cannot be compared."

Anjie popped a segment of orange into her mouth and tossed another into Chen Yi's hand.

Chen Yi hurriedly took it.

Don't think about it too much.

Anjie mumbled, "Why don't we just live well, accumulate enough points together, return to reality, and live a good life?"

"..." Chen Yi looked down at the orange in his hand, then suddenly smiled and said, "Sister An, you're right."

As long as they live well, that's enough... No matter what, they just need to live well and accumulate enough points to be reborn.

Yu Shijiu, who was whispering with Xu Han, suddenly smelled the sweet scent of oranges in the air. Her nose twitched, and she followed the scent.

Anjie, who met Shangyu Shijiu's eyes, was speechless.

She curled the corners of her lips upwards, then pulled out a round orange and tossed it to Yu Shijiu.

Yu Shijiu took the orange from her hand, her eyes sparkling, "Thank you, Sister An~"

Before Anjie could speak, she heard Xu Han muttering to himself:

"That's not fair! Why won't I get it?!"

Anjie: "..."

Chen Yi: "..."

Chen Yi was about to speak with a cheerful smile when he saw an orange streak instantly hurtling towards Xu Han—

The next second, Xu Han cried out in pain, rubbing his shoulder where he had been hit, and quickly turned around to get an orange from the seat.

"..." Chen Yi looked at An Jie disapprovingly, "Sister An, how could you just throw it at Xiao Han? Oranges are heavy, what if he gets hurt?"

Anjie: "..."

Her lips twitched, feeling that Chen Yi was spoiling Xu Han a bit too much. "I'll hold back, I definitely won't get hurt."

Chen Yi still looked disapproving: "That won't work either, it will still hurt at the time."

Anjie remained silent, only letting out a silent sigh in her heart.

...Chen Yi is good in every way, except that he can be a bit long-winded once the atmosphere relaxes.

Xu Han didn't care at all. After getting the oranges, he started peeling them and even went to He Lingling's side to wink and whisper boasting:

"You don't have one, do you? We all do! Too bad, you can barely stand up now, probably too tired to peel and eat an orange~"

He Lingling: "..."

She gritted her teeth as she listened, and just as she was about to unleash a scathing rebuke on Xu Han, a segment of orange was shoved into her mouth.

She was startled, and instinctively bit down.

The sweet and sour juice of the orange bursts out with just one bite, instantly filling the entire mouth.

Xu Han, who was stuffing oranges into her mouth, sighed and felt that he was a very "selfless" teammate.

Is it delicious?

As Xu Han spoke, he popped a piece into his own mouth, mumbling to himself:

"Sigh... I really am a great teammate."

He Lingling: "..."

He Lingling's lips twitched, but she didn't speak to Xu Han as venomously as before.

...Just consider it for the sake of this orange segment.

He Lingling thought expressionlessly.

While the five "living" people on this side were "busy" eating oranges, the four "echoes" on the other side... At Mulanzhi's prompting, Li Ye took the opportunity to pour several drops of "condensed dew" into Lin Hai's mouth.

The three of them are now genuinely grateful to He Lingling and the other two.

Because after the three of them finished talking, "Ah Xiu" gradually began to sober up—strictly speaking, it should be Lin Hai who "saw it up".

Under the gaze of Mulanzhi and the others, "Axiu" in Lin Hai's arms raised her hand, which was gradually regaining its feminine shape, and gently touched Lin Hai's tear-streaked face.

“Xiao Hai…they…they’re right…I’m in pain…I’m in so much pain…but I don’t want to…see you in so much pain too…”

Lin Hai's body began to tremble violently.

He felt the weight in his arms rapidly disappearing, and the tearing connection between the other person and his own soul was being purified and peeled away layer by layer by the gentle yet resolute power of "condensed dew".

"Xiao Hai..."

Ah Xiu sobbed softly, her gaze gentle yet filled with unbearable sorrow.

"Live well...forget me...forget me...you must live well...you have to live well..."

Lin Hai suddenly looked up as "Ah Xiu" repeatedly said "Forget me".

His bloodshot, narrow pupils were fixed on the driver's seat, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows.

"And what about him?! That cold-blooded, driving-obsessed bastard? Should he just keep driving this route over and over again?!"

He did not 'continue'.

Anjie's voice rang out.

She had already walked to the aisle next to the driver, but the short blade in her hand was not raised; it was simply hanging at her side.

“Look at his hat.”

Anjie said.

Everyone looked over upon hearing this.

Only then did I notice that the driver's bright red hat was gradually fading and turning pale.

The red hat, initially a dark, congealed blood-red, gradually turned into an old, faded pink that had been washed many times, and finally, it revealed the original, somewhat grayish red of cheap nylon fabric.

The driver still didn't turn around, but his hand slowly slid off the steering wheel and rested lightly and weakly on his knee.

Yu Shijiu's gaze slowly settled on the driver's shoulder.

He noticed that the driver's shoulders seemed to slump slightly, and for the first time, his always upright and indifferent driving posture showed a hint of relaxation in front of everyone.

"He's just a fixed NPC in this memory."

Yu Shijiu walked ahead while eating an orange.

He tilted his head, carefully examining the driver's profile, his tone carrying his unique, innocent curiosity.

"Brother Lin Hai, is it really this 'driver' you hate?"

Yu Shijiu paused for a few seconds, and before Lin Hai could respond, she continued:

"Or is it that you actually hate that 'you' who... couldn't do anything back then?"

These words were like a cold awl, piercing through Lin Hai's last line of defense.

Lin Hai opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

yes……

He hated the passengers' indifference, the driver's apathy, and the murderer's madness... But the deepest, most painful thorn in his heart was always the image of himself, held back by others, helplessly watching his lover die tragically, in the countless midnight dreams.

If he were stronger... if he could have broken free from those passengers, if he hadn't been bound by fear and well-intentioned advice... would the outcome have been different?

Even if... even if he couldn't really save Ah Xiu, at least he did stop the murderer, didn't he?

For Lin Hai, the regret caused by constantly repeating the hypothetical scenario in his mind was more tormenting than any external harm.

Mulanzhi gently raised her hand and gave Li Ye a look.

Li Ye instantly understood and took the opportunity to drip the "condensed dew" into Lin Hai's mouth.

The cool liquid slid down Lin Hai's throat again.

This time, the effect of "condensed dew" was not just as simple as healing physical injuries, but also like a clear spring washing away the negative emotions and painful memory fragments that were frantically entangled in Lin Hai's mind and were almost forming a physical pollution.

"...Ugh..."

The swirling, frantic light in Lin Hai's eyes gradually subsided and dissipated under the effect of the "condensation," restoring the normal focus of his pupils.

Mulanzhi and the other two had been keeping a close eye on his condition, and seeing this, their hearts, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally began to relax.

Although Lin Hai's eyes were still filled with bloodshot veins and pain, at least the heart-palpitating chaos and madness had subsided.

This shows that he is now truly sober.

Mulanzhi exhaled a breath of stale air, closed her eyes, and her legs went weak, causing her to sit down on the seat next to her.

"Lanzhi!"

Ma Ming instinctively reached out to help her, but Mu Lanzhi shook her head to stop him.

"It's alright," Mulanzhi raised her hand and pinched her brow, then whispered, "It's good that Brother Lin is alright."

Upon hearing this, Ma Ming hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Is Brother Lin really alright?"

"……Um."

Mulanzhi looked at Lin Hai, who was still holding "Axiu," and said, "Just wait a little longer."

Ma Ming and Li Ye exchanged a glance and said nothing more, but at least their tense hearts relaxed a little.

Lin Hai lowered his head, his hands trembling as he tried to touch "Axiu" in his arms.

A rough, cold hand touched "Ah Xiu's" cheek. She turned her head and rubbed against Lin Hai's palm, blinking and revealing an extremely slight yet incredibly clear smile. Then, she turned into specks of dust carrying a faint light and completely disappeared before Lin Hai's eyes.

This time, there was no resentment or hatred from non-human beings towards their surroundings, no pain or suffering... only a faint sense of regret and... reluctance.

Lin Hai stared quietly at the spot where "Ah Xiu" had disappeared, and a tear slowly, slowly fell from the corner of his reddened eyes.

As "Ah Xiu" completely disappeared, the system notification sound, which had been silent all along, rang out.

【Ding】

[The key NPC in the Guild Tournament dungeon "The Journey Home" has been detected to have disappeared... The core instability factor in the dungeon has been completely eliminated...]

[The presence of "unwanted items" in the Guild Tournament dungeon "The Journey Home" is under review...]

This time, the game system's voice was clearer than ever before.

Yu Shijiu took a step back, holding the orange peel in her hand, and looked around.

Inside the carriage, the thick, black fog that filled the air quickly faded or even disappeared as the mechanical female voice repeated its prompts.

wow-

Suddenly, a torrential downpour began outside the train carriage, the sound of the rain hitting everyone's ears and attracting everyone's attention.

This includes the five "living" people and the four "echoes," and even... Lin Hai.

Lin Hai turned his head to look at the misty rain rising outside the window, and he seemed to hear Ah Xiu's words echoing in his ears.

"Would you like to come with me?"

The girl's long, slender, and somewhat strange eyes looked at him, and she asked again softly.

"Would you like to come with me?"

The adult Ah Xiu smiled and extended her hand to him.

"..."

Lin Hai slowly lowered his eyelids and silently opened his mouth.

"……I want."

I want to...go with you.

No matter where you go... Ah Xiu.

Please... don't leave me.

"..."

The moment "Ah Xiu" completely disappeared, the entire carriage fell into a long-lost silence.

The sound of rain outside the window was exceptionally clear, pattering against the car roof and windows, but no longer bringing a suffocating chill.

Lin Hai maintained the embracing posture, even though his arms were now empty.

His small pupils had returned to normal size, but his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared blankly at the place where "Ah Xiu" had disappeared, as if all his strength had been drained away.

"Brother Lin..."

Mulan called out softly, but did not go forward to disturb him.

She knew that Lin Hai needed time, even if it was just a moment... He needed to face this long-overdue farewell alone.

Li Ye and Ma Ming stood silently to the side, watching the movements of the five people on the "alive" side warily, but the tension on their faces had eased a lot.

Anjie also put away her short blade and gave Chen Yi a wink.

Chen Yi nodded in understanding.

Xu Han also helped He Lingling to Yu Shijiu's side, and the five of them reunited, but they did not rush to take action.

They were all waiting for the system's next prompt.

Amidst the pitter-patter of rain.

Yu Shijiu's nose twitched slightly, his brow relaxed a little, and his gaze fell on the still wide-open car door.

As the rain fell, the lingering, musty smell that had been permeating everyone's breath slowly disappeared, gradually being replaced by the fresh morning air after the rain outside the car.

The passengers inside the car, who had their heads down... whether they were living people or the shadows left by monsters, all became transparent one by one as "Ah Xiu" disappeared, like chalk drawings that had been deliberately erased, silently disappearing from their seats as if they had never existed.

Only the dark red water stains and torn fabric remaining on the seats reminded everyone that what had just happened was not an illusion.

After the passengers disappeared, the bus began to make a slight, sigh-like creaking sound. The old seats seemed to have shed an invisible layer of rust and grime. Although still dilapidated, they no longer gave people a dirty and terrifying feeling of wanting to devour people.

Yu Shijiu yawned lazily, but his eyes remained fixed on the driver's seat in front of him.