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From afar blew the final winds of the Border Realm, accompanied by the rumbling roar of collapse and fracture. With the workshop's collapse, those battered, deformed creations finally met the end they had yearned for in their dreams. Yet in these final moments, faint singing seemed to drift through the air. Scattered and indistinct. Yet so familiar. "Thinking of home, longing for home, home so dear..." As they plummeted, those broken humanoid figures and creations warped into monsters lifted their heads, singing the ballad that had echoed in their souls since their inception: "Clear is the sky, cool is the breeze, waves of longing rise... How fare the folk of home today? Ever kept in mind and heart... I long to return home, to wander back to the old homestead..." And so, rejoicing and in awe, they tumbled down into the deep darkness beneath the earth. Embracing the end. And hoping they would never again greet a tomorrow. "..." In the workshop's nexus, Ji Jue witnessed it all. Not knowing whether to rejoice or mourn for them, he could only let out a long sigh. Yet above his head, there seemed to be a stirring once more. It was the faded, silent crown of thorns. As if bidding farewell, it gave Ji Jue's forehead a parting tap; after that final greeting, it dissolved into a streak of flying light and darted away, vanishing at the edge of his vision. He hadn't even had time to react! Dumbfounded, he froze in place. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was like a seasoned john—done with business and walking out without tossing a single tip, cold and utterly heartless... Just moments ago, hadn't they been all tender affection, joined at the hip?! Ji Jue instinctively wanted to sneer in contempt. Yet recalling the full, surging sensation and unprecedented experience from just a moment ago, he found himself pathetically wanting to hold on, wanting to chase out the door after that vanished back and shout: *Bro, won't you renew your membership? Will you pick me again next time you come?!* Yet Revolution had already departed, offering no reply. It left Ji Jue alone where he stood, wandering between the splintering heavens and earth, bearing witness to the Border Realm's final moments. Until, at last, destruction was imminent. At long last, he activated the authority left behind by the Prophet, opening the gate leading outside the Border Realm. As for the others, the moment Ji Jue had taken control of the workshop, the Prophet had already sent them all outside, saving him the trouble. Except the luminous gate merely flickered before his eyes for an instant before sputtering out, gone. It hadn't opened at all. "Uh..." Stunned, Ji Jue activated the authority again, then a third time, then a fourth. Yet no matter how he channeled the authority, that exit gate simply would not open. It hadn't even fully manifested before it was shut?! "What the hell?!" Ji Jue took a step back. Watching the earth fracturing right up to his feet and the darkness and void beneath the precipice, cold sweat broke out across his back. No matter how many times he tried to activate it, the remaining workshop structure gave no response. Only the wristwatch on his arm lit up with responsive light, and only then did he notice... a massive pile of overlapping pop-ups! [Eternal Gate displacement detected. Abnormal temporal fluctuation detected. Sovereign Virtue variation detected. Border Realm index abnormality detected...] And the bottom-most entry: [Realm-Crossing Gate opening detected: Closed. Closed. Closed. Closed...] *You bastard! You absolute brute!!!* "So it was you all along, wasn't it?!" Ji Jue was so furious he nearly cried out loud. "What the fuck did you just close?!" Then, right after that, another pop-up surfaced. [Non-Offensive component connection detected. Status: Complete—] [—Border Realm Reclamation System warm-up complete. Initiate?] *Reclaim my ass!* Ji Jue truly was in tears now: *What time do you think it is?! You're still worried about scavenging your damn junk?! We're about to lose our lives here, bro...* Yet left with no choice, he could only tap [Yes]. And then, he froze on the spot. Utterly dumbfounded. In an instant, an ear-piercing whistle blared from within the void's darkness. Above the hollow firmament, what sounded like the roars and bellowing of a behemoth echoed out. Thunderclouds expanded in an instant, casting a majestic, colossal silhouette through flashing lightning, though it was impossible to make out clearly. Layer upon layer of grayish-black clouds choked the void of the sky in a heartbeat. Then, an enormous vortex manifested within them, bursting with ferocious gravitational pull. Just like a black hole. Then, as though the ancient Sage had reappeared, the wristwatch bypassed Ji Jue entirely, once again mobilizing the matrix of Non-Offensive and transforming into countless invisible hands. Once again, it seized control over everything on the verge of ruin. Next, vast torrents of flowing light rose slowly under Non-Offensive's guidance... Whether it was the essence of Sovereign Virtue gushing from the collapse of the Border Realm, the ocean of crimson spiritus, or the countless spiritus circuits, alchemy frameworks, runic sigils, and even Sovereign Virtue blessings originally belonging to the workshop... it grabbed hold of every single one! It refused to let them scatter into the void beyond the mundane world. Just like that—grabbing, tugging, securing, then rolling them up as if packing leftovers, kneading them into a ball, and pulling them all into the vortex. Not letting a single wisp slip by, nor losing a single shred! Like a shameless pauper at a banquet whipping out plastic bags and sweeping every last scrap off the table! It even violently yanked away the very ground beneath Ji Jue's feet! Until finally, the vortex dissipated and the thunderclouds contracted. The behemoth behind the clouds emitted a high-pitched cry like a whale's song, then turned and left without the slightest hesitation, as if burping and picking its teeth... Leaving Ji Jue behind like a complete idiot, plummeting into the empty darkness, screaming his lungs out: "Hey, open the door! I'm not on the bus yet!" *Snap!* Right before the Border Realm's sky membrane completely shattered, the glow of the Realm-Crossing Gate flared for a fleeting fraction of a second. It swallowed him whole. And in the darkness, only the void remained. . In a moment of disorientation, Ji Jue found himself beneath familiar moonlight. The stars shone brightly, the night sky was peaceful, and the distant, tranquil murmur of a stream drifted over. Amid the spinning world, he took a glorious faceplant straight onto the ground. For a long time, he couldn't catch his breath! When he finally mustered the strength to scramble up, wiping away the dirt and dust from his face, he couldn't stop spitting: *Ptu, ptu, ptu!* Having returned to the long-missed mundane world, before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he looked around at the desolate surroundings and felt a surge of heartfelt grief and indignation so deep his tears nearly spilled over. *What kind of faction is this Embers lineage anyway?!* By now, he had finally figured it out: whether it was the Prophet, the Edge of Revolution, or this damn watch, not a single one was any good! All they ever thought about was freeloading off him! Walking away after finishing business was one thing, but dumping a whole mess in his lap on the way out... *Do I look like some kind of free charity case?!* He should have known sticking his nose into other people's business would bring no good, not to mention his own dogshit luck... Ji Jue had half a mind to slap himself twice. Why couldn't he ever learn his lesson?! Yet amid his heavy sighs, he heard a familiar honk in the distance. Impossible to tell whether it was an excited whoop or an excuse to curse someone out. Below the hill nearby, out of the chaotic, noisy camp, a tricycle was already rumbling up the slope, speeding straight toward him. In the pale beam of the searchlight, Ji Jue spotted many familiar faces in the camp—Security Bureau vehicles, and even Xiao An lying on a stretcher beside an ambulance. Seeing Ji Jue in the distance, the boy lifted his head and waved excitedly toward him. Though their parting had been brief, it felt like an eternity had passed, stirring a joy Ji Jue could hardly contain. He was finally back. Everything that had happened in the Border Realm was over. He had returned to his own world. Smiling, he raised a hand, about to wave back. Yet behind him, where there had been nothing at all, a voice suddenly piped up—childish and tiny, gathering courage through hesitation to ask, "Excuse me... are you Mr. Ji Jue?" His motion froze. He turned his head in bewilderment. Under the serene moonlight, there wasn't a soul in sight. Then, something suddenly landed on his shoulder. Like a midnight phantom tapping his shoulder out of nowhere, it gave him such a fright he nearly screamed. But when he came to his senses, he saw a pair of tiny eyes on his shoulder, gazing at him with curiosity and confusion. Puzzled as to why Ji Jue wasn't speaking to it. It was a verdant bird, dainty and nimble. Along its spread wings rippled a metallic luster, with faint ripples of spiritus emerging and receding, profoundly serene. One couldn't tell at all whether it was an ordinary bird or a metal construct—it seemed entirely natural. Fluid Alchemy! And that voice was one he had heard in the camp, leaving a deep impression. "Xiao Jiu?" His eyes widened. He could hardly connect this ethereal little bird with the silly kid who had sat on the cart crying for mom. "How did you get out?" "Prophet Mama said before leaving that everyone would be going away in a few days to take a trip far away, but bringing a little kid was too much trouble, so she told me to listen to you and stay at your house for a while." Xiao Jiu fluttered her wings dejectedly. "After I took a nap, I didn't know where everyone went, and I turned into this..." Ji Jue's face twitched once, then again, twitching uncontrollably! Had he... been taken advantage of again?! Dumping your kid on someone else to look after while you go die in peace and wash your hands of everything—Prophet, do you even have a conscience?! Yet looking down at Little Niuma, who was wagging its tail and bursting with cheer, he ultimately scratched his head in resignation. *Whatever. Raising one or herding two makes no difference.* *Worst comes to worst, I'll just consider it running a zoo.* One had to accept reality. Besides, could he really just leave a kid like this wandering around outside with no one to look after her? Only, before that... Cupping the little bird in his hand, he asked, "What's your name?" "Xiao Jiu is just Xiao Jiu." The bird tilted its head in confusion. "Everyone calls Xiao Jiu 'Xiao Jiu.' Isn't Xiao Jiu a name?" "I mean, another name," Ji Jue explained. "A name besides a serial number—something a bit more normal? If you don't have one, I could give you one. How about that?" Saying so, he pointed enthusiastically at the tricycle beside him, struck by poetic inspiration: "Look, this one's called Little Niuma. Why don't you be called Little..." "Ah, I remember!" Xiao Jiu hopped with excitement, cutting him off. "Prophet Mama told me that a long time ago, I used to have a name. It seemed to be... to be..." Wracking her memory, her eyes lit up as she recalled that original name: "—Gloria!" "..." In the silence, Ji Jue turned to stone. He lowered his head with difficulty, staring at the little bird in his palm. "What... did you say?" "Gloria!" The little bird hopped merrily, answering, "That's what Mama called me. My name is Gloria!" Ji Jue fell silent, bewildered, dumbstruck. Suddenly, he remembered what 97 had told him when introducing Xiao Jiu—she was different from the others, newly created for the very first time... The first time? If everything was an endless cycle of recursion where everyone had an assigned role, how could there be a creation made for the very first time?! Sure enough, not a single word from a charlatan could be trusted! On her deathbed, she claimed she had no regrets, no ties, nothing left to hold onto. And then she turns around and quietly springs something this huge on him... and didn't even give him a heads-up! *Got too used to freeloading, did you?!* Yet no matter how much he grumbled and cursed inwardly, as he gazed at the little bird in his palm, Ji Jue couldn't help but smile. "Hello, Gloria." Had Quicksilver finally succeeded? Or was this the culmination of the Prophet's work over all these years? Or perhaps a miracle born of time and the unknown? He couldn't fathom it, nor could he make sense of it. Still, this was a good thing, wasn't it? Nothing could be better. So, fine. Let it be... Besides, who said you couldn't enjoy getting taken advantage of? As long as he enjoyed it too, it didn't count as getting used, right? Consoling his thoroughly shaken heart with that thought, Ji Jue turned back, cast one last glance at the shining stars above, swung a leg over the saddle, and twisted the throttle: "Let's go—we're going home!" "Going home!" Gloria spread her wings, shouting with excitement. Ji Jue thought for a moment and shouted again, "All the drumsticks you can eat!" *BEEP!!!!* Little Niuma let out an enthusiastic honk. The bird, already beginning to build a nest on his head, grew curious at once. "What's a drumstick?" "It's something you eat. Tastes really good. Want to try some, Gloria?" "Yes, yes!" The bird brightened with joy, chirping like song. "Thank you, big brother!" "Don't call me big brother!" "Eh? Why?" "Don't ask why. You just can't!" And so, beneath the light of the moon and stars hundreds of years later, out from the desolate wilderness, the tricycle honked and rattled onward toward the distance. The distant sound of the tide continued to echo.