Chapter 1716: The Last Waiter

"Chen Ling!"

"Lord Red King!"

Han Meng and Spade J exclaimed simultaneously, rushing toward the falling red shadow.

The commotion of the Akashic Tower collapsing just now had attracted their attention immediately, and the spot where Chen Ling fell was right above the tower.

Han Meng was faster, catching Chen Ling’s shattered body steadily before it hit the ground. At this moment, Chen Ling had withdrawn from the state of being empowered by the Red Star. His black and red opera robe was back on, stained mostly with blood, and he looked completely drained, his face deathly pale.

"How do you feel?" Han Meng asked immediately.

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough..."

Chen Ling coughed violently, staggering to stand firm. He looked at the shattered high tower in front of him, his brows furrowed tightly.

What was that...

Just now?

"...I'm fine." Chen Ling took a deep breath, his terrifying recovery ability gradually stopping the bleeding on his body, while the final scene from just now flashed through his mind again.

The Akashic Tower had been destroyed, and Chen Ling’s own power was exhausted to the limit; his simulations could only go this far.

"The domain of the Lingxu Realm has disappeared... He is truly dead."

Spade J sensed the changes in the realm, joy appearing in his eyes.

Woo-woo——

At this moment, the Lingxu Realm had completely turned into ruins. Chen Ling had slaughtered the entire population of the realm; no one survived in the empty ruins, only the cold wind mixed with an extreme scent of blood, wailing.

Everything had settled.

The crimson in the sky gradually thickened, and an indescribable sense of oppression shrouded the hearts of the three. Han Meng looked up and saw a meteor dragging a long tail, rapidly enlarging in the sky...

The Red Star, descending.

This was the first time Han Meng and the others had seen the Red Star from such close range. Its trajectory did not deviate due to any external force, traveling straight through the atmosphere like a rapidly enlarging red sun.

Amidst a slight rustling sound, fine dust began to flow backward toward the sky. The Lingxu Realm in the ruins seemed to extend tentacles like ribbons, swaying silently...

Not just the Lingxu Realm, but the remains of other major realms, as well as the Gray Realm, were all undergoing changes.

A strange force field was enveloping the Earth.

"The Divine Paths... are in chaos..."

Spade J raised his palm in confusion, discovering that his own Divine Path power was also flickering.

"Divine Paths are the crystallization of civilization, and the Y-series meteor is the destroyer of civilization." Chen Ling spoke slowly, "This world is coming to an end."

"Lingxujun is already dead, the Nine Lords are considered recovered, but as for the Disaster of Taboo..."

Spade J hesitated. Up until now, there hadn't been a single message from the battlefield where the Disaster of Taboo was... According to past missions, if the encirclement was successful, the Gray King would have used moonlight to send a message immediately.

Having finally dealt with Lingxujun, if the final Witch Path fragment from the Disaster of Taboo couldn't be collected, they still wouldn't be able to complete the restart.

One must know, the Red Star was right above their heads now... they had no time left.

Chen Ling didn't answer immediately; he just stood quietly in the ruins, looking toward the north...

"They will succeed."

He answered calmly.

The crimson in the sky gradually turned bright red. Chen Ling took two doses of poison from his pocket and handed them to Spade J and Han Meng respectively.

Spade J knew what this was. The moment it was in his hand, Spade J relaxed completely... He smiled slightly and whispered to himself:

"It’s finally over... I won't be the last one from the Twilight Society to board the ship, will I?"

"No."

"That’s good."

Spade J threw the poison into his mouth without hesitation, straightened his clothes solemnly... and then bit down hard.

The toxin spread, Spade J’s vitality vanished instantly, and he leaned against the wall, slowly falling... He had been lurking in the Lingxu Realm for so long, and his mission was finally complete. At this moment, a faint smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He had done everything he could; whether they could meet in the next world depended on the Red King.

Witnessing Spade J’s death, Han Meng slowly turned his head to look at Chen Ling.

"You should have seen this thing in my memories."

"...Yeah."

"I won't harm you."

"I know."

Han Meng calmly put the poison into his mouth, "Next, do you really not need my help?"

"No need... Reversing the era, restarting the world, this is the work of our Twilight Society." Chen Ling smiled slightly, "After going to the next world, is there any wish you want me to help you fulfill?"

Han Meng was silent.

He hesitated for a long time, seemingly feeling his wish was a bit tricky, but in the end, he spoke softly:

"If possible, this time... please protect the people of District 3 for me."

Chen Ling was slightly startled, looking at the regret flashing in Han Meng’s eyes.

Even though the current Han Meng was already the eighth-stage [Judgment] leader, a powerful existence who could calmly walk through various realms, at his core, he was still the law enforcer who guarded District 3... The people in his jurisdiction dying in pain was his lifelong regret.

"I will."

Chen Ling nodded solemnly.

Han Meng’s stern face smiled rarely. He walked past Chen Ling gently and sat slowly on the collapsed courtroom steps...

He leaned gently against the broken wall behind him, looking up at the gradually bright red sky, his eyes reflected in the colors of the apocalypse.

"Looking forward to meeting again in the next world... Officer Han Meng."

Chen Ling looked back at him.

Han Meng chuckled,

"Don't look forward to it too much. If you meet me in the next world, remember to stay far away... otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll chase you to kill you again."

After speaking, Han Meng gently bit down on the poison in his mouth.

The law enforcer’s trench coat danced in the blood-scented wind. Under the blood-colored firmament, Han Meng sat quietly, his head lowered, like a silent statue.

Chen Ling watched him quietly, his black and red opera robe seemingly reflected as blood-colored by the sky, his ruby-like eyes curving slightly:

"If nothing goes wrong..."

"In the next world, you shouldn't be able to catch up to me, Officer Han Meng."

Two ghostly shadows swirled in the air. Chen Ling opened his large red paper umbrella and gently collected their ghosts into it.

After doing all this, Chen Ling took one last look at them and walked slowly into the ruins... The red meteor continued to enlarge in the sky, and the wailing cold wind sounded in the dead silence.

He was the last survivor of this realm, and the last waiter in this world...

A moment later, a melodious and gentle voice echoed amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of blood:

"『I see the sky weeping』,"

"『I hear your voice』;"

"『I smell longing blooming in the thorns』,"

"『I come from the direction of the sunset』..."