Chapter 566

Chapter 188 – Breach of the Dam

The extinguished wooden columns of the chandelier creaked under the eaves, the wind carrying the stench and ashes swept up, brushing against my face.

I knelt in front of the corpse for a long time, staring at that grotesque face.

Flashing through my mind were the scenes of the bustling night, the living, crowded pedestrians, countless young and old smiling faces, the delicious sweet pastries, the fragrant aroma wafting from various stalls, the sweaty uncle earnestly talking to me, worried about me being alone with money and encountering ill-intentioned villains.

Those funds had been lost in battle.

And not long ago, that lively town night, now recalled, felt like a distant dream.

After a while, I stood up dazed.

My legs were numb…

So I took a few steps, bent slightly, lightly pounded my knees, then straightened up, raising my head, afraid of tears falling.

I waited by the roadside for a moment, waiting for the numbness to fade, for the burning sensation in my eyes to subside, sniffed, rubbed my eye sockets, and jumped along the eaves back to the devastated central square, flying over the burnt stage, my figure turning mid-air, landing in a dark alley, amidst the ruins of a collapsed house.

This was where Daniel once hid.

I started searching among the debris, flipping charred wooden boards, kicking away dust and ash. Soon, under the collapsed and deformed stone wall, I found Captain Gray buried under rubble.

I pulled Captain Gray out from under the debris, brushed off the dust, folded the blade with many notches, twisted the deformed handle, and put it back on my back, patting it gently.

“Hu—”

Exhaled a breath.

Standing for a moment, I slowly walked out of the debris, leaped onto the opposite roof, standing steadily on the charred wooden beams, then looked towards the south of the town.

The distant sky was as clear as a painting.

Thin sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a faint golden glow onto the dense mountain range in the distance, the misty morning air adding a touch of mystery, merging with the vast wilderness of bushes outside the town’s fence.

It seemed like another world.

In the wilderness, the white frost had yet to melt, and countless ice spears as sharp as blades stretched southward, the verdant green mixed with frosty white outside the town. Yet, among this picturesque scene, a large expanse of black, barren scorched earth caught my eye.

This was where I had fought with the dancer.

And that battle…

It seemed to have ended long ago.

“Olivia…” I whispered softly.

She…

Was she still there?

I couldn’t bear to imagine it.

My hand trembled slightly.

After a long time, as if finally mustering the courage, I stepped out with the Moonwalk technique, my figure darting rapidly toward the south of the town, racing out of the town in an instant.

After crossing the fence, the chilly wind hit me head-on, and the frosty ground sent dancing ice crystals flying. I felt no cold, unafraid of the biting wind, running at full speed as if to vent my frustrations, the speed making the scenery stretch outward, becoming abstract, the mountains and trees almost blending together in my vision, the scene gradually blurring with my moist eyes.

I promised myself I would go back to save them…

Why…

Did I just fall asleep…

How long did I sleep…

The fierce wind roared in my ears, and soon, that patch of black scorched earth was right ahead.

The raging flames that once burned fiercely had long since died out, leaving only desolation, burnt and broken trees, cracked black hard soil, air filled with ashes, and the temperature long since cooled.

“Hu, hu, hu…”

I panted, slowing down, no longer running, walking slowly along my memory, feeling my legs heavy as if filled with lead, step by step, toward the high slope that had been destroyed by great force, collapsing into a pile of rubble.

Not far, I found Olivia.

She lay on the scorched earth not far from the rubble, her eyes tightly shut, her face pale, mouth slightly open, blood dried on her nose and clothes, having been dead for some time.

That man named Karl lay atop her, as if protecting her.

He was also dead.

A deep, sharp long spear pierced straight through Karl’s back, piercing both their bodies entirely, firmly pinning them to the ground, congealed blood staining the soil beneath them brown.

I saw their blood-stained hands tightly clasped beside them.

“Olivia…”

Unable to look at her pale, purplish, swollen face any longer, I bit my lip and walked over, staring at the dark brown spear that seemed crystalline, piercing through both of them, for a moment, then gripping it with my hand, a red glow flashing in my eyes, red patterns emerging on my arm, exhaling black smoke, I suddenly pulled with all my strength, extracting the spear from the ground, “whoosh,” throwing it into the nearby rubble.

Boom!

The entire spear embedded itself into the crevice, the immense impact blasting the surrounding rocks instantly, the pile of rubble collapsing with a “clatter,” dust swirling around, causing me to cough twice, then the coughing turned into sobbing.

“Mm…”

I pressed my lips tightly, trying hard not to cry, waiting until the dust settled and my breathing stabilized, I wiped my eyes, walked over, took off the scythe on my back, and began digging furiously at the ground.

My eyes grew increasingly sore.

Once the ground became soft, I knelt down, scooping up the loose soil and throwing it aside, repeating this process until my nails bled, the hole deeper, I climbed out, picked up Karl and Olivia’s cold bodies, slowly placing them in the hole, covering them again.

Then, I found an oval-shaped stone, setting it up, using the scythe to carve their names—only then did I realize I didn’t even know their full names, we hadn’t spoken much, only knowing each other for less than two days, I knew nothing of their stories or experiences.

Even standing in front of their graves, unable to utter an apology.

Suddenly, I felt so choked up I couldn’t breathe.

I didn’t know why, earlier I had held back, I didn’t want to cry, tears being the weakest expression, like a useless little girl who could do nothing but cry… I didn’t want to be like that…

“Guh… guh…”

I didn’t want to cry…

But my chest felt heavy, as if weighed down, making it hard to breathe, my throat rolling, my nose sore, disheveled hair mixed with dust fluttering in the breeze, I lifted my small face, closing my eyes slowly.

Then, the tears wouldn’t stop, streaming down my dirty cheeks.

“I came too late…”

I couldn’t bring myself to say sorry.

Again, too late…

No matter what happened, I always arrived late.

In the royal city, I was too late, unable to stop Teresa from turning into a devil, unable to save the children of Cataloma,来不及救下被深渊意志侵蚀的伊琉什。

在寂静城堡，我来晚了，没能阻止异端的暴行，没能救下那些可怜的灾民，许多被囚禁折磨发疯的女人，也没能救下坚强美丽的阿兰斯特夫人，她曾说要将花艺传授给我。

在亚雷提恩城，我来晚了，没能阻止疯狂的大军攻破城池，没能救下第三骑士团那些血性十足、悍不畏死保卫子民的战士英雄们。

而现在，我又来晚了。

因此没能守住雄鹿镇繁华热闹的夜，没能救下那里善良热情的镇民，说好让奥利维亚等我，却也没能及时赶回来。

我辜负了她…

明明是奥利维亚用命为我争取到的机会…我却什么也没做到…既没拿到血珠，也没救下任何人…

我睡着了…

我像个没用的废物，就这样安心地睡着了…

希尔维嘉…

你算个什么教宗骑士…

你算什么狗屁的英雄啊…

我咧着嘴巴，竭力压抑自己的哭声，但眼泪几乎停不下来，心里觉得这样的自己很没出息，真的不想哭，于是用手背抹去泪水，一边抹一边走到旁边的石堆，蜷缩在太阳找不到的阴影里，捧着之前摘来的果实，咬了一口，仿佛这样便能为没用的自己，带来些许的宽慰。

果实的味道很酸。

但依稀是记忆中，在我刚刚来到这个世界的时候，为了躲避骑士的追杀，逃进森林里，没有东西吃，在最惶恐无助的时候，就是这样的不知名果子，带给了我些许的安然，以及活下去的支撑。

是那股熟悉的味道。

一年了…

从那个无名的小村子里出来，已经有一年了…

一年以前，在我完全茫然失措，不认同化身怪物的自己，想好好活下去，但却找不到前方的路，最无助的时候，那个绰号银色闪光的男人，在静谧的夜晚，冰凉凉的溪流旁，对我说过的话，我到现在也记得很清楚。

然而…

又做到了什么呢…

空有一身强大的力量，但回头看去，实际上什么也做不到…

我什么都做不到…

想到于此，心中难过的不能自已，一边吸着鼻子，抹着眼泪，将全身的力气都用来啃果子，狼吞虎咽，吃的满脸都是，汁水从脏兮兮的指缝滴下来。

希尔维嘉…

你是没用的废物…

一年了…

你还是和那时候一样，谁也救不下来，只会哭鼻子的没用丫头…村里的人当你是英雄，你之前回去了，他们多开心…奶奶多开心…他们都觉得你是了不起的大人物了…只有你自己知道…知道自己到底多么没用…村子…

…等一下。

蓦然间，我停下了啃咬的动作。

小村子…

奶奶的村子！！！

我将果核丢掉，擦了擦嘴巴，仓惶从地上站起来。

脑袋里生出了某种念头。

某种让我浑身发软，整个人如坠冰窟的念头。

这里的人都死了，舞姬和血珠不知所踪，我还记得小丑之前对她说过的，需要杀很多的人才行…要死很多人…要用那些人的血…

“克莱尔奶奶…”

可怕的念头一经升起，便再也收不住了，我再也顾不上任何情绪，任何事情，脚尖猛踩地面，爆炸般的闷响中，身体有如离弦之箭，骤然窜上高空，转瞬飞掠过焦土，在呈现下落趋势的同时，体内混沌之力疯狂运转，死烟弥漫，漆黑的焰翼自背后“呼”地伸展、扇动——

嘣嘣嘣！！！

音爆所凝成的气旋在眼前骤然荡开，空气肆虐咆哮，如怒涛般扩散向两边，缠绕的死烟凝成黑炎将我包裹，为我阻挡不断炸开的气流，飞行的速度瞬间提升到极限，身体化作漆黑的流星，向村落的方向呼啸而去。

“呜…”

我急得又呜咽出声。

心里像有一团烧着的火，吞吐着烈焰将一切搅得乱七八糟，连呼出的气息都变得滚热，我脑袋有些空白，什么都不敢思考，只知道死命拍打翅膀，用尽全力一次次提速，还是觉得不够快，还是想再快一点，也许能赶上什么将要发生的事情。

又或许，一切早就无法挽回了…

黑色的流星拖着长长的尾焰，越过山脉，越过树林，情绪的紊乱致使力量也随之紊乱，几次差点散去保护着我的混沌之火，强风灌进嗓子里，我咳的很厉害，模糊的双眼让我时而辨认不清下方的道路，险些飞错了方向。

随后，在越过最后一脉山峦，熟悉的风景骤然映入视线当中。

到了…

但到了以后，我却有些不敢下去了。

怕看见想象中的场景。

怕又来晚一步，发现等待我的就只有满地的尸体和鲜血，以及一双双失去光彩的眼睛。

我在村外不远的突破降落，散去死烟，收起翅膀，打算慢慢走进村落。

这样，就能晚一点看到那场景。

习习清风卷动青草，扬起尘土。

我向着村落慢慢走去。

“…咳。”

喉咙很干，忍不住一直吞咽口水，小拳头紧紧攥着，指甲都快要戳进肉里，我能感觉到自己每迈出一步，腿就抖得越发厉害，身上越发没有力气。

但熟悉的村子，终归是越来越近了。

艰难走到村口后，我却迟迟不敢进去，就那样定定站着，屏住呼吸，耳朵竖起来，仔细聆听。

我没有听到任何动静。

村子里一片死寂。

“没有人…”

这一刻，极度恐慌的情绪，一下子就从脊椎直冲大脑，仿佛意识飘离了身体，飞去不知是哪里的地方。

没有人的声音…

我害怕到快要站不住了。

为什么没有人…

他们都去哪了…

仿佛一具行尸走肉，麻木地走进了村子，实际上什么时候，怎么鼓起勇气迈出的第一步，我都已经意识不到了，模糊的双眼望着一座座熟悉又好像有些陌生的房屋，恍惚间觉得又听到孩童们的笑声，他们在后面追我，我想用石头去砸，然而一转头，谁也不在，什么都没有。

“有、有没有…”

我深深吸气，努力稳住心情，用发颤的、细若蚊声的嗓音，轻轻喊着：“有没有…人啊…”

“我是小希尔…”

“我回来了…”

走过熟悉的水井，长满杂草的熟悉小路，感觉呼吸顺了，便又喊的大声了些。

“你们…都在哪啊！”

“别躲了，好不好…”

“出来啊…”

“我害怕…”

我想起第一次自己踏上这条路。

那天雾蒙蒙的，村子里有袅袅炊烟升起来，那时候我饿得厉害，裹着脏兮兮的斗篷，小心翼翼、第一次踏足这个世界人类的村落，心里又害怕又紧张，担心再被当成可怕的怪物，担心又会有人伤害我，就是在那个时候，我在这条路上，遇见了克莱尔奶奶。

她是这个世界第一个接受我的人类。

而现在，这条路上，什么人也没有。

“有…人吗…”

“谁也好…”

“奶奶…”

“我回来了啊…”

谁也没有回应。

“呜呜…”

我不敢再往前走了。

因为再拐过一个弯，就是我最早的那个家，克莱尔奶奶的房子，我怕在那里看见不愿意见到的场景，我怕奶奶真的没能等到我回来。

悲伤的情绪，再次决堤了。

我站在原地，再也不管不顾，腿一软跪坐在了地上，咧开嘴巴嚎啕大哭，像是要将所有的情绪都发泄出去，“啊啊”的哭声响彻整个村子。

我又来晚了…

为什么…

我这么没用…

我…

蓦然间，有迟疑的声音自身后传来：“希、希尔妹妹…”