NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Good Bye
Going back about forty seconds—just before the space bubble between the two worlds was about to break…
While everyone else in the hall remained frozen in time, except for the Herrscher of Sentience unaffected, Luo Mo received an unexpected notification from the system.
[Warning, Warning!]
[Host has received an 'Emergency Mission' from a Constellation!]
[Note: an 'Emergency Mission' is a Misson that cannot be refused, no matter what!]
[Mission: Help the two childhood sweetheart get a satisfying goodbye]
[Details: Several Constellations are not satisfied enough by the two childhood's final moment. "Saint" and "Apocalypse" has agreed to "Beyond the Stars"'s idea.]
[The Constellation "Beyond the Stars" has altered some of the rules of the bubble space. The host can now move within the frozen space.]
"What?!" Luo Mo shouted in suprise.
He then noticed he can speak and move his body again. Everyone that's in the room were also suprise to see him move, even little Senti.
Luo Mo's eyes darted back to the notifications he just got. He tried to understand what they meant.
Constellations?
Beyond the Stars?
Misson?
What did the system mean by that?
But his mind reeled as he read the next message that came, and his heart sank.
[Because this Mission is forced on the host, 100 Crystals will be consumed every second to unfreeze the host in the frozen space!]
[Current Crystals: 30400]
[Current Crystals: 30300]
"WHAT THE &@$!!!" He shouted in a panic.
Everyone was surprised by his reaction, as it was their first time hearing him curse for unknown reason. They didn't understand why Luo Mo was panicking, as he was having some crisis.
Seeing his precious Crystals vanish by the second, Luo Mo quickly scanned the system notifications, His brain was working faster like never before, trying to understand the meaning of the mission. He tried to understand what the Constellations—or whoever issued the mission—wanted from him.
Unsatisfied.
Help the two childhood.
A satisfying goodbyes.
His gaze flew over each message, analyzing every detail until he saw the final notification.
[The two childhood friend are unable to make any contact with each other because of the world restrictions.]
[Fortunately, the Constellations have temporarily removed this restriction!]
Suddenly, everything around him began to envelop in glowing bright light, as if the space between the two worlds that was created for the two was about to cut off.
But then, the light faded back, as if some unknown force was granting them a few extra moments together.
Luo Mo quickly understood what that meant. Gritting his teeth, he sprinted toward Kallen and Otto, desperation on his face.
[You better hurry up~]
The system mocked him, as if seeing his reaction. But Luo Mo wasn't paying attention to it, since he was focusing on running.
Little did he know that the one taunting him was the same one who assigned him this mission, and not the system.
Cursing internally, Luo Mo watched his Crystals draining faster and faster.
'F@%! F#%! F#%!'
'Why is this happening to me!'
"Ooooooiiii!"
"You two! Hug, kiss, whatever—hurry! Ahhh, my Crystals… This won't last long!"
Seeing the confusion on their faces as they looked at him, Luo Mo eyes twitched in annoyance. Without hesitation, he shoved Kallen forward, into Otto's arms.
To their surprise, Otto caught her in his arms as she stumbled forward.
"!!!"
The two were stunned to find they could actually touch each other. Otto felt the warmth of her body in his hands, while Kallen's hands rested on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
They stared at each other in disbelief. A hint of joy mingling in their heart.
Luo Mo, who was still standing there, was visibly shaking as he ruffled his hair in frustration, watching his Crystals rapidly drain away.
"Hurry up and—!"
Just as he was about to urge them on, his body froze again, unable to move or speak. A new system message flashed before his eyes.
[Shut up and be quiet.]
....
Meanwhile, Otto still held Kallen close, warmth radiating between them. Smiling gently, he gazed down at her.
Kallen, her face flushed, felt the same warmth. She'd been shocked when Luo Mo suddenly shoved her forward, but even more so when she realized she could actually touch Otto, no longer passing through him like a ghost.
She looked up at him in the eyes. His emerald green eyes were shining beautifully at her with love and happiness.
She then decided to use this opportunity to the fullest and be bold for the first time of her life. Gathering her courage, Kallen leaned up and gave him a soft, small kiss.
Otto's eyes widened in surprise, momentarily frozen. He hadn't expected Kallen to make such a bold move.
He looked at her with a wide eyes, still shock by what she did. The kiss was brief but sincere, a gesture of gratitude and farewell, with a hint of love.
Kallen pulled her body back as she looked at Otto with a cheerful bright smile. The same smile he saw when they first met.
She moved her hands behind her back as she says with a joyful voice.
"Goodbye, Otto!"
The white light around them brightened again, beginning to engulf them both.
Otto stood there, watching her figure slowly fade. He responds with a gentle smile as his figure began to dissolve by the light..
The space shattered softly like glass, and the bubble world that connects the two worlds was fading away.
Everything returned to normal, time resuming as if the miraculous encounter had never happened. The world's vitality returned as though it had never paused.
Kallen was back in her seat, her head lowered in silence.
In an instant, layers of setting sun spread across the room. The afterglow, the fiery red sunset, carrying unwillingness and regret, fell into the other side of the abyss.
The sun was nearly set, and the golden courtyard dimmed as twilight took over. Time resumed, unhurried and inevitable.
Kallen didn't know when the final parting came. Time no longer stands still for the two of them at this moment. It will move unswervingly and unhurriedly, contrary to the world.
On the other hand, no one in the room knows How or Who was generous, to grant the two of them that brief moment outside of time.
The night breeze was cool; a clear stream rippled by the shore. Some people regret that the sun sets too late, keeping them from glimpsing the bright moon.
And some people mourn that dusk comes too early, depriving them of the morning light.
"Kiana, Welt, Himeko...Otto, I don't know what else I can do for you, but even if it means to atone for part of the sin, I will try my best to repay it."
"You have done something for me. I have engraved all those things in my heart one by one, even if you don't need it, even if it's just wishful thinking." Kallen murmured softly.
"But you once saved the world, and now it's my turn…"
"My Greatest Inventor."
Kallen sat on the sofa, her gaze steady, fixed on the spot where Otto had disappeared.
A tear rolled down her cheek, tracing a path across her pale skin before dripping onto her hand.
In that brief conversation, neither of them had wanted to show weakness.
Although To both, her situation seems comical and heart-wrenching. She was scared, but she still managed to smile, and her face was full of tears. Yet the memory left her aching, bittersweet and unforgotten.
The short encounter faded away,
leaving her only with a sigh and a clearer resolve.
"Goodbye, Otto..."
"This time, I'll save the world you gave me."
The white bishop's uniform hung slightly wrinkled, her back straight but her heart silently sobbing.
---
As the gap in space gradually healed, the unknown miracle slowly faded away.
No one in the hall moved, as the first reaction everyone felt was horror.
At this moment, nothing needed to be said. What had just happened was proof that events from the game were real, and it confirmed the suspicions of some sharp-minded individuals. The truth was now self-evident.
The true nature of the world had been unveiled. A thin veil was lifted, only to reveal fear and horror beneath. History had turned a corner, and all of it was caused by one person.
Suddenly, fireworks filled the hall, their flames bursting in brilliant displays. Though bright, the flames brought little heat, casting a shadow over what should have been a solemn farewell ceremony.
It was clear the fireworks had been caused by a malfunction in one of Vill-V's inventions.
Although Vill-V had assured everyone that there would be no issues with her creation, it failed at the worst possible time. The unstable device exploded as soon as the space started to recover.
Vill-V, the instigator, turned her face aside in embarrassment, crossing her arms and looking around as if she had nothing to do with it. She had only prepared a little fireworks show—how could that be her fault? Although she did add fireworks in the device, to celebrate Otto's defeat with everyone, she never expected that out of know where, the world would split and then connect with another, causing her spatial device to break from the space pressure.
As for the original space problem, Sirin had barely managed to stabilize it in time. As a Herrscher with control over space, she could hold the area around the golden courtyard steady for a while.
When everyone were frozen for a moment, their minds were still able to think. Sirin quickly noticed the instability caused by Vill-V's device and instinctively began to hold it in place with her spatial powers as soon as she recovered from the time freeze.
Although it was limited by her own calculation level, there was no problem in maintaining it for a period of time.
The Herrscher of Sentience breathed heavily and looked at the place where Otto appeared with lingering fear. On one hand, she was thinking of staying in this world a lot longer to play around, since she hasn't had enough fun. And on the other hand, she was thinking clearly about going back to her world.
'Although there was a high probability that it can lead me to my original world, But what if I get stuck in that weird place called the Tree of Imaginary Numbers?'
She shook off the thought, deciding to worry about it another day. Luckily for her, she didn't need to worry about the other side, since she can tell they most be doing fine from the game.
"This..."
Mobius narrowed her eyes. She hadn't expected the situation to unfold this way, but the truth was right before her, undeniable.
She looked at the white-haired woman, who was trembling with emotion. Mobius wanted to ask her more questions, but experience with Elysia had taught her that this wasn't the best time to bother a person who isn't in a good mood. She hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to save the discussion for later.
…
Su's eyes finally opened when the stagnation ended.
During the pause, the world had felt completely silent—a terrifying stillness, as if he were the only person alive in the world.
But when he opened his eyes, he saw fireworks lighting up the hall, the solemn expressions of those around him, and Kallen, who had changed her position.
Most of the people in the hall were watching him—it was their first time seeing Su's eyes open since he left the Elysian Realm.
He heard someone whisper,
"... oh? Does everyone think that even Su opening his eyes is really a big deal?~"
Elysia said with a teasing smile, as to lighten the mood.
Su nodded with an exaggeratedly serious expression.
With a sigh, he slowly closed his eyes again, pretending that nothing had happened.
"Then continue. Let us witness his end… and the beginning…"
Kallen said softly, taking a deep breath, her voice trembling as she tried to suppress her mix of excitement and sadness.
At this moment, the others noticed that the screen in front of them had resumed.
...
Meanwhile, Luo Mo was lying on his couch with a despairing expression. He had just lost over 9,000 crystals because of the mission.
"My… crystals…" he muttered, staring blankly at his feet, with his head lowered.
Just then, another system message appeared in front of him.
[Mission Complete!]
[The host has successfully completed the mission, and satisfied the constellations!]
Luo Mo's expression darkened with anger as he frowns. Whoever "they" were, they had forced him into this mission against his will—and used up his crystals to make him comply!
With no reward!
[The Constellation "Beyond the Stars" has gifted you a reward for completing the emergency mission!]
Just as he was about to curse at them again, he froze, reading the message carefully.
[You have received gacha crystals as compensation!]
Luo Mo's eyes widened as he watched his crystal count begin to climb.
[Crystals: 21,500]
[Crystals: 22,500]
[Crystals: 23,500]
The crystals he'd lost were being restored. His anger and resentment for the unknown Constellation faded, replaced by joy, as the number kept rising, finally reaching thirty thousand.
The count stopped at 30,597.
Luo Mo sighed with relief—he hadn't lost anything from the forced mission after all.
'Wait… how many crystals did I have before the mission?'
He asked the system, which responded quickly.
[The number of crystals you held before was 30,597.]
"…."
He blinked in confusion, staring at the numbers. He double-checked, but the amounts were the same.
'System… why do the numbers look the same?' he asked, a blank expression on his face.
[Because they are.]
The system answered plainly.
Luo Mo's face darkened as he realized he had received exactly the same amount of crystals he'd lost.
He couldn't decide whether to feel relieved that he hadn't lost anything or angry at the constellation for fooling him.
In the end, he took a deep breath and decided to pretend it had never happened.
Yes, he had never received any strange mission from the system.
That had never happened.
...
Meanwhile, the three women beside him—Luna, Kongming, and Irene—watched him with puzzled expressions.
They'd all noticed his strange behavior as he wrestled with his thoughts, but in the end, they ignored it and returned to watching the game. After all, this wasn't the first time they'd seen him act this werid.
----
(TL: Here a Small gift I have prepared long time ago~)
(Png: Thank you)
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