Chapter 860

【 GOODBYE BOXLUNCH 】

When Boxlunch logged back into the game, twelve days had already passed in the world of Seigües.

After slowly awakening from his deep sleep, he found himself lying in the private villa that Little Salty Cat had given him some time ago.

Outside the window was the beautiful scenery of Mountpeak City. The blue sky and white clouds, the castle spires, and the distant chimes of the church bells all gave it a sense of serenity.

Currently he was covered with an elven-woven blanket that several elven elders from the Shadowshade Clan had given him after he had helped them settle down. It was exceptionally soft and comfortable.

Beside the bed, Nightingale was propping her head up with one hand, her eyes slightly closed as she repeatedly nodded off.

Seeing her somewhat adorable sleeping posture, a trace of amusement appeared in Boxlunch’s eyes. However, that smile quickly vanished, replaced by a hint of melancholy.

He let out a soft sigh and carefully climbed out of bed.

However, Nightingale was clearly not sleeping deeply as she immediately woke up the moment Boxlunch moved.

Her eyes, still glistening with tears, were somewhat dazed. But after she saw Boxlunch clearly, they suddenly widened, filling with delight.

“Y-You finally woke up!”

She excitedly grabbed his hand.

Boxlunch instinctively wanted to pull away, but in the end, perhaps remembering something, he allowed her to take his hand.

“Do you know how worried I, Bash, Chopin, Optimist, and everyone else have been about you? Did you go back to your world? Why didn’t you contact Bash and the others?”

Nightingale spoke rapidly, a hint of reproach on her face.

Yet behind that reproach was overwhelming joy, along with a trace of worry hidden deep within it.

Boxlunch smiled apologetically.

His smile was somewhat stiff, but beneath that stiffness was a tenderness that was difficult to describe.

It was like a tough man who was incapable of expressing his emotions, awkwardly trying to convey his apology:

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

After saying that, he looked outside the room.

“Where are they?”

Nightingale naturally knew whom he was referring to.

She puffed out her cheeks, then picked up a bowl of delicious fruit porridge from the side and forcibly placed it in Boxlunch’s hands.

“Eat something first. It’s been twelve days. Even though you’re already a Gold-ranker, you must be hungry after sleeping for so long. As for your teammates, they went out to do their daily tasks. They should be back soon.”

Looking at the fruit porridge Nightingale had handed him, Boxlunch hesitated for a moment.

But soon, he let out a quiet sigh, accepted it, and began eating with a spoon.

The fruit porridge had been personally prepared by Nightingale. She had drawn upon culinary techniques from Earth while incorporating the elven race’s unique methods of fermenting and preparing fruit, making it sweet, fragrant, and refreshing.

Boxlunch ate one spoonful after another, seemingly savoring every bite, and perhaps cherishing it as well.

It was as though he wanted to permanently etch this delicious moment into his memory.

Seeing him enjoy the fruit porridge she had made, Nightingale looked very satisfied. Resting her chin on her hands, she watched him with a smile in her eyes.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the bedroom was warm and peaceful.

But the next second, that warmth was shattered by a series of excited voices coming from outside.

“Captain! You’re finally online!”

It was Calabash and the others.

Nightingale glared at them unhappily, clearly displeased that they had interrupted the quiet moment, but she soon stood up with a slight pout and moved aside.

Calabash and the others quickly gathered around Boxlunch, their earlier excitement mixed with obvious concern.

“Captain, what happened these past few days?”

“Yeah, why did you suddenly disconnect again?”

“You nearly scared us to death. We thought something had happened to you…”

One question followed another, their voices revealing just how worried they had been during his long absence.

Looking at the worried yet delighted expressions of his friends, Boxlunch’s gaze became increasingly gentle.

“By the way, Captain! While you were offline, an ex-noble mercenary who believes in the Goddess established an allied human branch of the Church of Life in the southern part of the Holy Maniya Empire. So a huge number of quests with generous rewards have appeared there lately. Do you want to go check it out with us?”

“Yeah! Yeah! I heard there’s even a chance of getting Divine Artifact Repair Point Scrolls as rewards!”

His teammates spoke excitedly, their eyes practically shining at the thought of all the new quests and rewards.

Normally, an opportunity like this would have been enough to immediately catch Boxlunch’s attention. After all, he had always been one of the most hardcore combat-oriented player among them, and he rarely let valuable quests slip by.

However, after hearing them, Boxlunch did not seem particularly interested.

He merely shook his head gently.

“Hmm, this time, I don’t really want to do any kind of combat-related quests… Instead, I want to visit various places in the Elven Forest. I want to see the World Tree…”

Hearing this, Calabash and the others were slightly stunned.

If those words had come from a life-oriented player who enjoyed sightseeing and exploring the scenery, they would not have been surprised in the slightest.

However, this was Boxlunch!

The same Boxlunch who’s one of the most famous hardcore players on the server and throughout all the time they had played together, he had rarely shown much interest in the more leisurely aspects of the game, such as sightseeing or simply wandering around to admire the game’s scenery.

…What was going on?

The others exchanged puzzled glances before looking back at Boxlunch.

In response, Boxlunch merely smiled at them.

There was something strangely calm and peaceful about that smile, as though he had already made up his mind about something that they still knew nothing about.

“Captain, could you stop smiling like that? I don’t know why… but seeing you smile like this makes me feel strangely uneasy.”

Chopin could not help saying.

Boxlunch was stunned for a moment, then smiled even more happily.

Yet the happier he smiled, the more uneasy Nightingale and the others became.

“Don’t overthink it. Come with me for a walk.”

Boxlunch shook his head.

༺⟐༻

In the end, everyone in the squad, including Nightingale, accompanied Boxlunch to the Elven Forest.

They first went to Chosen City, then to the central district where they had established their very first base, and finally arrived before the stone monument engraved with the usernames of the first 300 beta-test players.

Boxlunch gently caressed the stone monument, his fingers slowly tracing the familiar names, and sighed.

“Do you guys remember? When the game first opened, this place was nothing but a forest and a few wooden houses. But now…”

He looked at the beautiful streets and densely packed buildings around him, taking in the bustling city that had grown far beyond what any of them could have imagined back then.

“It has already become such a major metropolis.”

Boxlunch seemed unusually talkative today. He was completely different from his usual taciturn self, and every word he spoke seemed to carry a faint sense of nostalgia.

Seeing his nostalgic expression, the others exchanged glances, their hearts filled with uncertainty.

They could not quite explain why, but there was something strange about their Captain today.

Before they could say anything, however, Boxlunch spoke again.

“Let’s go to Florence next.”

After leaving Chosen City, the group arrived in Florence.

This former Elven Holy City was no longer the devastated place the players had first discovered. The scars of the past had long since faded, and the city had already regained its former glory.

When they arrived at the city’s temple square, Boxlunch looked at the bustling Temple of Life, filled with people coming and going, and another trace of nostalgia flashed through his eyes.

“Florence… has changed so much, too…”

“Yeah. I still remember when we first came here. The place was still occupied by goblins.”

Calabash was also somewhat nostalgic.

“Right! We even fought a World Boss and a divine incarnation of Uller back then! I still remember the way Captain Box finished off Uller’s incarnation with that final strike. It was insanely cool!”

Chopin also spoke up, his face filled with excitement as he recalled that battle.

“Hahaha, that’s when I first noticed Captain’s potential too. I thought to myself that I absolutely had to become friends with this expert.”

“Right! Me too!”

“Hahaha, who would have thought we’d actually become friends in the end!”

The others reminisced about the past, excitedly discussing their old memories and occasionally interrupting one another as they recalled one event after another.

Boxlunch quietly listened from the side with a smile on his face.

However, Nightingale, who had been observing Boxlunch all this time, noticed the faint sorrow and reluctance hidden deep within his smile.

“What… what’s wrong with you?”

She asked worriedly.

Boxlunch did not answer directly.

He glanced at the beautiful elven girl, his expression becoming somewhat softer, and suddenly said:

“Nightingale, I remember you once said that you really wanted to see the entire Elven Forest from the canopy of the World Tree?”

Nightingale was slightly stunned, somewhat surprised.

“You actually remember that?”

“Of course. I still remember everything, even those things you said way back when we were trapped inside the carriage of Sauron Merchant Group.”

Boxlunch replied.

Nightingale froze again.

Her face reddened slightly. After hesitating for a moment, she gathered her courage and was about to say something.

But before she could speak, Boxlunch suddenly smiled and said:

“Come on. Let’s go see the World Tree.”

༺⟐༻

Following Boxlunch, the group soon arrived at the trunk of the World Tree through the teleportation array in Chosen City.

Now that the Goddess no longer had to conceal her identity, the true body of the World Tree stood proudly in its full glory. Its nearly thirty-thousand-meter-tall trunk rose majestically into the heavens, making it undoubtedly one of the most spectacular sights in the entire world.

Standing upon the World Tree and looking down at the earth below, the magnificent scenery of the Elven Forest stretched out before them. The endless Dark Mountains in the south and the vast, fertile plains in the east all came into view, making it impossible not to marvel at the grandeur and sheer beauty of Elven Kingdom.

At this moment, everyone was rendered speechless.

Their eyes were completely focused on the beautiful scenery below. Although they were all highly skilled combat-oriented players, they had never truly stood atop the World Tree and taken in the magnificent landscape of Elven Kingdom from such a breathtaking vantage point.

For a moment, none of them spoke.

They simply stood there, quietly taking in the scenery that they had spent so much time fighting to protect and explore.

“It’s beautiful…”

Nightingale could not help but praise.

However, when she looked at Boxlunch, she discovered that he had somehow stopped smiling.

His gaze rested upon the world below, and his expression carried a hint of fulfillment, as though he had finally seen everything he had wanted to see and had no regrets anymore.

That expression made it seem as though he would leave this world at any moment.

“B-Boxlunch? What’s wrong?”

Nightingale could not help calling out.

For some reason, she suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of tension and worry. The peaceful scenery before her no longer seemed quite as beautiful as it had moments ago.

Hearing the elven girl’s voice, the others who had been admiring the scenery quickly turned their attention back to Boxlunch as well.

They, too, faintly sensed the change in their captain’s demeanor.

“Captain!”

Calabash waved a hand in front of Boxlunch and called out to him.

Boxlunch’s gaze gradually returned from the distant horizon.

He looked at everyone staring at him with concern. After remaining silent for a moment, he suddenly smiled.

“I’m sorry, everyone. This should be the last time I log into Elven Kingdom.”

Everyone froze, and the group instantly erupted.

“What?!”

“Captain, you’re joking, right?”

“Quit joking! It’s clearly not April Fools’ Day today!”

However, Boxlunch merely raised a hand and gently pressed it downward, causing the atmosphere to settle.

That was the suppression brought about by the power of a Gold-rank player, a level of strength unique to the entire server.

“Everyone has to leave someday. Some simply leave earlier, while others leave later.”

Boxlunch sighed.

Taking a deep breath, he finally revealed the secret he had kept hidden in his heart for so long.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I’ve kept this from you for a very, very long time…”

“I was actually a retired anti-narcotics police officer. Several years ago, while pursuing drug traffickers, I was seriously injured and forced to retire.”

“So, for the past few years, my physical condition has always been poor. I could only keep going with the help of special medication. Combined with the injuries I suffered in the past, my condition has been steadily getting worse and worse over the years.”

“However, half a month ago, my condition deteriorated rapidly. I went to the hospital for another examination, but my doctors told me that there was no longer any way for me to keep going…”

“Everyone… this is my last time logging into the game. There are some things I’ve kept buried in my heart that I’ve always wanted to tell you.”

“After I retired, I was depressed and desperate. It was Elven Kingdom that gave me a new lease on life. It was all of you who allowed me to experience the colors of life again…”

“So thank you, everyone. During the darkest days of my life, you all gave me happiness.”

“Being able to have such wonderful memories here in Elven Kingdom is already enough for me.”

Boxlunch had a lot to say today, as though he wanted to finish saying everything he had never been able to say throughout his entire life.

After hearing his words, everyone widened their eyes.

They understood.

They finally understood!

Why their captain, Boxlunch, never attended any of their offline gatherings.

Why his online hours had always ranked among the highest on the server.

Why he had always been unwilling to talk about matters concerning his personal life in the real world.

All those strange details that they had once found puzzling suddenly had an answer.

“C-Captain… Why? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!”

Calabash could not help grabbing Boxlunch by the clothes, his voice trembling slightly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to see me in such a sorry state during my final days…”

Boxlunch sighed.

“No! You’re our captain! You’re the strongest among us! In fact, you’re the strongest player on the entire server!”

Chopin shouted.

“Thanks…”

Boxlunch sighed softly.

Looking at everyone’s reddened eyes, he smiled.

“Don’t be like this. I’ve already come to terms with it. I’ve been very happy during these final days of my life…”

As he spoke, he looked at Nightingale again and asked the others:

“I want to speak with Nightingale alone for a while. Is that okay?”

His teammates opened their mouths, looking first at Boxlunch, whose face was filled with apology, and then at Nightingale, whose eyes had somehow already filled with tears.

They exchanged glances before finally sighing and withdrawing, leaving the two of them alone.

Boxlunch looked at Nightingale and sighed.

“I’m sorry. From the moment I came into this world, I know I didn’t have much time left. That’s why I haven’t been able to return your feelings.”

Nightingale’s vision instantly blurred with tears.

“No! You can’t decide that on your own! Have you forgotten the Goddess’s power? As the Goddess’s strongest Chosen One, if you sincerely pray to the Goddess, I’m sure She will definitely grant you a new life!”

She shook her head desperately, refusing to accept his words.

“The Goddess…?”

Boxlunch’s gaze became complicated.

His eyes swept across the magnificent World Tree before him as he sighed.

“Nightingale, although… Elven Kingdom is your real world, for those of us living in another world, it is ultimately just a game…”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“And a game can never change reality.”

“No! I bet the Goddess can! She definitely can!”

Nightingale insisted, her voice trembling slightly.

Seeing how determined she was, Boxlunch was slightly stunned. He looked at her for a moment before smiling ruefully.

“I’m sorry…”

As he spoke, he raised a hand, intending to pat the girl’s head, but halfway there, he hesitated and withdrew it.

He let out a soft sigh and sat down against the trunk of the World Tree.

“Can you… stay with me a little longer?”

Boxlunch asked softly.

Nightingale sniffed, her nose red from crying, and quietly sat down beside him.

Neither of them spoke for a while.

The two simply looked into the distance. The azure sky had already been dyed crimson, and the setting sun was slowly sinking beyond the horizon, casting a brilliant glow across the heavens.

The vast world below was bathed in the golden-red light of dusk, making the entire Elven Forest appear almost dreamlike.

“What a beautiful world…”

Looking at the radiant sunset, Boxlunch let out a long sigh.

He slowly raised his right hand toward the sky, as though trying to grasp something that was just beyond his reach.

But in the end, his hand fell limply and once again, slowly closed his eyes.

At the same time, upon the starry skies of the World Tree’s Divine Kingdom, a star shining with blue radiance slowly went dark.

And at that very moment, within the Supreme Divine Temple in the Garden of Eden, Evé, who had been studying the Blue Sphere Origin Key all this time, slowly opened her eyes.

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