Chapter 292: Lu Chen’s Death

His eyes widened.

The spear had pierced straight through his chest.

His fist...

Stopped inches from Shen Tian’s face.

Neither moved.

Lu Chen looked down.

Then...

Slowly...

Back up.

Blood left his mouth.

"You..."

He coughed.

"...really are..."

Shen Tian stared.

Lu Chen smiled weakly.

"...an asshole."

Shen Tian’s lips curved faintly.

"I’ve heard."

Lu Chen laughed once.

Weak.

Then...

His expression softened.

The hatred...

Slowly disappeared.

Not forgiveness.

Not friendship.

Just exhaustion.

"I’m tired."

Shen Tian remained silent.

Lu Chen looked past him.

Toward nothing.

Maybe remembering Black Wolf.

Rose.

Bear.

Ghost.

Lin Yue.

Battlefields.

Friends.

Enemies.

His life.

Then...

His eyes returned to Shen Tian.

"Don’t..."

He coughed blood.

"...hurt them."

Shen Tian knew who he meant.

Rose.

Bear.

Ghost.

The people Lu Chen had once called family.

"I won’t."

Lu Chen stared.

Then...

Slowly nodded.

"Good."

His body weakened.

Shen Tian pulled the spear free.

Lu Chen fell backward.

THUD.

Silence.

His eyes remained open.

But...

There was nothing behind them.

Xu Ning’s panel appeared.

[Ding!]

Son of Destiny Lu Chen has died.

Remaining Fate Protection destroyed.

Final Fate stolen: 77,000

Lu Chen Fate Value: 0

Protagonist eliminated.

Silence.

Shen Tian stared at the body.

No celebration.

No laughter.

No speech.

Done.

Finally.

Xu Ning appeared beside him.

For once...

She said nothing.

Shen Tian turned.

And walked away.

. . .

Outside the ruins...

Rose stood beside a vehicle.

Lin Yue waited nearby.

The desert wind moved through Rose’s hair.

Then...

Shen Tian emerged.

Alone.

Rose knew immediately.

She didn’t ask.

Not at first.

Shen Tian walked toward them.

Lin Yue’s expression became quiet.

Rose looked toward the entrance behind him.

Then...

Her eyes returned to Shen Tian.

"He’s dead."

Not a question.

Shen Tian nodded.

"Yes."

Silence.

Rose closed her eyes.

Her expression tightened.

She had known.

She had prepared.

It still hurt.

Years didn’t disappear.

Memories didn’t disappear.

Lu Chen had become someone she could no longer stand beside.

But once...

He had been her commander.

Her friend.

Someone who had dragged her bleeding from a burning vehicle.

Someone she’d carried through gunfire.

Someone who’d laughed with Bear and Ghost around terrible campfires.

Rose looked away.

One tear escaped.

She immediately wiped it.

Shen Tian said nothing.

No...

He deserved it.

No...

Don’t cry.

No attempt to make the emotion disappear.

He simply stood beside her.

Rose looked toward him.

Then...

Stepped forward.

She wrapped her arms around him.

Shen Tian froze slightly.

Then...

His arms closed around her.

Rose buried her face against his chest.

"I’m angry at him."

Shen Tian gently held her.

"I know."

"I hated what he became."

"I know."

"I didn’t want him to win."

"I know."

Her fingers tightened against Shen Tian’s shirt.

"But..."

Her voice cracked slightly.

"...I didn’t want this either."

Shen Tian’s hand gently moved through her hair.

"I know."

Rose remained there.

No teasing.

No flirting.

Just...

Grief.

Lin Yue stood several feet away.

Her eyes were wet too.

She looked toward the ruins.

Then...

Quietly...

"Idiot."

She wiped her cheek.

"Stubborn idiot."

Shen Tian looked toward her.

Lin Yue gave him a small, sad smile.

"Don’t worry."

"I know what he tried to do."

"I know why you did it."

She looked toward the ruins again.

"It just..."

She swallowed.

"...still sucks."

Shen Tian nodded.

"Yeah."

Lin Yue looked surprised.

Then...

She smiled faintly.

"Yeah."

. . .

Several days later.

China.

Shen estate.

The atmosphere had changed again.

Rose sat in the garden.

Coffee in hand.

Shen Tian approached.

She looked over.

Then...

Smiled.

Not completely back to normal.

But closer.

"Hey."

"Hey."

He sat beside her.

Silence.

Comfortable.

Rose looked toward him.

Then...

"I talked to Bear."

Shen Tian nodded.

"And Ghost."

"How are they?"

"Angry."

"Sad."

"Confused."

She took a sip.

"But okay."

Shen Tian nodded.

Rose studied him.

Then...

"You’ve been avoiding flirting with me."

His eyebrow rose.

"You were grieving."

"I noticed."

"Was I wrong?"

Rose stared.

Then...

Her expression softened.

"No."

She smiled.

"Actually..."

She moved slightly closer.

"...it was sweet."

Shen Tian smiled.

Rose immediately pointed.

"There."

"What?"

"That."

She leaned closer.

"That’s the face I missed."

Shen Tian raised an eyebrow.

"My face?"

"The annoying one."

"Very romantic."

Rose laughed.

Then...

Her hand moved.

She placed it over his.

Shen Tian looked down.

Then toward her.

Rose’s cheeks became faintly pink.

"I’m okay."

He nodded.

"Good."

She squeezed his hand.

Then...

Her eyes narrowed playfully.

"So..."

"What?"

"Are you going to compliment me or what?"

Shen Tian laughed.

"Needy."

Rose’s mouth opened.

"Excuse me?"

He turned his hand.

Their fingers intertwined.

Then...

He looked directly into her eyes.

"You’re beautiful."

Rose froze.

Her face immediately became red.

Shen Tian smiled.

"Still works."

She stared.

"You bastard."

"Yep."

Rose laughed.

Then...

She rested her head against his shoulder.

Shen Tian leaned back.

Quiet.

Warm.

Normal.

Mostly.

. . .

Inside the mansion...

Gu Qingya stood near the window.

She saw them.

Rose resting against Shen Tian.

Their hands together.

She stared.

Then...

A strange feeling appeared.

Tang Meilin walked up beside her.

She followed Gu Qingya’s gaze.

"Oh."

Gu Qingya immediately looked away.

"What?"

Tang Meilin smiled.

"Nothing."

Gu Qingya narrowed her eyes.

"Your face says otherwise."

Tang Meilin laughed.

Then...

Lin Yue approached from behind.

She saw outside.

Stopped.

Then...

Her expression softened.

"Good."

Gu Qingya looked toward her.

"Good?"

Lin Yue nodded.

"Rose needed that."

Gu Qingya looked outside again.

Then...

Slowly...

She smiled.

"Yeah."

Tang Meilin stared at Shen Tian.

Then...

Quietly...

"Still jealous though."

Gu Qingya and Lin Yue both looked at her.

Tang Meilin froze.

"I said that out loud."

"Yes."

Her face turned crimson.

Lin Yue started laughing.

Gu Qingya smiled.

Then...

Very quietly...

"You’re not the only one."

Tang Meilin froze.

Lin Yue slowly turned toward Gu Qingya.

Gu Qingya realized.

Her face became red.

"Forget I said that."

Tang Meilin’s smile became enormous.

"Oh."

"No."

Lin Yue crossed her arms.

"This is interesting."

"Stop."

Tang Meilin leaned closer.

"Qingya..."

"I will fire both of you."

Tang Meilin laughed.

"I don’t work for you."

Gu Qingya froze.

Then...

"Shut up."

. . .

Outside...

Xu Ning appeared beside Shen Tian.

Rose couldn’t see her.

A final panel opened.

Protagonist Lu Chen

Fate Value: 0

Status: Deceased

All Major Destiny Routes: Terminated

Then...

The panel disappeared.

A new notification appeared.

[Arc Complete]

Mercenary Protagonist eliminated.

Total Fate harvested from Lu Chen: 488,000

Major rewards calculating...

Xu Ning stared.

Then...

Her eyes widened.

[Host.]

Shen Tian glanced toward her.

Later.

[But the rewards...]

Later.

Xu Ning stared.

Then...

Looked toward Rose resting against him.

She smiled.

[Fine.]

Rose looked toward Shen Tian.

"You distracted again?"

He turned toward her.

Then...

Smiled.

"No."

His fingers tightened gently around hers.

"Not anymore."

Rose’s cheeks warmed.

"Good."

And just like that...

War Wolf’s story ended.

Not with victory.

Not with redemption.

Not with another miraculous opportunity.

His Fate had been stripped away.

His routes had been destroyed.

His empire had collapsed.

His protagonist halo had shattered.

And finally...

Lu Chen himself had fallen.

The world had lost another Son of Destiny.

But Shen Tian?

He had gained everything Lu Chen was supposed to have.

Power.

Influence.

Fate.

Opportunities.

And perhaps most importantly...

The women who had once been destined to revolve around the protagonist...

Were now slowly...

Willingly...

Falling for the villain.

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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)

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