Chapter 809: Wait, and Hold Onto Hope / Leaving the Station

Emilie had a long dream. In the dream, she left the arena and entered a mysterious candy kingdom.

Although she didn't know why her head felt so dizzy, she was still very happy.

She lay among the candies, continuously playing games and defeating one opponent after another.

But suddenly, the candy changed flavor, from sweet to carrot.

Wait, carrot?

Emilie suddenly opened her eyes wide.

She felt her own mouth, then stared blankly at the familiar figure before her.

"B, Boss? Did you also go to hell? No wait, I don't have a soul, so I shouldn't be able to go to hell. Could it be that Boss was also taken out by Lady Eris..."

"What are you thinking about? You're still alive."

Ye Qiyan was somewhat speechless. The two deep sleeps that Lisette had helped her enter shouldn't have been enough to turn a person stupid, right?

"Huh? Then, then what about the enemies? Does that mean!?"

The Guide's shared memories flooded into Emilie's mind like a tidal wave.

The moment she regained consciousness, she immediately knew what had happened, but she only knew that Ye Qiyan had achieved victory.

For some reason, both the livestream and the videos recorded by others had been completely sealed and erased.

The only one capable of doing such a thing was Lady Eris.

Clearly, she had done it deliberately.

But Emilie didn't care about any of that.

Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice gradually trembled, and her words even carried a sobbing tone.

"R, really won! And, it was Boss who saved me? I, I... thought..."

"Thought you were done for? Dream on."

Ye Qiyan couldn't be bothered to put on that sunny big-brother persona. He directly took the remaining half of the gear from Emilie's hand, weighed it in his palm a couple of times, and flashed a grin.

"When we get to the Solar Corona-level arena in the future, you'll still be my Guide. I'm a creature of habit, and I don't want to switch to some stranger as my Guide."

"Mm!"

Emilie wiped the tear drops from the corners of her eyes, looked at Ye Qiyan, and revealed a brilliant smile.

"Please rest assured, I will no longer exist as anyone else's Guide. I will look forward to it, waiting for you to enter the arena again. When that time comes, I will definitely become a Guide worthy of you!"

Emilie could no longer choose any other Trial Participant.

No matter how many years it took Ye Qiyan to enter the Solar Corona-level arena.

There was only one thing she needed to do.

Wait.

"Heh, the gear is now in my hands. Aren't you afraid I won't come back for you?"

Ye Qiyan said with mischievous amusement.

"I'm not afraid. Even if you don't come, it doesn't matter. I only have ten more Wasteland years left. Ten years from now.

I will die. But even so, I won't choose anyone else. I am your Guide. I am now, and I will be in the future. I... can no longer choose anyone else."

Emilie made her promise with utmost sincerity, which made Ye Qiyan, who had wanted to tease her, put away his playful intentions.

He raised his hand and patted the top of Emilie's head.

"Then wait. Wait, and hold onto hope. This Solar Corona-level arena, I'll come back to it eventually. There are still quite a few fellows here worth hunting on my end."

Emilie was about to return to the Lunar Heart-level arena.

Although the final Trial had taken place here, she herself hadn't yet reached the level of becoming a highest-tier Guide.

The golden gate with a human face appeared at this moment.

The door panels unfolded.

The people of Yun-Yue City were also gathered around at this moment.

They stood on the other side of the gate, and the instant they saw Ye Qiyan, they erupted into incomparable cheers.

Ye Qiyan had won.

Once again, they had witnessed a Trial Participant leaving this world that forever held no hope.

Ye Qiyan waved his hand toward the people.

Although they were all strangers.

Although he didn't particularly like strangers.

But the cheers and shouts weren't fake.

The golden gate seemed to be doing this deliberately, continuously changing its position to let more people see Ye Qiyan.

Until finally, the other side of the gate transformed into an extremely familiar place.

That hotel room.

Emilie stood before the gate and took a deep breath. She didn't know how long she had lived, but from the day she lost her soul until today, she had for the first time experienced the emotion of reluctance.

"Boss, I..."

"Here, this is for you."

Ye Qiyan snapped his fingers and tossed a brand-new game console, box and all, over to her.

"It only needs electricity to work. It can connect to game platforms in the Wasteland, cities, all sorts of places. Though you'll need Train Coins for that."

This was a farewell gift.

"Boss, I!"

Tears welled up in Emilie's eyes once more.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want to see a Guide who died of boredom when I next enter the Solar Corona-level arena."

Ye Qiyan waved his hand, and everything he said was the truth.

This game console was something he had just bought at the black market for fifty Train Coins. Not expensive, at least not for him now.

["After all, the deal isn't over yet. Sister Shaya's lollipop is only Level 8 too. Tsk, this shouldn't affect the upgrade options, right?"]

He thought to himself.

"Boss!"

Emilie burst into tears.

"Thank you!"

She bit her lip, hugged the game console that was half her height, stepped across the golden gate, and returned to that hotel room.

The door panels slowly closed.

The Guide girl Emilie, who had been by Ye Qiyan's side for over two months, returned to the Lunar Heart-level arena.

When would the next meeting be?

Solar Corona level.

Level 12 Station World.

Perhaps, it really would take quite a long time.

But Ye Qiyan would definitely come.

Not just to complete this deal that had already claimed its rewards.

He already had the first of both the Stellar Core and the Lunar Heart, so the Solar Corona one naturally couldn't be left behind.

TOOT!

The train's steam whistle sounded across this world.

The final prism was collected into the carriage by the last golden Nano Giant Sting Bee.

Ye Qiyan sat in the locomotive section, in that seat that belonged solely to him.

The departure button was pressed on the Light Screen.

The pitch-black tracks extended forward.

The void leading to the Wasteland appeared ahead of these tracks.

The train slowly accelerated, passing through the void.

The human face on that golden gate, which had remained in place all along, watched the final carriage leave before speaking in a deep, unhurried voice.

"Courage... champion... critical strike... finishing blow... and... a trace of the beauty goddess's inexplicably appearing luck... Truly, it's been a long time since I've felt this."

————

Rumble, rumble...

Time: 9:55:04

Today's Weather: Clear and Sunny

The wheels rolled ever forward.

Outside the window, a scene so familiar it couldn't be more familiar came into view.

The endless Wasteland.

The endless horizon.

Clearly so desolate.

Clearly dangers of all kinds always appeared here.

Yet it was precisely this that made Ye Qiyan feel so at ease.

"Finally, I'm back."

He took a deep breath and took out from his Storage Unit the most important and most precious treasure from the Lunar Heart-level arena, aside from the [Five Moon] that WALL-E had found.

[Overdrive - Divine Mechanism Gear (Level 12)]

[Owned: 2/2]

[Available for Fusion]