CHAPTER 647: WRONG DECISION

The... heir?

The heir of the Nightmare?!

Come to think of it, the doctor had indeed mentioned how the Nightmare needed another source of power because its designated heir was missing, but it was just a single passing sentence which was immediately thrown to the back of Gu Luoxin’s mind, as he was too horrified by the fact that the whole Garuda territory was going to come crashing down soon and that the Nightmare itself was going to descend into this realm.

Compared to these two mind-boggling revelations, how was he supposed to keep that little remark about the heir into mind?

And now, the doctor claimed that such a terrifying nightmare creature was actually here... right here, in this Cycle??

In a flash, someone’s face popped up in Gu Luoxin’s mind, filling him with utter disbelief.

No way... no, no, no, no fucking way—

He-He had always treated Jin Jiuchi as an ordinary nightmare creature, but in hindsight, the man was extraordinarily strong and he possessed super keen senses that almost felt like cheating. He feared nothing under heaven and earth—except Shen Nianzu, of course—and the most obvious fact was... he had once emerged unscathed in a battle against the Nightmare!

Adding all those points, wouldn’t that make him the perfect person for the role?

One couldn’t blame Gu Luoxin for being clueless, though. It was all because Jin Jiuchi’s image was too far removed from the Nightmare that he had never once considered any connections between them. The man might be annoying, childish, a brute through and through, and crazy at times, but... but he was kind. He was such a genuine, honest, and loyal person that Gu Luoxin didn’t find it difficult at all to accept him even after knowing he was a nightmare creature. There was not even a streak of evil or malice within him. He was more like the polar opposites of the Nightmare!

But if not him, who else?

Who else could be worthy of being the heir of the Nightmare?

It could only be him, that’s for certain.

And the mere thought that the doctor wanted him, not for anything good for sure, sent a buzzing sensation jolting through Gu Luoxin’s mind. His face, that had already pale from all the running, turned a shade whiter until not even a hint of color was seen.

He shook his head subconsciously, his voice softer than a breeze, "No..."

Had his mind been a little clearer, perhaps he would have considered cooperating with the doctor for the time being and used this chance to get in contact with Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu. As for what happened after that, he would just cross the bridge when he came to it.

He had to believe that Jin Jiuchi, who had stood his ground against the Nightmare, would be able to deal with the doctor just fine as well.

Nothing was more important than to reunite with his teammates, rather than facing this nightmare creature with unfathomable strength all by himself. He might even be able to use the doctor to save this world from being destroyed!

It was such a good deal—risky, yes, but still too tempting to be missed nonetheless! If he played his cards well, the odds might even turn to his favor!

Alas, after nonstop running, fleeing, and hiding, keeping his guard up to the extreme, and encountering countless dismembered bodies along the way, Gu Luoxin’s nerves had long been stretched thin. He was far too tense, like a tattered string on the verge of snapping.

All it took was a nudge... just a single nudge for him to fall apart.

And in this kind of poor condition, his mind only recognized one thing—

This evil creature wants him to betray his teammate.

Gu Luoxin did not want to do it. He did not want to—absolutely not!

It was too late by the time he realized that he had picked the wrong decision.

"No?" The malice in the doctor’s smile grew stronger, so did the ill premonition and dread bursting in Gu Luoxin’s heart as he belatedly jolted back to his senses.

"Then I suppose, I have no more use for you."

Everything happened so fast—so much that Gu Luoxin had not had the chance to blink—yet also unfolding in an excruciatingly slow motion that each frame was embedded in his mind’s eye.

At the same time as blood sprayed out of Gu Luoxin’s mouth, his vision blurred as his head slowly tilted black. First, he saw the humongous shadowy creature enshrouding the sky, and then...

Was that–was that his legs?

Gu Luoxin’s pupils dilated sharply as his upper body crashed to the ground. His pain perception seemed to have numbed, leaving him unable to process the situation for a while, yet his body’s reaction gave his dire condition away as he couldn’t stop spasming and convulsing.

"W-What..." he strained to look down, only to find nothing beneath his torso but a spreading pool of blood and spilled innards.

Only then did the horror dawned on him.

—With a single movement from the doctor, he had cleaved Gu Luoxin’s body into two, just like he did to countless other servants.

"Ah..." the cry tore itself from the hollow of Gu Luoxin’s throat—faint and trembling at first, only to morph into a guttural, anguished wail, carrying the stench of blood, fear, and death. "AHHHHH—!!!"

The doctor stood unmoving from his spot, smiling, not even a droplet of blood staining his pristine white coat. "I changed my mind. If I can have both, why choose?" he remarked with pure mirth, his condescending gaze reflecting the bloody figure writhing despairingly on the ground as if he was watching the struggle of an ant. "I will offer this world to the Omnipotent One, and take the heir for myself. Who knows, I might be able to fill that position myself..."

The doctor’s soft laughter echoed through the night as his figure melted into the darkness.

But Gu Luoxin didn’t even notice his departure, struggling as he was to reach his severed legs. The rapid blood loss rendered his vision dim and blurry, and the sticky, warm sensation on his hands made him feel like he had fallen into a muddy swamp. He could no longer tell whether his face was drenched in tears or sweat.

It’s okay, I will be fine...

he muttered to himself, clinging onto the last bit of sanity still remaining within him. The doctor is gone, so everything will be fine. I still have a healing prop. As soon as I fix my body, I can get into the hangar and fly away from here...

Willing himself to stay awake, Gu Luoxin placed his legs properly beneath his torso before he took out his healing prop, tremblingly putting it onto himself.

First, the bracelet, then the necklace, and lastly the wreath...

He had put this set on Shen Nianzu before, when the silver-haired man was reduced to a misshapen lump of charred flesh and broken bones on his arduous fight against the nightmare creature from the upper realm. Shen Nianzu’s condition had been much worse than he was, and he had still recovered by the time they reached the end of the Cycle, his flesh growing anew and his fractured bones mending. The efficiency of this healing prop had been proven, and so Gu Luoxin had no doubt he would be fine in the end.

As long as he still had a single breath left within him, he could definitely survive until the end.

And yet...

And yet, after he finished putting the three items of the prop on himself, it remained silent and unresponsive. The healing power was not triggered.

Gu Luoxin began to tremble violently. Why–Why was it not working?!!

Had he not worn it properly? Or was it the blood, by any chance? Had he stained the prop with so much of his blood that it restrained the activation?! Gu Luoxin had no idea, and the more he wanted to calm down and think, the more panicked he was. He was at an utter loss of what to do.

If—If the healing prop still couldn’t work, then... would he die?

Would he die here, all alone, in this Cycle?

Rumble—

A powerful tremor, far stronger than any before, ripped through the ground with enough force to send buildings swaying and toppling one after another akin to paper houses. At the same time, a desperate cry pierced through the night, filled with so much rage and resentment that it chilled the blood of anyone who heard it.

"NOOO—!!!"

Gu Luoxin barely registered it as Master Grinu’s voice through the excruciating pain clouding his mind. And soon, another realization set in, sending a wave of despair through him.

Ah... is it time? was a fleeting thought crossing his mind as the cemented path beneath him fractured like glass, and Gu Luoxin fell right in.