Chapter Ch208.2 - He Walked Through Mountains of Daggers and Seas of Flames and Lived Through Many Lives, All For the Sake of Seeing Him Again (2)
Translated by Eve
Edited by Serefina
He Walked Through Mountains of Daggers and Seas of Flames and Lived Through Many Lives, All For the Sake of Seeing Him Again (2)
Xie He continued to work as if nothing had happened. At night, he returned home.
His home was cold. The passionate Lu Ting who used to follow him around was no longer here. 444, who used to kick up a fuss, was also no longer here. It felt like he had gone back many years…to a time where there had only been him.
He had lived his entire life alone. He had thought that it didn’t matter to him. In any case, he didn’t care about anything anyway….
But humans were greedy creatures. Once they got a taste of something, they would be reluctant to let go upon losing it.
They would feel unaccustomed to living without it.
Xie He went up to the second floor. When he passed the study, he paused for a moment. He then walked inside.
He opened up the safe in the bookcase. The safe had been emptied at some point in time. All that was left was a single album. The other twelve had disappeared.
Xie He pulled out the album labelled ‘1’ and slowly flipped through it. As he looked at the pictures, a small smile appeared on his lips.
Ah…what a vinegar jar….He even remembered to destroy the other albums before leaving.
Actually, Lu Ting didn’t have to do that. Xie He had never cared about those people.
He had only kept those albums to remind himself, this is the kind of world you live in. Don’t get muddleheaded. Don’t succumb to your fate. Don’t fail. Don’t give up….
Only this album made him feel reminiscent.
But he had never opened it before.
It was because he couldn’t treat something he cherished with such a laid-back attitude.
Xie He’s fingers swept over the photos in the album. A long time later, he shut it again. He whispered, “If you can’t come back, I won’t love you anymore.”
Because I will never love someone who will never come back.
…………………………
Two more days passed like this. Xie He woke up as usual. However, there was no 444 to wait on him, to tell him, Host dada, you’re awake…. There also wasn’t a warm embrace around him. There was no one looking at him with all their love.
He was alone. He had never forgotten that for his own sake…he had given up everything that had been important to him.
Even if one day, he got everything he wanted, he would never forget what a coldhearted decision he had made.
Xie He got up from bed and put on a shirt. He then went to the bathroom to wash his face and fix his collar. The man in the mirror was handsome, with phoenix eyes and thin lips. He seemed a bit cold.
The corner of Xie He’s lips curled up, a faint self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.
Today was already the tenth day since Lu Ting’s death….
Lord God, how long do you plan on dragging this out? You really don’t like me, do you? But no matter how much you dislike me, there must be a time limit….
Xie He turned around and left the bathroom. He put on his coat and was about to head to work. There was a lot on his plate lately.
But he had just reached the first floor when he suddenly heard a familiar electronic voice.
That cold, electronic voice echoed in his mind. Xie He paused his steps. He was frozen in place.
【Ding, please choose the world you would like to stay in.】
Xie He narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold light shone in his eyes.
&#k3010;Xie He&#kUU1J;I refuse.&#k3011;
&#k3010;Ding, please choose the world you would like to stay in.&#k3011;
&#k3010;Xie He&#kUU1J;I refuse.&#k3011;
&#k3010;Ding, please choose the world you would like to stay in.&#k3011;
&#k3010;Xie He&#kUU1J;I refuse.&#k3011;
After this happened three times, the electronic voice finally changed.
&#k3010;Since you have refused to choose a world to stay in, you will be bound to a system and become a host. You will transmigrate to other worlds and complete missions.&#k3011;
【System download in progress…download in progress…please wait a moment….】
【System download has completed. Installation in progress….】
【System installation in progress….】
【System installation has completed. System number 444 is wholeheartedly at your service.】
The next moment, a familiar voice made a fuss in Xie He’s mind.
【444：Wuwu, wah wah wah wah, Host dada I really missed you, ah. I thought I would never see you again. /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~】
【Xie He：I told you, it wasn’t because I didn’t want you anymore.】
【444：Wah wah wah, how did you know I would come back? I was forcibly uninstalled! QAQ】
【Xie He：Don’t you remember the escape medicine’s description? Once you use the escape medicine, you can choose to stop transmigrating and choose a world to stay in. But if you refuse to choose a world, that means that you will become a host and will be bound to a system again.Ever since he had used the escape medicine, he had been waiting for Lord God’s notification. However, it had taken ten days.
【444：Σ( °△°|||)︴That’s true. However, why did you go so far as to do this? You were already a host, ah….】
【Xie He：Hehe, Baby, you don’t get it.】
【444：……】Host dada finds it too troublesome to explain things to him again. However, 444 didn’t dare ask about it. It had been so hard to come back, he had to be good! He didn’t want to make Host dada angry again! QAQ
Xie He smiled. He had never planned on growing old in any world. Otherwise, why had he worked so hard and persisted for so long?
What he wanted was to break free of his role as a capture target and become a genuine, independent host. Only like that would he be able to completely escape his binds….And to become strong, he had to remain bound to a system and continue transmigrating.
As long as he refused to stay, Lord God would have to follow the rules and bind him to a system again. Furthermore, he would probably not give him a new system. He would give him back the useless 444.
This was Lord God, made of nothing but cold data. If it were a human that possessed emotions, Xie He’s plan would have been all for naught.
【Xie He：Have you received any news from 666 recently?】
【444：No. Since ten days ago, 666 had suddenly disappeared. I don’t know where he is. Host dada, do you have something to ask 666?】Actually, 444 was also really worried about 666. His messages had received no responses.
Xie He’s heart gradually sunk. His fist clenched. It couldn’t be that…Lu Ting hadn’t made any preparations? Had he guessed wrong?
No…that couldn’t be….
【444：Yi? Wait a second! I just got a message from 666! It looks like it’s a scheduled message. Let me take a look.】
Many minutes passed.
【444：Wah wah wah wah wah wah! /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~】
【Xie He：What does it say?】
【444：Wah wah wah, 666 is going to die! He’s about to die!!!】He was really upset! QAQ
Xie He pursed his lips and his voice deepened.
【Xie He：Don’t cry. Tell me exactly what he said!】
444 was startled by Xie He’s stern voice. He immediately stopped crying.
【444：666’s message says that if I received this message, that means that 666 and his host are about to be erased. If his host is erased, he will be reset. For systems, being reset is the same as dying. Even if he can go out again, he won’t be the same 666. He…he…attached his secret stash of experience points to the message….QAQ 】
Xie He slowly exhaled. “How much?”
【444：Let me check…Oh…Oh my god! A million?! A million experience points!】He was rich! But he didn’t feel happy at all….666 wouldn’t come back. He had even given all his money to 444. QAQ
【Xie He：Give me the one million experience points.】
【444：……】
【Xie He：What?? Baby, didn’t you say that as long as you can come back, you didn’t need an allowance anymore? Were you lying to me?】
【444：No, I didn’t mean that….】
【Xie He：Give it to me.】
444 thought it over. Although he really didn’t want to give 666’s one million experience points to Xie He…he would still do it for the sake of staying with Host dada….
Xie He turned around and went back to the second floor.
He went to the study and opened the safe, pulling out the remaining album. He stroked the cover gently and then slowly opened it. He treated it like it was an extremely precious treasure. His hands even shook slightly.
【444：Host dada…what are you doing? 】Lu Ting already died, ah….
Xie He sucked in a deep breath. A cold light grew in his eyes. But if you looked into them carefully, you could see an unprecedented nervousness in them. He slowly said, “There are 653,287 special items in the system store. Within that, there is an item called ‘Follower.’ It costs a million experience points. With that, you can exchange for a ‘follower.’ The person you use the ‘follower’ product on must wholeheartedly agree to it for the exchange to succeed. This is because, from then on, you and the designated ‘follower’…your lives will be intertwined. The follower’s life will be in your hands. The follower will be controlled by you until they die. And if their ‘master’ dies, they will also die. That’s why…very, very few people are willing to become someone else’s ‘follower’.”
444 quickly searched for it. Indeed, among the over six hundred thousand products, there was an item called ‘Follower.’
【444 exclaimed in surprise：It’s true! Host dada, you actually noticed this. Oh my gosh!】Host dada even remembered this unremarkable product. And it just so happened to cost a million points. Did Host dada plan on exchanging for a ‘follower?’
【Xie He：Help me exchange for a follower: Lu Ting.】
444 was shocked! But he didn’t dare question Xie He’s orders. He quickly made the exchange according to Xie He’s instructions.
Xie He’s fingers tightly squeezed around the album. His knuckles had turned white from the pressure. Although he looked very calm, he didn’t feel calm at all. This was because he didn’t know if this would work. He also wasn’t sure if he had made it in time.
However…he was willing to be hopeful and give it a try.
When he had found out Lu Ting had let 666 send a million experience points to 444, he knew that he and Lu Ting had the same idea. This was the only escape route Lu Ting had left for himself. He was waiting for Xie He to revive him.
Lu Ting trusted him. He believed that Xie He would think of this….And Xie He also trusted Lu Ting. He believed that Lu Ting would never leave him.
Even though they never said these things out loud, they trusted each other.
Xie He didn’t dare close his eyes. A minute passed, and then two…. Nothing changed before him. No one appeared….
His hands began to shake. You…won’t let me down, right?
Xie He felt like every second was torturous.
Because as every second passed…
…the realization that he must have failed came one step closer.
In the end, after nine minutes had passed, Xie He saw a weak light appear in front of him. The light grew increasingly bright and blinding. Slowly…a tall silhouette appeared within the light….
Xie He felt his eyes heat up and sting….It must be because the light was too bright…that must be why he had such an abnormal reaction.
A long time later, the light finally disappeared and a familiar man stood in front of him.
Those familiar, deep black eyes on that familiar handsome face looked at Xie He.
Xie He suddenly stood up and ran over with large strides. His actions were too quick and forceful that he ended up pushing Lu Ting against the wall! He grabbed Lu Ting’s collar tightly, his knuckles almost making cracking sounds from how hard he was clenching.
Lu Ting was dazed for a moment. Then, he seemed to realize that he had come back.
He had actually come back.
Before he could speak, he felt a pair of hot lips against his own. The kiss was forceful, carrying all of Xie He’s might. Warm, profound love emerged in Lu Ting’s eyes and he returned the kiss with everything he had.
Xie He broke the kiss and slowly began to speak with a low, hoarse voice. “You can’t hear my Favourability Value notifications anymore, can you?”
Lu Ting nodded. Xie He was no longer a capture target.
Xie He smiled and suddenly pasted his lips onto Lu Ting’s ears. There was a faint smile in his voice. “Then let me tell you…
“Ding, the target Xie He’s Favourability Value +1. The current Favourability Value is 100.”
In this world, there was a certain person, for whom he had walked through mountains of daggers and seas of fire, and lived through many lives.
All for the sake of seeing him again.
From now on, we will share in life and death….
We will stand together forever.
【Main Text Complete】
The author has something to say:
The main text has finally ended, la. President Xie has succeeded in overcoming fate. From now on, he and his loyal dog can go on a long journey \(≧▽≦)/
Thank you everyone for your support!
Originally, this author’s original intention was to write a really satisfying dogblood novel for myself. I didn’t expect that everyone would live it. For me, although I suffered a lot of setbacks while writing this novel, I have also received many precious things. What was the most pleasant surprise was you all who liked this novel.
It was everyone’s companionship and support that gave me the motivation to write. You filled me with passion to write. This author isn’t a fast writer. However, when I thought about how there were so many angels who liked this story and were waiting for updates, I wanted to earnestly write no matter what. Even if I was busy, I worked hard to update every day.
I threw my blood and sweat into this novel. I do have a few regrets. I don’t care about the slandering, or the out-of-context comments, or even the personal attacks. What I care about is that I’m really sorry that for some angels who truly liked this novel, I couldn’t give them an ending that would satisfy them. I really care about every reader who likes this novel. I earnestly read every comment. This is also why I feel sad and broken-hearted.
But what I’m happy about is that I also have readers who like this novel and were willing to stay. I am super grateful for everyone’s support and defence…for your willingness to listen to me finish telling the story I’ve wanted to tell from the start. Thank you for letting me write what I wanted to write to the end. I am so grateful. Your fondness of this novel was my greatest support and encouragement. I want to bow to you all again to express my gratitude!
Regardless of whether it was when I was happy or sad, every time I think about how I got to meet everyone through this novel, whenever I think about how I have people along with me on this ride as I write, I feel really blessed!!! Thank you to everyone who left me messages and mines. Thank you to everyone in the group. Thank you to everyone who silently accompanied me. I am really happy that I got to meet you all. QAQ
I hope that you won’t think that I’m talking too much. No matter how many times I say I’m grateful, it’s not enough to convey the extent of my emotions.
Thumb heart~ I really love you angels who like this novel and supported me. Thank you everyone for your companionship. (づ￣3￣)づ╭?～
Eve: For me, that was a really, really satisfying ending. It was also interesting because Lu Ting had always been the one left behind in the last worlds, but this time, it was Xie He’s turn. Getting to see Xie He’s pain and uncertainty, his worries and nervousness…was wonderful. It’s a side we never got to see before. Also, the thing about their mutual trust…YES. That is what is needed in a relationship. You should be able to trust each other and rely on each other. When Lu Ting came back and Xie He’s eyes started stinging, the way he ran to kiss Lu Ting—I could feel his overwhelming relief. And then Xie He’s last line imitating the system notification T^T. He loves Lu Ting so much.
Anyway, I know I said a lot but we still have 3 very long extras. They will all be split into 2 (they’re all 10k+ Chinese characters. The first two are about Lu Ting and the last one is about Xie He and Lu Ting’s life after this ‘happily ever after’. I will save my final comments for after I finish the extras. But for anyone who chooses to stop here, thank you so much for accompanying me on this journey. Like the author, I read every comment and am grateful for all my readers, regardless of whether you leave a comment. What makes translating so fun for me, despite how time-consuming and frustrating it gets, is being able to share this story with you and react with you. Stories are best enjoyed with friends. 🙂
sere: asdf i don’t have a long paragraph but this is the longest novel that i followed to completion so i’m pretty excited :)))) daily releases are so terrible tho…. Too much commitment, i can’t do it… but it’s done! Xie He and Lu Ting’s story is over. This arc definitely hit me in the feels in a different way from all the other ones… anyway i hope you enjoyed it! It was a long and tortuous journey for everyone but this arc made it worth it. Stay tuned for some of Lu Ting’s POV and a great final extra!