Chapter1305:ShadowsinaDream

"Seventypoints!"

Intheend,CyberElfAlpha’sscorebrokethehistoricalrecordofallpastwinnersoftheRedHeartQueen’sMasquerade,secondonlytoCasinatheBattleGodwhojustperformedtheBattleGod’sDance.

Lookingatthescoresofthethreeroundsofcompetition,itisnotsurprisingthatthisonepointdifferencecanbecaughtupatanytime.

EverythingwasexactlyasCyberElfAlphahadcalculated.Thiswastheperfectperformanceshetailoredforherselfbycombiningthescoringtrendsofallthepreviousjudgesfromtheearlierrounds.

"Alpha,you’reamazing!"TheGoldenCrowPrincesscuriouslycircledaroundCyberElfAlpha,occasionallysniffingherscent.

Intheory,theGoldenCrowPrincessisslightlyolderthanCyberElfAlpha.However,becauseshehasn’tbeenofficiallybornintotheworldyet,hertemperamentisevenyoungerthanAlpha’s.

FromCyberElfAlpha,theGoldenCrowPrincesscaughtahintofascentsimilartotheQueenMotheroftheWest,andcouldn’thelpbutcomecloser.

"Seventypoints...Iwasreallyunderestimated...I..."Floraclenchedherlittlehand,thenliftedherpointedchin,hergazebecomingevenmoredetermined.

It’stimetoshowhertrueabilities.Inthepast,shewasalwaysastrongcontenderfortheRedHeartQueen’sMasquerade,butthistimeit’sdifferent.

Inherheart,therewasaburningflame.

Itwasalovefirethatnoonecouldlose,makingtheirsoulsspeak.

Atthispoint,onlythelasttwocontestantsofthefirstroundoftheRedHeartQueen’sMasqueradehadyettoappear.

Lilibet,theGuardianoftheSkyTower,cametochaseafterShayaLongnis.

GreatWitchFlora,knownasthestrongestcontestantinthehistoryoftheRedHeartQueen’sMasquerade.

"Onlythistime...evenifIfacetheGodSlayingSkySword...Iabsolutelywon’tlose!"FlorastaredfiercelyatLilibet,whoremainedexpressionlessfromthebeginning.

Shehadastrongfeelingthatthiscouldbeherstrongestopponent,possiblyevenunmatched.

Thatcalmexpression,constantlygivingatremendoussenseofoppression,asifvictorywasassuredfromtheverybeginning.

FlorahadachancetoclaimtheultimateprizeintheGodSlayingSkySword’supheavalcompetitionsincesherankedinthetopthreeamongallthelegend-rankedcontestantsinEndlessGod’sDomain.

Thereasonsheisnotfirstisbecausethereisamulti-headeddragonwhoisevenbetteratescapingandsurviving.

Theunluckydemondragonhassuccessfullyescapedmultipletimesfromagroupthatincludesgoddesses,fantasycreatures,andthousandsofhero-rankedindividuals.ItescapedallthewayintotheunknownStarDomainareawheretherearenostarbridges.

ThebeamoflightshookandthistimeitfellonanopponentthatFlorapaidextraattentionto.

"..."elegantlybrushingawaythecrumbsfromherlips,LilibetcoldlywatchedShayaLongnisandvanishedfromthediningtable.

......

"Splash!"

"Splash!"

Onthegoldensandbeach,gentlewavescrashedagainsttinygoldenpebbles.Ahugedoorstoodbetweentheseaandthesky.Lilibetstoodinfrontofthedoor,andherAzureExcaliburshimmeredwithaglowingsteel-bluelightasusual.

YunXihasdreamtofthisscenerycountlesstimes.

Onthegoldenbeach,whethertheywere"princesses"or"princes",everyoneremainedsilent.Timeseemedtostandstillhere,likeabeautifulpainting.

Lilibethadnointentionofspeaking.

Shewasn’tevenaparticipantinthisyear’sRedHeartQueen’sMasquerade.HeronlygoalincomingherewastohuntdownShayaLongnis,whohadstolenapreciousitem.

EventhoughshehadbeenspeciallyinvitedbyRedHeartQueenAdatojointheball,Lilibetstillmaintainedherownpace.

UnlikethepassionateGodSlayingSkySwordseniorwhoeagerlyattendedthedance,Lilibethadabsolutelynointerestintheball.

Evennow,onthisstagethatshowcasedtheeleganceofalady,shestillremainedindifferent,likeanicymountain,keepingothersatadistance.

Therewasnoneedforanyperformances.ForLilibet,itwasjustawasteoftime.

Thisgoldenbeachandthegatewaythatconnectedtheseaandthesky,thatwasLilibet’sworkandmission.

YunXistareddumbfoundedatLilibet,notfaraway.

Actually,hehasmany,manythingshewantstosaytoLilibet.

"Why...haveyoubeenhere,protectingthisdoor?"

"Isitapromisewithsomeone,orisitavowyoumade?"

"Doyouremember,wehavemetheremanytimesbefore."

"Hmm...Iknow...youprobablydon’tremember...ormaybeit’sjustadreamforme."

"Lilibet...actually..."

Inmanydreams,YunXifantasizedaboutmeetingLilibet,eventhoughheknewitwouldendwithhisowndeath.Helookedforwardtothisbriefandmagicaltimetogether.

Sincethefirsttimehehadthisdream,hebecameobsessedwiththegirlwhoalwaysappearedonthisgoldenbeach.

Nomatterwhereheenteredthisdream,hewouldalwayscometothisbeachandmeether.

Inherdreams,shealwayslookedpowerfulandbeautiful,makingpeople’sheartsrace.

Herprettycurls,thebraidsbehindherback,andtheshinyblueswordshewielded-theyallmadeherfiguresoenchantingasshefoughtanddefeatedenemies.

Hero.

Legend.

Myth.

Themoretimestheymet,themoretheynoticedtheshiningaspectsofhercharacter.

Evenifshekilledthemahundredorathousandtimes,thatheart-poundingfeelingneverfaded.

(TranslatedbyGravityTales妫ｅ啯袞)

ShewasthemostmagnificentcolorinYunXi’sdreams,thesweetestlonging,andthemostcaptivatingscenery.

EverytimeYunXihadthisdream,itwasamarvelousjourney.Intherealworld,hewasjustanordinarybaker,butthroughthisdream,hetouchedaworldhewouldneverbeabletoenter.

Theimmortalghost.

Themagicalswordthatcutsalltheghosts.

Theancientandmysteriousdoor,withunknowndestination.

ForyoungYunXi,itwasanirresistibletemptation.

Intheend,hegotlostinhisdreamsmultipletimes,notknowingwhichworldwastherealone.

Hewanderedhereasanimmortalwanderingsoul.

Helivedaplainandordinarylifeinthesmalltown.

Theswordthatdividesthesetwoworlds,theswordthatseparatesrealityfromdreams.

Whenhediedinhisdreams,hewouldwakeupintherealworldandlosealmostallthememoriesofthatdream,onlyleftwithafeelingofsadnessandloss.

Foralongtime,whenhewokeuplikethis,hewouldbecomesilentandnotknowwhathappenedtohim.

Itwasn’tuntilhemetHuaHuothathefeltlikehesawapartofhisdreamreflectingonher,whichmadehiminvoluntarilygetclosertoherandhisheartbeatfaster.