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In the end, she felt her whole body suddenly become very light, the necrotic muscles healed, and the scarred skin became smooth—at that moment she looked up and saw the blood-red tendrils reflected under the surgical light—like the Manzusha Flower blooming at the bottom of Nailuo.

—At that moment, she became "despair" itself.

The shadow of flowers and leaves indistinctly bloomed under the light.

"The subject has mutated—!"

"Help—!"

The blood-colored tendrils grew vigorously, climbing over the pale ward, piercing the adults, crawling over the bloodstained scalpels, clinging to the entire hospital, spreading outward, spreading...

Blooming, blooming—

—It burned into the color of fresh blood, all the fervor burning on the brilliant red petals, until the entire flower covered all the sins.

Until everything ended.

…

"Dr. Su, at least on this timeline, you saved me." Little Li called out.

Su Ming'an responded.

Under the blood-red mist, he steadied the knife in Little Li's hand and walked forward.

She held his hand a little tighter. Her body was full of needle marks, her flesh pale from lack of blood, like frost draping over her entire body.

If I don't kill the ghost, the ghost will kill many people.

If I don't kill the ghost, Dr. Su can't continue on.

If I don't kill the ghost, Xiao Wen and the children won't be safe.

So, I must go.

The cold wind messed up her black hair, her lashes trembled like butterflies. Su Ming'an steadied her frail body.

—But such a small child, why must she bear the sins committed by adults?

…

[The destiny of death cannot be altered. Causality is like an Ouroboros with its tail in its mouth, even if I return to the past, I only complete the connection of causality, which will only make Little Li's destiny of death more profound.]

…

—A profound destiny.

When Su Ming'an first saw Little Li, she was lying on the hospital bed, with a text box above her head—[Girl]. At that time everyone immediately thought—Little Li is the girl.

But, does the text box [Girl] represent this person?

If Little Li is destined not to leave here, why would the world mission have people escort her to the second tower?

There is another possibility—the truly important thing is what she possesses—when what she holds is delivered, the recipient will also become the girl. Just like—passing the flame.

"Swish!"

In this moment, the tendrils of the ghost shot directly at Su Ming'an!

Its plan was to kill Little Li, then kill everyone, using the immense negative emotions to strengthen itself and gain the power to escape the tower.

Little Li was protected by Su Ming'an, so as long as it killed Su Ming'an, it could kill Little Li instantly.

Su Ming'an raised his hand, white tendrils entwined with the blood-colored tendrils, the flicker of the spatial barrier's light, he ran forward swiftly with Little Li.

At this time, Yi Zhongyu also ran out from the safe house: "Method of Law—Matrix Orders—Nine Palace Barrier!"

Nine white stars appeared in the air, refracting fish scale-like silver patterns, blocking in front of Su Ming'an like a waterfall hitting a rock, and as the rock shattered, the waterfall scattered into a pure white glow.

…

[Little Li handed you the "Bell."]

[You've become the "Girl."]

…

A bell appeared in Su Ming'an's hand.

He glanced at the system prompt—the "Bell" represents 10,000 Faction Contribution Points, instantly catapulting him to the top of the "Escort the Girl" faction, it should be a key prop.

He held tightly to Little Li's hand, radiant with spatial light encircling him. The equipment skill of the Daisy Song allowed him to perform spatial displacement with one extra person.

"Swish!"

The next second, Su Ming'an and Little Li appeared right in front of the ghost, just within arm's reach.

Little Li gripped her sword tightly, her pitch-black and eternally clear eyes reflecting the ghost, and distinctly saw the face beneath the thick red mist—a face as young and inexperienced as hers, with black eyes embedded.

—Lock on.

The skill of the Yellow Rose Bracelet activated—Su Ming'an's next attack cannot be dodged by the enemy.

He didn't need to carry out a fierce battle; as long as this strike hit the ghost, that would be enough. The ghost's Combat Power is high, but unable to avoid this strike, it means nothing.

"Why—do you forgive those people—" the ghost voiced, still in the shrill voice of a girl.

From different timelines, the good and evil Little Li met here, the causal line like a Mobius Ring with the head and tail connected, "kachak," slowly linking.

"I didn't... forgive." Little Li gripped the blade tightly and struck!

She didn't forgive at all.

Those sinners are already dead, to recreate slaughter would be no different from them. Only by shining the spotlight here can more darkness be cleared.

As the blade descended, a scarlet light flashed past, and the dense red mist covered everything. Su Ming'an could barely see anything, only feel the warmth in his palm, Little Li still gripping the blade, hard, vigorously, as if stabbing herself—thrusting down.

A fierce gust of wind blew outwards, wind blades cut across her arms and bare cheeks, a large amount of blood flowed down the blade's edge, falling into the darkness below.

A few strands of her white hair brushed Su Ming'an's cheek—up until now, Su Ming'an still didn't know her real name.

Perhaps she had forgotten it herself.

The wind sounded loudly around them, with the knife in hand growing hotter, more and more fervent—

Until a "ding" sound echoed, the feeling from the blade's tip finally vanishing.

…

[You've killed the "Ghost."]

…

Landing, the red mist gradually dispersing, and the ghost's figure dissipating into the air.

Its shadow trailing on the ground, fragmenting and disappearing little by little.

Little Li leaned against Su Ming'an's embrace. Su Ming'an could hardly make out her expression, her arms, palms, and cheeks were covered in blood.

People nervously walked out from the safety room, shivering and watching them.

Su Ming'an brushed aside the blood-stained hair in front of her face, gazing at her dark eyes. She looked very tired, her whole body becoming transparent. As the "cause" of the ghost vanished, her "effect" of directly slaying the "cause" would also cease to exist.

"Little Li." Su Ming'an said:

"School doesn't feel that good, sometimes when you're really sleepy, the teacher is still teaching, and you can only pinch yourself secretly to stay awake. And there is lots of homework, it's usually very exhausting."

"The smell of chalk is unpleasant too, getting close to it makes you cough."

"The taste of cake is sweet, very soft, the cream texture very smooth, like sticky marshmallow sliding across your tongue."

"I didn't bring tomatoes; you probably aren't in the mood for them either, so let's skip the tomatoes."

Then he gently hugged her.

He completed the unfinished things in Xiao Wen's diary one by one.

—Telling her personally what school feels like, what the smell of chalk is like, what the taste of cake is.

Then, giving her a hug, assuring her there is no need to be afraid.

Su Wensheng was no longer here, these promises fulfilled by him.

"No need to be afraid." Su Ming'an steadied her nearly transparent back:

"…I've grown up."

In the wind came the cries of people surviving from a great ordeal.

The sound of running began, the once silent ground gradually gaining sound.

Under the dim street lamps, Su Ming'an sensed the body in his arms getting lighter and lighter, she sat in a wheelchair.

"So…are you…the angel who ferries souls, sir?" Her voice was also very light:

"I…always adhered to the responsibility as an Eligible…helping others…never had any selfish acts…"

"So…you came…to save me. You came…to redeem me. You let me…finish the last responsibility…ended…the first tower…is that so?"

Su Ming'an felt her attachment and reluctance, and also her wistfulness.

——However, he is by no means an angel who ferries souls.

——In this world, there is no god that loves humanity.

Clearly, it was she who redeemed herself, who ended herself. From beginning to end, no so-called deity or angel ever cared for her. The truth is painfully cruel, her prayers at the last moment went unanswered.

But——

"Yes."

Su Ming'an responded.

"I am... the Old God."

"You redeemed yourself, so I came."

She needed redemption.

This pure, yearning for redemption, craving hope, even praying until the last moment... she needed redemption.

"Since I was a child, I have been wondering, as an Eligible, what kind of life I should lead... whether to benefit everyone or be someone who only thinks of themselves," Little Li said intermittently,

"Later, Xiao Wen told me that no matter what kind of life I chose to lead... it was my own choice and shouldn't be swayed by anyone."

"He said—'That is the spirit of freedom and independence.'"

Some things cannot be confined.

Even if bound by limbs, tied to the operating table, soaked in countless black mud, some souls have always remained white.

Actually, Little Li didn't die on the day she went onto the operating table.

Earlier, on the day she was found to be Eligible, earlier on the day she insisted on pure kindness—she had been dying day by day.

Su Ming'an held her, closing her like the wings of an angel. Her blood drenched him, flesh and blood began to dissipate bit by bit, until she gradually became a white skeleton on the wheelchair—until even the bones began to dissolve.

Ten-year-old Su Wensheng stumbled out of the safe house and saw her gradually disappearing.

The wheelchair was empty, no one there blinking clear eyes, making promises for him to survive.

...

[February 9, the experimental subject "Little Li" had a kidney transplant, surgery successful.]

[February 11, the experimental subject "Little Li" had a liver transplant, surgery successful.]

[February 12, the experimental subject "Little Li" had a heart transplant, surgery successful. Next, she will undergo exotic species transformation, may the deities bless us.]

...

...

[x month x day, unknown weather.]

[Since waking from the operating table, I've been very confused. Everything seems different.]

[Blood-red tendrils grew from my back, pierced the adults, and the adults lost their breath, falling bloodstained to the ground. I tried to talk to them, but no one responded.]

[My mind is also in chaos, my thinking is abnormal, unable to understand anything. Should I now be called—"Exotic Species"?]

[No matter what, I want to save everyone.]

[I immediately went to Xiao Wen's room and found he was no longer there.]

[Has he been rescued? That would be good... someone like me, too ugly to see him again.]

[I went to the children's room, but they were all gone too, the ward was deserted, only surgical knives and cold organ donation papers remained.]

[Where have they gone? Have they been rescued too?]

[I went to the street, suddenly found—ah, wonderful, the children, they're all here, aren't they?]

[I walked forward joyfully and embraced them.]

[All those bags on the street—were full of them.]

[Fingers, arms, skin, blue-purple oxygen-deficient bodies, incomplete bodies, there were so many—so many, dazzling me, but luckily they were all here. Although breathless, they were here.]

[I laughed as I embraced them, kissed their blue-purple hands, hugged them. Yet, they couldn't respond to me.]

[Ah—why did they turn so cold?]

[Why did they end up in bags?]

[Their surgical wounds, bodies missing organs—who did it?]

[I thought hard but couldn't find an answer. But I vaguely felt... it was their older peers who killed them.]

[It was human cruelty and greed.]

[Rationality is disappearing, emotions are collapsing—I walk forward step by step with the beautiful Manzusha Flower behind me, until those adults who could still scream lay down, and they bloomed into beautiful red flowers.]

[Aside from the bags, the city is now covered in vivid red flowers.]

[I lay among the flowers, rationality gradually fading, thinking at this moment—I seem to have promised someone something... to go home with him.]

[This feeling brings me despair and pain—but strangely, I'm smiling.]

[Why... do I feel so sad?]

[With whom was the promise?]

[Who?]

[Little...]

[Little?]

[...]

[But that name, with the flow of blood and the flickering of surgical lights, I forgot. All memories seem to be gradually forgotten.]

[Who am I?]

[I am...]

[...]

[...I can't remember anything.]

[Behind me, the tendrils grow more numerous, at the last moment of rationality's complete disappearance, I seem to remember a sentence. It's strange, I clearly don't know why this sentence arises in my mind, why it suddenly impacts me greatly, under what circumstances it appeared, what promise it is with whom.]

[—The taste of tomato is sweet and sour, we should eat together in the future. (smiling face)]

[What does this sentence mean?]

[Who... made me remember this sentence?]

[Exactly... what promise... with whom...?]

[Oh, strange.]

[So strange, so strange.]

[...]

[Why... am I... crying?]

...

"Ding Dong!"

[Achieved The First Tower·TE·"Tomato Promise"]

[(Tomato Promise):"...Xiao Wen?"]

...

...

[Military T-5104 historical document.]

[February 14, 818, the experimental subject Little Li due to mutation killed 1,448 researchers of the Experimental City, drawing military focus. The military promptly sent troops for eradication, killing the Exotic Species Little Li by evening on February 14.]

[This matter will be sealed, the Artificially Eligible Person plan shelved, Experimental City enters desolation.]

[On the annotation of "Exotic Species" Little Li: This exotic species had completely lost rationality, but seemed to retain some emotion towards the vegetable "tomato." During the fierce battle, when we tested her with various foods, only when facing tomatoes did she pause for several seconds, allowing us to successfully kill her.]

[She repeatedly shouted "Xiao Wen" before dying, we are still researching the meaning of this word.]

...

...

[The First Tower·818 (Nine Years Ago)·Retrospective Complete.]

[The history has been recorded in "Heart's Blood (Red Level)," reviewable anytime.]

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