Think's words were like an invisible chain that passed through Su'er's mind. He even saw familiar names one after another from above the chain.
"Mr. Monkey, are you feeling sad now? Or are you unable to make up your mind?" As she spoke, Think turned her gaze to her leg that was corroded by Black Ash. She tried to lift it up several times but failed. "There is no need to have that kind of extra emotion. This is just a choice that has to be made. In fact, if our status was reversed now, if it was Mr. Monkey who couldn't move, I would have left you there long ago," Think said calmly, facing Su'er's gaze.
"So don't feel embarrassed or guilty... Although I've said it before, Mr. Monkey is really emotional. He can even have such thoughts about a perpetrator like me... Oh~, could it be that you've fallen in love with this body?"
With a slight smile on her lips, Think even made a joke easily, but unfortunately, Su'er couldn't laugh at all. He just knelt beside Think in vain, panting constantly.
Su'er knew it a long time ago, even when he woke up from the campfire and carried Think on his back again. He knew the weight of two people and how long he could hold on... He just never planned to say it out loud.
However, if even he could think of it, how could Think, who was more than a hundred times smarter than him, not estimate it?
"Ah~, it's better to speak out your thoughts~," lying on the ground like this, Think even stretched comfortably. "For the first time, I can understand why those boring guys always like to gather together~"
"Hmm? Still hesitating?" yawning gracefully, Think saw that Su'er was still kneeling beside her, his whole face was full of dullness and pain, and her serious expression suddenly smiled, looking a little charming.
"Just put me down here, and try to live," smiling calmly, Think stretched out her hand to wrap Su'er's clenched fist. "It's not admitting failure, but entrusting my will to you... Well~, even if it's just remembering it, it's enough, at least there are still people who know that there was once an idea in this world that didn't play boring games between gods, and simply wanted to end this war..."
It was not the impulse born when her mind was close to collapse not long ago. Think was extremely calm at this time. This was the choice she made with a clear will.
"Tell other Elves~, record it in the monkeys' books and pass it on? Anything is fine~," drawing circles in the air with her fingers, Think seemed to imagine an interesting picture. "This development seems to be quite interesting, right? The feeling of living in the monkeys' storybooks~"
"...Isn't this a failure?" interrupting her words, Su'er said in a hoarse voice: "You lost, lost to the dwarves, lost to the Flügel, lost to this world... Think Nirvalen, you're a fool who can only say pretty words!"
In just a moment, Su'er saw Think's fist clenched like a conditioned reflex, and then gradually loosened.
"If Lóni was here, he would definitely not say such embarrassing words to you, right? He would only say—don't you still have life?!" rudely almost fighting, Su'er firmly grabbed Think's wrist and pulled her up from the ground violently.
"Are you not as good as the dwarves?"
Su'er almost threw Think on his back by inertia. He could clearly feel that the woman's limbs had no strength. She didn't resist or struggle—she was also in a dilemma.
Su'er was keenly aware of this.
Who would want to die?
"You are just dragging two people to die together. Nothing will be left behind..."
But the words she said were still negative. However, when Su'er stood up with her on his back and swayed because of the imbalance, Think's two powerless arms subconsciously wrapped around his neck.
"Maybe." He raised his head happily, not even caring that the back of his head touched Think's forehead. Su'er walked forward step by step. "During the Long March, many people thought it would not succeed, but we won the final victory. You will know the result only after you do anything."
"...Long March?"
"...Ha, ha...," panting quickly, Su'er squeezed out the answer from his teeth: "Wait...wait until we all survive and tell you."
Before that, keep your curiosity and live well.
This piece of land is so flat that it seems like a cement wall smoothed by a mason, including the few remaining edges and corners that are extremely sharp, and there are almost no cracks.
There are no plants or animals, and the breath of life is rooted here. Only the cold wind that will never stop is left, galloping in this world without any shelter, taking away all the temperature it passes by.
Hungry, so hungry that he could hardly feel the pain coming from his abdomen. Su'er only felt that his stomach had broken and was digesting himself from the inside out. However, every time he looked down subconsciously, he still saw the same robe. There was no acid or dissolved intestines flowing out from below. The feeling of consuming everything was just an illusion.
He could still walk, looking for strength from the deepest part of his body that he didn't even know where it came from.
However, his body was extremely heavy, as if he was wearing a thick leather suit. Every command was separated by a thick membrane and could not be easily reached. Even the Elf who felt extremely light on their backs became heavy, no different from heavy stones.
As he walked forward, his legs could not be lifted accordingly, so that the soles of his shoes rubbed against the surface of the rock and his whole body staggered. He hurriedly tightened his muscles and barely maintained his balance. Su'er was glad that he didn't fall to the ground.
He knew that if he fell, he would never be able to get up again.
Although he hadn't really fallen yet, the premonition in his heart told Su'er that.
As long as he fell, he could relax all the muscles in his body, and he would never be able to stand up again. His brain, infected by sleepiness and fatigue, might fall asleep in five seconds, and fall into eternal sleep.
Long sleep... seems to be pretty good...
As if he suddenly twitched when he was awakened in the middle of the night, Su'er squeezed his eyes hard, trying to make himself more awake. A constant stream of noise spread from the depths of his mind, from vague whispers to gradually clear words, as if there was another him deep in his heart, constantly saying the opposite words.
Almost there, really almost there, the abandoned city has become much larger than before when it looked like just a vague dot. Su'er can even see the outlines of those buildings that belong to the Elves.
Close, so close that it seems to only take half a day, no, even less time to arrive.
There was nothing else in his mind except the hazy silhouette. It was like a light that brought warmth and light in the dark night, occupying Su'er's entire world and tying up all his thoughts.
The only thing that supported him was this thought.
"...put it down..."
"...meaning..."
...so noisy.
It seemed like something was always making noises behind me. Can't I be quiet? Speaking of which, why do I have to carry such a heavy thing?
Wouldn't it be easier if I let go?
The temptation from the deepest part of my heart, the more rational words gradually overwhelmed the sounds from the outside world... that should be me, too? How could I lie to myself?
He agreed like a Demonia, but he had been instinctively resisting such an idea, even Su'er himself didn't understand the resistance...why?
The severe pain from the numb cheek awakened this world, and even this pain was separated by a thick membrane and didn't hurt at all.
"Even if you send me there, what's the use of magic to enforce our agreement?"
Finally, he heard the words coming from his back completely, and barely regained his mind... Even if it was only a little, Su'er hesitated for a few seconds before he barely realized what he was doing and who was talking.
"Why did the great Nirvalen bother to help those beast-like monkeys? Help them live better in this broken world? And they can't find me? Do you think I'm a loving saint?"
"It's just a promise made casually, deceiving ignorant monkeys..."
"The contract without magic constraints in this world is a joke in itself, and you know this yourself, you just don't want to think about it, monkey, you're crazy."
Think on his back was still chattering, but Su'er couldn't even understand what she meant.
"Even if you send me there, so what? Even if you fulfill the so-called promise, so what? The great Nilvalen will never work for you, and it is impossible for her to help those garbage monkeys—Hey! Did you hear that!"
The shouting sounded directly beside his ear, and the pain in his eardrum woke Su'er up a little.
Subconsciously, he lifted Think, who had slipped slightly from his back, up again, and Su'er's palm slid across her skin, which had been charred like dry, old bark... There was a faint heat infiltrating his tired body, all the way up, and his dry eyes were sore, but nothing appeared.
Mumbling indistinct words in his mouth, even if Think tried hard to listen, she couldn't catch it, until the sound gradually became louder.
"...I'll just send you there... I'll just send you there..."
"...I can do it... I can do it..."
"...As long as I send you there... then you have to help them make props... And you have to tell them how to increase production without spirit..."
Repeating to himself over and over again, Su'er even had a numb smile on his stiff face, as if he had already seen that beautiful vision.
"...Oh, yes...You can also use magic to help them farm...One acre of wheat...One acre of rice..."
"...Do you know wheat...In autumn, it's like the waves...Golden...When the wind blows, it's like the tide..."
"...Then we'll have noodles to eat...And steamed buns...White steamed buns..."
"...Everyone will be full..."
"...No longer have to risk their lives to collect food...And Nonna, Nonna needs to eat two..."
"...Children...have to eat more..."
Repeating back and forth tirelessly, muttering to himself, Su'er seemed to have seen such a beautiful day, bright and full of hope. Just imagining it made him raise his mouth, and he didn't know where the strength came from.
"...We will all survive...survive..."
"...Plant two acres...two acres...four acres..."
"...One acre of wheat...one acre of rice..."
"..."
Mumbling and repeating, even though the voice has gradually become just the noise of lips touching, it is still hoarse from the throat.
Lying on Su'er's back in a daze, Think raised her hands in the air, as if facing a fragile and brittle porcelain, afraid that it would break if she exerted a little force.
She didn't even dare to move slightly, for fear that the man carrying her would lose his balance and fall down completely, turning into a real statue.
It was unbearable.
This feeling of being unable to do anything except keep her will clear, and could only watch the monkey carrying her step by step towards the end of his life... His body was already dry to the extreme.
It's not that she had never experienced the feeling of others dying for her, but rather that in the long time of becoming a flower crown lord and fighting against the dwarves, such things had happened so many times that Think felt bored. Those diligent males, or words like dying to protect the so-called hope of the Elves... never touched her at all.
In the final analysis, whether it was the things she had done or becoming a flower crown lord, they were just for herself, so she couldn't understand it.
But now it is different, this feeling echoing in my heart...
I can't stand it, I can't understand it. Even if she is smart, she can't describe the touch at this moment, and it's even difficult to distinguish it clearly.
Step by step, slowly and firmly moving forward, the distance she has traveled is definitely not false.
I have forgotten how to think, and everything outside the city, and even the pain and fatigue...all that is left in my mind are those beautiful pictures.
Consciousness has become blurred, and Su'er seems to have left that cold and cruel world. Is it an illusion, or is it not an illusion? Even the air has become sweet, with the long-lost fragrance of flowers... Flower fragrance?
That can only be an illusion...
How can there be flowers in this world?
Su'er could no longer feel his body as he smiled bitterly unconsciously...
'Is this the only way to go...'
'...I'm sorry...'
He didn't know who he was apologizing to, but Su'er fell forward softly. In this hazy world, with only the last bit of light left, he could vaguely hear something—
"We're here."
"...Su'er."