"Well, that's right, freedom and victory are not things that are equated. ”

The doctor said with a smile. The smile was a little deliberate, and it couldn't be said whether it was a disguise or a heartfelt one.

"My dear children, welcome to the Seventh Barrier, the Last Barrier. ”

He spread his hands out and leaned casually on the armrest where Frost Que was seated. Compared to the beginning, he was much more relaxed,

"When you come here, it's all done. As for why, let me tell you, I have a great sense of foresight, which is a glimpse into the future. I can responsibly say that you will win, it is an immutable fact – of course, even if I can change it, I will not. ”

"What ......?" Konai blurted out.

"It's fate. Ah, Miss Koney, you're the one who has the power of fate—and the only one left," said Yoshiro with a relaxed smile, "but you can't see anything anymore, can you? ”

"I don't understand what you're talking about. The seated ultramarines spoke.

"Oh, I know you too, your name is Ultramarine. Don't be surprised, kid, I know every one of you—Tower has told me everything that happened. I admire you, my dear, for your bravery. ”

The doctor, who spoke so softly and to himself, exuded a strong sense of oppression in this warm red.

They couldn't say why, it was just a feeling – the intimacy was as uncomfortable as being in a morgue.

"Oops, scared you, sorry......" The doctor sensed their attitude.

Shi Xue was a little anxious.

"Just said, exit, is that ......?"

"In fact, the Guardians on each floor have the ability to open exits. They can't leave on their own, but you can—it's just that they don't choose to let you go. ”

"Then why are you ......"

Gu Qiancheng glanced at the doctor, and then at Shuangque.

"Of course, because I thought - well, dear, if anyone wants to leave, now, at once, I will not hinder it, this is your last chance. ”

The doctor said so easily. No one chimed in, because they knew that after any beautiful temptation, there were strings attached.

They were waiting for him to say it.

"Of course, when you leave, you will lose all of your abilities and memories. If you defeat me, keep it all. ”

"Not a trap. ”

Frost Que added like this. Although theoretically, her neutral attitude has a certain degree of authority......

But the crowd remained indifferent.

When the prison door to freedom was opened, no one was willing to take a step.

If you say that you are excited, it is not for nothing.

But...... It's weird.

Is this really not a trap, nothing else? It seems too easy and unbelievable compared to the challenges of the previous levels.

This is like ten years of hard study, and in the end there is only one plus one simple calculation of the exam paper, which makes people question the intention of the person who produced the paper and the meaning of his struggle.

Moreover, it is unwilling.

That's it...... Is it over?

There is no real feeling.

It's hard to accept.

"Reason. ”

In the silence, Ultramarine suddenly spoke.

She always did.

Whether before the loss of her friends, or now, she has always been able to maintain a calm state in any situation. There is no doubt that she is a rational person.

As for whether this rationality is good or bad, perhaps even she herself does not know.

She crossed her arms and asked calmly.

"All the reasons. ”

"What a smart kid. ”

The doctor gave a heartfelt compliment. He pressed his arm against Frost's shoulder, who didn't move. He went on to say:

"I'll tell you all. Including the purpose of each of the previous Guardians, about the Guide, everything about the World Tower that I knew. You just need to listen to me tell a story, and it will be your test in the final enchantment, how about it?"

......

Chonglin looked at the scene outside the door, and then looked at everyone, but found that they no longer looked at each other.

Yes, before coming to the tower, I experienced such mutual use and betrayal. Even if it is a companion, there is no longer any reason to fight side by side.

All of them were just staring straight in the direction of the door.

But no one took a step forward.

"If that's all there is to it, at what cost?"

Reluctantly looking back, Konai asked.

"It's freedom. ”

The doctor's eyes refracted a cold light like rubies.

"You will win, you will get the truth. In return, after you have made your choice, this door to freedom will no longer be open to you - this is the last chance. ”

Gu Qiancheng asked, "So...... And what is victory?"

Her gaze never left the direction of the door. But she didn't seem to be looking at it—her eyes were a little hollow, a little dazed, as if she were staring at something more distant, somewhere else that didn't belong here.

"It's something you don't know until you've paid the price. ”

People are caught up in thought.

A bit of dynamic red swept through his vision, and Koney saw a petal falling from the cabinet in the distance.

A rose hung its head.

Time passed.

Even though the clocks in the house were merely ornaments, and everything that could be used as a timekeeping tool had stopped, they seemed to be able to hear the second hand moving.

Tick, tick, tick.

Time is a torture. Yes to the Sacrificers, but also to the Guardians.

"Why is it clear that the winner is now clear, what does it mean that the dust has settled, and what is the matter with my abilities? I am more curious about the answer to the question than I am leaving. I have long since died and died. Anyway, it's not the first time that such a thing as a so-called life-and-death decision has been made. ”

That's what Koney thought.

"I want to keep that power, but I also want to be free. I know it's greedy, but anyway it's paid for with my death, let me give up? But - is there a way to get both? Let's wait and see how others react. ”

Liu Xili thinks so.

"Do memories also be lost? It disturbs me. But I don't know what's behind that door. Will they lie to us? Although there is no such reason. But...... Why, why hasn't anyone tried it yet? I'm really scared...... Having come to this point, I am still, in fear of death. ”

Shi Xue thought so.

"This doctor ...... Who is he? What kind of story does he want to tell? What is the connection between this story and the World Tower? I've lost a lot of students...... Memories of them are something I don't want to forget. But if it comes at the cost of his life......"

Gu Qiancheng thought so.

"I turned my back on others, and now I am betrayed by the people I trust the most. What else do I have to worry about? I have nothing, and I am not afraid of losing. It doesn't matter, love is what it is. Even if he dies, there is a group of people who accompany him to be buried. ”

Jiang Shuo thought so.

"That's enough. How could I easily return this power? Doesn't that mean that I should forget to take that dead woman back and give up the way to save my most important person?

Tao Zuozi thinks so.

"The truth. After I lost her, I didn't have anything important anymore. Truth is the only thing I have to seek at all costs. Freedom or memory. Nothing matters until you get an answer. ”

Ultramarine thinks so.

"I've always been able to avoid and hide, and even if I have the power of an extraordinary person, I can't use it properly. Indeed, I am good for nothing. It is no accident that I was able to survive to the end. Everything must have something to do with what the doctor is going to say. But all along, I just wanted to protect the people I wanted to protect. Whatever you think, as long as you make a decision. Even if it's for you, I'll stick with it until the end. ”

Chonglin thought so.

In the same way, he knew what everyone in the room was thinking.

How long has it been? 10 seconds, 10 minutes, or an hour?

Life is like a year, which is probably how to describe this atmosphere. No one pushes them, but everyone is burdened with an invisible pressure, and a lingering sense of anxiety and urgency.

After thinking about it, Koney, who had a keen sense of smell, vaguely felt that there seemed to be something else mixed in this moving breath.

She couldn't say it, but she liked incense, and she could detect the slightest change in the air. She decided it wasn't a delusion.

"It's really in the way, please get out of the way. ”

The doctor suddenly spoke to Frost Que, and the people in deep thought suddenly raised their heads.

Towards the guide, the attitude of the night is completely different, and even a little bad. No one knows why.

The frost is gone.

There was no process, just the blink of an eye and she was out of sight. At the same time, the doctor, who had lost his fulcrum, fell sideways into the sofa. After lying down for a while, he slowly sat up.

He interlaced his fingers and slowly raised the glass in front of him.

"Looks like you've figured it out, don't you, kids?"

No one answered, which was considered a default.

Unconsciously, everyone present was obediently sitting on the sofa next to the coffee table.

Whether it's curiosity, fear, or greed. In short, they made such a choice.

It's hard to understand, but it's not completely incomprehensible.

Syllable.

The door closed softly.

Under the lock, a delicate red rose grows.

Although the voices are not the same, it still brings back memories for them.

When I first arrived, the roar of the door closing was awakened in that instant.

Including after that, the sound of the death knell.

It still reverberates in my ears and endures.

Some doors will not be opened again after they are closed.

There are some things, after making a choice, there is no longer room for reversal.

That's life.

In the constant choice of the unknown, your life.

- To be continued -