Listening to the other party's words, Tails suddenly froze.

"Ready. ”

The stranger approached Tails and slowly stretched out his right hand.

Tails subconsciously took a step back, but eventually stopped, gritted his teeth and stood still.

I can't be afraid.

I have to ......

Have to......

The dense fog in the critical line became thinner and thinner, sweeping away the previous darkness.

The stranger's hand touched Tails' face, and there was a cold touch.

"Be careful. ”

"Even if you feel like you've got it under control......"

Tails looked at him in a daze, first experiencing weightlessness.

It's like the ground suddenly disappears.

Then he felt it again: he was starting to fall.

Here it comes.

Tails suppressed the tension, controlled his trembling limbs slightly, and said silently.

"Even if you feel like you're doing the right thing......"

"Even if you think that the power of the magician is in your hands, it will be the sword of justice......"

The stranger remained mysteriously still in front of him, caressing his face, motionless.

As if there was no substance.

The surrounding light began to flow, and the scene changed from a faintly blurry picture to a rapidly changing out-of-focus scene.

"Still not to be taken lightly. ”

"Sometimes, the means you resort to for noble ends will unwittingly turn against the client. ”

The stranger's words seemed to hide endless meanings, and the mysterious eyes that shimmered like a lonely lamp on the night road were the only things that Tails could see in this world:

"For example, debate is about reasoning, but too many people are immersed in the thrill of vanity of victory and defeat, and violence is about survival, but too many people are lost in pure violent impulses. ”

The sense of falling is getting stronger and stronger, and the surrounding picture is getting more and more mushy, as if the colors and shapes have lost their meaning.

The stranger's words were softly tapped:

"Like magic, magic is for ......"

Speaking of which, he seemed to be a little unable to continue.

Tails looked at him like this, and there was an inexplicable sadness in his heart.

"I know. The prince replied comfortingly.

The stranger snorted softly and shook his head as if he didn't care.

"You know?"

He withdrew his palm, cocked his fingers, and lightly touched Tails' forehead.

Just listen to the stranger plainly say:

"You 'think' you know. ”

A silver stream shimmered from the prince's forehead, as if echoing the stranger's fingers.

Tails just stared at him blankly.

The stranger gently spat out the next words, and each sentence seemed to have a deep feeling between the lines, causing Tails to think for an infinite time.

"It's like a hero thinks that he never compromises to evil. ”

"It's like the Lord thinks that wisdom and power can correct mistakes. ”

"It's like a strong man who thinks that he is the master of power and the messenger of weapons. ”

"It's like a famous general who thinks that as long as you keep winning, you can bring peace. ”

"It's like the mages who think that as long as the knowledge is expanded and the skills are improved, then all the problems in the world can be solved. ”

"It's like a changemaker who thinks that with high intentions, great goals, and selfless actions, they can and will eventually make the world a better place. ”

Tails froze.

Hero...... Ming Lord...... Overmatch...... Star...... Mage...... Changemakers......

Tails tried to stare at the other man, trying to see something on the stranger's blurred face, but failed.

They are falling faster and faster.

The stranger stopped talking, and the mysterious glimmer in his eyes dimmed.

"Remember, child," he said, with a rare emotion:

"Be self-conscious. ”

"Don't let them easily infect you, invade you, and capture you," he said slowly, like a wise man who has witnessed thousands of vicissitudes and the impermanence of the world:

"No matter how clear and clear they sound. ”

The brilliance around the two of them flickered, stripped of all light.

It was as if they had entered a tunnel in the belly of the mountain, gloomy and dim.

Finally, Tails, who was in a state of flux, could no longer hold back the thoughts in his heart and impulsively blurted out:

"Who the hell are you?"

This "person" who suddenly appeared in the critical zone.

This one...... Magician.

He was Aishida's guide, he called the Emperors "girls", and he was able to hide from their eyes and ears.

He is so powerful that he can come and go freely at the 'Border', he knows the Silver Shadow people under Longxiao City, and he doesn't seem to belong to any faction......

The stranger was silent for a moment.

Immediately, in the increasingly rapid fall, he sighed and spoke:

"I'm Torus Mill. ”

Tails froze.

Where did he hear the name.

Is that......

The mysterious man named Torus continued, "The glory and shame of the magic tower, the savior and disaster of the empire, the truth and the end of the world......"

"I am both fortunate and sinful. ”

His words concealed a sorrow that could not be relieved.

Let Tails also feel the unspeakable heaviness.

Glory and shame, savior and disaster, truth and end, luck and sin......

Just listen to Torus whisper:

"I am your earliest predecessor. ”

"The worst example. ”

He pressed his index finger on Tails' forehead with a gentle push and pushed forward.

and...... The worst future. ”

In the next moment, in the light that came back and the heat that rose, Tails' eyes darkened, and his breath stagnated.

He knew that he was out of bounds.

Then sink into the deep sea.

Gone.

————

Not again.

In the flashing images, he happily stretched out his hands—no, the tentacles of thought, touching everything.

The thin flesh is no longer enough here.

He felt the omniscience, the sense of accomplishment, the satisfaction of coming again.

The emptiness and tranquility of thousands of miles in the sky, the vast loneliness of the snow-capped peaks, the boundless heart of the vast grassland, the numbness and dead silence of the vast desert, the hidden undercurrents of the deep seabed, the epic magnificence of the ancient heroic city, and ......

He slowly raised his gaze, feeling the flickering in the distance.

It was the mystery of the stars above the sky.

He took a light breath and felt everything.

The whole world.

It's all in front of my eyes.

Show it for me.

Well, the world?

[When you think of this world, what is the first thing that comes to mind?]

The nice and nasty male voice sounded in a trance.

Not again.

He shook his thoughts, shook out the boring words, and continued to feel the magical state of the moment.

Of course, this is not enough......

He needed more, he needed to reach the highest place in his dreams......

And so he began to rise – just like ever.

And this time.

Nothing could stop him......

Touch that ultimate step.

With a thought, he raised his head slightly.

Yes.

He let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Yes, it's still the dark and silent void.

It appeared in front of him again.

He could see clearly that what was revealed to him in the void was still the mysterious gray mist, which flowed far away, surging towards him in the endless white light.

As if the gray mist was conscious, it opened its arms towards him.

Like the most formal invitation.

Call.

He continued to rise, feeling more and more wonderful omnipotence and omniscience, and his heart sank as he watched the gray mist that continued to spread towards him.

That's the calling.

There's something in that gray mist...... Calling for Him, longing for His coming.

"Come ......"

In a trance, he even felt a faint call coming from the mist.

"Let's ...... together"

Oh, yes.

A familiar longing and impulse spread.

He felt: in that gray mist, there was something he wanted, the most cordial, the closest to it.

Come on.

He rose faster and faster, getting closer and closer to the strange dark void, and to the gray mist that was stained with white light and flowing endlessly.

Come on!

He could barely hold back his snarl.

Hurry up, hurry up and let me into that void......

Hit that gray mist......

That's the only way.

That's the only way to ......

I can be more perfect.

to truly own the world.

World?

His upward momentum suddenly paused.

[The world is probably full of people, Ashida, your time, the time when the empire and the magic tower are still there...... What is the world like?] The echoes of the past are heard like whispers.

Ahhh

It's that damn bull throat again!

No!

I don't care about you......

I don't care about you!

[If you want me to guess, it's not really different, right, after all, for us, the world is just a small piece of cognition...... It's probably where we are, and all the people we know, and the world in their mouths, eyes, and around them...... We think we see the world, but in fact, what we see is only our retina. 】

He doesn't rise anymore.

No, no, no!

He roared in pain, and his head began to ache.

It's this again!

Duck voice!

It's it again!, hindering him from continuing......

He swore that when he reached the top, when he reached perfection, when he was omniscient......

He must tear the owner of the duck's throat to shreds, crush it, and blow it up!

Smash him into the tiniest and most insignificant speck of dust......

Let this small existence stand in the way of its great progress......

Bear the most terrible, the most painful, the most unimaginable ultimate punishment in the world!

Even if he wants to destroy the world, even if it means his own destruction, even if the end of all things is imminent, he wants the voice of the male duck who will not be redeemed - pay the heaviest and most unbearable price!

Ahhh

[Are you leaving, Ashida? Class, Ashida, sir, Ashida...... Ahem, small, puppy, little stupid?]

[Phew, it looks like it's really gone, fucking like this...... Why don't you change your name and call Bruce Wayne ......]

You may not know what the world is...... But in those strange memories, what I had to do was to look at the world from a different perspective...... To discover the problems that we never discovered, to doubt the principles that are right by default, to break the external shackles that we are in without knowing it......]

[It's not an easy thing, as Plato said, once you get out of the cave and see the sun...... Whew, hum ......]

[We used to laugh, laughing at those secondary two diseases in anime...... But sometimes, when you observe and examine the world from a perspective that others are not aware of, you will find ......]

[Maybe, maybe it's really not me who is wrong......]

[It's this world.] 】

[Right...... Hmph, old horse, what do you say?]

His head was aching more and more.

Ahhhh

Damn it, don't, don't fucking get in my way!

I need it......

I need that void, that gray mist......

I need to rise!

I need to have!

I need this world!

In the next moment, Tails woke up in pain like a person recovering from drowning!

"Boom!"

There was a strange and loud thunderclap.

Ahhh

How......

Tails gasped for air and looked around......

He was confused for a few seconds, and when he felt as if he had forgotten something—

I suddenly felt like I was falling in an instant!

Then it suddenly braked and stopped without warning!

Almost shook him off in a daze.

But that's not all......

As if he was being grabbed by a gust of wind, he threw it upwards and got back up!

How......

"Bang!

The moment he returned to the apex, Tails tried his best to open his eyes, and then he was shocked!

He found that what appeared in front of his eyes was a storm visible to the naked eye.

Storm!

"Whoa......

In the next moment, he was immediately blown down by a strange wind!

What I just felt was that he was uncontrollably up and down in this fantastical and terrifying Endless Storm!

What are you doing?

"Boom!"

The wind here is colored.

They scraped a deep pitch black in the air, like a smooth blade of ink, thousands of ink blades, sometimes scattered and splashed, sometimes gathered into huge waves, like a tornado sweeping, pulling the panicked Tails back and forth!

It's like...... Kite flying.

From time to time, the dull air flashed with an equally dark electric light, accompanied by a huge thunderclap that almost burst the eardrums.

"Boom!"

Every thunder makes the inky black storm even crazier!

Tails was in mid-air, unbelievably illusory, suffering from the sharp pain of the wind knife scraping his bones, feeling weightless and panic......

Oops, awful......

Tails shuddered and tried to grasp a piece of ink, only to find out in horror that he had no body!

What the hell is ...... here?

"Boom!"

He waved his imaginary hands, but he couldn't grasp the point of focus at all.

His gaze tossed and turned with the storm, and his whole being, if he was a human being, was pulled back and forth by the storm in the air, without stopping!

As far as the eye can see, it is an ominous black ink.

Everything I heard was terrible and strange lightning.

The danger is worse than the lonely boat in the sea.

"Boom!"

Damn it!

He was blown upside down by another storm.

Tails felt like he was running out of breath.

But he didn't see the ground, he didn't see the sky, he could only feel the upper and lower ends, the left and right, the front and back, all boundless, merciless and cold inky storms!

"Boom—"

He tried to shout, but there was no response, not even an echo of himself.

It was a sight he had never encountered since the first time he lost control, and even after the first knock!

That's what it is...... The truth about runaway magical powers?

Magical ...... Ocean?

He thought tremblingly.

[When you wander in the sea of magical energy, you feel the threshold rise and fall all the time, and it is far more than your physical body is affected...... Taurus's words rang in his ears.

"Boom!"

Crazy, terrifying, violent, unrestrained, endless, uncontrollable storm that constantly tormented Tails' senses.

Compared to the first kind of wonderful feeling...... He really didn't want to stay here at all.

And as the thought rose, Tails only felt a haze of smoke in front of him.

It was as if he had instantly entered a state of drunkenness, and he felt that magical state that seemed to be omniscient and omnipotent......

Yes......

It's amazing......

I saw the world again......

And I want more......

Tails thought so, and subconsciously smiled.

No!

But the next moment, Tails shook his head desperately, trying his best to sober himself up!

"Boom!"

A treacherous thunderbolt sounded!

The illusion in front of him dimmed, and after a short period of soberness, he returned to the dark storm of terror again.

Rise and fall with the waves.

Should...... Die!

The torment of ears, eyes, and perceptions made him try his best to gather what little will he had left.

He knew that Ashida's classroom training had temporarily freed him from his psychedelic state and avoided further ascension, but apparently, his current state was far from the "thing" stage that Taurus was talking about!

No!

As the mysterious Torus said, he can't get lost there, lost in desires and impulses!

He had to step over!

Ahh

Tails roared inwardly, concentrating, trying not to think about the mirage just now.

"Boom, boom!"

The inky storm roared again, pulling him back into the dreaded air.

Don't think, don't think, don't think!

Tails struggled to shake off those comfortable, beautiful visions, the sense of power to feel it all......

However, the more he tried to get rid of it, the more he couldn't help but think of that feeling.

The harder I try not to think about it, the more I can't help but think about it.

I think of the thrill of ascending, the excitement of knocking on the door......

I remembered the desire to enter the dark void and touch the gray mist......

That omniscience, that omnipotence, that sense that he is the whole world, that is everything, that is everything, that is the grandeur of the majestic truth! Then he will be able to reach without restraints, without limitations, without dissonance—damn it!

In the midst of the storm, Tails shook his mind desperately, scolding and struggling to come up with this tempting idea.

No, no, no, no!

Don't think about it!

Stay san...... Keep...... Self......

At this moment, his brain seemed to be broken in half.

Half of them are in the perfect world like a fairyland, feeling the satisfaction and beauty of that kind of power, feeling the truth and secrets of the world, and they are infinitely longing -!

The other half of the brain, in the terrifying and tyrannical black storm, bears the pain that seems to be torn apart, flipping back and forth, drifting!

Wait a minute!

This is not the way, it can't go on like this!

"Whoa-la-"

A gust of wind, accompanied by the roar of the black storm, tossed him into the air again!

That's right, way!

When Tails felt like he couldn't hold on, he remembered Taurus's words.

Magic Energy Covenant.

Be self-conscious.

The previous illusions and storms occupied his body and mind, leaving him with no time to recall, and when it came time to recall, he found that he had lost too many memories in his uncontrolled state.

Self.

Fast......

Tails thought dimly as he touched what seemed to be a faded memory.

Anchors!

Right, find the anchor point......

Anchor point, pointing to the self......

Pull me back......

Get out of this damned, terrible storm.

From this false, seductive, comfortable, cozy, hopeful, infinitely wonderful dream of ascending...... Ah, knock, for the sake of which he could have given up everything, just to throw himself into its bosom, and then become the highest—Nima!

Get lost!

I can't even control my own thinking!

Tails felt like a tired writer who had had a hard day at work, out of breath and exhausted, struggling to get up and code......

Hold on to your spirits, but if you're not careful, you'll fall into a sweet sleepland and never return......

With an empty screen, wake up the next day......

"Boom!"

Tails, who was cursing everything in his heart, was once again swept over six times by a rapid cyclone.

When he was dizzy, he was scraped by three ink blades and the pain was unbearable.

Damn it!

What about anchors!

Tails struggled to hold on, searching for the re-damaged memories to find the answer......

Really, I was completely prepared before, but when it came to the end, I realized that the preparation I had made before was useless at all!

It's worse than a dissertation defense!

The anchor I set, the self I understand...... What exactly!

Right now.

Have you ever wondered what you really are?

His eyes were once again psychedelic in sight.

But it's not the same as before.

This time, what appeared before Tails' eyes was a majestic palace.

In the north, in a room in a snowy palace......

A young man with elegant manners faced another pale-faced boy, pressing forward step by step, and his slender fingers slowly erected, as if pointing directly at the boy's heart:

[When you are stripped of all the definitions made by others, and stripped of all the situations in which you exist, what is left of yourself?]

The scene rippled like water waves dissipated.

Tails froze.

Definitions given by others......

The context in which it exists......

Anchor ......

Anchors!

"Boom—"

In the midst of the endless storm and thunder, he slowly recalled the conversation between Shicai and Taurus.

"Therefore, to anchor oneself, what is really needed is to remove all external labels......

"Fade away what you say, 'that which is confused by others.'" ”

Tails was distracted.

What is "that which is confused by others"?

What is "that which is not to be confused by others"?

What is...... An anchor point that really points to the self?

"Bang-bang!" thunder and lightning flashed around him, never stopped.

He was confused, confused.

It's as if I forgot that I was still tossing back and forth in the terrible storm, and being tortured.

The anchor point to the self should be realistic.

is his unique ...... Can magic?

Is it the sin of the River of Hell?

Is it the JC dagger that saved him from danger several times?

Or is it his so-called kingdom bloodline?

Or is it...... His so-called wisdom?

"Boom!"

No, it's neither.

The pointing of these anchors, he felt was wrong.

not to be confused by others......

Or should the anchor be more focused, focused, and shorter?

Like himself.

Like Tails?

Bright Star?

The second prince?

Magician?

Or—he paused at the thought of the name—Wu Yuren?

Simply...... Traverser?

"Bang! bang—" The storm continued, and he was swept away again like a fluttering in the rain.

No, no, anchors are not either...... not to be confused by others...... Be abstract.

So, the anchor is his will, the spirit of never admitting defeat in this world?

Is it the memories and knowledge he gained from another life?

Is it everything I have perceived and known since I was born?

It's a little close, but, really?

Anchor ......

The anchor really could have said so much to him and Taurus from these things...... Ego?

not to be confused by others......

Right now.

"Crackle-boom!"

There was a huge thunderclap that had never been seen before, accompanied by another strange beam of black lightning, which fell straight on Tails' body!

Beat him all over, like a broken sack, and keep rolling in the air!

Pain.

Even consciousness shuddered.

But at that moment, Tails suddenly saw it.

His answer.

Why is it so late today?

Because there are two more today!

6,000 words per update!

(End of chapter)