Advent

In the central axis area, the light is always dim, and the temperature has been kept low due to insufficient energy. Calvin has tried his best, but from the perspective of a bystander, the environment of this autonomous area that has been secretly opened up can only be described as "extremely harsh." "To describe.

And just to survive, the people outside the territory are already exhausted, and they have no time to take care of too much.

The air here is always filled with the stench of motor oil and the half-rotted materials of those bio-lines that have been in disrepair.The building, the spatial structure here is full of rust and old junk...

This is pretty much what hell should look like in space.

The only exception may be the flower fields and medicine fields that are cared for by people in the autonomous region-after all, the plants here are much more delicate than the people outside the region.

A large amount of energy is supplied to artificial lights to provide light and energy for those grotesque plants...

Clear water, which is more precious than gold, is generously irrigated into the tanks for drip planting.

Thanks to those herbs that don't know their efficacy, the refreshing fragrance they emit more or less drives away some of the turbid smell in the air.

Even Allen, who has never been very demanding on the environment, has to admit that only here can he breathe smoothly.When he stood next to the flower field under Belian's leadership, he couldn't help taking a long breath, and his body relaxed a lot involuntarily.

The flower field is sparsely populated. It is said that because the things here are too precious, only those who have permission are allowed to approach here.

In the empty and bright artificial flower field, only the voice of a young child echoed.

"Last year, we couldn't grow Xiyi flowers, but this year we found the trick..."

Belian stood beside Allen excitedly, chattering non-stop.

He is the only child in the entire Sioux who can speak human language before he reaches maturity.

【"... Deer Grass said it was because I was already a priest, and all priests can communicate with other beings without barriers... But I don't know why I became a priest, and I didn't learn the songs of sacrifices ……well……"】

Belian is still very close to Allen, and even tells Allen his secret thoughts without any scruples. Anyway, although he still has doubts about his status as a priest, is it possible to communicate with Allen smoothly in the common language? Make this little kid very happy.

Because of this, when he faced Allen, he always seemed a little babbling.

And in comparison...

Raymond, who was the most talkative and clingy before, now just stood behind Allen with an irritable expression, and became more silent than ever.

His pale face, tall body, and indifferent demeanor gave him an aura close to death.

Allen thought that his pleasant communication with other people (especially with the Sioux) would make Raymond, who has always been very exclusive and fond of acting like a baby, feel uneasy.

Allen was even ready to meet Raymond's complaints, crying and acting like a baby...

Surprisingly, however, Raymond didn't do that.

In fact, it seemed that from a certain day, Raymond suddenly became mature.

At least, when he saw Belian clinging to Alan and refusing to leave, his face was ashen...but he never intervened in any of Alan's decisions from beginning to end.

—— Such Raymond made Allen feel a little uncomfortable.

"...Okay, alas, only flower fields and medicine fields in the entire autonomous region are beautiful... other places are very bad, if you can go back to the upper level, I can take you to the lair of our Sioux tribe to have a look. "

Belian suddenly lowered his voice, "...I think the hanging lairs of our Sioux are prettier than other people's houses."

After introducing the flower fields and medicine fields that the autonomous region is proud of, Belian drooped his shoulders in frustration.

Calvin was worried that Alan would be bored, so he asked Belian to take Alan around more... But every day, Belian would only take Alan around the flower fields and medicine fields.

He looked at Allen embarrassedly: "Then, that's the end of today's walk? Shall we go back?"

Bellian asked quietly.

Although he never said it out loud, Belian always had a strange feeling in his heart...

A beautiful, gentle person like Allen, who seems to be emitting silver light all over his body, is completely incompatible with today's dirty and gloomy autonomous region.

Allen should stay in the golden hall made of gold and precious stones, enjoying the most beautiful things in this world, instead of standing with him in the dilapidated central axis area, staring at the sparse and strange plants in a daze... …

Therefore, every time he saw Alan walking in the autonomous region, Bellian would feel an indescribable self-blame and sadness.

On the contrary, Alan himself is far less concerned about the surrounding environment than others think.

Calvin was very anxious to get back to the upper area, but this time the naga attack left some people in a huge void.

Since the wartime mode was turned on a few days ago, they have not lowered the alert level from beginning to end, and Allen and others happened to encounter a structural collapse, so that all backup roads from the autonomous region to other areas of the central axis area were blocked. Living.

Now Calvin is probably leading other people in the autonomous region, trying to clear the road.

It is precisely because of this change that Allen spent a longer time than expected, staying in this hidden and isolated autonomous region of the people of the outside world.

I don't know when—"The young man Calvin brought back from the last session is the rumored silver star Alan Blythewell" seems to have spread in a small area...

Fortunately, most people followed the ban issued by Calvin (the man seemed very worried that the outsiders would frighten Alan). The outsiders who had seen Allen's photo ball all seemed very restrained.

They would only greet Alan from a distance when he passed by, but they never stepped forward to disturb Alan.

As for the young children who were born and raised in the autonomous region, they were only full of curiosity about Allen.

And most of them are full of kindness towards Allen.

Just like now.

"Huh? What is that?"

Allen stopped slowly on the way back...

In the middle of the rusted metal path, a doll made of scrap metal material suddenly appeared.

Obviously, it was a gift made by the children in the autonomous region.

Although it looks very abstract and even a little ugly, judging from the carefully inlaid star-shaped metal pieces on the gift, this doll may also be "Alan" in the minds of children.

Compared with the small gifts that Alan received before, this gift can already be regarded as exquisite.Until the end, those children were too shy to stand in front of Allen.

"Ahhh? Those people are disobedient again!"

At the sight of the doll, Balian pursed his lips in displeasure.

Allen bent down to pick up the doll in a ridiculous manner, and as expected, the moment he put the doll into his pocket, there was a small cheer from afar.

Probably the child who deliberately put down the gift here is still watching from a distance, observing the situation here.

This is so cute, Allen couldn't help but smile.

In contrast, both Belian and Raymond were a little bit annoyed.

"Chirp..."

Bellian raised his voice and neighed like a bird in the direction of the sound.The moment he made that sound, the cheers died away.

Well, it seems that not only the adults of the Sioux people are well-known on the fringes of information, but even the children of the Sioux people are existences that need to be feared by other peoples outside the region.

...The only regret is that Belian seems to put all his deterrence power on the matter of expelling and threatening other children.

[From a certain angle... this childish behavior seems a little familiar. 】

"Calvin clearly warned them not to disturb you!"

As if noticing Alan's gaze fixed on him, Belian blushed, and quickly turned around to defend his behavior just now.

"It's okay, it's just their wish, it won't bother me..."

Allen could only comfort the Sioux children in this way.

Vaguely, he could still feel Raymond's eyes behind him.

"want to?"

Allen raised his eyebrows, and handed the doll in his hand to Raymond.

Raymond immediately laughed and put the doll away quickly.

"I like this kind of thing the most!"

Raymond said.

Belian glanced at him quickly, and Raymond glanced back nonchalantly.

After looking at each other for a moment, the two suddenly turned their heads away from each other.

Alan:  …

Is it an illusion?I always feel that at that moment just now, the relationship between Raymond and Belian, who had always been disliked, seems to have gotten better...

"I actually like it too."

Allen turned his gaze to Belian and said.

His comforting words are not actually trying to be brave, but Alan's true feelings.

Although he didn't stay in this small autonomous region for a long time, Allen really liked it here... Of course, the environment Allen enjoys is much better than that of the autonomous region, whether it is on the earth or after arriving at the Tianmao human military base. many.

But when he was on earth, Allen had never felt such a cozy and relaxed atmosphere.

In Calvin's narration, "Alan" seems to have become a symbol, he is so important and noble to all the people outside the autonomous region.

If it were on Earth, this identity alone would be enough to make Allen feel suffocated-he is really fed up with being the supreme being in some people's fantasy, and he is extremely disgusted by those people who cast their own fantasy on him and settings.

However, in the autonomous region, the love of the people outside the region for Alan is pure and simple, and it has never made Alan feel any pressure or heaviness.

No... that's not entirely correct...

Allen still feels pressured by this admiration.

This kind of pressure is that Allen knows very well that he is indeed an ordinary person, and he can't do more for this group of people.

Looking at the silent and introverted admiration and love of those outsiders, Allen can't help but think, if only he had some special ability...

If he can really help these lovely aliens in the central axis...

It's a pity that thinking of his current situation, Allen could only sigh helplessly.Both Raymond and himself are currently being hunted down, and they don't know what happened to Rafael and Sakhir who are currently in the ring area?The only thing he can do when he can't protect himself...

"Grandpa, woo... grandpa..."

Just when Alan and Belian were about to return to the tent where they lived before, Alan suddenly stopped involuntarily.

He heard crying.

In fact, at such a long distance, if it is an ordinary person, it should not be able to hear that cry.

However, Alan's hearing was far better than others, and the sad crying from that direction was so desperate and painful that no one could ignore it anyway.

Allen frowned and turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.

"Ward..."

That was the ward area that Calvin took him to before.

Allen has only been there once.

Taking into account Allen's identity and his psychological endurance, since Calvin took him to see the ward area once, he never let him set foot in that area again.

【"...The recent alert level is too high. People in the ring zone have sent more and more people from outside the territory to the surface of the base for maintenance work, so there are more casualties..."】

【"Now that place is overcrowded, it's a terrible scene, I don't want you to see that kind of tragedy."】

Calvin once said so.

It is precisely because he can't help much, so Allen has been carefully avoiding that area, lest other people have to spend their energy to take care of him.

But now, the cry of blood and tears drove Allen to take a few steps towards the ward area.Until Bellian grabbed him tightly.

"Alan... let's go back to our tent..."

Bellian said softly.

"But there are people crying."

Allen murmured.

Belian frowned, turned his head, and listened carefully to the sound from a distance like some kind of small animal.

The cry gradually became louder and louder, and now even Belian, who was a Sioux, could hear it clearly.

"It's from the Casa family."

Bellian said.

"Old John in his family had his hands and legs cut off by a laser that suddenly went out of control, so he was sent back. The doctor said that Old John was hopeless..."

But what he heard was what he heard, but Belian was not moved. .

"Let's go, Alan, let's go back... Old John of the Casa family should be dying soon, so it's not a big deal for the brothers and sisters of the Casa family to cry..."

Belian wasn't ruthless, let alone vicious, he was simply used to it.

After all, things like death are too common in the autonomous region.

Old John of the Casa family is much happier than others because of his craftsmanship.

After all, he is already an old man, and he has been by his grandchildren's side all the time, and it is only now that he is on the verge of death.

His children can still stand by his side, holding his body and crying.

All of this can be said to be unprecedented luck for the people outside the territory.

……

But all this is really incomprehensible to Allen.

Despite Bellian's repeated urging, he turned around uncontrollably and walked towards the ward

"...I think I should go and see

Allen said softly to Belian.

Strange to say, at this moment, he actually felt as if there was a voice in his body constantly urging him to go to the ward area, as if...

As if there was something there that he had to do...

After coming to the ward area, everything here is the same as what Allen saw before.

With the harsh environment and countless dying wounded, the air is filled with endless pain, death and grief.

Only this time, two people wailed, overwhelming everyone's voices.

Allen saw a pair of familiar brothers and sisters on the field. This was the boy and girl who had been dissatisfied with him and yelled loudly when he came here for the first time.

Allen frowned all of a sudden, he still remembered the pair of brothers and sisters.At that time, they seemed to have just sent away their relatives, so they treated him so badly, but now...

It was the same pair of brothers and sisters, but the one lying next to them was another strange old man.

That was the old John that Bellian was talking about, their grandfather.

"That's the last adult of the Casa family..."

Belian explained to Allen helplessly.

"Don't worry, Lisa and George of the Casa family are almost adults, they won't be expelled, and Old John also taught them how to maintain laser weapons, they have a good chance of surviving..."

So, don't worry about them.

They are so lucky that they lost their last relatives at this age, and other people in the central axis area, it is very likely that their parents, brothers and sisters have already left them before they understand what death is.

Probably because of the cruel reality, neither Belian nor the other onlookers in the ward responded to the tragic incident that happened on the field.

But Allen felt that his chest became extremely heavy.

The old man was lying on the ground skinny, and his body had already begun to emit a stench. The laser cut off most of his body, but those people at the Tianmao Human Military Base did not use any advanced medical methods for him, but let him Lying here to die.

The old man stared at the sky, his lips were chapped, and a fragmented murmur escaped from his throat...

Allen's breathing stopped suddenly.

"Heaven... I really want to go, a place without pain..."

At the last moment of his life, this old man, who seemed extremely lucky to others, murmured his deepest desire...

"Singing...my child...singing...if we can find that piece of heaven...maybe we can reunite there..."

The old man said in pain to his grandson and granddaughter beside him.

Under his pleading, the weeping brother and sister choked up and sang the requiem.

"White...stars..."

It's just that maybe because they were too sad, their singing was so out of tune that it was almost hard to tell that it was a song.

And at this moment, a soft voice suddenly joined the fragmented choking, how beautiful and soft that voice was, like a gust of wind, a scent of flowers, and a piece of gentle lake water.

Allen walked slowly towards the old man.

Immediately afterwards, he knelt down beside the emaciated old man who was as thin as a stick.He stretched out his hand and held the old man's withered fingers like branches tightly without hesitation, and then he sang the song he sang many years ago to the old man.

After so many years, Allen thought he would forget the melody and rhythm of that song, but at this moment, his brain became extremely clear.

The song flowed from his throat so naturally...

As the singing sounded, the entire ward suddenly became extremely silent.

Only his singing is like flowing water flowing through the dark air and people’s pain, it takes away all the haze and despair, at this moment, even people’s involuntary groans because of the severe physical pain It has faded a lot....

The old man's vision was already a little loose, but at this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes wide.

His eyes were as bright as when he was young, and a faint blush appeared on his gray face, as if the legendary gods finally came to this world and gave him a short period of brand new life.

He came back to life.

"It's you...I know, it's you...you came to pick me up..."

The old man grabbed Alan tightly with his backhand, and then shouted joyfully, tears of excitement slowly fell down the corners of his eyes...

The last song fell quietly.

Allen lowered his eyes and stared quietly at the old man in his arms. After a pause, he nodded at the old man and said:

"I'll take you to that piece of heaven..."

Knowing that it is a lie, knowing that it is a nonsense made up by people in despair to appease themselves, knowing that once you really admit this in front of everyone, you may have to face people because of disappointment. And the verbal abuse and scorn.

But Allen still admitted at this moment.

Acknowledging the legend, the too good... lie

The old man laughed.

Although the old man was happy and happy enough when he saw Alan.

But only when Allen promised to take the old man to that piece of heaven, did the old man exude a kind of complete peace of mind.

It seemed that suddenly, the old man was far away from the fear of death and the worry about the future.

"Thank you...beautiful...stars...thank you for allowing me...to go to your country..."

The old man said softly, and then slowly, slowly closed his eyes.

His breathing stopped.

He died in Alan's arms. Before he died, his heart was filled with peace of mind and joy, without any pain or worry.

In contrast, Alan, who was still alive, became extremely pale, even paler than a dead person.

He carefully arranged the sleeping position for the old man in his arms, as if the old man was still asleep.

Then he slowly stood up from the ground.

He staggered a bit, and a pair of strong arms stretched out from behind, holding him tightly in his arms.

"Ellen..."

It's Raymond.

"I, I'm fine." Allen comforted.

Then he turned his head again, and he saw Calvin standing beside him.