Light Fortress Chapter 1983 - 42: Once More!

"Let’s just wait here."

Zhou Jiren stood leaning on his staff and said softly, "I reckon it won’t be long... before it restarts again."

At a time like this, hurrying on the road doesn’t mean much.

The [Holy Wood] radiated a warm glow.

Zhong Wei felt his condition improve a little. He sat down on the ground, scooped up a handful of crushed snow, and scrubbed it hard over his face.

As soon as he closed his eyes, that mass of snowy-white radiance was crashing toward him again.

"Damn it."

Zhong Wei rasped under his breath, "Gu Castle Fortress was hit by something like that?"

There are some things you can never truly grasp unless you live through them yourself.

When he’d previously heard Gu Shen describe the tragedy of Gu Castle...

He had only felt sorrow in his heart.

But now, the moment he shut his eyes, he could personally recall that chill-to-the-bone despair.

And this was even with Rust Bone General opening the origin for him...

"Make the most of the time and rest."

Sky Pupil spoke softly, comforting him: "The next restart might begin very soon."

Gu Shen and Rust Bone heading for Gu Castle Fortress... there’s a high chance they’ll be struck by a Source Material Storm again.

"..."

Zhong Wei gazed at the boundless whiteness in the distance.

Suddenly he laughed and called out, "Teacher."

"Hm?" Zhou Jiren raised his brows slightly.

"Am I useless, a complete waste?"

Zhong Wei drew a deep breath and finally voiced the question buried deepest in his heart.

Going beyond the pass with Zhou Jiren and Luo Er... he was always the one who walked the slowest.

His teacher was East Province Grand Judge, bearing the title [Sky-reaching Tree]. Luo Er was the youngest Titled in the East Continent Federation, decorated as [Sky Pupil]. And he was only Fourth Order, his proud domain only barely enough to protect himself in the Old World.

Across these repeated world restarts, aside from Gu Shen dying violently...

He was the one who died the most.

He knew he was heavily dragging the team down... but he had no choice. After entering this place, he didn’t even have the right to kill himself. Once he died, his teacher and Luo Er’s efforts would be wasted, and this world would restart again.

He had already tried desperately, desperately hard to survive.

But again and again, he still failed.

Now their little junior brother had come to this world as an "outsider."

He felt both gratified and sore at heart.

The little junior brother was a Quasi-God of the smelting fire seed, an ultimate powerhouse stronger than Rust Bone General.

But he himself was nothing at all.

When it came down to it... he was still the biggest burden on the team.

"Idiot, how can you even ask a question like that?"

The back of Zhong Wei’s head took a very light smack.

He turned back blankly to look at his teacher.

Zhou Jiren said expressionlessly, "Is getting blown to death by a Source Material Storm shameful? Or is it shameful to want to be a savior and keep failing?"

Zhong Wei was at a loss for words, his nose stinging sourly.

He lowered his head.

A hoarse voice came from behind him.

"Let me ask you..."

"Back then, when you had the chance to leave, you chose to give it up. Have you ever regretted that choice?"

Zhong Wei said hurriedly, "How could I? This Disciple has never once regretted that choice!"

As these words fell—

The hand pressed on his head only silently tightened its grip.

"..."

Zhong Wei’s head was pushed very low.

He couldn’t see that behind him, after his teacher took a deep breath, Zhou Jiren’s eyes grew a little moist.

"I haven’t regretted it either."

Luo Er spoke softly, "If I had to do it again, I’d make the same choice."

There are some things in this world that someone has to do.

If they did it all over again.

The ending would be the same.

An old hand also came to rest on her shoulder.

"Even though you say that..."

At this moment, Zhou Jiren’s heart was trembling.

"I still feel so guilty."

These words he hadn’t yet had the chance to say aloud.

With a boom.

The sound came from very far away, as if from some other stretch of land.

Something seemed to have exploded beyond the horizon.

The crust of the entire continent shuddered, the Wind Snow roared, even the Snowfield of the Tundra was shaken.

A few fragments of snow whirled up into the air.

And fell into the void.

The Snowfield had already returned to calm and emptiness; the three figures from before had vanished without a trace, not even leaving behind footprints.