The night was deep, and the dormitory area of St.
Freya Academy was quiet.
Arthur was sleeping soundly after ten days of futile mental exhaustion, but his brow was unconsciously furrowed slightly, as if he were still calculating the costs of failure and new plans in his dreams.
At some point during his deep sleep, the system interface floating in the depths of his consciousness automatically lit up.
The faint blue light was not as steady as usual, but flickered like breathing, and the flow of data was far faster than any previous interaction.
[Detected Mender ‘Arthur’ has entered a deep sleep state, consciousness activity has dropped below the threshold.]
[According to preset protocol A-7, when the Mender cannot intervene subjectively and specific conditions are met, the auxiliary AI ‘little tree’ can initiate limited autonomous analysis and emergency protocols.]
[Condition check in progress…]
[Detected abnormal associated target: Fu Hua (Codename: Red Kite).]
[Detected relational interference: In the past ten days, the target ‘Fu Hua’ has attempted to intercept the Mender’s contact with the core observation subjects (Raiden Mei, Kiana Kaslana, Bronya Zaychik), with an interception success rate of 100%.]
[Deviation analysis in progress…
touching underlying protocol ‘Echoes of Fenghuang Down’…
retrieving relevant encrypted records…]
[Warning: Touching deep memory seal.
Insufficient access level.
Automatically enabling indirect observation mode.]
[Initiating implicit observation protocol for target ‘Fu Hua’.
Observation dimensions: time flow interference traces, soul map stability, causal line entanglement density.]
[Observation in progress…]
In a corner of the system interface, countless tiny points of light converged, outlining Fu Hua’s current figure—she was not asleep, but sitting quietly in her dormitory with her eyes closed in concentration.
An extremely faint, invisible aura flowed around her, as if she were sorting something out, or perhaps resisting something.
Her brow was slightly furrowed, and occasionally, almost invisible feather-like light dust would flash and vanish at her fingertips.
[Observed high concentration of ‘Yearning’ residue.]
[Observed strong ‘Guardian’ obsession, directionality: generalized.]
[Observed timeline ‘breakpoints’ and ‘repair’ traces.
Multiple non-natural’stitching’ signs exist in the target’s soul.]
[Detected weak but inextinguishable ‘Causal Echo’ with Mender ‘Arthur’.
Nature of echo: grief, resolution, unfulfilled vow.]
[Analysis conclusion: Between target ‘Fu Hua’ and Mender ‘Arthur’, there exists a ‘Grief if’ branch deviating from the main worldline.]
[This branch has a potential interference tendency toward the current main worldline, manifesting as the target ‘Fu Hua’s’ subconscious, continuous, non-malicious obstruction of the Mender’s approach to the ‘core observation subjects’.
Deep analysis of obstruction motivation: voluntarily following Otto’s arrangements to avoid the reconstruction of ‘tragedy’ associations.]
[Judgment: This implicit interference has caused continuous obstruction to ‘Main Quest: observer’.]
[According to emergency protocol A-7, automatically generating and executing an associated side quest to resolve the interference and clear the main quest path.]
On the main system interface, next to the [Quest] column, a new, slightly dim entry quietly branched out.
Unlike the blue glow of the main quest, it shimmered with a dark red luster like old blood.
[Side Quest (Hidden/Auto-accepted): Scarlet Requiem]
[Description: Detected that the key interference source ‘Fu Hua’ is producing subconscious alienation and obstruction toward the Mender due to residual obsession from a certain grieving worldline.
If this obsession is not resolved, it will continue to affect the progress of the main quest.]
[Objective: In the current worldline, generate a cumulative total of more than 72 hours of effective consciousness-level resonance or contact with ‘Fu Hua’ (not simple physical time).]
[Progress: 0/72 hours]
[Reward: Obtain special status “Gaze of the Remnant Feather”]
[Warning: This quest involves deep causality and worldline scars and is forcibly accepted.
Failure may lead to the intensification of that grieving worldline’s echoes, producing unpredictable effects on the Mender.]
However, the very next second after this dark red side quest was generated, the “0/72 hours” numbers behind the progress bar began to flicker violently like a malfunctioning electronic screen.
[Warning: Unconventional data inflow detected!]
[Source: Deep within the Mender’s subconscious sea…
Keywords match…
‘Feather’…
‘Promise’…
‘Next Era’…]
[…Resonance confirmed.]
[Forced link established…
Link target: Fu Hua’s soul depth ‘Fenghuang Down’ Core Seal Area – Fragment.]
[Reading ‘Scarlet Requiem’ core event fragments…]
Arthur’s sleeping face seemed to twitch slightly, as if he had dreamed of something extremely heavy.
At the same time, on the system interface, the progress bar representing the [Scarlet Requiem] quest began to jump at an incredible speed, as if pushed by an invisible hand!
1%…
15%…
38%…
66%…
89%…
100%!
[Progress forcibly achieved!]
[Analysis: The ‘high-dimensional information imprint’ remaining in the Mender’s subconscious has produced a trans-temporal resonance with the target ‘Fu Hua’s’ soul scars, instantaneously completing the conditions required for ‘deep consciousness-level contact’.
This phenomenon transcends conventional quest logic.]
[Starting settlement for side quest: Scarlet Requiem…]
[Quest Evaluation: EX (Abnormal Completion)]
[Issuing Reward: Special status “Gaze of the Remnant Feather” obtained (Effect: Fu Hua’s subconscious obstruction toward you is greatly reduced, and her level of attention and complex emotions toward you are significantly increased, manifested as a higher probability of ‘accidental’ encounters and deeper scrutiny).]
[Warning: Due to the abnormal completion method, a chain reaction has been triggered.]
[Analyzing ‘Grief if’ worldline coordinates carried by the resonance…]
[Coordinates locked.
Associated Deliverer Protocol activated.]
In the center of the system interface, the originally simple icon layout changed.
Beside [Quest], [Status], [Inventory], and [Communication], a brand-new icon that had never appeared before slowly emerged and condensed like thick ink dropped into water.
It was a black four-pointed star icon, its lines simple yet exuding an unspeakable heaviness and ominousness.
It floated there quietly, like an entrance to an abyss.
Below the icon were four cold and solemn words:
[Deliverance Quest]
Almost at the instant the icon completely solidified, little tree’s flat electronic voice sounded in Arthur’s silent sea of consciousness with an unprecedented, almost solemn tone, even though he was still asleep:
[Detected that hidden conditions have been met.]
[Confirmed that Mender ‘Arthur’ has passively completed the first ‘worldline Scar’ resonance in an unconscious state.]
[According to Article 11 of the “Imaginary Tree Pan-Dimensional Interference Regulations (Elementary)”, the ‘Deliverance Quest’ module is now officially open.]
[Starting synchronization of the first ‘Deliverance Quest’ information…]
[Synchronization complete.]
[Deliverance Quest (Primary): Scarlet Requiem – Sorrow]
[Description: Detected a highly deviated, near-collapsing tragic worldline branch.
In this worldline, the key figure ‘Fu Hua’ completely succumbed at a critical decision point, and her belief in protection turned into a desperate obsession, causing large-scale ruptures in the worldline’s causal chain and generating ‘grief pollution’ spreading toward the main worldline.
If not repaired, this ‘grief’ will act like a plague, eroding more possibilities.]
[Objective: Enter the ‘Scarlet Requiem – Sorrow’ worldline, repair the core collapse point, and guide it back to stability or harmless convergence.]
[Executor: Mender Arthur]
[Hint: This is the first Deliverance Quest, and the difficulty has been adjusted.
After entering that worldline, the time flow rate of the main worldline will slow down significantly.
During the quest, the Mender will temporarily obtain partial memories and abilities adapted to that worldline.
There is no direct penalty for failure, but the ‘grief’ pollution will be permanently branded on the Mender’s soul and may affect associated figures in the main worldline.]
[Teleportation countdown: 10 seconds in the main worldline.
10, 9, 8…]
Arthur’s body seemed to twitch slightly in his sleep, as if sensing some immense, irresistible pulling force.
little tree’s final broadcast carried a trace of an almost undetectable aftertaste, similar to a sigh:
[Good luck, Mender.
May you…
find a different answer.]
[…3, 2, 1.]
[worldline jump, initiate.]
Hum—
A silent tremor swept through Arthur’s body.
His figure on the dormitory bed instantly became blurred and transparent, then vanished completely as if erased by an eraser.
Only a faint scent, like the charred smell of burning feathers, seemed to linger in the air.
On the system interface, the [Scarlet Requiem] task bar, which had just turned 100%, quickly dimmed, next to a black four-pointed star icon radiating an ominous and heavy aura.
The night at Saint Freya remained tranquil.
No one knew that an ordinary person, who only wanted to earn money peacefully, had been cast into the shattered past of another “Fu Hua,” a past long soaked in blood and tears.
And the countdown of the main worldline almost came to a standstill at this moment…
Arthur regained consciousness in a bone-chilling cold.
It felt as if his entire body was submerged deep in an icy sea, even his thoughts frozen stiff.
Before he even opened his eyes, he felt an extremely abnormal sensation—something heavy, cold, and slightly curved was pressing right against the center of his chest, like a placed offering.
He snapped his eyes open.
His vision was blurred at first, then came into focus.
He was lying on a desolate, scorched earth.
The sky was a congealed dark red, with no sun, moon, or stars—only distorted halos crawling slowly.
The air was thick with the smell of ash and rust, and deeper still, a…
complete, deathly silence of sorrow.
However, none of this compared to the shock brought by the object on his chest.
It was a head.
Gray-blue hair, stained with dried blood and dust, hung limply.
The skin was a lifeless pale, like fine porcelain that had lost its glaze.
Those blue eyes, which were always hidden behind glasses, either calm or scrutinizing him, were now tightly closed, with long lashes casting faint shadows under the eyelids.
Beneath the straight bridge of the nose, pale lips were pursed into a line that would never breathe again.
Most startling of all was her forehead—a very thin, very deep sword wound accurately pierced the center of her brow, like a cold period ending everything.
Fu Hua.
It was Fu Hua’s head.
Arthur’s brain completely crashed at this moment.
It wasn’t a dream.
The cold weight, the subtle friction of the hair, the familiar face so close yet devoid of life…
all of it was suffocatingly real.
Combining his past and present lives, he had seen many scenes, but none could cruelly combine “beauty,” “familiarity,” and “absolute death” like this, crudely smashing into his perception.
“No…
way…” His throat tightened, and he could barely make a sound.
“A death at the start?
Or…
in this form?”
[Detected that the Mender’s consciousness is clear and environmental perception is stable.]
little tree’s flat electronic voice sounded at the right time, breaking the hair-raising silence and slightly pulling back Arthur’s near-short-circuiting thoughts.
[Successfully connected to the worldline ‘Scarlet Requiem – Sorrow’.
Beginning synchronization of mission background and current environmental data.]
A semi-transparent system interface forcibly popped up, covering part of the dim sky.
The black four-pointed star icon [deliverance mission] was emitting an ominous faint light.
[deliverance mission: Scarlet Requiem – Sorrow]
[worldline Status: Highly collapsed, Sorrow Pollution concentration 87.4%, spacetime structure extremely unstable.]
[Core Collapse Point: Key figure ‘Red Kite’ confirmed dead.
Manner of death: Betrayed by the Tai Xu Seven Disciples, executed and dismembered.]
[Mission Objective: Repair the core collapse point (specific method must be explored by yourself).]
[Current Mission Phase: Contact ‘Red Kite’ remains (1/6 – Head).]
Arthur looked at the lines of cold text, especially the words “executed and dismembered,” and felt the weight of the head on his chest increase several times over, making it almost impossible to breathe.
He forced himself to calm down and used his remaining reason to ask:
“little tree, explain.
What’s the situation?
Why…
is her head on me?”
[Analysis: This is one of the manifestations of ‘Sorrow Pollution’ in this worldline.] little tree’s voice was devoid of ripples.
[Target ‘Fu Hua’s’ intense obsession and grief of ‘being abandoned by what she guarded’ and ‘being betrayed by her closest kin’ before death resonated with the faint bond from the main worldline in your subconscious, Mender.]
[The ‘head’, which holds the strongest obsession among the remains, identified you as the only ‘anomaly’ and possible ‘listener’ in this worldline, and was thus attracted to your side.]
“Listener?” Arthur’s voice was dry.
“So my mission now is…
to talk to a head?”
[Correct understanding.
Although ‘Red Kite’ is dead, her powerful soul energy and the residual effects of Fenghuang Down allow some of her consciousness fragments to still cling to the remains.]
[It is recommended that the Mender attempts to communicate with the ‘head’ at the consciousness level to obtain the detailed process of this worldline’s collapse, as well as…
her final wish.]
[Warning: Direct contact with high-concentration Sorrow Pollution may cause a mental shock to the Mender.
Please ensure your mind remains stable.]
Arthur took a deep breath of cold air, trying to dispel the chill in his chest.
He carefully, with movements as slight as possible, wanted to lift the head from his chest.
Just as his fingertips were about to touch that cold skin—
Hum…
An extremely faint hum sounded directly in the depths of his mind.
Immediately after, a series of broken, chaotic, yet emotion-filled images rushed into his consciousness like a bursting flood:
The burned Tai Xu Mountain, golden light piercing the sky.
Seven familiar yet strange faces—Lin Chaoyu’s composure, Su Mei’s cunning, Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru’s sisterly bond, Cheng Lingshuang’s indifference, Ma Yanqing’s wildness, Qin Suyi’s gentleness…
now interwoven with fear, determination, and a hint of…
guilt?
A stunning sword light—from the fifth disciple, Cheng Lingshuang, who was acknowledged as the closest to an Immortal?
The pain of shattered meridians, the suffocation of failing organs, the coldness of a mangled heart…
and finally, before consciousness completely sank into darkness, a faint but persistent thought—not hate, but deep confusion and sorrow?
[Why…
must it be so?
Did I, your master…
ever fail you?]
“Ugh!” Arthur suddenly clutched his forehead and stumbled back a step.
The images vanished instantly, but the residual sense of despair felt like physical ice water soaking into his limbs and bones.
He looked down at his hand, still suspended in mid-air and trembling slightly, then at the head on his chest, which remained quiet as if nothing had happened.
His professional smile had long since vanished; only an unprecedented solemnity remained on Arthur’s face.
He understood.
The “Sorrow” of this mission was far heavier than he had imagined.
This wasn’t about killing monsters to level up; it was about facing a cruel betrayal initiated by those closest to her and trying to understand and resolve the sorrow that was enough to distort the world.
And the only breakthrough was the lifeless head before him…
which once belonged to the “Class Monitor,” the “Red Kite Immortal.”
He fell silent for a moment, and finally, slowly and with great solemnity, he picked up Fu Hua’s head with both hands.
It felt cold and delicate, like a fragile treasure.
He looked at her peaceful remains and spoke in a low voice, his words sounding exceptionally clear in this dead wasteland:
“Class Monitor Fu Hua…
or rather, Red Kite Immortal.”
“I’m here.”
“Tell me, what exactly happened?
And…
what should I do to end this’sorrow’?”
As if in response to his words, deep within the fatal sword wound on Fu Hua’s forehead, a faint phantom of a feather with a dark red glow swayed gently.
The world’s wail seemed to become even clearer at this moment.