Chapter 516: Chapter 29 Moved
When Bologue awoke again, the familiar gray-white ceiling greeted his eyes. Turning his head, he saw the open window, with a breeze carrying the scent of flowers into the ward.
Bologue immediately recognized this familiar place; it was the Border Sanatorium.
What’s going on?
Bologue remembered being at the Sublimation Furnace Core for the ascension ritual, and then...
An intense pain surfaced in his mind, and then those mad and bizarre memories surged back like a tide; Bologue could see those cracked and fragmented memories, with the figure of the Astronaut fading, blurring within them.
Ah...that damn Devil, Bologue saw him!
Bologue tried to recall other information, but apart from the Astronaut saying "End the disputes" and that strange chess game, Bologue couldn’t remember anything else.
A dull ache arose in his chest, and Bologue suddenly recalled his mad acts after resurrection. To once again return to the void and confront the Astronaut, Bologue mercilessly killed himself.
What happened next...
Nothing happened. Bologue’s mind held no memory about the space Between Nothingness. It seemed, as he deduced, only during the ascension ceremony or in the deep exploration of the soul, could he possess the ability to act there for an extended time; or maybe, the Astronaut controlled that space and rejected his visit.
What was that bastard plotting? Himself, the Time Reversing Axis, memories of a past life... All these were part of his conspiracy.
Bologue slammed his fist on the bed frame; he finally found some clues so close to him, yet regardless of what he did, he couldn’t reach them. Moreover, the broken sense of safety was terrifying; the afterlife, once considered a safe haven by Bologue, now felt less reassuring than the Undying Club.
"Chosen One..."
Bologue gradually quieted down, savoring this unfamiliar term.
He was different from other debtors; those people bore debts to the Devil, while in carrying his debt, he also possessed the stakes wagered by the Devil.
Others were pawns, while he was the White King who needed to win. If he lost, the Astronaut would lose too.
In a dispute unknown to Bologue.
"Prisoners bound by power."
Bologue murmured softly. He couldn’t let himself soak in this oppressive emotion for long; a few seconds later, the room’s door was pushed open vigorously. Several familiar figures stood behind it, each with different expressions on their faces.
"Bologue!"
The first piercing cry came from Bologue’s dear partner.
Palmer’s face was full of sorrow as he ran toward Bologue with tears and snot, but before he could throw himself onto Bologue, Bologue kicked him down with one quick move.
Hart followed closely. He too intended to give Bologue a big hug, but seeing Palmer’s condition, he slowed his pace, tucked away his excited grin, then obediently stood by the bed, lifting his hand to greet Bologue.
"Good morning," he said.
Bologue nodded to Hart and, as if compelled by some unseen force, greeted him back.
Hart glanced out the window; it was nearly afternoon, so where did the morning come from?
Church entered quietly and stood aside, nodding to Bologue. Just as Bologue was about to speak, another set of hurried footsteps rushed up.
The newcomer slowed upon approaching the room. Bologue could hear the screeching friction between shoe soles and the ground, followed by a slow and steady rhythm.
Aimou appeared at the door, struggling to control her expression, but the continuously shifting halos in her eyes betrayed her tumultuous emotions without a doubt.
She looked hesitant, wanting to greet Bologue warmly, but with so many people around, she felt a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, Aimou only dwelled on this briefly; she knew there was something else more important than these concerns.
"Congratulations! You successfully ascended to Prayer Believer," she announced.
"Ascension?"
Bologue’s dull expression began to brighten. He had gone through so many deadly events that day; he had completely forgotten about the ascension ceremony.
Summoning the Ether, intricate patterns of light spread over Bologue’s body. This time, the Alchemy Matrix not only covered his arms but extended, spreading over his chest and shoulders.
Power far surpassing before was now filling Bologue’s body, and once again, he felt that he could influence the growth direction of the Alchemy Matrix.
It was time to decide on his inclination, to complete the ascension of the Summoning Hand, and to obtain more powerful Secret Energy.
With everyone waiting around him, Bologue sensed something was amiss. He asked, "Where’s Belli?"
He was very annoyed with the crazy Sublimation Furnace Core Minister, but it must also be acknowledged that since becoming a Condenser, Belli had always provided him with complete support, her presence interwoven in his path to ascension.
Bologue was reluctant to admit it, but in some sense, Belli was also one of his few friends.
The power of Xilin Kagader continued in his hands. As a scholar, Belli would not miss the moment he decided his inclination, but now she wasn’t here.
Faced with Bologue’s inquiry, the expressions of several people were somewhat complicated, as was Aimou’s. Her mood sank in an instant, and she looked at Bologue with some pity and concern.
She walked closer, reached out, and ruffled Bologue’s hair, like she was petting a large dog.
"Bologue... It’s okay, as long as you get treatment, everything will be alright."
When Aimou said this, she looked like she was about to cry.
"Huh?"
Bologue was dumbfounded.
"Yeah, yeah, Bologue, just listen more to the guidance of a psychologist and undergo medication treatment, and there’s no obstacle that can’t be overcome."
Palmer also got up at this time, looking at Bologue with a sad expression.
Aimou looking at Bologue like this was alright, but when Palmer’s pitiful gaze fell on him, Bologue felt a nameless anger. When did he need this unlucky guy to feel sorry for him? This was undoubtedly a kind of humiliation.
"Wait a minute, what’s going on with you guys?"
Bologue scooted back a bit and maintained a safe distance from the others.
This feeling was very weird, extremely weird, like waking up to a group of people surrounding your bed, watching you with tearful eyes as if you had some terminal illness and they were ready to help you enjoy the last of your joyful life.
It’s really nice to have such a group of friends...
The problem is, Bologue is an Undead! Don’t mention terminal illness, even if he shot himself in the head again now, it would only be a few minutes’ affair.
"Bologue... Sorry, I went too far before."
A familiar voice sounded at the door; Belli had appeared, her eyes red as if she had just cried a lot.
Bologue was completely stunned, the way this plot was unfolding had surpassed his imagination. He rubbed his eyes, doubting whether he was seeing things wrong.
"What are you all doing?"
Bologue profoundly understood what was called "bizarre."
If he woke up surrounded by a group of demons, Bologue would find that normal, and he would remain calm, smashing their heads in one by one.
But now it’s different, he clearly felt he was in great condition, yet from these people’s eyes, it seemed he had encountered some tribulation.
If the meeting with the Astronaut counted as tribulation, Bologue thought that it made sense, but how did they know about the matters Between Nothingness?
"Bologue, it’s alright, everyone knows you’re under a lot of pressure, don’t pretend to be strong anymore, and don’t try to commit suicide again."
Aimou looked at Bologue with a face full of indignation, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We found the best psychologist for you," Hart also nodded vigorously.
Most of us have been through numerous battles, seen big waves and storms, but really haven’t seen someone commit suicide during a promotion ceremony, it scared everyone, even the white-robed master and apprentice behind the observation window were stunned.
In an emergency rescue, Bologue was sent to the Border Sanatorium; during the process, no one understood why Bologue did this. As a rational expert, he made the most insane move at the most crucial moment.
Hart slowly raised his hand and talked about the scene he saw of Bologue’s suicide in the combat room, and then there’s Palmer, who also spoke about Bologue’s self-destructive tendencies.
After several exchanges, fueled by everyone’s imagination, Bologue was clearly portrayed as someone who seemed strong on the outside but was internally on the verge of collapse, a poor soul.
"Oh, Bologue..."
Palmer actually wiped his eyes, but Bologue clearly saw that this guy wasn’t crying, this bastard was faking it! He must have known the situation, misleading the others.
Bologue wanted to loudly denounce all of this, but still couldn’t resist these people’s self-touched sentiments.
Aimou was the first to hug him, offering Bologue care, then Hart, feeling the muscle motion, Bologue thought he was going to be squeezed to death, Church also leaned over, placing a hand on Bologue...
Soon, in the ward, everyone was in a group hug, Bologue in the center, amidst everyone’s emotions, looking bewildered and dazed, as if he shouldn’t have been here.