Chapter 700: I Guess I Could Be Called Heartless Now

Crack, crack, crack—

Lynn's blood-soaked hand finally slowly withdrew from his own chest cavity, pulling out that still-beating heart.

A torrent of scarlet blood gushed from his mouth, but he still stared fixedly ahead.

"If you accept this proposal, we can still be friends, because it was the Colossus's Heart that gave me my life."

"But if you don't, then we'll tear things apart right here. What I want to keep, I'll take by force. If I can't keep it even after fighting with my life, then we'll both go down together."

The purple light pulsed.

Like tiny violet buds blooming in the dark void.

Those gentle veins seemed to whisper of lethal danger.

Those silver pupils stared fixedly at him, especially the moment the outline of that pupil-less eye manifested on his body, causing it to tremble uncontrollably all over.

"Just what are you...?"

"What..."

Lynn still gazed at it the same as before, gasping as he wiped the blood from his lips and said:

"Lynn. Just a fallen human."

Those silver pupils quivered slightly, as if a thousand ancient legends flashed through its mind all at once, that pulsing violet light like a soft whisper calling forth an ancient name.

It didn't know what connection existed between them.

But even to it, the presence's dignity sent waves of unease through its being.

And finally, its gaze settled from the turmoil. It stared deeply at Lynn and said:

"But do you know what you're doing? I can tell you, I do have the ability to transplant her consciousness over. But after losing my heart's vessel, even if you don't die, the weight of two consciousnesses pressing down on you will create an unimaginable burden. You need to understand, the consciousness born from the Colossus can't be borne by an ordinary shell!"

Lynn clutched his chest, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, gasped, but still let out a weak smile.

"No, it won't be long. Because you can't escape. After you fall again, I'll borrow the Colossus's Heart back from you. Then I'll show you what gentle care really means."

"Heh, I'm best at nurturing those who suffer."

Those silver pupils narrowed sharply, ice-cold as they said:

"Arrogant blather!"

Without another word, that figure instantly dissolved into fine streams of light, sweeping countless pages across the entire void, converging into a massive vortex high above.

That was the torrent of consciousness, the physical manifestation of the Colossus's hyper-dimensional link!

Lynn raised his head, standing on the ethereal violet magic circle, watching from afar.

They were both smart people.

He knew the Colossus's Brain wouldn't choose to tear things apart with him at this moment. And he also knew you had to show enough power to make the other party wary before they'd be willing to negotiate calmly.

It had the same arrogance and contempt as those roots and gods. But likewise, Lynn could feel from it the same twilight years as Sir Aiwen.

They were all stragglers at the end of their civilizations.

And they would absolutely never let themselves sink into another pit before that final moment.

Lynn also knew it would make a desperate leap today. Because he had long understood from Sir Aiwen: the towering Colossus, at the moment of its failure, had already planned its moment of re-ascent. It never lost heart, never could be defeated. Unlike Sir Aiwen's lostness, unlike the God of All Machines' scheming...

It was the kind that could ruthlessly dismember itself for the goal in its heart!

No one could stop it.

Rumble—

Thousands of pages swirled like a storm, and that golden cocoon bound by chains slowly peeled open.

He saw that black-haired loli being drawn out like silk from a cocoon by that invisible force, extracted strand by strand from the knowledge-wrapped chrysalis. Her eyes were closed, long black hair covering her entire body. She was like a newborn baby just emerged from the womb, pure and beautiful.

Humm—

Suddenly, pain like burning fire surged over him.

Lynn looked down and saw the dense, unreadable Colossus script appearing on his arm like scarred runes.

And with those words came an immediate clarity in his connection and bond with Zuo Zuo.

She...

Would completely belong to him now.

Which meant, from this moment on, Zuo Zuo would no longer exist as the Colossus's Heart, but as a pure consciousness, returning to his side, becoming his little helper once more.

Yeah.

He had understood long ago: the "It" in the Colossus's Brain's words, and the "her" in his own, were never the same person.

What it wanted was the civilization's traditions and imprints represented by the Colossus's Heart. What he wanted was only that more human branch left behind through long years.

And those who truly confused them, who refused to admit the truth—they were the ones deceiving themselves, living in a dream they themselves had woven, pathetic souls who couldn't escape.

Lynn immediately rushed over, reaching out to catch Zuo Zuo's drifting body.

He watched her trembling, sorrowful eyelashes.

She must be heartbroken.

Because he really had never truly asked her, had arrogantly made the decision for her.

She actually wanted to stay by his side, didn't want to become that lofty controller of the Colossus.

Lynn took a deep breath and hugged the girl in his arms tightly.

Afraid that if he was careless even once...

She would drift away from him like a leaf.

"From now on, we're done with each other, no debts left between us. But you can still keep the authority the Colossus's Heart left in your flesh. I don't think we'll ever meet again."

That ethereal voice rumbled above him.

And in the outside world, the heart he had dug from his own chest vanished from his hand, dissolving into specks of light.

His chest still bled.

But he truly wasn't the ordinary person he used to be. Even without a heart, he wouldn't die so quickly.

But at least now...

He could be called heartless, couldn't he?

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forcefully lifted Zuo Zuo's body. Within the flickering purple light, staggering step by step along the bridge, he walked outward.

And with the convergence of the Colossus's Brain and the Colossus's Heart, that massive force caused the entire space to collapse. Countless structures crumbled around him.

But it wouldn't end like this.

Lynn knew.

It absolutely couldn't escape this hell. Because it had never seen true terror.

...

ps: Nor had it seen that little one with white hair and silver pupils...

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