Chapter 87: The Last 'Farewell'

[One Hour Ago · Eastern Beach of the Island]

Tian Dao Siming’s fingertip hovered toward the distant Star Monument, the dark abyss of Hei Cang slicing through the air. It pierced the protective barrier of the monument with surgical precision, then struck its core.

Crack. Crack.

A cascade of sharp, brittle sounds echoed across the sea.

The Star Monument, stationed just offshore and endlessly summoning hordes of Stellar Beasts, instantly cracked open—its surface now spiderwebbed with fissures.

Moments later—

BOOM!!

A deafening explosion ripped through the air.

The Star Monument erupted into a dazzling firework of light, briefly illuminating the entire Ember Island, shrouded under storm-laden clouds.

"Done," Tian Dao said, brushing imaginary sand from his hands, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

But the smile vanished in an instant.

His expression froze—something had just occurred to him.

He stared at the calm sea before him, his sapphire eyes flickering with an unreadable depth.

Ah… I wonder how long it’ll take Kalolin to wake up. If only…

The thought surfaced—then immediately dismissed.

He shook his head with a wry laugh.

Because he knew just how naive that wish was.

Unless he forcibly dragged Kalolin from the Quantum Center, there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

And if he could do that, he wouldn’t have come this far.

With a quiet sigh, Tian Dao turned and vanished into the rain-soaked forest.

In the end… I should just say goodbye to her first.

Even if…

She probably can’t hear me anymore.

As Tian Dao disappeared into the trees, the camera on 13 Station’s Embers drama feed slowly pulled back.

What remained of the once-pristine eastern beach was now a blood-soaked hellscape.

Thousands of Stellar Beast corpses littered the sand in grotesque, twisted poses.

The stench of blood mingled with the rotting odor of dead sea creatures—creating a sickening, nauseating miasma.

Among the carnage, the evidence of Tian Dao’s merciless efficiency was undeniable:

- A colossal sea turtle, its skull blown apart by a single punch, half of its upper body slumped against a coconut tree.

- A saber-toothed shark, its chest torn open into a perfect, circular Kong hole, frozen mid-charge.

- A Stellar Beast reduced to scattered fragments—like a shattered puzzle, utterly unrecognizable.

Though the drama feed had cut away to other battlefronts after Tian Dao obliterated the second-level Sea Wolf Turtle, this gruesome scene remained—proof of his godlike power.

And now, after witnessing Chen Xing’s team barely holding on, constantly on the brink of defeat, the contrast was even more staggering.

> “Is this… the legendary ‘One Man Army’?!” (Pupil dilation)

> “Chen Xing: Are we even playing the same map?!”

> “Stop tagging us, man! That’s Tian Dao—the invincible one!”

> “While we’re struggling on the front lines, someone’s already dancing in the enemy’s fountain, watching their base explode.”

> “Tian Dao: You guys keep fighting—I’m just going to go get a snack… I mean, finish off the boss.”

> “Meanwhile, a new player is trembling in fear.”

> “Did anyone else catch that flicker of sadness on Tian Dao’s face? I’ve got a bad feeling…”

> “Shut up, I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”

As Tian Dao walked away from the beach, the screen transitioned like a cinematic cut—swiping into the holographic calculation room beneath the base, deep within the Quantum Center.

Tian Dao stood before Kalolin’s Quantum Calculation Pod, the room alive with shimmering silver quantum streams, pulsing through the data cables that encircled him. The flickering light danced across his face—alternating between shadow and glow.

Inside the pod, Kalolin wore a custom-designed cybernetic tactical suit. Special quantum data cables were plugged into the signal ports at her back and nape.

Her once light green hair had transformed entirely—now a silvery white, identical to Tian Dao’s.

The reason?

Her hair wasn’t hair at all.

Each strand was, in truth, a delicate, ultra-fine quantum data filament.

When quantum data surged at super-speed, the calm green hue turned into a wild, electric silver—explaining the transformation.

And though this silver-haired state was rare…

Tian Dao had seen it before—most recently when Kalolin, that stubborn fool, had believed she was dying in Deep Blue Metropolis, and activated her cybernetic Overdrive mode.

Thinking of it, Tian Dao couldn’t help but smile.

Because not just anyone could fool a genius-level AI—especially not Kalolin, a prodigy among machines.

On that point, he had to admit… he was impressed with himself.

After a brief moment of pride, Tian Dao pulled over a chair and sat quietly beside the pod. With the final moments ticking away, he began his daily routine—his usual “work report.”

And though he’d never admit it out loud…

The silver-haired Kalolin really did feel like his perfect partner.

“Kalolin, you wouldn’t believe it—Ruli pulled another stunt today. She—”

He paused mid-sentence.

The screen abruptly shifted into a memory sequence—like a flickering carousel of the past.

The memories began from the very first day Kalolin entered the Quantum Calculation Pod.

In the grainy, monochrome flashes of memory, we see Tian Dao, night after night, quietly standing before her pod.

He’d talk—just to fill the silence.

About the day’s absurd little events:

Jing Ruli, flying erratically, suddenly smashing into a pillar. Furious, she nearly tore it down—only to be stopped and scolded by Yun Meng, who pointed at her head and lectured her like a child.

Or Chen Xing, foolishly challenging him to a duel—only to be effortlessly crushed.

But in the memories, Tian Dao spoke little.

Because the truth was—there was nothing new to say.

The same quiet, uneventful routine had been his life for over a month.

So more often than not, he just sat there—silent, watching her inside the pod.

Yet, no matter how dull the day, he showed up—every single night.

And slowly… the words faded.

The silence grew.

As if he’d already known what was coming.

As the memory carousel spun across the screen, the audience on 13 Station fell into silence.

Because though Tian Dao in the memories seemed unchanged—always smiling, always confident—

They could now see it.

The hidden truth.

The quiet, hidden face of loneliness.

The man who claimed to be the strongest, who ruled the heavens and earth—

Even he… was afraid of being alone.

The screen snapped back to reality.

“So, Kalolin,” Tian Dao continued, grinning, “I told you—Ruli will never make it in business.”

“She can’t even do simple math under 100. Yet she’s always babbling about becoming the world’s richest woman. What a dreamer! Just daydreaming too hard, I swear.”

He chuckled—then froze.

A shrill, piercing alarm shattered the air.

Red emergency lights flooded the underground base.

Cold, mechanical voices echoed through the metal corridors.

> [WARNING. WARNING. Unidentified Stellar Envoy detected entering the premises.]

> [Per Yujin Base Security Protocol, Defense Mode: Infinite Labyrinth activated. All units, adhere strictly to Yujin Base Safety Rules. Evacuate intruder immediately.]

Tian Dao stared at the crimson-lit Quantum Center—his expression hardening.

He placed his hands on his knees and slowly rose.

“Kalolin,” he said, voice calm, “I’ve got so much more I want to tell you… but the guests have arrived.”

“So I should go welcome them properly.”

“Normally, this would be Yun Meng’s job. But I told Doctor—Yun Meng? She doesn’t even understand the essence of hospitality.”

“So I took it upon myself.”

“After all, when it comes to hosting… I’ve got far more experience than she does.”

“Honestly? It’s better this way.”

With that, Tian Dao pulled out an old, weathered dolphin plushie from his pocket.

He placed it beside the pink dolphin plushie—half a meter tall—on the stand next to the pod.

The camera lingered on the two: one new, one old, one large, one small.

A silent moment. A quiet message.

“Kalolin,” he said softly, “I don’t know how long this reception will last. But in case anything unexpected happens…”

“I came back and brought this little thing with me—your room.”

“So when you wake up… you’ll see it right away.”

He lifted the necklace around his neck—the one Kalolin had given him: Deep Blue Melody—and smiled, confident.

“Alright, Kalolin. I’ve said everything I needed to.”

“Now… it’s time for me to go greet our guests.”

“Don’t worry. With your charm bracelet on me, even in the darkest night, I won’t lose my way.”

“And if you wake up… and don’t see me…”

“Don’t panic.”

“Because I’m not gone. I’m just… delayed.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“So… goodbye, my best partner.”

He gently placed the necklace back in place, turned, and walked out of the Quantum Center’s holographic calculation room.

Alone, Kalolin remained—still, silent, inside her pod.

But unseen by Tian Dao—

At the very moment he stepped out…

A single finger on her hand twitched.

And that small movement told the truth.

After 50 days in the Quantum Space,

Kalolin’s consciousness was no longer far from returning to Reality.

—

PS:

Today’s update is complete.

The missed chapter has been added to the cumulative monthly bonus for Fat Tiger.

Current total monthly tickets: 5,300 → counted as 5,500.

That’s 11 bonus chapters already queued.

Clarification: Monthly ticket bonuses and alliance leader bonuses are not paid out daily.

They are all completed within the same month.

Total bonus chapters needed this month: 12

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end