Absolute Choice
Absolute Choice - Chapter 463: The sudden appearance of despair

"Lalalalalalala..."

It was a prelude that was being hummed, but even so, the instant the voice that had yet to become a song sounded, many miracles had already happened.

Earthbound Yaksha felt a divine aura that it deeply hated ever since the beginning of its existence. Countless ear-piercing screeches constantly resounded in its ears as it suddenly found its body extremely heavy. It was as though dozens of invisible chains had restrained its body in an ever-tightening fashion. It made the Earthbound Yaksha find it harder to breathe. Its strength seemed to be decreasing bit by bit.

Mu Yuesheng, Pulp Farmer, Liu Yu, and Feng Yuanlin, who had been suppressed by Earthbound Yaksha's 'Soul Suppression' suddenly felt relief from the pressure on their bodies. The combat apprehension that repressed their souls had vanished as an invisible strength seemed to surge into their bodies from the world. Their frailty was quickly removed.

Sunless felt that her fatigue was wearing away at an extremely fast speed as her blood began to boil. More and more energy filled her every cell as the sword in her hand emitted a delightful sword hum.

Speechless was immediately awakened from his dazed state. He had been blessed by the melody both physically and mentally, but unlike the other rookies, he didn't feel much joy. Without needing to turn his head, he could already guess whose voice it was.

As for the others, they spontaneously turned their heads towards the origins of the voice, and together, they widened their eyes in astonishment.

The bespectacled silver-haired girl was standing on the ground and gracefully extending her arms out. Her eyes were closed and with her pink lips opened, she sang with deep emotions. Even though it was a simple 'lalala...", but the 'miracle' that was created by that melodious voice, tune and timber had already hinted at her special identity.

"Mu Lengxi..."

"She's actually a Muse!?"

A Muse was an extremely rare job class in the human world. It was different from singers who used their voice to entertain people. The melody sung by Muses could create 'miracles'. Depending on the song, it would result in different miraculous effects.

Muses could be said to be a teammate that every professional hero team yearned to have on the team. They were talents coveted by armies of various nations, and they were a humanoid weapon that could affect an entire war.

Muses was such a rare and treasured existence.

The group never expected that they would encounter a 'Muse' during the organization rookie selection. Muses were special talents that any organization would protect with utmost secrecy, but what surprised them even more was that Mu Lengxi, whom they had mistaken as a 'mute', actually could produce such an endearing voice.

Liu Yu stammered, "A miracle of the world of magic, a treasured Muse...What sort of monsters are this year's rookies?"

However, the true shock had yet to begin because after Mu Lengxi finished singing the 'lalala' prelude, she belted out the first line to the lyrics that was raw with emotion, allowing her to fully express the miracle of a muse!

"I walk through this relentless downpour!"

This was the first line to the lyrics that was the calmest, but it blew the minds of everyone!

The energy that surged into their bodies, with their fatigue and pain subsiding, they were filled with boiling fighting spirit and courage. Everything was qualitatively different from the 'lalala' prelude.

"That's...Muse Silvermoon's 'Last Stardust'!"

That was a miraculous song widely known by many. Therefore, the moment music-loving Feng Yuanlin heard the first line, he was able to name the song.

To the rookies on the verge of collapse, Mu Lengxi's voice had undoubtedly created a miracle. It combined energy, fighting spirit and healing as one, giving them the ability to continue fighting.

But to Earthbound Yaksha, the song was like a devil's curse, or the judgment of an angel. It was suffering in torment and it did not want to endure it another moment!

"Die!"

Earthbound Yaksha was inordinately furious as it charged towards Mu Lengxi.

"Protect the Muse!"

That was a classic phrase often shouted in battle. And at this moment, it was shouted by Speechless.

Pulp Farmer and company had long understood that the Muse would become the focused target of the enemy and had already started to approach where Mu Lengxi was.

As Mu Lengxi's song gave them resolute battle will, Earthbound Yaksha's 'Soul Suppression' was finally unable to bind them again.

Pulp Farmer, Liu Yu, Mu Yuesheng, and Feng Yuanlin timely obstructed Earthbound Yaksha. Finally, they were no longer powerless to do battle.

Speechless heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that. He turned his head and wanted to tell Sunless to take the opportunity to kill Field Marshal Awesomo, but he saw that she had already taken action.

When Earthbound Yaksha charged forward with complete disregard of anything, it had left Field Marshal Awesomo alone. Sunless had immediately grabbed the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Field Marshal Awesomo, who had turned fearful from the beatings, fumbled to escape, but he was quickly caught. Once again, he holed up like a turtle in defense while covering his head. He constantly shouted 'save me' to Earthbound Yaksha. His pathetic appearance made it impossible to think that he was a Level Lord.

When Earthbound Yaksha saw the situation, it hesitated for a moment. It did not dare to violate the orders of the Excellency, so it was prepared to turn back to save Field Marshal Awesomo.

Speechless had already charged over.

"Hold it back!"

With forces coming from the front and back, Earthbound Yaksha was repressed by Mu Lengxi's melody. Its 'Soul Suppression' was no longer effective and it was really trapped by the five rookies in its original spot.

...

Mu Lengxi was immersed in her own world. When she closed her eyes to sing, she needed to devote all her feelings to create the 'miracle of a muse'.

"I walk through this relentless downpour!"

"With my drenched and trembling shoulders!"

People who heard it imagined themselves in a relentless downpour, and how their thinly-clad bodies were being drenched in the rain. Their shoulders trembled because of the cold, but even so, they still walked on resolutely.

Was she expressing the need to be 'resolute'?

"Towards the ends of my ideals!"

"And with worn out tiny hands!"

"Pick up the faded memories!"

"Cover up my hollow heart!"

When one's heart reached the ends of one's ideals, please recall the budding past. Even if that pair of tiny hands was hurt while working hard to climb upwards, recall the beautiful memories that had faded until one's heart is filled.

Was she expressing that 'courage' was needed to pursue one's ideals?

"The things called love and sympathy!"

"I do not mind abandoning them all!"

"If that's the price for retrieving the things that I've lost!"

Abandon all love and sympathy so as to retrieve one's conviction.

Was she expressing the need to be 'adamant'?

"Even if my fate is to be covered in scars!"

"My heart will continue emanating vibrant colors!"

Ah, so she was not supposed to sing. That was because the power of a Muse came from the 'Sacred Sound'. However, her 'Sacred Sound' was too special. Every time she used the power of the 'Sacred Sound', it would cause its deterioration. Eventually, the 'Sacred Sound' will not be under her control. Therefore, even ordinary speech would result in the 'Sacred Sound' from rampaging, causing harm to people around her.

That was the truth to why she did not speak.

In fact, all she needed to do was not sing or become a muse.

But...But every time she saw injured or despondent people, she could not help but feel the need to use her voice to give them strength and encouragement.

It was because she was a muse, so she wanted to create 'miracles'.

Even if her fate was to be covered in scars, her heart would continue emanating vibrant colors.

"This is my last stardust reaching for the sky!"

"Dust to dust, ash to ash!"

"Beyond the sky!"

"My fragments of dreams!"

"Please head towards eternity!"

If her voice could eventually become the last stardust, even if it was dust to dust, ash to ash, she would continue heading towards the sky of her ideals, singing out with her voice.

She was an eternal Muse, even though she would become an eternal mute because of her injuries.

Silvermoon's song!

Please head towards eternity!

...

Mu Lengxi's song had created a 'miracle', reversing what was a battle that was already doomed to despair.

A glimmer of hope bloomed from her song.

Earthbound Yaksha's strength was restricted by the song, while it was completely restrained by Speechless and company. It was left motionless for a moment.

Field Marshal Awesomo, who was covering his head in defense, was finally not lucky like previously. This was because Sunless had gained additional strength from the song. This tiny bit of excess allowed her to tip the scales.

An azure storm that was more intense and violent than any that preceded it!

Field Marshal Awesomo yelled tragically. Once an opening was created in his defense, it would result in his collapse. The sword beams that were filled with killing intent slashed at his body incessantly, and his recovery abilities were unable to keep up with the damage. His body was also constantly reducing in size, until all that was left was the head with the bull horns.

Earthbound Yaksha roared angrily, but Speechless was a tough foe to begin with. Mu Lengxi's song had also drastically reduced its combat strength, and with Pulp Farmer's domineering spear techniques, Feng Yuanlin's relentless shield bashes, Liu Yu's cunning incantations, as well as Mu Yuesheng's high-voltage bolt strikes that were unstable in strength which made it even harder to deal with. Earthbound Yaksha was already unable to fend for itself, so it no longer had the time to bother about Field Marshal Awesomo, who had been diced to the point of only having a head left.

"Save me! Spare me please! I beg of you, don't kill me!"

Field Marshal Awesomo pleaded in a hysterical manner.

However, Sunless would not show any signs of pity because of that, nor would she hesitate in any way. There was no other reason—if Field Marshal Awesomo did not die, Shi Xiaobai could very likely die.

To Sunless, a hundred million Field Marshal Awesomos were nothing compared to a hair on Shi Xiaobai.

Her eyes were ice-cold as she thrust her sword straight towards Field Marshal Awesomo's head!

But at that moment, a hoarse voice suddenly echoed gently.

"That's as far as it will go."

A calm voice with very simple words was like a film director shouting 'cut'. The battle that was ongoing came to a complete and sudden halt.

Mu Lengxi's voice came to a halt.

Sunless' thrust of her sword came to a stop as her body could no longer move at all.

Speechless, Pulp Farmer, Liu Yu, Feng Yuanlin, and Mu Yuesheng, who were engaging in battle with Earthbound Yaksha, felt their bodies completely stiffen at the same moment. They were like ice-sculptures that had been frozen.

"The game is over."

The hoarse voice sounded once again. This time, the group managed to see its true form—a shadow on the ground.

However, it was not an ordinary shadow because it had reached out seven of its snake-like shadow arms to grab the shadows of Sunless and company.

"It took a little bit of time, but all of your shadows have been caught by me. In other words, all of your consciousnesses have been imprisoned by me and all of you are no longer able to control your bodies. Therefore, the game should be ending."

The strange shadow said in a cold voice, "But before the game ends, I will tell you a few cruel facts."

"Firstly, killing Field Marshal Awesomo would not disable the 'God Slaughtering Formation' because that was a lie to begin with. Field Marshal Awesomo is not the formation core of the 'God Slaughtering Formation'. Killing him would be useless. The true core of the formation is hidden somewhere none of you can find, so it's impossible to destroy the 'God Slaughtering Formation'. The two people you want to save are certainly doomed."

"Secondly, I'm the Level Lord of the ninth level. The Excellency has sent three Level Lords to kill you. Although the Excellency did it for fun in the beginning, the Excellency is now determined to kill all of you. Therefore, all of you are doomed regardless of anything."

"Thirdly, the final escape method of the 'exit command' has been disabled by the Excellency. The Excellency had gone to great ends to use an inordinate amount of authority to ensure that all of you would be killed, so there is nothing to regret from dying under such circumstances."

"Last of all, all of you can still survive for a little longer because Earthbound Yaksha and I do not have any interest when it comes to killing humans, but unfortunately, the stupid bull that you have been abusing cruelly is a psychopath. When his body is completely healed, all of you will die so terribly that even I cannot imagine it."

The calm but cold voice depicted the cruel truth.

Field Marshal Awesomo, who was taking form and was about to reconstruct his body, indicated their cruel future.

The hope that had just descended upon them was so easily shattered, revealing the true nature of despair. IChooseDogLeading (我选择狗带) when read in Chinese sounds like I Choose Go Die. It was a meme that resulted from a former member of famous Korean boygroup, EXO, TAO (Huang Zitao). At a concert, there was a part in a rap that where he said "", but due to a mispronunciation, it sounded like he will not easily choose to be led by dogs. This phrase now means 'I'd rather die/I choose death'.