The large bus lay silently in the valley, its body wedged in the crevice of the mountains. It was mostly buried under the fallen rocks, with only a portion exposed, casting a dusty yellow hue in the cold moonlight. The windows were shattered, and with each gust of wind, a mournful sound, reminiscent of ghostly cries, echoed as it penetrated the broken glass.
Lu Yuan stood there, staring blankly at the scene before him, his mind a complete void. When the bus had lost control and overturned on the mountain road initially, he had blacked out due to the intense impact. Upon waking up, he found himself in the midst of a dense forest, unable to locate his companions after searching for a long time. How could the wreckage of the bus suddenly appear here?
Lu Yuan repeatedly confirmed that his eyes weren’t deceiving him, but his heart couldn’t help but accelerate. Subconsciously, he moved forward to assess the situation, only to inadvertently step into thin air. It was then that he realized he was standing at the edge of a cliff. Quickly retracting, he frantically searched the military backpack in the equipment box.
The old professor, who was in the midst of excavating origin stones, instinctively halted his digging and inquired, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Yuan pulled out a bundle of ropes from his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. Coming up with a hasty excuse, he replied in a rushed tone, “It’s nothing. I accidentally dropped my stuff down there. I’ll go pick it up and be right back.”
After finishing his explanation, he found a sturdy ancient tree at the edge of the valley. He wound the rope around the trunk, tying a secure knot. After giving it a strong tug to ensure its stability, he activated his flashlight and, using the rope for support, slowly descended into the valley.
The valley wasn’t too deep, and the length of the rope was just sufficient. In no time, he reached the bottom. Lu Yuan stumbled forward in the darkness, his impatience nearly causing him to trip. After some time, he finally arrived at the wreckage of the bus.
As he approached the mangled remains of the bus, just a step away from the vehicle, Lu Yuan gradually halted. He aimed his flashlight at the long-abandoned and deformed bus, suddenly feeling a hesitation to get too close.
He wasn’t sure what he was afraid of.
Memories, or perhaps death…
Lu Yuan felt his heart pounding, and his palms became sticky with cold sweat. Step by step, he approached, struggling to pry open the badly damaged rear door of the bus. Holding up the flashlight, he bent down and crawled inside. However, when he illuminated the interior with the faint light, he saw a motionless corpse of a man lying on the ground, long cold.
“Clang—!”
The flashlight in Lu Yuan’s hand dropped to the ground, emitting a muffled sound.
Lu Yuan’s pupils constricted, and almost in a panic, he crawled and scrambled to reach the side of the lifeless body. Anxiously, he reached out to check the man’s breath and pulse. However, this man had long lost any signs of life—whether it was the cold body temperature or the still heart, every indicator pointed to the undeniable fact that he had been dead for quite some time, yet there was an inexplicable absence of decay.
A chill ran down Lu Yuan’s spine. Subconsciously, he searched the other corners of the bus compartment, hoping to find any other passengers. However, the surroundings were eerily empty—no other living souls, and no additional corpses.
The young man lying on the floor had a handsome face, features finely chiseled, and appeared to be in his mid-twenties at most. He wore an expensive suit, and his fingertips were long and pristine. Despite the absence of life, it was evident that he had been a refined and meticulous individual in his lifetime.
There was a frozen blood clot on the forehead, a fatal injury likely caused by the accident.
Not far from the body lay a pair of shattered gold-rimmed glasses, the frame twisted out of shape. They happened to be wedged under a seat, with a plastic sign reading “Reserved for Elderly, Disabled, and Pregnant” hanging precariously on the wall nearby, covered in delicate spiderwebs and dust.
Upon seeing this, Lu Yuan approached and picked up the pair of gold-rimmed glasses. After carefully comparing them to the man lying on the ground, memories flooded into his mind. Suddenly, he recalled that this visitor was also a member of the tour group.
Ever since Lu Yuan entered the mountains for the tour, he had been feeling a bit under the weather. During the bus ride, he had spent half the time dozing off and hadn’t really paid attention to the appearances of the other tourists. However, he vaguely remembered a man in a suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, seated across from him by the window. The man had exuded an air of refinement and sophistication, a stark contrast to the rugged mountain scenery, leaving a lasting impression on Lu Yuan.
Little did he expect that the man had met such a tragic end…
A myriad of emotions surged within Lu Yuan. He closed his eyes, remained silent for a while, and eventually, without uttering a word, neatly folded the shattered glasses. Gently, he placed them into the pocket of the man’s jacket. Retrieving the flashlight, he carefully moved the body out of the bus.
Lu Yuan had been in the Zerg Race for quite some time, judging by the accumulated dust on the bus. It was evident that they had fallen into this alternate dimension almost simultaneously, at least three months ago. However, for reasons unknown, the body of this unfamiliar man had yet to decay, maintaining the appearance he had in life.
Chinese tradition places importance on a proper burial for peace in the afterlife. Although Lu Yuan and the man were strangers, he couldn’t bear to leave the body exposed in the wilderness.
Lu Yuan took out a military shovel from his backpack and directly found a suitable spot to bury the man. Along with all the scattered modern items from the bus, he covered the man in the soil. In the process, he discovered the man’s wallet, containing an ID card with neatly written characters:
Han Yan.
Presumably, that was the man’s name.
Unfortunately, the conditions here were limited, and there was no way to erect a tombstone. Lu Yuan filled the last handful of soil into the makeshift grave, as if burying his own past.
Nearby, a small, unknown blue flower grew under his hand. Its branches gently swayed in the moonlight, emitting a mysterious blue glow. Simple and tranquil, it lacked the vibrant beauty of a rose but exuded a gentle and amiable aura.
Lu Yuan found the flower beautiful and gently plucked it, placing it in his jacket pocket. He intended to give it to Yusto later. After burying the body of the fellow human, he searched the surroundings once more but found no other tourists.
This discovery brought both relief and concern. He was relieved at the possibility that the remaining tourists might still be alive, but worried that they might have perished farther away, their bodies undiscovered by him.
Lu Yuan took one last look at the site before turning away, climbing back up the slope along the rope. He couldn’t destroy the bus; it had to remain at the bottom of the valley, gradually succumbing to the elements.
By the time Lu Yuan ascended the valley, dawn was approaching. The professors had finally uncovered the origin stone they were searching for. A completely black stone lay silently amid the rose bushes, its rugged and hard exterior still clinging to traces of soil. This stark contrast between the ugly, hardened body of the stone and the soft, vibrant flowers created a vivid scene. Paradoxically, it was this origin stone that nurtured the millions of square kilometers of rose fields.
The stone was over two meters tall, and after several professors used instruments to cut it for a while, they finally revealed the golden core inside. The core was about the size of a human head, and though it was heavy when lifted, it was the source of all the pollution.
The old professor, enduring the discomfort brought about by the polluted energy, struggled to lift the core. However, Lu Yuan was one step ahead, taking it from him. Lu Yuan showed no reaction to the stone, feeling only a slight weight. In the process, it inadvertently tugged at the wound on his back, prompting him to ask, “Where should we place this core?”
Upon hearing this, the old professor quickly opened the instrument box and retrieved a special white isolation container. He entered a password, unlocking layer by layer until a strong cold air emanated from within, instantly lowering the temperature around them. “Don’t touch the core for too long. Quickly put it in for containment!”
Lu Yuan followed the instructions and placed the core inside. As he withdrew his hand, chilled by the extremely low temperature inside the box, the old professor made a clicking sound, sealing the isolation box. He swiftly manipulated the electronic display to lock it, initiating a permanent containment state.
Once the old professor completed everything, he sighed with relief, collapsing to the ground as if drained of strength. “Once we bring this box back to the research base, the mission will be accomplished. We’ve finally lived up to the expectations of the Zerg Emperor.”
Curious, Lu Yuan touched the box. “This box can isolate pollution energy, right? Why do we have to take it back?”
The old professor shook his head. “While this box can isolate 99% of pollution energy, it can only contain it for a maximum of fifty years. After fifty years, it becomes ineffective and must be brought back to the base for processing.”
Just as Lu Yuan was about to respond, the ground suddenly trembled. In the distance, countless birds in the dense forest took flight, and the entire rose field seemed to be swept by a gust of wind. Petals flew into the sky one after another, and the roses rapidly withered at an alarming speed.
The old professor’s expression changed. “Not good! We must have disturbed the forest environment by extracting the origin stone. Quickly leave this place and meet up with the main force!”
Fearful of unforeseen consequences, they didn’t even bother to pick up their instruments. Holding the box, they hurriedly ran back. Lu Yuan, clearing a path through the flower field, thought he heard someone calling his name from a distance, but the voice was too faint to discern clearly.
“Lu Yuan—!”
“Lu Yuan—!”
It was Yusto’s voice!
Lu Yuan strained to identify the source of the voice and finally spotted a figure in white military attire at the edge of the flower field. His heart raced uncontrollably, and he immediately quickened his pace, running towards Yusto.
The tens of thousands of square kilometers of rose fields were rapidly withering. As Lu Yuan passed through, his clothes stirred up a flurry of petals with each step.
New life often accompanies death. With the complete containment of the polluted origin stone, the life that had once rooted here ceased to exist, sacrificed to ensure the continuity of the land beneath his feet.
And all we can do is rush to the flowering season before the roses wither.
By now, a faint light had appeared on the horizon, and a red sun slowly rose from behind the mountains. It seemed to blow a gentle breath into the pitch-black night sky, causing the darkness to recede like a tide. Only a vast expanse of tender blue remained, intertwining with the golden sunlight, delicately witnessing the shower of roses falling like confetti.
Lu Yuan ran as fast as he could, the rushing wind filling his ears. Yusto seemed to have noticed him and was rapidly flying in his direction. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter until, unable to brake in time, they collided heavily. Then, with laughter, they embraced tightly.
Lu Yuan suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of joy, an indescribable happiness. He hugged Yusto tightly and, like petting a cat, vigorously rubbed his furry head. Overjoyed, he exclaimed, “We did it, Yusto! We succeeded!”
They had finally reached the heart of the forest, and they had successfully extracted the origin stone, resolving the latent danger that had lingered over Salaranfa for thousands of years.
Yusto held Lu Yuan tightly, not wanting to let go for a moment. Only when that previously unsettled heart had finally found peace did he release his embrace. With a smile, he asked, “Did we really extract the origin stone?”
Lu Yuan, in response, loosened his grip and turned to look behind him. Pointing at the professors who were panting as they rushed towards them, he said, “The origin stone core is in the box, already sealed.”
After speaking, he seemed to remember something, lowered his head, and reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a flattened, unknown blue flower and handed it to Yusto with a casual gesture. “A gift for you.”
Yusto was puzzled. “What is this?”
Lu Yuan, seeing him unmoving, deftly arranged the flower into the semblance of a ring. He gently placed it on Yusto’s ring finger and said with a half-serious, half-joking tone, “It’s your engagement gift.”
Yusto, surprised, asked, “Are you proposing to me? Before we even graduate?”
Lu Yuan thought, to hell with graduation; finding the right person was more important. He simply took Yusto’s hand and walked towards the direction of the resting area for the troops. With determination, he declared, “No more waiting, we’re getting married as soon as we get back!”
Upon hearing this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Yusto’s lips, but he quickly suppressed it, clearing his throat and pretending to disdain, “You said you were going to give me a gift, and you end up using a smashed flower to appease me.”
Lu Yuan replied, “It’s the thought that counts, ever heard of that?”
Yusto snorted, “Actually, I haven’t.”
Nevertheless, he allowed Lu Yuan to lead him forward, and they met General Saphir, who then dispatched a few soldiers to assist the professors.
At that moment, the wounded soldiers in the troop were resting under the trees. Perhaps due to the sealing of the origin stone, their mental state seemed to have improved significantly. Additionally, there was a battered zerg sitting on the ground, tinkering with his camera. Surprisingly, it was Maos, the journalist. It was said that he had been severely beaten by the soldiers for being too annoying.
Lu Yuan had initially considered giving him another kick, but seeing the current state of Maos, he abandoned the idea. He frowned and asked Yusto, “Can zergs like him become journalists too?”
Yusto continued to toy with the flower in his hand, and with a hint of sarcasm, he remarked, “He’s not just a journalist; he’s the most famous journalist in the Empire. It’s said that there’s nothing in the world he doesn’t know, and no news he can’t uncover.”
General Saphir, initially delighted when he heard that Maos was willing to join the troops in entering the forest, had now regretted the decision. It turned out that Maos was the type to prioritize news over his own life. General Saphir was likely regretting his choice deeply.
Lu Yuan clearly didn’t believe it. “Probably just bragging.”
Yusto didn’t want to discuss Maos any further. He nudged Lu Yuan with his arm and asked with a furrowed brow, “What kind of flower is this? I’ve never seen it before.”
Lu Yuan was about to respond when Maos, who had been playing with his camera on the side, suddenly spoke up, “It’s a Sorrow Flower.”
After uttering those words, he lifted his camera and snapped a picture of the “ring” on Yusto’s hand. This action prompted Lu Yuan to lift his leg and kick at Maos, who agilely dodged the attack, saying, “Hey, I didn’t lie to you. This is really a Sorrow Flower.”
In the zerg dictionary, “Sorrow” represented the soul.
Lu Yuan furrowed his eyebrows tightly, looking as if he could crush a fly. “How do you know this?”
Maos, looking smug, replied, “This kind of flower is extremely rare and precious. It’s said to allow the soul to rest, symbolizing rebirth and abandoning the past. It only appeared in ‘Interstellar Botanical History’ and has been extinct for many years… How did you find it?”
Lu Yuan didn’t answer him directly but instead asked skeptically, “Are you sure this flower is very rare?”
Maos nodded, saying, “Of course, there’s nothing in Salaranfa that I don’t know.”
Hearing this, Lu Yuan’s tightly furrowed eyebrows finally relaxed. He turned to Yusto, lowered his voice with a smirk, and said, “Did you hear that? Who said this is just a broken flower? It’s an extinct and precious species that money can’t buy.”
Yusto raised an eyebrow, “You believe in a reporter who talks nonsense?”
Lu Yuan directly extended his hand to him, saying, “If you don’t believe it, give it back to me.”
Yusto, of course, wasn’t going to return it. He simply moved his hand behind him, smirking, “My dear, once something is given, there’s no taking it back.”
His words had just fallen, and suddenly, there came the sound of flapping wings behind him, similar to the three-headed white crows encountered earlier.
Yusto, perceptive as ever, immediately drew his gun and turned around. However, to his surprise, the bird that approached wasn’t the terrifying three-headed white crow but a chubby little white dove with red beady eyes.
It turned out to be a non-mutated creature…
Upon seeing this, Yusto’s pupils contracted slightly. The hand that was about to pull the trigger hesitated for a moment. In that brief moment of distraction, the engagement ring with the Sorrow Flower on his ring finger loosened and quietly fell to the ground.
The dove cooed twice at the sight, then swiftly snatched up the Sorrow Flower from the ground. Yusto was instantly shocked, exclaiming in frustration, “Damn it! How dare you take my ring!”
Seeing Yusto furious and ready to draw his gun, Lu Yuan quickly reacted, grabbing him back and firmly restraining the enraged man. “Forget it, forget it. It’s just a broken flower. I’ll buy you a new one when we get back!”
Yusto was so frustrated that he seemed on the verge of howling. “The Sorrow Flower has been extinct for ages! Even if you have money, you can’t buy it!”
More importantly, that was the engagement gift Lu Yuan had given him!!!
Lu Yuan, feeling a mix of exasperation and amusement, held onto Yusto, preventing him from chasing after the bird and causing harm to the small creature. “Are you silly? That flower would have withered in a few days anyway. I’ll get you a gemstone; you can wear it for a lifetime when we go back.”
Yusto’s expression turned skeptical as he looked at Lu Yuan. “Really?”
Lu Yuan nodded. “Really.”
Yusto furrowed his brows. “Do you swear on the Zerg God?”
Lu Yuan: “…”
They both looked at each other with serious expressions for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. Lu Yuan playfully ruffled Yusto’s furry hair and said with a smile, “Alright, I swear on the Zerg God. When we go back, I’ll get you a gemstone ring for our wedding, the kind that lasts a lifetime.”
Yusto, easily amused, blushed a bit and curiously asked, “How long is a lifetime?”
“Very long, very long.”
Until the breath ceases, until the heart falls silent, until the rose-hued sea of mountains cascades into an ocean, until the last trace of self-awareness gradually fades in the vast universe.
Yet, they would still meet in the cycles of time.
Looking up at the distant azure sky, Lu Yuan saw that the white dove that carried away the Sorrow Flower had long vanished without a trace. Suddenly, he remembered what Maos said about the flower symbolizing rebirth and letting go of the past, and couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps, that would be the beginning of a new story…
Support me on ko-fi for more additional updates~ ʚ(´꒳`)ɞ
![He Lived Like You [End of the World]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/HLLY.jpg "He Lived Like You [End of the World]")
