Online Game: Evil Dragon Against The Heaven - 256

July 21, 2210, Thursday

The sky was covered with dark clouds, blocking out the warmth of the sun.

Every time I wake up from a dream, I feel my body growing weaker. I know this isn’t just an illusion because waking up from sleep has become increasingly difficult these past few days. I know I am getting closer and closer to death.

Is it about to end… this incomplete, broken life of mine…

How much longer can I hold on…

Since I was nine, death has already loomed over me. That time, in my sleep, I felt the world drifting further and further away from me… I struggled, crying out, using all my strength to wake up… Finally, I woke up. That day, I woke up much later than usual. When I opened my eyes, my whole body was enveloped in deep weakness—I couldn’t even move my little finger. But when I saw my elder sister’s teary, worried eyes suddenly brighten with joy, I suddenly felt how beautiful it was to be alive.

If I had just let go that day, if I hadn’t struggled, everything would have ended. And from that day on, death has reached out to me every single day. I have lived in this painful struggle daily. Day after day, I got used to it… but death’s footsteps are getting closer, and I don’t know how much more strength I have left to fight.

If not for my elder sister, I would have chosen to drift away in my sleep, without sorrow, without regret, never to wake again. My elder sister says that when people die, they go to heaven—a place with no pain, no lies, no bad people. She says that our parents are in heaven, watching over us…

Is there really a beautiful heaven in this world?

But no matter how beautiful heaven may be, it can never compare to my sister’s genuine smile.

For my elder sister, I am willing to endure the torment of hell every day rather than heed heaven’s call.

Because she is the only reason I live…

So before death takes me away, can I at least see my sister find her true happiness? If I can, then I can leave this broken body of mine with a smile and go to heaven to find our parents. Then, I will silently watch over my sister from heaven, smiling as she continues to live in happiness.

My elder  sister’s happiness…

Right now, my elder sister has once again entered that miraculous game world called 『Destiny』. Destiny… everyone has a fate that belongs only to them. My fate was entwined with suffering and hardship from the very start. But I do not resent it, nor do I hate it… because of my sister. If my suffering could bring my sister happiness, I would give all my gratitude to the heavens.

Yesterday afternoon, when my elder sister came out of the game, she seemed a little absent-minded. I asked her about it, and she gave me her usual smile but didn’t answer. Later at night, while talking to her, I finally understood why she seemed a little down—from the words she let slip without thinking… Because when she mentioned, 『That big brother has been away for the past two days, and I haven’t seen him』, there was a faint but unmistakable sadness in her smile.

Although I am not qualified to experience love, my heart tells me that my elder sister has undoubtedly fallen for that big brother—she just hasn’t realized it herself. Because, just like me, my elder sister has never been in love… No, that’s not it. It’s because no boy has ever been worthy enough for her, no one who could make her heart move.

But now, that boy has finally appeared.

Is this the final act of kindness and mercy that the heavens have granted me?

For the world’s gentlest and most beautiful sister to fall for someone so quickly, he must be an extraordinary person—kind, exceptional, and someone who treats my sister very, very well.

He has always been helping my elder sister. She told me that he has given her so much support, that he fought many battles just to protect her, that he has encouraged her in ways that deeply touched her and made her feel more confident… I still remember, from the day my sister first mentioned him, her smile grew brighter and more frequent each passing day.

I am truly grateful to that big brother… and I really want to see him, to talk to him.

If only… he could love my elder sister just as she loves him, if only he could take care of her and protect her for a lifetime, giving her the happiness she deserves—what a perfect ending that would be…

This is my final, greatest wish in life. I will hold on, I will use everything I have to persevere, until the day my sister finds the happiness that belongs to her. Only then… will I be able to smile as I leave to search for heaven.

…………

…………

Chen Xue’s diary was once again filled with two densely written pages. Her world was simple—there were only two people in it… herself and her elder sister.

A drowsy, overwhelming sleepiness washed over her once more. She quietly gazed at her elder sister lying beside her for a while before she could no longer resist the heavy exhaustion. The moment her eyes closed, her consciousness faded away.

Is there really a heaven in this world? That was her last thought before she drifted into slumber.

Right now, she was like a doll made of thin ice—so fragile that a single touch could shatter her.

————

————

The heat of Tianri City wasn’t the kind of stifling heat that made people feel suffocated, but rather a scorching, unbearable dryness. It was as if a massive bonfire was blazing right in front of him, roasting his body.

Due to the climate, the population of Tianri City was noticeably smaller than that of Tianchen City. The streets were sparsely populated, with barely any NPC pedestrians wandering around. One could imagine how many players would have been driven away if Tianri City had been their starting city.

Ye Tian Xie was undoubtedly the first person to set foot in Tianri City… but unfortunately, there was no reward for it.

“Hello, little brother, can you tell me where the City Lord’s mansion is?” Ye Tian Xie approached a child who looked about five or six years old, asking with a friendly smile.

“Daddy said I’m not allowed to talk to strangers.” The little boy dashed away in an instant.

Ye Tian Xie: “……”

“Hello, little sisters, do you know where the City Lord’s mansion is?”

“Daddy said I’m not allowed to talk to strangers.” The little girls also ran off immediately.

Ye Tian Xie: “……”

“Hello, sir…”

“Mom said I shouldn’t talk to strangers.” The man bolted away as well.

Ye Tian Xie: “I…”

“Excuse me, ma’am…”

“What?! Ma’am?! Look properly, young man! I’m only eighteen this year! How rude!” The woman stormed off.

Ye Tian Xie stood there, dumbfounded, staring at the middle-aged woman with a plump body, a rough voice, a face full of wrinkles, and an expression of indignation as she left.

…What kind of place was this Tianri City?!

His charm value was as high as 32! Could it be that the people of Tianri City were immune to charm?

“Hello, big sister, could you tell me the way to the City Lord’s mansion?”

The middle-aged woman, who was addressed as 『big sister』, immediately beamed with delight. A notification appeared—『big sister』 favorability +10.” She pointed ahead and said, “Oh, you must be from out of town, right? It’s rare to see such a polite young man nowadays… Just keep going straight until you reach the tallest clock tower, then turn right. Soon, you’ll see a red-roofed building—that’s the City Lord’s mansion.”

“Oh… thank you.” Ye Tian Xie waved and walked off in that direction.

“Remember to visit my bun shop often! I’ll give you a 20% discount!” The elder sister’s warm voice called out from behind.

Speaking always requires a bit of finesse, no matter the world—especially when talking to women.

Following the old woman’s directions, Ye Tian Xie soon arrived at the City Lord’s mansion. Like the one in Tianchen City, it was a grand and imposing structure. As expected, its roof was a blazing red, perfectly complementing the city’s scorching climate.

“Hello, I come from Tianchen City. I have an important matter and need to meet with the City Lord… Here is a letter of introduction from the Lord of Tianchen City. Please pass it to your City Lord.” Ye Tian Xie presented the introduction letter given to him by Tianchen’s City Lord.

The guards standing before the Tianri City Lord’s mansion glanced at him suspiciously, surprised to hear that he was from Tianchen City. They had already received news that a group of people from another world had arrived in the Lost Continent and were currently gathering in Tianchen City. By all accounts, reaching Tianri City was something that shouldn’t have been possible for at least another six months.

The guard hurried inside with the letter of introduction and returned just as quickly, stepping aside and saying, “Honored guest from afar, the City Lord is waiting for you in his study.”

The thick walls of the building could not keep out the unbearable waves of heat. Staying in this environment for too long made even breathing feel difficult. When Ye Tian Xie finally saw the City Lord of Tianri City, the man was fanning himself with a large bamboo fan. Unlike the dignified and amiable middle-aged man who governed Tianchen City, this City Lord had a face covered in a thick beard, a wide and fierce expression, and eyes as large as copper bells. When Ye Tian Xie saw him, he nearly thought he had mistakenly traveled back to the Three Kingdoms era and was now facing the legendary Zhang Yi De.

“So you’re the brat from Tianchen City… Damn it, what message did that bastard Tianchen City Lord send with you?” The Tianri City Lord turned to look at Ye Tian Xie, his voice booming like a thunderclap, nearly knocking Ye Tian Xie into a daze.

…Could it be that the people here have tempers as fiery as the climate?

Feeling that this was not a place to linger, Ye Tian Xie swiftly took out the letter and handed it over without a word. In front of someone like this, it was best to speak as little as possible.

The Tianri City Lord took the letter with a glare. Without even glancing at the envelope, he flicked his fingers—hiss… A small flame appeared in his palm, instantly reducing the envelope to ashes. Yet, the letter inside remained completely intact, without even a singed corner.

A fire expert, huh? Not bad.

Slumping down onto his chair in a bold and unrestrained manner, the Tianri City Lord unfolded the letter and scanned through it casually at first. However, after barely reading two lines, he abruptly shot up from his seat. His already massive eyes widened to the point that they seemed ready to burst from their sockets. Clutching the letter tightly, he read it from beginning to end, then from end to beginning, and once again from beginning to end…

Finally, he let out a thunderous roar: “Holy shit!! That damnable, turtle-born, rabbit-raised, should-be-skinned-alive Dark Nether Ghost King is actually hiding near my Tianri City?!”