Chapter 58: Same Trajectory, Different Ending 5K5
Elven Rumel, known in the high society of the City of Mysteries as Young Master Elven, hailed from a traditional mage family in the southern part of the Azurevine Kingdom.
As a child, his dream was to become an alchemist. However, with the Azurevine Kingdom in ruins, he joined the volunteer army for national defense, called upon by the Empress of Eternal Night, as per his father’s wishes.
Following this, Elven, due to his outstanding performance, embarked on a miraculous path of promotion, reaching the rank of Major General at the age of twenty-six.
He was the model of the new generation of imperial soldiers, the youngest general before Dio.
He was actually self-disciplined and deeply in love with his fiancée. This time, he was acting under the Empress of Eternal Night’s orders, cooperating with Roger.
This young handsome man, nicknamed “The Fox of the Empire,” put on a remarkably convincing act, going head-to-head with Roger and successfully deceiving everyone present.
One was the young master of the Charles family, and the other was the empire’s youngest general.
The intention to fight fiercely was both unexpected and within reason.
Both were paragons of talent, and the young master of the Charles family was quite handsome, it was just a pity about his mouth.
When the owner of the Abyss Mill went to invite Angelina, Roger’s prelude to his plan was declared a success.
Their eyes met, and a sense of mutual admiration arose between them. This feeling of deceiving the entire world…
It was incredibly exhilarating, wasn’t it?
Next, Roger was to cede the stage, anticipating the appearance of the War High Priest, Joestar.
Based on previous analysis, Roger had only speculated that Joestar had left a hidden hand on Angelina.
After all, neither of the two legendary powerhouses had detected any anomalies.
But this, in turn, also indicated that the divine art was powerful and covert enough, belonging to a level beyond legendary. He had to guard against it.
Therefore, Roger needed to meet Angelina as soon as possible to confirm her safety.
Regardless of Joestar’s arrangements, his original intention was to target him, an innocent hollow for secrets. Even knowing it was a minefield ahead, he had to dance on it.
Upon meeting him, if Joestar had left a hidden hand on his sister, it would inevitably be activated.
With this in mind, Roger devised his plan to turn the tables.
The choice of location was crucial; it couldn’t solely be advantageous to him.
Joestar was a hunter skilled at lurking, and if he felt the slightest insecurity, he would likely continue to hide and wait for a better opportunity to strike.
So, Roger specifically chose a location that was safe, convenient, easy to escape from, and difficult to refuse.
At the same time, this place would not involve innocent bystanders.
After surveying the entire City of Mysteries, Roger finally decided on the Abyss Mill.
This place was formerly the grand cathedral of the God of Music, naturally benefiting believers, and it also had a folded space that could suppress the impact of combat to a small extent.
His persona as a dissolute young master and a useless brother clashing with someone in such a place also aligned with his character.
Angelina wouldn’t suspect, and Joestar even less so.
Inside the private room, Roger and Angelina also had a confrontation:
“Roger, how could you be so disrespectful to General Rumel? He had a prior appointment, apologize to him, and come home with me!”
“Sister, you make a lot of sense… but, I refuse!”
Roger turned his face away, adopting a stubborn posture of rebellion, determined to crush him.
Angelina was so angry she wanted to smash her obnoxious brother’s head in.
But with outsiders present, she still cared about her gentle reputation and said to Young Elven,
“General Rumel, could you please excuse yourself? The Charles family will certainly provide you with a satisfactory response regarding today’s events.”
Young Elven rose with great demeanor, “I believe in Lady Angelina.”
He left, leaving only Angelina and Roger in the private room.
The siblings began to argue. Roger, usually obedient, kept talking back, and Angelina was on the verge of escalating from reason to force.
Joestar, observing all this in secret, could no longer restrain his desire to act.
He felt that ever since entering the Second National Welfare Institute, his luck had been explosive.
First, he met Angelina, then a delectable human cub was delivered to replenish his energy.
Finally, he even secured an opportunity to be alone with Roger in the Grand Cathedral of Saint Amalia.
This private room was the largest and most luxurious here, a former smaller music hall for distinguished guests, essentially an independent demiplane.
Closing the door would lead to another world, perfect for something to happen.
Angelina had two steadfast legendary-level guards, which had always made Joestar cautious and hesitant to act rashly.
But the good news was that Young Elven’s guards were no weaker, bringing two legends and a peak Archmage with him.
They showed each other respect, leaving their guards outside the private room.
Was this not the perfect place and time to strike?
Joestar couldn’t imagine any possibility of Roger surviving this.
This time, he was sure to kill him!
Coincidentally, Angelina was dizzy with anger. Joestar sent over a subtle illusion.
This caused her to lose focus for a moment. In front of her eyes, she saw not her beloved brother, but a ferocious, terrifying large demonic hound, lunging at her with bared fangs!
“Don’t come near me!”
Angelina grabbed the vase on the table and smashed it over Roger’s head.
Instantly, Roger’s head began to bleed profusely, and he collapsed to the ground, shaking.
Seeing the “demonic hound” fall and convulse, Angelina called for her guards while, still uneasy, picked up the broken porcelain shards from the ground to finish off the “demonic hound.”
Although she had no magic or combat skills, she was quite agile and showed no mercy.
After all, she was a survivor of the war to defend the nation.
As she viciously retaliated with the shards in her panic, the illusion ended.
Angelina froze. She saw Roger lying in a pool of blood, while she herself was holding a sharp piece of porcelain vase, Gushing blood from his abdomen.
“Brother? I didn’t mean to… Roger, hang in there, somebody, quick, get help!” Angelina cried out in horror, dropping the shard as if it were hot.
Seeing her own brother in such a state, she lost all her usual composure and elegance, kneeling on the ground, cradling his head, tears streaming down her face.
How could this have happened? Why did I see my brother as a demonic hound?
Someone must have played a trick, but saving her brother was more important now.
Roger revealed a look of remorse, weakly gasping, “Sis, you deserve freedom…”
“You won’t be alright, help… hurry, someone’s coming!”
Angelina shouted hoarsely.
Unfortunately, the private room was designed for soundproofing; screaming at the top of her lungs would be useless.
In the welfare institute, a pigtail-wearing little girl sitting on the railing swung her legs with glee, covering her mouth and chuckling,
“Killing your own brother with your own hands, feels good, doesn’t it? Hmph, you hypocritical imperial wench, may you live forever in regret and guilt!”
Joestar savored this scene, the expressions of the siblings giving him immense pleasure!
Not only had he completed the task assigned by the Goddess, but he had done so in such a spectacular manner, a glorious act of revenge in his hunting career!
Cry! Tremble! Regret! Be confused!
You damned heretics, this is the consequence of not believing in the Goddess, hahaha!
Just then, through Angelina’s tear-blurred vision, Joestar suddenly saw Roger’s pale, weak face gradually regain color.
This useless brother flashed a smile of unclear meaning.
Roger suddenly understood; so this was how he was supposed to die.
Ah, he misspoke. The Roger from the original storyline was accidentally killed by Angelina.
What a tragic child.
No wonder Angelina harbored such deep-seated hatred for Joestar.
But this time, he had willingly stepped into this trap. With the same trajectory, the ending must be different!
Roger raised his hand, gently wiping away Angelina’s tears, and softly asked, “I’m waiting for the Heart of the Deep amulet’s healing. What are you waiting for?”
His gaze was profound, as if comforting Angelina, or perhaps mocking the sinister High Priest behind her.
Angelina blinked in surprise and cried out joyfully, “Thank Your Majesty, praise Your Majesty!”
She no longer cared about the blood on Roger’s face, cradling his head and kissing him several times.
Upon hearing this, Joestar became furious, “The Empress of Eternal Night ruined my plans! How could she give such a divine artifact to this trash for nothing!”
Seeing Roger’s wound gradually heal and his life out of danger, only the significant blood loss was somewhat alarming.
Joestar realized a serious problem.
The divine art he had left on Angelina, although costly, using half his own blood,
The main energy was used to shield the senses of legendary powerhouses.
And now, this divine art had limited functionality, only sharing the five senses and simple mental suggestion.
He had planned for the Charles siblings to not be extraordinary beings and hadn’t accounted for Roger possessing a divine artifact that enhanced recovery.
And because of the existence of this divine artifact, no matter how much he suggested, Angelina’s pathetic attack power, if unable to kill Roger instantly, couldn’t truly kill him…
“Damn it, I’m annoyed. To kill some trash brother, I have to do it myself.”
Joestar’s small face contorted into a knot.
But on the bright side, it was the former church of the God of Music, and a demiplane. After acting, he could retreat at his leisure.
Hmph, as expected, lust is a man’s downfall. This trash brother couldn’t even protect his divine artifact because of a woman!
Unlike me, who is only moved by the Goddess…
She pushed with her small hand and jumped off the wall.
Before she even landed, a spatial rift opened beneath her feet, propped up by white bones, and her small body fell directly into it.
The next second, she appeared in the private room where the Charles siblings were.
While Joestar was contemplating, Roger, supported by Angelina, had already stood up, preparing to open the door, call for people, and have Roger’s body examined.
Angelina’s vision flickered, and she saw a pigtail-wearing little girl appear before her.
That childishly beautiful face, pure and familiar.
“Sis, tear it open outside.”
Roger stuffed a small scroll into Angelina’s embrace, pulled open the door, and violently pushed Angelina out.
“Don’t think of running!”
Joestar kicked the door shut and reached out a hand, grabbing Roger’s shoulder and brutally tearing off one of his arms.
It didn’t matter if Angelina escaped; Roger had to die!
He uttered a short, unintelligible syllable, and the door was completely locked, impossible to open from the outside for a short time.
Roger’s vision swam with pain.
But thanks to the Heart of the Deep amulet, the bleeding stopped instantly, and flesh was already beginning to regenerate at the wound.
“I never expected to get such a powerful divine artifact by killing you, a mere trash. I accept it, hehehehe!”
The pigtail-wearing little girl let out a maniacal laugh completely unfitting for her age. She reached into Roger’s chest and plucked off the Heart of the Deep amulet.
Roger observed Joestar’s appearance, which was entirely different from the intelligence reports, thinking to himself, such good disguise.
Disguised as a child, unless Angelina’s guards were alchemists, who would keep a close eye on them?
He asked, “High Priest, is this an illusion technique, or did you steal someone else’s body?”
Joestar played with the sapphire gem in his hand and said proudly, “Of course, I stole it. It’s very discreet, isn’t it? Your human race’s vigilance towards young children is truly low!”
It was like many child soldiers in war zones who would suddenly attack, catching even veteran soldiers off guard.
Roger asked, “Is she dead?”
“You’re so stupid, of course, she’s dead, completely dead. Her soul was quite sweet!”
“Then it’s simple.”
Roger walked towards Joestar, placed the “正” character on his leg with his remaining hand, and roared,
“Your Majesty, fire at me!”
Joestar: “Heh, interesting. You didn’t run away, but walked towards me?”
Immediately, he sensed something abnormal.
Brilliant and vast pure magic energy, tracing Roger’s magic beacon from the void, was locating this demiplane.
The collision of magic elements from different sequences formed terrifying energy, madly releasing destructive power, compressing and impacting this small space at a visible rate.
Outside, terrifying magic energy tornadoes had begun to brew. However, this was not a calm eye of the storm, but a death trap on the verge of collapse!
Joestar looked surprised and panicked, “You trash, you actually thought of dragging me down with you to be buried?”
Although he now held the Heart of the Deep amulet, he realized that this power surpassed legendary, touching the edge of the divine realm, enough to kill him a hundred times over.
In the vast Azurevine Empire, only one person possessed such power.
The Empress of Eternal Night!
He suddenly felt immense fear. If Roger was secretly in contact with the Empress, wouldn’t that mean she had been planning all along for him to jump into the trap?
Did she guess that his target was him?
How could he break through the Goddess’s shield on prophetic spells and know his existence, location, and purpose?
Perhaps, his plan to impersonate the restoration army was his most terrifying move?
Joestar suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
Due to the impending death and destruction, and because Roger’s seemingly weak exterior harbored a wisdom that saw through all his actions!
“Impossible! I am the most seasoned hunter. I absolutely cannot lose this round!”
In his rage, Joestar’s true form broke through the little girl’s disguise. His muscular arms forcefully gripped Roger’s neck, “I’ll kill you first!”
*Crack.*
A crisp sound.
Roger’s neck snapped.
The light in his eyes gradually dimmed, but a smile of satisfaction and mockery played on his lips:
“I accept your final assist…”
Finally, it was complete.
If he had died from the Empress of Eternal Night’s AOE, there might have been suspicion of faking death, making resurrection impossible.
But with Joestar making the move, and this final assist, he could feel the Phoenix blood burning within him!
The next second, space shattered.
Both Roger and Joestar’s bodies were instantly torn into countless pieces.
Joestar, the War High Priest of the Orc King’s Tent, the mastermind behind the Imperial Capital’s Blood Night, the fanatical believer of the Goddess of War, died!
Only the Heart of the Deep amulet ignored the terrifying energy storm, shimmering with a deep, enticing blue light in the void.
After a long while.
A figure gradually condensed.
Roger stood in the void, feeling pure fire elemental energy gathering towards him.
High-level Fire Elemental Affinity!
Immediately, he discovered an embarrassing fact.
His clothes had been destroyed in the energy storm, and he was feeling the cold wind down there!
“Idiot.”
The “正” character on his leg glowed faintly, and a set of men’s formal wear teleported to him.
Roger was somewhat surprised.
He hadn’t expected the magic beacon left by the Empress of Eternal Night to still exist after his rebirth?
“This troublemaker will continue to haunt me… but this time, he arrived just in time.”
He flashed a smile that even he didn’t quite understand.
Perhaps he should praise this power that touched the divine realm, so immense!
He put on the formal wear, finding it surprisingly well-fitting.
After a few more moments.
The Empress of Eternal Night crossed the void and, taking Roger’s hand, brought him back to the Abyss Mill.
Everyone present quickly knelt, “Greetings, Your Majesty!”
Angelina, who had been worried and hesitant, saw the Empress of Eternal Night and Roger appear together and, amidst her shock, realized something.
The Empress raised her hand, allowing everyone to rise, and proudly announced, “The mastermind behind the Imperial Capital’s Blood Night, Joestar, High Priest of the Goddess of War’s Church, has been personally executed by me. The specific details will be explained by my subordinate Roger.”
Amidst the cheers and praises of everyone, the Empress’s figure flickered and she elegantly disappeared.
In reality, the Empress of Eternal Night’s inner thoughts: I can’t take it, I’m going to vomit blood. Damn Goddess of War is hindering my swagger! When I get the chance, I must personally kill her!
Angelina looked Roger up and down, completely unharmed, and vaguely felt something was amiss.
Roger’s clothes were all custom-made by her, but she didn’t remember this style.
There were no bloodstains either.
If she thought about it more carefully, she might realize Roger was wearing the Empress’s clothes.
But now, Angelina was more overjoyed that her brother was alive and grateful for what he had done today.
She threw herself into his arms,
“My man has grown up, he’s taller than me now, and he can protect his sister. Yet, I still hurt you…”
Roger didn’t need to say much. The suspiciously appearing little girl, the Empress personally announcing Joestar’s demise—being smart, how could she not understand that she had fallen into the enemy’s trap and Roger had done all this to save her?
That wicked fanatic almost made her kill her own brother!
Fortunately, he was already dead, otherwise, I truly would have…
Roger patted his sister’s back, feeling her lingering fear. Some warm liquid dampened his clothes.
His sister, though seemingly fragile, was actually strong. Crying twice today truly showed how much she cared about him…
Roger was also quite proud of his achievements today.
“Ding, the ‘Lying Flat System’ has detected that the host’s emotional satisfaction yesterday has earned ten random treasure chests. Would you like to open them?”
At this moment, a familiar yet slightly changed prompt unexpectedly sounded in Roger’s ear.
The long day, filled with countless events, finally came to an end.
And the ten-consecutive small goals that had been interrupted were unexpectedly achieved now.
Roger couldn’t help but smile.
As expected, lying flat not only brought inner peace but also allowed him to actively pursue things that satisfied his heart.
He extended his arm, embracing Angelina’s slightly trembling body, and softly comforted her,
“Sis, no matter how difficult or tortuous the process, it’s always good as long as the ending is without regret, right?”
Roger’s gaze seemed to pierce through the magnificent, celebratory hall before him, past the elegantly dressed nobles, and into the vast, brilliant night sky.
And beneath that starry sky, the dreamy silhouette who wished for him to walk the path of a hero.
Perhaps, his wish truly was to build the empire he desired and cleanse the world he longed for…
In pursuit of this wish, would he receive continuous rewards from the system?
My heart and actions are as clear as a mirror; all I do is for lying flat!
This is my path of lying flat. Gods, did you guess it?
Having tasted the thrill of breaking fate for the first time, and possessing the means to resist suppression, he found it inexplicably addictive…
The efforts he couldn’t complete in the game, he would try again in the real world with infinite freedom.
Even if ridiculed by thousands, what if that goal was achieved?
At this moment, he finally agreed:
In this world, this land beneath his feet was his empire!
(Volume 1 – The Winds of Lying Flat Do Not Cease, Complete!)
Volume 1 Summary
Cough, cough. For the past few days, I’ve been writing a lot of rambling chapter notes, and I’ve been wondering if I should still post this kind of self-reflection.
If I post it again, won’t I be called a broken record?
But after suffering from writer’s block, I wrote a surprisingly satisfying conclusion to the first volume, and I really can’t help but brag.
Moreover, the forum is closed; if you complain, I won’t hear it. Isn’t this just me outputting my feelings face-to-face?
Bragging begins!
This volume started with the system’s “ding” and ended with the system’s “ding,” giving it a sense of ritual, a perfect beginning and end!
Roger started out accepting fate and passively lying flat. After a volume of effort, he began to actively pursue his desires by lying flat, a sublimation!
If not, it’s okay too.
I’ve finished bragging.
This volume is actually the author’s process of deeply understanding the meaning of “lying flat.”
“Lying flat” became popular as a revolt against involution.
The mainstream voice says that lying flat is passive, a refusal to work hard. When I first started writing, I subconsciously leaned in that direction.
But as I wrote, I felt awkward.
A protagonist who only wanted to be lazy in retirement, even with the system taking the blame, I felt a bit disgusted.
This led to the later addition of a new setting: “lying flat” simply means not wanting to follow the path designated by others. Whether by coercion of power or love, my will should not be distorted.
Pursue what you desire, reach the realm you want to achieve, even if the process requires sweat and effort, and is ridiculed by others, it is still lying flat.
This is what the author has gained so far.
While writing, I truly experienced a state of “flow,” where hours flew by in work.
If the feedback is good, the sense of satisfaction rivals a pentakill.
This shows that effort and involution are not necessarily linked.
Why put in hours for your boss’s Range Rover when you’re sweating for your own desires?
Understanding why you are pursuing something and what ideal shore you want to reach is crucial to not getting lost and having greater motivation.
Besides silly humor, perhaps it also offers a positive insight into life.
Returning to the writing itself.
Due to hasty preparation, self-doubt, and being overambitious with limited skill in the initial volume, there were many flaws, and the update schedule was unstable.
The pace exploded after the Imperial Capital’s Blood Night at the end, deviating from the core of eavesdropping. A few days after going premium, readership began to decline.
Disguised identities and the protagonist being too passive are issues that will be adjusted and improved in the next volume.
In the next volume, Roger, having tasted the flavor of changing fate, will actively seek office, find a suitable position for himself, and discover his “Godslayer Code.”
The Empress will dote even more on her “external brain.” How she will dote, you can look forward to it. Looking at my outline, it shouldn’t be too bad.
After all, I’m a pervert who has written over a million words of daily sweet romance.
Of course, the Goddess of War getting slapped in the face, thinking of revenge, and releasing newcomers like Old Joestar to cause trouble…
I’m a meme goblin, I’ll wring every last drop out of the memes!
Thank you to every reader for your support; with you, I can write this book wholeheartedly and feel it’s improving.
