Fallen Artist

They burst into the shop with Wala Wala.

This immediately attracted the attention of Linsey and Hilude.

The former naturally looked nervous, since the girl who had broken in was tantamount to being in danger.

The latter— Hilude glanced at Wala Wala, her fanatical gaze turning into mockery and disdain. "Ha—so it's you, you imposter."

"What? You think that by staying by a hero's side, your false nature can be redeemed?"

"..."

Wala Wala's eyes were gloomy, and he remained silent.

She walked around Hilude to the counter to protect Linsey, then cautiously looked at the girl in the wheelchair. "Linsey, why is this guy here?"

Linsey reminded her, "Remember when I asked you—about the altered fate?"

Wala Wala suddenly realized:

"So it was her!"

"But that makes sense. Only someone like that would dare to recklessly change the fate of others."

"..."

"Cough cough cough—!!!"

At this moment, Hilude coughed violently again.

This time her movements were particularly violent, giving people a feeling of heartbreak.

"Linsey..."

Hilude reached out her hand.

As a result, he lost his balance and fell off the wheelchair, landing face down on the ground.

"..."

If Linsey ever saw someone fall like that, she would definitely go up and help them up.

But today is truly an exception among exceptions.

On the contrary, Wala Wala, who was standing to the side, was somewhat puzzled by Hilude's behavior. "Hilude, what fate did you change that you're being attacked like this?"

"..."

Hilude was lying on the ground, sneered at Wala Wala.

She completely ignored him, turned to Linsey, and pleaded persistently:

"Linsey, hurry, come and kill me!"

"You can..."

Linsey suddenly interrupted Hilude's pleas, "You're right. Killing you will immediately enhance my abilities and even grant me power enough to change my destiny. Even in my adventures over the past few years, I've only had two such opportunities."

Upon hearing this, Hilude's eyes revealed a longing:

"Then hurry up..."

"But I refuse!" Linsey said without hesitation. "Reality doesn't follow your script, and I won't give in to your request—even if it's in my best interest."

"You would change other people's destinies in pursuit of art."

"But I will not take someone's life for such an absurd reason!"

"So, Hilude, I'll tell you now—"

"I will not kill you, and your attempt to change your fate will not succeed!"

"..."

Hilude on the ground stared blankly at Linsey.

A tear seemed to glisten in the corner of her eye, but then she collapsed weakly to the ground, where she remained motionless.

At the shop counter, Linsey and Wala Wala exchanged a glance.

The two waited for a while longer, but the Fallen Artist on the ground remained motionless.

Linsey tried to go forward and take a look.

[Human female - extremely weak, near death.]

[Having used excessively powerful forces to alter fate, the Essence within his body has been damaged, and his skills have collapsed; due to his already extremely weak physical condition, he is currently at risk of death at any moment.]

"This way, I don't need to lift a finger."

Linsey, puzzled, turned to look at Wala Wala: "This guy used an excessively powerful technique; he's almost dead now."

Wala Wala nodded in affirmation:

"This is the backlash from changing one's fate."

"She must have touched some extremely dangerous thread of fate, and then she didn't know when to stop, which is why she ended up like this."

An exceptionally dangerous fate? Has this Fallen Artist truly come with a death wish? Linsey shook her head slightly, unable to believe such obsession. "This can hardly be called pursuing art; it's utter madness!"

Wala Wala also sighed:

"Fallen Artist are a bunch of guys like that."

"If you really kill her, her soul might even thank you!"

Linsey asked curiously, "By the way, Wala Wala."

"Judging from how you two looked when you met—did you know each other before?"

Wala Wala's expression was subtle.

She bent down and lifted Hilude off the ground.

The Fallen Artist's frail body floated lightly, like a child, Wala Wala with a few easy moves, she was tossed back into her wheelchair.

"We all come from Black Tide Island."

"Long ago, it was created by a Fallen Artist at the Eighth Stage, so no one in the Seven Seas Alliance dared to provoke it."

"Until one day more than 10 years ago, that Eighth Stage powerhouse suddenly disappeared. Just two months later, the City of a Thousand Sails dispatched art censors to completely annihilate the entire island."

Linsey naturally understood:

"She was on Black Tide Island before it was destroyed."

Wala Wala nodded.

"That's right, and she's a big celebrity on the island."

Faced with such an unprecedented enemy, Linsey couldn't help but ask, "Do you know how she became like this?"

Wala Wala had no intention of keeping secrets for the evil party.

She directly revealed Hilude's true nature:

"Hilude was born in the City of a Thousand Sails and grew up in a theater environment. Moreover, on the Harvest Day when she was three years old, she directly became an Awakened One, truly a genius among geniuses!"

Linsey was even more puzzled:

"Shouldn't such a genius receive the best training?"

Wala Wala said regretfully, "She grew up in the theater and loved traditional adventure plays, such as knights killing dragons and rescuing princesses, or heroes defeating Demon King and saving the world. At the same time, influenced by her Emotional Source Material, she took all of this as real from an age when she couldn't distinguish between good and evil, and regarded these things as everything that should exist in reality."

Linsey immediately guessed what would happen next:

"So what she later encountered in reality was completely different from what she saw in the story?"

"Justice cannot prevail over evil. People are indulging in depravity, and suspicion and betrayal are rampant. Even the Justice cannot have a good ending?"

Wala Wala nodded:

"The ideas cultivated since childhood are contrary to reality."

"Having gained power, he embarked on this tragic path."

"..."

"I can understand how her abnormal personality came about."

Linsey sighed.

He felt a pang of regret for the girl before him, but his fundamental attitude remained unchanged:

"Even so."

"This reason cannot absolve her of the evil of manipulating the fate of others."

Linsey asked, "What would happen if we sent her to the Art Association?"

Wala Wala immediately replied:

"Unless the City of a Thousand Sails or the world itself is threatened."

"Otherwise, even Seventh Stage awakened being wouldn't be punished with the death penalty for making a mistake. Hilude's fate would probably be determined by someone who came to check on her altered destiny—imprisoned in Water Prison for over a hundred years, without the death penalty."

Linsey pressed further, "And what about a hundred years from now?"

Wala Wala shrugged helplessly:

"He's been released after serving his sentence."

"Those who are awakened at the Seventh Stage enjoy this level of privilege."

After answering, Wala Wala gave Linsey a meaningful look:

"So what?"

"Linsey, what do you plan to do with this guy?"