Russell could not understand.
Why, after he had tried so hard, had this been the result?
Just as a summer insect could not comprehend ice, just as a frog at the bottom of a well could never know how vast the sky outside truly was.
He, too, had striven to reach that legendary winter, to climb through the rain-flooded well to the surface and see the real sky.
But.
It was not enough.
Too many people had deceived him, used him.
Train Conductors, Gods...
Everyone had treated Russell as a tool, a tool to sustain RUN Company, to incite Native Humans and Train Conductors to rebel.
Ye Qiyan was no different.
He had never been a kind person. To him, Russell was merely a spy through whom he could learn what RUN Company and Monrojina were doing.
Through Bewitchment, he had exploited Russell's identity, gained his trust, and obtained intelligence.
Somewhat ironically, Ye Qiyan had actually gained the least among all those who had used him.
Because all he had obtained was intelligence.
Ye Qiyan watched Russell calmly, watched his trembling body.
His question received an answer.
"I, I'm scared. I'm scared of dying... Brother... I don't want to die..."
Russell was crying.
Perhaps it was luck: after Red Tears was drawn, the power of light and shadow selected from the Ancient Battlefield's phantom had happened to be filled with extraordinarily powerful Divinity.
That slash had shattered the newly matured God Core Seed in his chest.
For now, Russell had briefly escaped Divinity's influence and regained the will he had possessed as a human.
But this was only temporary.
He had already become a God, and he had never possessed great power of his own. He could not possibly escape the God Sequence Path after being defeated as that Resource