Kiana and the Captain's Bizarre Adventure

Chapter 268 Goodbye Kakawasha

When Sand Gold opened his eyes, he found himself on a black ocean.

"where is this place?"

Sand Gold stared blankly at the enormous black hole in front of him, muttering to himself, "A huge black hole, and the sea... Did I succeed?"

Coming to his senses, Sand Gold began running towards the enormous black hole, sensing that the answer might lie there.

Along the way, he often heard the voices of his mother, sister, and others, echoes of important moments in his life, and phantoms of his childhood also appeared around him.

"I'm sorry, this isn't the place you were looking for."

Huang Quan's voice came from behind Sha Jin. When Sha Jin turned around, he found that Huang Quan was different from usual. Her long purple hair had turned into pale hair, and her hands were covered with red patches. One of her gauntlets and shoulder armor had also turned crimson. Most notably, her pupils were different.

The pupils, which were originally purple with a halo, are now crimson vertical pupils. Looking at the drastically changed Yellow Spring Sand Gold, it realized where it was.

"Nothingness...is that so?"

"Perhaps you see me as a messenger in disguise, but... the slumbering formless one never glances at anyone. He has no appearance, no form, and no will... nothingness envelops everyone equally. It's just that some people go further in His shadow and become more tainted by nothingness... that's all."

Huang Quan began to explain the essence of his power to Sha Jin. In the end, it was just that Huang Quan had gone further than anyone else on this path of destiny, so far that he had obtained power that was comparable to that of the Commander.

But everything comes at a price. The price of the Yellow Springs is a reflection of the lives of those who self-destruct, gradually losing themselves under His shadow until they become a stagnant pool of shadow.

"That's all... Friend, you really leave me speechless." Sand Gold said silently, after all, what Huang Quan said was quite a challenge to his common sense.

But none of this mattered to him now that he was about to die, so he asked, "So... this is my end, the afterlife?"

"This is just a fleeting dream." Huang Quan refuted Sand Gold's claim. "One of the myriad manifestations of IX... Under the witness of nothingness, we pause briefly once more, and then go our separate ways."

“It seems my death is inevitable.” There was a hint of relief in Sand Gold’s voice.

“Even if you wish it to be so… I cannot make any promises. Now that the goal has been achieved, I can be more honest with you. Your performance at the park was brilliant, a bluff… simple yet skillful, it fooled almost everyone.”

“Almost everyone…?” Sand Gold chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Isn’t your definition of ‘almost’ a bit too narrow?”

"You realized it too?"

"At least you, Welt, and that Miss Kiana have all noticed something, haven't they?"

“Perhaps it’s because they’ve had similar experiences,” Huang Quan said.

"Similar experiences?"

"Kiana said that in their world, someone deceived the world and everyone just to create a world where the dead are still alive. His last performance before he died was also like that... full of theatricality."

“I see. But my goal has always been the same… that seemingly long-denied truth—that there is no real death in Pinocone’s dreams. Now that I have achieved my goal, I will use it to uncover that unspeakable secret, and at the same time, open the door to Pinocone for the company.”

“…That is the promised land that people are always seeking,” Huang Quan continued, “the legacy of the watchmakers, the real Pinocchio.”

"You're really perceptive! Tell me, how did you know?"

"To be honest, I never expected that something I learned by chance would become the key to connecting everything."

"That's that person's identity, right?"

"It seems you were aware of this as well."

“I can’t be sure, but I’m willing to bet on that possibility.” As he spoke, Sand Gold closed his eyes and shook his head again. “But it seems that quite a few people know about it now.”

"Is that why we need to use a 'murder case'?"

"A murder case is a good excuse, but it's far from enough. Even if there were one or two murders in Pinocchio, it would only affect a very small number of people and wouldn't cause a ripple. This dream is not a vast ocean, but an isolated island. The family built strong walls to isolate themselves from the outside world and protect people from drowning in the sea... At the same time, they used this barrier to bury their unknown secrets in the deep sea."

In a dream devoid of pain and injury, those secrets will forever remain hidden from the light of day. Unless…

"Unless someone goes to the other side of the wall and comes back alive."

“Someone has already done it. I received a hint early on: if the mute is not referring to someone who cannot speak, then it can only be someone who cannot talk…the one who has survived the deep sea but can no longer step forward to speak—I am glad to know that she is still in Pinocchio and safe.”

"A hint?" Huang Quan asked doubtfully. "Isn't it evidence?"

"Unfortunately, I have no evidence. The only thing that can support these conjectures is the family's honesty in the face of death. Their excessive generosity towards outsiders only makes it seem like they are trying to cover up their true intentions."

But doubting something doesn't require evidence; uncovering the truth does—and for me, the former is enough. I don't need to find that memory-bound meme; I just need someone who can kill me like it did.

"In my opinion, you weren't entirely confident. The city-wide broadcast, trying to get more people involved... was because you were betting on the possibility that someone could break through the barrier. But what I want to know is... why didn't you choose Kiana but me?"

"The answer is simple: it's because I don't know which star god the power she uses comes from. Rather than gambling on that uncertainty, I'd rather find a higher possibility in you."

"So you're not gambling anymore now?"

“Hey, don’t think that just because I’m a gambler, I’m really going to gamble on something I don’t know anything about!” Sand Gold laughed. “While the power of the messenger can certainly help me break through the spell that Mr. Sunday has placed on me, what could be more suitable for breaking down barriers than nothingness?”

"Compared to gambling with Kiana on whether she can break through the barrier and I can survive her attacks, isn't facing the void directly simpler? After all, I only need to stake my life and see if my life is tough enough—isn't that a good deal?"

"...You were indeed very lucky. My blade was sharp enough to shatter your dreams and sever the mark of harmony on your body. At the same time, you were very cunning, constantly repeating the word 'commander' in front of others, forcing me to draw my sword against you...that's why you were able to win. Luck and strategy are both indispensable."

In your scheme, the company is always the winner. Even if you ultimately lose, for the family, the lives of people in the world are worth more than enough… It has to be admitted that this is a high-stakes gamble.”

“You know that much,” Sand Gold said, “but allow me to point out a mistake: the company is not in a position of absolute certainty, and on one crucial matter, I truly have no backup plan.”

Detonating a star's core... I can't do it. The aventurine is too shattered; it can't even protect me as I escape the stage unscathed. If you don't pull out that knife by the end... you're hoping for total defeat.

"Discussion is pointless. You've won; you've earned yourself a ticket to that deep sea. Whether you can return from there is another high-stakes gamble. Have you...hesitated?"

"Hesitation...of course. But I can only trust in my good luck. Because I have nothing else."

Huang Quan slowly opened her closed eyes, and at that moment she made up her mind.

"...Wake up from this dream and go where you belong. Your gamble is not over yet."

Turning around, Huang Quan said to Sha Jin in a low voice, "Besides, there are no 'ifs' when I drew that knife. No matter what you do, I will still swing that knife at that moment, because it was a promise I made with them."

"Wait!" Sand Gold hurriedly called out to Huang Quan, who was about to leave. "What do you mean? What do you mean you made an agreement with them? Do you and these people have some kind of plan?"

"...Once you get there, go find someone named Tesla. She will tell you all the answers, and then a whole new gamble will begin for you."

After saying that, Huang Quan ignored Sha Jin and walked straight into the distance. Sha Jin had no choice but to put aside his thoughts and say to Huang Quan.

"...Before we part, could you answer one question for me? As someone who walks that path, could you tell me why we are born into this world only to die?"

In the end, Huang Quan chose to respond to the question about the gold dust. She turned around and replied, "I never thought so, and neither do you."

"But nothingness does indeed envelop you and me... and everyone else."

"That's why it's meaningless."

Sand Gold turned and looked at the enormous black hole that resembled a black sun, murmuring, "But it's still there."

"If the dice of fate are always weighed down with lead, then that is our destined destiny, so why should we meet with them?"

“…My answer may not dispel your confusion, because it has been with you all along and is already a part of your life.” As he spoke, Huang Quan stepped forward. “But you said that sleep is a prophecy of death. Why does life sleep? Because we are not ready to face death.”

Huang Quan turned his head and looked at the other person with a slight upturn of his lips.

"So you can understand why we want to be prepared. Even if the ending is already predetermined, it doesn't matter; there are too many things that people can't change. But before that, on the road to the ending, there are just as many things that people can do. And the ending will take on a completely different meaning as a result."

Look in your pocket; your friend already gave you the answer. Finally… good luck.

This time he was really leaving. Sand Gold stared at Huang Quan's departing figure in silence for a moment, and finally took out the items from his pocket according to Huang Quan's last instructions.

It was a container that Ladio had handed him before his formal meeting on Sunday. Inside the container was only a note with just two short lines of text.

"The impossible in dreams is not death, but slumber. Live on. Good luck."

After reading the note, Sand Gold let out a soft chuckle, then turned his gaze to his side.

Standing there was a child with the same blond eyes as him; that was him when he was a child—a child named Kakavasya, meaning a child blessed by the Mother Goddess.

"Sir...are you leaving? In the end, you've chosen...to leave this dream?" Kakavasya asked.

"...Yes. Because they're not here...Dad, Mom, Sister...They're in a place where everyone goes to play, a very, very far place."

"Are you going there too?"

“But not now,” Sand Gold replied. “There will come a day when the rain falls again and I will hear the call of the Mother Goddess until the appointed time comes when I should be reunited with my family. So before that moment comes… I should be prepared.”

"What are you ready for?"

"Get ready to face them, Kakavasya, and become their pride."

Kakawasha pondered for a moment, then gently encouraged Sand Gold, "I think you can do it. Keep going!"

"Of course. Because I am a child blessed by the Mother Goddess."

“But you still look very nervous…” Kakawasha broke through the calm mask on Sand Gold’s surface.

"I think so too." There was no point in hiding it now, so Sand Gold readily admitted, "Perhaps only you can help me..."

Then Sand Gold came over, took off his top hat and placed it on the water, and squatted down in front of Kakawasha, extending his palm.

"...Let's have one last palm strike, shall we?"

"Ok!"

As Kakawa Xia Ye spoke, she also made her own move. Her childish hand and her large hand overlapped at that moment, and the two spoke at the same time.

May the Mother Goddess close her eyes thrice for you…

"May your blood forever beat..."

"Always face the journey with equanimity..."

"...the trick will never be exposed."

Kakawasha slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them, Sand Gold had already stood up, his raised right hand slowly but firmly waving goodbye to Kakawasha.

Points of light appeared on Kakawasha's body, and in his hand was the top hat that Sand Gold had placed to the side.

"We will meet again under the aurora borealis in Kakawa."

In the end, Kakawasha disappeared completely, and his hat was blown away by a gentle breeze, accompanied by Kakawasha's final farewell.

Goodbye, Kakawasha.

……

"The luster of the aventurine... has vanished."

As the luster of the aventurine faded completely in the room, two company executives began their conversation.

"This only represents one possible outcome..."

"He kept his promise...and got what he wanted."

"As planned, your foundation stone has been successfully delivered to the family's territory. So—"

"Let's fulfill our duties and begin to reap the rewards."

Then, in the cradle of the sleepers, deep within the dreams of the star of the grand gathering—another gem begins to shine.

“I have come to pay my respects, I have come to add wine, I have come to possess.”

"I bestow poison upon the sweet dew, sow in spring and harvest in autumn, and wait patiently for the withered fruit to fill the branches."

"All is dedicated to... the Amber King!"