West's Summer [Comprehensive English and American]

"The sword of the king is powerful, but the sword that kills is never as precious as the sword that can save people."

As early as in the Radcliffe Round House in Oxford, when West read the legends about King Arthur, what impressed him most was this admonition from the magician to King Camelot.According to historical records, Arthur Pendragon's holy sword Excalibur cuts iron like mud and is invincible, while the scabbard wearing the King's Sword will never bleed.If the Eternal King hadn't accidentally lost it later, then in the final battle of Jianlan, he would never have ended up with Mordred.

Once upon a time, West also had the idea of ​​looking for the sheath of the holy sword.But when he learned that Excalibur in this timeline was actually forged by Merlin directly with a naked sword and dragon's breath, he thought that this so-called fetish that could make the wearer invulnerable did not exist at all.

but--

Looking down at the old parchment in his hand, West's expression is a bit complicated now.

——Although none of the time logic is right, he will never admit his mistake. , what is outlined on it and coveted by the lake elves is indeed the scabbard of the king's sword Excalibur.

'What the hell is going on? '

Although it was not clear whether Vivienne knew the value of this thing, Merlin definitely did not, so West wisely kept silent about it.After all, with the personality of a mage, if he knew that the thing he was going to exchange for his life was actually Arthur's life-saving talisman, he would probably make some unpredictable actions... But for West, nothing can compare to Merlin more important.Now that he is being coerced by others, he dare not and cannot take any risk for this.

What's more, whether he can get the sacred object placed in the deepest part of the temple is obviously a very challenging question.

Looking up at the ruins that were almost covered by weeds, the old marble palace pillars were covered with moss and vines, dilapidated, but still able to feel the former glory of prosperity.The wind from the deep forest passed through the dark corridor leisurely, stirring up the smell of dust accumulated over thousands of years.In this land once sheltered by the White Goddess, even though there are no pilgrims now, it still retains the majesty and majesty of the gods.

And, something here is calling him.

The blood flowing in the bones seems to resonate with the forgotten piety under the ruins.Compared with the ethereal feeling when you just stepped over the unnamed Taoist monument, the feeling of being at the mercy of fate when you really stand in front of the temple is more clearly visible.West patted his cheeks and pulled himself together. No matter what was waiting ahead, he had no other choice but to keep going.

This is a gamble between him and himself.

……

At the same time, the moment West stepped into the Floating World Temple, Vivienne, who was observing his movements with a water mirror, suddenly felt the sound of breaking through the air behind him, and then, a rusted sword edge arrived behind him. Heart.

"You broke free from the binding spell faster than I thought." Without looking back, as if she had expected this situation, the witch lowered her eyes and smiled slightly. ?"

"If it's really the strongest, it won't be so embarrassing by you."

His eyes were about to burst into flames, and Merlin stared at the witch's calm back.Although his resistance to all kinds of spells has always been surprisingly high, it took most of his energy to break free from the magic of the lake elf when he was suppressed to the extreme.The long sword casually picked up from the bones in the weeds piled forward unconsciously, and it seemed that only one force could kill the witch on the spot, but the mage also understood that this was just a temporary illusion.

—No sword can hurt a magician, no one knows better than he.

"I don't have time to play child's tricks with you here, Vivian, I want to go to him."

Not surprised that the steel sword in his hand would break into several sections out of thin air, Merlin dropped the hilt casually, turned and walked towards the direction West left.The spirit of the lake threatened the young man with his life to take risks alone, which had touched the bottom line of Emerys.What's more, the place he was asked to go to, the temple inhabited by the undead, as long as a wizard has heard all kinds of terrible legends there... I think I can't stay here calmly and let West die for himself, mage He pursed his lips tightly, as if someone had sprinkled a handful of glass shards on his heart, and even every breath began to become tiny and painful.

"You can't leave here."

With a snap of his fingers, countless thick vines broke out from the mage's feet, weaving into a huge cage, but fortunately, they were not covered with terrifying barbs like the ones presented to West.Vivienne finally turned around from the water mirror, and looked straight at Merlin, who was extremely angry because of being trapped again, and there seemed to be a flash of pity in the pupils as green as new leaves.

"The curse of the gods is buried in the forest of the floating world. Even if you can break free from my spell, you cannot break free from the shackles of nature itself... What's more, Merlin, even if you reach the Temple of the Dead with your little magic left, that You will definitely not be able to accompany the boy on the road he is about to embark on."

"……What's the meaning?"

Danger narrowed his eyes, and something seemed to be burning and rolling in his chest like magma.Merlin stood straight in the cage made of thorns, imprisoned, but he didn't know if he realized something, and the solemnity and majesty that belonged to Emerys gradually appeared between his brows.

"You should have thought about it, why did Avalon suppress your magic, and why did he let that young man recover the strength he should have."

There was a palpable tiredness in his expression.Perhaps it was exiled here by the motherland for thousands of years, and had nothing but the obsession to return; or maybe it was the expectation and disappointment of too many times in a long life, and was at the mercy of the so-called established fate.Vivienne turned her head again, looked lightly at West in the water mirror who was walking vigilantly in the dark corridor, and lowered her voice very softly.

"You shouldn't hate me, Merlin. The reason why fate called West to come here is because all the people involved in your karma have to go through the temptation of the gods, and I am just the one chosen by it to facilitate the future... …just as the Three-Faced Goddess gave your king final judgment, now, it is time for that boy to choose his future."

"So, just watch quietly, the 'Guider' of the 'Hermit'. The fate of you and him is destined to not just stay in this era."

……

Legend has it that on the other side of the Ukiyo Forest, where the soul lives, there lives the Pure White Goddess who is in charge of thousands of creatures in the world.She wanders in the dreamland full of blooming flowers all day long, and accepts the pilgrimage of elves, the sun is woven into her beautiful golden hair, the stars are dotted with her skirt, and the songs of bards are all born for her, with the most beautiful voice in the world Pray that the whole of Albion will be bathed in the light of the gods.

Later, because of the inherent cowardice and greed in human nature, the stars faded and wars broke out.The beings of Avalon were separated from the world, and became the utopia only appeared in ancient poetry.And in the increasingly dark British land, magic and knights gradually appeared, the ancient religion rose, and the age of gods has become a relic.This forest, once known as "Dream Land", also began to be explored by magicians who came here admiringly. It was not until the elves finally abandoned this land, and evil beasts and undead ruled, that it gradually turned into the strange and dangerous place it is today. The forbidden area of ​​the world became the place of exile where Avalon imprisoned the guilty.

——And Vivienne is probably one of the lake elves who were exiled here.

Thinking so faintly, West moved the weird earring on his right ear, and groped in the dark based on his feeling.

In the temple, there is a gray dead place.

Obscure light scattered from the top of the head, unable to blend into the black dust.The dilapidated marble columns were lying crookedly on the ground, overgrown with weeds, and moss had already spread across the cracks in the stones.He just walked alone in the ancient and empty ruins, so silent, like an ancient ice field frozen under the water.

——The Hall of the Sages.

A long time ago, this gorgeous building was indeed called this name, and it used to be a holy place where the elves offered sacrifices to the gods.But now, after an unknown number of years of barrenness, it has become a haunted lair for the undead.From the moment he stepped on the steps, there were a lot of miserable howls in his ears, and the obsessions of countless dead entered his consciousness through telepathy, boiling in every inch of blood and bones, but he was afraid of the light in his palm. The fragments dare not approach half a point.

But the danger of the temple is actually far more than that.

'Boom--'

Perhaps the first unscrupulous visitor in millennia awakened the sleeping Guardians.On the ground floor of the main hall, with a burst of shaking, the organs that the elves had placed here to guard against those with evil intentions also started to activate.In the corridor leading to the deepest altar, in front of West, the statues of knights that were originally quietly embedded in the wall gradually walked down the stone seat. Thousands of years have not weathered the sharpness of the long swords in their hands, but have become more and more shiny. The ethereal singing voices came from nowhere, raising the blade of judgment towards the intruder in their eyes.

"I knew that the reason why Vivian must trick me is because there are levels that magicians can't handle."

The runes all over the armor of the stone statues completely isolate the magical interference from the outside world.And because of the large number, and all of them are carved from real marble, even ordinary knights are by no means opponents.However, for West, who is neither of the two, he has at least five ways to break the threat of these stone knights.

Gently lowering your eyes, just a thought flashed by, and the time flowing in the corridor completely stopped, even the sporadic insects outside the window, and the ding-dong sound of spring water across the stone surface in the dark all died down.Under the retreat of the powerful power of time, those knights who were flailing their teeth and claws seemed to have been pressed by the freeze button, unable to move forward by half a minute.

Quicken your pace and walk through the rest of this dark corridor.The moment he stepped into the arch at the end, the power of thought receded, and time flowed again in the temple.Hearing the roar of the stone statue knights retreating back to the stone seat because they had lost their target, West's face turned pale, and he couldn't help pinching his throbbing temple, a trace of blood red slowly oozing from the corner of his mouth.

The more powerful the power you control, the greater the price you have to pay - as early as the beginning of teaching the teenagers to develop their abilities, Professor X had already warned his adopted son like this.After the first genetic mutation stopped its own growth, if it continues to let it go, no one can predict when the next mutation will come and what kind of burden it will bring to West.Therefore, since the age of 17, Charles has strictly prohibited him from using this ability without authorization, drawing a red line for him that must not be crossed, and only then has he ensured the safety of the boy for nearly half a century.

But now, for various reasons, he has obviously crossed the line too much——

He lowered his head and glanced at his wrist, the wound that was pierced by vines not long ago now only had healed pale white marks, the boy frowned.He didn't know whether this extraordinary self-healing was a sign of the second mutation, but the only thing that was certain was that this ability, which was almost at the cost of overdraft, was by no means a good thing for him to be thankful for.

Stretching out his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, West pulled himself together and began to look around where he was now.After passing through the winding and winding corridors outside, he seemed to have come to a place similar to a courtyard in the temple.Pale and dilapidated marble carvings are scattered everywhere, upside-down crosses are hung on the walls of the second floor, and a pool of obscure and still spring water lies in the center of the field of vision. Still never evaporated and dried up, as clear as ever.

"This is the source of the river of living beings in the floating forest. According to legend, it was gathered by the tears of the gods in ancient times. It can wash people's memories and thoughts. It is called the fountain of sages by the elves."

Suddenly, Vivienne's voice rang in his ears by some unknown method.Knowing that in Avalon, as long as there is water, the will of the elves of the lake can be reached, West did not express any surprise, but stepped forward a few steps, standing on the edge of the pool of the fountain of the sage.

"Here is the scabbard of Excalibur?"

He bent down to look at his own reflection floating on the water with some doubts, he blinked, his eyes could only touch the smooth and empty bottom of the pool.Naturally, every move of the boy could be observed from the water mirror, the witch adjusted the angle, and said lightly:

"You look into the center of the spring."

According to the legends of the lake elves, long before Excalibur, the king's sword, was cast by Emerys in the dragon's breath, its scabbard was born by Avalon and hidden deep in the magical water. , only those appointed by fate can get it.The historical development of Britain has reached the point where it has to change. Whether it is a divided territory or a declining ancient religion, heroes of the era are needed to end it.So, Arthur became the king of past and future who created a new order; so, Merlin became Amoris, who would eventually bring magic back to Albion.Everything is moving forward according to the established track, until one day, the mage picked up a young man who strayed into this time in the forest.

He was the accident of all doom.

In other words, although it seems ignorant, it still fits another possible future that is older and more benevolent.

"I seem to have found it."

The dark spring water is reflected in the blue eyes like the ocean.In the center of the pool of sages, a golden scabbard is quietly lying in the still floating water, with several bright and dazzling gemstones inlaid on the edge of the hollow pattern, different from the indestructible silver sword, it is like a Like the sun, it looks vulnerable, but it can keep the wearer away from danger and heal all wounds.

"Take it, Hermit, take the choice the gods gave you..."

In the ear, Vivian's unfinished words seemed to be blurred.As if bewitched by something, and as if he had seen all the missing answers in life, West stretched out his hand in a daze, his eyes scattered in every corner of the void, and lightly touched the spring water that had been slightly cooled by the years.

With a 'crash' sound, circles of transparent ripples spread from the edge to the center, blurring his reflection.

Even the time is passing away bit by bit at the fingertips.

……

"How can I compare you to summer? You are not only cuter than it, but also gentler than it... Sometimes the eyes of the sky shine too fiercely, and its shining golden face is often covered; Destroyed, without beauty, it will eventually wither or disappear..."

Although imprisoned in the dark underground of the Alps, he lives under the humiliation and shadow of death all day long.But occasionally, on a sunny day outside, there will always be a ray of light falling from the gap in the skylight at the edge of the dungeon for people to think about, and it is easy to recall the vitality and vitality they once had.

He lost contact with the world during the snowy season, but now the spring is warm and flowers are blooming outside, and the scorching summer also has a faint shadow.These hundreds of days and nights of torture not only dragged down his body, but also exhausted his will. If he didn't still have hope in his heart, perhaps he would have already sought eternal sleep and liberation.

"What are you reading, West?"

Cozy nestled next to the young man, squinting his eyes to find sleepiness in the slightly hoarse voice.Adelaide moved his shoulders and grabbed the corner of the man's clothes, a little dissatisfied that he changed his bedtime story without authorization.

"...but your long summer will never wither, nor lose your bright red fragrance, nor death boast that you wander in his shadow, while you grow with time in immortal poetry."

Closing the worn-out fairy tale book in his hand, Wester Xavier lazily raised the corners of his mouth, and looked down at the girl's green eyes:

"Shakespeare's sonnets, appended at the end of this story. Did you like it?"

"Not at all." Shaking her head, Adelaide pouted dissatisfiedly as she looked at the fairy tale book that had turned to the last page, "I like my Nightingale Rose and Princess Pea more, but they don't want to give me more Storybook."

"...This place is not a charity after all."

His expression was gloomy for a moment, and West's fingers pinching the pages of the book turned white due to the force.That lunatic Yi Laizhe imprisoned the humans and mutants he captured here, even such a young child.At this age, she should obviously run freely in the sun, pester her parents and act like a baby, and be loved by everyone as a little princess.Instead of being locked up in the dark underground like this, you will die worthlessly on a test bench covered with countless blood at some point, even listening to a bedtime fairy tale is a luxury.

"Will you tell me a new story every day while we're out?"

Perhaps there is no concept of death in Adelaide's eyes-and this is why she always reminds people of hope and anticipation.The girl opened her eyes like reindeer cubs, and said so, every inch of her eyes was full of innocence and clarity without any falsehood.

"Of course, I will also give you a book of fairy tales that can fill an entire manor."

He was stunned, although he knew that since Charles hadn't been able to find him in the past few months, the chance of being successfully rescued would become more and more slim with the passage of time, but West still replied with such a smile.

——Of course he wouldn't puncture a child's purest expectation... Even he himself, even today, has to draw the obsession to live from this simplicity, instead of exiling his mind and body in despair.

"Then let's just talk about it, you can't go back on your word... oops! I saw Abby came to me!!"

Jumping up from the boy's arms, he even accidentally bumped into the iron pipe above his head.The corners of West's eyes twitched, he wanted to say a few words but he was reluctant, he could only cry and laugh as the tearful girl rubbed her head.Adelaide's telepathic awakening range is wider than his, even now that this ability has been greatly suppressed.Although he has not sensed the brain waves of the lady who has been taking care of her, he will not doubt the girl's judgment.

"Alay."

Sure enough, when he was scrambling to comfort the girl who was about to cry, a woman with an oriental face appeared in front of his cubicle along with the sound of not brisk footsteps.Since Adelaide was too young when she was brought back, the reformer who managed here entrusted her to the care of a human lady without any ability, and allowed her to keep a certain amount of time in this prisoner's colony. Freedom of movement... It's just that when the time comes, you have to go back to your cubicle.

Nodding to West, the lady named Abby took the blue-eyed girl's hand.The sound of footsteps gradually disappeared in the dark corridor, and before the darkness, the girl could still be seen looking back reluctantly.

"You are so good to that little girl. Could it be because you fell in love with her mother? Or are you a pedophile?"

Perhaps it was because his focused eyes were too obvious, the straightforward and rough Russian next door poked the boy's elbow through the iron fence, and even made some good-natured jokes in not-so-standard English.Withdrawing his gaze and glaring at him without energy, West shook his head, feeling somewhat instinctively that he really didn't know how to explain to this straight-minded middle-aged man.

Unlike Adelaide, West actually doesn't like Abby very much.Although he was indeed well protected by Charles, it does not mean that he has never faced the cruelty of the world - he could see that the look in the woman's eyes was too cowardly, and taking care of Alai might just be a deterrent to the administrator order, not from the heart.And this kind of obedience, once oppressed by power, whether she can really protect the girl is unknown...

However, in this situation where you may die tomorrow, what is the need for such worries?

Lie down on the cold stone platform used as a bed, with your hands behind your head.The boy closed his eyes, ignored the complaints from the Russians next door who were cursing that this place didn't serve vodka, cleared his mind a little tiredly, and gradually fell asleep.

And looking at his once pale and embarrassing face, as if he was watching a movie that he already knew the plot of, he lowered his eyes and looked at his transparent fingertips lightly. His heart should have been throbbing, but at this time it seemed to be hollowed out. Generally, there is nothing but daze.

The fountain of sages can trace people's memory.Forgetting the most basic law of this floating world forest, and reaching out to touch it rashly, it seems understandable that he would fall into this kind of old thing.

He leaned over and sat down in a dirty and wet corner, but his eyes never left his body from 20 years ago.West put his hands on his bent knees, and it was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that these things he thought he had forgotten, he could still clearly remember every scene, and he could recall the moss and mud in the dungeon The smell of decay, and the only ray of sunlight scattered from the skylight, warmed the skin that still had the cold touch of the blade, and brought me so much precious hope and courage.

Also, Adelaide.

Not the German girl who died with hatred for him, nor the clone body that Yi Laizhe crazily used 20 years later.She is still vividly alive, crying, laughing, acting like a baby, pestering everyone to tell her stories, sneaking into his cubicle every day, and smiling at him without any grudges through the iron bars.

Then, the next thing is already clear.

The overlapping of memories and memories is not as painful as it might be.He watched the time that had already flowed forward slowly again, and pieced together the entire cage leading to the past——

The naturally optimistic Russian next door was taken out of the dungeon at some point and never came back, while the blood-soaked wild roses bloomed brighter outside the window; Adelaide came less and less frequently, although as always Innocent and simple, but the eyes of that Ms. Abby looking at him have gradually become complicated and vigilant; I wonder if it is because of the breakthrough in Yi Laizhe's experiment, he doesn't show up often recently, and he seldom shows threats Stella tossed on the experimental bench.If it wasn't for the strong smell of blood in the air, he might have really thought that everything he had suffered before was just a nightmare that would eventually wake up.

until a certain day.

He watched himself 20 years ago being pushed awake in his sleep, stumbled and driven into a blindingly bright empty room.The potion that inhibited the ability was decomposed, and his spirit recovered little by little, but before he figured out what kind of trick Yi Laizhe had played, he was suddenly attacked from behind.

It's Abby.

He turned around differently.

Obviously, that lunatic doctor has already touched the threshold of transplanting mutant abilities for ordinary people.When West was almost cut in half by an air blade, he had found more than five different mutant talents in Abby, and the moves were fatal. Even if he didn't want to fight this lady again, if he didn't fight back , he is probably already a dead man.

He promised that if he killed you, I would be free.

In Abby's muddy eyes, the boy could easily read such a message.He is very clear about Yi Laizhe's methods. In such an extremely desperate environment, even the most untrustworthy straw will be firmly held in his hands.What's more, the transplantation of too many genes that don't match itself has already put Abby's body to the limit. Even if she doesn't look at it with her eyes, she can still feel the mournful cry of the flame of life being gradually extinguished.

set me free.

Please, set me free.

The sorrow of the living can never be shielded from the brain, this is the gift of psychics, and it is also their burden.West pursed his lips tightly, controlled the airflow to press his opponent against the metal wall, and his raised right hand was covered by a layer of extremely sharp air blade.

—Kill me, kill me! !

The blood flow under the pinched neck is faster, and you can even feel the heat of being burned.He looked at himself 20 years ago, hesitant, still unable to respond to Abby's pleading, but it was by no means saving her, but causing her to die more painfully.

'Peng——'

The excessively high blood pressure finally overwhelmed the heart, and it was completely burst into pieces by the backflow of blood, and the sprayed bright red dyed his whole body.Because of this sudden death, he was stunned in place. Before the boy had time to wipe off the blood that didn't belong to him on his face, the bang of the metal door being opened came to his eardrums again.

Who else will come.

The young man turned his head hesitantly.Reflected in those blue eyes like the ocean, are Adelaide whose expression gradually changed from astonishment to anger, and Yi Laizhe who is smiling casually behind her.

Knowing the established ending, West closed his eyes tiredly.

It's just a simple trap.

But it was such a simple trap that ended up ruining so many people.