Surging From a Withered Spring

Why is he alone?

This might be an ambush laid by Ardashir and Nefarith.

Seems it's already too late for that.

Go somewhere far away?

Now you act like you still care about me?

Enough. There is still time for you to leave...

Leave? To where? Wuling? Or somewhere I've never heard of?

Bro... To hell with Wuling ... and to hell with Ardashir and Nefarith! This is our mess, and it's ours to clean up!

You owe your life ... to the Fam ... and me.

I don't deserve your understanding...

But this is my only chance of revenge against Wuling... I cannot miss it.

Blame yourself for finding the wrong person, Ardashir!

You are not yet ready. You will die here.

...HAH!

Chief, turn around and leave.

...I have to say no this time.

Ardashir was right. You came...

You pushed the Fam to war!

You let the Landbreakers seize our Stockade!

You ... betrayed us...

This is my home! You're my only family!

Once I master this power...

Your arm...!

...I was hoping you could take Tangtang with you, and go somewhere far away.

Abandon your vengeance. Follow me. You have been chosen for a greater enterprise...

How dare he...? What made him think he knew what's best for me? How could he just bail out like that...?

He was scared ... right until the very end...

Maybe it's just me, Perlica, but Ruan Yi... I feel like he gave up at the final moment...

Tangtang ... we should go.

Can I be alone for a while?

Why...? The rain ended so long ago... Why seek revenge when the sun's out...?

...I just hope that after today, the Stockaders and Wulingers can put that incident behind them.

I am here to pay my last respects to a fallen friend.

You do not believe me...

Don't push her too hard. We should have faith in her.

Yeah, Tangtang won't abandon the Stockade... And those who followed Ruan Yi are probably in a total mess right now.

Let's leave. We need to report the situation here to Mi Fu and Tianshi Zhuang. And then...

Ardashir!

You did this to him!

How do you regard me at this moment?

Pretentious? Cunning? Cruel? The malevolent puppeteer behind it all?

However you perceive me, I shall accept it all.

We are now on opposing sides. Everything I say will be taken as feeble excuses.

When two factions steeped in hatred can scarcely understand each other, what hope lies between predator and prey, or creator and creation?

Forgive me, Endministrator. I will continue to oppose you, and those you care for may become my targets.

However, please do believe that...

...every action I take is for the survival of Civilization.

I ... I don't know what to say to you... I thought I was ready, but...

Gimme a bit more time... I gotta clean up Big Bro's mess ... and help my Fam back in the Stockade.

Sorry, Darkmask. You helped me out so much, but I kept breaking my promise...

For as long as I can remember, he loved and cared for everyone in the Stockade Fam...

It wasn't an act, I know it wasn't!

I just... I just don't know why he must drag everyone in ... and pursue his plan for revenge...

...I'm the Chief of Qingbo Stockade. I keep my word, never break it!

But ... but if he really changed ... or has been lying to me from the very beginning...

What should I do?

......

Endmin...

Hooo...

Yeah! Thank you... Endmin.

And if he's doing this for vengeance ... perhaps I'm responsible as well.

...Tangtang?

...I was adopted, but my Bro was a real son of my father.

Things were really bad at Qingbo Stockade ten years ago. People actually died from hunger.

My Bro and my father ... risked everything for me and everyone else ... by raiding a Wuling supply convoy.

A convoy raid is often just a scuffle! But the Tianshi... They were very affected by the disaster in the Exclusion Zone...

It was raining that night, and people could hardly see anything... Father accidentally got...

That was also when I got hurt in my eye...

It's been so many years, yet I knew nothing about how he felt... My Bro never left that rainy night.

This... this is my Tangtang Cert...?

...I got it.

Darkmask! As the Chief of Qingbo Stockade, I gotta settle this business!

Let's go see him...

Ruan Yi's quest for vengeance, the conflicts between Qingbo and Wuling... Are they truly just aftershocks of that past disaster?

Endmin, are you still thinking about Ruan Yi?

What the hell are they trying to achieve?

Ruan Yi's fall made things worse for her, and for Qingbo Stockade as well.

...And we got Nefarith and Ardashir to deal with.

It's not for me to judge how vengeance can blind a person... It wasn't me who lost family or friends.

Ten years ago... The disaster coincided with the Polar Expedition. It was also the time when you last awakened, Endmin.

Tangtang may be in greater pain than she seems...

Ruan Yi's impulsiveness killed him and fractured the Stockade.

His actions hurt too many people, especially those who trusted and loved him.

There are times when protecting a loved one is more difficult, and far more noble, than unleashing destruction in a moment of rage.

But Nefarith was more than happy to manipulate his rage. She took over Qingbo Stockade without getting personally involved.

I knew very well how difficult things were for the entire Civilization Band...

Disaster pushed people to desperation. Plenty of tragedies like Ruan Yi's were reported throughout the Band.

But Ruan Yi chose to pursue vengeance — and ended up hurting even more people. I cannot sympathize with his actions.

The future we are fighting so hard for ... must not be built on a never-ending cycle of violence.

Please take good care of her, Endmin.

Is everything ready?

There is nothing to prepare.

Leash your subjects.

Killing is not our objective. Disabling the Xiranite Dam will accomplish our mission.

I will see it done quickly. It pains me to witness that expression on the Endmin's face again.

Of course. I can tear open the Very Large Rift at any moment.

Let's go see him...

Yeah! Thank you... Endmin.