Kingdom of Corrosion

By six in the evening, everyone had returned to the base and sought their own rest, with some using the communication system that Dawn had kindly opened to catch up with friends. Dashuang learned that his sister Ershuang had decided to exit Hardcore Mode, and Ershuang encouraged Dashuang to find his footing in Shadow. Starlight and Sunlight engaged in a group call with Yellow Hair and Fire Dance that lasted 40 minutes.

After the call ended, Sunlight and Starlight had a talk in the parking lot. Straight after, Starlight approached Stone, "Uncle, I want to stay in Shadow and be a doctor."

Stone was initially taken aback. His thoughts were similar to Lin Wu at that moment, "Shadow is not mine; I can’t recruit so many people. Besides, I don’t want to disgust Lin Wu by bringing his ex-girlfriend and her husband here." Why should he bother taking in useless people who would just wear him down? He couldn’t see the sense in it.

Starlight said, "Uncle, Yellow Hair is only Fire Dance’s husband in name. What I mean is I am the only one who wants to stay. The three of them have decided to leave the Hardcore system."

Stone frowned and pondered for a long time, "Don’t make it sound so good now, only to turn around and sell yourself at the first sweet talk you hear. You’ll happily be deceived, but my Shadow will then have a gap to fill for a doctor."

Starlight replied, "We just got divorced, and he will leave tonight."

Stone was taken aback and asked, "How did your story develop to this point?"

After some thought, Starlight answered, "Choice, decision, expressing one’s will."

Stone nodded, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Starlight added, "Things that will change will change; it’s better to change sooner than later. I believe that when we meet again on Earth, both of us will have found the answers." Without Shana, there’s still Shina. A virtual marriage barely started yet already challenged. How could one expect to grow old together in the next one hundred and fifty years? Starlight couldn’t accept inferior quality, especially not when it’s passed off as something better. Some things might be forced for a moment but not for a lifetime. It required him to follow his heart, to provide the final answer.