"Sister?"
Polyxia's expression stiffened slightly. She really hadn't expected Castorice to speak so bluntly.
Did her sister's words mean she supported her relationship with Derick, or was she against it?
Meeting Polyxia's gaze, Castorice spoke with a conflicted expression: "I know very well how outstanding Derick is, and how attractive he is to other girls. And to be honest, his will isn't that firm. I've long foreseen a situation like this."
"Derick's will? Not firm?"
Polyxia was a little confused hearing Castorice say this.
"This lack of firmness isn't about his resolve in battle." Castorice glanced at Derick, answering her sister's confusion in a serious tone.
"His lack of firmness is when it comes to matters of the heart. He can't bring himself to reject people, and he won't just stand by while others are good to him. The better someone is to him, the more indebted he feels. And that feeling of indebtedness will sooner or later make him open his heart and accept the other person."
"That… sounds like Derick, alright."
Polyxia thought about it carefully and nodded, agreeing that her sister was right. Derick was indeed that kind of person.
"Cipher has been constantly good to him, so I've actually had a premonition for a while that a day like this would come. I just thought the first one to talk to me about it would be Cipher. I never expected it would be you, Polyxia."
Hearing Castorice say this, Polyxia looked embarrassed. But regarding her and Derick, Polyxia still looked worriedly at Castorice, wanting to know what her final decision was.
Seeing her sister's anxious expression, Castorice sighed with a light chuckle and reached out to stroke Polyxia's hair.
"What else can I do? I can only forgive him. After all, I love him this much, I can't just leave him, can I?" Castorice said gently to Polyxia.
Just as Cipher had predicted, Castorice's anger couldn't overcome her love for Derick. Especially since the incident with Polyxia only happened because Derick was suffering from severe mental trauma. It was under those circumstances that their relationship had its breakthrough.
Castorice could only choose to accept it.
Of course, she was still a little upset.
To vent her frustration, Castorice wanted to punch Derick. But seeing him still 'sleeping', she couldn't bring herself to do it. As for hitting her own sister, Castorice couldn't bear to do that either.
After thinking it over, she punched the nearby table to let off steam. Polyxia saw Castorice's little fist strike. Although there was no damage on the outside, the inside had been completely destroyed by Castorice.
"Remind me to replace the table later," Castorice said to Polyxia.
"Okay."
Hearing Castorice say this, Polyxia quickly nodded.
Castorice stroked Polyxia's head again.
"You've had a hard journey back. Sister, you should go get some rest," she said softly to Polyxia.
"Mhm."
With the biggest weight lifted from her heart, Polyxia felt relaxed and tired. Hearing her sister say this, Polyxia nodded repeatedly and headed towards her room in the Alchemy Commission to get some proper rest.
Polyxia wheeled herself out and saw Cipher waiting for her in the hallway. Seeing Polyxia's expression, Cipher felt that things were settled. Although she had been quite certain of the outcome, she couldn't help but worry before it was confirmed. Now that she knew, she could finally relax.
Polyxia asked, "Miss Cipher, why… why are you waiting here?"
"Your thing with Derry, I was the one who orchestrated it. Since I did it, of course I have to see it through to the end," Cipher said to Polyxia without batting an eye.
Polyxia felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she just let Cipher push her back to her room to rest.
In Derick and Castorice's room, Castorice looked at Derick, gently took off her shoes, and got into bed, lying on her side next to him. She reached out and gently stroked Derick's face, whispering, "Derick, how long are you going to pretend to be asleep?"
Derick opened his eyes, a little embarrassed.
Seeing that things were indeed as she expected, Castorice rolled her eyes at Derick. She then asked him, "When did you wake up?"
"I woke up just as you and Polyxia started talking."
Derick answered Castorice honestly. He had finished extracting the memories at that point and was about to wake up when he heard Polyxia wanting to confess. If he had woken up then, it would have made the scene too awkward. At the same time, even if he confessed it was his fault and his responsibility, it would have felt like emotionally blackmailing Castorice. After thinking it over, Derick decided that pretending to be asleep was the most appropriate course of action.
Castorice tapped Derick's chest in dissatisfaction. She also knew that Derick's way of handling it was the most suitable.
She wrapped her arms around Derick's neck and lay quietly beside him.
While cuddling, Castorice didn't want to talk about Derick's romantic issues anymore. She then asked him, "Derick, you said you acquired the Flame Reaver's memories. What kind of memories are they? Where did he come from, and why was he our enemy?"
The most crucial part was, what kind of memories could cause such an emotional fluctuation in Derick?
No matter how brutal or terrifying the Flame Reaver's memories were, not even the Corrosion from the Black Tide should have caused such a psychological change in Derick. If Derick were a true Amphorean, Castorice might have guessed that the Flame Reaver had killed his parents and relatives.
But the problem was, Derick wasn't!
Castorice already knew that not long after Derick arrived on Amphoreus, he met Iason. After that, he met her. She knew everything that happened afterward, and no one's death should have caused such a huge emotional upheaval in Derick.
Castorice was truly curious.
"If I told you that everyone on Amphoreus is just a piece of data, what would you think?"
Derick asked Castorice.
Castorice thought for a moment and said: "That's a bit strange, but if you're the one saying it, I believe you. We were never the same as other people in the universe to begin with. It wouldn't be surprising if you said we started as data. Besides, you'll definitely help us become real living beings, right, Derick?"
"Yes. In fact, with my blood in your bodies, you are no longer just data; you can be considered true living beings. I will definitely find more ways to turn everyone on Amphoreus into real living beings."
Derick promised.
Castorice nodded, showing she believed in Derick's promise.
Seeing Castorice accept his explanation, Derick knew he could continue.
"What if I told you the Flame Reaver was actually someone we know? Would you believe me?" Derick continued to ask.
"Someone we know?" Castorice was taken aback, her grip on Derick even loosening.
"Yes, the Flame Reaver is Phainon. To be precise, he's the Phainon from the previous cycle." Derick didn't beat around the bush and told Castorice the Flame Reaver's identity.
Hearing Derick say this, Castorice said doubtfully: "The previous cycle? That's not right. In the Re-Genesis, everyone is reborn. Besides me and the Titans, no one should be the same as they were in the last world."
Castorice being the same as in the previous Re-Genesis was because of her sister Polyxia's selfish wish. For that, Polyxia paid a great price. Other than that, it should be impossible for anyone else to be preserved after a Re-Genesis.
"No, it's not the Re-Genesis cycle." Derick shook his head. "It's a cycle belonging to this world."
Then, Derick told Castorice about the more than thirty million cycles Phainon experienced. He also told her about Lygus and the Lord Ravager Irontomb.
After listening to Derick's explanation, Castorice was in disbelief. She looked at him, not quite sure how to react.
If the words hadn't come from Derick, she would never have believed it. That the seemingly ordinary Amphoreus could be involved with so many factions and secrets.
"In short, the Flame Reaver, Phainon, interfered time and time again to prevent the birth of the Lord Ravager, always hoping for a turning point. After more than thirty million cycles, once he became the Flame Reaver, he lost his emotions, with only the pursuit of the Titan Coreflame left in his heart."
Castorice felt a great deal of sympathy for the Flame Reaver. However, this sympathy was based on the fact that he was already dead. If he were alive, Castorice's only thought would be to kill him.
No matter how right his original intentions were, his wanton slaughter of the Golden Kin was undeniable, and that made him her enemy.
After settling the matter of the Flame Reaver's identity, Castorice looked at Derick again.
"Thankfully, you came in this cycle."
Castorice said to Derick.
Derick nodded gently.
At that moment, Castorice hugged Derick even tighter, pressing her chest firmly against his.
"Compared to my previous cycles, I am so much luckier. I'm not experiencing the despair of world-ending destruction, but hope for the future."
Castorice said to Derick.
Derick was their savior, allowing her to change her own destiny in this cycle.
At this thought, Castorice couldn't contain her emotions and leaned in to kiss Derick.
Derick naturally responded with passion.
The exchange of hearts was naturally accompanied by physical contact. Derick and Castorice didn't say or think anything more, instead letting their desires intertwine.
A pile of clothes lay scattered on the floor.
After nearly two Xianzhou hours, Derick and Castorice finally settled down.
"By the way, Derick, how did you read the Flame Reaver's memories?" Castorice asked, playing with his pecs.
"I didn't read them. I could only see them, one by one, with my own eyes."
Even though Derick had already lived through them, just talking about it now, he still felt a lingering fear.
Seeing Derick's expression, Castorice's heart ached for him.
She imagined herself, having to watch "herself" kill Aglaea, kill Tribbie, kill Mydei, and finally, have to kill Derick. Never mind over thirty million times; she wouldn't be able to bear it even once.
The Flame Reaver, Phainon, had also lost himself in those cycles.
And Derick had to watch it all, kill by kill, unable to be indifferent or go mad. Just imagining it made Castorice feel like she would break down.
Let alone Derick having to experience it.
At this thought, Castorice gently stroked Derick, her heart aching to the extreme.
At that moment, the last bit of resentment Castorice felt about Polyxia and Derick being together vanished.
Derick had gone through all that... forget him being with Polyxia, even with Cipher…
At this thought, Castorice's movements paused.
Derick was in that state, his emotions at their most vulnerable. And at that time, if Cipher didn't do something…?
Would she still be Cipher?
In the memories, Derick killed me over thirty million times, and he must have done the same to Cipher. At that time, Derick's defenses against Cipher must have been at their absolute weakest.
Derick definitely wouldn't have rejected Cipher.
"Derick…" Castorice looked at Derick with a knowing gaze.
Meeting Castorice's gaze, Derick knew telepathically what she was about to ask.
He had come back to confess, so Derick naturally nodded.
"The night we left the Borisin homeworld, she came to find me…"
The sound of Castorice grinding her teeth was loud.
That wretched Cipher, I'll definitely get even with you when I get back.
Castorice glanced up at Derick and noticed his expression was a bit strange.
"Wait, Derick, there aren't others, are there?"
Castorice asked Derick.
Since he had already decided to be honest, Derick couldn't leave anything out. He then told Castorice about Feixiao and Yunli.
After listening, Castorice looked at Derick, speechless.
My goodness, Derick really goes after everyone. Whether it's General Huaiyan's granddaughter or General Feixiao of Yaoqing, he dares.
His nerve is truly something else.
Finally, she grabbed his arm and bit down.
No, I have to punish him a little!
On a planet near the Zhuming Xianzhou, Yunli stood before a group of fallen bodies.
These people had been controlled by a Demonic Sword, so Yunli had no choice but to take them all down to retrieve it.
Looking at the bodies on the ground, Yunli suddenly felt a discomfort in her stomach, an urge to vomit.
"What's going on? This isn't the first time I've seen something like this. The slaughter caused by the Demonic Swords has been far worse than this, and I've never had this kind of reaction. Is it because I didn't eat breakfast?"
Yunli thought to herself.
So she decided that after leaving this area, she would find a place to buy some food and have a proper meal.
Looking at the Demonic Sword she had just retrieved, Yunli wondered how many more she still needed to collect.
______
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