Chapter 129: Learn the truth and have a kitten with Cipher
"Huh? Run away?" Cifera was stunned for a moment. "What are you talking about? We're having so much fun as Rogues right now, free and easy. Why would we leave?"
But when she saw the deep, almost overflowing plea in your eyes, all words caught in her throat. "Little Wildcat, what's... wrong with you?"
"Fei'er," you held her hand. "Let's be together forever, far from Dolos, far from Okhema... Let's go to a place where no one knows us, okay?"
She looked into your eyes for a long time. Then— "Alright."
She smiled, as brightly as ever. "Although I don't know what you're worried about, if you want it so much... then let's go! Anyway, we can be Rogues anywhere, right?"
A small village in the south. A haven of peace, far from all strife.
You made your home here.
"Little Wildcat, can you weave a net?"
"No..."
"Then how do we catch fish? Never mind, watch me!" Cifera rolled up her pant legs and jumped directly into the stream. A moment later, she came out empty-handed.
"Darn it, Little Wildcat, you come help catch them too!"
You couldn't help but laugh. Such days continued for a long time. Spring planting and autumn harvest, working from sunrise to sunset.
"Little Wildcat, we're going to have a little Little Wildcat!" one day, Cifera told you, her face flushed.
At that moment, you felt like the happiest person in the world. Children were born one after another, all inheriting Cifera's cat ears and your black hair.
"Mommy, why do we call Daddy 'Little Wildcat'?"
"Because your daddy used to be clumsy and pitiful, like a Little Wildcat!"
"But aren't cats very agile?"
"Your daddy was the especially clumsy kind!"
Laughter filled the small house. You thought such days would last forever. Until that day—the sky suddenly darkened. It wasn't an ordinary cloudy day, but the kind of darkness that swallowed everything.
The Black Tide descended.
"Little Wildcat!" Cifera picked up the youngest child. "Quick, take the other children and go!"
You fled the village overnight, the home you built swallowed by the Black Tide behind you. Along the way, more and more refugees joined the fleeing group. Everyone was saying the same thing—
"Only Okhema still has light!"
"The Holy City of Dawn will not be swallowed by darkness!"
You looked at Cifera's tired face and knew there was no other choice. Finally, you arrived in Okhema. Familiar city, familiar streets. Only your identities had changed. No longer spirited young Rogues, but refugees with families in tow.
Okhema took you in. Under the protection of the dawn machine, life gradually stabilized.
However—the 300-year limit was up. On this day, the dawn machine suddenly extinguished. Eternal night descended.
"How could this happen?!"
"Has kephale abandoned us?!"
Panic spread through the city. Then, the Black Tide came, surging from all directions, devouring the last pure land.
Although you tried your best to save Cifera, she ultimately died protecting your children and grandchildren, perishing in the endless Black Tide. She fell in a pool of blood, her eyes looking in the direction of her family. Until her last moment, all she thought about was protecting them.
"Mommy... Great-grandma..." the cries of your children and grandchildren were heartbreaking.
You held her gradually chilling body, tears streaming down your face.
Why? Why did she die no matter what you did?
The Black Tide continued to approach. You knew everything was about to end again.
As expected—your consciousness blurred again.
In the third reincarnation, you returned to your childhood. You numbly watched everything before you, only cold stillness left in your heart. Destruction didn't work, and neither did escape.
You met Cifera again. At age 20, you chose—
To Re-create.
To stop the Journey of Chasing the Flame.
Orion looked at the only two options left and fell into contemplation. "Only these two options are left...?"
Last time, when I stopped the Journey, the outcome was Cifera's death, my own destruction of the Vortex in madness, and finally a forced rewind. So...
"This time, I'll choose 1... I want to see what's hidden at the end of this deception."
You chose to Re-create. From this moment on, you began to play the role of a "perfect Savior."
You no longer had any resistance or doubt. With unprecedented enthusiasm, you actively threw yourself into the "Journey of Chasing the Flame." You used the memories of each reincarnation to become an omniscient prophet.
You perfectly avoided most dangers, efficiently helped every Chrysos Heir companion collect the flame seeds, and you even foresaw every attack by the Thief of Fire, setting traps to severely injure him and make him flee in disarray.
In this life, you were more like the "Savior" from the divine revelation than Phainon. All the Chrysos Heirs trusted and relied on you immensely. Aglaea looked at you with adoration and love in her eyes; she was proud of you.
Your goal was to turn the tables. You perfectly guided everyone to collect all the flame seeds.
Finally, at the entrance of the Vortex of Genesis, only you and the true Savior, Phainon, remained.
"Brother Orion," Phainon looked at you sincerely. "All of this... is thanks to you. I don't know how to thank you."
You smiled gently at him. "This is our collective effort. Go, complete the final mission."
Phainon nodded heavily, turned, and prepared to step into the Vortex. The moment he turned his back to you, you made your move.
Without words, without hesitation. A replicated weapon silently pierced his back.
"Brother Orion... why..." Phainon turned back in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.
You calmly looked at him and activated your ability. The abilities and qualifications belonging to the "Savior" were forcibly replicated by you.
"To see the truth," you replied softly.
Phainon's body fell. You held the last flame seed and stepped into the Vortex of Genesis.
This time, Lygus did not appear. He seemed to be busy dealing with some kind of "virus" raging in the lower layers of the entire Amphoreus. Even Herta and Screwllum, who had successfully projected avatars into Amphoreus from outside, were unable to truly enter due to this "virus," and even projections were no longer possible.
You walked onto the altar and returned the flame seed to its place. You passed the final trial.
You began... to Re-create.
At that very moment, an endless torrent of memories and data surged into your mind! Those fragments and scattered words gradually began to piece together a complete truth about this world for you!
The essence of Amphoreus, the purpose of the Emperor's Scepter, Lygus's identity, the truth of Phainon's infinite reincarnation, the origin of the Thief of Fire, the meaning of your "bug" existence... Everything was clearly laid out before your eyes!
So that's it... So that's how it is...
The instant you fully received the truth, a dark shadow flashed quickly in the corner of your eye. The Thief of Fire?
Your consciousness gradually blurred... Soon, you became an infant again.
However, this time, everything was different. You slowly opened your eyes, and the madness of destruction, the numbness of reincarnation, and the confusion of seeking all faded from your golden pupils.
In their place was the tranquility of understanding everything.
You already knew the complete truth of Amphoreus.
You already had a plan.
You knew what you had to do... You knew how to save her.
And how to... exact final revenge on the manipulators of this "world."
[Inorin Note:
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