The Herrscher of the Void stared at the quiet village before her, a dazed look on her face.
Her expression was one of clear turmoil.
"Bella… Avrora… Agatha… Galina…" And, the woman with a gentle, motherly radiance who was looking at her,
"—Cecilia."
She was the one who had allowed Sirin to feel "love" at the end of her life, who gave her a "beautiful vision" of the mortal world.
It was precisely this dying wish that led to the birth of "Kiana."
"What tricks are you playing now!?"
The Herrscher of the Void glared angrily at Ye Feng, only to find that he was gone. There was nothing around her but the quiet, white snow.
"Little Kong, you're finally back! Bella said you went to the mountains to set traps and didn't even show up for lunch. You scared me to death. The forest is dangerous, you shouldn't go alone, okay?"
Cecilia walked up and stroked the Herrscher of the Void's head.
The Herrscher of the Void stared blankly at her, a flash of anger in her eyes.
"Trying to deceive me with this sort of thing again!"
She raised her hand, and the sub-lance spears behind her back aimed at Cecilia's heart.
Cecilia seemed completely oblivious, a worried look on her face.
"Little Kong, what's wrong? Were you hurt in the mountains? Let me see~ Hmm~~ No, you're not. You must be hungry! I knew you were a little glutton. Come with me, everyone saved some hot soup just for you."
Cecilia took the Herrscher of the Void's hand and led her towards a house in the village.
The tips of the spears behind the Herrscher of the Void's back rose and fell several times before finally retracting.
Forget it. I'm tired of killing. I'll rest for today.
The Herrscher of the Void told herself.
---o---
Inside the house, a burning fireplace filled the room with warmth.
The Herrscher of the Void sat at the dining table, watching Cecilia's back in the kitchen, her vacant, godless pupils tinged with a hint of bewilderment.
Soon, Cecilia came over with a steaming bowl of soup.
"Drink the hot soup first, it'll warm your stomach."
"…"
"Little Kong?"
"…"
"Ah, you don't like it?"
"…"
Faced with the silent Herrscher of the Void, a disappointed expression appeared on Cecilia's face.
The Herrscher of the Void felt a surge of irritation and took the spoon from her.
"You're so noisy," she muttered, taking a small bite.
It was delicious.
The fresh flavors of the ingredients blended together perfectly.
"Is it good?"
"…It's so-so," the Herrscher of the Void said flatly.
"Eh? Is that right? This is my specialty; I thought Little Kong would definitely like it."
The gentle woman pressed her palms together and held them softly by her ear.
The Herrscher of the Void drank her soup in silence.
---o---
That night.
After taking a bath with Cecilia, the Herrscher of the Void was "forced" into pajamas and tucked into bed.
For no reason at all, she felt an immense sense of shame.
What in the world am I doing?
「Well now, the village is still here. You seem to be having a good time.」
A familiar voice echoed directly in her mind. The Herrscher of the Void's pupils instantly shone with a golden light.
"Ye Feng? What are you trying to do!?"
「I'm just fulfilling your wish. Because of Kiana's commission, I can't let you outside. But in this world, you can do whatever you want.」
"…"
「You don't believe me? Sigh, instead of doubting others, you should try believing them. Because your doubt can't change anything. So, why not try to believe? Believing is always much gentler than doubting!」
"I will destroy this place tomorrow!" the Herrscher of the Void said coldly.
「That is your choice. Life and destruction has always been a grand proposition. To be alive is to be granted the great task of thinking. The length of life, the end of life… even planets will perish, as will the universe. Life will eventually wither. For you to want to bring this "destruction" forward is, from a macroscopic perspective, nothing much. It's just that the lifespan of a human is not long enough.」
"Stop spouting nonsense here!"
The Herrscher of the Void's expression was stern as she tried to think of a rebuttal.
But the voice in her head had already faded, no longer to be heard.
She knew Ye Feng was gone.
The Herrscher of the Void's golden pupils stared at the wall. On the other side was the room of her "mother," Cecilia.
"Life will eventually wither…"
That's right.
The scale of human life is too short. Why should I be in such a hurry?
Even if I do nothing, this village will gradually disappear with the passage of time.
Thinking of this, the Herrscher of the Void slowly closed her eyes.
---o---
The next morning.
The Herrscher of the Void was awakened by the gentle call of her "mother."
Cecilia opened the curtains and said softly, "Little Kong, time to get up. You promised Bella and the others you'd go ice fishing today."
"…Where is this?"
The Herrscher of the Void rubbed her eyes as consciousness gradually returned.
She hadn't expected to actually fall asleep.
The Herrscher of the Void looked at Cecilia with a flat expression, killing intent stirring in her heart.
But when Cecilia turned around in the morning light, her gentle smile extinguished that killing intent once again.
"Why are you looking at Mommy like that? Do you need Mommy to help you change? Little Kong isn't a little kid anymore, you know. But… just for today, I can."
"…"
Amidst Cecilia's gentle cooing, the Herrscher of the Void didn't know how she got dressed or how she ended up outside.
But she knew she did indeed need a rest.
Bella was the neighbor's child, and there was also Avrora and the others.
They existed here with such reality.
"Big Sis, why are you so distracted today?"
"She must have gotten scolded by Auntie for running into the forest yesterday!"
"It's okay, we'll catch lots and lots of fish today, and then Auntie won't be angry anymore."
Just seeing them caused ripples to form in the Herrscher of the Void's desolate heart.
Like a string puppet, the Herrscher of the Void followed them.
A day spent with friends passed quickly.
That night, the Herrscher of the Void fell into a deep sleep once more.
She seemed to have adapted to life here.
Or perhaps she truly just wanted to rest.
After all, before this, she had lost count of how many times she had destroyed the world.
The feeling of this quiet warmth was far more profound than the violence of destruction.
In short, a month passed just like that.
Over this month, every time the Herrscher of the Void woke up, the first thing she saw was Cecilia's gentle, smiling face.
As if she were her guardian angel.
But this afternoon, an unexpected guest was about to arrive.
"My little sister?"
The Herrscher of the Void looked at Cecilia's heartfelt smile and instantly felt a sense of "being robbed."
"I don't have a sister!" she roared in a low voice, protesting.
"Don't say that, Little Kong. She is Mommy's child too. You two—"
"Enough! I don't want to hear it!"
"Little Kong…"
"This is all fake! You're all liars!"
The Herrscher of the Void swung her arm violently. A powerful burst of energy erupted, sending Cecilia flying.
The woman shot out like a cannonball, slammed hard against the wall, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and slid to the floor.
Her neck seemed to be broken. Her head lolled, and her hands lay limp at her sides.
There were no longer any signs of life.
"…"
Eh… I killed her?
The Herrscher of the Void raised her hand and stared blankly at her own palms. Even after slaughtering the world countless times, she had never seen blood on her hands.
But now, it was glaringly crimson.
The Herrscher of the Void's expression began to crumble.
It's fine, it's fine, this is all a simulation.
As long as Ye Feng restarts it, she… she will come back to life…
「She's not coming back, you know. Because it's only the scope of a single village, this place is infinitely close to "reality." What happens here is almost impossible to change.」
Ye Feng's voice arrived at just the right moment.
"Eh? Why?"
「I told you before, didn't I? The scale of human life is very short. But should we be sad just because life is finite? Of course not. It is because we fear destruction that we live! It is because there is no tomorrow that we cherish the present! It is because we don't want a future of regret that we make every choice with care, and treat every person who deserves to be treated with sincerity.」
Ye Feng slowly appeared in front of Cecilia's corpse and glanced sideways. "Is this choice the one you wanted?"
"I… I…"
The Herrscher of the Void couldn't bear to look at the tragic scene she had created. She clutched her forehead and staggered back two steps before steadying herself.
"No, no, it's not like this. Wait—"
The Herrscher of the Void noticed a key phrase in Ye Feng's words. As if grasping a life-saving straw, she stared at him intently. "'Almost impossible to change'? That means you can do it!"
"Well, if I try really hard, it's not impossible."
"Good. Then I commission you now. Revive her."
"This is a difficult commission. It will require your cooperation."
"Me? What should I do?"
Ye Feng revealed a triumphant smile. "Oh? Let's confirm first. Can you do anything?"
"…"
The Herrscher of the Void glanced at Cecilia. She knew full well this was just a fake simulated by Ye Feng, but—
"I can."
"That's wonderful."
Ye Feng opened his palm, and a hemp rope appeared.
The ceiling of the house vanished abruptly.
The rope was connected to a pulley in the sky, and from the other end hung a glowing sphere.
"Hold it. Don't let it fall."
"?"
Though the Herrscher of the Void didn't quite understand, she did as she was told.
Instantly, she felt an immense force pulling at her.
"Hold on tight. If it falls, not only will Cecilia not be saved, but the entire village will disappear."
"—!!"
The Herrscher of the Void's heart pounded in alarm. She pulled with all her might.
"Alright, now for the crucial part."
Ye Feng came up behind the Herrscher of the Void and slowly pulled down her skirt, along with the white silk stockings she had just put on today.
Her fair, tender skin was exposed to the cold air.
"You… what are you doing…?"
"I want to see just how much resolve you have."
His belt unbuckled, and his pants slid down from his waist, pooling at his feet.
The Herrscher of the Void's body suddenly went limp.
"Ngh~ You—"
"Hold on tight. Don't let go."
Enduring the massive impacts from behind, the Herrscher of the Void's heart was instantly filled with a mixture of sorrow and misery.
She had never felt so wronged in her entire life.
God, can you hear my call? Please… save me.