l
Bronya really didn't understand.
She... sigh, to be honest, she really tried her best.
It was like a Gold-rank kid in Apex Legends who, after practicing their aim diligently, rubs their hands together and boots up the game, only to get instantly matched into a Predator lobby.
In front, there are Predators eyeing her like prey; behind, there are Pro players gathering for a post-match meetup. Bronya was caught in a dilemma, forced to move to the sidelines to seek a sliver of survival—only to discover the big shot on the sidelines had packed his bags, and the Charge Rifle beam sizzled her so hard she still hasn't recovered.
This simulation was the longest one she had experienced since loading the Life Simulation Game. It was a game she started with full preparation, having exercised and grown significantly through the various events of the previous simulations...
She struggled to find various ways to save Belobog in this simulation, and she constantly tried to make contact with Ron. She wanted to hug this super "golden thigh" tight, learn from the lessons and experiences of the past, and just obediently "lie flat" and get carried to a clear understanding...
But this time, it really wasn't a match she could play!
While she was leading the Silvermane Guards of Belobog to train and grind Fragmentum monsters in the factory ruins and snowfields, Ron had already become the Dean of the Belobog Academy of Sciences, researching who-knows-how-many super black technologies for her mother, Cocolia.
So she lost... With Ron's help, Bronya couldn't win against Cocolia and was picked up by the back of her collar by Cocolia and thrown back to Qlipoth Fort for remedial lessons.
Sigh, forget it. Remedial lessons it is. Enduring doesn't mean victory is impossible. As long as one isn't dead, there is always a possibility of winning—this was a precious quality Bronya learned from Ron. She would absolutely not admit defeat!
Then, in the blink of an eye, Belobog became New Belobog... Under exquisite design, steel covered every visible inch of the surface. The people of New Belobog completely conquered nature—in a baffling manner.
Oh, well, it wasn't that baffling... It was just a complete "lie down and win" scenario. Ron led a wave that built a miracle in the sea of stars, completing the great cause of establishing a universal metropolis—
Even the construction was done by sapient AI synthetics designed and built by Ron. Apart from tightening a few screws or oiling some truly unlucky synthetics, the people of Belobog could only stand by and applaud!
Bronya was very dissatisfied with this. So, during that time, she studied frantically, absorbing brand-new knowledge from books while not forgetting to train her martial prowess. She improved herself constantly, just so that one day, when New Belobog needed her, she could contribute her part...
Then, not long after those days passed, the Lord Ravagers led the mighty Antimatter Legion straight to the outskirts of Jarilo-VI. The synthetics of New Belobog rebelled at that precise moment. Bronya finally had the opportunity to contribute to New Belobog—
And then, before she could do anything, in the next moment, Ron responded to the hopes and wishes for salvation of everyone in this sea of stars... and became a God.
He became a God.
He became a God!!!!
Why did he just become a God? What happened? Why was there suddenly such a huge gap?
An Aeon... that is an Aeon!!
From this moment on, she, who was originally trying her best to simulate and chase after Ron's footsteps within the simulation, thoroughly discovered a sorrowful issue—
That she had truly been left completely behind by Ron.
She knew nothing... Her power, her wisdom, her status... Her level could no longer touch Ron.
Even if she tried her absolute hardest to chase Ron's back, she was powerless to touch even half a corner of his clothes.
However, although Ron becoming an Aeon caused a huge shock to Bronya, she had, after all, experienced several previous simulations. With those memories as tempering, Bronya wasn't so childish that her Dao Heart would shatter just like that.
She quickly lifted her spirits at the time, deciding that no matter what, as long as she worked hard, she would do whatever she could. As long as she could help Ron save Belobog together, even if it was just a tiny bit, a tiny bit would be fine...
But then... she discovered she really couldn't help Ron at all.
She tried her best... but so what?
After Ron became a God, all developments in this simulation lost any meaning for Bronya.
Because these developments were trends she could absolutely not participate in, control, or change...
Even though she successfully relied on her own efforts to squeeze into the twelve seats of the Round Table Hall after Ron's "death," becoming one of the twelve Knights of Salvation controlling the highest power of New Belobog, she still couldn't change the development of this simulation, nor could she do anything for Ron.
In her perspective, everything actually happened inexplicably—
Ah, what? Suddenly there's infighting within the "Sword of Salvation"? No, I can't let Ron's sect fall into civil war; I can't let New Belobog fall back into the chaotic tragedy of the last simulation...
Ah? What? The civil war is because of a Lord Ravager who isn't fully dead? She was just insta-killed by the [Salvation] Emanator, Miss Herta, and now everyone isn't fighting anymore?
Ah? What? New Belobog wants to organize an expedition fleet to crusade against [The Destruction]? Everything is waiting to be rebuilt right now, why go so hard...
Forget it, for [Salvation], I'll sign this "Protocol of Purification". Let's gamble!
Ah? What? It turns out I didn't need to gamble at all. Miss Herta calculated against an Aeon, successfully solved [The Destruction] Nanook, and even resurrected Ron?
Actually, by this point in the simulation, Bronya was already completely dizzy and didn't know what to do.
But she still maintained her last bit of rationality, thinking that since Ron was resurrected anyway, she might as well just cling tightly to Ron's golden thigh. Wherever Ron's sword pointed, Duckie's heart would follow. Whatever Ron said, she would do, without a hint of confusion.
But the following events became even more abstract in her perspective—
What? Ron says we have to continue implementing the Protocol of Purification, become Galaxy Guardians, and sweep away all calamitous enemies in the star sea?
Okay... For Ron, for [Salvation], Tatakae (Fight)!
What? Ron thinks salvation shouldn't be so indecisive? Not killing enough? Continue killing?
Do we even need to act against interstellar pirates... Forget it, help people to the end. Continue Tatakae!
What? Ron thinks all civilizations are threats and should be cleaned up?
This is simply a crime against humanity. Even if Ron said it, it's...
—Then, just as Bronya wanted to resist, she was cleaned up directly and crisply.
On the twelve seats of the Round Table Hall, a face she had never seen before was immediately swapped in.
Even an Empress of the Empire like Herta, a true leader, could be casually imprisoned. Why did Bronya think she could get a good ending after resisting "Ron's" will?
She could only die, making way for "Ron's" will...
Then she could only watch from the death perspective as the "Sword of Salvation" in the simulation swept through the entire star sea, then controlled the galaxy for thousands of years until everything moved toward the inevitable end.
...So, what the Belobog Underworld profanity did this round of simulation have to do with her?!
Rough thoughts inevitably popped up in Bronya's mind, and she even subconsciously used the slang and curse words she had just learned from Seele.
She looked at the simulation light screen in front of her—the dense ending text and the meager 30-point evaluation on the screen made her head ache. The meaningless wealth and Knight of Salvation costumes in the simulation rewards gave her no desire to choose at all.
Bronya went over everything she experienced in this simulation in her mind with some despair. This time was truly a match for the gods; there was really no room for her to intervene at all...
Belobog profanity, why did the Life Simulation Game turn out like this!
The simulation memories flooded into her mind, rampaging through her brain, filling her head with the endless war memories of this simulation. It made her press her temples, which were throbbing thump-thump, trying to stop the pain constantly surging from her brain—
Head, head hurts so much. It feels like my brain is going to explode.
"Ugh—"
For the first time, completely disregarding the noble demeanor she had cultivated for years, Bronya plunged her hands into her smooth, silver-white long hair and messed it up wildly. She let out a helpless whimper, curled up into a small ball on the bed, wrapped in the quilt, and completely crashed.
Weak, pitiful, and helpless.
But unfortunately, no one cares about the current Bronya right now...
In the moment after the simulation ended, the gears of fate began to turn.
Some people crashed because of the simulation content, some gritted their teeth unable to understand why Ron turned out like that in the end, and some just went AFK with AI combat at the start and knew nothing...
And there are others who have already traveled thousands of miles, crossing the vast distance just to find Ron.
Just like now, on the other side—
Ron was actually still thinking about how he could escape Sampo's surveillance to board the Astral Express. He was trying to figure out a way to convince the Express Crew to take him to find Herta so he could secure this excellent helper. Should I just directly replicate the operations from the beginning of the last simulation...
Then he noticed the skylight shooting in from the window had dimmed.
At first, he didn't pay it any mind because he had been playing the Life Simulation Game so obsessively lately that he wasn't really sure what time it was.
But when he suddenly snapped back to reality, remembering that it should be high noon with bright sunshine, and that Belobog rarely had rain clouds—it was hard to have the sky darkened by cloud cover...
He opened the window, stuck his head out, and looked at the sky—
A gold-and-green giant ship, with knotted vines and roots, pierced through the sea of clouds. Mighty and vast, countless Cloud Knights, like mist, along with many civil servants wearing the uniforms of the Luofu's Six Charioteers, descended from the sky, rapidly landing upon Jarilo-VI.
Belobog had some turmoil at first, but it subsided within moments...
This wasn't because of... or rather, not only because of the tyrannical martial power of the Luofu Cloud Knights that was completely impossible to resist.
It was more because this group of Xianzhou people who came down from the Xianzhou Luofu... were really generous.
They arrived at Jarilo-VI and entered Belobog, but not only did they not commit the slightest offense against the civilians, they also very methodically began ecological recovery work that was so rapid it was abstract—
The iron hooves of the Cloud Knights stepped into the snowfields. Stellarons? Fragmentum? Fragmentum creations? Antimatter Legion? Smash them all. After restraining the Stellaron, they sent it directly to the Xianzhou with maximum efficiency, throwing it right into the General's manor. Even the snow wolves that might hurt people got kicked away by them. They thoroughly cleaned up the dangers on Belobog with a dimensionality-reduction strike.
Under the guidance of the Divination Commission, the Artisanship Commission swept away the wind and snow with the most detailed planning. The Alchemy Commission was allowed to use the legacy products of the Plagues Author, allowed to reshape Jarilo-VI's ecological environment with the tender branches of the Ambrosial Arbor and the Breathing Soil. Using the Xianzhou Alliance's most advanced biotechnology, they began to transform this world, aiming to benchmark the few most habitable resort planets in this star sea.
No matter what locals wanted to stop them, they would present a large sum of money with a smile—if they could use credits, they gave credits; if not credits, they considered precious metals; if not precious metals, then gems; if they wanted none of that, take the Artisanship Commission's Aurumaton creations and the Alchemy Commission's healing pills. They had absolutely no complaints, all for the sake of thoroughly shutting the mouths of the Belobogians, and shutting them up comfortably...
For the first time, Ron actually had the same thought echoing in his mind as Bronya did at this moment...
He looked at the ecological giant ship floating in the sky, looking at this starship that was almost swallowed by his breath in the simulation before the last one, looking at this familiar [Luofu] Xianzhou, and swallowed dryly.
Ah?
What the f*** is this situation?!
---o---
PS: I really didn't expect that after writing a long chapter and simply trying to rush the bestseller list, I actually held the number one spot on the bestseller list for a day...
I, I really never thought this book could reach this position. I originally just wanted to get some exposure, let more people take a look at this book, and drag in a few more readers. I didn't expect to drag in so many at once...
It really confused me. I thought it was completely impossible...
Before, not many people read my daily updates, but suddenly it increased by a lot. I am truly terrified and anxious...
Although I can't promise crazy updates with my hand half-rotted like this, after thinking about it, since everyone pushed me to number one, it seems it's not impossible for me to try to update a bit more...?
It just so happens that a new arc is starting, finally arriving at the Xianzhou. There are many good scenarios I've prepared in the plot, and theoretically, I've reached my explosive update cycle...
How about I open a bounty? The kind where I penalize myself with twenty thousand words first.