Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

The casualty figures only reached a few hundred thousand, which is insignificant compared to any previous major collapse attack.

The once terrifying disaster no longer seems so hopeless; the long, dark night offers no glimmer of light or radiance.

At least for you, the real threat was never the so-called Honkai.

【Um……】

Jiang Cheng still seems to have the energy to explore the town.

Let's squeeze it even more thoroughly today.

……

At thirty-seven, I woke up once again feeling utterly drained, as if everything had been squeezed out of me; even opening my eyes was difficult.

You can't remember how long these days, which both bring you enjoyment and leave you feeling utterly exhausted, have lasted; it's probably been about a year.

[Every day, I sleep in a state of unconsciousness. When I open my eyes, it's Alicia; when I close my eyes, it's Alicia. Even when I go out, Alicia accompanies me.]

The girl seems to have lost all sense of shame, using her ability to create a secluded space to exploit you everywhere.

[It's fortunate you're a Herrscher, possessing a body that's virtually immortal. If you were a normal person, you'd probably be a dried-up corpse by now.]

……

It seems...

I'm living a pretty happy life, aren't I?

Alicia was quite content with all of this.

Perhaps it's because they know that everything is already set in stone.

Perhaps having already foreseen this tragedy that was clearly unchangeable and irreversible, he could only accept whatever Ellie did.

Perhaps, with the passage of time, I will find a way to be resurrected, and I will be able to let Wilvie smile in this world, erasing that abrupt and absolutely wrong period, and replacing it with a comma.

This is definitely not something that can be resolved in a short time.

It might take several years.

We should wait until Alicia is satisfied.

At least we need to be able to wait for that perfect opportunity.

Before this point, nothing we do can change or rewrite anything except make this period less peaceful.

So, compared to continuing to be troubled and distressed, and then, when the next option comes along, acting irrationally out of resentment and causing tragedy, resulting in the complete loss of even what we have now, there is no point in continuing.

Jiang Cheng could only hope that the present could be prolonged as much as possible before a possible tragedy occurred, so that he would have room to rewrite something.

—At least hopefully Alicia can return to some semblance of normalcy.

—Alicia is very abnormal.

Although the curve of the girl's lips was as beautiful as she remembered, it truly stemmed from her heartfelt satisfaction and happiness with everything she had.

She was truly satisfied with all of this, satisfied with what she had always possessed, compared to the insignificant little she should have had.

As a former childhood friend, and as the boy who had imprinted that smile in his heart and was deeply impressed by Alicia in the very beginning of this simulation, he could clearly see the twisted helplessness beneath that beautiful smile.

—Alissia is grieving.

No tears were shed.

There was no crying.

It was just a light rain falling in my heart.

The incessant, persistent drizzle, gloomy and relentless, beat against that heart that shouldn't have been filled with such beauty, day and night.

It brings sadness that may not be so heavy, but which never ceases.

I've almost come to accept this pain as a normal part of life.

This is truly everyday life.

From the very first moment of resurrection, the girl reflected in those cold, dark blue pupils, now adorned with starlight, was already weeping.

For the next two years, Alicia seemed to be smiling, her gentle and lively smile like a blooming flower, but the tears never stopped for a second, only shifting from the outside to the inside.

As Alicia's closest person in the world, the boy clearly knew the reason, and knew why the girl, who seemed to have found happiness and obtained what she wanted, would act this way.

This answer is not difficult at all; anyone who has seen the original Alicia and witnessed her pure and lively demeanor knows it.

Because Alicia wore a mask, she suppressed everything about herself in the shadows, imitating the movements and postures of others.

The girl could no longer see any trace of her own unique self; the fairies of the former paradise seemed to have completely vanished.

At least in Jiangcheng, all that can be seen is what belongs to Wilvi: Wilvi's appearance, Wilvi's clothing design, Wilvi's cooking skills, and even Wilvi's way of having fun.

But Alicia greedily enjoys her life with him every day.

Not a single thing belongs to me.

There wasn't a single bit of breathing room left for myself.

Even plants wither and die when they can't feel light or love, let alone fairies who are born needing to be filled with love?

Compared to this sorrow, this pain that could almost be described as tearing her apart, it's no wonder that Alicia learned so much about Velvi's daily life from such an intimate level.

The girl couldn't inflict such a heavy punishment on herself. Wouldn't it have been simpler to learn from others and imitate Wilvi's behavior?

This behavior is similar to that of Fulyna, who played the role of someone else for 500 years, in the new Genshin Impact storyline that Jiang Cheng saw before he traveled through time.

Even what happened to Funina cannot be compared to what the girl went through. At least she knew that she was doing something right, to save others and to save Fontaine. From the very beginning, her intention was great enough to comfort herself.

The portrayal of Furness is a noble sacrifice; no matter how bitter the journey may be, she will receive everything she deserves at the moment of victory.

No matter how sad, how distressed, how difficult, or how helpless, in the end, all that will be brewed is the satisfaction of realizing a century-old grand vision.

Alicia...

He's nothing but a despicable and shameless thief.

It's nothing more than stealing love that belongs to someone else.

Self-torture and the fear of loss are inevitable dilemmas. You constantly feel guilty and regretful, and any bit of beauty you experience will turn into a sharp blade, piercing your delicate heart.

Because Alicia knew better than anyone that all of this was nothing but stolen goods, and all this beauty never truly belonged to her.

Every moment of life is filled with dread, wondering if you'll realize that all of this is just stolen beauty.

Adding sand to what should be a sweet porridge, throwing freshly baked buns on the ground and stomping on them, leaving them covered in footprints and dust—only someone starving to death would eat that.

In the end, wolfing down food, especially unclean and unhealthy food, will only make the body weaker and weaker, leading to more serious illnesses and eventually death.

The only end result of this path is destruction, a destruction without even atonement or peace of mind. Before death, one must worry that one's filth will be discovered.

Aside from heartless people, who can easily and peacefully spend dirty money?

Unfortunately, Alicia isn't some major villain or bad person.

The girl couldn't accept all of this with a clear conscience.

Even when you have it, you can't enjoy it with peace of mind.

what……

Why do you have to do this?

I have never, ever resented you.

I knew from the beginning that the goddess named Alicia was destined to save the world.

……

97. Seeing Aponia is never a good thing.

[You've hardly done anything worthwhile this year. Even the girl named Pado who runs a stall at the market has done more normal things than you; at least she doesn't sleep as much.]

Even though the cat sleeps in late every day at noon, driven by its desire for wealth and its collecting obsession, it will still diligently set up its stall and sell things every day.

[Even if you sunbathe and laze around, it only takes a few hours. Unlike you, who spends all day engaging in extremely decadent behavior and just wandering around aimlessly.]

Even if you're called a scoundrel, you're the worst of the worst, the most despicable and irresponsible scoundrel in the world.

Compared to Qianjie, who seems irritable and like a good-for-nothing, you are the one who shouldn't judge others by their appearance.

[After all, just a year ago, Qianjie held countless responsibilities, including but not limited to being a gardener, construction worker, civil engineering boss, almost the sole explorer, plumber, policeman, and security guard.]

[It's not just about force; physical labor such as moving, building, and fighting must also be entrusted to him, including conducting important trials.]

Only his judgment can command universal obedience, at least ensuring that no one dares to challenge the outcome set forth by Qianjie.

In this paradise where the past has been completely discarded, no one can force another to serve them based on their past identity.

Even scholars and PhDs don't hold a higher status here than a worker, and the biggest bosses can only manage a small stall at most.

In this absolutely dreamlike paradise, everyone is absolutely equal except for Alicia, the master; Qianjie, the first resident of the paradise; and you, the lover of the master.

Even children's dreams must be valued and cherished. Children's opinions should not be ignored or trampled on. Children should never be treated as appendages of their parents, or as rag dolls to be played with at will.

Past experience can no longer determine the drastically changed world we live in today; only those who are more exposed to new things have a voice.

Everyone should make the most of their abilities: scholars should go into education, those with strength should work in civil engineering, and those with a sense of justice should serve as police officers.

Everyone should do what they love and what they are capable of, explore their past lives, and transcend those insurmountable dreams.

Only in this way can it be called a paradise, and only then can it be called a paradise. Utopia is precisely the beautiful thing that can only appear when it is detached from reality.

No one can oppress another person with simple words or brute force, unless that person's power surpasses that of Alicia, Qianjie, and you.

[So if we don't want to have to hold a general meeting and vote before doing anything, then we'll have to involve you, Alicia, or Qianjie.]

Alicia usually does nothing but exploit you and stay with you. Once you've been exploited, you're usually unable to do anything else.

All those heavy burdens had to be placed on Qian Jie's shoulders; he had to be responsible for allocating and organizing them, including those that were beyond human capability.

[You really can't understand just how busy Qianjie is?]