Infinite Chimera Creation

In a secluded, dense forest, Stuart drank the potion from the bottle, beginning his journey to be reborn as the World Serpent. In Blanche's view, Stuart's rebirth was no different from Voldemort's: both involved bleeding to death, then trembling until they became a serpent, which began to roll and grow larger until it finally rolled into the sky.

However, from the perspective of those involved, things are not so simple.

Stuart closed his eyes, enduring the excruciating pain that had made him writhe on the ground. As his bloodline activated, the agony intensified. But the moment his body left the ground and soared into the air, the pain vanished.

As expected, Stuart calmly opened his eyes. He had already learned from Voldemort that pain could suddenly disappear at some point.

What came into view was a desolate world, everything invariably tinged with a deathly gray. Looking around, it was clearly an abandoned town sunk into an abyss; not even a blade of grass grew among the broken walls and ruins. Looking up, there was only a sliver of sky. But even that sliver of sky was stained with the gray of despair. In that distant gray sky, there was a tiny red light, so small that it would be impossible to spot unless one knew its location and deliberately searched for it.

However, after surveying his surroundings, Stuart looked up without hesitation and accurately located the tiny point of light. Staring intently at that small red light, Stuart remained motionless for a long time before finally lowering his head and letting out a deep sigh.

In this abyss where no life existed except for Stuart, a flippant voice rang out.

"Oh no, no, no, my friend, your sense of aesthetics is really questionable. Seeing such a beautiful view, you actually sighed. Good heavens, that sigh of disappointment from you makes me want to shove your head into your own anus."

Without the slightest surprise, Stuart slowly raised his head and looked at the tall building that had mostly collapsed. Unsurprisingly, he saw another version of himself there. The Stuart who was squatting on the broken wall, laughing frivolously, was also covered by that omnipresent gray. Even the part of his grin that could be seen was not a bright red, but a deathly gray.

"You misunderstand. I'm not disappointed in this world, I just have some regrets."

"Hey, hey, hey, did I hear that right? A sigh? You're sighing at the world? Pfft, hahaha, so funny, really so funny. You, pfft, are actually sighing at your own inner, hahaha, inner world! Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter. I've never laughed so heartily since I was born."

Upon hearing Stuart's words, the gray figure clutched his stomach and burst into unrestrained laughter, even falling off the wall and crashing onto the jagged rubble. Yet, he seemed oblivious to the pain, laughing maniacally as if he had exhausted all his laughter in those few minutes.

Hearing the shrill laughter, Stuart's expression remained unchanged as he calmly watched his other self rolling on the ground laughing.

"Tch, this is boring, super boring. You're not following the script. Shouldn't you be angrily rushing up to beat me up at this point, and then we'd fight, with the survivor going out to take control of the new body?"

Seeing that Stuart hadn't reacted after he'd been laughing for so long, the gray figure seemed to get bored. He stood up, dusted himself off, and complained to Stuart with dissatisfaction.

"A fight is inevitable, but aren't you going to introduce yourself beforehand? That's basic courtesy, isn't it? Besides, you should know that I'm the only person in the world who can hear you speak. If even I don't know your name, you'll truly be born unknown and die unknown."

Stuart gently raised his hand, only to touch the bridge of his nose, realizing that he wasn't wearing his glasses here. He then rubbed his temples.

The gray figure curled its lip, scoffed in dissatisfaction, and spoke arrogantly.

"You're talking like you've already won, it's really annoying. But you have a point, it's about politeness, and I'm a polite person. Listen carefully, I'll only say it once, my name is Red Star. And you, are you Stuart? Or Yuan Yuan!"

Yuan Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a slightly arrogant smile appearing on his lips, and retorted in an even more haughty tone.

"Is that even a question? Of course it's Yuan Yuan! I will always be Yuan Yuan, and Stuart is just a role-playing game I'm playing!"

The fleeting madness vanished in an instant, and the mysterious expression on Yuan Yuan's face returned to its cold indifference. He pointed to the small red dot in the sky and spoke in a voice that, while devoid of emotion, inexplicably conveyed a sense of mockery.

"But is it really okay for your name to be so simple? Using the scenery and features of your birthplace as your name, don't you think it's hasty?"

Seemingly because the other party used the name Yuan Yuan instead of Stuart, Hong Xing's expression softened slightly. He raised one eyebrow disdainfully and looked at Yuan Yuan with a slanted gaze.

"Huh? You're talking about me again? Who was it that, when changing their name, thought of the word 'origin' and randomly chose the name Yuan Yuan?"

Yuan Yuan also raised one eyebrow, but unlike Hong Xing, his movement didn't appear provocative; instead, it exuded an air of arrogance.

"I can't use the same evaluation method for you and me. The name I came up with, even if it has a source, or even if it doesn't and I just came up with it on a whim, is still a good name worthy of praise."

Hongxing grimaced, seemingly suffering from a toothache.

"Although I've known your, no, or rather, my true nature for a long time, seeing such an arrogant and conceited person standing in front of me really makes me want to crush him completely!!"

"Is that so? Although the reasons are different, I also really want to crush you into mincemeat and trample you into the dust."

Yuan Yuan's tone remained cold but sarcastic, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth revealing a sense of irony.

"Now that we've reached a consensus on this, there's no need to say anything more. Let's have a fight first! We can say what we need to say during the fight!"

Red Star shook his head, clenched his fists, stared intently at Yuan Yuan, and issued a challenge to fight.

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Chapter Sixty-Two: You Are Not Me

After declaring war, Hongxing leaped off the ground and charged towards Yuan Yuan with incredible speed, throwing a punch at his face. However, Yuan Yuan showed no surprise at this powerful blow, easily blocking Hongxing's fist with a swift movement.

With his fist blocked, Hongxing twisted his body sharply, raising his right leg high like a hook towards the back of Yuan Yuan's head.

"Hahaha, hey, Yuan Yuan, does this look familiar? Does it feel familiar? You must be very familiar with this set of boxing techniques."

Red Star threw punches rapidly while laughing maniacally, his facial muscles contorted into grotesque shapes.

"Because! You used this very set of boxing techniques to drive your own brother to his death!"

Hongxing suddenly stepped back, squatted down on a wrecked car, and frantically slapped his thigh.

"Hahahaha, I can't help it, I can't help but laugh again just thinking about it. Your younger brother is so stupid it's hilarious. He knows you're a genius, he knows he can't beat you, yet he still dares to try to prove himself! After being inadvertently crushed by you in various fields, he's so stupid that he goes and learns martial arts."

The stupidest thing is, after studying martial arts for several years and winning first place nationwide, he actually believed he was the martial arts prodigy everyone talked about, and came back to brag to you! Haha, all his years of hard work were crushed by your half-month study of boxing techniques. I can't take it anymore, I can't hold back, it's too funny! He's so foolish as to think he can surpass you in some way? Is his brain made of flour?

As Hongxing retreated, Yuan Yuan made no attempt to pursue him, merely watching him laugh maniacally.

"That kid wasn't stupid; he just chose the wrong opponent. And his death wasn't as tragic as you make it out to be. After losing to me, he worked hard at martial arts and eventually died from exhaustion in the training room, dying on the path of pursuing martial arts. Even if it's death, as long as you die on the path you chose, there's nothing to regret."

However, Yuan Yuan's words did not stop Hong Xing; instead, they made him laugh even more unrestrainedly.

"Pfft, hahaha, how righteous! But you weren't like this back then. You were clinging to that idiot, crying your eyes out, saying things like, 'I'm sorry, I just wanted to have something in common with you, to get along with you.' Pfft, hahaha, that's hilarious, so funny, so funny!"

Yuan Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, a dangerous glint flashing within them.

"Although I find it disgusting, I still hope you can understand that, as a personality born from my memories, you and I are one person in a sense."

"Hey, hey, hey, what nonsense are you spouting! How could I possibly be like you? If I were someone like you, who becomes so despondent and self-loathing after his brother's death that he doesn't even dare to use his talents, and even runs away from home out of fear of being scolded by his parents, I would have committed suicide long ago. To be afraid of your own talents? What a joke! My talents are so powerful that even the heavens couldn't grant them to me. To possess such talent and yet choose mediocrity because of the death of a mere mortal is utterly useless."

Hongxing suddenly stood up, glaring at Yuan Yuan with wide eyes, her words brimming with fury that seemed capable of burning him alive.

"How could I be so cowardly as to need a woman to give me a reason to live, to give me a reason to use my talents, to tell myself that someone needs me before I dare to speak up! How could I be a coward like you, how could I be!"

“I am not like you, a pathetic creature crawling at the bottom of the abyss, only daring to humbly look up at the sun. Look at your inner world, how ridiculously desolate it is. You don't even have a living being besides yourself. Even your only hope is at the unreachable top of the sky. The sun, which is clearly the warmest, is so far away that it can only emit a tiny starlight.”

What meaning is there for someone as insignificant and pathetic as you to live? Die! Die! Just die!

Even though his deepest secret was exposed, and even though another version of himself, born from his memories, was cursing him to die, Yuan Yuan remained unmoved.

"What you think is just what you think. Even if you had all my memories, you wouldn't understand my thoughts. You say I hate myself for my brother's death, but think back, think carefully, can you still remember that child's name and appearance? They're probably blurry and you can't remember them anymore. I did feel a little disheartened because of that child's death, but I am Yuan Yuan. How could I trap myself in memories?"

A smirk played on Yuan Yuan's lips. Though he was standing on the ground, gazing up at the red star atop the car, anyone who looked into his eyes would perceive it as a look of utter contempt for the entire world.

"As for your so-called decadence, it's just because I'm bored, extremely bored. The fact that I can learn anything if I'm willing to is something that annoys me. In such a boring world, there's no point in me striving at all."

Hongxing's expression suddenly froze. He truly couldn't find the person who should have been his brother in his memory—not their appearance, not their voice, not even their name. Then, unwilling to give up, he glared at Yuan Yuan and roared loudly.

"Even if you weren't devastated by that child's death, how do you explain this world where there's no life here except you, where there's no room for anyone else? Your only hope is out of reach, how do you explain that!"

Hongxing's voice grew louder and his expression became even more ferocious, but Yuan Yuan became even calmer.

“I was wondering why I felt disgusted and wanted to vomit at the idea of ​​another version of myself, but I didn’t feel that disgust when I was with you. Now I understand, because you’re right, you are not me. Even if you have my memories and can even use my self-created martial arts, you are still not me. You don’t have my talent, and you don’t even have my magnanimity.”

"What did you say!"

"You who keep calling me a pathetic wretch are actually the real pathetic wretch. You are so cowardly that you don't even dare to break out of the abyss and see what's outside."

Yuan Yuan's words were not interrupted by Hong Xing's roar; his speech remained unhurried.

"You say I'm inferior to you?! How dare you say I'm inferior to you! How dare you say that? I have everything you have, whether it's your memories, your martial arts skills, or even these chimeras you're so proud of, I have them all!!!"

Red Star angrily spread his arms and glared at Yuan Yuan. Behind him, the earth churned and several enormous figures burst from the ground.

PS1, originally, I wasn't planning to update this chapter even if I got enough recommendation votes tonight, but damn it, why did you guys give me rewards?! [Facepalm] Isn't this forcing me to update?! [You guys are so smart, so amazing!]

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Chapter Sixty-Three Imitation

The building collapsed and crumbled, the earth shattered and cracked, and the huge amount of dust that was raised instantly obscured the giant beasts that crawled out of the ground, making it impossible for Yuan Yuan to see their appearance.

Suddenly, a violent gust of air swept up from the dust, instantly clearing away all the dust and obscuring Yuan Yuan's vision. There, a hideous giant bird slowly retracted its wings; clearly, the hurricane had been created by its flapping wings.

Its ugliness wasn't due to its scarlet beak or its dark feathers, but rather to what was in its eye sockets. Within those two enormous sockets, thousands upon thousands of eyes darted about frantically, scrutinizing every corner around them. Those eyes, of all colors and shapes, were filled with an indelible malice.

Beside the ferocious bird lay a giant scorpion, still motionless. Even though it was lying down, anyone who saw it could imagine the terrifying sight it would have when this scorpion, as large as a bus, stood up. Its stinger twitched slightly, dripping foul-smelling venom onto the ground, corroding deep pits into the earth.

On the other side of the fierce bird, a vicious dog with nine different heads was baring its teeth and growling in a low voice. Behind it, the tail made of snake heads flicked out a dangerous black tongue and hissed threateningly.

Behind them was a tall, dangerous figure with a wolf's head, wings on its back, and an aura of black death emanating from it.

Red Star rode on the back of a golden griffin. The enormous griffin had blood-red eyes and feathers standing upright on the top of its head, forming a crown-like structure.

"See that! Yuan Yuan, what you have, I also have, and I even have something stronger than you!"

Facing several dangerous giant beasts, Yuan Yuan showed no sign of panic. He rubbed his temples, seemingly troubled.

"It seems I overestimated your ambition. All you're after is to modify my works, turn them into something unrecognizable, and then come to me to show off? Whether it's the previous boxing techniques or the current chimera, I haven't seen a single element of your originality. You just follow my memory and do doodles on my artwork that even an elementary school student could do. You, who only follow in my footsteps, actually dare to say that you want to replace me?"

Shaking his head, Yuan Yuan spoke as if he were reprimanding his disciple, his tone full of disappointment and frustration.

“You should know this saying, ‘Those who are like me live, those who learn from me die.’ Blindly imitating me will only turn you into another version of me. Even if you really replace me, what appears before the world will not be Hong Xing, but a Yuan Yuan with a different name.”

"You're saying I'm imitating you, trying to keep up with you!?"

Hong Xing's expression was contorted, and his tone was filled with not only anger but also intense resentment.

"You're resentful, you don't agree with what I said? But look at all that junk you created, the kind that nobody would even pick up if you threw it in the trash can. Besides exaggerating them and adding elements of horror from third-rate horror novels to them, what else did you do? What are these if not elementary school doodles?"

Yuan Yuan tilted his head, seemingly finding it somewhat amusing. He raised his hand, a haughty glint in his eyes.

"Then I'll show you what the final form of the chimera I envisioned looks like, and make those trash of yours so ashamed they'll commit suicide."

He extended his left hand and gently placed it on the shoulder of a boy who had appeared out of nowhere. The boy looked only seven or eight years old, but his face was cold and emotionless. With a proud expression, Yuan Yuan spoke...

"Karim, for every modification I made to him, I had a detailed experimental plan down to the second, and at least a hundred backup plans in case the experiment went wrong. His modification is arguably the safest of all my works. Emotionally speaking, he's like my eldest son. Although he's a bit cold-hearted, he's still very lovable."

Ignoring Hongxing's surprised expression, Yuan Yuan extended his right hand, and another little boy appeared out of thin air beneath it. Compared to Karim, he seemed much more lively, and the occasional flashes of savagery in his eyes proved that he was more than just a lively little boy.

“West, because his bloodline contains not only Cerberus but also Cerberus, makes his bloodline extremely variable. Therefore, each modification I made to him was only carried out after nearly a thousand repetitions on those consumables. In fact, to reduce the variables in the experiment, I would drink a magic potion each time I modified him, so that I could enter a state of absolute calmness, without any emotion. Emotionally speaking, he is my second son, much more clingy than his older brother.”

He raised his right hand and pointed behind him, where a gentle-looking adult woman appeared. She was dressed in a simple maid's outfit and looked at Yuan Yuan with adoring eyes.

"Paibi is a one-time modified life form. Her eye sockets have been specially modified to accommodate thousands of eyes, and these eyes can be used independently. If I can get my hands on something like the Magic Eye in the future, this little guy's strength should increase by leaps and bounds. As for her role, she's my maid, responsible for taking care of the hot-tempered West."

He raised his left hand and pointed to his left rear, where a middle-aged man stood quietly. He was dressed in a well-fitting butler's uniform, wore non-prescription glasses, and stood ramrod straight.

"Morrence, the god of the underworld whom I have designated, is the most daring transformation I have ever made. It is a conceptual breakthrough. I think you may not be able to understand it with your mind. Don't look at others, I am talking about you. His position is my butler and security captain. With eyes that can see through life and death and claws that can penetrate life and death, he makes his guards seamless, at least for now."

Finally, Yuan Yuan crossed his arms, and in his embrace, a blonde little girl appeared, looking up at his face with reverence. But even as this girl gazed at someone with adoration, it couldn't conceal the domineering aura emanating from her; she seemed less like a cute little girl and more like a tyrannical queen.