Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"Mm." A reply came immediately from beside me.

“Our plan was flawed, flawed from the very beginning. We chose the most difficult way to break the deadlock, and the Emperor probably intends to kill us.”

"...What happened?"

"A false concept has been implanted in our minds: that 'those who know the secrets of God will be silenced.' This has led us to make many wrong choices."

“That’s impossible.” Patchouli frowned. “A being as transcendent as the Supreme God must have its secrets tightly protected. Even if we switch sides, we will…”

"Then why hasn't the Supreme God eliminated us yet?" Alice asked calmly. "Haven't we already guessed it?"

"Because there are certain rules, certain operating mechanisms?"

“Patch,” Alice gently shook her head. “[Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.]”

“…You’re right.” Patchouli raised her hand, covering her forehead and half an eye. “The Supreme God really doesn’t need to make things this complicated. It really doesn’t need to… So, all our previous actions, all our plans, all our efforts and struggles, even those of Saito Hajime and Zhao Yingkong besides ourselves—were all of our actions part of that person’s scheme? Why would she do this…”

"That's right. After all, we are messengers of the Supreme God. Someone like her would definitely be restricted by the Supreme God, unable to attack us or even appear near us. And because of that unfounded sense of crisis, we schemed against each other, causing chaos. There must have been something in this chaos that could persuade the Supreme God, so... that's how she got that sliver of an opportunity to strike?"

"...So outer space is where life lies, while Earth is a dead end?"

“Hmm.” Alice confirmed her guess. “This world is a complex story world, where angels are death, and the correct solution is to find the chosen children the angels need before the seventh day of the apocalypse. Even if there is only one, the angels will come to pick them up in the Ark of Light before the judgment… For the Reincarnation Team, who lack the means of outer space travel, their only way to survive is to seize the Ark of Light and leave, while we only need to drive the Great Library away from this universe.”

"Because angels are just puppets that act according to fixed logic. They don't seek revenge, and they don't even attack proactively. Their purpose is simply to purge all living things on Earth. And we, the reincarnators from outside, won't be targeted for elimination as long as we don't get in the way, right?"

Patchouli sighed, "So... the Supreme God's hint was already placed in the reincarnation mission from the very beginning... As long as the main character survives, we can get the reward... without even any punishment. In other words, we'll only be chased by angels if we take the main character into outer space, but we only need to leave Earth on the first day in the Great Library, and then wait in outer space for twelve days to return safely without any attack? This is truly..."

She shook her head sadly.

"Hmm... At least until the seventh day after the Emperor finds a reason for his fate, we can easily end this terrifying world by leaving Earth. But now, we must choose the most difficult path: to bravely face the Doomsday Judgment."

Patchouli closed her eyes: "...But we still have a chance, don't we?"

"Yes, there's still a chance. The Emperor actually values ​​this planet highly and will definitely not destroy it completely," Alice replied.

"Then the difficulty of the Sixth Horn, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, must be much higher than we imagined. High enough that she was absolutely certain that as long as we did not leave Earth, we were doomed to perish... It's really despairing to think about."

“But we still have hope. I found some ancient things underground, things that should be the reason the Emperor took action, and they should be able to provide us with fairly reliable assistance. And…” Alice sat up, pressed down on Patchouli’s shoulder before she could react, and looked down at her.

“Patch.” Her gaze was filled with a sense of oppression.

"...Yes?" The girl beneath him shyly tried to turn her head away.

"Bearing the curse of hundreds of millions of people must be a lot of pressure."

"...You noticed?"

“I could feel it when you bit me. Your soul was already weak against curses, and now… it must have been eroded by almost a third of it.”

"Ah."

"Transfer the curse to me; I'm better suited to bear it than you. The curse of a mere few hundred million people is still within my power."

“Transferring it…” Patchouli gently bit her lower lip, the bloodstains on her lips adding a touch of allure to her beautiful face. “In that case, it would be more convenient for me to lead the ritual.”

"You rascal." Alice shook her head, letting her lover turn around and pounce on her a second time in her dream. "Whatever. I was originally planning to save time by telling you about what happened underground when I transferred the curse."

“That doesn’t contradict anything,” Patchouli leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You always say witches shouldn’t cry. So this time, I want you to tell me everything that happened underground, one by one, while you’re crying.”

Alice turned her head slightly away, avoiding looking at her.

"...I'll wait and see."

The wind swayed gently, and soon the sea of ​​flowers from my dream covered the entire land.

Author's Note:

..................................................................

Jiuyuan is also working hard today _(:з」∠)_

Section Twenty-Six: Thoughts and Reflections

As the starport enters the mesosphere, its outer protective barrier begins to glow red due to friction with the atmosphere, ejecting brightly colored charged particles that leave long trails behind the starport.

As the starport entered the stratosphere, the reddish light transformed into tangible fire. The flames burned, and the roaring sound seemed to penetrate the solid, thick protective walls into the starport's interior, especially at the very bottom where the turbulent, scorching air currents blurred the view, making even simple tasks like observing the ground through instruments difficult.

As the starport entered the troposphere, the air density increased rapidly, and the turbulent air currents also increased dramatically. The starport, which was only prepared for a single voyage, trembled violently. This tremor startled the veterans resting within the starport, rousing them from their slumber or dozing.

Then, the falling starport returned to calm.

Arrived.

The starport, descending from the sky, landed precisely on the platform that had been converted into an airport. Just before impact, it was captured by an invisible gravitational field, and its speed instantly decreased from several times the speed of sound to the level of a bicycle cruising in half a second. Then, with a slight thud, this massive vehicle, converted from a space station, came to a smooth and stable stop on the airport platform.

The Starport wasn't initially designed with any ground-based anchoring devices. So, the instant it descended, several enormous mechanical arms, each with a radius of over three meters, immediately extended from around the platform, firmly and securely anchoring the massive machine to its upper part. Then, countless mechanical minions, already prepared and waiting nearby, swarmed forward, wielding their numerous, octopus-like mechanical tentacles, using heat rays, lasers, and acetylene flames to dismantle and cut apart the massive platform that had fallen from the sky.

This starport itself is a vital and precious resource, and since it has no possibility of a second launch, it should naturally be put to use in other projects. In just a few minutes, nearly a third of the starport was dismantled into various metal blocks, high-precision parts, and usable electronic instruments. These were then immediately sorted, packaged, and transported along the channels to various corners of the vast base below.

As the starport was dismantled, Zheng Zha and several other veterans emerged from the door on the side that hadn't been dismantled. A short rest and the starport's built-in recuperation facilities had largely restored their mobility and basic combat capabilities. A small, anti-gravity-driven aircraft sped over and came to a safe stop in front of them as Zheng Zha, who was at the front, approached the edge of the platform.

Several robots, whose surface decorations clearly indicated their superior capabilities compared to ordinary mechanical servants, were responsible for transporting the sealed box containing the 'Fungal Essence' stone core—Zheng Zha had placed this stone core in a strictly guarded, sealed area as the starport entered the atmosphere. Just a minute earlier, all the human bodies present had undergone rigorous sterilization and disinfection to ensure that no alien creatures would enter Earth's last sanctuary via the starport.

Everything has been taken care of.

The "Opening Heaven" project was thus declared a complete success.

..................................................................

"I wonder how many people will survive on this planet after this terrifying world ends." Inside the spacecraft, Zheng Zha gently clenched his fingers, feeling the immense pressure and the faintly flickering electric field between his fingers of the steel gloves. His gaze then passed through the one-way transparent window of the spacecraft, focusing on the bustling and massive steel base before him.

Looking down from the spacecraft's orbit, this vast base resembles a colossal furnace. Countless tiny black dots of people and machines are merely parts of this furnace's operation, maintaining and fueling its combustion. When necessary, they too will become part of the furnace. They are willing to do this because this furnace will forge a magnificent instrument, one that will determine the survival of humanity.

[Norege's plan is that device, and she herself, along with us veterans, are the valves used to control the smelting process.]

"Are you pitying them, Brother Zheng Zha?" Sitting across from him, Xiao Honglu followed his gaze, tilted his head, and asked, "Are you pitying the natives of this world, hoping for their survival?"

"Yes." Zheng Zha nodded. "I do have that idea."

“This is not a good thing for us reincarnators who live hand to mouth.” Xiao Honglu’s fingers trembled, as if a faint spark of electricity flashed across them. He finally just sighed softly. “While I personally agree with your ideas, I’m afraid we can’t bear such a burden.”

"We are ultimately just mortals. In fact, when Patchouli first told me about her plan, I thought she had gone mad... to integrate the productivity of hundreds of millions of people and billions of machines and distribute it rationally. I always thought that only the mastermind in The Matrix could do something like this. But I can also see that she has reached her limit... Perhaps we shouldn't complicate things further."

“I understand the logic.” Zheng Zha slowly loosened his clenched fists. “It’s just that I feel a little… I guess I’m reluctant or unwilling. Although Norrell is handling the management and distribution, I feel that since I’ve taken on this leadership role, I must do something for those who believe in me… Ah, yes, although there are still many things I don’t understand, if we act according to Norrell’s plan, we do have a good chance of surviving these twelve days. But then what? After we’re gone, how will the people on this planet survive?”

He pointed to the horizon, a scorched horizon obscured by thunder and volcanoes. "This is the only habitable area left on this planet. The rest is covered by lava spewed from erupting underground volcanoes, and who knows how long it will take for it to subside. I don't fully understand Norrell's plans, but after spending so much time with her and Margot Lloyd, I've come to understand their magical system. It's nothing more than using the thoughts and feelings of all sentient beings to generate energy and create various physical phenomena... and we are currently using their power."

He then pointed to the ground—and everyone present knew exactly who he was referring to.

"We're exploiting their emotions, their beliefs, their desires. Once the twelve days are up, we'll naturally pack up and return to the Main God Space. But what about the hundreds of millions left behind? They'll die, utterly wiped out. And they sacrificed their power because they believed in Norrell… believed in me, who held the 'leader' position in the Norrell ritual, even though they knew nothing about it. But if we just focus on our own survival and run back, don't you think…"

"...Isn't that a bit shameless?"

Xiao Honglu gently tugged at his short hair, and although it was only a 'gentle' tug, dozens of black hairs fell straight down. He looked at Zhang Heng and Zhan Lan—but both of them had an attitude of 'I don't know anything and I don't want to get involved, whatever you say goes.' And Ling Dian, whose presence was practically nonexistent, was even less of a concern.

“You’re the captain, of course you have the right to make that decision.” He could only sigh softly in the end. “But before that, answer me one question: when exactly did you start having this… saintly thought?”

Zheng Zha was taken aback at first, then replied, "Just now."

He thought for a moment, then added, “I had this thought back in outer space. When I looked down from high orbit, at this planet stained red and black by natural disasters… I felt that humanity shouldn’t be bullied by such incomprehensible things as angels. So I felt…” His fingers unconsciously stretched out slightly. “I should do something for humanity in this world.”

"Human race?"

"...human beings."

“Okay, I roughly understand what happened. Perhaps it was Patchouli's oversight; her ritual was too successful. And then,” Xiao Honglu raised his head, glancing at Zheng Zha with a complicated expression, “you were influenced by the magical ritual and got too caught up in it, really thinking of yourself as the King of Men.”

"……what?"

"I suggest you calm down and think carefully. Are you the captain of the reincarnation team? Or the king of humanity on this planet? You need to know that not all expectations need to be met, and not all wishes need to be borne!" He seemed calm, but his eyes were already bloodshot. "For us reincarnators, just surviving is hard enough. Don't, don't, don't bear the burdens you don't need, and can't bear."

"You are merely the king in this magical ritual, not the true king who rules over all people in this era. You are also merely the 'Pangu' in the magical ritual, not the 'Pangu' who truly created the heavens and the earth!"

His voice went from low to high, until it almost roared out in anger.

Zheng Zha was speechless.

His imposing aura faltered instantly, and his buttocks, which had been slightly off the seat in his excitement as he spoke, slammed against the chair with a thud, along with the hundreds of kilograms of power armor, causing the entire aircraft to shake violently. Only then did he realize that he and his companions had arrived at their destination, the towering tower that served as the command center for their base.

Zhan Lan and the others also went up to comfort the two of them.

“Let’s leave that aside for now. Time is of the essence, and Miss Patchouli likely has other plans. Let’s deal with these issues when we have more free time and time to study them,” Zhan Lan said earnestly to Zheng Zha. “Besides, even if you wanted to help the ordinary people on this planet, you’re powerless right now, aren’t you? Do you have a plan? Do you have a strategy? Do you have suitable means to help them?… Since you don’t, let’s leave it for now. Miss Patchouli has probably been waiting for us for a long time.”

Zhang Heng, standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, let's wait until we come up with a plan. Determination alone isn't enough, and who knows, maybe that witch Norrell has already arranged everything and is just waiting for us to arrive?"

After a flurry of chatter, the group managed to temporarily suppress Zheng Zha's overly unreliable ideas. No, it wasn't that they disagreed with Zheng Zha's plans to do something for the people of this planet. They simply... didn't believe they were capable of doing it.

A few minutes later, the group entered the central command tower from the helipad where the aircraft were located. As usual, the tower contained only machines that were always in operation and all sorts of strange instruments. They shimmered with an eerie yet dazzling light, rapidly and precisely processing various projects that even seasoned professionals could not... nor would they have the time to understand.

This was Zheng Zha's first time here, but the others had already been here and interacted with Patchouli many times while he was asleep. Xiao Honglu, who was the first to wake up, had even participated in the construction of this central command tower, so they naturally knew its structure inside and out. Within minutes, they led Zheng Zha to the very center of the tower. And then…

“Margot Royd? You’re back?” — Zheng Zha.

“It’s Sister Alice.” — Xiao Honglu

“It’s you.” — Zhang Heng

“Miss Alice?” — ​​Zhan Lan.

"..." — midnight.

"Yes, it's me." Alice sat at the main control panel, manipulating and allocating various resources in the base and issuing commands. At the same time, she spared a small portion of her computational workload to look at the group of people who walked in through the door. "You all look to be in good spirits, so the 'Opening Heaven' procedure must have been executed perfectly. The core of 'Fungus Chen' has also been transported to a safe location. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, we should have a relatively easy two days ahead. If you have any plans for self-adjustment, please let me know now."

"Where have you been these past few days?" Zheng Zha asked first. "And what about Norrell? How's Zhao Yingkong doing?"

"The situation on Zhao's side isn't great, but she herself is doing well," Alice replied, her gaze quickly sweeping across the Greek region. She noticed that the land she had cleared before her dive was also inhabited by many people, but unlike here, the social structure there was utter chaos. Zhao Yingkong was only responsible for killing angels, completely ignoring the rest. Within days, the area had descended into a semi-anarchic state with barely any order—Patrick had originally planned to transport those people back after dealing with the 'Fungi,' but now… she probably couldn't do anything.

“As for Patchouli, well… she’s a little tired and is resting now. Unless it’s a major matter that absolutely requires her attention, I can handle most of the other trivial matters.” She looked at Zheng Zha, raising an eyebrow with a slightly… strange expression. “What, do you have something special to discuss with her?”

“It’s nothing special.” Zheng Zha quickly shook his head. “I just want to know, if the plan succeeds completely and we leave this world after the twelfth day, will the civilians on this planet die? How can I save them?”

"They will not die, everyone will live safely, and then create a new civilization on this planet."

"I know this is a very unreasonable idea, but if there's a price to pay, it'll only be me... What did you say?"

..........................................

Jiuyuan continues to work hard today.

And this section doesn't have any water scenes _(:з」∠)_

Section 27 Adjustment

It took Alice quite a while to explain to the various people with different expressions her revised plan based on Patchouli's scheme. In addition, she also revealed most of the information she knew. Of course, she glossed over the information about the Emperor and the newborn Gaia underground, hiding the god as a secret weapon, and describing the Emperor only as a 'super strongman whose power is definitely at the fourth level'.