Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"Hopefully there won't be a next time." Patchouli removed the protective barrier, her gaze sweeping across the surroundings. Unsurprisingly, she found not a single ghost in the dark cave. Clearly, even ghosts know when to advance and retreat, and they don't expect the kind of warm welcome the protagonists receive from the undead upon entering the mountains—these two creatures, who are perhaps even human, can forget about it.

[It takes about five minutes to walk down to the City of the Dead from here. Hmm... so the undead blocked the way. Did they deliberately disrupt the geological structure because of Sirin's kick?]

“You mean a test of character? What do you mean by that? And also, all your new recruits died this time? I don’t remember seeing any other members of the East American team besides you.” Patchouli waved her hand, and the rocks beneath her feet split open. The obstacles painstakingly erected by the undead became useless. She led the way into the deeper underground, with Sirin following closely behind.

"It's just Zhao Zhuikong's bizarre thought process, something I've never understood. As for the newcomers... hahaha, I was a little distracted when they first arrived. By the time I came to my senses, they were nowhere to be found... probably... uh, probably fell down the mountain and died?"

Do you have their names or information?

"……Have."

"Give me the information. I'll try to revive them and reincarnate them in this land. Anyway, the magic circle for the Houtu ritual needs to be adjusted, so doing some extra work won't hurt."

"Uh... to be able to do something like that? You know they are..."

"But what?"

“No, it’s nothing.” Celine’s lips twitched. “They might be a bit flat from the fall, maybe even their souls are shattered…”

"It wasn't burned or eaten, was it?"

"No, not at all..."

“Then there’s no problem.” Patchouli nodded. “The magic system I use might be a little different from what you’ve been exposed to. Also, our Central Continent Team is a benevolent team, and we would never do anything to harm the innocent. Of course, if it’s something that has already happened, then there’s nothing we can do. We’ll try our best to make amends, but if a similar situation happens in the future, many people in the team will be unhappy.”

"Hmm, uh, oh... Ming, I understand."

[This guy seems to have completely given up on thinking. While having someone like Zheng Zha, who can be both a cleaver and a meat shield, is great, and having more of them would be nice too, if it's too... um, we need to have a more in-depth conversation.]

Patchouli lightly stepped on the ground, and the passage that originally led directly to the underground was curved in a way that seemed small but increased the overall distance many times over—she could almost hear the clamor of the ghosts in the underground city of the dead clamoring to move and flee.

"Then why don't you try to make your own decisions? Back in Isengard, I felt that you were quite organized in your planning. After all, you've already reached the fourth level, so even if you keep making mistakes, you still have a chance to make amends... unless you're deliberately looking for death."

“I wish I could,” Sirin said, her voice growing more melancholy than before. “But when I make decisions myself, I always run into all sorts of strange little problems. It was like that long before I left my main world—I would confidently lay out a plan, ready to completely overwhelm the enemy’s forces or their theoretically impenetrable, cautious layout, only to end up being the unlucky one.”

"I've cornered them, and those idiots who look like they're going to die in five seconds suddenly unleash a bunch of inexplicable powers. I've beaten them so badly they have no chance to fight back, and one more strike would finish them off, but then either some chivalrous bystander suddenly appears, or some accident or natural disaster comes along and stops me from winning! I've had enough!"

She grew increasingly frantic. "It's just a normal Terminator world, so why did Skynet suddenly gain physical form before I deleted it, then directly sense the planet's will and punch me out of Earth?! It's just a normal American version of Ju-on, so why is the vengeful spirit I killed a divine incarnation created by the entire North American pantheon to test humanity, and which, if left unchecked, will soon achieve its goal?! It's just a normal Spartan 300, so why did killing Xerxes trigger a war between the two worlds and then Kratos appeared?!!!!"

"I've had enough! My strategy seems far more reliable than Zhao Zhuikong's, but why do all sorts of incomprehensible and bizarre situations arise as soon as I take over?! I've tried my best to unite allies in the same camp against a common enemy, but why do my allies always betray me for various reasons or simply become a hindrance? It's better if I just followed Zhao Zhuikong's strategy and wiped everyone out from the very beginning!"

The resentment surrounding her surged, and a dark aura, almost tangible, permeated the air. At this moment, even the resentment of the entire City of the Dead was suppressed by her. Patchouli even suspected that if she were to use her resentment as a foundation to perform the ritual of controlling the souls of the dead, she would have an 80% success rate, even without the Holy Sword of the Human Emperor.

Uh…was my probing a bit unnecessary? This must be the truth; so there really are such unlucky people in the world…though we're pretty much in the same boat.

Perhaps I should be more direct and bolder.

Patchouli tentatively suggested, "Well, if you're worried it might turn out like what happened to you before, you could actually have several names signed on Zhao Zhuikong's transfer contract..."

"I'll sign!"—without hesitation.

[Is this guy not even considering it?!]

"Let's wait for Zhao Zhuikong and the others to arrive first. Constantine's soul contract isn't with me, so I don't think you'll mind waiting a little longer..."

“Okay! No problem!”—still without hesitation.

"..." Patchouli felt she needed to take several deep breaths to steady her thoughts. She now understood a little why the East American team didn't keep any new players—they wouldn't survive anyway, so it was better to let them go to heaven sooner and save them from suffering in horror movies—although it was a very illogical logic, she found it surprisingly reasonable at this moment.

At that moment, she fully understood Celine's inner turmoil and frustration. A certain inexplicable emotion drove her to subconsciously empathize with Celine and say things she shouldn't have – "Aren't you worried at all that things will go wrong like they did before...?"

“No, because this time is different.” Celine held up a finger and shook it vigorously. “I used to wonder if it was because I did too many bad things in the past that I always messed up at crucial moments. The longer the time passed, the more I felt it was my own problem. But when I saw you from the Devil Team, I changed my mind!”

"Patchouli Knowledge. The moment I saw you, I knew that my wild guess could be completely overturned. Even if I were right, I found a way to disprove it—because, Patchouli Knowledge, you and I are almost exactly the same!"

"...What?" Patchouli suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Isn't it the same? You and I are both burdened with the curse and hatred of a world, or rather, the destruction of civilization on the surface of a planet. You and I are both tainted with the lingering affection and blessing of the will of Gaia." Sirin tilted her head slightly, as if asking, 'Why are you asking a question that even I know the answer to?'

“You once suppressed a civilization and completely destroyed it. You were once recognized by the planet Gaia, and could have become an immortal star soul with just a nod, but you chose to give it up—you and I are exactly the same.”

Chapter Thirty-One: Sirin Tells a Story

The statement was quite astonishing; Patchouli's thoughts momentarily froze upon hearing those two sentences. She didn't know how Sirin had discerned her past experiences, but... well, it wasn't really worth worrying about. Although her past experiences weren't suitable for, and had never been, known to righteous people like Zheng Zha, they must have vaguely sensed some traces—especially after the Ju-on world was shut down by the main god after that return.

“It’s best not to talk about these things openly within the team,” Patchouli said, her tone slightly raised. “Like I just said. Even though these are things that have already happened, bringing them up repeatedly will still make some people unhappy.”

"Ah...oh, okay." Sirin paused slightly, her previously dormant brain suddenly making a few small movements—under the effect of the third-stage gene lock mind simulation, she immediately understood Patchouli's unspoken meaning. And she demonstrated through her actions that she would not bring up such topics in front of the other members of the Central Continent team in the future.

“But that’s for later. I think we can linger on this topic a little longer now… Speaking of which, it was just you asking and me answering, which I found quite strange.” Sirin turned her head slightly, parted her lips slightly, and held up a finger next to her cheek. If depicted in a comic book style, there would probably be a lit light bulb next to her cheek.

"Tell me about your story, Patchouli. Not the things I'll find out eventually. Tell me how you got caught up in all that resentment. In return, I can share my past experiences with you!"

Patchouli glanced at her.

[There's a hint of affectation in her expression... Oh, I see. It's not just me who wants to gather information about her. Does she actually want to share her own intelligence with me? It seems she really had a rough time in the past, hence her eagerness to switch teams?]

“Alright, there’s really nothing to keep secret. Since you want to know, I’ll tell you.” Patchouli shrugged slightly, and the already crooked underground passage became even more distorted. Realizing that the other person was actually very cooperative and practically impatient, her actions became less discreet—she even made a right-angle turn in the passage, while her companion, Sirin, feigned complete oblivion.

"That was a world called 'Ju-on 2'. And I actually conducted an experiment there..." Patchouli then slowed down, carrying the large library in her arms, and walked down the road, recounting in detail her experience in the Ju-on world to Sirin.

After a period of time...

"...That's roughly it. I used machines to build machines, eventually constructing an extremely large semi-intelligent army. With their strategic weapons locked down, that civilization, which failed to expand beyond the planet, quickly met its end... I finally and thoroughly wiped away all traces of intelligent life from the surface of that planet. Even if a new human civilization later evolved there, it would be completely unrelated to the previous Ju-on world."

Patchouli slightly moved her fingers and changed her posture slightly while holding the Great Library.

“That’s my story. Okay, that’s all.” She looked at Sirin, only to find the other woman staring in disbelief. “…Is there a problem?”

"So...so cleaning up a planet is that simple?"

“It’s that simple.” Patchouli shrugged slightly. “Although I paid a heavy price afterward… well, not exactly that heavy. But it was definitely something I’ll never forget.”

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I meant, haven't you encountered any heroes or protagonists who suddenly appear, or all sorts of unexpected events? For example, your AI robot army suddenly rebels, or the robots suddenly fall in love with some seemingly stupid human. Or, among those paranormal phenomena, a ghost specifically designed to counter AI suddenly mutates, a strange scientist counters the army's programming, or even a sudden solar storm, or a strange shift in Earth's magnetic poles that causes the robots to fall into chaos or even stop functioning..."

"...Are you talking about some weird game setting or movie plot?" Patchouli looked at Sirin as if she were examining an idiot. "There aren't that many miracles in this world. The protagonist... well, in some worlds they do exist. But at least in the Ju-on world, it seems there wasn't such a thing."

She gently tapped her forehead. For some reason, she suddenly felt that her purge of the Ju-on world had actually gone much more smoothly than expected. It was a world with supernatural powers, many unscientific phenomena, and even connections to obsessive souls, yet the planet's will remained as still as stagnant water—the nameless witch sealed away four hundred years ago, whose very byproducts of the seal had created countless curses and vengeance, flashed through her mind. Then she immediately dismissed the thought.

"Anyway, that's it... Hmm, according to you, you used to frequently encounter those kinds of things? I mean, in the world you destroyed?"

“…Yes, that’s right.” Sirin’s attention immediately shifted away from the previous topic, and she shook her head and sighed in frustration. “That was before I entered the God’s Space. It was an experience I will remember for a long time.”

"In my world, the entire planet... well, or rather the solar system, the pan-solar system? Or a part of the Milky Way, is under the interference of a vague will. I don't know the exact scale, nor have I studied it much. So I don't know if it's the will of the planet, the will of the galaxy, the pan-galactic will, or something else more outrageous. I can only be sure that it's a rather vague and ignorant will. And the people in my world call it 'Collapse'."

"The Honkai hates humans, or more accurately, it hates intelligent civilizations. As soon as a civilization develops to the point of being about to leave its planet, it will take action to wipe it out. The method it uses is basically to select one or a group of life forms with potential, modify them, inject them with powerful energy, and then push them to wipe out the world."

"It sounds like Gaia, which feeds on civilization, selects shepherds to graze its flock." Patchouli pursed her lips slightly. She had a lot of information about this kind of setting in her mind, and she had even experienced it herself.

"Maybe so, anyway, I don't understand this kind of thing." Sirin pouted. "Whatever kind of Honkai it is, just keep listening to me!"

Patchouli made an apologetic gesture, indicating that Sirin could continue.

So Celine cleared her throat and continued her story.

"In short, in my world, the battle between human civilization and the Honkai has lasted for several epochs. The concepts of fighting the Honkai, studying the Honkai, and utilizing the Honkai... exist simultaneously in several powerful organizations. They effectively control the world I live in, and within these organizations, there is one that specializes in the application of Honkai energy to the human body."

"Unfortunately, I was one of the test subjects. That organization collected me and my friends, who became orphans in the cataclysmic disaster, and used us as consumable experimental materials—all my friends were consumed as consumables in the experiments. Although I lasted longer, it only added to my suffering, and in the end, I could not escape being consumed or disposed of."

She shrugged, and for some reason, her long purple hair, which draped behind her, seemed somewhat dull.

"But as I told you before, the Honkai will select some life forms with potential and transform them into its messengers. And I am one of them."

"I possessed immense power, and with that power, I began my revenge. At first, things went smoothly; I dealt a heavy blow to my enemies. But soon it turned into a cliché hero movie. My enemies, though weaker than me, always managed to unleash their luck or power just before defeat, or suddenly produce a bunch of inexplicable items that left me helpless—and when I cornered them, their little tricks also successfully cornered me."

"I failed. The moment my 'heart,' or rather my 'core,' was pierced, I was summoned to the God Realm. There, I dragged my half-dead body through the first main quest. When I returned after the quest and met the God, the God used most of my enhancements as a price to remove my wounds."

"I am no longer the messenger of Honkai. After I returned to my world, Honkai no longer responded to me, and humanity is still my enemy. If I hadn't only exchanged for one day of return time, I might have been captured before I could return to the God Space and become research material on the experimental table again. Fortunately, that should be the only journey of mine that wasn't too unlucky."

She paused for a moment.

"I was very angry at that time. Hmm... perhaps it shouldn't be simply said that I was angry? There was probably some sadness or lamentation involved. I returned to the Main God Space and then went to the Extreme Cold World that had just ended... well, that's about it. After causing a big scene, I felt much better. And after that, a rather long period of time passed."

"When I returned to my world, I had unlocked my genetic lock to the fourth level, and then I had basically regained all the enhancements that had been stripped away by the God. After experiencing a lot, I had gained some insights into how to use my power. I descended directly to the moon, and then used the items I obtained from the God to push the moon off its lunar orbit."

Her vision blurred, and in the haze, she seemed to return once again to that vast battlefield in her memory—she stood atop the Moon Palace, the atmosphere ablaze and boiling from the moon's fall. Dense jets of destruction shot from countless spatial portals created by her own abilities, the ignited flames of war stretching to the very edge of her vision.

Those disparate organizations united, a massive fleet, a sea of ​​densely packed mechanical titans. And those Valkyries, resolute and unwavering, like moths drawn to a flame, charging headlong into battle—they fought with all their might, made enormous sacrifices, even stepping over the corpses of their comrades to inflict the slightest scratch on themselves. And then, just as they were about to succeed, he bestowed upon them despair.

Their objective was to shut down the thrusters in the lunar palace, but they were unaware that their true killing move was the lethal meme they released onto Earth's surface via time travel while propelling the moon. Their narrow understanding of memes, having never encountered their true nature, doomed them from the outset. And after they had been delayed long enough, at the cost of consuming a Rebirth Cross, even if the lunar palace's thrusters had been successfully shut down, or even flipped over—when they looked back at Earth, all they would see was a cold, dead star.

He had succeeded in his revenge, but was it really something to celebrate?

"...In short, I won in the end. After my victory, the Honkai Will came to me again and offered me the right to become a Star Soul and coexist with the world—I refused, because I found that the world no longer had any meaning for me."

"And then you returned to the Main God Space?"

"No, after I destroyed the lethal meme, I discovered that the will of collapse had abandoned the entire solar system. Its hatred for memes is far greater than its hatred for humanity. I think that's probably why it was so generous as to give away even the Star Soul reward."

"I won, but after winning, I found myself getting a little bored—each of my opponents actually had a stronger will than me, and the reason they lost to me was simply because of their limited experience. So, I spent a lot of time afterward, and... about four horror movie earnings and exchange points, to buy some Eden Creation Devices and soul-summoning rituals for non-reincarnated beings from the Main God. Originally, I was thinking of resurrecting them and killing them a few more times to see if it would make me feel better, but for some reason, my initial thoughts inexplicably shifted later on."

She gently rubbed her head, looking confused.

"Why did I do that? I don't really know either."

"...I reshaped the Earth's ecosystem, created billions of clones, and resurrected everyone who died in my time because of me or because of the Honkai. Even those 'old friends' whose first reaction after being resurrected was to stab me in the chest. Then, before I left, I handed over the lethal meme, as well as the methods of its use and containment, to those defeated adversaries—I don't know why, but when I did that, I felt like I had won against them."

“I accomplished something they couldn’t even figure out, and they could never do it better than me. But what’s the point of winning? My life will be just as miserable back in the God’s Space. The resentment and curse on me will be gone as if they were never gone—maybe this is what they call wasting time.”

She tilted her head and looked at Patchouli.

"Anyway, that's my story. You can come and take a look in my world later... Although my defeated gang members are now all doing nothing but traveling and vacationing and letting loose, I can still find a few people to fight or do research if I want."

"...and shouldn't we just see this through to the end?"

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

I arrived in the city from the countryside at 9:00 AM, and after washing up, it was already past 10:00 AM... I was originally planning to write the Shadowverse script as well, but then I realized it was already this late... Anyway, that's it, I won't be writing there today _(:з」∠)_

Chapter 32 - Zhao Zhuikong: Baby's Heart is Bitter

"The elves have run away."

When the spatial turbulence around Rivendell returned to normal, the assassins were somewhat surprised to find the entire elven city silent after a battle that hadn't been too long—no living things, no inanimate objects, the only ones that could move had been dealt with just seconds before, and the exquisite and magnificent elven city now slumbered in a stillness like an icy lake.

Before arriving, Chu Xuan had informed the action team that they would encounter an ambush in Rivendell—and they did—but it wasn't as difficult as Chu Xuan had described. The elves summoned the power of natural elements as guardians of the city; they were a group of incredibly strong, swift, and extremely resilient water and earth giants. If their opponents were the already eliminated East Sea or South Flame Continent teams, they would indeed be a formidable obstacle. However, against the Zhao siblings, their strength was somewhat lacking.

Zhao Zhuikong killed half of them, minus one, while Zhao Yingkong killed half of them, plus one. There's no need to go into the details; it was as uneventful and boring as an adult beating a child or a butcher slaughtering livestock tied to a table—completely devoid of any variables or surprises.

It took them about ten minutes to clear these obstacles—mainly because these creatures were incredibly tough, with no vital points, and their regenerative abilities were so strong that they could regenerate infinitely as long as they had energy, similar to a fourth-tier being. What made it even more troublesome was that these elemental giants were integrated with the defensive barrier protecting Rivendell, working in tandem. There was simply no option to ignore them and bypass them.

Killing one was easy, but wiping them all out was troublesome. But troublesome was just troublesome, not difficult. After some time, these annoying creatures finally disappeared from the assassins' sight. And when the elves' city's protective barrier collapsed, what finally appeared before them was a silent city.

"It is said that Elrond and Queen Galadriel among the elves possess powerful prophetic abilities. It seems this information is true—did they choose to retreat because they foresaw our arrival and their own defeat? Taking their precious people with them, leaving none behind?" A faint light swirled at Zhao Zhuikong's fingertips. Killing those elemental giants ignited his killing intent, but it did not bring him satisfaction from that bloodless slaughter. He couldn't help but lick the corner of his mouth, and the crimson in his eyes flickered faintly.