Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

The girl received the same treatment as Jesus, except that Jesus only lasted three days, while she, neither alive nor dead, remained on the cross and nails for a year. Gradually, the power of idealism finally began to brew deep within her soul. And when she had drunk the bitter wine brewed by time, she was finally freed from her shackles.

A person driven by idealism can deceive everything, except their own heart. Even after enduring great suffering, her ultimate wish remains to return to her original homeland.

"Revenge is only natural. The freed girl retaliates against the village that inflicted her suffering. She eliminates them all, regardless of age or gender, whether they are perpetrators or bystanders. And when the revenge is over, her initial hope of dying in her homeland transforms into the desire to travel the world and return to her homeland as she gains power. To return, she must accumulate power."

The young girl brought an end to the chaos, spending ten years pacifying everything on that planet. In that era, she was known as 'Nirvana,' for she herself represented death—the death of all supernatural beings. And after severing the mystery of the entire era, she, having absorbed all power, arrived on the land where she had undergone her transformation. Then, using the research findings of the idealists, she opened the gate to transcendence.

The power she left behind in the ritual caused the demons that once roamed the world to remain only on that island nation. Perhaps this is her curse upon this land. And the deepest resentment within it will transform into a curse in the future—a consequence that will only occur in the future.

"Her physical body was left behind, but her soul traveled to another world, which was not her homeland. It was just another Earth that was similar yet different, telling a completely different story. Her soul was attached to the body of a female supporting character in the script... Ah, that's right, she later learned that this was the world of Guilty Crown, and she became the female supporting character, Priestess Chou."

Naturally, one failure couldn't discourage her. She began gathering power once more, this time targeting the Apocalypse Virus that destroyed the world in the original story—and she succeeded; she stripped the protagonists of all the Apocalypse Virus and made them a part of herself. However, because the conversion of power required time, and because she felt a slight sense of guilt towards the protagonists of the original story, she stayed behind until the conversion was complete, spending three years with them.

Then, she learned the truth about the world.

"Time reverses, the script begins to reset. The ignorant woman learns for the first time what the principles of civilization are, what the capriciousness of fate is. Except for her own heart and memories, everything in the world returns to the very beginning of the story in the blink of an eye. The same story repeats itself, and then she realizes that everything is an illusion."

"She couldn't change anything. The whole world was like a recurring drama, something you could only watch, not change. Even if she tried to do something, when the script ended, everything would go back to the way it was. She tried again and again, over and over, but no matter what she did, the world was still the same world."

After numerous failures, the woman finally decided to give up and leave during a script reset. And naturally, once again, she failed to return to her homeland. She arrived in another world, a completely different world, yet essentially no different from the previous one.

It's just another recurring script, another nightmare from which she can never wake up. No matter what she does or changes, the final result is the same—everything will be restored when the script resets, the only things that will remain unchanged are her memories and her heart.

She once tried to leave with someone she liked before the script was reset, but after leaving, she found that she had only taken away an empty shell like a phantom - she could do nothing and was powerless to do anything. After realizing this, returning to her hometown turned into a kind of fear for her.

Transmigrators cannot take anything with them from the world, because all matter and energy have their own place in the universe with its own predetermined script. So, how do transmigrators themselves leave the world?

Could it be that... she herself is actually just a phantom, a fake that doesn't exist at all?

"She didn't know, and she didn't dare to think about it. She just closed her eyes and went to another world again and again, and finally, after one of the journeys ended, she arrived at her homeland—her homeland where there was no longer a place for her."

"Her hometown is actually a script in operation, and the world she lives in has been reincarnated countless times. When she finally stands in front of a small building that is so familiar from her memories, and wants to knock on the door, she sees her former parents and relatives and another real 'self' happily gathered together. She finally understands what true despair is."

Everything was meaningless, everything was futile. She was Chang'e, Ai Qi De La, Xiao Tiao Ji, Kong Ci, Long Shuo… but at the same time, she was none of them. Her so-called transmigrator identity was nothing more than an empty shell that had read the memories of the world from the cracks in the world. From the very beginning, she had no place to return to, no homeland.

—All colors vanished like smoke.

"Therefore, fallen leaves can never return to their roots. Because they never actually hung on the branches; they are nothing more than fleeting illusions."

A light and ancient song echoed through the starry sky. There was no melody, no rhythm, yet it rang out clearly amidst the continuous clanging of gears. Chang'e, transformed into a palace maiden, walked barefoot across the starry sky, past the Trisolaran fleet that would never reach Earth, past the still Pluto, past the unfolding March system, past the stagnant atmosphere, past the frozen coastline, and then past the still, paralyzed Sirin and Theresa on their sunchairs, before finally looking at Luo Ye.

"Do you understand this? People like me."

“I know and understand this, as do people like me.” Luo Ye nodded slightly. “Fallen leaves can’t return to their roots. Because fallen leaves have no roots at all. Burning before disappearing like a phantom is the best end, at least that way they can still emit some light and heat.”

“Exactly.” Chang’e nodded, gazing at the crumbling and disintegrating starry sky. “But I’m luckier than you. You’re just an ember now, while I still have the chance to enjoy the burning. I will live longer than you, and I’ll have seen more of the world than you have experienced.”

"So, you also endured more pain and despair than I did."

“Exactly.” Chang’e nodded again. “But I am still lucky. I am lucky that there is no concept of the passage of time in the cracks of the world. That’s why the traces I left behind were able to reach you reincarnators before the world of Ju-on was reset, and that’s why I was able to know that there is still a solution to all of this.”

"...You have quite the nerve."

"Do I have anything else besides my heart?"

“That’s true. People like us really don’t have anything else besides our own hearts. There are advantages to living a short life. If you want me to live to the point where I can’t control myself like you, I’d rather strangle myself in the womb before I’m even born.”

"Have you ever been in your mother's womb?" Chang'e asked in return.

"...So I'm just thinking about it."

“Yes, it’s just a thought.” Chang’e agreed for the third time. “The past is just an illusion. The only thing we can truly grasp is the history we have actually experienced. In the world of Ju-on, I learned about the existence of reincarnators for the first time. And it was also in the world of Ju-on that I personally witnessed that the world could be completely destroyed.”

"Patchouli's world-cleansing actions inadvertently destroyed the three pillars of the principles of civilization. So when she returned, the script of the Ju-on world and the principles of civilization were completely destroyed. After humanity's defeat of Heaven, all worlds in this endless void were left with only humanity to support them. Without the Way of Heaven, without variables, all things could only cycle through a fixed script."

“I witnessed the destruction of the Ju-on world firsthand, and then learned about the privileges possessed by the Reincarnators. So afterwards, I used the marks of the Reincarnators that I had previously recorded to contact Chu Xuan and reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with him.”

"But destruction alone isn't enough. You've gone to so much trouble; you must have wanted more than just to destroy these scripts that have imprisoned you for so many years," Luo Ye asked casually. She knew that even without asking Chang'e, she would have given the answer. But she felt she should still ask a couple of questions as a gesture of goodwill.

After all, he was the only person she could talk to at that moment.

"Yes, destruction alone is not enough. Apart from those reincarnators protected by the main god, no one below the level of saint is qualified to touch the principles of civilization. I am a quasi-saint, a crippled saint, or something else closer to that. If I had to touch it, it wouldn't be without a strategy. But I can only touch it once, because once I break the principles of civilization, I will be ostracized by humanity. Someone like me, without any foundation, would probably be finished after breaking it once... Perhaps I would have done so before I met you reincarnators. But after meeting you, I found a more suitable way to dispose of waste."

Her gaze shifted slightly, looking at the still-standing Sirin.

"Sirin is the second major breakthrough. I never expected that she could become a Reincarnator. I also never expected that she could accidentally break the laws of civilization again. I originally thought that the Honkai world would disappear like the Curse. But I didn't expect that there would be another turning point in that world."

She shook her head slightly.

"Sirin could never have imagined that the meme viruses she released would actually activate the Honkai Will that had been wandering through those many cycles of reincarnation. After learning everything, the Honkai Will resolutely gave up everything in its past, present, and future, and merged with the Dao to fill the lost sky."

"The Will of Collapse has become the Heavenly Way of that world, so it's only a matter of time before humanity is restored. And once the balance between humanity and nature is achieved, the cycle of reincarnation in that world will finally come to an end." Chang'e sighed softly, yet her tone carried a clear sense of joy. "That world has finally gained freedom. And in doing so, my initial vision can be realized."

"No wonder you're in such a hurry."

“I have no choice but to hurry… The ‘heart’ I’m carrying has become so heavy that I can no longer suppress it. Perhaps I could disperse my power, but that would only be self-deception, and I don’t want to do that. If I don’t suppress the ‘heart’ I possess, then I will become a saint within a hundred years no matter what.”

"How can one become a saint if one's obsession remains?" Chang'e sighed. "My obsession is to return to my homeland, but I never had a homeland to begin with. I am destined to attain sainthood and then be free from this obsession. Since that is the case, I might as well die in a more meaningful way."

"...just like me."

"To be precise, it's you and me in the same boat," Chang'e corrected.

The song in the void grew clearer, and the shattered starry sky had spread to most of the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy, which was not close to Earth, had long since vanished into nothingness, while more distant star clusters were sinking into darkness one by one.

The world is about to be destroyed, destroyed in the birth of a sage. The destruction of the principles of civilization is ultimately a fatal wound to the universe itself. Even if time has stopped, the gaps in dialogue will soon vanish into nothingness.

"Are you leaving?" Luo Ye asked.

“Yes, I must go now,” Chang’e replied. “My talents are limited after all; I cannot become a saint. I cannot mend the sky, merge the earth, or chase the sun. But I can barely manage to reach the moon. My sainthood is inevitable, and through the hands of you reincarnators, I will not have to bear the backlash of humanity when the principles of civilization are shattered. Therefore, I can complete my final work with the true power of a saint before I disappear.”

She reached out and touched the shattered starry sky. As if invisible threads were spreading outward from her fingertips, they connected with thousands of unknown lands in the blink of an eye.

Three thousand four hundred and thirty-one worlds—excluding the already destroyed Ju-on world and the redeemed Collapse world—not one more, not one less. The invisible thread then trembled slightly, as if the destruction in this world was faintly connected to the other three thousand-plus worlds.

“There are commonalities between scripts, and the cause and effect I bear are the threads that connect them. With my doomed sacred path as fuel, I can make the principles of civilization in all these worlds share this break at the same moment,” Chang'e said softly, her form gradually fading and rising into the void. “I’m sorry, my arms are only this long; I can only reach these three thousand four hundred and thirty-one places. As for the rest, I can only say it’s a pity.”

“I don’t think anyone will complain about this,” Luo Ye said softly, shaking his head slightly.

"Then, farewell. To the wanderer who enters Nirvana at the moment of sublimation."

"I was born to be reborn, destined to die." Chang'e shook her head slightly, and in the last moment before leaving completely, she gave Luo Ye a smile. "Farewell, lonely one whose embers are about to burn out."

"My work is nearing completion, and I hope you can finally find your own peace."

Time stood still in Luo Ye's eyes, and at that moment, only Chang'e remained open throughout the entire universe. Her form stepped into the void above the void, observing everything that was happening in the multiverse from the boundary line where dimensions and the sea of ​​energy met.

Ah, that long-lost feeling, the feeling of freedom, the feeling of liberation, the feeling of tranquility.

She gazed at the edge of the universe, staring at the three thousand four hundred and thirty-one synchronized chains of cause and effect.

"It's been a long time, the three thousand four hundred and thirty-one worlds I've experienced."

Her voice reached three thousand four hundred and thirty-one different universes. And within those three thousand more distinct universes, tuneless songs resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

The boy, who was holding the girl in his arms and wielding a giant sword while fighting the mech, stopped in his tracks. He and the remote-controlled mech, which had also stopped moving, looked up at the sky in confusion.

The warriors, wielding divine weapons, who had been fighting atop the colossal Buddha statue, ceased their combat and gazed towards the distant horizon.

Werewolves and vampires no longer kill each other; in this brief peace, they listen to tuneless songs and look around.

Wandering travelers in the wilderness felt a strange rhythm, and the strings of their hearts trembled slightly.

"I have visited your lands in the past and received much joy, sorrow, happiness, and grief. There are many things worth remembering and many things worth recalling. But I am very sorry that I have always been penniless and left without even leaving a gift. I am truly very sorry."

A silent tremor echoed through countless worlds, the earth trembled gently. The clouds in the sky swayed restlessly. An ancient and desolate aura permeated the heavens and earth. An indescribable sorrow filled the heart of every living and inanimate object.

The ancient stone figures shed tears, and the temple statues splattered with blood. A continuous drizzle fell silently, not touching anyone, yet chilling them to the bone.

"Really, making this all so sentimental. I'm almost embarrassed. But things still need to be done... Yes, you guessed it. I have a gift that you've all wanted but never received, to give you. And I think you all know what it is."

Chang'e stretched out her hand, her fingertips transforming into starlight the instant they extended, rushing towards the more than three thousand distinct portals. Her outstretched hand first disappeared, then her shoulder, half her body, her neck, and finally her head.

She is a saint, and saints are qualified to touch upon the principles of civilization. Saints are also qualified to uphold the principles of civilization.

And of all the more than three thousand things she had encountered in the world, there was only one thing she wanted to give away.

“From this moment on.” Her other hand gradually detached, transforming into starlight that surged into the torrent.

"You are free."

The world bound by the script was liberated. In the instant starlight poured in, a new heaven emerged from the uncertain future. The saints, having burned themselves out, became the fuel for this new heavenly order. Even if there were only a mere 3,431 insignificant beings. These worlds, too, ultimately ushered in a new future.

Was it worth it? Nobody knows.

Is this valuable? No one knows.

Compared to the entire multiverse, these 3,431 are truly insignificant. But at least from this moment on, they no longer need to endlessly cycle through reincarnation.

Everything of Chang'e burned to ashes here. And in the end, the last remaining fingertip hesitated slightly before turning into starlight.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot to do what we agreed on."

"—Let me fulfill a small part of the duties that you reincarnators are required to perform."

The next moment, the frozen world began to function again. And in the very center of the universe, a magnificent celestial river, stretching billions of light-years, silently opened up. An ancient and profound aura emanated from it, and with the fulfillment of this final agreement, the last glimmer of starlight vanished without a trace.

Fallen leaves can never return to their roots.

Because fallen leaves never have roots in the first place.

So, what if rootless fallen leaves burn to ashes on the ground?

Will the remaining ashes and warmth seep into the soil, allowing the earth to nurture new saplings?

Can those who can never return to their hometown help other homeless people find their hometown?

—'Even if it's fake, I still want to go back and see it...'

Chapter 45 The Arrival

"Ever since arriving in the world of reincarnation, I've been pondering a question." Gazing at the vast celestial river, its radiance stretching across a significant portion of the universe and taking hundreds of millions of years to reach Earth, Chu Xuan, the first to recover from the stagnation of time, gently adjusted his glasses.

"What is the purpose of our existence as reincarnators? And what is the reason that the supreme god, who controls everything behind the scenes, created the tool of reincarnators?"

“At first, I made many attempts and came to many different conclusions. Some seemed correct, some seemed wrong, some seemed ambiguous, and some seemed contradictory. It took me a lot of time to sort them out, and then I found that none of them could construct a complete self-logic.”

"Are the Reincarnators tools used by the Supreme God, or something behind the Supreme God, for their own amusement? No."

"Is the Reincarnation Space a platform used by a powerful force to select warriors and provide new recruits? No."

"The reason why the main god recruits reincarnators is that they all possess certain special qualities. Can we expect future growth as an investment? Not necessarily."

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, but I’ve found that the conditions are still insufficient. I’m certain that there must be some hidden operating principle behind the Supreme God. Perhaps it’s some powerful being, or some exquisite order… In any case, the Supreme God certainly wouldn’t create reincarnators without a reason. It must have some original cause rooted in the deepest part of it, which takes precedence over all other things.”

A massive, silvery-gray serpentine shadow floated around Chu Xuan, and a projection marking numerous stars in the Milky Way's spiral arm appeared around him. He casually pressed a few buttons, and within that sky full of stars, at least thirty million of them lit up in the projection around him.