Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

"They are the pinnacles themselves. Although I don't know how they resolve the omnipotence paradox, they must have their own methods—of course, that's not important. Miss Sajo, all you need to know is that even the multiverse is just an ordinary object to them. They can manipulate it at will and change it into whatever they want."

"Then, many years ago, at the beginning of this era of the multiverse, or before the beginning of many eras, this multiverse itself, its sum, its essence, its manifestation named Gaia, was moving toward the realm of the chess player. I don't know how many steps she took, but it must have been many. Then, just as she was about to, or was about to, succeed, she attracted the attention of another chess player."

She gazed at the land beyond the watchtower, witnessing the dust and smoke of war gradually rising over this land.

"It was just a glance, but it was an absolutely fatal disaster. The chess player who cast that glance... well, let's call it the 'Primal Man' for now. Because it was because of that one glance that Gaia was directly knocked into a near-death state of mental confusion. And it was from that glance that humans began to appear in the multiverse, and they have been killed without end."

"Do you understand? Miss Satō, humans did not originally exist in this multiverse. Do you understand? Chu Xuan, the source of the crimson fortune is a wisp of light from that 'original human'."

—Aigo covered her mouth, stifling her scream.

"So, it is precisely for this reason that Gaia, amidst the chaos, has always sought to purge humanity. And it is also for this reason that humanity at that time was able to withstand the strangulation of all races and the Heavenly Dao until the outbreak of the War of Creation. Because the Primordial Beings would not allow humanity to fail, humanity would never fail under any circumstances. Because the level of the Crimson Fortune is higher than the sum of all True Saints, all races can only await their own annihilation."

"The essence of fortune is the attention of those in high positions... I realized this long before I even knew who I was. And the crimson fortune that is higher than the sum of all races, and even surpasses Gaia... it is only natural that it has such an origin."

Luo Ye snorted coldly.

"So, after that, the primordial world ushered in the 'Creation of Heaven and Earth.' Pangu and Hongjun, the tools of the Primordial People, became, under their watchful eyes, incredibly powerful beings in the inner universe, surpassing even True Saints. Then, after fulfilling their mission, they swiftly perished—"

Her gaze passed through Ai Ge and landed on the Chu Xuans inside Ai Ge.

"—Pangu created heaven and earth, and the Dao split into three. Hongjun merged with the Dao of Heaven, and the Dao split into three. You should have died then, after all, as tools of the original humans, you had fulfilled your duties as disposable items. However, at the moment you were about to retire, you realized something was amiss. So... you left a sliver of room for maneuver."

"You did not completely kill Gaia, although you could never have completely killed her in the first place. But it is an undeniable fact that you held back. And it is precisely because of this that Gaia's resurrection and the Abyss of Death and the Negative Multiverse were able to continue. And it is precisely because of this that when the will of another player descended, your representative, Pei Xi, who was once the Human Emperor Fuxi, was able to intervene in the game between the players."

"And the second player to wield the chess pieces is Kagami. Or rather, the woman who calls herself Kagami... Perhaps because they are both World Trees, or perhaps because of a past connection. Kagami decides to resurrect Gaia, who will soon become her kind. But before resurrecting Gaia, she must communicate with Gaia."

Luo Ye rubbed her forehead.

"And I, Alice and I, are the embodiment of this communication. I represent a part of Gaia's will, and Alice represents a part of Shinki's will—just as in the Elder Scrolls world, the existence of the Dragonborn itself was merely the thought process of the Time Dragon God Akatosh deciding whether to destroy the world. Alice and I, in reality, are nothing more than the process of Gaia and Shinki's thought and decision."

"Gaia's resurrection is inevitable, because the player cannot lose. At most, it's a draw; more often, it's a win-win situation. And the Human Emperor Pei Xi, who is merely a True Saint or above, with an incomplete inner universe—in short, an ant or dust to the player—has already stepped onto the chessboard and, relying on his power, has extended an invitation to Shen Qi to form an alliance against the primitive humans. After all, you humans..."

"...I have never wanted to be a pawn of anyone or anything."

As darkness fell, the tide of chaos washed over the land of Mesopotamia. Rahm's legions ravaged this land where Flora and Imaniticism did not exist, encountering some resistance, but it was all in vain.

But resistance is still resistance.

"You humans do not belong to this multiverse; you are merely the erosion of the primordial beings. Even if the great wish of the Primordial Heavenly Court is fulfilled, and humanity becomes the eternal protagonist in the multiverse, so what? In the end, it is nothing more than the charity of the primordial beings, and you are nothing more than their puppets and tools. But you are not content with this fate; you want to create your own future with your own hands—and you have already won a small part."

"Kamiki no longer sees humans as objects to be eliminated. After all, she had no obligation to clean the pests in her friend's house while performing CPR on him. But Gaia is different. She hates the hands that hold weapons, but the weapons themselves are also targets of her hostility. And once Gaia is resurrected, and humanity is freed from the control of the original humans, then humanity, no longer protected by the Chess Player, will have no chance of survival under the hostility of the entire multiverse."

"The reason why Alice, despite becoming a true god, suddenly started having wild thoughts like an ordinary transcendent who hasn't overcome her inner demons, is precisely because of this. The influence of the many events that the Human Emperor has arranged around her since she joined the Main God Space is pushing her to think."

“Gaia cannot be persuaded, but there is still a possibility of persuading Shinki. If we can persuade Shinki to offer advice to Gaia, then humanity’s small step toward victory will become a giant leap.”

Luo Ye suddenly smiled. Her smile pierced the shadows in the sky like daylight.

"Just like if Alice sincerely said to me, 'Luo Ye, I think humans are great. Let's not continue to be hostile to them,' then even if I dislike humans, I would tolerate their existence and try to like them. If Shen Qi could make such a suggestion to Gaia, the result would be the same."

"After all, it is the embodiment of thinking as the player of the game. This is our duty as chess players."

"I see." Chu Xuan's figure suddenly appeared behind Ai Ge. He pushed up his glasses amidst the latter's exclamation of "Father?"

“Thank you for clarifying things, Luo Ye.” He gazed at Luo Ye and asked, “But let me ask you this, Luo Ye: when your duty is fulfilled, what do you plan to do then?”

"I naturally have things to do," Luo Ye replied calmly.

"Understood." Just as he had come, Chu Xuan's figure vanished silently.

Luo Ye's gaze shifted to Ai Ge.

"Congratulations, Miss Satō. You have passed the most terrifying test. Now you can..."

"Please wait a moment!" Aigo, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up. "Your Majesty, please wait a moment!"

"Oh?" Luo Ye looked at her with some surprise. "Is there something you want to say, Miss Satō?"

"I, I..." She pressed her hand to her chest, her bright blue eyes wide open. "What you just said, suspecting that I have someone behind me or something. Could you... could you..." Her cheeks were flushed, but she couldn't finish her sentence, only lowering her head deeply.

"I see... You too are an unsettled person who is not content with fate. Well then, although this is a conclusion that Chu Xuan should be able to deduce from what I have said, I will still explain it in detail. Ah... that's right, the number of players is actually more than I thought, at least as far as I know, there are four."

“Shenqi is one, Yuanren is one, Gaia is more than half, Peixi… plus its scattered parts, it can probably be considered less than half in this game. And there is another one, which I will call ‘Outer God’ for now.”

“Have you heard of the Cthulhu Mythos? I’m referring to that ‘Outer God.’” Luo Ye’s eyes flashed back to fragments of the past, recalling Alice’s agonizing journey through the South American wastelands. Because of that alien creature dwelling in the deep sea, Alice was forced to bear a curse that caused her centuries of suffering. Only upon entering the God’s Realm was her pain eradicated by the God’s power.

"I don't know what it's here for. According to the records in the Abyss of Death, it seems to be hostile to all the players. It is the enemy of the Primordial Man and Gaia because it left behind the Kel'Thuzad mythology that spans the multiverse. Starting with the Primordial Demon God Ra, countless Outer Gods and Old Ones were conceived in the multiverse. They indiscriminately erode the Heavenly Court and the world of all races, bringing destruction to all those who possess intellect."

"It is the enemy of Shinki, because every Alice who becomes a sign of completion will 'coincidentally' bump into an Outer God who is stronger than her in any way when she touches the supernatural. And then she will perish—this is inevitable, because the one who holds the game will not lose."

"It is even an enemy of Pei Xi and his group, because its influence has unknowingly reached into the main god space. Saito Hajime died because of this back then... although now, it is almost time for him to be resurrected."

“I really don’t understand what it’s here for… Maybe it’s just here to cause trouble. It would be abnormal for a blind and foolish person not to cause trouble, wouldn’t it?” Luo Ye tilted her head and smiled at Ai Ge, whose face had turned pale. “But you don’t need to worry. If there’s a player behind you, it shouldn’t be this one. Because not long ago, I vaguely deduced the existence of a fifth player.”

Luo Ye raised one finger.

"The prediction record, the message that Saito Hajime passed on to Alice back then—Alice always used it only as a strategy guide and a source of intelligence. I used to do the same, until later when I understood Shinki's style of doing things, and the purpose of the Main God, plus the true identities of these reincarnators—those who can enter the Main God's space are all born with great fortune. And these people are usually transcendent beings who fell in the past, or even saints. And in this way..."

"...Those intruders who appear in all the reincarnation teams at the same time and possess great power are a bit of an eyesore. Where do they get such great luck, where do they get the qualifications to bypass those ancient saints and transcendent beings and enter the main god space? Is it the work of Shen Qi? I think it does not conform to her aesthetics or her needs. Therefore, I speculate that there is a fifth player on the chessboard."

She lowered her fingers and gently pressed her hands on Aigo's shoulders.

"I've decided to call it 'the Witch' for now. As far as I know, all the intruders are women with extraordinary aptitudes and abilities. It would be too strange if there wasn't a single man among them. So I'm calling it that. And you, Ms. Sajo, you perfectly fit the criteria I've summarized, so I've made this judgment."

“I don’t understand its purpose, I really don’t understand it this time. Because it hasn’t even passed down its lineage, it has simply made this tiny intervention. And this is the answer you want, Miss Satori.”

"Is that so..." Aika lowered her head. She responded weakly, "Aika understands... Then, Your Majesty Luo Ye, are there only five players in total?"

“Not necessarily.” Luo Ye shook his head. “I can only determine that there are five, but I think there should be more than five. As for the actual number, I don’t know either. After all, this is not a question I should be thinking about.”

"Alright, let's end this quiz game here, Ms. Sajo." She patted Aika on the shoulder. "Although you know these secrets, I suggest you don't try to tell anyone, nor should you try to use them as a weapon. And—"

"You have passed the test as a reincarnator, and from now on you should be considered Alice's colleague. So..."

She looked towards the heavens, and the stars that knew her 'question and answering had ended' carefully fell to the ground. Meanwhile, on the war-torn land of Mesopotamia, a dozen or so representatives of the demon army opened their eyes.

"Alice's thoughts determine the future of this multiverse, but her thoughts are just that—thoughts. The story here must continue."

"Until she makes a decision, you and I will keep the Demon Team here. That way, they won't suddenly decide to set their sights on another chessboard."

Chapter Sixty-Six: The Path to Transcendence

"Intellectual beings do not possess any emotions or factional biases at the time of their birth. Their personality and beliefs are all formed by external interference and influence."

"These interventions are defined by other intellectual individuals or groups according to their own understanding. They are divided according to the ratio of the interests and harms they represent, thus creating different terms such as 'education,' 'brainwashing,' and 'destiny.' And the terms themselves are biased."

"But their essence is all 'interference' from the outside world of the intellectual body."

Alice descended into the newly born world within the chess piece. What came into her view was primordial chaos, and the initial emergence of light and darkness. The opposing forces of these two elements collided constantly in every corner of this new world, gradually forging the earth and ocean, just as she had done when she created the bubble world.

Darkness was the sea, light was the land. From the primordial ocean, the mechanical hybrid life she desired gradually emerged. And on the land, life slowly began to grow, with robust trees and lush flowers and grasses sprouting.

As the atmosphere gradually filled in, the pristine land and ocean began to flourish. And then…

"'Morality' is a definition compiled by a group of intellectuals. It was created to influence newly formed intellectuals, thereby aligning with the group's desired interests. Under normal circumstances, the primary need of a group of intellectuals is 'survival.' Thus, 'morality' is shaped into something beneficial to the group's continuation."

"Individuals belong to a group, so 'morality' that benefits the group will also benefit the individual. Under this premise of mutual benefit, morality and the laws derived from it are things that should be followed. Because individuals cannot exist independently of the group, or rather, from birth, individuals are constantly being subtly shaped by the group into a form that cannot exist independently of the group."

"This is the way for a group to continue its lineage; it's a natural thing."

"Because once an individual that does not need a group grows to a sufficiently powerful level, its very existence becomes a threat to the group's survival. Therefore, it is only natural for the group itself to suppress and control abnormal individuals when they show signs of abnormality, and to intervene in all new individuals when they are born, so that they cannot leave the group."

"In order to continue, the group interferes with the individual. In turn, the individual interferes with the group in order to pursue their own ideals... This could perhaps be called the rule that prevails in pluralism. Although this rule is also a form of interference."

"Interference from the group is everywhere. Interference from those in high positions is everywhere."

"In this multiverse, the Dao Erosion is everywhere."

...On this primordial land, just like in the previous eras, mortals appeared out of nowhere. They curiously gazed upon this new 'otherworld' Eden, and then began to form groups, build camps, and explore the environment. In a not-so-long time, they gradually grew stronger.

Alice sat quietly on the cloud, watching them.

Unlike before, she no longer needed to detach her will to accelerate the flow of time. Now, she could simply sit here and quietly observe thousands of years. After all, time had long since lost much of its meaning for her.

“I’ve seen many legendary stories, some of which are fictional, but many more are projections of events that can be proven to be true onto other worlds. In these stories, there’s always the premise of a goddess falling in love with a mortal, or a fairy marrying a cowherd. I used to think nothing of it, but after I actually became a fairy, a goddess, I started to have doubts about these things.”

"Why do gods have human emotions? Why do the gods in these stories seem like a group of mortals with extraordinary powers? Have they thrown all the Tao and techniques they cultivate into the trash can? They can't even control their own emotions, even after becoming gods—can such things really be gods?"

"I've always been puzzled. Even if we consider the interpretation as script memes, this situation is just too strange. It wasn't until later that I gradually realized that it wasn't that they couldn't see through things, but rather that they simply didn't want to see through them. Their experiences and memories as mortals were influencing them, preventing them from making the choices that should be the most suitable path for them and the options that align with their own interests."

"The phenomenon of road erosion..."

Alice remembered her conversation with Zheng Zha. At that time, she had clearly told Zheng Zha that when taking action, there was no need to consider harming innocent people. Because the injury and death of mortals were not in accordance with the injury and death of true gods, or even beings at the extraordinary level.

For a true god, time can be distorted at will, and damaged souls and bodies can be easily restored. Thus, even if a planet is burned into a glass sphere and all living things on it are refined into crystals, as long as the true god ultimately triumphs, everything can be restored to its original state.

If, after all acts of killing have been committed, the timeline is changed back to before the act occurred to erase its source, wouldn't the killing itself be as if it had never existed?

Back then, I was able to convince Zheng Zha with this reason. Why am I being so sentimental now? What nonsense about cold-blooded and ruthless gods... Shouldn't emotions and passion apply to beings on the same level? Shouldn't they be things completely under my control?

Alice blinked, her eyes flashing with a multitude of memories. These were memories of her battles in countless reincarnations—the heroic deeds of mortals, the sacrifices, the resolve, the battlefields where she too had joined in the united effort—she hadn't intended to think about them, yet they surfaced from the depths of her mind and relentlessly resurfaced. And she knew what was happening.

“All my past experiences have shaped me into who I am today. Even the path I follow, with its many changes, originates from my old memories and past journeys. The reason I am confused about my actions is because my childhood memories interfere with me, creating habits and instincts.”

Even if I become a true god, even if I control every thought in my mind, I still vaguely feel that harming others is wrong.

"After all... I will reverse and rebuild the mortal kingdoms destroyed in the aftermath of the war. Make it all seem like it never happened. But I will never care how many paramecia I step on as I walk down the street—even if they are all on the same level in my eyes in terms of size. And these mortals from another world... are just the same as the mortals in my homeland in terms of physical structure and general name."

She closed her eyes.

At that moment, she thought of many things. For example, the secrets behind this Dao-contest ritual that had transformed from the Hunting Saint ritual, and Chu Xuan's schemes—it wasn't that she was completely unaware of them, nor was it that she wouldn't consider the possibility that Chu Xuan had been deceiving her from beginning to end. In fact, she had already begun to have doubts when Sirin was affected, and when Sirin and Ex turned most of the solar system into a mess, and Patchouli successfully killed and assimilated the Awakened One, she had a vague premonition.

But so what? Every time she loved someone, didn't she prepare a whole bunch of plans, only to achieve partial success in the end, and even then, the success was just a part of Chu Xuan's calculations, or even an excess? This has happened so many times, doesn't she know that not a single punctuation mark of Chu Xuan's words can be trusted?

But even if you can't believe it at all, so what? Whether you listen or not is another matter.

She's not Xiao Honglu, insisting on competing with Chu Xuan on an intellectual level. If she really wanted to prove she was stronger than Chu Xuan, she could simply drag him out and beat him up. Even against a brute like Chu Xuan, she could force a 50/50 fight, or even slightly win, if she was well-prepared. So, beating Chu Xuan, who had no real passion for fighting, would be a piece of cake.

However, she wouldn't do that, and Chu Xuan wouldn't let the situation escalate to that point.

After all, as long as the outcome aligns with the team's overall interests and her own, what does it matter if she has to rack her brains and waste some energy? These resources are renewable; their existence itself has value, even if it's not as high as initially anticipated. Value is value, and it cannot be erased.

—Time shifts, and centuries pass in the blink of an eye. The land beneath her feet gradually flourished, from tribes to towns, from towns to kingdoms. Mortals built civilizations on this land bathed in light. They soon came into contact with mechanical lifeforms dwelling in the deep sea, and then, they came to understand each other.

Initially, the two were unrelated, but after several decades, trade and cultural exchange gradually flourished. And after more than a century, the first brave warrior, the first hero, appeared in the history of humankind.

He brought war, a war in which one side sought to conquer the other. Though the land was not lacking in resources, and though the sea was unsuitable for human development, he still brought war. The spirit of conquering the sea began to spread throughout human lands, and children were instilled from a young age with the idea that all sea creatures were evil. Mortals began to worship those of their kind who challenged the sea, calling them heroes and warriors. And the machine of war was set in motion, turning the seas crimson with blood.

Alice remained seated atop the cloud, her eyes open, taking in all the changes, struggles, sacrifices, and darkness of the land below. At least the architect of this story hadn't insulted her intelligence, hadn't abruptly changed the tone by introducing a group of united, loving, kind, and humble inhabitants to fool her. This development at least gave her the desire to continue reading.

She pressed her forehead, and then the record that kept replaying in her mind came to an abrupt end.

She might have known what her choice meant; she just didn't know as much as Luo Ye. After all, she hadn't ventured into the depths of the Abyss of Death like Luo Ye, nor had she examined the countless records of fate that were essentially the history of the multiverse. But beyond that, there was one thing she was aware of.

[For Kamiki to create me, she needed a suitable tool. And every tool has its purpose.]

My role is defined by my experiences, my judgments, my path, and my choices—like the Dragonborn for Akatosh, like a game character for a gamer.