I was raised in the simulator, and I’m really not a bad woman in Ark!

If we look at it from the perspective of the experiences in simulations and dreams.

Then there is no doubt that Ikaros is one of the people in the world who knows Theresa best. There is no even "this"; she is the person in the world who knows Theresa best.

But in terms of pure reality, Ikaros's understanding of Theresa was not even that of a stranger.

After all, strangers have met each other.

Everything that Ikaros in reality knows about Theresa, the Demon King in reality, can be said to come from the plot and character settings in the game in his memories of his previous life.

At most, add an understanding from a simulation.

Therefore, this also led to Ikaros's strange and awkward feelings towards Theresa in real life.

He can barely be considered the most familiar stranger.

But they are far from being friends, let alone any other closer relationship.

But in a sense, Theresa can be considered as Ikaros' family.

It is only natural for Ekaros to feel awkward and helpless after so many overlapping and conflicting situations.

As for this, Ikaros's inner choice for the time being is to escape.

But when the day comes when the truth and reality are revealed, escape will not solve any problems.

Moreover, given Ikaros's personality, she was destined not to choose to escape from such emotional issues.

When that future comes, Ikaros is destined to make his own choice.

No matter what the final outcome will be.

"…It's time to go to the next 'dream'. I hope everyone in Da Yan won't be as weird as Theresa today."

The Victorian aristocratic dress belonging to the Grand Duke of Manchester gradually turned into light and dissipated, and was replaced by the Great Yan Chinese dress that followed.

Ikaros suppressed his turbulent emotions caused by Theresa's strange behavior today and some things in reality, and finally let his figure completely disappear in the dream belonging to the Grand Duke.

Only the Duke's Mansion, as prosperous and deserted as before, remained standing in the dream.

The eternal flowers in the garden shine under the false yet real sky, accompanying the girl who has made up her mind silently in her heart.

And silently pointed the future to the unknown distance...

……

In the distance, Dayan, Dahuang City.

The tranquility of the moonlit night writes the songs of wanderers, and the sky dotted with stars and the moon reflects the colors of the Milky Way. Even though it is false and empty, it still brings the creatures on earth the celestial scene, which is magnificent and dreamy.

It brings people a feeling of beauty that seems unreal, making people reluctant to leave, yet also afraid that they will never see such beauty again.

Just like waking up from a dream, Shu, who was sitting under the big shame tree, felt upset at the moment.

"Is this a dream again?"

"The real and the fake, the true and the false, are like the moon in the pond, which can be seen but cannot be touched? ... Tao, you really know how to give me a difficult problem."

Gazing at the starry full moon reflected in the water of the terraced fields, a trace of helplessness and loneliness flashed in his silver-gray eyes. The slender and beautiful dragon tail behind him also curled up slightly, reflecting his owner's unhappy mood.

Under the moonlight, Shu, who is sitting alone under the locust tree and sighing helplessly, looks so beautiful that people can't help but want to pity and hug him.

It’s a pity that those who are qualified to embrace the millet at this moment are not able to see the millet at this moment.

It's a pity and a shame...

However, it does not mean that no one noticed Sister Shu who was now alone under the moon.

At least as the eldest brother, Zhongyue is still worried about his younger sister.

In other words, apart from the few brothers and sisters who chose to leave and look for clues about Tao in and around Da Yan, Zhong Yue could not feel at ease about any of the fragments who chose to remain silent.

After all, the heaviness of that emotion has already taken root deep in the soul and authority of every fragment.

If you are unable to do anything because of your own responsibilities and can only wait in frustration.

Chongyue could rely on the state of mind that he had cultivated over the years to ease some of the stress and achieve the state of not being happy with things or sad with himself.

But the other fragments can't.

Especially Shu, one of the fragments with the best relationship with Tao, like a brother and sister.

Therefore, Chongyue, who was not in a hurry to return to Yumen, chose to stay in Dahuang City temporarily, and paid attention to the physical and mental health of Shu, who was unable to set out to look for Tao Deshu due to his own responsibilities and commitments.

"Are you thinking about your youngest sister again, Shu?" Chongyue came to Shu's side with steady steps, looked at the bright moon today, the scenery of Dahuang City, and his own sister, and asked in a deep voice.

Shu did not hide it, sighed, nodded and said:

"Alas, what else could it be? Apart from gluttony, what else do you think could make me so depressed?"

"Even if Nian was thrown into prison, Xi stayed indoors, and Ling Yi was drunk for ten years, I would still find a way to save them. But I really have no way to save Tao. I just feel like I am an incompetent sister..."

Letting go of all the annoyance and helplessness in his heart, Shu sat under the tree, propped up his side face, staring at the unchanging scene in the distance, slightly distracted, like a helpless little girl, and the dragon tail behind him swayed from side to side in distress, kicking up clouds of dust.

She no longer looked like her usual maternal, mature and dignified self.

It's like a child who lost his precious treasure and didn't even have the chance to look for it again. It's really pitiful.

"Haha, that's not the case."

Hearing the self-pity in Shu's words, Chongyue smiled instead and reached out his hand to touch Shu's head, but then he remembered that his sister beside him was not the Tao who obeyed him in everything, so he withdrew his hand in dismay and turned to look at Shu, continuing to comfort Shu with gentle words:

"Everyone is looking for Sister Tao. I'm sure we'll meet again sooner or later. When the time comes, I think no one will object to letting Tao stay with you for a while longer."

Although Chongyue felt that there was little hope of finding Tao, as long as there was still hope, he would not give up like his other brothers and sisters.

So he also hopes that his attitude can infect Shu, so that Shu can have more hope and confidence, instead of being constrained by the memories and regrets brought by the dream.

after all……

If they, as brothers and sisters, were really bound by the dreams brought about by Tao, wouldn't they be truly sorry for everything done by Tao's sister, who paid the price with her own life and completely destroyed her consciousness at the age of 15?

"Tao doesn't want to see you looking sad, Shu."

Zhongyue spoke slowly, trying his best to comfort his sister as an elder brother.

However, he never expected that the next question from Shu would cause Zhongyue, the eldest brother, to fall into deep silence.

"Brother, can I... ask you a question?" Suddenly, after being silent for a while, Shu looked at Zhongyue beside him.

"But it doesn't matter."

Chongyue naturally would not refuse Shu's question, and he directly put on an attitude of answering every question, with a gentle smile on his face, like a kind father who was about to answer the questions of the younger generation.

Shu was silent for a moment, and finally took out from his heart the scale that had long lost its energy but still exuded an exquisite luster, like the most precious black jade in history.

She stared at the scales in her palm that had lost their energy and vitality, and couldn't help but think of the final ending of the dream.

The nightmare, the final tragedy, and the despair after the hope was shattered made Shu breathless.

And this is actually the reason why Shu was sighing sadly under the moonlight and was controlled by dreams.

She was actually not worried about whether everyone could really find Tao in the end.

Because from the beginning to the end, what Shu was really worried about was exactly the opposite.

What she feared was not that she would not be able to find the wandering Tao.

But will the Tao, who has been found, still walk down the path destined to sacrifice himself?

This is what Shu is truly worried and afraid of from the bottom of his heart.

"If... after Sister Tao comes back, the same ending will happen, then Big Brother, should we continue to look for Tao?"

The fear hidden deep in Shu's heart came out in a gentle and trembling voice.

She looked at Zhongyue and expressed her deepest concerns, which made Zhongyue stunned for a moment. He wanted to answer, but he didn't know what to say.

After all, millet's question is indeed difficult to answer.

If Tao is found, he still wants to go down the path of killing gods for the freedom of these fragments.

So what’s the point of them getting Tao back?

Should they continue to search for Tao, who is now in an unknown place?

There was silence for a moment, and the silent atmosphere echoed between the brother and sister under the moonlight of Dahuang City.

But the answer finally came after the silence without hesitation.

Chapter 131: Shuo's memories, Shu's determination, and the purpose of the dream

I vaguely remember when I first became aware of the existence of Tao?

In the silence with Shu, Zhongyue looked at his sister. Through the similarities between Shu and Tao's eyebrows, and the black scales that he also possessed, he couldn't help but recall his own memories in the 'dream'.

It was probably on a rainy night.

He still remembered the day when he woke up from ignorance and wandered aimlessly between the heaven and earth of Dayan. Although he made an action to split his own power, it was just a choice made by the new life out of the desire to survive.

In other words, Zhongyue, who gave up all his power at that time, or Shuo, did so in large part because he did not want to be swallowed by Sui.

Therefore, it turned into a puff of green smoke and became the first fragment to leave the mausoleum among its brothers and sisters.

Shuo at that time was actually no different from the other fragments in the future. They all felt equally confused about the meaning of their own existence. They didn't know who they were, what their purpose was in this world, and why they existed.

Even if he later obtained his own name and authority from heaven and earth through "questioning his conscience".

Shuo still doesn't quite understand the meaning of his existence.

Until that day... He was walking on the land of Dayan as a mortal outside the inn, and saw for the first time the figure that was so thin that it seemed like it would disappear with a gust of wind.

Shuocai gradually understood some past events. After he was overwhelmed by fear and attacked the harmless Tao for the first time, he truly understood the meaning of fear and survival. After that, when he recalled the confusion and bewilderment in the girl's eyes, he felt regret for the first time.

That was the first time he truly realized the existence of Tao.

Since then, Shuo discovered that with the passage of time, the world has changed a lot, and Dayan has also changed a lot.

The only things that remain unchanged are the silent companionship from Tao and the intimacy and love that not only does not decrease with time, but increases day by day.

Perhaps in that dream, there was a misunderstanding between the Tao and the fragments.

There are past events that are too painful to look back on and past events that are not willing to be mentioned.

But there is no doubt about it.

The only thing he can be sure of as he was accompanied by the name of Tao Congshuo all the way to the rank of Chongyue is this.

Tao is their family, undoubtedly their eldest sister and youngest sister.

As long as this point is made clear, the answers to many things will no longer require extra thinking and worry.

After all, the word family is enough reason for everything.

"So what if that's the case?"

Zhongyue spoke slowly. He already had the answer in his heart, but after being silent, he became more firm in his inner thoughts.

Shu was stunned to see that his elder brother did not answer his question in a calm and steady tone, but he instinctively wanted to continue listening to what Zhongyue had to say.

Zhong Yue noticed his sister's gaze, and naturally he couldn't let her down, so he continued to blurt out his answer and the decision he had already made in his heart.

"No matter what, Tao is our family."

"Since we are family, we should take her home no matter what. Otherwise, if we abandon one of our brothers and sisters because of fear of the future that has not yet come and the uncertain fate, then wouldn't the so-called brotherhood between us be too ridiculous?"

"Besides, let's not talk about whether such an ending will really come. Even if such a future really comes, what will happen?"

"…If the sky falls, there will be tall people to hold it up. As the eldest brother, I may not be able to make too many guarantees, but this is the only thing I can guarantee with the name of Zhongyue."

"——That is why I will never let Sister Tao sacrifice herself again, even if I need to go to war or even kill a god for it."

This is the decision made by Zhongyue as the eldest brother, and it is also the true choice made in his heart as the elder brother of the fragments after experiencing that long dream.

Maybe there is a difference between dreams and reality, maybe everything in the dream is false.

But as long as they are sure that Tao is their family, and Tao's feelings towards them are indeed as in the dream.

Then whatever the cost, whatever it takes.

Chongyue will do whatever it takes to find and protect his Tao sister who is now somewhere unknown, just like Tao in the dream world who will protect them at all costs, even if it means devouring himself and breaking his authority.