[After losing Ron, a scale to weigh the cost of things had formed in Natasha's heart. She pursued equal returns, an equal future... and also, equal sacrifice.]
[If someone laid a brick for the empire's construction, then everyone else must also add a brick to the wall.]
[If someone donated a single Winterfold shield to the empire's coffers, then everyone else must also toss one in.]
[If someone shed their blood for the empire... then everyone else must also cut their own flesh and shed their blood.]
[Only by advancing equally could the future be won.]
[And Ron's sacrifice for the empire was infinite.]
["Everything the empire has is built upon Ron's sacrifice. Every person in the empire has been unconsciously tearing at Ron's flesh for sustenance, huddling close to Ron for warmth... Without Ron, there would be no empire." ]
[Over the years, she had spared no effort in preaching Ron's contributions throughout the empire. She had erected numerous statues of him, promoting him as the empire's greatest hero, even shaping him into the one and only god of the Jarilo-VI Second Empire.]
[Because Ron had once walked on air into the heavens and transformed into an azure dragon that coiled around the world, such a heart-shaking spectacle was in itself a miracle. Everyone's impression of Ron was constantly changing, gradually shifting, under Natasha's guidance, into a devout faith in a deity.]
[If this propaganda were to continue for several decades, allowing the people who had actually seen Ron in his human state to gradually forget the past, Ron's "divinity" would be firmly nailed into the empire's history and deeply engraved in the hearts of the people.]
[Respect and faith in Ron would become the most important part of the entire empire. Everyone would become his devout believer, fervently worshipping his deeds and accomplishments, and mourning his sacrifice.]
[...This was the only thing the empire could do for Ron.]
[Even if it was almost meaningless, having no effect on Ron himself, it was the empire's small "repayment" for his sacrifice. It was the empire's respect, a way to atone by remembering what he had given up.]
[But the arrival of the Xianzhou shattered all of this.]
[They were simply too gentle, too kind—they didn't care about your past, your nature, or the price of helping you... As long as you were willing, they would open the door to a new world for you.]
[They were willing to let everyone in the empire board the Xianzhou Luofu and live a wonderful life in a paradise that was once unimaginable even in fantasy...]
[...But how could these people possibly deserve to live such a life?]
[Wasn't it the fault of these ignorant masses that Ron was forced onto the path of no return into the cold, starry sea in the first place?]
[Although those infected had long since paid with their lives, these imperial citizens who had completely disappointed Ron and doubted the empire had paid no price at all.]
[Ron had sacrificed so much for this planet, giving his all to create this environment. But now, the empire was to abandon this planet, abandon all of Ron's efforts, board the Xianzhou that had killed Ron, and wag their tails begging for scraps from the hero's murderers...]
[Perhaps boarding the Xianzhou really would lead to a better life for everyone.]
[But they did not deserve it.]
[They had to atone for this.]
The text on the screen faded, replaced by stark, black words:
[Disaster Event: "The Redeemer's Elegy" has been triggered.]
[Rage clouded Natasha's mind, but she did not completely lose her reason.]
[In the deepest part of her rationality, she made the choice she desired.]
[She wanted revenge. Revenge against the Xianzhou that killed Ron... and revenge against the empire that had forced Ron to become an azure dragon, compelling him to watch over them in solitude from the cosmos.]
[As the Empress, she immediately killed all the soldiers in the Pioneer Groups who had wavered at the first sign of temptation. She then spoke venomously to the Xianzhou's general, declaring a feud to the death that could only be repaid in blood.]
[A ridiculous war, like a child charging at an adult, thus began on Jarilo-VI.]
[As the Empress's right-hand, having been by her side constantly, you were forced to join this abruptly initiated war—]
[You look around and find that many faces, to a greater or lesser extent, are filled with confusion.]
[This was a war that should never have happened.]
[But through Natasha's deliberate actions, everyone was forced into this sudden conflict.]
[They were swept up in it, just like before...]
Reading the text on the screen, Bronya couldn't help but sigh.
"These people have always been like this..."
If there was one thing Bronya had learned most clearly from these simulations, it was how to see the populace with clear eyes.
These people whom she had always cared for, whom she had hoped would find happiness and survive the world-ending crisis, were in fact the most foolish and yet the most cunning faction on all of Jarilo-VI.
They were ignorant but unaware of it, and every choice they made was a meticulously self-serving one. Yet, they were easily manipulated into making choices they never should have...
And when enough people did so, the rest were swept up by the tide, forced to make choices they might not have made otherwise.
Just like now. The simulated Natasha had merely silenced the few who would have immediately voiced their opposition, and everything that followed flowed as smoothly as a hot knife through butter.
She swung the first blade at the Xianzhou, and the remaining Pioneers, with no one to refute Natasha's decision, subconsciously stopped thinking. They were swept up by the momentum and made the same choice as Natasha, becoming enemies of the Xianzhou...
Seeing the events of this simulation so clearly and with such a calm mind for the first time, Bronya felt a small pang of sadness.
This sadness was not for the ignorant populace, but for herself—for the popular resistance caused by her own flawed methods in past simulations. If it were the her of now, who completely understood the nature of these people, perhaps she could have done better...
Looking at the screen, Bronya tapped it lightly, allowing the simulation to continue.
Although having the entire Jarilo-VI Second Empire atone for Ron's death and fight the Xianzhou to the bitter end was not the outcome Bronya wanted, she had no intention of stopping Natasha.
...Because she also felt that the empire in this simulation owed Ron a debt of atonement.
It was just that Natasha's choice was radical and efficient... It was not a choice she would have made, that was all.
The text on the screen faded. The border of the screen became like that of an old-fashioned projector, the film stuttering as it played. New images appeared, like black-and-white ink wash silhouettes, flashing one after another—
Natasha, longsword in hand, charged towards the Xianzhou Cloud Knights, followed by the vast Pioneer Groups. But most of their faces were blank with confusion; only a small fraction, the old veterans who had joined before Ron's departure, had eyes filled with the resolve to face death.
The Cloud Knights, covering the land like a thick cloud bank, did not act rashly in the face of the charging army. They merely raised their cloud-forged blades in perfect unison.
The General of the Xianzhou Luofu, Jing Yuan, sighed helplessly. He was about to speak again but was cut off by Natasha, who charged forward with no regard for her own life. Surrounded by an infinity of trees, Natasha, like a queen of the forest, swung her sword again and again, unleashing the power of the blessing of [The Abundance].
Jing Yuan's expression grew colder and colder as he saw the "richness" of the [Abundance] blessing. After dodging several of Natasha's strikes, he opened his mouth to issue a warning, raising his guandao for the first time. Lightning coiled around it, as if a world-ending thunder was brewing...
Countless silhouettes flashed by, one after another, finally freezing on a single image—
A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens. The majestic phantom of the Lightning-Lord, standing tall on the horizon, revealed its terrifying power at Jing Yuan's command. In an instant, almost the entire planet was turned into a sea of lightning. All abominations within this sea were instantly turned to charcoal, then annihilated into ash...
The Tree of Life, which Natasha had planted, its roots delving deep into the planet's core and supporting the entire planet's drastic ecological change, was snapped by this single bolt of lightning, completely submerged in the thunder, and reduced to a silent, black death.
Only a single, dull silver longsword remained, thrust diagonally into the ground, the only landmark left on the battlefield.
The image on the screen faded.
[You followed in Natasha's footsteps and joined the war of vengeance against the Xianzhou.]
[But the might of the Xianzhou is not to be questioned. The leader you faced was the Divine Foresight General, Jing Yuan. Lan, The Hunt, had once generously bestowed upon him a tangible blessing... Under the gaze of an Aeon, Jing Yuan's power is unimaginable, enough to easily destroy a star system.]
[Originally, he did not wish to act on the empire's insolence and transgression. It is commonplace for indigenous civilizations, unaware of the Xianzhou's mission, to be wary and hostile. As the widely acknowledged "old good guy" of the Xianzhou Luofu, Jing Yuan had dealt with such situations countless times...]
[But while dodging Natasha's attacks, he saw clearly what kind of power she was fighting with.]
[This level of [Abundance] had surpassed the threshold for salvation by the Xianzhou; it was now in the realm of an abomination. He regretted the choice he had just made and prepared to rectify his mistake in the swiftest way possible.]
[He brought down a heavenly punishment upon all of Jarilo-VI. A vast, divine thunder bombarded the entire planet. Everything related to the Progeny of Abundance was turned to scorched earth, and the entire planet fell silent.]
[Standing on the scorched earth of Jarilo-VI, Jing Yuan silently watched all of this. After a long while, he led his army back to the ship.]
[The Divination Commission worked through the night to add an entry to the "Records of the Divine Bow's Manifestations," documenting this [Hunt] arrow from beyond the stars and interpreting this Heavenly Punishment Edict... adding a few small notes at the end:]
["The inhabitants of this celestial body were infected by the mara-plague. The body itself was influenced by a plague-bearing Abundance ancestor, almost to the point of becoming sentient." ]
["The Divine Foresight General Jing Yuan's repeated admonitions went unheeded. Left with no choice, he summoned the lightning. A sea of thunder swept across Jarilo-VI, and all abominations were reduced to scorched earth." ]
[This celestial body has now been destroyed. No remnants. Reclassified as a "Dead World" and deleted from the star charts and navigation routes.]
The text on the screen faded, and a new entry popped up:
[The empire made an unimaginable effort to revive this planet. The blood and sweat shed to return it to its lush, verdant state were innumerable.]
[But a single hunt by the Xianzhou turned the entire planet to scorched earth, and all fell into silence.]
[You failed to protect your home... In this sea of stars, only absolute power can guarantee one's safety.]
[The might of [The Hunt] has descended upon this dead world of scorched earth.]
[Game Over.]
Looking at the text, a bitter smile touched Bronya's lips.
This simulation was over, but Bronya had gotten no gameplay experience out of it—because she knew nothing!
Although she suspected Ron had to be a player to achieve the incredible feats in this simulation, that didn't explain everything...
For instance, Bronya believed Ron must have had a way to become the azure dragon that coiled around the planet, but she had no idea how he did it.
So now, although she knew that everything that happened in this simulation was a series of wrong choices, Bronya had no idea which specific choices had led to this outcome.
Why did this "Xianzhou" come from so far away? Why was there a Divine Foresight General named "Jing Yuan" who could summon divine thunder and destroy an entire planet with a swing of his blade?
She knew nothing... The enemies in previous simulations were at least mentioned in the Architects' records. This Xianzhou was something rarely, if ever, recorded in their archives...
Bronya rubbed her furrowed brow in frustration. The text on the screen faded, and new entries appeared:
[The score for this Life Simulation is: 60 points.]
[You have obtained 600 World Experience.]
[Your World Level has increased—LV.15]
[As the deputy to the Emperor of the Jarilo-VI Second Empire, you and Cocolia Rand became the Emperor's most reliable right and left hands.]
[No one can deny your achievements. You completed the vast majority of the empire's paperwork, dedicating immense energy to its complex political affairs. Without you, it is hard to imagine how much trouble the empire would have faced... but your achievements end there.]
[As the Emperor's deputies, when the Emperor's choices turned to extremism, you were unable to pull them back onto the right path. This was true for Ron, and it was true for Natasha. You merely fulfilled your duties, but you failed completely to do better.]
[If, on that day, you, the Emperor's deputies, had stopped the radicalizing Emperor, explained the stakes, and extinguished the fire in their hearts, would the situation now be different?]
[All of this may be buried in the annals of history, but there is one comforting thought...]
[You are gradually walking the path of growth. You have much room for improvement, Bronya.]
[To ensure the player's gaming experience, simulation memories have been loaded.]
Complex memories flowed into Bronya's mind. But after the memories of the last two simulations, this new influx barely caused a ripple. It only made her sigh with some emotion as she looked at the screen with a complicated expression.
She had had too little contact with Ron in this simulation. As a result, although she had witnessed the scene of him ascending to the cosmos and becoming a dragon, she was only left with the shock of the spectacle, without any heavy sense of grief or pain.
She had been unable to touch anything in this simulation. At most, as the settlement screen said, she had grown a little. That was the only gain from this run...
No, that wasn't right. That wasn't the only gain.
Bronya suddenly stood up. After slightly adjusting her appearance, she pushed open her door without hesitation.
Discovering the clues about Ron was the biggest gain from this simulation.
Bronya was ready to lay her cards on the table with Ron. If he really was a player of the Life Simulation Game, then all would be well.
And if he wasn't, well, that didn't really matter... Bronya was willing to share everything about the game with him.
With this thought, Bronya walked to Ron's door and knocked lightly—
The door gently pushed inward. Only then did Bronya realize it hadn't been fully closed; it was merely ajar.
What's going on? Did Ron forget to lock the door when I left before?
Confused, Bronya gently pushed the door open. The first thing that met her eyes was a purple figure—
Seele was standing at the desk, looking at something, appearing as if she had been standing there for a long time.