An illusory, pale purple conflagration emerged from Bronya's body like a phantom...
Although her body wasn't truly burning from this flame—it was more like a splash of color on a canvas, layered over her form—its influence had already penetrated to her very bones.
At this moment, surrounded by wolves, countless Voidrangers of the Antimatter Legion stared menacingly at the Bronya before them...
But these creatures, which should have immediately attacked and torn Bronya to shreds to appease their endless desire for [Destruction], did nothing. They simply stood there quietly, watching the pale purple conflagration that stained Bronya's body, calmly waiting for something...
Waiting for... the arrival of a [Lord Ravager].
In fact, if not for Ron's timely sealing of the Herta Space Station's coordinates, enveloping it completely with the Imaginary energy of [Salvation], Bronya would have likely had her "soul" burned away just moments ago, her shell occupied by a curious [Lord Ravager Phantylia]...
The reason for this situation must be traced back to a short time ago, back to the moment the last simulation ended—
[Carrying the Herta puppet, you crossed the sea of stars. After a long and arduous journey, you broke through the boundary between star systems, followed the ancient Trailblaze path of Akivili, and successfully arrived at the Jarilo system...]
[You entered the ecological macro-ship currently orbiting Jarilo-VI. Aboard the Xianzhou [Luofu], you were granted an audience with Jing Yuan, the [General of the Divine Foresight], and successfully obtained his generous assistance. A military starskiff transported you at high speed to the [Luofu Artisanship Commission]...]
[The Xianzhou [Luofu]'s heritage is profound. Aboard just a common military starskiff, one could find a wealth of knowledge inaccessible to ordinary people.]
[You quickly browsed through the books on board, rapidly reading through the Register of Great Enemies and the General Manual for Heliobus Exorcism placed before you, committing their knowledge to memory.]
[The distance from Cloudford to the [Luofu] Artisanship Commission was not far. The military starskiff's performance was superb. Not much time passed before you swiftly arrived at the entrance of the [Luofu] Artisanship Commission. You jogged without hesitation into the quiet but faintly radiating industrial heart of the Luofu...]
[Just as you entered the Artisanship Commission's main gate, you overheard the plotting of Ron and the others, hearing their frustration and helplessness. At this moment, you stepped forward—]
[Ron was moved by your words and your resolve. He beckoned for the [Salvation] lantern, which was still being forged in the Furnace of Creation, and delivered it into your hands...]
[You accepted this heavy responsibility with excitement. But when the [Salvation] lantern, burning with a brilliant golden holy fire, truly landed in your hands, when you truly lifted the weight of this [Salvation], a pressure began to grow in the depths of your heart—]
[You are about to walk a Path never before trodden... You must carry the will of [Salvation] and walk the Path of [Destruction], which you once loathed with gnashing teeth. You must carry this radiance to illuminate that Path, to awaken the giant who has lost his way, and make him turn to face the Aeon who holds the scales.]
[On this road, you cannot turn back... for the hesitation of a wavering step is enough to drown you in the flames of [Destruction]. You must march forward without pause, only then will you have a chance to traverse this narrow branch.]
[The weight you bear is now unimaginable—be it the living beings of the Xianzhou [Luofu] and Jarilo-VI, or the sole plan to see through [The End]'s design, all can only continue after the immediate threat of [Destruction] has been resolved...]
[You are already standing here. An endless pressure has fallen upon you. The heavy burden makes it impossible for you to lift your feet, yet you must still step forward.]
[And you have successfully overcome this pressure.]
[There are tens of thousands of ways to walk the Path of [Destruction]... You have followed the will of [Preservation] to protect Belobog. Your entire being is steeped in the "magma" flavor that flows from the Amber Lord, a manifestation of the power of a divine miracle.]
[You once resonated with the Lance of Preservation and drew from it the divine authority bestowed by the Amber Lord. It has already taken firm root in the Path of [Preservation]...]
[To break free from the shackles of [Preservation] and stride toward the blazing [Destruction], the threshold for this reverse journey on the Path of [Destruction] is too high for you to cross—]
[But you found the choice with the greatest cost, yet also the swiftest and most likely to succeed...]
[You proposed the idea of accepting possession by [Lord Ravager Phantylia]. Ron subconsciously refused you, but he fell silent under your resolute determination and unwavering will.]
[He did not want to see you consumed by the possession of [Lord Ravager Phantylia], your consciousness and spirit swallowed, your emotions shattered, reduced to food for the Heliobi.]
[He did not want to see you die under the consumption of [Lord Ravager Phantylia], but he also did not want to see you be denied—he hoped to see your resolve answered, your will traded for success...]
[He hoped your sacrifice could be exchanged for a commensurate glory.]
[And so, you set forth as the [Knight of Salvation].]
[You accepted the possession of [Lord Ravager Phantylia], lifted the lantern of [Salvation], and stepped into a shattered reality, walking the Path of [Destruction] which you utterly loathed and detested, a Path shrouded in an endless, void-like darkness...]
[You strode upon the Path; [Lord Ravager Phantylia] consumed your will, obstructing your advance.]
[The Path of [Destruction] rejected you; the endless malice upon the Path mocked your powerlessness and weakness.]
[But in your eyes, there was only that single, brilliant golden mote of light, flickering in the pitch-black void.]
[The fire of the [Salvation] lantern guided you through the endless darkness. Your heart was as clear as a mirror, with only that single point of golden light suspended high above, guiding your resolute will.]
[You strode upon the Path of [Destruction]. With every step you took, the light of [Salvation] replenished the strength for your advance.]
[But with every step you took, your consciousness and soul were burned away by the presence of [Lord Ravager Phantylia]...]
[You ran upon the Path of [Destruction]. What you burned was not your sugar and fat, but your intellect and soul, which were as light as a feather, yet as heavy as Mount Tai.]
[You successfully crossed that boundary. You saw a handsome Aeon with swarthy skin and coarse white hair break through the boundary from the endless void.]
[Endless flames and lava surged forth from the endless void the moment he appeared. A tyrannical heat, like the rings around a planet, encircled Nanook of [Destruction], setting him off like the incarnation of all heat and ruin, a crimson tyrant descending upon the world, carrying with him an endless disdain.]
[You had no further opportunity to receive his divine might, for at that moment, your soul was completely burned away by the deep purple conflagration, turning into ethereal ash, scattering upon the Path of [Destruction]...]
[...You turn into cold embers under the flames of the Heliobus.]
[Simulation End.]
[Your score for this Life Simulation Game is—100.]
[You have accomplished something your past self was far from capable of, Bronya.]
[In this simulation, you successfully manifested your own subjective agency—though you were weak, ignorant, and unable to keep up with Ron's footsteps, you still found a way to the miracle.]
[The geniuses have their own leeway, and the foolish have their own persistence...]
[You crossed tens of thousands of light-years, doing everything you could to retrieve Herta's puppet. Following her casual guidance, you swiftly headed to the Xianzhou [Luofu], all to provide Ron with your own, minuscule assistance.]
[You knew you were not strong, that your abilities were even weaker, but your will was firm and full of determination—]
[You just wanted to do something for Ron... to contribute a sliver of your power to this miracle that could affect the fate of the entire cosmos.]
[You had no intention of seeking empty fame or glory; you just wanted to do what you could...]
[As long as it could help Ron, it was good enough.]
[And you did, indeed, help Ron.]
[If not for your resolve and planning, if not for your daring sacrifice to walk the Path of [Destruction], this miracle plan to break the veil would have inevitably crumbled midway. Even Ron would have been powerless to avert that ending...]
[You are worthy of the title [Knight of Salvation]. You may be weak, but your resolute will and the determination filling your heart have proven your righteousness—]
[You have lived your life with clarity and honesty, only hoping to walk toward the lantern's light!]
[To ensure player experience, the simulation memory has been loaded.]
The pain of her soul burning flooded Bronya's mind in an instant... Bronya felt the agony of that incineration, the coldness of death was almost within reach.
But... it didn't actually have too severe of an effect on her.
Because this memory of being utterly burned to death was now just a "memory." It was a history that had already passed, and she was alive and well in the present. Naturally, she wouldn't have her soul shatter and die completely because of the pain within a memory.
In fact, because of her resolute will in the last simulation and the light from that [Salvation] lantern, the brilliant golden radiance carved into the depths of her soul quickly stabilized her spirit, allowing her to successfully suppress the pain emanating from the depths of her soul not long after the simulation ended, dispelling the deathly agony that clung so close to her.
But... what happened next truly became the beginning of her troubles.
The reward selection for finishing the simulation appeared before Bronya. The rewards offered were unusually generous—
Bronya saw the Power of an Emissary of [Destruction], a complete [Salvation] Path Lantern... and the resilient soul strengthened by [Salvation] from the last simulation.
Each of these three options was of immense use, reaching a height that Bronya had never been able to touch in her previous low-score simulations. For a moment, she was spoiled for choice.
But... she quickly made her decision.
Although Bronya wasn't very smart, she knew that the power of an Emissary of [Destruction] was not her own, but came from the [Lord Ravager Phantylia] who had possessed her.
Choosing this option would very likely lead to her being burned by [Lord Ravager Phantylia]'s influence, turning her into a soulless husk.
And while the [Salvation] Path Lantern was extremely important, Bronya didn't want to choose it.
In truth, this should have been the best choice among the options, but Bronya had a very simple thought in her heart—
In this sea of stars, there had always been only one Path of the same concept. Even with her not-so-bright mind, Bronya knew that if she were to pick up this [Salvation] lantern, there would likely be no other [Salvation] in this cosmos...
But the Path of [Salvation] should be Ron's power. In reality, there was no Path of [Salvation]. If such a complete Path were to appear in the world, and she were to hold the [Salvation] lantern, would she usurp Ron's position and become the new Aeon of [Salvation]?
Bronya didn't know, but she knew that Ron definitely had a plan for [Salvation]. If she were to suddenly pick up such a [Salvation] lantern, she might ruin his plan, and could even end up usurping his position...
Bronya didn't want that—although she didn't know what Ron was planning, she knew that as long as she didn't cause any major trouble, Ron's plan wouldn't need her too much. Ron could solve many things on his own...
Therefore, in order not to affect Ron's plans, Bronya ultimately chose the third option and received the resilient soul strengthened by [Salvation]...
This was the state she had been in during the last simulation, while walking the Path of [Destruction].
As she walked the "newborn" branch Path of [Destruction], with every step she took, a stream of [Salvation]'s light fell into her soul, bit by bit, for her will to use, becoming the reason Bronya could hold on for so long under the burning of [Lord Ravager Phantylia].
And after making this choice, Bronya did indeed receive a gift—
Her consciousness became incomparably clear. Her progress on the Path of [Preservation] advanced by an unknown number of steps due to the resonance with the concepts of "sacrifice" and "salvation" within [Salvation], nearly crossing the chasm-like boundary between a mortal and an Emissary...
It was, after all, the power of the Path of [Salvation] resonating with [Preservation]. If Bronya could truly comprehend the concept of "salvation" like Ron did and open the Path of [Salvation], or even broaden a "salvation" branch Path for [Preservation], she might have become an Emissary in that very instant...
After all, in the third simulation, if the past Ron hadn't died the moment he opened the "salvation" branch Path for [Preservation], he would likely have instantly crossed the "Emissary" boundary, received the blessing of the Amber Lord, and truly become an Emissary of [Preservation].
Qlipoth of [The Preservation] had always been fair. Whether it was Ron who accomplished this feat or Bronya, they would both receive the blessing of the Amber Lord and be elevated to the extremely rare status of an Emissary of [Preservation]...
Though she hadn't managed to cross the boundary of an Emissary with this, Bronya still received a power she had never had before. A tide of Imaginary energy, far more vast than before, poured into her from the Path, filling her body.
She had never felt so good.
She even felt that if she were to encounter [Lord Ravager Phantylia] again, she might be able to hold her own for a few rounds, to barely put up a fight...
After all, with the Lance of Preservation in hand, blessed with the divine authority of the Amber Lord, and having almost crossed the boundary of an Emissary, Bronya could now be called a "Half-Step Emissary at Grand Completion." She was terrifyingly powerful... just kidding.
Although Bronya was filled with confidence because of this, she soon encountered an unforeseen and terrible consequence.
When the Antimatter Legion invaded the space station, Bronya, hearing the alarms, rushed out of her temporary quarters. Seeing the members of the Herta Fan Club, who had been so foolishly devoted in the simulation, being chased by Voidrangers, the will of [Preservation] surged in her heart. She unhesitatingly charged forward to block the path of these minions of [Destruction]...
In theory, there was nothing wrong with what Bronya did—her power was already strong enough, and these Voidrangers were completely incapable of harming her.
She just needed to summon the gales of her divine authority, and with the Lance of Preservation in hand, she could take out these little guys one by one, piercing their antimatter cores and leaving holes in them.
But... the result was not as it should have been.
As the power of [Destruction] drew near, Bronya's soul was pulled by it. The conflagration of [Destruction] ignited, and bit by bit, began to crumble—
It was then that Bronya discovered that the incredibly generous reward she had received from the Life Simulation Game, while indeed a soul strengthened by the power of [Salvation], was also one that carried the legacy of [Destruction]...
The Life Simulation Game had simply replaced her soul's state with the one she had while walking the Path in the simulation. At that time, she hadn't just received the strengthening of [Salvation]; she also had the malicious conflagration of [Lord Ravager Phantylia] burning her...
Her soul immediately began to burn and crumble at that moment. Were it not for the fact that there was no real Phantylia nearby to apply force, and that she had truly received the radiance of [Salvation], her soul would likely have instantly turned to ash and died on the spot.
But... even so, she was powerless to resist this burning that began from the depths of her soul.
The gap between an Emissary and a mortal was greater than the gap between heaven and earth—even though Bronya was just one step away from crossing the Emissary boundary of [Preservation], she was still ultimately a mortal.
Without the personal blessing of an Aeon, she was absolutely powerless to resist this great power.
She could only struggle to maintain her own life, to fight against this soul-burning conflagration, to feel her emotions, memories, dreams, and consciousness being scorched away, bit by bit, until they withered and turned to dust...
All the thoughts in her mind were turning to ash. As time went on, Bronya even found that the memories of Ron in her mind were beginning to dissipate. She could barely even remember his face...
"No... Don't..."
"I don't want to forget..."
She murmured, a line of clear tears tracing a path down her cheek, only to be evaporated by the pale purple conflagration, not leaving even a single tearstain behind.
But... just as Bronya was about to burn to nothing, to no longer exist in this sea of stars—
A single point of brilliant golden light appeared before her eyes.
A dazzling, golden flame swept in all directions, and the menacing Voidrangers around her were instantly and utterly turned to ash.
In the next moment, the brilliant gold swallowed the pale purple conflagration that stained Bronya's body, returning everything that should have belonged to her...
The pain of her burning soul subsided in that instant. A warmth, like the midday sun, emerged from her soul. The ferocious grimace on her face, born of pain, gradually faded, and she slowly calmed down.
She stumbled and fell, but felt herself land in a warm embrace. A familiar, gentle voice reached her ears, mingled with a hint of apology.
"Time was tight, and a hundred things went wrong. Having to deal with other matters on the fly made me a little late."
"But it's good that I made it... Allow me to ask you a question, [Knight of Salvation] Bronya, are you alright?"
The gentle voice was tinged with a subtle, teasing tone.
"Don't fall asleep, Bronya... What, not yet ready to receive the glory of [Salvation]?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Bronya's body trembled slightly. She slowly opened her eyes and saw him, holding her to keep her from falling to the ground, a warm smile on his lips, looking at her gently—Ron.
It was really Ron.
It was really, truly Ron.
She wasn't mistaken... This wasn't a hallucination.
The pressure and pain from the simulation's ending and the conflagration of [Destruction] suddenly dissipated at that moment. A sense of relief, almost to the point of overflowing, welled up in Bronya's heart. Then, large teardrops began to form in the corners of her eyes, rolling down her chin like pearls.
Bronya wasn't that fragile a person... but the pressure on her was simply too great.
When there was no one to rely on, Bronya would force herself to hold on with her will and determination, to bear this pressure with all her might, to strive to do something, to do everything she could...
But when she, after suffering so much, battered and bruised, finally found an arm to rely on once more, with the dissipation of that pressure and the arrival of that relief came this outpouring of emotion...
She didn't really have any complex feelings.
She just... felt a little wronged.
The subversion of the sea of stars, the survival of civilization, the miracles concerning countless Aeons—what did any of this have to do with her, a girl who wasn't even an adult yet?
Even if she was the next Supreme Guardian of Belobog, she should never have been dragged into these predicaments, forced to solve these difficult problems...
So, Bronya felt a little wronged.
But... now it no longer mattered.
Ron was back by her side. No matter what happened next, she just had to follow his guidance.
She had someone to rely on... Her heart was already filled with a sense of security.
Thinking of this, Bronya hugged Ron tightly, burying her face in his chest, greedily soaking in this warmth...
—But—a force she was absolutely powerless to resist easily pulled her away.
"Alright, alright, that's about enough. Any more hugging and it won't just be hugging. What else are you two planning to do?"
Herta, who had been standing to the side, "tsked" with some annoyance, her tone cold.
"Is this the time for this? The Antimatter Legion is still jumping around the space station, damaging my private property—and the Astral Express crew has gathered, preparing to head to the platform."
"Is your plan really to just watch our space station get smashed to bits, then watch the nameless guests of the Astral Express run away, while you console poor little Bronya here... is that it, Ron?"
Pulled to her feet, looking dazed, Bronya finally noticed Herta, who had been standing to the side all along—
Right now, Herta had released her collar and was standing with her arms crossed, her expression clearly a little strange... and dangerous.
...How mean. I wanted to hug him a little longer.
Bronya subconsciously puffed out her cheeks, like a little pufferfish.
However, although Bronya was quite annoyed at Herta for interrupting her bonding moment with Ron, what Herta had just said was clearly about Ron's plan...
Bronya didn't know what Ron was planning to do, but since the plan was now so urgent, for her to be holding him back at this time, delaying him from completing his plan, was naturally not appropriate...
Although... although she didn't know if there would be another chance to hug Ron like this in the future, Bronya was actually very easily satisfied.
This was enough.
It was better not to interfere with Ron's plan.
And beside them, Ron looked at Herta's slightly narrowed eyes, smelled a dangerous scent, and couldn't help but feel a marvelous sense of awkwardness on his face.
Of course, he knew exactly why Herta had pulled Bronya up... This clearly wasn't just about some imminent failure of a plan.
The Astral Express wasn't leaving the Herta Space Station that quickly, and the Antimatter Legion couldn't possibly tear this place to shreds. If she wanted to, she could easily control her other puppet bodies to clean up this handful of Legion soldiers...
She was clearly just... a little annoyed.
Ron didn't continue this line of thought. He wisely sidestepped this topic that shouldn't be discussed right now—
Herta was right. There would be time for these things later... but the plan to overturn the sea of stars was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Now was not yet the time to turn this sea of stars into the world they hoped for... When the world was not yet at peace, how could one speak of romance?
Thinking of this, Ron coughed lightly and said:
"Ahem... The Astral Express has only just entered the station. Our dear friends from the Express still need to make preparations before they can set sail. There's obviously still a bit of time..."
Hearing Ron's words, Herta's eyes became even more dangerous.
Seeing Herta's clearly perilous gaze, Ron wisely changed his tune at once.
"...But it is, after all, only a bit of time. Time is short. How can we stand by and do nothing while our dear nameless guests are being persecuted by the minions of [The Destruction]?"
He said, unhesitatingly quickening his pace to lead the way—
"This is intolerable! We must strike hard!"
Herta followed behind Ron with a cold expression, leaving only a slightly dazed Bronya standing in place, momentarily unsure of what had just happened.
But she didn't fall too far behind... If you don't understand, then don't think about it. She quickened her pace to follow after Ron.
At the same time, on the other side—
A Doomsday Beast tore through the Herta Space Station's protective shields. Alarms blared throughout the entire station. The Express crew hurriedly left the Main Control Zone, preparing to take the Astral Express and leave this troubled place...
"The protective shields for the support cabin section won't hold for much longer. You guys hurry..."
A broken voice came through the communication terminal.
"This place... I'll leave it to..."
"You guys... hurry..."
The voice gradually faded. Himeko sighed and put away the communication terminal.
"...The communication is cut."
Dan Heng calmly reminded her, "Should we go back? A reminder: that's a Doomsday Beast, the Legion's anti-starship weapon."
Himeko shook her head. "This space station was built by Herta. As long as a Lord Ravager doesn't show up, nothing major will happen here."
March 7th, beside them, hesitated. "But... but we can't just run away like this..."
Dan Heng agreed with March 7th's sentiment and calmly analyzed the situation.
"The Doomsday Beast tore through the protective shields as easily as flipping its hand. Herta isn't here. This place's defense system is too fragile against the Antimatter Legion."
"The Legion has the blessing of Nanook of [The Destruction]... They came prepared. The people here can't hold them off."
But Himeko still shook her head and said:
"That's why we must leave—and we have to take Stelle with us."
"Stelle?" Dan Heng was slightly taken aback, then fell into thought. "Are you saying... she's important?"
Himeko nodded lightly. "She is the breaker of the deadlock... Of course, I might be mistaken."
Hearing this, Dan Heng sighed and conceded.
"Since that's the case... what should we do next?"
Himeko's tone was calm, as if she had already made a plan long ago.
"This is the support cabin for the maintenance staff. It connects to the nearest platform... Let's go there and rendezvous with Welt."
Hearing this, March 7th was slightly startled. "Uncle Yang? Uncle Yang is here too? Didn't he stay on the train?"
But Dan Heng wore a look of someone who had expected this. "The Astral Express's travel log records our movements in real-time. With such a commotion at the space station, it's impossible for Mr. Welt not to notice."
Himeko nodded.
"Yes, I guarantee your Uncle Yang is on his way."
As she spoke, a hint of barely detectable worry tinged her voice.
"Right now, we can still handle a Doomsday Beast, but if an Emissary of [The Destruction] comes too..."
Beside them, Stelle listened to their conversation, not quite understanding what they were saying.
She only knew that she was probably incapable of dealing with any Emissary or Doomsday Beast... She was just a newborn child. How could she know how to solve these problems?
But she had been following these people for a long time. They were very kind, giving Stelle a warm feeling, like the memory of that figure holding a lantern.
This concept seemed to be called "friend"... or maybe "companion"?
She wanted to trust them... Even against these enemies she couldn't possibly comprehend, she was willing to fight.
They hurried along, quickly arriving at the platform, and saw the vast, empty starry sky...
"The Express isn't here yet? I'll go take a look..."
March 7th had always been impulsive. Without hesitation, she ran towards the edge of the platform.
But she had only taken a few steps when Dan Heng's face suddenly turned grim, and he shouted loudly.
"Wait, March!"
"Huh?"
March 7th turned her head back foolishly. At that very moment, a colossal ancient beast emerged from the nearby void, stirring up a gale as it flew toward them—
The wraith's obsession became a tangible hand, the calamitous shadow of a bygone era coalescing into a tail that veiled the heavens.
With the fragments of a dusk-ancient beast as its foundation, and the wails of ten thousand skeletons from a [War Forge] as its guide, the [Doomsday Beast] was forged. It came full of malice, the endless radiance of [Destruction] pulsing on its body. Countless points of light targeted the lone March 7th near the edge of the platform...
Stelle subconsciously rushed forward, wanting to shield this foolishly adorable girl who had saved her life, to block this terrifying light of death that was filled with the power of [Destruction] for her.
She stood there, feeling the aura of [Destruction], and time seemed to stop...
In a daze, she saw deep crimson lava flowing from a crack in the void. Shattered planets, lava, and flames converged to form a stellar ring. A man with swarthy skin and extraordinary, handsome features, with a head of white hair, crossed the sea of stars and glanced at her. The Stellaron in her chest suddenly erupted with an incomparably scorching aura, pulsing with a dangerous light—
But, at that very moment.
The image of the white-haired man high above suddenly vanished.
A dazzling golden light shone down, completely dispelling the vision. The deep crimson lava and flames were stained with gold, submitting with practiced ease, prostrating themselves in reverence, flocking to a new arrival...
The familiar lantern entered Stelle's vision—the young man, gentle yet not without authority, slowly strode to her side, smiling warmly at her.
"Your 'sacrifice' is in line with the ideals of [Salvation]... but such a sacrifice cannot bring [Hope] to your friends."
"You should receive the glory of [Salvation], not the dregs of [Destruction]."
He suddenly spoke, then reached out a hand towards the giant Doomsday Beast in the distance—
"So... learn from me..."
He lightly clenched his fist. A brilliant golden light ignited on the Doomsday Beast's body, and in the next moment, it exploded violently, turning into scattered, dazzling motes of light...
"What... true [Hope] is."