Senluo

A desolate apocalypse, howling wild winds. In such an ultra-harsh environment where no living creature could survive, the sorcerers had erected layers of high walls to deflect the blowing sand, dug a pool to gather moisture from the air, and ignited gravel to stoke blazing fires, forcefully carving out a temporary camp within this forbidden zone of life. Vichy and Daidalos were grilling lamb chops and steaks over a charcoal stove. Fat sizzled over the flames, wafting a rich aroma mingled with spices throughout the camp. The sorcerers naturally wouldn't mistreat themselves when traveling. Aside from daily necessities like tents, they stored fresh ingredients in spatial rings, allowing them to enjoy a relaxed and pleasant camping life even after arriving in a barren, empty world. Supported by Felix, Yaxiu emerged from the tent and stared blankly at this familiar yet alien world. It wasn't that he had never seen Senluo plunged into its apocalypse; he was even one of the few Observers who had witnessed Senluo's Great Collapse with his own eyes. A millennial civilization had been flushed into the Silent Spiral like scum, millions of lives washed away like dirt, leaving the world a blank expanse of pure white, clean and desolate. Yet returning after more than half a year, looking upon this gloomy apocalyptic world—lonely yet roaring with wind, vast yet suffocating—Yaxiu suddenly felt a twinge of sorrow. He wasn't arrogant enough to believe he bore responsibility for the rise and fall of this civilization; he wasn't even a native of Senluo, merely a traveler who had resided here for several months. Moreover, apart from Black Crow, Senluo held almost no fond memories for him... But perhaps it was survivor's guilt. Gazing at this hollow world, Yaxiu couldn't help but ask himself: *Why do hollow people like me deserve to survive? Why did all those people have to die?* "Did you scout the surroundings earlier? Find anything?" Sonia, Diya, and Weise sat beside the campfire. Perhaps because they were still recovering from severe wounds, their complexions showed a delicate, peach-pink flush under the firelight. Hearing Yaxiu's question, they exchanged glances and shook their heads. Weise said, "There's nothing nearby... We couldn't even find any ruins. But if my judgment is correct, this should be within the territory of the Calamity Fire Sanctuary." "Calamity Fire Sanctuary?" Hearing the long-unheard name, Yaxiu was momentarily in a daze. "It's where you first arrived in Senluo," Silver Lantern said, resting her chin on her hand with a bright smile. "It's also where we first met." "Our first meeting..." Yaxiu sat down with a wry smile. "That's hardly a memory to look back on and smile knowingly about, is it?" Crossing over into Senluo, gaining the power of the Myriad Calamity Fire, then getting flattened by Silver Lantern with a single punch and thrown into a cell—the full defeated-and-imprisoned combo completed in one smooth sequence. Yaxiu had practically felt right at home. "It might not be for you, but for me, it's one of the few precious memories of me bullying you." Silver Lantern crossed her legs and said languidly, "After all, I never got the chance to bully you after that. And now, it's only you bullying me... But then, who told me to be in your debt from the very moment we met? Getting bullied and humiliated by you can just be considered penance." *It's over. Even Silver Lantern is starting to get sarcastic.* Yaxiu's face flushed red and pale in turns, and he hung his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry." "I don't mind you bullying me, but the others aren't indebted to you like I am." Silver Lantern moved over to sit beside Yaxiu, interlacing her fingers with his as a gentle silver light suffused his soul body. "Let me see how your soul body is recovering." Sonia glared at Weise, crossed her arms over her chest, and clicked her tongue, an annoyed expression of 'go ahead, spoil him' on her face. How could she not see through it? Silver Lantern was deliberately giving Yaxiu a way out—stepping in the instant he apologized so the others wouldn't be able to pursue the matter any further, brandishing the rod high only to bring it down gently. Still, Sword Princess didn't think anyone would drag it out anyway. To say nothing of Vichy—if she tried to throw a fit, none of them would stand for it, and even Sword Princess would take Yaxiu's side. Yaxiu taking liberties with them was merely an internal dispute, but Vichy stepping out of line was an irreconcilable conflict with the enemy. Sword Princess would rather support Yaxiu humiliating Vichy than ever allow Vichy to challenge Yaxiu's authority. As for Witch, rather than feeling humiliated, she was mostly just shy and didn't really think Yaxiu had crossed the line. And Sonia herself had already talked herself down during those hours scouting outside; deep down, she knew full well Yaxiu hadn't done it on purpose. Yet when Yaxiu's gaze brushed over her chest, Sonia felt the newly returned bra burning against her skin. She couldn't help covering her front and shooting him a fierce glare. Under the firelight, Sword Princess's blushing cheeks looked exquisitely radiant. Yet only Yaxiu knew that Weise wasn't simply helping him skate by, because she was ruthlessly pinching the palm of his hand. Weise indeed pampered Yaxiu, but she was genuinely angry too. Reasonably speaking, she should have cared the least. After all, Vichy still retained her pride as the Spectre Prophet before Yaxiu, whereas Weise was infatuated with Yaxiu body and soul, repeatedly offering to help him train his operators, as though anything was fine so long as it made Yaxiu happy. Because she felt she was unworthy. A person like her only deserved broken, incomplete love. Even though she had believed from start to finish that destroying the world was the right choice, as her consciousness gradually awakened from the god, watching this vast, empty dark world before her caused an indescribable, colossal void to take root in her heart. Rationally, she knew she had no need to carry guilt for Senluo's extinction—without her, Senluo would only have fallen into a far more despairing end—yet emotionally, she felt her fate was deserved punishment for her sins. To Weise, Yaxiu was not merely her lover; he was her salvation, her implement of torture, and her tender haven. She hadn't been lying just now; she truly believed that making Yaxiu happy could slightly alleviate her sins. And nothing would bring Yaxiu greater happiness than successfully building his harem, which was why Weise had always claimed she didn't mind. Yet only when it actually happened did Weise realize that she did care. Not caring had all been an illusion. She had simply been deceiving herself all along, constantly lowering her expectations: *As long as I can stay by Yaxiu's side, as long as I can be intimate with him, as long as...* She hadn't just deceived herself; she had fooled everyone else as well, to the point that even Yaxiu felt dejected by how single-mindedly she focused on currying his favor. Yet if she didn't adopt a humble posture, how would the others ever let their guard down around her? If she didn't stand wholeheartedly by Yaxiu's side, how could she ever hope to shake Sword Princess's throne? So when she felt Yaxiu's hands lingering on her, and watched Yaxiu divide his love among the others, Weise couldn't help harboring the desire to take an ell where she'd been given an inch: *That's right, I'm unworthy—but are the others any more deserving? Witch's love is twisted; Vichy doesn't even qualify to compete; as for Sword Princess, if Yaxiu hadn't repeatedly soothed her grievances, her possessiveness would have blown the entire group apart long ago... But conflicts cannot be suppressed forever. One day, the bomb that is Sword Princess will blow them all to pieces.* Weise didn't expect to change Yaxiu's scumbag nature—she simply wanted more, and more. Was a quarter of his love enough? Not by a long shot! Yaxiu naturally had no idea that the woman beside him wasn't merely upset, but had even begun brewing dark schemes in her heart. Right now, he was more concerned with another matter: "Then did you see any signs of life? Even if there are no beasts, what about vegetation, grass, rivers, marshes, or anything like that?" Everyone shook their heads. Just then, Vichy walked over carrying food and said casually, "No matter how many years pass, there won't be any. Senluo's apocalypse wasn't an ordinary world-ending disaster. An ordinary apocalypse at most destroys the ecosystem, leaving the sky and earth with the possibility of nurturing life once more... But Senluo was originally a dream of the God Lord; even the very foundation of its existence stemmed from the God Lord's divine might. Once it collapsed, it was like an intricate tower of building blocks being knocked over—nothing can be restored to how it was. "There is neither sun, moon, nor stars in the sky here, and not a single shred of life upon the earth. A day will come when all order dissolves into chaos, and even existence itself vanishes." "It won't," Weise said suddenly. "Why wouldn't it?" "Because I am here." Weise pointed toward a wisp of silver light at the far edge of the horizon and said calmly, "One day, I will illuminate all of Senluo, untangle all the chaotic laws, allow this land to nurture life once more, and usher in a new era." Everyone gazed at her in silence. Stunned, Yaxiu asked, "Does that mean you won't be coming with us...?" "Although I truly want to live in your heart and be your god alone," Weise smiled, "for both public and personal reasons, I have every reason to remain Senluo's Silver Lantern. A portion of the Senluo Azure Lord's legacy is hidden within this broken world, so as I repair it, not only can I inherit the Azure Lord's legacy, but I can also continuously expand my domain over the laws. "I have a premonition that on the day I completely illuminate Senluo, I will naturally ascend into a six-winged god. "Even though I won't be leaving with you, I can appear by your side whenever you need, and you can still draw upon my power anytime, anywhere." Weise squeezed Yaxiu's hand tightly. "Still, I hope you'll come over to see my true body. Even if you can't take me away just yet, I want you to hold me tight." Yaxiu asked, "Have you truly decided?" "Hard to say. Maybe when you hold me, I'll dive right into your heart with a *whoosh*, toss Senluo aside completely, and only think about wrapping myself around you day in and day out." Weise tilted her head and chuckled. "Then again, who told you not to like a Weise who only wants to please you, preferring instead an ambitious Silver Lantern? "Besides, even though I don't believe I was wrong, I do feel that I need to... atone." *Even if I truly am unworthy, I only need to be more worthy than the others.* Weise clearly saw the gloom in Yaxiu's eyes disperse bit by bit, his entire demeanor gradually relaxing. Just like her, Yaxiu felt guilt over Senluo's apocalyptic end. But just as she saw Yaxiu as her salvation for destroying the world, Yaxiu now saw her as his salvation for his own powerlessness. "Vichy," he said suddenly. "Don't you have anything to say to us?" The maid sprinkled some chili powder over a tomahawk lamb chop, raised it, tore off a bite, and said between chews, "The lamb chops taste good?" "I remember," Yaxiu said, "that you accelerated the process of Senluo's apocalypse, and nearly killed Silver Lantern and me." He didn't actually remember, but Silver Lantern and the others did. "Ah, there does seem to have been something like that. What about it?" "You didn't plan on apologizing?" "I am sorry, Master. Your maid was short-sighted and accidentally made enemies of Master and the mistresses. Your maid deserves a thousand deaths." "Don't use that customer-service tone." Yaxiu stared straight at her. "I want to hear your real thoughts." Everyone could hear the dissatisfaction in Yaxiu's tone. Clearly, Senluo's current state and Silver Lantern's situation had touched a soft spot in his heart, making him unable to resist settling old scores. Felix tugged at Vichy, signaling for her to back down quickly—there was no shame in a maid backing down before her master. Vichy finished off an entire lamb chop, her lips glistening with oil. Gnawing at the meat clinging to the bone, she said, "My real thoughts? "My real thought is that I want to apologize to this lamb chop. It wasn't marinated thoroughly enough, failing to bring out the ingredient's full potential." Vichy waved the bone in her hand and arched an eyebrow. "Apart from that, I have nothing to apologize for." She met Yaxiu's gaze head-on. "I never apologize for things I didn't do wrong."