Within Germany, the Arbiter who had been indifferently watching the war suddenly revealed a gentle expression, her lips moving with Ye Chang'an's tone.
Destruction energy amplified the sound on its own, carrying two lines of dialogue to every corner of the world.
Eden's body trembled as if struck by lightning, and through tear-filled eyes, she called out.
"Chang'an~"
"Eden~ Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
After relaying Ye Chang'an's words, the Arbiter had already lost control of the body.
After all, the account owner was logging in—and logging into the account from the very place he had logged in from.
Even though the login process was still underway, the account had already stopped carrying out the Arbiter's commands.
For this vessel, Ye Chang'an's commands had far too high a priority. Even while offline, it would still respond to them to some extent.
Those instruments that had appeared uncontrollably were proof of that.
Arbiter? Don't know her. Please wait somewhere until I'm done.
And so, the Arbiter went AFK, left staring helplessly inside Ye Chang'an's body like a thief trapped in a house by its owner.
Weak, pitiful, and helpless.
The mindless Honkai Beasts and Death Warriors no longer obeyed her commands, while the Pseudo-Arbiters surrounded her like tigers eyeing their prey.
She couldn't run even if she wanted to, because there was no way out. Ye Chang'an had blocked her in.
Fortunately, she still had one line of defense.
Arbiter authority.
As long as that authority remained, Ye Chang'an couldn't fully log in.
PS: Tomorrow's update will be after midnight—midnight tomorrow night, alright? I want to try pushing for the rankings. As for how much I'll update... I'll finish this part of the simulation, at least four chapters, maybe more. Anyway, I'll end the first simulation in tomorrow's update so everyone can read to their heart's content and sleep well.
Chapter of Creation: Journey to a New World: What Is Truth? Music! Music! Music!!!
"Host, there is something I don't understand. Why did you make this choice?"
During the ascension process, 001 asked a question for the first time in a long while.
The Arbiter Core at the end was still far away, and Ye Chang'an had plenty of time to chat.
"Which choice are you referring to?"
"Giving up the future. Giving up your life," 001 stated bluntly.
Ye Chang'an had chosen a path that would certainly lead to death, a doomed path with no future.
He had already left the simulation. The consciousness heading toward the Arbiter Core was all of his consciousness, including the main body at Tai Xu Mountain.
He could no longer return to Tai Xu Mountain, nor could he avoid the fate of death.
The original purpose of starting the simulation had clearly been to grind out a sword heart and live safely, yet this was how things had ended up.
001 genuinely couldn't understand.
"Heh heh~" Ye Chang'an laughed and gently shook his head.
"Life shines as brilliantly as a song. Naturally, I must play the one I love most."
It wasn't that there were no better choices. He simply liked this choice the most.
Just like Eden in the game.
He had once failed to understand Eden, and had even wanted to change her.
But now, he understood Eden. He had become Eden.
Giving up a future that did not belong to this era, singing the finale that did belong to it.
It was that simple.
"...But you know this stage is fake."
"001, whether something is real or false isn't that important. If we must distinguish between the two, then in my eyes, Tai Xu Mountain, you, and this place are all fake.
Yet even if the world is full of falsehoods, humanity can still gain something real from them."
When a real player fell in love with a fictional game character, that love was something real gained from falsehood.
And Ye Chang'an had also gained something real in this false world.
He liked music. That was his truth.
So he was grateful for this false life, and grateful to 001 for allowing him to experience such a simulation.
Faced with a host who had utterly surrendered his life to falsehood, 001 had nothing to say.
The silent ascension was about to reach its destination. Ye Chang'an saw the outline at the end and let out a surprised sound.
"001, you said the endpoint of the Line of the End was the Arbiter Core, right?"
"Yes."
"Then can you explain why this so-called Arbiter Core looks exactly like me?"
At the end of the path stood a life-sized figure of Ye Chang'an, a handsome white-haired young man dressed in magnificent clothing.
It wasn't even the same species as a normal gem- or crystal-shaped Arbiter Core.
"Your body has already become the vessel of Arbiter authority, so it is a complete Arbiter Core."
In essence, an Arbiter Core was merely a key that opened Imaginary Space to obtain Destruction energy.
For example, Welt Joyce, the First Herrscher of the Current Civilization, had possessed no Arbiter Core when he became an Arbiter.
His Arbiter authority existed within him in the form of DNA. The lack of a solid core prevented him from using the Arbiter of Reason's power in the early stages, but it also allowed him to survive three years of research by Schicksal unharmed.
At the end of the Battle of New York, he condensed his Arbiter authority into an Arbiter Core and entrusted it to Joachim, creating the Welt Yang who came afterward.
Once Welt Yang received recognition from the Arbiter authority within the core, he could become the second-generation Arbiter of Reason, using the Arbiter Core to obtain Destruction energy and wield Arbiter authority.
The third-generation Arbiter of Reason, Bronya, was the same.
Arbiters were called Arbiters because of Arbiter authority. The so-called core was merely a key condensed from Destruction energy.
Ye Chang'an's body had become an Arbiter Core because his Destruction energy adaptability had become so absurd that every cell in his body could open Imaginary Space.
That was why his transformation into an Arbiter did not require the eruption of a massive Honkai event to condense a core for him. He merely had to project the Arbiter authority over and occupy it.
It was like an ownerless villa suddenly appearing. Whoever moved in first owned it.
And thus, an Arbiter with absurdly outrageous authority effects had been created. With a casual wave of his hand, he could reproduce thousands upon thousands of objects.
His authority efficiency was incredibly high, and his Destruction energy reserves were infinite.
Even the End could barely hold its head up.
Yet Ye Chang'an knew nothing of this. He merely found it strange and complained a little before flying forward to log in.
The moment his finger touched it, the Arbiter authority began its assessment.
What is truth?
An inexplicable voice sounded in his mind, and Ye Chang'an raised an eyebrow.
"Music!"
Incorrect answer.
His finger was bounced away. Feeling somewhat speechless, Ye Chang'an reached out again.
What is truth?
The same question. If he gave the same answer, he would definitely be bounced away again.
Ye Chang'an knew other answers, such as Bronya's belief that humanity's only unchanging truth was that truth would inevitably change.
But that was a truth Bronya had discovered, not the one Ye Chang'an had discovered.
"Music!"
He gave the same answer and, just as expected, was bounced away again.
Ye Chang'an was annoyed. He pulled back his hand and slapped the Arbiter Core across the face.
With a smack, the Arbiter Core's face swelled up, and the Arbiter's face swelled from the same slap as well.
"(⊙o⊙)..." Old K and the others stared blankly, unable to understand who had slapped the surrounded Arbiter.
They had arrived at the front lines several hours after the Arbiter went AFK. Ye Chang'an's worldwide message had made them realize there was a turning point, so they had planned to have a proper talk with him after he returned.
Instead, they had become spectators as well.
Ye Chang'an, meanwhile, knew nothing about it. After throwing that slap, he cursed,
"My truth is music. Do you fucking understand, huh?
You keep babbling here, looking for the answer to truth. Don't you know truth is the direction that guides people forward?
If you can't find your direction, then spend your time looking for it! Why the fuck are you asking questions here?"
"One last warning. Don't be so fucking ungrateful. Get the fuck out of here already."
He didn't know who he was cursing—whether it was the projection of the Cocoon of the End or the Arbiter authority. It didn't matter.
In any case, his body didn't need any of this stuff.
So after cursing, he reached out again and heard the question change.
What is music?
The Arbiter authority had no will. It was merely an ability subordinate to the Cocoon of the End, carrying out the mission granted to the Cocoon of the End by a higher civilization that had created it.
Since someone regarded music as truth, then music would be used as a reference.
"You don't know music? Then let me sing one for you."
Ye Chang'an vanished, sucked into the core.
There was someone inside who looked exactly like him, staring at him with an indifferent expression.
"You're the one who wants to hear music?" Ye Chang'an asked. The other person shook his head and pointed at the empty air around them.
He was not Arbiter authority under the Cocoon of the End, but merely a projection of the Cocoon of the End—the Arbiter persona controlled by the Cocoon of the End.
A puppet that only knew how to carry out the trial.
The one who truly wanted to listen was the Arbiter authority, the End's avatar.
PS: I originally wanted to post this after midnight, but you guys were too anxious, and I'm too sleepy, so I can't be bothered to push for any rankings. Four chapters, the simulation is over, and they're all out.
Chapter of Creation: Journey to a New World: Arbiter of Sound Reason: Chang'an
Under the spectators' watchful eyes, the Arbiter who had been AFK for so long suddenly opened his eyes.
The army instantly tensed, thinking the Arbiter had awakened and was about to attack.
But the Pseudo-Arbiters, the group most likely to bear the attack, showed no reaction. They stood quietly, watching with faint anticipation.
Various instruments appeared around the Arbiter and began playing Chang'an Melody on their own.
The symphonic melody was even more pleasant than before, while the gently rising song brought an experience none of them had ever known.
The Arbiter was singing.
Accompanied by Chang'an Melody, he sang entirely new lyrics.
Chang'an Melody had no lyrics, but today it did. Ye Chang'an had written and sung them.
"Chang'an..." Eden heard him and wept with joy.
She had finally heard Ye Chang'an's voice again, and she had also heard the song Ye Chang'an had written for her.
Before you continue