Transcendence · The Dao-Erosion Phenomenon
"Oh... by the way, I'll tell you something. Theresia isn't dead, she's fine, she just can't see anyone—I always thought you could guess that, so I didn't tell you. But now it seems, perhaps I overestimated your intelligence?"
And then, in the next moment, a burst of fire appeared!
The Flame-haired maiden vanished into the rising clouds, leaving only the green Miss Lynx watching her heartless afterimage, tears streaming down her face, speechless.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but the pain in her heart robbed her of even the strength to cry out—a hoarse sound came from her throat. She reached out, trying to grasp something, but her hand remained frozen in the warm air.
Her hand fell to the ground, and her body went limp. She could no longer make a sound; her thin frame trembled in the increasingly cold wind, twitching like a dying animal.
Hope has already left her.
She has reaped the worst possible outcome.
She gradually stopped moving, lying in the woods like a corpse, utterly silent. And time, too, moved on to another phase.
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
As the midday sun poured down from the top of the sky, she, who had been like a corpse, finally shuddered violently.
She stood up silently.
She glanced in the direction Surtr had gone.
Then--
Smack!
A slap landed hard on her right cheek, and blood immediately welled up from the corner of her mouth. This blow was even more severe than the beatings in the ring.
"What... have I been doing all these years?"
She asked herself the question.
She did not answer.
However, her entire demeanor was changing, transforming from a domesticated house cat into a predatory beast. From being cautious and hesitant, she became calm and composed.
She looked in the direction of the Lothric Castle.
"As times change, old forces may unite to fight against new forces. But the world needs fuel to continue."
"The old forces are not a monolithic entity; this land is full of fuel and Mars."
She murmured to herself, her pale green eyes, no longer troubled by love, regaining their sharpness.
"I need to enter the royal city, I need to make contact with the deposed Demon King, I need to stir up conflict so that I can enter the Grand Archives of Lothric and, while influencing this power, seize the greatest benefit—the benefit that belongs to me."
"The White Cult is a good cover; the destruction of the Deep is my bargaining chip. Because I did indeed behead Aldrich. And my Ancients Traits and Originium Arts can provide me with assistance."
A plan came to mind, and my thoughts were clearer than ever before.
She paused for a moment before taking a step.
"Thank you, Surtr," she said, and then left without looking back.
Five minutes later, a Mars quietly appeared around the spot where she was thinking.
Nebula M78 756365104
P. S.: Anyway, that concludes the KaiMiao story. I was still quite hesitant to write about 42 hitting women. Ah... I need to start paying back my debts tomorrow. Hopefully, I can make better progress this month _(:з"∠)_
Chapter 206. The Extraordinary: The Dao Corrosion Phenomenon
Miss Surtr opened her eyes, ending her observation of the other side. Seeing Kal'tsit regroup and leave the forest for Lothric Castle, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, a weight lifted from her heart.
This was a risky move, using this method to cheer her up; if it failed, the consequences would be extremely difficult. Fortunately, she pulled through.
The Flame-haired maiden gently extinguished a Mars, a Mars of the same color and brilliance as the other spark flickering around Kal'tsit. For the past few hours, she had been using this method to monitor the changes in Kal'tsit's body and mind. The reason she didn't approach her in person was because Kal'tsit, sharing Mon3tr's perception, might discover her.
—Kal'tsit ... I hope you'll be better recovered when we meet again.
—I don't expect you to go back to how you were before, but at least... put yourself first.
Miss Surtr stared at her hands, the tips of her palms still bearing the lingering touch of Miss Lynx's cheek. She felt she should be angry, angry at herself, for she had actually hit her, and for how, even if it was an act, she had actually been able to appear so heartless.
Do you hate Kal'tsit? Do you despise Kal'tsit's behavior of circling around you, being obsequious, and even subservient?
How could that be! The initial motivation for my decision, for opening my heart to the world and the people around me, was that I no longer wanted to view my friends according to the character settings in the game, but rather wanted to believe in the sincerity I personally felt. How could someone like me be bound by that so-called 'character setting,' or even the near-perfect 'past'?
Impossible. Liking someone is liking someone. In my past life, I had feelings for that Miss Lynx like a two-dimensional, doll-like wife. In the past, I also had a fondness for her that was a mixture of past life interests and present life experiences. No matter how she becomes, whether she hates me, gets close to me, or even despises me and forgets me, my feelings for her will not change. What will change is only the way I interact with her and the distance between us.
Do you like me...?
Ah, if you arrive in Chernobog, tell me... no, I will still be consumed by the Flame of Burning Time. After all, I even shy away from your kiss. But if...
The girl gently shook her head, watching her hand ignite in flames, slowly burning away to bone before regenerating. This wasn't self-punishment, for she was long accustomed to the agony of being burned by flames. She simply... didn't really like the hand that had slapped Kal'tsit just hours before.
—What am I doing? Shifting responsibility? Since I've already done it, I should naturally bear the consequences of my actions. Heh... it's really strange. I was thinking about getting close to Kal'tsit, but when that affection was finally revealed, I pushed her away with my own hands.
--ridiculous.
She turned and headed deeper into the dense forest. While slaying the skull-masked knights—or, in this world's unique terminology: Abyss Hounds, Soul Eater —she had also extracted some aura from the remains, and this aura now served as her guide, directing her towards the depths of Farron.
—If I had chosen to accept this a few hours ago, Kal'tsit would be by my side now, keeping me company.
She thought about it, just thought about it, and didn't regret it.
—Of course, she would become completely dependent on me, offering me all her self-respect and pride. To the outside world, she would remain the decisive and efficient leader of Rhodes Island, perhaps even stronger and more resolute because she had found a pillar of support. She would only fawn over me, only lay down all her defenses and protection for me. And me...
—Actually, I don't reject this kind of ending.
Flames swirled around him, and his aura adjusted accordingly. Power gathered, and his intellect became increasingly concentrated.
I like her, and she likes me. So, our private interactions are the issue between us.
—I wouldn't mind behaving like a reserved guest with her. Feelings would arise, but propriety would remain. At an afternoon tea party, our fingertips would lightly touch, feeling each other's heartbeats and the ambiguous atmosphere in the air. At the ball, I would invite her to dance, and after a dance, whisper in her ear that I liked her. Then, amidst cheers and blessings, I would gently lift her into my arms.
—I wouldn't mind a master-slave relationship with her either. I'd forbid her to wear clothes, blindfold her, and chain her by the neck, making her crawl through empty night market streets. I'd make her maintain a respectable facade during the day, but then bury flesh and machinery inside her and stimulate her in public. I'd whip her, make her serve me under the desk while I work. I'd make her unable to breathe without my scent for a day.
—I don't mind. I don't have that many messy human moral concepts to begin with... There's so much in the world, it's pointless to follow every rule. And as someone who lives in Terra, I have the right to be willful.