Death and Loneliness

The System's teleportation experience wasn't easy. Yi Chen felt dizzy and could barely stand even after arriving at his destination. Just as he was about to fall, a slender yet strong hand gently steadied him.

"Kid, you're back?" Yan looked at the person she'd longed for day and night with a calm expression, a rare smile gracing her lips.

Hearing her familiar voice, Yi Chen tried to shake his head to clear it. After a moment, he managed to reply, "Yeah, I'm finally back."

"You seem exhausted, kid. Go rest." Yan said, helping Yi Chen to sit down. She leaned slightly closer to him, hoping he would rest his head on her.

"Okay," Yi Chen mumbled groggily. He naturally turned and rested his head on Yan's shoulder, closing his eyes. A pleasant scent wafted to his nose, and soon, faint snores could be heard.

"Kid, do you know, I used to look forward to the stars appearing, and then countless dawns. But why did you always leave me with no news..." Yan murmured to herself, looking at his side. She then looked up at the stars overhead, the slight upturn of her lips indicating a subtle shift in her mood.

The long night stretches on, a curtain falling upon the heart. A lone lamp illuminates a distant shadow, only hoping for a kindred spirit.

With the person she longed for by her side, the long night no longer felt lonely. They leaned against each other until dawn chased away the darkness and the sky brightened.

As the first rays of sunlight touched the earth, Yan's blurry eyes fluttered open. She gently turned her head to look at Yi Chen, who was still asleep. Reluctantly, she called out to him, "Kid, Demons are approaching. Get up and fight."

Hearing Yan's call, Yi Chen forced his eyes open, barely overcoming the sleepiness. He never expected the System's teleportation service to have such severe aftereffects. His head had been feeling hazy since yesterday, but with his strong will, he managed to stay alert.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he abruptly turned to Yan and stammered, "Um... Yan... I didn't mean to take advantage of you. My head was too dizzy last night... I..."

Upon hearing this, Yan's smile turned a little mischievous. "Kid, doesn't this count as us sleeping together indirectly? You'll have to take responsibility..."

"..." Yi Chen turned his head away, offering no reply and maintaining a poker face.

"Oh, kid, you look quite reluctant. What, is being my 'male god' that much of a disadvantage?" Yan said, slowly moving closer to Yi Chen. Her gaze shifted from gentle to serious, and then... filled with killing intent.

"Whoa, Yan, don't... don't be like that. Calm down. What is that, Demons? I'll go kill them." Seeing Yan approaching, Yi Chen began to panic, his earlobes turning red.

Just then, with sharp eyes, he noticed two ugly creatures with wings approaching them. He guessed they must be Demons, and a plan to escape by killing them immediately formed in his mind. However, it seemed fate had other plans.

Just as Yi Chen was about to charge out, a Sword of Flames shot out from behind him. The blade precisely pierced through one Demon before flying out from behind him, then passing through another Demon from the other side. Thus, the two menacing Demons met their end with such ease.

The Sword of Flames spun in the air a few times before being caught by a slender hand.

"Um... Yan, are these the Demons you specifically called me out to kill?" Yi Chen asked, turning to face Yan with a look of shock.

Yan didn't answer. Holding the Sword of Flames, she exuded an even more heroic aura. Her gaze locked onto Yi Chen, and there seemed to be some unspoken emotion within her eyes.

"Didn't you just kill them casually?" Yi Chen asked, still confused. It didn't seem necessary to wake him up for Demons like these, he thought to himself. Yan's slightly annoyed reply followed, "Can't I rest my shoulder on you?"

"Uh..." Yi Chen awkwardly touched his nose.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. I'm not in a hurry. After all, I, Angel Yan, have decided you're my 'male god.' We can cultivate our feelings slowly," Yan said, putting away the Sword of Flames and taking a deep breath to calm herself. She then walked to Yi Chen's side, gently patted his shoulder, and smiled, "These are just low-level Demons. They were originally native humans of this planet, infected by the Demon virus."

"Infected by the Demon virus? You mean Demons don't exist originally?" Yi Chen asked in confusion. He had always assumed Demons, like Angels, were born that way. But now Yan was telling him Demons were once humans?

"No. Originally, there were no Demons in this world. It was only under the corrupting influence of Morgana's ideology that some people or other creatures willingly shed their original forms and became these ugly beings."

"Kid, do you know why we Angels hunt Demons?" Yan asked.

"Why?"

"Because of Morgana. And... well... a certain technology. As long as she preserves the genetic information of Demons, she can potentially revive them. Otherwise, do you think Demons could have resisted us for so long? After so many battles, after so many sisters died..." Yan's voice suddenly turned somber. The sudden loss of sisters she'd grown up with would be painful for anyone.

After a moment, Yan composed herself and continued, "However, revival goes against the laws of life, so it's not recognized by the Justice Order."

"The Queen always tells us that civilization is joy and happiness. The higher the civilization, the more harmonious the relationships between people, and the deeper the sense of happiness.

And the reason why humans are humans, not beasts, is because of humanity. If humans become beasts, not only do they lose their wisdom and technology, but they also degenerate to the point of self-destruction, making it impossible to develop high-level technology."

"Do you know, kid, the Queen often says that death is not scary; what's scary is loneliness."

"The end of life is just a death. The meaning of death is rebirth or eternal slumber. Death is not the loss of life, merely stepping out of time."

"We do not fear death. We take pride in dying in the war against Evil."

Yan said a lot to Yi Chen that morning, much of it reflections from her seven thousand years of existence. After listening to Yan, Yi Chen couldn't help but say, "Yeah, death isn't scary. Wandering alone is far more terrifying."