The Song of Creation: 407 (Part 1)

Where did the earliest music come from?

It originates from the observations and insights of humankind's ancestors into nature.

The rumble of lightning and thunder, the rustling of wind through the forest, the rushing of rivers, the roar of a raging fire, the chirping of birds in the treetops, the chirping of insects among the grass and leaves—these are the most primal Sound of Nature. They need no conductor, no musical score; they simply overlap to create a supreme existence that transcends all music.

Music and nature coexist.

Winsani Goldleyman had a goal that she never gave up on, even after encountering her nemesis, Al Warrensding.

That is to create supreme music that transcends the "Sound of Nature".

The Sound of Nature are the outward manifestation of the mysterious principles of nature, the ultimate art encompassing all things in the universe. It is impossible to surpass, let alone replicate. Winsani's goal can be described as a challenge to the Creator.

Naturally, she failed, but she was not discouraged. She tried again after failing once, and a third time after failing twice, immersing herself in the essence of music created by humankind over tens of thousands of years, pushing human ingenuity to its limits, and single-handedly building the tower of music even higher.

But in the end, she still didn't succeed.

She was already exhausted just from being able to imitate some of the Sound of Nature; beyond that lay the realm of gods, which even the Lady could not reach. Even someone as proud and arrogant as her had to admit, after experiencing failure after failure, that goal was far beyond her capabilities.

Although she ultimately gave up, she didn't come away empty-handed.

If we can't surpass it, we can still make use of it to some extent.

Sky, earth, clouds, mountains, jungle

A light mist, a gentle breeze, fallen leaves, a babbling brook, birdsong.

Everything in nature unites into a single entity at this moment, forming the world's largest vocal organ.

Everything is resonating, not a physical vibration, but something deeper and more essential.

If all things possess a spirit, then this must be a resonance of souls.

Click, click...

On the scorched ground, a small rock loosened, and a chipmunk emerged from the crack.

This usually agile and lively little animal was anything but its usual charm. It looked listless, with most of its fur singed, its whiskers drooping, and its hind legs broken by rubble, the bones protruding.

It was lucky; it had been hiding deep in the burrow and miraculously escaped being killed by the aftermath of the human war, but the price was these shocking scars.

It dragged its broken leg, crawling slowly across the ground. It needed a safe place to hide, some food, and some water, but everything it needed to survive had either been shattered by the sound waves or vaporized by the Fierce Flame. Continuing like this would only lead to its demise.

"... squeak?"

Just then, it heard a "sound".

Rats are far too intellected to understand the meaning of sounds, but their biological instincts tell them that the sounds are beautiful, and just hearing them makes all their pain disappear.

This was no illusion; its wounds were healing at an astonishing speed, its fur was becoming soft again, the broken leg bone was set, and the missing flesh was growing back. The new fur was shinier than before, its muscles were more powerful, and its bones were stronger. The pain and exhaustion of just seconds ago had vanished without a trace, and for the first time, it felt so full of power.

The singing continued, and it grew stronger and stronger, even its body grew a little bigger. A powerful life force flowed through its body, and it felt incredibly good. Even the slight pain in its abdomen didn't bother it at all.

Hmm, my stomach is hurting more and more. It feels like something is struggling to come out. A wave of nausea hits, and I vomit up the undigested food I ate this morning. Something is trembling in the vomit; it's the nuts and seeds I ate this morning. Tender shoots have sprouted and grown into fresh plants in the blink of an eye.

The itching sensation on the skin was caused by the rapid growth of bacteria and fungi that usually lurk in the skin, forming rashes and other messy growths. These growths continuously damaged the skin, while the skin also continuously regenerated, eventually reaching a peculiar state of coexistence. Within a few breaths, the chipmunk was completely covered with various growths.

Tiny, granular things jumped off its body—those were fleas, already the size of soybeans. Meanwhile, plants in the vomit were also growing; seemingly tender roots were firmly embedded in the gravel, and the branches were already nearly a meter tall.

"Squeak... squeak..."

The plant's tendrils grow from its esophagus, eyes, ears, and even every orifice on its body. Parasites and chestnut tree branches pierce its abdominal cavity, but it does not die. Its body changes its form through repeated destruction and rebirth, becoming stronger and stronger, while at the same time, it is increasingly eroded by the colony.

Moss, fungi, shrubs, and even trees began to spread outwards, occupying several square meters of ground. All sorts of plants transcended the constraints of natural laws; flowers that resembled both konjac and Rafflesia bloomed on the ground, filling the air with pollen and spores. Strange insects flew around, and mammals resembling rodents crawled out from under the moss, quickly growing to the size of cats and dogs.

Layers of mycelium slowly covered the plants and animals. Although they were still growing vigorously, their growth rate could not keep up with the spread of the mycelium. Everything turned gray. The plants and animals gradually decayed, and the fleshy tissue that had been living in symbiosis with the fungus continued to expand and contract, as if breathing. The fungi replaced them, becoming the rulers of this small ecosystem. But this prosperity was only fleeting. A few seconds later, the largest mycelial stems collapsed and rotted, leaving only a gray expanse of mycelium spewing spores.

Ultimately, all living things were reduced to a large, grayish-brown mass, somewhere between animals, plants, and fungi, in a state of obscurity, yet undeniably alive.

The original chipmunks have long since disappeared.

The Song of Creation still resounds between heaven and earth.

Outside the ruins of Gloria, at the edge of the giant crater left by the Sovereign's Grasp—

Haoyue heard the sound.

That was probably singing.

I don't know which direction it came from, it was coming from all directions, as if the singer wasn't just one person, but the whole world.

What happened? Is it dangerous? Before she could even consider these questions, her thoughts were already occupied by other ideas.

It's so beautiful.

It's indescribable, but those deep, throbbing beats pierced my heart, like a gentle stream seeping into every part of my body.

It sounds like a human voice, yet it doesn't; it seems to have lyrics, yet it doesn't. This song transcends the constraints of language and even melody, as if it were a whisper from the gods, praising the world and life—a true resonance of the soul.

Brilliant and exhilarating.

Absolutely magnificent.

Incredibly wonderful.

Even if all the world's most beautiful words were gathered together, they would not be enough to describe the beauty of this song.

Just hearing it makes me feel cleansed.

Every cell was singing its praises, every nerve trembled with happiness, the wound beneath the bandages was healing rapidly, and vibrant life surged within it—a feeling even stronger than Xiao Ye's blood.

--Xiao Ye? Xiao Ye...

Xiao Ye!

It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head, instantly waking me from my blissful reverie. After all, nothing is happier than being with someone you love! Yes, that's it!

"What the heck, that singing..."

Although he had regained consciousness, the singing was still terrifyingly beautiful, as if the whole world was celebrating life.

"The wound... has healed."

The bandages were quickly ripped off, revealing flawless skin, even smoother and more radiant than before, every muscle brimming with power. His physique was rapidly improving; was it due to the singing?

"--Hoo!"

Xiao Wu and Sin Annihilation, who had been unconscious, suddenly woke up. They looked at their bodies in surprise, feeling the flow of life within them. As ability users with a flesh-based ability system, they knew even better than Haoyue how incredible the changes in their bodies were.

"Hey Haoyue! What's going on here!" Xiao Wu looked at Haoyue with a surprised expression. She knew nothing about music, but she could clearly sense that the omnipresent singing was extraordinary.

"I'd like to know that too, Xiao Ye... Could it be that this lady's trump card? And don't call me by my real name, it's disgusting!"

"Didn't you say it was okay? You even said you'd call me 'Xiao Wu'..."

"I was just momentarily blinded by lust, don't get too cocky, you brat!"

"What... I thought you'd finally learned your lesson, but you're still the same as before?"

"Um, you two."

""What's wrong!""

"... I just wanted to say, now is not the time to argue..."

Sin Annihilation stared blankly at the two of them.

"She started it!"

"But objectively speaking, Haoyue is obviously shy, right? Xiao Wu just too much."

"... Who would be shy around this delinquent girl!"

What does "'too much' mean...?" mean?

"Huh? But," Sin Annihilation tilted his expressionless face and said innocently, "You two seem like best friends who can talk badly about each other without hesitation, right?"

"You're overthinking it!!!!!!!"

(Author's Sin Annihilation: I underestimated you, you're quite the player after all! 6666)

"But... um? Haoyue, what's wrong?"

Sin Annihilation suddenly stopped because Haoyue suddenly clutched her stomach, looking surprised.

"What is it now!"

"Some of the food we ate before the war... something's not right!"

Did you eat something that upset your stomach?

"No... it's like... it's alive."

"He's alive?"

"No, no, we have to hurry!!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Haoyue plunged two fingers deep into her throat, and after a spasm, vomited up everything she had eaten before the battle. Something was wriggling in the colorful vomit, and in the next instant, a tender sprout emerged. A new wave of abdominal pain forced Haoyue to kneel on the ground.

Xiao Wu's condition was also very bad. A large number of things that looked like fungal spots or tinea suddenly appeared on her body. Strangely, her skin did not reject these things at all, but instead showed a tendency to integrate with them.

"What... what is this... ugh!"

Haoyue collapsed to the ground, retching. Many small creatures inside her had come to life and were growing larger, threatening to rupture her internal organs. Her skin was also covered in rashes. Xiao Wu's skin was healing as the fungus rotted, affecting most of her body, and her hair and nails were growing wildly. Only Sin Annihilation, Monster of Flesh, remained relatively normal, but she too felt her body slipping out of her control.

The influence of the Song of Creation is growing.

What's more terrifying than "extinction" is excessive "growth".

The body will always spontaneously reject harmful things, but is powerless against "beneficial" things.

Even plugging your ears won't help you resist; there's absolutely no way to defend yourself. By the time you realize the danger, you've already lost the ability to escape.

The whispers of the Creator are beyond the capacity of mere organic beings to bear.

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I know I'm sure some people know what this question means.