Beast (End)

"Clack!"

The pen Ling Ying was holding between her fingertips and idly twirling dropped to the floor. The slender pen body rolled a few times before abruptly dissolving into bright particles and vanishing. Ling Ying paid it no mind. Instead, she slightly raised her head, looking towards the closed door. A moment later, as if to confirm her wait, the door opened, and a familiar figure walked in.

"I thought you weren't coming."

Ling Ying's gaze was peculiar as she sized up the girl before her. The other girl had long purple hair, purple eyes, and even the academy uniform Ling Ying had visualized was perfectly replicated on her. She was an exact mirror image of herself. A mirrored Ling Ying.

"The Master invited me to a banquet. As a guest, it wouldn't be right not to come, would it?"

Ling Ying "Number Two" walked in with a look of utter justification.

"Not bad. You even have the energy to set up a venue for a meeting, even if it's a simulated consciousness. Ahaha, but honestly, I still think a rift scene piled high with void detritus is more practical. What do you think?"

"Why are you using my image?"

Ling Ying subconsciously ignored the other's rhetorical question and got straight to the point.

"And when did you start becoming so glib? Aren't you only interested in fighting?"

"Heave-ho!"

Ling Ying "Number Two" didn't answer immediately. Instead, she slowly stomped onto the desk in front of Ling Ying, then plopped down, swinging her legs as if nothing were amiss, and said.

"Well, when you stay inside someone's head long enough, you're bound to be influenced by them to some extent. Just like how I don't find walking on these two legs to be awkward anymore. In your words, it's called 'close to vermilion, one turns red,' hahaha."

"Influenced?"

The other's words made Ling Ying frown slightly.

"Aren't you just instinct?"

"Mhm, so that was just your mistaken perception."

The other person clicked her tongue and waved a hand at Ling Ying.

"In fact, I am one of the countless split consciousnesses from the Void Mother Nest. All Void Creatures come from the Void and return to the Void. Their physical bodies are fused from void matter in the rifts. Their consciousness is bestowed by the Mother Nest Consciousness. Every Void Creature is 'equipped' with a consciousness by the Mother Nest. To explain in your terms, we should have been one. You should have just been a physical body without self-awareness, and I would be the pure consciousness controlling this body. But, when I entered this body, I found it already had a master. And this master actually came from a distant world outside the Void."

"How could you... know..."

Ling Ying's eyes widened in shock. As a transmigrator, her original world identity was the most sensitive topic for her. Yet, she never expected a Void Consciousness to expose her biggest secret in one go.

"Don't be so surprised. I've been inside your head the whole time."

The Void Consciousness reached out and gently tapped Ling Ying's forehead, which was in a state of disarray.

"Your little secrets are completely unguarded to me. Don't make that face. Perhaps, when you evolve later, we might even need to merge into one."

"?Merge..."

Ling Ying's mouth hung open, the word "fuse" seeming to burn her tongue as it circled her lips for over ten syllables.

"Mhm, what else? Did you think we consciousnesses would remain at the instinctual stage forever, that Void Creatures are just beasts driven by instinct? Ah, it's not surprising you'd think that. After all, you've only encountered cannon fodder like Blade Worms. For simple beings like worms, they don't need to think or have consciousness; they just need to follow their instincts to devour and kill. But if, one day, these pathetic creatures are lucky enough to evolve, they'll discover that besides gaining stronger bodies, the instincts in their brains will slowly weaken their control. Correspondingly, they'll gain a sliver of wisdom, and... If they can reasonably use these evolutionary 'gifts' and evolve again, these fragments of thought will eventually converge into a Void Creature's self-awareness. And as their bodies evolve, we consciousnesses will also gradually perfect ourselves, eventually merging with the individual consciousnesses that Void Creatures develop into a brand new consciousness. Only then can a sapient Void Creature be considered born. But..."

The Void Consciousness turned its gaze towards Ling Ying with a scrutinizing look. Its slightly narrowed pupils held a hint of danger.

"For the current evolutionary level of this body, your appearance is clearly a bit early. Not only are you more mature than me, a Void Consciousness still in its nascent stage, but you're also always opposing me, resisting consumption, resisting evolution. Well, with your low-level consciousness strength, it's not very effective. However, ever since you obtained this... frail human form, things have started to develop in a direction I didn't foresee. I found I couldn't control your new body as easily as before. It was even the reverse; a flood of messy information surged in, almost overwhelming me. You could say you've escaped the Mother Nest Consciousness's control in an... unbelievable way. You might be the first Void Creature in history to achieve this. Congratulations."

The Void Consciousness then began to clap its hands as if it were a serious matter, and even though Ling Ying glared fiercely at it, it showed no signs of stopping.

"Then, if it's as you say, why are you like this now?"

"Well, there's no helping it."

The Void Consciousness suddenly put on a human-like expression of distress.

"After all, think about it. I, who always had the upper hand between us, was suddenly kicked aside by you. I wouldn't be content, but my old methods no longer worked, so I had to change my approach. Thus, I chose to accept and digest all the information you transmitted. And the result? I became another you, another Ling Ying."

"Another me?"

Ling Ying felt as if she had heard something fantastical, yet the girl before her, who was an exact replica of herself, was undeniable proof. Even if this appearance was merely a projection in their consciousness.

"Hehehe, are you scared?"

The conscious Ling Ying crossed her legs and said in a relaxed tone, "You don't need to be. I have no intention of harming you. We can still get along well. In your words, like sisters. Ahaha, of course, that's assuming everything that has deviated from the track returns to its origin."

"Origin?"

Ling Ying glanced at the other party warily. Her subconscious told her that what the other party said was definitely not good. As expected, the next second, the Void Consciousness wore a forced smile and said, "The origin, like before, returning to the past of killing, devouring, and evolving. That's what Void Creatures should be doing. Void Creatures never stop evolving. And you, Ling Ying, look at how you've become. You've stagnated, stopped to play house with a bunch of humans? Exchanging feelings? Look, you've even forgotten that in battle, the most powerful thing a Void Creature possesses is its body. Shh, let me finish."

The Void Consciousness extended a finger to silence Ling Ying, who was about to speak, and then reached out with its other hand, gently lifting her chin. It said in a seductive tone, "I know, it's that human weakness of yours, that root of all evil, that's causing trouble. So just leave everything to me. I will bring us both back on track, just like before. So, can you not resist me? Be a good girl..."

"Slap!"

The Void Consciousness looked with some surprise at its right hand being unceremoniously slapped away. It then looked at Ling Ying in front of it and revealed an expression of understanding.

"Can I take that as you refusing me?"

"Since you say you're another me, you should know what choice I'll make."

Ling Ying's voice was as cold as ice, her blade-like sharp gaze fixed directly on the Void Consciousness before her.

"And this is not just a refusal, it's also a warning. Don't lay a hand on the people around me."

As soon as Ling Ying finished speaking, the silent atmosphere was suddenly broken. The two identical individuals stared at each other for a long while. Finally, the Void Consciousness withdrew its outstretched hand and stood up from the table.

"What a pity."

A hint of regret seemed to grace the face that was identical to Ling Ying's. However, Ling Ying keenly detected a dangerous aura within her expression.

"As expected, I'll have to ask you to die."

"!"

Accompanied by an instantly chilling tone, a purple sharp edge shot forth. Ling Ying instinctively leaned back sharply, narrowly dodging the blade that grazed her face. She immediately channeled power into her foot and kicked out.

However, Ling Ying only felt her right leg tremble. The attack had no effect. The Void Consciousness nimbly spun its lower body, actually seizing Ling Ying's extended right leg and easily deflecting her offensive.

"Not bad, you still have the strength to counterattack."

The Void Consciousness smiled slightly at the corner of its mouth, but the force on its leg did not loosen at all.

"But that's all you've got."

"CRASH!"

The desk between them was sent flying like a cannonball under the impact. Ling Ying, caught off guard, was sent flying several meters away before crashing heavily against the classroom wall. The pristine white wall suddenly emitted a shattering sound like glass. It truly did shatter, along with this space—wide cracks rapidly spread throughout the Consciousness Space, causing everything they touched to dissipate into stardust. The cozy classroom quickly shed its facade, revealing nothing but a void eternally bathed in purple light beneath.

"Actually, by the rules, consciousness entities cannot harm the original consciousness. But thanks to you, I no longer need to adhere to those constraints."

The Void Consciousness twirled the long scythe flashing with purple light in its hand and walked towards Ling Ying.

"So, let's settle this in the most primal way between Void Creatures: survival of the fittest."

The scythe slashed down. Ling Ying, lying by the wall, instantly disintegrated like foam.

"However, you're not quite that weak yet."

The Void Consciousness rotated its pupils, its gaze sweeping over every inch of this Consciousness Space.

"So, feel free to use whatever tricks you have. Otherwise, if your consciousness dies here, there will be nothing left... Ah, found you."

The Void Consciousness gave a sinister smile and slashed a circle with its scythe. The previously empty space rippled, and Ling Ying's figure appeared from within. She nimbly dodged the scythe's attack, leaped, and shifted to another direction, then vanished again.

"Indeed, this is your home turf. You can waste my time like this. But I must remind you. While we are fighting to the death here, your body outside is in an unconscious state. Those rats lurking in the shadows haven't left yet. How long can your friends hold them off?"

As soon as the Void Consciousness finished speaking, the entire space began to shift violently. The void of purple was once again draped in various vibrant colors. Roads, buildings, and sidewalks appeared in succession. This time, the scene seemed to be a modern city street.

"BEEP BEEP BEEP!"

Urgent horn sounds came from behind. The Void Consciousness, standing in the middle of the road, turned around. A large, heavy-duty truck was barreling towards them as if out of control. If this were reality, the road would undoubtedly have been littered with a mangled body. However, here... the truck sped towards the motionless Void Consciousness, but passed straight through it before instantly shattering and vanishing.

"A mere illusion? That won't help you much."

"BANG!"

With a loud bang, a corner of a street-side building suddenly shattered, and a colossal figure rolled over wall debris onto the road. It was a tank, armed to the teeth. Its turret swiveled, and the dark, smoothbore cannon barrel directly aimed at the Void Consciousness standing motionless in its spot.

"Boom!"

The next second, the tank fired. Flames and thick smoke accompanied a deafening explosion. The shell instantly crossed the distance of a few hundred meters and was about to hit. She moved, her wrist twisting as she swung her Scythe, cleaving an arc of light towards the shell.

"Clang!"

An unexpected collision sound. The shell was actually caught mid-air by the Scythe, and at the same time, it began to fluctuate strangely. The Void Consciousness let out a sneer, planted the Scythe on the ground, and leaped up. A flying kick struck the fluctuating area.

"Cough, cough..."

Ling Ying clutched her abdomen, staggering a few steps before managing to stand steady. Even though this wasn't her real body, the pain that directly affected her nerves and consciousness was terrifyingly real.

"How is it? Still want to continue this meaningless resistance?"

The Void Consciousness asked with a fake smile.

"You know, I prefer cooperation. So if you're willing to accept my terms now..."

"One last time."

Ling Ying looked resolutely at the Void Consciousness and vanished again. As she disappeared, the entire space shifted once more, the street dissolving into fragments. The fragments reassembled into a simple, straight corridor. At the end of the corridor was a closed wooden door.

"Alright, if you want this kind of ending, I have no objections."

The Void Consciousness shrugged expressionlessly and walked forward without hesitation, pushing open the door.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"Uninteresting."

The Void Consciousness ignored the ferocious Female Ghost lunging at her, continuing her steps towards the next door.

"Roar!"

"Low-level."

The Void Consciousness surveyed a large group of surging Zombies, some dragging bloody intestines, others with exposed white brains. Suddenly, she waved her hands and threw the Scythe forcefully. The sharp blade swept through the Zombie horde. There was no splashing blood, no flying heads. Only a female Zombie, clad in tattered clothes and wearing a hood, was knocked to the ground by the Scythe's handle.

"Are you trying to use what you fear against me?"

The Void Consciousness caught the returning Scythe and said calmly to the "female Zombie" on the ground.

"Unfortunately, although I've copied your personality, I don't have your weaknesses. So, have we decided the winner?"

There was no response. The figure shakily stood up and faded into the air. As she left, the Zombies also disappeared. The entire space returned to calm, and the door that had been blocked by the Zombies gradually reappeared.

"Do you want to continue? My patience is almost gone."

The Void Consciousness frowned, and quickly stepped forward, intending to kick the door open. But before she could make a move, the door suddenly opened on its own.

"Darling Daughter is back!!"

A couple joyfully welcomed her out. Along with them appeared a Fluffy Big Bear. A Tag hung around the bear's neck. The words "Happy Birthday" were written on it, exceptionally conspicuous.

"Here, good daughter, quickly take your Birthday Gift..."

The couple showed a warm smile to the Void Consciousness as they handed over the fluffy big bear. This action caused an uncharacteritable expression to appear on the usually calm Void Consciousness's face. She let out an indistinct mumble. The Scythe in the Void Consciousness's hand lowered slightly. Then, in the next moment, she gripped it tightly again and thrust it upwards with force.

The couple's smiles froze in place. The Void Consciousness slightly raised her head. Her gaze met a pair of eyes identical to her own in mid-air. At this moment, their owner was hanging on the curved blade of the Scythe. The sharp Scythe pierced her body, and the long sword fell from her powerless hand. Ling Ying closed her eyes, as if calmly accepting this outcome, letting her body dissipate into wisps of black mist.

"?"

The Void Consciousness instantly realized something was wrong, but before she could make any move, Ling Ying's figure suddenly dropped behind her. A blade edge shot out from her sleeve, fiercely stabbing towards the Void Consciousness's neck.

"Swish."

The Azure Sea Tide washed onto the Golden Shore. The Purple-haired Purple-eyed Girl lay on the beach, watching the tide ebb and flow. After a moment, she turned her head to look at another girl walking towards her.

"Congratulations, you won."

There were no negative emotions mixed in the Void Consciousness's tone, only the acceptance and calm after everything had settled. It was as if this was her true self. The cold killing intent and ferocity just moments ago were merely fleeting illusions.

"I thought you'd say I was despicable... or something."

Ling Ying stopped in front of the Void Consciousness and sat down cross-legged.

"Because that's meaningless. Only you humans like such meaningless empty words. Void Creatures only value what is real. The weaklings we devoured, would you care about their accusations and curses? You won, you won. Although... well... that feeling you mentioned, perhaps I do have a little, after all, it was between the two of us, but you dragged a third party into it."

The Void Consciousness looked at Ling Ying with a teasing expression.

"That... black mist. Its appetite isn't small either. If you don't feed it enough... sigh, why am I worrying for you? It doesn't concern me anymore anyway."

"You hesitated back then... didn't you?"

Ling Ying thought for a moment and finally decided to ask.

"You said you didn't have my weaknesses, but when I projected that birthday banquet, you were clearly affected. In your normal state, I shouldn't have had a chance..."

The Void Consciousness waved her hand, interrupting Ling Ying.

"It's quite laughable, really. I only realized now that when I chose to become another you because I thought I could no longer control you, I had already lost."

"I don't think you lost because of that."

Ling Ying looked at the distant sea tide, a different kind of glimmer flashing in her eyes.

"The fact that you'd react that way means you've subconsciously acknowledged that emotions aren't a weakness. My plan succeeded only because I wasn't facing a soulless killing machine, but an individual capable of responding to emotions."

Ling Ying turned her head, looking back at the Void Consciousness beside her.

"Whether you're willing to admit it or not, you've truly become a person."

Ling Ying's words caused the Void Consciousness to appear lost in thought. After a pause, she smiled, no longer with that dangerous edge, but a pure smile.

"You know, you're quite gifted at lecturing. You've managed to shake a Void Consciousness. Perhaps living like you do isn't so bad after all."

"No, you still have a choice."

Ling Ying extended her hand, saying earnestly.

"Like you said, it's survival of the fittest. Besides simply vanishing into nothingness, you can choose to become a part of me. While that means you'll no longer have the freedom you have now, at least in a sense, you'll still be alive. You can witness everything that follows through my eyes. And as for me..."

Ling Ying smiled sweetly.

"Who knows, maybe one day I'll need a wilder Ling Ying?"

The Void Consciousness looked at Ling Ying's outstretched hand, pondered for a moment, then grasped it without hesitation.

"Then I'll be counting on you from now on. Don't you die too soon, Main Body."

The Void Consciousness said this with a smile, and her entire body shattered. Ling Ying maintained her previous posture, waiting as the scattered fragments in the air slowly converged and merged into her body. Once it was complete, she stood up, looked towards the gradually fading horizon, and said with a deep voice.

"I will, for both of us."