Early in Dragon King Calendar Year 417,
In the northeastern Demon Continent-the Biekoia Region-the Migurdia village.
The black-haired young man lay on the warm animal hide beside the hearth.
His unconscious murmurs, filled with sorrow and longing, had stopped.
He had lost consciousness completely, sinking into a darkness deeper and emptier than any nightmare.
An invisible, irresistible force dragged his consciousness away.
He fell, farther and farther down.
At last, he plunged into an eternal void of pure white.
When Cui Ciyou opened his eyes again,
He found himself back in that familiar Pure White Space, so empty that it filled him with dread.
And that indistinct human silhouette formed from countless flickering fragments of mosaic light-the Human God-
Already wore his signature faint, inscrutable smile.
He floated silently before Cui Ciyou.
That bastard god again...?
Does he have to show up every time I'm at my lowest?
This guy's twisted sense of humor really knows no bounds.
Cui Ciyou cursed inwardly, his normally placid black eyes now filled with ice.
He stared fixedly at the bizarre being before him.
"Hey there... little Ciyou, how are you feeling now?"
The Human God's ethereal voice carried undisguised mockery.
"How does it feel to sacrifice yourself for others?"
"What was it like, using your own body to protect those two adorable girls at the very last moment?"
"Did you feel especially great, especially noble, especially moving?"
The Human God paused, his indistinct silhouette swaying with pleasure.
"Someone like you? You don't move anyone. You only move yourself."
After a brief pause, the Human God continued.
His tone brimmed with gloating:
"I told you, didn't I?"
"I warned you more than once, too."
"Little Ciyou, if you'd listened to my advice back then, how could you have ended up like this?"
"Look at