Ocean World, Ten Thousand Sharks Valley.
Inside a specially designed cave, carved out by hand and filled with air, a metal cell, resembling a crouching beast, is embedded in one of the walls.
The entire cell had a distinctive metallic sheen, which instantly increased the pressure on anyone who looked at it.
[Ground] Sitting on a chair made of rock.
Looking down at the stone-decorated walls, floor, and furniture of his cell, he sighed softly.
In front of him, a petite and fair-skinned girl was pretending to stroke her chin and look around.
" The Light God Society you very well and even decorate you."
Hela picked up a cup made entirely of stone, weighed it in her hand, and found that it was indeed carved from pure stone.
"I heard that the cell where Meng Yuan being held is exactly like the prisons on TV, and it's very dilapidated."
"The best thing is still the silk quilt that Ye Ciqing brought over."
As she spoke, Hela lay down on the uneven stone bed and rolled around on it a couple of times.
"Don't you feel uncomfortable sleeping in this kind of bed?"
" [Life] You've become more talkative."
[Ground] rubbed his forehead, somewhat speechless, and said.
"Well, I don't feel embarrassed at all. Besides, I'm just an eight-year-old kid, it's normal to be curious."
Although she said this, Hela's face showed no emotion, as if she were serious.
After turning over twice more, Hela got up from the stone bed, walked to the door, and opened it.
"Don't even think about escaping. You can't use much strength in the water, and there are guards watching you."
After saying that, Hela turned and walked out of the house. Just as she was about to close the door, a sound came from inside [Ground].
"I still don't understand why you would help the Light God Society."
Hela paused in closing the door, then opened it again and went inside.
"I've told you before, the Light God Society wants to destroy all of humanity, and I am Variant; the destruction of humanity is the meaning of my arrival."
"Helping the Light God Society is fulfilling my mission."
Are you so sure that your purpose in being born was to destroy humanity?
"Aren't all Variant the same? You are too."
[Ground] He raised his golden eyes, squinting as he gazed at Hela.
"Do you have a natural aversion to humans?"
"..."
[Ground] slowly raised its hand, "As [Life], you should understand the essence of instinct better than anyone else."
"When hungry, one has the desire to eat; when in heat, one has the desire to reproduce."
"All of these instincts are for the purpose of enabling this creature to survive better and fulfill its mission."
"The other Variant all possess the instinct to kill humans; their mission is naturally to exterminate humanity. What about you?"
I don't even have the concept of instinct.
Hela sat down on the stone bed next to her.
"If I hadn't almost starved to death once before, I wouldn't even have the instinct to eat when I'm hungry."
"So, does that mean the meaning of [Life] is to destroy other Life? Aren't humans Life?"
This sentence left Hela speechless for a moment.
[Ground], looking at the silent girl in front of him, he sighed Wusheng.
"Like you, I don't have a natural aversion to humanity; our purpose is not to exterminate humanity."
"Then tell me, what is my meaning, and what is your meaning?"
Hela suddenly asked a question in return.
This time, it was the [Ground] that fell silent.
"You deny my significance, yet you can't articulate what my true significance is. What's the point of telling me all this?"
Hela stood up, opened the cell door without looking back, walked out, and closed the door behind her.
"One's own meaning is what one gives oneself..."
Just as the door was about to close, a sound drifted from [Ground].
Bang.
The cell door slammed shut, and Hela stood there silently, her hand still in the motion of closing the door.
One's own meaning is what one gives to oneself...
Hela fell into thought.
How can we find meaning? What is the meaning of her birth as a [Life]?
A series of questions echoed in Hela's mind.
"Never mind, if I can't think of it, then I don't have it."
Hela shook her head a couple of times, completely ignoring what the [Ground] had said to her, and turned to walk outside.
As we approached the cave entrance, a young man stood there, gazing at the water with a look of pure curiosity.
Aidan stared in disbelief at the wall of water in front of her, then cautiously pointed at it with her finger.
Ripples spread slowly across the water's surface, attracting the attention of small fish swimming by. They came close to the bubbles in the bubbles' eyes and smacked their lips twice.
It was the first time Aidan had ever seen this creature. She cautiously reached out a finger to touch it, then quickly withdrew it.
After realizing that the other party had neither bitten him nor was poisonous, a childlike smile immediately appeared on his lips, and he reached out and gently touched it twice more.
Just then, Hela walked over and saw Aidan slacking off.
"Boss, hey!"
Upon seeing Hela approach, Aidan hurriedly greeted her, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.
"Mmm." Hela nodded in response, then turned her gaze to the fish that was still licking bubbles.
Aidan noticed Hela's gaze. "Oh, right, boss, do you know what kind of creature this is..."
Before Aidan could finish speaking, Hela grabbed the fish, popped it into her mouth, and bit off half of it.
"Hmm?" Hela mumbled, chewing on her fish. "What were you trying to say?"
"... I... I want to know what this... creature is..."
"Oh, this is fish, it's delicious, would you like some?"
As Hela handed him the half-fish, its tail still trembling, Aidan's eyes twitched uncontrollably.
"No, no need..."
"Alright, let's go then."
Hela walked over to Lin Wushuang, who was lying on the stone bed next to her, and picked him up.
Lin Wushuang suddenly woke up.
"Ouch! Who is it?!"
He saw it was Hela, and his struggling body froze for a moment. "Uh, is she getting ready to leave?"
"Okay, please take me back quickly."
"Okay, put me down first."
Lin Wushuang's attitude towards Hela was extremely polite, even to the point of being humble.
There was no other reason than that he almost died at Hela's hands. Apart from Ye Yiqing, a monster who was not afraid of her, normal people would not be able to speak normally just by seeing her.
"Come closer, we'll take you back to Shimizu Residence right away."
Just as he was about to use spatial teleportation, a huge figure slowly swam out of the Ocean and covered the cave entrance.
Lin Wushuang was directly facing the cave entrance, suddenly looked as if she had seen something terrifying, and waved her hand with a strange expression.
"Hi..."