In the simulation.
Lei Manor.
At night, under the dim moonlight and serene scenery, I let myself sink into past memories.
Back in Smithwood Village, she and I, together, we had times without sorrow, without loneliness, without pain. I was so foolish for not realizing it sooner. Only when she was gone…
If I had one more chance, a chance to meet her again. Then…
No… What's wrong with me? Why am I so weak, wishing for a miracle like that?
The most important thing now is to strive to cultivate and become stronger. Only then can I save her from the Soul Clan. My life should be in my own hands.
Yes. One day, I will be able to be with her again… in those peaceful moments.
…The moonlight remains bright. A cold breeze brushes past. The scenery is tranquil. Perhaps I'm the only one still awake.
The sound of insects brings me back to reality.
Yes, I want to save her. But look at what I've accomplished so far. Behind this room is a girl who, because of my carelessness, has fallen into a hopeless love.
My real parents died for me…
The current me is pathetic. Without the legacy of my past life, I'd be languishing somewhere, miserable.
Walking my own path?
I don't even know what my path is or how to walk it. Yet I still want to stand alone…
…
I'm truly pathetic.
The only clue, the one I've placed all my faith in, is a vague feeling. It appears when I look at the heavens and earth. The feeling that a secret is right before my eyes. I sense its existence, but I can't pinpoint what it is.
It's like watching a shadow puppet play—I'm the audience, watching someone manipulate everything behind a thin paper screen.
This feeling is vague, not mentioned in any books. It's never appeared in any records I've read.
And it's definitely not from my unique bloodline. According to the records my father gave me, those of the royal clan who awaken their bloodline gain the ability to see through heaven and earth. Within a certain range, they see everything—nothing can hide from their eyes.
Sometimes, they can glimpse fragments of the future or past where they stand. But generally, they all feel enlightened and become very confident. Not this vague, untouchable feeling I have.
I have a hunch that if I can grasp it, I'll find the place I need to go, the path I need to take.
What exactly am I seeing? What have I overlooked?
…
I look up at the moon, still so round. Then, suddenly, my perspective is pulled to the sky. I shoot through vast spacetime, passing twinkling stars. A straight path—I don't know how long it took, or perhaps it was just a moment. Ahead is a golden planet. I plunge straight toward it, piercing through an invisible barrier, descending onto a mountain, into a small house.
I open my eyes. Everything around is chaotic, my senses sealed. The only thing I can feel is a frail body lying limp on a bed. It's my body… familiar…
At a loss, a girl's voice rings out.
A warm, gentle voice, one I was once so familiar with.
"Is it her?"
With hope and all my strength, I struggle to turn and look.
Before my eyes.
A hazy figure in pristine white robes stands there, worried.
Though her form is indistinct, the moment I see her, I know it's her.
That familiar feeling, her voice, her care—everything matches my memories of her. I don't know why I'm meeting her here, but I won't let her slip away again. With all my strength, I reach out, pull her into my arms, and hold her tightly.
A touch of warmth and purity reaches me.
It's really her. How could I mistake this feeling? I can't wait and pour out the words I've longed to say.
"I miss you. I regret not agreeing to you sooner, becoming husband and wife. I deeply regret not protecting you, not having the strength to find you…"
I want to say more, but suddenly, the space around me becomes empty.
I'm lost in an endless dark void.
Looking around, there's only vast, dark, silent space, devoid of everything, even light.
Time here seems nonexistent. Everything passes in a blink, or perhaps centuries have gone by—I can't tell anymore.
My bloodline is gradually stripped away, my memories slowly erased, my soul's strength constantly eroding. I want to resist, to hold on.
The things that matter to me can't be lost like this. I need to escape this place.
But no matter how hard I try, it's all in vain. I'm like someone standing before a vast river, watching it sweep away all my memories, all the precious things I've fought to keep.
Everything fades like that, until even the pain and my will vanish.
I'm empty, aimlessly drifting for who knows how long.
Then, unfamiliar memories begin to emerge.
I see myself born again. I see the loving faces of my parents and elder brother.
I see myself growing up in peace, with an elder brother always by my side, protecting me, standing with me no matter what happens.
Time passes, and I grow up. I go to a place called school, a classroom with peers my age. There, I learn the distilled wisdom of humanity over thousands of years. I'm taught about the workings of the world, the universe, the nature of living beings…
I realize how wondrous this world is. That sense of excitement makes me forget everything else. I blend into it, live in it. I make new friends, have fun, do the adventurous things of youth. I feel like I'm truly living… I've never been so free.
Time flies, and my elder brother grows up and leaves home to build his own path. Soon, I too must follow him, stepping onto the road of independence alone.
But before I go, I need to say goodbye to my friends. We talk a lot—about the sky, the sea. We laugh, eat, and boast together.
The party ends, and I must return and face the future ahead. I need to move forward.
Walking down a quiet road to head home, suddenly a figure blocks my path. He's gaunt and frail, as if he hasn't eaten in days. His clothes, hair, and demeanor are strange, like he stepped out of a fantasy movie. But his eyes chill me. They're clear, calm, profoundly intelligent, and irresistibly captivating, drawing people in with no escape.
He looks at me. I step back to keep my distance and glare back at him.
Then he whispers something… I can't hear clearly. But after that, the streetlights go out, and the space beneath my feet collapses. I fall into an endless void.
I drift for a long time, unable to remember exactly. Until a light suddenly flashes, I don't know why, but I instinctively move toward where the light began.
I keep going, until the light and I gradually merge into one.
…
I open my eyes, and it's still that full moon. Looking around the manor, the scenery is still beautiful and intricately elegant. This is Lei Manor.
"What just happened?"
…Memories flood back…
"Who am I? Am I Noah of Smithwood Village or Noah Darke of Earth?"
Suddenly, my head feels like it's splitting, unfamiliar memories swirling like a storm, turning everything chaotic.
I lie back, trying to calm down. Closing my eyes, I feel the ground, the coldness radiating from it blending with the warmth of my body.
Opening my eyes again, I look at the flawless full moon, and the pain subsides. The memories, piecing together, become clear.
"What just happened? Was I dreaming, or was it all real?"
My mind merges with heaven and earth. All things appear in my consciousness, clear and vivid, as if I'm seeing them up close.
…This is the state of seeing through heaven and earth from my awakened bloodline…
It's still that familiar feeling. But something's off.
I look at the sky and find the moon strange.
Why is the moon here always full and never wanes? Why? Isn't it part of a star system?
I look around. Why are the plants and animals here so strange? Don't they follow the laws of evolution? Why is the humidity so high here without clouds?
A series of questions arise. These doubts envelop me in fog.
Could it be that this moon doesn't orbit a parent planet? Or is it just a lamp, or does it have a different orbit? What's going on?
The animals, too—why do feathered birds have four wings and flap so slowly? Can they even fly? Where's the aerodynamics?
Why doesn't the water cycle in this world follow the rules?
But why didn't I notice these anomalies before?
I observe closely, staring for a long time.
It doesn't take long before I feel that in this world, matter appears and disappears naturally. It's like a stage lit by lamps, where all things display a reality. But the truth about it doesn't exist here.
The proof is the water cycle. It rains here without clouds. There's no need for moisture to condense into clouds or fog. They just come and go naturally, as if… ???
And these creatures—they flap their wings to walk in the air, not for any propulsion.
But what about that moon? Could it not be a moon at all?
A night passes, and dawn approaches. The moment the moon sets, I suddenly feel a clear sensation. Heaven and earth are intertwining, all things transitioning between two immense forces, as if a colossal machine is operating, shifting between two states.
In the east, at the horizon, the first rays of light streak across. Where they touch, all things shine, vitality surges, plants and animals awaken, starting a new day.
I slowly close my eyes. This world only shows results, not the origins of things and events. All things have laws—they don't arise or vanish.
System: vanish naturally. They don't disappear without reason. If I can reach the place where everything originates, the backstage of this performance, perhaps I can find the answers I seek.
But how can I get there?
All things have a cycle, and I am no exception. Surely, I can pass through that place. So, what is my cycle?
…
Birth, aging, illness, death.
…
Or perhaps when quantity accumulates, it transforms into quality, some philosophical concept—I don't recall clearly.
Quantity and quality might refer to strength and physique. But I'm far from reaching that level.
So, there's only one fastest way.
Looking back at the house behind me, I suddenly feel that perhaps things aren't so bad.
I leave a letter explaining that I must go do what needs to be done, and if I succeed, I will definitely return.
…
On the mountaintop, under the warm sunlight, I open the Power map.
The path lies before me, and I will not hesitate.
As dusk falls,
I close my eyes.
Time moves through this very body, and I age rapidly.
When I open my eyes again, I can feel this body is nearing its end.
As the last rays of sunlight fade completely, I freeze time at that moment.
I close my eyes, awaiting death's arrival…
Thanks to the Power map continuously supplying power to stabilize my soul, I don't dissipate but slowly awaken.
In this soul state, heaven and earth transform entirely. The sky becomes a sea of clouds in every color, vast, ethereal, stretching endlessly.
But looking closely, within this sea of clouds, lights occasionally move rhythmically, like a melody. Where the light passes, clouds dissolve, drifting downward like mist.
I want to step forward to investigate, but the space feels thick, incredibly hard to move through.
The ground is no longer solid but has become a viscous, floating black liquid.
I release time to let it flow again. As time resumes, I'm pulled down into that viscous liquid, as if it's inevitable.
Gravity reverses, but I don't feel dizzy—on the contrary, I feel free and light.
I can float upward, weightless as a feather in the wind. Utterly free.
Looking toward the depths, a calling sensation emerges.
This place is desolate and dark, the space a gray ash. I sink deeper. But suddenly, something feels wrong. Countless indistinct souls surge upward from the depths, gathering at the edge of the liquid barrier between two realms. They desperately try to cross, some cutting themselves in half without hesitation to continue escaping, as if fleeing something terrifying.
I don't understand but ignore it and continue sinking toward the depths, following the call. Along the way, the scene is chaotic—crowded, frantic, fleeing everywhere. They all aim for the surface above.
Soon, I understand why. The blazing sun illuminates this place. Where its light reaches, the souls writhe in pain and dissolve.
Time here stretches infinitely. I've sunk for so long yet haven't reached the bottom. I keep descending until I encounter another liquid surface, but no matter how I try, I can't pass through. It fiercely repels me.
I search for a way in, but everywhere is empty. The souls, scared off by the light, have all fled.
After an unknown time, the sun finally reaches its zenith. In that moment, heaven and earth blaze brightly. Before this light, myriad ghosts disintegrate. But protected by the Power map, I remain unscathed, still in my original form. In the light, deep below, I see a stream.
Upon seeing it, I feel the stream calling me. In that moment, I know it's the way out. If I reach it, I can be reborn once more.
As the sunlight fades, the radiance wanes.
The surroundings sink into silence and gloom. The sun enters that stream and slowly vanishes. The moon rises, its light shining brightly.
In the vast, boundless space, under the moonlight, the souls that dissolved earlier are reshaped, stepping out from the void. Their minds are hazy, gloomy, silently moving toward the depths.
In droves, they cling to the outer edge of the barrier, yearning to cross. Group after group, they follow in procession.
The scene is orderly, the complete opposite of earlier chaos.
Time passes, and the moon finally reaches the deepest point. Its light fully illuminates this world. Countless souls are reborn, thriving endlessly.
Then the moon quietly enters the stream and disappears.
The sun rises again, and everything descends into chaos once more.
Sky and earth shift—the sun's vibrant energy burns everything, while the moon gently embraces, caressing, and recreating all that was lost.
I'm trapped here, observing this world.
Is this the origin of all events?
Here, all things cycle in an endless loop. No, something's missing—the beauty, the purity.
Perhaps I need to reach that stream to find answers.
But to get there, I must pass through this barrier.
After days of observation, I see souls lining up. Those behind push those ahead into the barrier. I want to join a line, but every soul avoids me because of the Power map…
I notice some souls with radiant auras. They pass through effortlessly, without resistance.
After questioning several radiant souls, I realize the way to cross the barrier: merit. The greater the merit, the easier it is to pass through.
Merit? Where would I get merit? What about the sun and moon? I'm not sure, but there must be another way.
Looking at the barriers above and below, the space beyond the lower barrier is far denser and darker than above.
It reminds me of oil poured into water—the heavier sinks, the lighter rises, creating a dividing layer like this.
Could it be…
No, I must try to be certain.