Chapter 120 - Visitor
Seele stared blankly at Xin Yu, momentarily not even registering what he had just said.
"Stupid Seele, he's talking to you!"
The voice of her other self echoed in her mind, snapping Seele out of her daze. Her face instantly turned crimson. She shyly lowered her head and replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Hello."
Xin Yu looked at the shy young girl and said, "It's alright. Take a few deep breaths. Wait until you've calmed down before speaking."
Seele followed Xin Yu's advice. After taking several deep breaths, she managed to soothe the complex emotions within her heart. Then, she hurriedly ran across the sea of flowers to Xin Yu, looking at this person—the first one she could communicate with after drifting for so long in this dark, void-like place.
"Hello, my name is Seele Vollerei. May I ask, do you have a way to leave this place?"
"My name is Xin Yu. If you mean leaving this area I've created, you just need to walk outwards and pass through that membrane covering it. If you mean leaving the larger area outside, I do have a way, but I'm not sure where you want to go."
"In fact, I know of several worlds, coordinates to several different spacetimes. If you want to leave for a normal world, I can certainly send you there. But are you really sure you want to go to an unknown world and start a completely new life?"
After hearing Xin Yu's explanation, Seele found herself caught in a dilemma. Of course, she desperately wanted to leave the Quantum Sea; she had long grown tired of drifting alone.
But if she left for an unfamiliar world, how would she live? Without Cocolia-mama, without Bronya-oneechan, without everyone from the orphanage.
To go to a completely strange place, losing familiar people, losing familiar surroundings, to start life anew all alone—such a thing was truly terrifying.
"I... I don't know which to choose."
Seele couldn't make a decision. She neither wanted to return to that dark, empty void, nor did she want to go to a completely unfamiliar world.
"In that case, if you don't mind, you can temporarily settle down in this small world I've created. This little world will become a sailboat navigating this region. I don't mind people boarding this sailboat."
"If you're thirsty and drink water, or hungry and eat wild fruits, that's fine. But if you want to eat meat, remember to tell me. After all, the animals here are a bit different from those in the outside world."
"What could be so different about some animals?"
Her other self's voice emerged in Seele's mind again, sounding as if it hadn't detected anything amiss with the animals or plants here.
"All life here was created by me. I tried my best to replicate ordinary animals and plants, but if this area truly consisted only of ordinary creatures, they wouldn't be able to survive at all. So, these animals and plants I've created, although their external behavior is all normal, but..."
Xin Yu thought for a moment. Words alone might not be enough to convince this young girl directly. So, he pointed to a nearby water buffalo, which appeared to be leisurely munching on grass, seemingly harmless.
The water buffalo noticed the gazes of the two under the tree. Then, as if receiving some kind of affirmation, it swallowed all the grass it was chewing. Its hide immediately transformed from its original bluish-black to a semi-transparent ink color. Its originally normal eyes were now covered by a black sheen of light.
In an instant, the water buffalo's body swelled to a height of several meters, and countless black smoke-like particle effects constantly emanated from its body.
"In the ecosystem I've designed, they all live according to the behavioral patterns of normal creatures. But these are all just part of a disguise. Even if they are hunted, they merely return to this land and will reappear before long. However, if something from outside this ecosystem attempts to hunt them, they will reveal their true selves."
Seele looked at the transformed creature, which had changed from a seemingly憨态可掬 (hān tài kě jū - endearingly clumsy/naive) water buffalo into a ferocious-looking异兽 (yìshòu - exotic/monstrous beast) in an instant.
And her other self in her mind was telling her that the fellow opposite them was very strong and very dangerous.
The water buffalo's body quickly shrank, eventually returning to its exceedingly ordinary appearance. It lowered its head again, took a bite of the grass on the ground, and then, leisurely flicking its tail, was about to leave. But then it saw the lion from not far away running towards it, let out a loud bellow, and immediately bolted into the distance.
"So, if you want to eat some meat, just let me know. I'll provide you with food. And don't worry, the animals here won't harm you. They merely follow the ecosystem I've set for them. As long as outsiders don't intentionally harm them, they won't mind."
"The water here is also very clean. If you want to drink, just scoop it up and drink. There are also some wild vegetables and fruits in the forest. I've specially adjusted them all; they taste good and aren't aggressive."
Apart from having a bit more vigorous life force, there were no other problems.
Seele looked at Xin Yu, who was sitting under the tree and appeared to be an extremely ordinary young man. After swallowing, she asked with a slight tremor in her voice, "Could it be that... you are a god?"
"A god? No, I'm not a god. I'm still far from being a true god. Apart from these abilities, I'm just an ordinary person. Don't be so formal. In fact, I was sweeping floors, mopping, and looking after kids before."
Although Xin Yu had been called "Lord God" for a full 200 years, he never truly felt he was a god. Compared to those Aeons who were embodiments of concepts, compared to that Will Integrator capable of devouring universes...
He was still far, far behind.
Besides, if he truly started to see himself as a god, he would drift further and further away from the human part of himself, being put on a pedestal, unable to see the ground anymore.
"You must have been drifting in this place for a long time. Let me treat you to something to eat."
As if performing a magic trick, a tablecloth appeared in Xin Yu's hand. After spreading it on the ground, a large spread of food immediately materialized on it: steaming hot steak and pasta, chilled fruit juice, fresh fruits, and exquisite cakes.
"If you're willing to trust me, these foods are all fine. You can eat as much as you like, and you won't even gain weight, oh."
"Thank you, Xin Yu-gege!"
Seele's eyes lit up at the sight of these foods. After saying thank you, she picked up the cutlery that had appeared near her at some point and began to feast heartily on the food on the tablecloth.
Perhaps because she hadn't eaten properly in too long, Seele ate with a somewhat unreserved gusto. However, Xin Yu himself wasn't too particular about such things. He picked up a nearby cake, scooped a spoonful into his mouth. Mm, his skill at conjuring food wasn't bad.
Just as the two were eating, a series of rather heavy footsteps came from the border between the sea of flowers and the forest not far away. Xin Yu, as if anticipating it, smiled at the newcomer. Seele, prompted by her other self, temporarily stopped eating and also looked in that direction.
And this new visitor was an adult male. He had white hair, sky-blue eyes, and was wearing a black windbreaker. His entire demeanor seemed exceptionally cold.
"Kevin Kaslana."
He stated his name.