God King

“Ugh...” Li Yue lightly held her head as she sat up in bed. Her pajamas were loose and hung limply on her body. She let out a yawn, appearing uncharacteristically weary—though it could hardly be called uncharacteristic, as she had been perpetually exhausted.

Just now, she had witnessed the destruction of an entire universe in her dream. Everything in that world had transformed into self-aware “creatures,” twisting and attacking one another, entangling until everything inevitably marched toward ruin. It felt as though everything still existed, yet it was a different kind of “ruin”—a state of being clearly alive while being perceptibly “alienated.”

“Have my recent nightmares changed from before? It seems that even when you have nothing to do, you are constantly peering into my thoughts.” Li Yue sighed softly. Her hands, which had taken the form of pitch-black claws, returned to their normal appearance. Although she was currently in Clo’s home, those claws were not well-suited for delicate tasks, such as cooking.

However, they were exceptionally convenient for casting magic.

Li Yue could no longer clearly remember which day this was in her repeating cycle. Every day, she cooked different meals, read different books, and whispered different sweet nothings to Clo. Yet, every page of her diary recorded the same general content; the only differences were whether it was sunny or rainy, overcast or clear.

Li Yue felt as though everything had returned to nature. She felt that there was no real need for a diary for such days, yet each day was necessary. She did not like words that recorded blood and strife. The only thing she wanted to do with a knife now was to finely slice the marinated meat, then pour it into a pot of shimmering hot oil. She felt for the switch on the wall and turned on the overhead light.

It seemed several years had indeed passed. The residents Li Yue knew in the neighborhood had begun to study the use of electric lights and generators. Yet, it also seemed too fast; the capitalists who had invested were almost unable to keep up with Reinhardt’s pace. Every day seemed to bring a new discovery, yet for Li Yue, every day was a repeat of her small, daily happiness.

It was as if she had returned to the past. Clo, who had once thought that year at the academy was a fleeting dream, now felt as if she had stepped back into that dream, as if the previous interludes were merely bloody realities interspersed within it.

Li Yue had once said that Clo was the closest to godhood among all current Calamity Warlocks. She had already obtained her own authority; all she lacked was the right moment. However, that moment had not arrived in all these decades. The apocalyptic days Li Yue spoke of had never come...

It was as if everything was meant to be this way. The magic user who was once closest to god had blended into the crowd, while the one who had once struggled among the masses had become a god who never quite fit in. No matter where she went, she always seemed to be alone.

For all the magic users who had long since prepared themselves, these past few years had been far too peaceful. Nothing had happened. Some of them had even organized and built shelters, even though they knew such things would ultimately be useless. In times like these, not finding something to do made them feel restless.

Aside from the boundary between life and death becoming increasingly blurred—with the legendary Underworld growing larger and drawing closer to the secular world—the process of the world’s destruction seemed to have been paused by someone.

There was only one other matter that caught the attention of a small group of people: a wealthy individual had appeared over the past few years, commissioning and trying on countless outfits and scouting numerous locations. They had spent an astronomical sum of money, seemingly all for the purpose of holding a wedding that wasn't even particularly grand.

The sun’s brilliance had already faded by half, sinking halfway below the horizon.

Li Yue watched the distant sunset, the knife in her hand gradually slowing. She wiped her hands, which were stained with some seasoning, and put the sliced ingredients into the pot. The horizon grew increasingly dim, yet also seemed to grow brighter. Li Yue did not look up. She set the timer for the oven and looked toward the door, then at the clock on the wall. The second hand had stopped moving.

It was now near twilight.

Clo had not yet returned. Li Yue knew she had been very busy these past few years; the person who could succeed her had not yet appeared. There was no longer time to wait for her return—or rather, by the time Clo rushed home in a panic, it would be too late.

Li Yue gently untied her apron. She looked at one side of the sky and sighed silently, thinking that humans today were too dull—the more sensitive they were, the more dull they became.

A small snake slid down from her shoulder. This was the result of Reinhardt’s work over the years; if not for this research, he might have already discovered alternating current. However, a slower pace was fine. The world was already struggling to keep up with him and his companions. That Royal Court Royal Scholars Society truly gathered a large number of wandering stars.

Unfortunately, the stars of this world did not have the right to gaze at the starry sky. At least... not for now.

Li Yue’s figure vanished into the air. The light in the sky seemed to grow more intense. The sun and its rays turned pitch-black, beginning to erode the light that should have existed in this world. People discovered that where the sun shone, shadows were cast—but beneath those shadows, there was only brilliant light.

Inside the academy’s showroom, all the items were swept away in an instant. After a flash of light, several Calamity Warlocks who had not yet recovered their wits felt as if something had been forcibly stripped from their bodies. Had they not spent years preparing, this would have been a fatal injury.

The final piece of authority... was that small silver pocket watch. It was Clo’s “time.” Now, standing by the window in a daze, Clo saw that figure, just as she had expected.

“Dinner is ready. Remember to eat it before it gets cold,” Li Yue said calmly, dressed in her pitch-black and blood-red divine raiment. Countless blood-red eyes sprouted from the crown atop her head. She gently reached out and touched Clo’s abdomen.

A silver pocket watch floated out. The layer of magic formations left by Chronos seemed to protect Clo’s body; even as her authority was extracted, she did not feel much of a change.

“I thought... this day would come a bit later...”

“Only this moment—this unexpected yet expected moment—truly belongs to Madness.” Everything around Li Yue was being shrouded in darkness.

“Regarding this day... how much of the truth did you actually tell me?”

“All of it,” Li Yue said softly. “Mostly.”

Clo seemed to have more to say, but her pupils constricted as she looked toward the horizon. A figure she was all too familiar with had appeared... She knew exactly what that six-winged entity was...

“We said we would face it together... In the end, you still plan to face it alone... You lied to me...”

“I’m sorry. This is necessary. Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to manage the Royal Court for so long.”

“You have to survive. You promised me...”

At this moment... it was already near twilight.