People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 543 Shadow: Divine Child, Accompany Me to the Thousand-Handed, Hundred-Eyed Statue; I Want to Return the Eye of God.
"Aying, are you saying that you've been through this battle countless times and failed many times?"

"Every previous attempt had failed, and without exception, Inazuma was destroyed by the monster."

Inside the castle tower, in the training grounds.

The pink-haired fox priest looked puzzled, but outwardly feigned surprise as she listened to Aying's confession, as if she truly knew nothing.

But deep in the heart of the goddess, she was moved beyond words at this moment:

—Heaven knows how many times I've accompanied Ah Ying through reincarnation. Getting her to seriously accept advice is harder than persuading a group of cats to stop eating dried fish from now on!
First, he watched as Aying charged forward without a word to fight the Abyss General, and then he saw his own Aying leading her people to cower in Inazuma Castle, struggling with the "eternity" that always lingered in her heart.
After much difficulty, Ah Ying finally managed to distribute the divine eye from the Thousand-Handed, Hundred-Eyed Statue. To her surprise, she discovered that "the people's wishes could also be applied to her," something that should have been taken for granted.
Ah Ying's own creation of a general has dragged the situation into a vicious cycle.
"I believe you wouldn't joke around in this situation, Aying. Since Inazuma is really in trouble, I'll try my best to offer you advice."

I've never felt so gratified that Aying was willing to ask me questions.

The Divine Child looked at A-Ying's face, which showed a grateful expression that said, "After so many failures, you're still the one who believes in me the most."

Recalling the reasons behind those failures, I suddenly felt frustrated and had an urge to pick up a stick and hit her on the head.

"So, Aying, you mean that through your countless attempts, you've 'rigorously' confirmed that the Abyss General is difficult to defeat directly in terms of force?"

"Later, for some unknown reason, as you were reborn more times, the other party, although not seemingly retaining their memories, became inexplicably much stronger than at the beginning."

I almost couldn't hold back my laughter when I opened my mouth to say just the first sentence.
Upon hearing Aying's words, "I have rigorously confirmed the Abyss General's martial prowess," the Divine Child wanted to say that there was no need to make such a roundabout way of talking about fancy ways to die.

Having witnessed Inazuma's various ways of dying, she felt that the only one who could be that stubborn was the one right in front of her.

"Yes, the monsters outside Inazuma Castle are relatively weak at first, but they will become stronger and stronger later. Under normal circumstances, the army can hold out for a long time on its own in the early stages."

"But if I attempt a direct decapitation without leaving any defensive measures, the Abyss General will divert his power to the demons while holding me back."

Although it will reduce the difficulty of the battle on my side, the monsters will breach the city within a few days.

Recalling his first defeat, when he thought the enemy's strength was nothing special, he could never forget the blow he felt after seeing Inazuma Castle.

"Without divine intervention, the army is capable of fighting for a short period; the enemy's enhanced monsters will deplete their strength."

"Okay, I've got that in mind. Ah Ying, please continue."

He nodded, indicating that a perfect decision required more information.

The divine child gestured to his old friend not to stop, wanting to see what Aying had learned from these hundred-plus reincarnations.

"I once tried to use my power to create a barrier around it, and then tried with all my might to destroy the source of everything."

"I succeeded the first time when the opponent diverted their strength, but I haven't succeeded since. The opponent is not without intelligence and will flexibly choose targets according to different situations."

"Normally, she would prioritize holding me back and destroying Inazuma, but once she realizes that the monsters can't easily break through the barrier, she will choose to eliminate the god first. This is a conclusion I've confirmed after many attempts."

They were defeated by their opponents in various ways, and at their worst, even the general's body parts were cut to pieces.

I don't know how many times I've gone back and forth like this.

Only after the general reported that "all enemy stats are superior to ours, and we cannot find any breakthroughs" did she fully realize that this was not an enemy she could defeat in a direct confrontation.
"Okay, I tried to take them down with me all by myself, and I died many times but I was still stubborn."

“I’ve noted down this information. Ah Ying, please continue.”

film:???

I had a feeling that the divine child in front of me seemed to have some subtle personal emotions, which became especially evident after I mentioned the number of times I would try.
After observing it carefully for a few moments,
Shadow, who had been killed too many times, shook his head, thinking it was probably just his imagination.

"In short, based on my previous experience, the Abyss General was not weak in its early stages of existence. In fact, it was stronger than normal because it did not distribute its power to the monsters. It was not suitable to behead it directly."

"The opponent is at its weakest when it first disperses its power to the demons, but it is still difficult to defeat. It will continue to grow stronger with the support of those hidden Abyss Gates."

"Furthermore, the Divine Cherry Blossom is not the source of their power; it is merely a trap on the surface. Destroying the Divine Cherry Blossom would only exacerbate the pollution of the Abyss. The Abyss Gate is the key to their increased power."

"I remember the locations of those Abyss Gates very clearly; their locations have never changed."

Destroying the Abyss Gate can temporarily alleviate the pressure on Inazuma, slow down his growth, and allow the people within the defensive perimeter to hold out for longer.

Continuing to recount his experiences from his hundreds of rebirths to the Divine Child like pouring out beans, Shadow felt that he was at least quite experienced in dealing with enemies.

Subsequent failures mainly fall into two categories.

These are, respectively, the opponent's continuous strengthening over time to an unmanageable level, and the fact that one's suppression of the general has reached its limit, leading to the general confronting one at a crucial moment.
"Hmm? Judging from this, Aying, you already know where the problem lies?"

"How about sharing with me what you care about most and what's giving you the biggest headache?"

It was clear that the other party would most likely want to discuss the key to solving the problem, which was the "willpower" provided by the public.
Having witnessed Shadow's similar failures in the final many cycles, the Divine Child knew that she probably couldn't understand such a thing on her own.

"."

"It's about the hard gap in power, and the 'eternity' I promised the people of Inazuma."

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke about the question he had been avoiding.

Since his defeat in direct confrontation and witnessing Inazuma's repeated destruction before his eyes, many of his subsequent decisions were solely focused on surviving the "present."

The goddess once said that her eternity was unrealistic, that the stillness within Inazuma was useless, and that external intrusions would not heed such self-imposed limitations.

After experiencing this inexplicable abyss disaster, she proved the correctness of this conclusion in practice in a very unfriendly way.

But I and the general are two independent wills. The general himself is a product born for eternity, an insurance policy left to prevent wear and tear.

Considering that wear and tear might cause him to lose his initial resolve and thus undermine eternity, he left no means of countermeasure when creating the general.

Now that he has chosen to abandon eternity to bear the will of the people, he can only remain silent for a very short time at most. Afterwards, many flaws will appear due to the conflict between the two wills within this body.
“Destroying those Abyss Gates can only temporarily cut off the enemy’s power supply, but without decisive power, it is still impossible to kill the Abyss General during this period, and new gates will soon reappear.”

"Because I couldn't find a way to break the deadlock, I once sealed Inazuma Castle with a barrier, just like I am now, hoping to delay the invasion of Inazuma Castle as much as possible." "To strengthen the power of the people, I chose to return the Eye of God on the Thousand-Armed Hundred-Eyed Statue, and thus discovered that returning the Eye of God could obtain a large amount of willpower, which could enhance my authority and further delay the enemy's invasion."

"But these aspirations are still far from enough for a direct confrontation, at least not at the very beginning."

"Although the power of will gained will gradually increase over time, by this time not only will the enemy become very strong, but even the program the general uses to ensure eternity will begin to activate."

She spoke candidly about the biggest predicament she faced, and it was precisely because of the variable of willpower that she was able to persevere for longer in the final few cycles.

Even without considering the future, and having withdrawn the defensive thunderstorms from the surrounding seas, while guarding Inazuma Castle, he also ventured out to destroy the Abyss Gates that provided power to the enemy.

Although she survived longer each time, she eventually discovered that doing so served no purpose other than delaying her demise.
"."

"Phew, I'm so glad, A-Ying, that you're no longer fixated on closing yourself off to 'eternity.' Your ability to accept the power of will shows that you've finally understood the people's desires."

"Simply put, the biggest problem is that you can't fight the enemy if you don't accept the power of will. But if you do accept the power of will and your actions deviate from eternity, the general will lose control after a period of time, causing you to make mistakes in battle."

"."

"However, since the opponent will continue to grow stronger over time, and you, Aying, will be at a disadvantage over time, have you considered a quick victory?"

They already knew the best solution; they were just pretending.

Although the Divine Child also couldn't understand why the situation where "Aying should have won by using the Eye of God and leading the army out" had turned out this way,

However, after that period of reckless rushing forward, it is now time to help Aying break free from that reckless retreat.
"A quick victory? But I've tried it before, and the enemy wasn't weak at the beginning."

"—I mean, after you, Aying, accept the power of the will, while the general hasn't started to act strangely, lead the army to try to eliminate the enemy. We can deal with the general's problem later."

"—Didn't you say that the monsters are weak in the early stages and the army can fight them? Why don't you return the Eye of God to the people and let the soldiers try to destroy those Abyss Gates?"

"The enemy is constantly getting stronger while you are constantly getting weaker. The best opportunity is only for a short period at the very beginning. Once that Abyss General has grown up, it will be difficult for the Shogunate's army to intervene in such a battle."

"."

"Sending troops outside would not only result in heavy casualties for them, but also for the remaining civilians."

After a slight hesitation, Ying couldn't imagine how many battle losses this would cause.

"—Then how about we gather the people together and build a lightning barrier on the smallest possible scale, just like we used to hide in an underground palace?"

"The enemy's growth rate is too fast; there's no possibility of a protracted war, nor is there the luxury of considering post-war operations."
Provide basic protection in a way that will least affect your power, and focus all your strength on this battle.

"—As long as you can truly present the predicament Inazuma faces to everyone, the people who are fighting together and waiting will naturally work together with you, Aying."

And you, burdened with the mission of "saving everyone," will receive far greater blessings from this divine will than before.

"."

"but"

Realizing that this was indeed a solution they had never tried before, Ying paused, as if she wanted to say something more.

"I understand your thoughts, Aying, but your power cannot sustain an entire nation forever. The progress of a nation also requires the efforts of its people."

"It is said that in the western land of Nata, there is a kingdom where everyone is a warrior, and gods are born from humanity, leading different tribes to fight together against the abyss."

Having gone through so many cycles, Ying began to truly cherish the life of every one of his people.

This is probably a good thing in the eyes of the Divine Child, since he will no longer choose to turn a blind eye to the civil war as he did before.

However, excessive protection can sometimes lead to a situation where both sides are hindered.
If the god of Nata in the distance had chosen not to let his people participate in the battle, the god alone would probably have been drowned in the waves of the abyss long ago.

“Let’s move forward with them, Aying.”

"There may be casualties and losses, but this is a fight for survival. Only if everyone contributes to this cause can Inazuma survive the disaster."

He expressed the already simple answer with genuine emotion.
Although it looks ordinary,
But the goddess knew that if the shadow could truly do this, it would symbolize that she had broken free from the eternal shackles and the fear of the abyss.

At first, A-Ying acted recklessly without thinking, then she retreated into a corner and became timid, and finally she needed to return to her unwavering belief in confrontation.

After going through these hundreds of simulations, Shenzi felt that although Aying was a bit stubborn at the beginning, she must have gained a lot in the process.

"To gain the people's approval and then fight on the shoulders of everyone's hopes—I truly can."

"—You definitely can, Aying. Go and retrieve the Eye of God from the Thousand-Handed Hundred-Eyed Statue in person, and honestly tell the people about the current predicament they are facing."

"As long as you can shift your focus from the future to the present, you will definitely gain everyone's trust."

There is no doubt that Ah Ying is much smarter now than she was at the beginning, and her abilities in all aspects have been honed to a high degree.

The repetitions were so numerous that I felt I was about to give up.
The divine child sighed slightly, stood up, and forcibly pulled Aying in front of him to the Thousand Hands and Hundred Eyes statue, deciding to use facts to convince Aying once.

The outside world, the real castle tower.

Unaware that they had experienced an incredibly long dream, they simply thought it was another new cycle of reincarnation.

The shadow opened its eyes and gazed at the divine child who pushed open the door and entered.
She was all too familiar with this scene, and before the other person could even offer any advice, she stood up first, interrupting as if she had foreseen it:
"."

"—Divine Child, don't try to persuade me anymore. I don't plan to rush out alone."

"Come with me to the Thousand-Handed, Hundred-Eyed Statue now. As preparation for the war, I want to personally return the confiscated Eye of God."

I had a vague feeling that this was the last chance.
In the previous round, they were extremely close to victory, but ultimately lost because they acted too late and missed the best opportunity.
Opening her eyes from meditation, Ying listened to the lingering prayers outside and felt certain that she would be able to fulfill her mission of saving Inazuma this time.

(End of this chapter)