From the end of the world

Chapter 663 Prophecy Blank
It is only natural for the leading believer to ask this question.

They arrived in the perilous southern city with a naive mindset, only to find themselves completely lost and bewildered upon arrival. Since they had come for the sake of adventure, this was a predictable outcome. Therefore, they would naturally begin to re-evaluate the very act of "adventure."

The consequence of "taking risks for the sake of taking risks" is that it becomes difficult to clearly define one's specific role in an event and to know what one should actually do. The reason is very simple: ultimately, "taking risks" is merely a process or a means, not a result or an end.

Their current direction is to rescue and protect survivors, but that's not their own direction; it's the direction of the Winter Train. They're just using that as a pretext to continue their adventure. And since their driving force is to emulate me, they'll definitely try to understand how to overcome obstacles from my perspective after hitting a wall. It doesn't matter if they fail this time; the important thing is not to stumble in the same place next time.

However, it is very difficult for them to get guidance from my perspective, because I myself do not know the answer.

I also view the process and means of "adventure" as the result and goal I want to pursue.
To protect something, acquire something, or destroy something, one must choose a risky path—this is the normal mindset of an adventurer. I want to experience exciting adventures like the protagonist in a fantasy story, but the protagonist in a story never adventures for the sake of adventure. "Adventure" itself cannot form a story.

If I hadn't come into contact with these believers and been questioned in person like this, I probably wouldn't have noticed this contradiction.

After meeting Mazao, I did experience many extraordinary magical adventures, but upon closer reflection, I was actually mostly passively facing the situation.

Because Mingzhuo wants to kill Mazao to open the door to the afterlife, I must eliminate this threat; because Xuanming wants to use the small bowl to initiate the sacrificial ceremony, I must strike first; because Mengzhang, the lord of Taoyuan Township, wants to eliminate me in advance to prevent me from becoming the resources for the Mountain and Yin-Yang, and may even incorporate all of humanity into the dream network that he can control at will, I must defeat Xuanming after defeating him...

There's also Huang Quan, who for some unknown reason tried to kill me, and Shan Liangyi, who still lurks in the shadows. These enemies weren't chosen by me; they first showed their threat to me, which then mirrored my hostile stance. Even Ying Lingyun and Yin Yue, these two enemies, only became my sworn enemies because their existence threatened the life of my friend Chang'an.

My contradictory nature is even more pronounced when it comes to the issue of the apocalypse. For a long time, I didn't know whether I should help Asaha stop the apocalypse or betray Asaha and push it forward. Both sides seemed like risky options, which made it impossible for me to choose. Although I have now chosen to push the apocalypse forward after much deliberation, there are still very fatal problems.

The apocalypse is the ultimate stage for adventure, but on that stage, I don't really know what role I should play.

This southern city, now a battlefield of impermanence, can be seen as an extremely dangerous apocalyptic scenario. The Zhuangcheng believers who have entered this scene can, in a sense, be seen as another version of myself. I believe that the apocalypse may hold the infinite possibilities I've always dreamed of, while they believe this city can help them draw closer to their divine being.

The void they face now may be a foreshadowing of my future.

"The adventures I seek are unpredictable and incredible things that transcend my past life and common sense," I said. "And you should all know very well about my past life. I came from what you consider a secular society, where there are no witchers or strange creatures. Therefore, just being able to enter this world full of the bizarre and fantastical is already the first step in an adventure for me, a major breakthrough from zero to one."

"But it shouldn't be like that for you, since you both come from this world. What is unusual to me is part of your daily lives. Our life experiences are completely different, and even your lives should be different. So, the question of 'what exactly is adventure' can only be answered by yourselves."

"If you're just trying to imitate me without having your own ideas, and you just want someone else to tell you how to take risks, then I think you'd better not continue. Borrowed determination will only make you regret it at the last moment. Since you're going to risk your life to move forward, then whether you succeed or fail, you should at least be able to do so without regrets."

The lead believer seemed to be processing my words, staring intently at me, and said, “But no matter how extraordinary something is, if you experience enough of it, it will eventually become part of your daily life. Perhaps you once lived the life of an ordinary person, but now you are undoubtedly a god. I believe you will soon regard the strange world as your own common sense… and you may even be inclined to do so right now.” “Yes. That’s why I must repeatedly confront this issue,” I said bluntly, “and even the situation you are facing now is a problem I must confront. The fact that you are confused by it is already a sign that you are getting closer to me.”

The leader of the believers paused for a moment, then said, "...I thought you would give us some vague and ambiguous answers."

"Do you have any other questions?" I asked.

After some thought, the leader of the believers raised other questions, mainly requesting that I transfer all the survivors in the shelter to the outside world. Although it was out of respect for Wintercar, they were also getting tired of being protectors of ordinary people. More importantly, without being able to leave the city's protective barrier, this job was hopeless and would only lead to their annihilation.

They themselves have no intention of leaving this dangerous environment; they just want to get rid of all their burdens.

As for my current weak position, I made no attempt to hide it. The more people who could lend their brains to help me come up with solutions, the better. Fortunately, the believers of the gods in Luoshan were well aware that the Great Impermanence was not omniscient or omnipotent, so even if I revealed my limitations, it wouldn't be considered a loss of image. In fact, given that other Great Impermanences of Luoshan couldn't even invade this city, my ability to forcibly infiltrate it seemed like a boastful achievement in their eyes.

While explaining the situation, I also mentioned the current state of affairs outside. The outside world's reaction to the southern cities becoming the battlefield of the Great Impermanence, the destruction of the eastern coastal cities caused by the Three-Headed Demon, the Evangelion's plan to slaughter humans, and so on... After hearing these things, everyone showed a shocked reaction.

"I thought what happened here was explosive enough, but I never imagined that the outside world almost entered the apocalypse..." Dongche said with lingering fear.

Xiao Qiao, the only ordinary person present, looked completely bewildered and muttered in confusion, "...What will become of our world?"

Whether it's this southern city or the already destroyed eastern coastal city, in the face of earth-shattering changes, the people who suffer the most casualties are always ordinary citizens.

Just then, there was another knock on the door. Dongche glanced at me, and after I nodded, he said "Come in" towards the door.

A demon hunter dressed in a black uniform of the Impermanent Ones pushed open the door and entered. He first looked at the believers gathered here with a puzzled expression, and then, noticing that my junior sister Xiao Qiao and I were also there, he looked at Dong Che with an inquiring gaze.

The leader of the believers likely held a high position in the refuge, and he spoke in a superior tone, saying, "What is it? Just say it."

“‘That guy’ has woken up,” the Witcher said.

(End of this chapter)