Is the person you sculpt as cute as me?

287 Forever

"Father and son?" asked the deer.

"Well, father and son...at least that's what it sounds like."

"Everyone in the world needs my forgiveness" is very sincere. Even though the words are so slow, there is no time in this world, so it doesn't matter.

"It seems they were local bigwigs. But they were nothing special. A father's beloved little daughter, a granddaughter doted on by her grandparents... tragically met with death, and they couldn't accept it. The voices praying for the dead to be resurrected just happened to reach me, who shared the same aspiration... It's a common occurrence."

But before that, Yu Man asked sharply: "How did he die?"

It is directed both to the doll and to the box.

But the latter obviously had no memory of it and was so confused that he didn't realize that it was talking about him.

"Everyone in the world needs my forgiveness." He raised his finger, indicating that he needed some quiet time. But recalling the past didn't work, so he had to dig out the account book from the repair shop. It seemed that every entry and exit was clearly recorded.

"Oh, they were born on a small island where it always snows, that is Shimla Bakken. The youngest daughter read the storybooks she had read before and knew that there is sunshine, rain, stars and bright moons outside the world. She also wanted to see the changing seasons... Because she was too innocent and naughty, she tried to sneak out on her own, but the result was disastrous."

"……I see."

Yu Man exhaled lightly, feeling the withering presence of this world, yet it was rare for him to feel a sense of fulfillment.

Ultimately, this is still the story of Shimla Bakken.

"Their prayers were answered. I tried to save the soul, but this is the best I can do. That tiny, tender soul is too fragile, clinging to a simple and weak vessel. Unfortunately, this is all I can find. After all, we are Old Gods, and under the supervision of the Three Secrets, it is extremely difficult to reach the Old World."

Yu Man took over its words——

"Later, her father tried to fulfill her last wish and also sought your help?"

"...How did you know? But it's true, so I found an excuse to return the soul container you now call the box. Although the person involved remembers nothing, his memories were lost during the replacement process...but it was his last wish after all."

"...Alas." Yu Man curled her lips, feeling very bad.

"Her ancestor, however, got stuck in a rut and begged me for excessive knowledge of blood magic, seemingly hoping to truly resurrect the dead. But he was too weak. Even the feat I couldn't accomplish was merely a mental burden to him."

Xiaolu looked at Yu Man in confusion, his eyes shifting between Xiang Xiang and her.

As someone who had been working with Yu Man from the very beginning, it seemed that she had also sensed something strange.

But - Yu Man had no intention of telling this story clearly, even if the target was Xiaolu.

"At least... I made this wish come true."

After muttering to himself, Yu Man suddenly frowned again.

She remembered something.

Was the process of returning the boxes in "Everyone Needs My Forgiveness" a copy for the players?

At that time, Lie happened to be rushing to Shimla Bakken... It seemed that he was just trying to clear this story line, but unfortunately, Yu Man's speedrun progress was faster...

No—I was probably just overthinking it.

It should just be the "Three Secrets" trying to prevent the influence and interference of the Old Gods... nothing else.

"...What's wrong? Xiaoman." Noticing Yu Man's deep thought, Xiaoye Qu felt something was wrong. "What's the problem?"

Yu Man grabbed Xiao Ye Qu's shoulder like a little hooligan trying to rob a classmate. Their faces came close together and they started talking in a low voice.

"Cat Six, when we were being intimate last week, did you let anything slip while enjoying yourself, like how you could also look at the story from a reader's perspective?"

"...Kiss, kiss? I'm a pure person, I've never done such a thing..." Her face began to redden, "He's a big liar, full of lies, nothing can be believed - nothing."

"Did you say that?"

After taking a moment to recall, Serenade shook her head and said, "No, she just told me that time can do this kind of thing."

"I see."

After Yu Man let her go, he touched her chin out of habit.

This person also habitually looked up and enjoyed it very much.

But after a second, they suddenly realized something and separated awkwardly.

"Okay, no problem." Yu Man bowed to "Everyone Needs My Forgiveness" to express his gratitude. "Then I'll entrust you with the work next."

"please say."

Yu Man took out the two tears stuck there from the collar and placed them carefully on the table.

"Everyone in the World Needs My Forgiveness" saw through their nature at a glance and was shocked.

"It's a very strong thing, but it's badly damaged... What did it carry?"

"As we outsiders say—it once carried the divine authority of the class monster 10.4."

"……I see."

"I hope to repair it, or even strengthen it. As for the price, you can ask for it." But Yu Man raised his hand and interrupted the struggling puppet. "Not only that, my [Promise Keeper] is almost fully specialized and needs a tenth-level knot to replace it."

"Everyone in the world needs my forgiveness" with a distressed look.

It does hope that in this eternally stagnant world...some changes will come.

But such a difficult and obscure problem...it's better not to come.

"Since you didn't refuse immediately, it means you can do it. If you can, just name the price."

"I……"

"Everyone in the world needs my forgiveness" was at a disadvantage and was overshadowed by Yu Man's momentum.

As an Old God, it held a higher rank than Yu Man, but facing this seemingly all-knowing ice mage, "Everyone Needs My Forgiveness" felt like a child. Needless to say, none of the tactics he normally used to deceive the inhabitants of the Old World and inflate his own prestige and status would work against Yu Man.

Yu Man's words are so tempting——

"I can even teach you the ultimate secret of blood magic, the perfect way to resurrect the dead. At least... I know a deceased god who died because of this, and it is indeed possible."

"Everyone in the world needs my forgiveness" is full of curiosity.

But it was fleeting.

All its emotions were completely withered, just like the world.

"You are not the Creator, and you cannot create anything for me. Even if you tell me the secrets, even if I try to spread my influence in the Old World and seek conditions... the Three Secrets will erase everything, and I will be powerless."

As a discarded protagonist abandoned by God, it cannot write any ending for itself, and it cannot lead anywhere.

Yu Man, however, was not disappointed. She just stared at it and said, "I told you - just name the price."

"But... the only thing I want is..."

"Although I can't create a perfect sequel for you...but at least, I can provide you with an ending."

The puppet raised its head and looked at Yu Man deeply, in disbelief.

Apart from the Creator, who else can continue the life she has just begun?

Yu Man shook her finger, as if she could see through his mind.

"Not a continuation—just a conclusion."

“…The end?”

"I have a dear friend who carries the fate of destroying the world... even if it's the Old World. In comparison, your tiny hometown is just dust that she can end with a sigh."

Serenade shuddered, thinking that he hadn't gained any expertise yet, and Yu Man was calling on him to destroy the world?

But then she suddenly realized that it wasn't referring to herself.

Feeling both lost and relieved, Serenade looked towards Yu Man's best friend.

Obviously not expecting Yu Man to say that, Guangsu was stared at by everyone, with a look of "Huh?" written on his face like the "Dragon of the Melting World".

"...Me...Me? Yu, you are such a person..."

"Lao Huo, stop pretending. It's not like you haven't done this kind of thing before..." Yu Man poked her with her elbow.

"That was when I was really angry. Now the world hasn't offended me, so I don't want to release my power."

"But... this is the only way to end it. Or rather, it's the only reality the old god, 'Everyone Needs My Forgiveness', can achieve... and the only future he can reach."

Their words melted into the night.

It also melts into the soul of the doll.

It asked, "Is it really possible? To destroy the world created by God?"

"Of course I can. I've erased more than one world like this before." The World-Melting Dragon nodded calmly. "But after that, everything that belongs to you will vanish. The eternity that was supposed to remain stagnant forever will also leave you."

The long silence, as always, drifts in the small town under the night.

A moment, or a long time.

At this moment when time is also frozen, the villain of this story, the protagonist of this story——

"Okay." He agreed happily.

"Are you sure?" The World-Melting Dragon asked again, "This is the end... the end of nothing left."

The puppet was a little shy: "This world has just begun. We appeared as the background story and villains... and then stopped forever. But now it's different-"

The puppet looked at them all.

"Aren't you here to put an end to the evil protagonist? The story begins as it should, and will reach its proper ending. The evil blood magic creation that manipulates souls, toys with the dead, and desecrates life will meet its sinful end here!"

At this time-

"Ugh?"

Although he didn't understand most of what he heard, Xiang Xiang understood one thing.

My own creator...will end here.

“…W-why?”

My hometown, the town of Eternal Night where I had not lived for long, will also come to an end.

It finally became strong enough and finally returned home, but before it could receive praise from its maker, it was about to end.

Serenade whispered, "Xiao Man, this means defying divine authority, or even acting on behalf of the gods without authorization. It means... the true agents and administrators, the Three Secrets, will no longer sit idly by."

"So what? Didn't you start fanning the flames the moment you landed? You were yelling about killing 'lies' and so on, one thing after another. Now you're scared?" Yu Man asked back.

"...Well, there's no need to rush... I haven't developed yet..."

"Then grow up quickly."

"Woo." Serenade began to regret why he had to tell such a difficult thing in advance.

Damn Yu Man, why is he even trying to speedrun this?!

Serenade realized that he seemed to be the one who provided Yu Man with the game content and game objectives. When a difficult target appeared in front of the player, it would become the most terrifying existence.

So much so that——

"Not just your world—I intend to summon all the reflections of the old world and ask who else is tired of forever. All they need to do is pay enough..."

……

ps

(Sorry for being late, force majeure is more torturous than I imagined.

But I will be fully resurrected later! I will be gone forever after the hiatus, this time for real, and I will update twice tomorrow.)

288 The Child Who Cannot Accept His Fate

In this withered world, the only living villain is a puppet named "Everyone Needs My Forgiveness".

"This is my first and last job, and I will do it well."

Saying these words seriously, then——

At the end, there is a wonderful, long sigh.

"Ugh."

But that's not an expression of sadness.

Then it took its seat.