Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

Moreover, she gradually sensed that the force binding her in the dream was weakening with each impact, and would soon...

Click~

Like a fledgling bird hatching for the first time, Gretchen suddenly sensed two beams of light piercing through from the outside, bringing a vibrant splash of color to this long-dormant dream.

…………

"Shh~ She's still sleeping, don't wake her up."

A gentle voice softly rang out.

"..."

Looking at the pink fairy who was gently instructing him while poking the girl's cheek with her finger, Shihen was speechless. He could only turn his head and stare at a silver-armored knight next to him, while his gaze swept around the dreamlike scene that was no different from the Paradise Art Studio.

Although from the outside, this place is exactly the same as the paradise of the past, for Gretchen now, this scene obviously has other meanings.

"Is this the place that makes Gretchen feel most at ease?"

Shihen asked the silver-armored knight.

As Gretchen's resting place in her dreams, this place naturally carries more than just the function of a painting studio.

More importantly, Gretchen subconsciously believed that this was the safest place.

“That’s right, Gretchen… likes to draw.”

The silver-armored knight, who seemed to have come to life from a painting, spoke in a low voice to avoid waking the sleeping little girl next to him.

Yes, a young girl.

Even though she has grown up completely in the real world, Gretchen still retains her childhood appearance in this dream world.

"Is that so? This place is indeed very beautiful."

Being able to paint here would definitely be a very happy thing.

Shihen nodded slightly and said.

"From now on, I will definitely make little Gretchen even happier."

As she gently stroked the girl's hair, Alicia's gaze drifted toward the silver-armored knight beside her.

"Yes, I believe that too."

Faced with the fairy's declaration, the silver-armored knight nodded with a hum, his tone steady yet revealing the joy within.

"Um~"

On the other side, as if awakened by the conversation of the group, the sleeping girl opened her eyes with a soft moan. Her bright purple eyes, like stars, quickly went from confusion to clarity. "Alicia... Sister?"

He asked softly. The girl rubbed her eyes, her small, childlike face revealing obvious joy and surprise.

"It's Alicia, my little sister!"

"Didn't we agree to call her that? Little Gretchen can't go back on her word!"

Alicia pouted slightly, trying to correct herself.

"Sister Alicia, please stop making fun of me..."

The girl retorted softly.

"Oh dear, it seems our little Gretchen has grown up; we can't treat her like a child anymore~"

After glancing at the silver-armored knight beside her, Alicia smiled and sighed, her azure eyes narrowing into crescent shapes.

"Sister Alicia, what are you doing here? And..."

While blinking her eyes and asking, the girl looked at the black-haired boy beside her who was smiling and watching her, her eyes filled with doubt.

"I came because little Gretsch needs me now."

No matter when or where, I will always respond to little Greta's expectations~

With a smile, Alicia looked at the boy with a hint of mockery, "As for him..."

"My name is Shihen, and I hope to become friends with little Gretchen, is that alright?"

He spoke softly, crouching down to be at eye level with the girl, his handsome face full of gentleness.

"Well……"

Subconsciously placing her finger on her chin and tapping it, the girl looked at the silver-armored knight beside her, her eyes full of inquiry.

"It's alright, Gretchen really enjoys making friends."

The silver-armored knight spoke in a gentle tone.

"Yes, Gretchen likes making friends."

Nodding slightly, the girl echoed, a smile blooming on her beautiful face, like a newly sprouting bud.

"Then let's paint today with the colors of happiness and joy!"

Holding the girl's hand, Alicia smiled and walked towards the studio exit, as if heading towards a paradise of infinite light.

And outside this studio, which is filled with a sense of peace, there truly exists such a paradise.

……

This was the day before Gretchen's voyage.

Unlike someone else's failed voyage, when Gretchen, who was once as naive as a child, decided to embark on a voyage with no return, she received sincere blessings from everyone.

Together they found rare and heartfelt gifts, played various childlike games with the girl, and passed on their own passion through words and deeds...

This was the happiest day in Gretchen's memory.

Even though the voyage on the Ark was a lonely journey that lasted for thousands of years, the color of this joy never faded with time. In fact, it remained so vibrant that the girl could imbue it with an almost "eternal" color and use it to weave a strong shield against all calamities.

……

Do you know why life sometimes falls into a deep sleep?

Watching Alicia and young Gretchen play from a distance alongside the silver-armored knight, Shihen suddenly asked a question.

PS: Gurgle...

Let's slack off!

goo...

Purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding purple potato pudding

Chapter 41 After Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up

Happy times always pass too quickly.

A gentle breeze swept across the dreamlike Mount Taixu, and the warm, bright sunlight gradually tinged the drifting white clouds with crimson. Young Gretchen, accompanied by Alicia and Fu Hua in her dream, enjoyed a day far happier than she could remember.

Well, as the happiest day in Gretchen's memory, what the girl will always remember is not only the beautiful scenery of Mount Taixu, but also the companionship of her predecessors such as Fu Hua, Kevin, and Su, which is the precious treasure that the girl truly wants to keep.

When young Gretchen played and frolicked with Alicia and Fu Hua in her dreams, Shihen simply watched from afar without disturbing them.

This is ultimately just a dream. No matter how realistic Fu Hua and the others appear, they will only act according to the logic that Gretchen understands, and should not be tainted by too many external influences.

Therefore, having one pink fairy lady involved is enough.

If there are too many player characters, these NPCs can easily become illogical.

As the sun set and a silver moon slowly climbed into the sky, the silver-armored knight finally looked up from his long contemplation, a hint of anxiety involuntarily showing on his face.

Based on past experience, when the day ends, an inexplicable force will completely reverse time and erase all traces of the day, thus keeping young Gretchen immersed in this happy but false eternal dream.

In countless previous cycles, the silver-armored knight had tried various methods to take young Gretchen away from this place, but all of them ended in failure.

Now that unprecedented changes have finally occurred, how can it let the opportunity slip away?

Swah——

Before the silver-armored knight could do anything, a strange fluctuation suddenly spread out, causing every blade of grass and tree in Mount Taixu to freeze. Even Fu Hua and the others, who were about to leave, were completely brought to a standstill. Only Shi Hen and the others were able to continue moving, like the few remaining vibrant colors in a faded photograph.

"Did little Gretchen have fun today?"

As if completely unaware of the strangeness in the dream, Alicia smiled and asked the young Gretchen beside her.

"Well……"

With some curiosity, the girl looked around at the suddenly quiet Mount Taixu. A series of question marks seemed to pop into her head. After a while, she nodded as if she understood. "I had a lot of fun today, Sister Alicia."

"Does little Gretchen want to be this happy every day?"

Alicia continued to ask, her bright, beautiful eyes narrowing slightly like two crescent moons.

“But that’s not right, Alicia.”

The silver-armored knight suddenly interjected.

"Um???"

Young Gretchen tilted her head, her amethyst eyes filled with confusion.

"Oh? Why?"

Alicia asked with a smile.

"Because life cannot exist in only one color."

"Just as only a combination of different colors can create a beautiful picture," the silver-armored knight said in a low, resolute voice.

Life is not just about happiness.

Sadness, regret, anger, joy... these are all indispensable parts of life.

Only by drawing strength from these diverse emotions can life truly grow!

“That’s right, Mr. Knight is right.”

I enjoy being with Alicia, but... it's definitely not the same kind of happiness every day!

She clenched her fist and said, the confusion on young Gretchen's face quickly fading, and her beautiful purple eyes sparkled with starlight.

"Even if I lose all of this, it doesn't matter?"

Shihen chuckled and said that the silver moon hanging high in the sky became a little brighter, making the scenery of Mount Taixu even clearer and more beautiful.

"Well……"

Seeing the smiles on Fu Hua and the others' faces, which seemed to be frozen in time, young Greta's face was filled with hesitation, and she clenched her slender fists even tighter.

But she didn't let the hesitation fester. The girl's expression quickly hardened, and she said, "Because..."

"Because I have already decided to move towards tomorrow!"

As if speaking in unison with young Gretchen, countless cracks instantly appeared on the silver-armored knight's armor, and beams of light continuously poured out from the cracks in the armor, like a fledgling bird trying to break out of its shell.

Upon seeing this, young Gretchen couldn't help but smile. She immediately stepped forward and grasped the silver-armored knight's broad hand, her body also radiating a dazzling white light.

Bathed in this bright light, the voices of young Gretchen and the silver-armored knight rang out at the same time: "The time I spent with Sister Hua and Uncle Kevin on Mount Taixu was really happy. I even thought about whether I should give up the Ark Project and stay on Earth forever."

However, I am no longer a child.

Uncle Kevin and the others all have their own missions, and I must also shoulder my own responsibilities.

Therefore, the reason life chooses to sleep... is so that it can better face tomorrow!

As the girl's voice grew more resolute, the two figures enveloped in light gradually merged together, coalescing into a slender and mature female form.

Yes, unlike Fu Hua and the others who were constructed based on impressions, the silver-armored knights, who seemed to come to life from a painting, were the true part of Gretchen.

It should even be said that the entire dream, including the image of the silver-armored knight and the young Gretchen, is actually Gretchen's protective shell when she chooses to close herself off in the face of danger.

Now, as the girl's belief in leaving the dream and facing reality grows stronger, this protective layer can no longer conceal Gretsch's true nature.

boom!

Before the girl's dazzling radiance had faded, Alicia hugged the girl in front of her tightly, causing the two pairs of plump fruits to collide and squeeze, creating worrying arcs.

"Little Gretchen has really grown up completely."

As she spoke with a joyful voice, Alicia's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Having sacrificed herself long before the civilization era and never having lived with Gretsch in the present civilization, she naturally couldn't understand what kind of feelings the girl had when she boarded the ark.