Chapter 278: Andersen and the Deity
On the moon, inside the cyber-space constructed by the Moon Cell, the Demonic Bodhisattva Kiara Sessyoin was defeated by that young female Master.
For the sake of her Master, Hakuno, BB blocked the firewall of the Far Side of the Moon, allowing her to escape back to the Near Side.
CCC was nothing more than a long dream dreamt by an AI girl named BB.
From the moment BB vanished, the people caught in the dream would also wake up. Next, Hakuno and Rin would continue toward the Angelica Cage, defeat Twice Pieceman, and make their final choice.
The white-haired man sighed softly. With a bittersweet breath, he transferred the girl who should have been deleted by the Moon Cell's refresh, allowing her to survive as an individual independent of the Moon Cell.
As for the bewildered Kiara Sessyoin, before she could dissolve, the white-haired Deity prepared to teleport her to another pure-white space, asking her to assist in his work.
"My, my? And who might you be? Since you've healed my wounds, are you perhaps intending to do something 'pleasant' with me?" The giant Kiara looked at the suddenly appearing man and asked with an alluring smile.
"No. As a disaster, you are destined to be defeated regardless. Therefore, before that happens, I shall arrange the use of your power," the man said flatly.
"You really enjoy talking to yourself, don't you? Without a word, you just whisked away my bitch of a Master." The blue-haired boy stepped forward with his arms crossed, protesting to the man.
"My apologies. But I cannot let Kiara Sessyoin simply vanish. Moving forward, she must work for the humanity of many worlds," the white-haired man spoke with zero emotional fluctuation.
"Hmph, what a guest who doesn't understand romantic atmosphere. Then take me with you as well. I can help if you want to persuade her. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to disappear in such an indecisive way," Andersen said, crossing his arms.
"I see. You are the Servant she summoned; it seems you truly don't hate her," the white-haired man did not refuse. With a wave of his hand, he granted the blue-haired shota Servant enough magical energy to act independently for a long time in any world. For him, the energy to keep a Servant alive was a mere flick of the wrist.
"Ah! Indeed, I don't exactly hate her. I hate humans far more than a monster like her. Besides, she is a fan of mine." The blue-haired boy spread his hands and continued:
"True, that woman is a demon whose wickedness is rotted to the bone, with no possibility of forgiveness. But—no matter what kind of human they are, everyone has an ugly side. As long as they stake their life for their own happiness, in my eyes, they possess a noble radiance."
"Is that so? Then I shall take you along now. This is a promise. Because of my nature, even a verbal agreement becomes a contract. So I ask you once more, Andersen, have you truly thought this through?" The white-haired man's expression remained unchanged, yet he seriously cautioned the Servant.
"Yeah, nameless Deity, let's go. As long as I have a book and a pen, I can stay anywhere. And... staying by your side might provide some inspiration for my future creations."
The blue-haired shota looked the white-haired man—no, the Deity—up and down with a critical, even disparaging gaze. The words leaving his mouth bore no trace of respect, only irony. He didn't know how the white-haired man's heart reacted, given his consistently flat "dead man's" face, but since he had a tongue, he would use it.
"As a god, you're a disaster for humanity. Humans are already rotten to the core, but with you as the god above them, I'm starting to pity those humans."
If Kiara Sessyoin, as an evil goddess, did nothing but evil, it would at least allow humans to unite in hatred and struggle, showcasing the brilliance of human nature in a grand play of good triumphing over evil.
But the male god before him was the polar opposite of that woman. He was devoid of desire or pursuit, performing acts of salvation not for himself but while wearing a blank, expressionless mask—doing the thankless tasks that even the most loving benevolent god would avoid. And because these were not "evil" deeds, people would not resist or stop him. He would continue this lonely existence until the eventual collapse arrived.
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Hans Christian Andersen, the famous 19th-century Danish fairy tale writer, was the first to successfully write fairy tales as literary works, earning him titles like the "Father of Modern Fairy Tales" and the "Sun of Children's Literature."
The Ugly Duckling, The Little Match Girl, The Little Mermaid, and The Emperor's New Clothes are stories known throughout the world. The Snow Queen was even adapted in modern times into the famous animated film Frozen. His works have been translated into over 150 languages; it's certain that in the future, his fame will only grow to unimaginable heights.
However, in the 19th and 20th centuries—a time teeming with European artists—fairy tale literature was not yet highly regarded by the public during his lifetime or for decades after his
death. Thus, Andersen was merely a somewhat famous member of the literary world, not yet standing among the great masters in terms of status.
Legend says he was 185cm tall and quite thin, his eyes often filled with worry. His self-doubt far outweighed his confidence. Within his perceived "ugly" exterior, he hid an unchanging, innocent heart. Naturally sentimental, his life was full of ups and downs.
He caught a good era, benefiting from the general rise of Europe. At that time, European nations—even small ones—used the new winds of colonialism to exert power and amass wealth. At its peak, the European nations born from the Roman Empire collectively occupied 80% of the Earth's land.
In modern times, Denmark is a small country with a population of only 5 million and a land area of 40,000 square kilometers—less than 1/40th of Xinjiang province and not much larger than Taiwan. It's hard to imagine it was once a commercial power second only to Britain, and that even Sweden gained independence from Denmark.
As the son of a shoemaker and a maid, Andersen got into the capital's university. Relying on his literary talent, he won highly prestigious literary awards and embarked on a stable writing career. Because he was passionate about travel and making friends, he spent his royalties on traveling across Europe. Versatile as he was, he could converse happily with famous figures in various fields.
He seemed to possess certain qualities that allowed him to move easily among the social elite. In France, he befriended Victor Hugo and drank with Alexandre Dumas; he watched Balzac's plays and was invited to Franz Liszt's private concerts. In England, he met Charles Dickens at a banquet and was pursued by noble ladies; in Germany, he visited Felix Mendelssohn.
These meetings were recorded by Andersen in his personal biography with a "Level 10 beauty filter." Well, except for the contemporary Grimm Brothers—reclusive scholars who studied and organized literature. When Andersen suddenly decided to visit them, they hadn't even heard his name.
Andersen witnessed all sorts of tragedies in the world and the inescapable darkness within human nature; thus, his works were always rich in tragic tones. But at the same time, he harbored hope: the ugly duckling becomes a white swan, and the villains in his works mostly met punishment. Those who loved to show off were forced to dance in red shoes that wouldn't stop, and those who walked on bread to avoid mud fell into the marsh.
Remaining unmarried his whole life, he could not avoid the fate of dying in loneliness in his later years, clutching the love letters he had written to his first love as he passed.
Posterity has many conjectures and folk legends about this. Among them is a story regarding why he could never fall in love with a human...
As a writer, Andersen traveled the world, observing every place, person, and event that might bring a sense of novelty. In one such place, he met his first love—a girl who showcased the radiance of humanity through her actions. Even the pessimistic Andersen felt hope and a longing for a bright future when he saw her.
The girl had been abandoned by her parents at a young age, yet she never resented anyone. Despite never having experienced a shred of happiness, she always wore a smile while helping many people. She would listen to the cries of the heartbroken but never mentioned her own tragic past.
Andersen met, communicated with, and built a relationship of trust with her. Six years later, he finally heard her true thoughts:
"Life isn't just pain. Life doesn't need hatred, because 'happiness will arrive one day.'"
The girl said this, smiling as if holding a beautiful dream. Her body, though scarred by neglect and trauma, firmly believed in the warmth of the world. It was from those words that Andersen learned what true love was. It wasn't an unreachable illusion; the girl's very existence was the miracle named "Love."
But because of this, Andersen became unable to touch her. Even approaching to speak with her made him feel ashamed, fearing he would defile her eyes or hinder her from breathing fresh air.
Because I am an irredeemable outsider. I believe this girl will be visited by a fitting man who brings her happiness, Andersen thought, writing his feelings into his fairy tales.
After that, Andersen watched over the girl from the shadows, like the Little Mermaid watching over the prince she sent to the shore...
Later, the girl was married to a wealthy man. Andersen had known the merchant for a long time; he knew him to be a man of high character, a trustworthy friend, and a husband to whom one could entrust a lifetime. At the time, Andersen thought, If it's him, he can undoubtedly bring her happiness. In this way, everything will have been rewarded.
That night, Andersen specially opened an expensive bottle of wine to celebrate.
Then, less than a week after her wedding, the girl's body was discarded in a neglected alleyway.
What exactly happened? Andersen had no way of knowing. Did the girl do something wrong? Or was his trusted merchant friend actually a beast in human clothing?
None of it mattered anymore, because Andersen knew from the start that anyone could have an ugly side. In the human world, love does not exist, nor is it needed, because love is useless.
From then on, Andersen swore he would never fall in love with a human again...
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