Thanks to [Gu Pixiu] for the God-tier Certification. If I'm not too busy, I'll update with 4 chapters on New Year's Day to pay back the owed extra updates... "That's true. Ghost-type horror movies are scary precisely because humans have no means of resisting."
Herta tilted her head slightly and said matter-of-factly:
"Although by becoming a Virtual Substance Lifeform, the unsolvable vengeful spirits in some works gain health bars and can be killed by corresponding rules or stronger power."
"But this also means having to abide by the work's setting."
Hearing this, Qi Zhimu curled his lips.
"Those rules are for me. You little brat, if you don't use your head, you'll just be at someone's mercy."
"So Mr. Creditor cannot go back on his word or break the contract. You promised me." Herta's small face was calm as she unwrapped a lollipop.
"I won't speak of things I cannot do."
Qi Zhimu smirked confidently, then suddenly stopped before the exit.
"The passage inside the door counts as a safe zone, right? How long does it last?"
"It does. Half an hour at most. Do you want me to rest a bit longer?"
"You're overthinking it. I'm just afraid you'll faint halfway and we won't be able to get out. Then I'd have to tearfully eat your flesh, otherwise... Hmph."
"...If you carry me the whole way, I won't need to rest."
"Look at how haggard you are, like you're about to pass out. You're not convincing at all. Only twenty... twenty-nine minutes. Not a second more!"
Saying so, Qi Zhimu sat down where he was, placed her on his lap, and let her lean against his chest.
"Hurry up and sleep."
"..."
Herta looked up and could only see half of his pale chin and profile.
Catching the scent of blood from his arm, several images surfaced in her mind.
The man charging through different glass passages, ignoring the cuts on his arms, just to find her as quickly as possible.
Although he was a Magician who liked to eat people, he was countless times better than those parasites whose hearts only held themselves, profit, fear of death, and a firm belief in the wisdom of their successors.
Fortunately... fortunately she met a Virtual Substance Lifeform human... Thinking about this, the corners of Herta's mouth curled up slightly. Nestling in this hard-won, fleeting embrace, she fell asleep within seconds with the candy in her mouth... In her dream, Herta's brow furrowed tightly, her limbs moving uneasily and unconsciously, as if she had fallen into some inescapable abyss.
The sky of Azure Star hadn't seen blue since she was born.
The memory substance mist shrouded the sea of stars, swallowing light and even the warmth brought by the sun.
The scene shifted; the bustling city was left with only broken walls and debris. Towering buildings were twisted and collapsed, eventually turning to ash.
On the streets, once-vibrant lives had all turned into mindless monsters.
They roared and bit each other, or wandered aimlessly.
Former familiar neighbors, classmates, and even the old man who sold roasted sweet potatoes on the street corner had all turned into indescribable horrors.
"Save me..."
"Why us..."
Countless miserable wails converged into a torrent, washing over her eardrums.
Her perspective was suddenly pulled infinitely high.
She saw the entire Azure Star being enveloped and squeezed by an endless deep sea of memory substance.
Continental plates fractured, oceans boiled, and eventually, it disintegrated into countless dust particles, completely disappearing into the darkness of the universe.
The scene shattered and reorganized once again.
The world had not yet been destroyed, but human hearts were bone-chillingly cold.
In a dimly lit conference room, the long table was surrounded by big shots with solemn expressions.
They argued and blamed each other, their voices sharp, more piercing than the sound of nails scratching a blackboard.
"That so-called genius of Spatial Studies is nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears brat!"
"Exactly! What does she know? She's just standing on the shoulders of her predecessors. Now that her family is all dead, letting her go on such a suicidal mission is simply ridiculous!"
"The slots are limited, each one incredibly precious. Letting her go, isn't that treating the future of Azure Star like a joke?"
"Hmph, if you ask me, that bit of so-called talent of hers can't possibly carry the responsibility of saving Azure Star. Letting her go to her death is one thing, but what if she runs off with the spaceship?"
"Herta wouldn't. She's the descendant of that person..."
"It's precisely because of her great-grandfather that Azure Star became the ghost of a place it is now. If it weren't for that madman back then..."
"Enough! Everyone shut up!"
A roar interrupted all the arguing.
"This meeting was called to solve problems, not for you to shift blame onto each other here!"
Outside the conference room door, the girl, barely ten years old, clenched her fists tightly, unaware that her nails were piercing her palms.
Her youthful face was bloodless, showing only a desolation that was completely unbefitting of her age.
She didn't cry, nor did she make a sound. She silently turned and walked into the dim light of the corridor, her small, thin figure looking incredibly lonely.
"Great-grandfather... Grandfather... Mom and Dad..."
In reality, Herta nestled in Qi Zhimu's arms, letting out a faint murmur.
"I will save Azure Star. I definitely... won't let your efforts go to waste..."
Qi Zhimu looked down at the girl in his arms.
She slept fitfully, her face covered in cold sweat, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes.
"Relying on a minor to save the world... ridiculous..."
Qi Zhimu chuckled softly for some reason, his gaze gradually becoming complex.
In this memory substance world filled with endless danger and falsehood, this brat before him—clearly as weak as an ant, yet carrying the weight of an entire planet—was simply an anomaly.
Even though she was nearly dying herself, she was still thinking about responsibilities she shouldn't have to bear.
"Sigh... honestly."
Qi Zhimu sighed and reached out to gently wipe away the tear stains from the corner of the girl's eyes.
Then, he looked at the face reflected in the wall mirror.
"I will take you back."
Qi Zhimu turned his gaze to the shimmering doorway nearby, carefully adjusting his posture to make Herta more comfortable.
Then, holding the person in his arms tightly, he stood up and strode inside... An unknown amount of time passed.
Herta slowly opened her eyes.
It was another narrow passage, but the surrounding light was somewhat faint.
The walls were no longer mirrors, replaced by some unknown black rock that looked cold and rough.
She found that she was still in Qi Zhimu's arms.
"Yo, you're finally awake, my Emergency Food."
A familiar voice came from above, still in that nonchalant tone.
But listening closely, one could detect a hint of imperceptible suppression.
"Just how many nicknames do I have...?"
Herta subconsciously complained, rubbing her eyes as her consciousness gradually returned. Upon realizing something, her expression froze.
That's not right.
This passage was clearly not the one from before she fell asleep, and the smell of blood was even stronger.
The pressure in the air had also changed, with a lingering, suffocating sense of compression, as if the surrounding space could collapse at any moment.
Is this... the Fourth Stage?
Herta quickly looked up at Qi Zhimu.
He was still holding her, his gaze looking at her with undisguised greed, giving off a sense of déjà vu as if he wanted to swallow her at any moment... Having seen recent feedback, I'll say a few words about the subsequent plot. For those who want to see it, please move to the Author's Note.