In this ascension ritual, Rei's dominance surpassed even Zong's. Zong's achievements were eclipsed by Rei's.
Following Mei, Rei eliminated all remaining aspirants in the Blood Oath, asserting her dominance over the Eastern Special Zone's ascension ritual.
This meant skipping the subsequent stages. Rei, after the Blood Oath, could immediately gather all the Unique Self-Awareness to create and develop higher-level Self-Awareness.
Mei focused on this next step, curious to see what kind of conceptual Self-Awareness Rei would create. She was confident.
Rei would undoubtedly create a conceptual Self-Awareness; Mei had manipulated her causality, but that was the extent of her influence. The power of this concept would depend on Rei's skill.
Rei lacked Mei's ability to instantly transform all Unique Self-Awareness into a conceptual one within the containment facility. She needed significant effort to build a complex Self-Awareness structure.
Unique Self-Awareness.
Fundamental Self-Awareness.
Finally, the last Unique Self-Awareness was perfectly integrated into the Self-Awareness structure; a power surpassing even Fundamental Self-Awareness erupted.
Rei looked at the conceptual Self-Awareness, realizing she finally had the power for revenge. She called this conceptual power "Hope."
Hope Self-Awareness.
A vague, ambiguous concept; it couldn't be definitively classified as lower-level or higher-level. It lacked the overwhelming control of higher-level concepts but transcended lower-level ones.
Hope Self-Awareness had only one effect: granting the user infinite hope and courage. As the user's willpower strengthened, they could potentially gather the power of their present and future selves to overcome any obstacle.
The manifestation varied.
The strong manifested great power.
The weak, lesser power.
If enough power was gathered, this could even break the concept of fate, granting the ability to rewrite one's future.
However,
The side effects were significant. The boundless hope and courage granted could lead to recklessness; if used improperly, it could result in suicidal behavior, leading to a particularly gruesome demise.
Furthermore, while future power could be gathered, it wasn't unlimited; that would transcend even higher-level concepts.
For example, gathering future conceptual power through Hope Self-Awareness was impossible; this universe wasn't powerful enough to produce such a concept.
Ten years ago, Zong, after obtaining his conceptual Self-Awareness, quickly reached Tier 5. Now, with Hope Self-Awareness, Rei, at the final stage, was nearing Tier 6.
Unfortunately,
Tier 5 was the mortal realm's limit. Without breaking this limit, reaching Tier 6 was impossible. In terms of power level, Void Demon Gods possessed an absolute advantage.
This was the power gap faced in the ascension ritual.
Ding… ling…
The clear chime of bells rang out.
Rei's priestess summoned the descending Demon God. The sky rapidly darkened; lightning flashed; thunder echoed.
"Three consecutive rituals have reached the final stage, all from the Eastern Special Zone. That's quite a coincidence!"
It was a testament to the Eastern Special Zone's glory and strength, yet even the three leaders found it unnerving.
It felt orchestrated.
As Mei descended, manifesting her form, Rei instantly assumed a combat stance, her aura surging limitlessly.
Boom!
Powerful forces caused void energy to erupt in the cosmos. Her sharp aura, like a blade, seemed capable of cleaving the world.
At this moment,
Rei was the center of the world.
The unwavering willpower forged by her desire for revenge fueled the Hope Self-Awareness; two powers descended from the void, further enhancing Rei's strength.
The power of the Past, inherited from Genzo, ignited a fierce light in Rei's eyes. The former wolf cub had grown into a ferocious, sharp-toothed wolf.
She assumed Genzo's sword stance.
The power from the future was limited, but Rei didn't care; she poured all her strength into this single strike; there would be no second.
This one strike was all she needed.
If there was no future, she would carve one out with this single strike!
Unfathomable power gathered, like a volcano poised to unleash apocalyptic destruction.
Whum—
The moment Mei fully manifested, a blinding blade of light cleaved the void, slashing towards her; the world dimmed before this strike.
Immense power erupted in a fraction of a second, the vast blade radiating the hopeful light of the future.
Mei acknowledged the power of this strike. Against anyone but herself, a normal Demon God would struggle to withstand Rei's full power.
No words needed.
Super Burst!
Boom!
An even more terrifying power shook the cosmos, crushing Rei's attack with unstoppable force.
The mortal realm, filled with danger, was instantly silent, as if everything had been an illusion. Then, a sharp clang.
A broken blade plunged into the ground; Rei's Wind's Decree was shattered. She stood silently.
As Mei had said,
She only had the right to die.
Even with the combined power of the past and future in a single strike, she was no match for Mei's ten-thousandfold power and Causality Manipulation.
Clang!
The broken sword fell to the ground. Rei's body instantly disintegrated, dissolving into void energy. There was no last word, no regret, no lingering anger or hatred; she silently accepted her predetermined fate.
The causal loop closed.
Rei's destiny ended here.
A stream of light appeared.
【Ability Acquired: Hope Self-Awareness】
——
【Ability: Hope Self-Awareness】
【Level: LV1】
【Description: Grants the user unwavering hope and courage, allowing them to gather the power of their present and future selves to overcome any obstacle.】
——
Following Zong, another challenger who obtained a conceptual ability fell to Mei, yielding another conceptual Self-Awareness.
Such challengers would continue to emerge, just as the ascension ritual had continued for a thousand years. The aspirants would not cease their pursuit.
Mei's form slowly faded, returning to the void, awaiting the next challenger's summons.
...
In the void, time was meaningless. Mei observed the mortal realm, manipulating its causality, guiding each challenger to the final stage of the ritual.
Then, she ruthlessly eliminated them, absorbing their conceptual Self-Awareness. She didn't revel in controlling others' lives.
She vigilantly guarded against arrogance and complacency.
However,
She didn't feel guilty about the challengers who perished. The path to ascension was their choice; she merely provided the impetus.
Mei possessed unwavering self-awareness; even with a minuscule chance of failure, she was prepared for defeat while eliminating challengers. She knew manipulating causality was inherently dangerous.
Ten years.
Twenty years.
Thirty years.
...
In the void, ten conceptual Self-Awareness swirled around Mei. She planned to merge them, mimicking her previous actions.
As the core Self-Awareness,
Mei held the Myth Manifestation Self-Awareness in her hand. This Self-Awareness possessed the greatest potential and was exceptionally versatile, making it ideal for development and enhancement.
The last merger, using Causality Inversion, had yielded Causality Manipulation. She anticipated that Myth Manifestation would yield an even more powerful higher-level conceptual ability.
This universe had reached its limit; there was no need to wait.
"Ooh—"
Shiro watched curiously.
Whum—
Suddenly,
An extremely complex structure of practical Self-Awareness rapidly formed. The structure gradually integrated the ten conceptual Self-Awareness swirling around Mei.
With Myth Manifestation as its core, the ten conceptual Self-Awareness were perfectly integrated, revealing a fragment of this world's ultimate truth.
After a long moment,
Boom!
The void surged.
【Detectable Mergeable Abilities】
【Ability Merge Complete】
【Ability Acquired: Truth Manifestation】
——
【Ability: Truth Manifestation】
【Level: LV1】
【Description: All sentient beings' perceptions in this world become the user's perceptions. All sentient beings' fantasies, legends, and myths in this world can be temporarily manifested. The effect cannot exceed the user's current level.】
——
This near-omniscience essentially means that the perceptions of all sentient beings in this world become Mei's perceptions.
In short, all the intelligence, fantasies, and memories of this universe are combined into a massive collective unconsciousness.
A database of information.
Mei can access this database at any time, obtaining any knowledge or fantasy she desires. Hence the term "near-omniscience."
Mei raised an eyebrow.
The collective unconscious, ālaya-Vij?āna; she had essentially become the ālaya-Vij?āna.
Truth Manifestation's power relies on the user's own perception. The stronger the perception, the greater the power.
Therefore,
Based on this near-omniscience, Truth Manifestation could reach its full potential, although, again, the effect couldn't exceed the user's current level.
The meaning is straightforward.
To illustrate,
Mei is currently only at the Tier 6 galaxy cluster level, and only recently reached it. Without Limit Break, she couldn't even control the entire universe.
Truth Manifestation's scope of "this world" could refer to this universe or the entire void within this universe.
However,
Mei's current power couldn't encompass the entire void; Truth Manifestation could only manifest power and knowledge based on this universe's limits.
This was a growth-based ability; it didn't require Mei to enhance or level it up; its maximum potential increased with Mei's level.
Whatever level Mei reached, Truth Manifestation would manifest that level of power. Based on Mei's current power, she could manifest Tier 7 power through Truth Manifestation.
Truth Manifestation's near-omniscience surpassed Mei's perception by several levels; its range was the entire universe.
Mei could currently only perceive events within a 10-million-light-year radius. Near-omniscience, while unable to completely monitor the universe, could utilize the perceptions and memories of other sentient beings to observe the universe constantly. Both abilities had advantages and disadvantages.
Honestly,
With two powerful higher-level conceptual abilities, Mei's current power was overwhelming. Tier 6 beings were insignificant; even ordinary Tier 7 beings would be easily defeated.
Ordinary Tier 7 universe-level beings focus on energy levels and destructive power. Mei, not yet a true Tier 7, already wielded conceptual power.
"Well, this world's story ends here."
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
A majestic aura surrounded her; Mei's gaze fell upon the Self-Awareness universe, which was collapsing due to the depletion of energy.
Mei herself had driven the Self-Awareness universe to this state, completing the final causal loop of Phase Three of the Main Mission.
The danger to this world was her, the newly ascended Demon God.
【Main Mission · Phase Three · Complete】
【Points Acquired: 4000】
Without needing future proof, Mei used Causality Manipulation to make the destruction of this world her own fulfilled causality. With Truth Manifestation's near-omniscience, the following missions were completed instantly because she was the ultimate truth behind this world's destruction.
【Main Mission · Phase Four · Complete】
【Points Acquired: 6000】
【Main Mission · Phase Five · Complete】
【Points Acquired: 8000】
...
The Self-Awareness universe would collapse and be destroyed soon, though that would take a long time for humans to notice.
Before completing the Main Mission, Mei bid farewell to Chloe, preventing her from waiting in the mortal realm unnecessarily.
【Main Mission · Complete】
【Assign New Mission?】
【Yes】
【Main Mission Assignment Successful】
【Settlement Complete】
【Remaining Points: 1,104,600】
The Demon God sigil on her palm flickered and vanished. Mei disappeared from this world, returning to Hyperdimensional Space.
Mortal Realm.
The Demon God sigil appeared and vanished on Chloe's forehead. She looked up at the sky, feeling no sadness or doubt.
As long as she survived,
Greater miracles would surely occur!
...
Returning to Hyperdimensional Space, Mei first visited the enhancement chamber, primarily to check the upgrade costs for her newly acquired conceptual abilities and to appraise the remaining six Unique Self-Awareness for sale.
After the Blood Oath, Mei had only integrated four Unique Self-Awareness; the remaining six were useless to her.
Enhancement Chamber.
Mei first checked her stats.
——
【Name: Mei】
【Grade: Tier 2】
【Points: 1,104,600】
【Abilities: Star Spirit ·LV30, Planck Membrane Lifeform, Limit Break ·LV10, Super Burst ·LV11, Death Evolution, Guaranteed Hit ·LV11, Causality Manipulation ·LV1, Truth Manifestation ·LV1】
——
Mei glanced at the upgrade costs for three abilities; she didn't need to look closely to know they were astronomically high. A string of zeros blurred her vision.
——
【Ability: Guaranteed Hit】
【Level: LV11】
【Description: Every attack has a 100% chance of triggering an always-hit effect.】
【Upgrade Cost: 50 billion points/level】
——
【Ability: Causality Manipulation】
【Level: LV1】
【Description: Manipulates reality, twisting causality. Any cause-and-effect relationship that hasn't happened but is about to happen can be arbitrarily manipulated. The specific effect cannot exceed the user's current grade.】
【Upgrade Cost: 100 billion points/level】
——
【Ability: Truth Manifestation】
【Level: LV1】
【Description: All sentient beings' perceptions in this world become the user's perceptions. All sentient beings' fantasies, legends, and myths in this world can be temporarily manifested. The effect cannot exceed the user's current grade.】
【Upgrade Cost: 100 billion points/level】
——
The upgrade costs for those three conceptual abilities were no longer in the millions of points, but in the hundreds of billions!!!
If these were translated into the market price of equipment upgrades, it meant these conceptual abilities were all top-tier Tier 7 abilities, almost reaching the threshold of Tier 8.
She wasn't surprised; they were conceptual abilities, after all.
Then,
Mei retrieved six unique Self-Awareness appraisals from her Personal Spatial Storage. These items were relatively inexpensive, equivalent only to Tier 3.
——
【Ability: XX Self-Awareness】
【Level: LV1】
【Description:……】
【Upgrade Cost: 30,000 points/level】
——
Little Star Treasures shop.
"Miss, welcome!"
Lina, recognizing Mei, perked up, hoping Mei would bring another big order. Her smile was incredibly sweet.
Mei produced the six Unique Self-Awareness appraisals.
"Sell them all."
"Alright, let me have a look."
It was a small deal, but Lina was still pleased. She examined the data on the six Self-Awareness appraisals Mei provided. The quantity wasn't large, but the quality was good—at least Tier 3 abilities.
She promptly offered a price: "Total price, 2.5 million!"
"Deal."
Mei decisively completed the transaction. Lina swiped her assets from her terminal to Mei's account; 2.5 million were instantly transferred.
Adding that to the previous 1 million, Mei now had 3.5 million.
As she left, she glanced at a nearby prize ticket machine, having no desire to play. The usual old man was there, and he greeted her.
"Kid, wanna try your luck?"
Mei nodded and smiled at him, then returned to the Earth Universe.
Earth Universe.
The frozen time resumed its flow. The instant it did, a blade of light ripped through the cosmic space, revealing a faintly crimson blade.
Bang!
On the desolate planet's surface, a broken, crimson blade pierced the bedrock. The polished blade reflected the inky blackness of the universe, adorned with the faint light of distant stars.
The Voice of All Things transmitted a message: the broken blade had endured a fierce battle, and its wielder, severely injured, was of unknown fate.
Mei frowned.
Something had happened to Star Silver.
That kid went down so fast? One moment he was lethargic, the next he's fallen? The speed was a bit too quick. Mei immediately utilized her Truth Manifestation pseudo-omniscience to peek into the memories and perceptions of all sentient life in the universe.
She intended to understand the information related to Star Silver.
Truth Manifestation pseudo-omniscience was an active ability. If Mei didn't want to know something, she wouldn't constantly receive the perceptual information of countless sentient beings.
Or perhaps…
If this were a passive ability, it would be incredibly dangerous. Countless sentient perceptions would constantly be flooding her consciousness, potentially overwhelming her own sense of self. In that situation, the ability's wielder would eventually become a conduit for countless sentient perceptions, ceasing to be a single individual, meaning a complete loss of self.
The entire Earth Universe's sentient perceptions coalesced into an unconscious ālaya-Vij?āna. Mei's consciousness entered, following its currents. She quickly found some relevant perceptions within the ālaya-Vij?āna.
Perceptions, simply put, were memories. Through various individuals' perspectives and memories, Mei easily pieced together the full story.
Because Mei could peek into everyone's perspectives and memories, the information she obtained was far more comprehensive and accurate than that of any single individual.
She could even peek into the memories of Tier 6 powerhouses.
Different perspectives and memories flashed through Mei's mind. As the Voice of All Things had said, Star Silver had indeed endured a fierce battle.
Not long ago, Star Silver had been ambushed by several Tier 6 powerhouses. A bloody battle had ensued, spilling into the void, leaving Star Silver's fate uncertain.
Because Star Silver had entered the void, he'd completely left the Earth Universe's ālaya-Vij?āna, preventing Mei from confirming his survival through it.
Based on the memories of the Tier 6 powerhouses who participated in the battle, they had indeed eliminated Star Silver, destroying him completely.
Their reason was simple: it was an order from the Gaia consciousness. Unfortunately, the Gaia consciousness overshadowed the ālaya-Vij?āna, preventing Mei from accessing its perceptions.
It seemed likely that the Gaia consciousness had sensed a threat from Star Silver and had therefore ordered those Tier 6 powerhouses to eliminate him.
Was Star Silver truly dead?
Mei remained skeptical.
At that moment,
A hazy fluctuation arose in the cosmic space. In a void rift, a nebulous figure slowly materialized, taking humanoid form.
That figure emanated an incredibly powerful and vast aura, seemingly containing the cosmic principles themselves. Its eyes reflected the birth and death of stars, the endless cycle of destruction and creation forming a harmonious order and balance.
A supreme voice resonated through spacetime.
"ālaya—"
The ālaya-Vij?āna's unusually vivid activity had alarmed the Gaia consciousness, a transcendent being that had spawned its own consciousness.
The Gaia consciousness didn't want this Universe's ālaya-Vij?āna to develop its own consciousness; it would pose a significant threat.
...
After Star Silver's incident, Mei's first action was to discard the black crystal Star Silver had given her. She decisively used a large sum of money to purchase a safer, more secure item from the faith marker shop.
——
【Item: Information Cloaking Device】
【Type: Item】
【Description: Universe-level information cloaking device. The wearer's information will be completely cloaked; it cannot be breached by anything below Universe-level.】
【Price: 300 billion】
——
Unless absolutely necessary, Mei wouldn't purchase items from the faith marker shop. However, her unease over the item Star Silver had given her forced her hand.
Simply hiding her aura and energy fluctuations wasn't enough; she needed to mask her existence at a deeper informational level.
Only then could she effectively conceal her presence and whereabouts.
【300 billion tokens spent】
【Purchase successful: Information Cloaking Device】
【Remaining Tokens: 323.7 billion】
High-level extraordinary equipment and items were common; tech-based items were comparatively rare. Mei spent 300 billion tokens on a Tier 7 tech-based item.
A futuristic-looking silver device appeared before her, then vanished into thin air, cloaking Mei's information. While this device couldn't be brought into spatial or world missions, its effectiveness within the Earth Universe was sufficient.
Mei's consciousness continued to delve into the ālaya-Vij?āna, searching for useful knowledge or legacies to enhance her power.
The ālaya-Vij?āna, in a way, saved her a considerable number of tokens. She could freely plunder the knowledge and legacies within this universe without restraint.
The current strongest being in the Earth Universe was undoubtedly the Gaia consciousness, which had spawned its own self-awareness. It possessed at least Tier 7, Universe-level strength.
Its precise strength was unknown. Mei had no intention of provoking it.
It wasn't prudent.
Unless she possessed Tier 7 strength under normal circumstances, she wouldn't take the risk. Even if she wanted to fight the Gaia consciousness, it would have to be after gauging its strength.
Aside from the Gaia consciousness, the Earth Universe's top-tier powerhouses were Tier 6. While Tier 6 seemed like the highest level, numerous Tier 7 legacies were scattered throughout the Earth Universe.
These were legacies left behind 5 billion years ago.
Tier 8 legacies were out of the question. Mei had learned in Hyperdimensional Space that Tier 7 was Universe-level, while Tier 8 was considered multiversal-level. That kind of legacy was extremely unlikely to appear in the Earth Universe.
The probability was incredibly low.
At least, Mei hadn't found any Tier 8 legacies during her sweep of the ālaya-Vij?āna. She skimmed through the knowledge and legacies of the Earth Universe's major races, quickly acquiring several Tier 7 legacies:
Star Spirit.
Voidborn.
Mental Realm Lifeform.
...
From the memories of a few surviving Star Spirits, Mei obtained several fragmented chapters of the Star Spirit unified form. After piecing them together, she now possessed the electromagnetic chapter of the unified form.
Furthermore,
She found a complete, not fragmented, Tier 6 to Tier 7 Void Demon God ascension legacy within the memories of a Voidborn!
The Mental Realm Lifeform also had a Tier 7 legacy, but it wasn't suitable for other lifeforms and was useless to Mei.
In short,
Her harvest was exceptionally bountiful!
Also, Mei found Gamma at the boundary between the universe and the void. The kid was causing quite a commotion, but Mei didn't bother going to find him.
The most suitable legacies for Mei were undoubtedly the Star Spirit and Voidborn inheritances. As both a Star Spirit and a Void Demon God—perhaps due to differences in the power systems—Mei, this Void Demon God, hadn't been forcibly dragged outside the Earth Universe by the void.
By obtaining the complete chapters of the legacy, the Star Spirit could directly evolve into its unified form through the inheritance; this was the fastest method.
The prerequisite for a Tier 6 Void Demon God to ascend to Tier 7 was the mastery of a concept. The Earth Universe's Voidborn were stuck at this point. They didn't know how to grasp conceptual power.
Mei was different. She not only possessed conceptual power, but three of them, two of which were extremely powerful higher-level concepts.
Next,
According to the Tier 6 Void Demon God power structure, obtaining an item called a "Primordial Core" and absorbing it would allow for ascension to Tier 7.
Primordial Cores are born within the void; their nature is the primordial form of nascent universes and worlds. In scientific terms, they are the singularity before the Big Bang.
Once the singularity explodes, it forms the ever-expanding universe. The void is vast; finding another universe, let alone a Primordial Core, is as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Voidborn have wandered the void for billions of years without finding a single Primordial Core.
Mei opened the shop.
She searched for the Primordial Core's price.
——
【Item: Primordial Core】
【Type: Artifact】
【Description: The seed of a world, also known as the cosmic singularity.】
【Price: 1 trillion】
——
It didn't seem particularly expensive. While the number was daunting, the tokens Voidborn had accumulated over billions of years should be enough to afford it.
"Wait."
Mei frowned.
She realized things weren't as simple as they seemed.
If she, a Tier 6 being, could quickly obtain hundreds of billions of tokens by collecting faith markers, and the faith marker shop was right here, allowing her to obtain conceptual power—then why couldn't the Voidborn afford it?
But after all these years, the Voidborn haven't produced a single Tier 7 Void Demon God. They must have attempted ascension, only to fail.
There's only one answer.
The Gaia consciousness!
Only this transcendent being in the Earth Universe could prevent a Tier 7 being from being born. Other Tier 6 beings wouldn't dare risk provoking the Voidborn to that extent.
This shows the immense risk of ascension within the Earth Universe!
Of course,
Mei couldn't purchase the Primordial Core from the faith marker shop. It was an Artifact-type item. Even if it allowed ascension to Tier 7, that power likely couldn't be brought into Hyperdimensional Space.
It wasn't worth it.
To become a Tier 7 Void Demon God, she had to either purchase a Primordial Core in Hyperdimensional Space or find one in a world mission.
Even if she wasn't a Star Spirit, Mei knew that upon reaching Tier 7, she would inevitably clash with the Gaia consciousness. If it couldn't tolerate a power that threatened it within the Earth Universe, it certainly wouldn't tolerate Mei.
Perhaps it hadn't been attacked yet.
Mei stopped dwelling on it, focusing her attention on collecting faith markers and tokens. Spatiotemporal energy enveloped a galaxy, pulling it into an accelerated time stream.
Within her sensing range, the faith marker holders within a five-light-year radius were instantly harvested.
【Tokens Acquired: 1000】
【Tokens Acquired: 4000】
【Tokens Acquired: 20000】
【Tokens Acquired: 300000】
...
Mei attempted to use the ālaya-Vij?āna to expand her perception range of faith marker holders, but failed. This confirmed that the faith marker trading system's level and positioning were superior to the ālaya-Vij?āna.
From Tier 5 to Tier 6, the speed at which Mei collected faith markers hadn't significantly improved; however, her travel speed had increased considerably, saving her time.
Her current teleportation radius was 10 million light-years. In most cases, nearby galaxies wouldn't exceed this distance unless she traveled to the next galaxy cluster.
A galaxy cluster typically contains three hundred to five hundred galaxies, and galaxy clusters form even larger structures called superclusters. Superclusters vary greatly in size; some contain only a few galaxy clusters, while others contain dozens. Sometimes, the distance between superclusters is immense – hundreds of millions, even billions, of light-years.
Mei spent most of her time traversing galaxy clusters, and was still exploring the Local Supercluster.
Soon,
Her faith marker tokens surged.
【Remaining Tokens: 437.9 billion】
During this month and a half, Mei hadn't just collected faith markers; she sometimes also relaxed in accelerated time zones, enjoying leisurely periods.
In terms of her level of existence, she had far surpassed humanity, but Mei still considered herself human. Only then did she feel she had a reason for existence.
Not as a mere powerful puppet, a vessel for strength.
What was the purpose of becoming strong?
Of course, it was to live a better life—free, unrestrained, surviving in a wondrous world, fully experiencing its beauty and wonders.
She didn't enjoy pointless domination and destruction. Even the tiniest, weakest civilizations could offer Mei incredibly novel experiences.
Local Supercluster, Flying Bear System, Oceara planet.
Oceara was the fifth planet in its solar system, orbiting its sun once every 400 days; theoretically, a year on Oceara had 400 days.
From afar, countless defunct satellites and space stations hung in its atmosphere, a staggering number, all seemingly broken down, now mere space junk.
Centuries of weathering and cosmic radiation had eroded these satellites and space stations beyond recognition, leaving behind a scene of shattered remains and cold desolation.
Perhaps centuries ago, Oceara had actively explored space, but clearly, it no longer had the drive, or even the capacity, to do so.
Sunlight filtered through the scattered satellite debris onto the planet's surface. Looking down, one could see a vast expanse of turquoise—a massive ocean dominating the surface, with landmasses covering less than 25% of the planet's area. A name befitting the planet's appearance.
In the ocean, a massive dark shape slowly rose from the depths, then suddenly leaped from the water, revealing a gigantic, teardrop-shaped body.
This entirely metallic, technologically advanced creation was the true master of the ocean. This colossal creature, dozens of meters long, was far beyond the capabilities of any natural sea creature.
Boom!
The mechanical whale crashed into the sea, creating a massive splash that stunned a nearby school of fish and sent even the seabirds flying in terror.
On the land,
"Roar!"
A mechanical creature roared, sending a flock of birds scattering through the forest.
Oceara's technological collapse had created an unbridgeable chasm. The planet was no longer ruled by humans, but by mechanical creatures far surpassing them in power.
That's what made this planet so interesting to Mei.
Boom!
Dust billowed.
A convoy of vehicles sped across the wild terrain. After passing through the forest, their view suddenly opened up, revealing a magnificent, colossal city. The silvery-white metal walls were dozens of meters high, stretching endlessly in both directions.
"Damn it, I'm finally back alive!"
Amidst cheers, the convoy passed through the metal city gates, entering the city—one of the few remaining human settlements on Oceara.
Its name: Steel City.
After the technological collapse, humanity could only huddle within this iron city, struggling to survive using the knowledge they salvaged from the past.
Therefore,
This was a bizarre society.
Within Steel City, makeshift mechanical creations were ubiquitous. Broken robots littered the streets, while adventurers in the wilderness might even possess powered armor.
Exaggerated artistry and a bleak spiritual world created a Cyberpunk-esque society—seemingly advanced, but ultimately dilapidated.
Humanity, firmly bound to the ground by gravity, engaged in pathetic city-states and survival games.
Outside the city walls, highly aggressive mechanical creatures roamed freely. Venturing outside was incredibly dangerous, yet adventurers continued to go.
It was better to risk it outside than starve to death within the city walls. Even bringing back a few common mechanical creature components could mean a meal.
These reckless adventurers lived on the edge, each one practically insane. They were the best-equipped and most powerful; ordinary people wouldn't dare to provoke them.
Compared to the clean and orderly upper city, the city center was a slum—chaotic, full of thieves, thugs, and madmen.
Mei's shop was located here, 1 kilometer from the East Gate, not far from the working-class district, situated beside East Gate Avenue.
The location was excellent.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sounds of hammering echoed from a large repair shop. Outside, a bruised and battered middle-aged man lay on the ground.
"Ooh?"
Shiro curiously kicked the man.
Inside the shop,
Mei wielded a hammer and wrench, tinkering with a motorcycle, completely absorbed in her work.
Soon,
A young man in a leather jacket excitedly ran in, completely ignoring the battered middle-aged man on the ground. He looked like a scrawny rogue, obviously attempting to steal something from the repair shop and getting caught.
This was everyday life in the city center. Nothing to be surprised about.
The young man was impatient.
"Boss, is my bike ready?"
"Yes."
Mei tightened the last screw. He was the best mechanic in the lower city, capable of repairing any machine. Business was booming.
The young man excitedly hopped onto his modified motorcycle. His name was Luke, a country bumpkin from the lower city, dreaming of becoming a famous, rich adventurer, living a life of luxury. With enough luck, he might even move to the upper city.
He’d sold all his possessions, even one of his kidneys (replacing it with a cheaper artificial one) to gamble on his life.
"Boss, I got the money, ha ha!"
Perhaps from a fight, the young man was missing a tooth and slurred his words. He proudly pulled out a wad of cash.
