Chapter 457


Chapter 88: You and I

It was a girl.

The shimmering light danced in her waist-length black hair, like ripples on a lake stirred by a gentle breeze. In her clear and deep golden eyes, mysterious patterns flickered in and out of visibility. She wore no clothing, but a hazy glow descended from the Void, covering her smooth, jade-like skin, revealing delicate limbs and bare feet like lotus roots.

She lounged lazily upon the divine throne, ignoring the fervent worshippers who cheered and prayed with the enthusiasm of a landslide and tidal wave at her arrival. Her golden eyes simply focused on Miss Vilyric, standing among the crowd, the only one not kneeling and standing out like a crane among chickens.

She smiled.

【You have arrived.】

“…Who are you? Are you the one causing this dream of mine?”

Vilyric stared unwaveringly at the deity in the glow, her silver-blue and golden eyes meeting midair, each word articulated clearly.

“And stop impersonating me.”

The black-haired girl, who bore an identical appearance and body to the Priestess, continued to smile. Her smile was like a warm breeze and a shining sun, making one involuntarily desire to submit and show reverence, but all Vilyric saw on that face was strangeness.

【I do not interfere with anything, nor have I transformed into a new form. Dreams are an extension of the soul, a reflection of reality. To meet me here means you have already taken the first step, and I am truly pleased.】

“First step? What first step? Who the hell are you?!”

She did not show anger at the offensive and questioning tone; her smile remained as warm as ever.

【As you can see, I am Vilyric.】

“Bullshit! I am Vilyric! This isn’t some crossover nonsense; how could there be two Vilyrics?!”

Perhaps it was the other party’s overly high and self-assured attitude that made Vilyric feel an intense sense of human anxiety and anger, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

She nodded gently.

【Of course, you are Vilyric, and I am also Vilyric, because you are me.】

She said.

【You are the past me, the present me, and the future me.】

“What nonsense is this? Wait, are you… the Divine Light? No, the Divine Spark itself shouldn’t have consciousness, and I’m not truly…”

Though she avoided mentioning that unknown existence directly, the girl deity let out a knowing light laugh.

【There is no need to overthink it, nor to be on guard. You and I have always been the same.】

Suddenly, the scene before her wavered, and Vilyric was startled to find that, unbeknownst to her, she had already seated herself upon that divine throne of endless light, becoming her own image.

The beings formed from the glow all knelt in reverence, showing no signs of confusion at the deity’s transformation.

【…?】

Instinctively turning her gaze, her golden eyes met with the silver-blue eyes of the Priestess girl in a white robe below. What greeted her was that familiar yet strange smile.

“I know you have many questions, but I cannot answer them because I am you. You have already taken the first step; keep moving forward, and become me… become Vilyric.”

The light faded like bubbles bursting, and the girl’s dream came to an end. At the moment she was about to wake, she heard the final voice.

【Vilyric, we will meet again.】

“!!!”

The black-haired girl opened her eyes and woke with a start.

She instinctively reached out to the side, wanting to touch a warm body that could offer her some reassurance, but there was nothing there.

Even so, the strong mental fortitude of the divine race allowed Vilyric to quickly calm down after a brief moment of panic. She turned on the magic lamp at her bedside and looked at her white hands illuminated by the light, helplessly pinching her forehead with a rueful smile.

“It’s not easy to have a dream, and what was that nonsensical thing…”

Xiao Guang wasn’t here because she was training Snow Wing in the pet space; the outside world was still gloomy, which suggested that this nap hadn’t been very long.

Sitting on the bed, Vilyric recalled the content of her dream, that other golden-eyed one, exuding true divinity.

Although it is often said that “what one thinks during the day often appears in dreams” or “dreams are false and cannot be trusted,” Vilyric understood her situation; she wouldn’t suddenly have a lucid dream without reason and remember all the experiences so clearly. This should be some kind of omen.

Whether that golden-eyed Vilyric truly existed or not raised certain questions she had been avoiding.

Because this world felt far too real, she had thought more than once whether “the Illusory World” was merely a fantasy named “Vilyric,” and that there had never been any crossover—she had always been Vilyric, only having lost her memories for some reason.

However, setting aside the specific content of the adventure journal obtained from Aileen’s basement, which was written in the language of the Blue Star, it at least proved that everything on the Blue Star, the memories from the game, were certainly not figments of her imagination or falsehoods. Yet, precisely because of this, Vilyric felt even more confused.

Why did the special equipment from the game become a true Divine Spark in this world? Why did the pet space turn into a divine kingdom?

And the most important question.

Was she really undergoing some kind of transformation?

Xi Fu Lin had said that the Divine Spark could subtly influence and change its host, an almost instinctive change that even deities found difficult to resist or notice.

Vilyric actually hadn’t felt any changes within herself; after all, even recalling the past, her approach to people and dealings had hardly changed at all. The sense of indifference brought by the divine race, once recognized, she had consciously restrained and maintained relationships.

She… should still be her original self, right?

She had originally been quite confident, but tonight’s strange dream had sown some doubt in Vilyric.

Vilyric realized that her current mindset was not good; it was filled with anxiety and a tendency to overanalyze certain matters.

Change was an inevitable process, just like those around her, including Little Dragon Daughter, who were constantly evolving. Naturally, she was no exception.

Recognizing what was a natural change and what was influenced by the Divine Spark was a daunting challenge.

The girl anxiously twisted her long hair, but this rough action, which would have turned her head into a disheveled nest in human form, simply made Vilyric’s flowing black hair slightly tousled.

“Ugh! So annoying! Whatever, I’ll just throw caution to the wind! Whatever happens, happens, hmph!!”

Since she couldn’t figure it out no matter how she thought, the Priestess decided not to burden her brain cells any longer, pulled the blanket over her, and burrowed her small body back inside, even completely wrapping her head within.

“Going to sleep!”

With a muffled shout, the girl stretched out her smooth, pale arm from the covers, and with a snap, turned off the magic lamp, then quickly retracted her hand back into her protective shell, refusing to move again.

Soon after, the room was filled with the barely audible sound of the girl’s breaths, but this time, she hopefully wouldn’t have any more peculiar dreams.