Game World: I Can Share Talents

The memory came to an abrupt end.

The scene before him froze, then dissipated into nothingness. Westheid returned to the Imaginary Space.

But the scene seemed unchanged. It was still the same ruins from the fall, still the same girl with grey hair and red eyes.

However, the Master of Extinction before him was vastly different from the Wan Qi in the memories.

Those crimson eyes were so calm and serene, without a trace of resentment or despair.

Westheid unconsciously pressed his temples and closed his eyes.

’The after-effects are intense.’

The Master of Extinction had cut out a great deal of filler from the memories she showed him, and the latter half was practically on fast-forward. Even so, experiencing the endless slaughter so immersively still made the time feel incredibly long to Westheid, as if decades had passed.

His mind was reeling, and he was completely disoriented.

Until a gentle voice resounded in his heart:

"After that, the Venerable Master of the Azure Heaven began to cleanse and purify the Mortal World. Order Creatures were soon reborn, and they thrived and multiplied."

"More mortals, more kingdoms, more Celestial Gods... Everything flourished, just as you promised me."

"As for me, during my long solitude, I created the Shadow-Born and wove a set destiny for it, so that it would one day find its way into your hands, my love."

Wan Qi tilted her head slightly and said, "Our reunion was a little later than I anticipated."

Westheid gritted his teeth. "A little later? Exactly how long have you been waiting?"

"I don’t remember."

Wan Qi’s eyes were filled with a smiling light as she shook her head. "Perhaps ten thousand years."

’Ten thousand years... How can you say that so casually, a time scale like that?’

"...Do you regret it?"

Westheid looked at Wan Qi earnestly and sighed.

"You never should have fallen. This torment and suffering... none of it should have been yours to bear."

Wan Qi’s fall was extremely unusual. Logically, even a Celestial God’s Shadow wouldn’t be born the instant they fall. It should have required the "filth and impurities" to gather before a Demon could be born from them.

But the Master of Extinction and the Venerable Master of the Azure Heaven were born at the same time. There was only one possibility.

The two of them were fundamentally one being that had been forcibly split apart.

At the final step, Wan Qi, wracked with guilt, sorrow, and above all, her sense of duty, had vehemently resisted her Ascension. But how could a ceremony to achieve supremacy be something one could just come and go from as they pleased?

’Since you don’t want to ascend, then go down! If you won’t ascend, there are plenty of others who will!’

’Hiss—if that’s the case, what is the Venerable Master of the Azure Heaven’s true Status? Or rather... just how pure is that Celestial God?’

’Between It and the Master of Extinction, which one can truly be considered "Wan Qi"?’

’Whatever. The Master of Extinction found me first and helped me first.’ For that reason, Westheid decided to recognize the Demon before him as the legitimate one.

Westheid wrung his hands and sighed. "You’re so foolish. Why would you hate yourself so much? You clearly did nothing wrong."

’Putting myself in her shoes,’ he thought, ’if I were the one to fall at the final moment of the Ascension Ceremony, I’d be thinking of destroying the world. How could I have even a sliver of the Master of Extinction’s calmness?’

"I have never regretted my choice or my feelings. I never wanted to become the supreme one in the heavens. I had already shouldered more than enough heavy responsibility. I would rather fall into such eternal solitude than be subjected to endless hymns of praise ever again."

Wan Qi shook her head gently, then asked:

"My love, I have shown you my entire past. What... are your thoughts?"

"Do you want to hear the truth?"

Without waiting for the Master of Extinction to answer, Westheid’s lips curved into a fanatical smile.

"It was so magnificent. I wish I could have taken your place."

That’s right. Witnessing Wan Qi’s journey to godhood firsthand, Westheid’s overwhelming feeling was one of sheer excitement.

Even though the Mortal World of that ancient era was nowhere near as vast as it is today, Wan Qi still traversed the entire realm on foot, slaughtering every last member of the powerful ancient Chaos Demon Army.

’Wan Qi... she really, on her own, took down the fucking Chaos of the entire Mortal World!’

The very deeds Westheid had always dreamed of accomplishing, Wan Qi had already achieved.

’Such an ultimate powerhouse, such a world-shaking Great Enterprise.’

’How could I not love it? Not yearn for it!?’

’How the fuck could I possibly resist her Charm?!’

"Wan Qi, I think I’m falling for you."

After watching the Master of Extinction’s memories, Westheid’s impression of her had changed dramatically.

If there had been some distance between them before, now, Westheid truly had feelings for Wan Qi.

He was drawn to strength, so it was inevitable that the one to teach him love would be a powerhouse in the absolute sense of the word.

"Oh. If that’s how you feel, then I’m glad."

Wan Qi seemed startled for a moment, then gave a gentle smile.

"I’m happy. Truly... very happy. All those long years of waiting were worth it."

"I only have one last regret."

Westheid immediately asked, "What regret?"

Wan Qi’s eyelids lowered slightly, her long lashes shadowing crimson eyes tinged with melancholy as she pressed a hand to her chest.

"I know that I love you. I held on by relying on memories of our past and my hope for the future, but I... I don’t remember *why* I love you."

"How we met, how we came to know each other, our past experiences... I only have a vague sense that it was a very important and happy time, but I... I don’t have those memories."

"If I had such wonderful memories, then none of this would be worth grieving over."

’If you put it that way, there’s no way I can refuse.’

Westheid was silent for a moment before making a solemn promise:

"...I will bring that past back to you. I promise you, I absolutely will."

’Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the Celestial Vault Kingdom in the future.’

The Celestial Vault Kingdom hadn’t originally been part of Westheid’s plans. The Temporal Chaos was simply too cataclysmic; the entire kingdom had been torn apart by spatio-temporal turbulence, and no one could escape the ensuing mayhem.

Furthermore, without the oracles of the Venerable Master of the Azure Heaven, the Kings of the Celestial Vault Kingdom had all gone mad. The wars in the heavens were on a completely different scale from those on the ground; anyone not qualified enough couldn’t even dream of getting involved.

But to recover Wan Qi’s past memories and complete the cycle of time, Westheid had to go.

"Not only that, I will also pull you from your binding shackles, so you will no longer be trapped in eternal filth and solitude as a Demon."

"It just might take some time."

"How long is that compared to ten thousand years?"

Wan Qi smiled faintly. "The things I am best at are waiting... and hoping."

The girl with grey hair and a red dress leaned forward slightly, extended her hand, and said:

"My love, come closer. Can you try to touch me now?"

Westheid froze for a moment before remembering why he had come to find Wan Qi in the first place: to obtain pure Sub-Deity Power from the Master of Extinction.

’I’ve spent too long experiencing memories in this Imaginary Space. My mind’s gotten sluggish.’

Westheid walked resolutely toward Wan Qi’s brass throne and strained to extend his hand.

He still felt that almost insurmountable resistance, but this time was different. Gritting his teeth, Westheid actually broke through the final inch that had separated them before.

His fingertip gently touched Wan Qi’s.