---o---
The image on the light screen faded, and new simulation text appeared:
[You have traversed the vast sea of stars, and under Herta's guidance, you have finally piloted your ship to the Xianzhou Luofu, which is currently mobilizing all its forces to sweep every corner of every grotto-heaven for the minions of [The Destruction]. You have landed with ease at the Cloudford.]
[At the Luofu's Cloudford, countless Cloud Knights are on high alert, clearing out the various hostiles under the command of General Jing Yuan. Naturally, you did not escape their notice.]
[But because of the Herta puppet you carried, though the Cloud Knights placed you under strict supervision to be escorted before the general, Jing Yuan let you go on Herta's account. He even arranged for a dedicated starskiff to take you and the puppet to the Artisanship Commission with the highest diplomatic courtesy…]
[But you waved your hand and told Jing Yuan you didn't need any of that. Time was of the essence, and you could not wait for a luxurious starskiff to be prepared.]
[You borrowed a military starskiff and a reliable pilot from Jing Yuan on the spot. However, the military skiff was too small and could only carry two people, so you were forced to leave the Herta puppet behind, having Jing Yuan arrange for another skiff to transport it.]
[You closed your eyes to rest on the military skiff, and in no time at all, you arrived at the Artisanship Commission on the Luofu.]
[The moment you stepped through the main gate of the Artisanship Commission, you overheard the planning of Ron and the others, heard their frustration and helplessness, and at that moment, you stepped forward—]
[Ron, moved by your words and determination, beckoned the Lantern of [Salvation] that was still being forged in the Furnace of Creation and delivered it into your hands…]
[You accepted this heavy responsibility with excitement, but when the Lantern of [Salvation], burning with brilliant golden holy fire, truly landed in your hands, when you truly lifted the weight of [Salvation], a pressure began to build in your heart—]
[You are about to embark on a Path you have never walked before. You must carry the resolve of [Salvation] and step onto the Path of [The Destruction], a Path you once loathed with gritted teeth. You must carry this brilliance to illuminate that Path, to awaken the giant who has lost his way, and make him turn to face the Aeon who holds the scales.]
[On this road, you cannot turn back. Even a moment of hesitation will be enough to drown you in the flames of [The Destruction]. You must march forward without pause for even a second to have a chance of traversing this narrow branch.]
[The weight you bear is now unimaginable—whether it is the myriad living beings on the Xianzhou Luofu or Jarilo-VI, or the one and only plan to see through the veil of [The End], everything depends on resolving the immediate threat of [The Destruction] before you can continue forward…]
[You are already standing here. An infinite pressure has fallen upon you. The heavy burden makes it impossible for you to lift your feet, yet you must still step forward.]
Reading the text on the light screen, even though she was just an observer in the simulation and not personally experiencing it, Bronya still felt a sense of abnormality.
The tips of her ears were burning.
Her heart was thundering.
She didn't know if it was an apt description, but Bronya had never felt so much like a ship at full throttle—so excited.
Her heart pounded like an engine, pumping fervent blood throughout her body. Bronya suppressed the excitement within her, a tear almost escaping the corner of her eye.
Finally…
Ron acknowledges me.
---o---
In the several simulations before, although Bronya was technically Ron's superior and he was her personal guard, nearly every action within the simulation was dictated by Ron. And almost every single one of Bronya's own actions led to disastrous consequences, wiping out most of the progress Ron had painstakingly made.
Bronya knew she was in the wrong, so she worked hard to change.
But clearly, Ron had no intention of waiting for her to change. After being thoroughly disappointed, he left her, finding more capable assistants to have by his side.
Although everyone's goal was ultimately the same, and perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference if she had faded into the crowd, with the future being changed by Ron's hands and heading towards a better ending—
She didn't want that.
Just like how she had insisted on trying to act on her own terms time and time again in the simulations, Bronya had never relinquished her own will and perspective.
To cast aside one's self-awareness and perspective, to merely obey others, is to be a string puppet manipulated by another, a shell without a will.
Perhaps her choices would be wrong, but in every simulation, she was trying her best to learn, trying her best to catch up. One day, her choice would be the right one, one that would allow her to stand before Ron and earn his recognition.
And now, Ron had acknowledged her.
Although this was merely a rough start, and Bronya was still just a "chess piece" placed on the corresponding square of the cosmic board by Ron's will, it was still something she had achieved through her own choice.
After all… if she hadn't chosen to come here, how could she have seized this opportunity?
Perhaps this choice had burdened her with endless pressure, but what Ron had once shouldered was surely no less than this.
Bronya was not content with being ordinary. The things Ron could do, she wanted, to some extent, to be able to do them as well.
After all… only then could she truly keep pace with Ron, right?
Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Bronya watched as the simulation text on the screen before her gradually faded, and a new simulation choice appeared.
The new choice box was entwined with a distorted ribbon of light, its seven brilliant colors outlining the frame.
This was a continuation of the previous miracle event. It was, quite clearly, a Miracle Choice.
[Perhaps you are resolute enough to take a step forward under all this pressure, to not hesitate… but you still need to choose a path you should walk.]
[There are tens of thousands of ways to embark upon the Path of [The Destruction]. You follow the will of [The Preservation] to protect Belobog, and your entire being is steeped in the "magma" that flows from the Amber Lord, a manifestation of the power brought by Divine Authority.]
[You have once resonated with the Lance of Preservation and obtained the Divine Authority bestowed by the Amber Lord, and have become firmly rooted in the Path of [The Preservation]…]
[To break free from the shackles of [The Preservation] and stride towards the blazing [Destruction], the threshold to walk this reverse Path is so high you can barely cross it—]
[So… how do you wish to proceed?]
[Please Choose——]
[1. Blank Option.]
[2. Blank Option.]
[3. Blank Option.]
Looking at the choice on the screen, Bronya couldn't help but be slightly taken aback, before seeing a small tip pop up from the Life Simulation Game:
[Notice! When a miracle event reaches a certain stage, the simulation game can no longer simulate the future to provide pre-selected options.]
[Every successful miracle is a unique gem, and the forging of this gem depends solely on the wild imagination and the most correct choice of the one who seeks the miracle.]
[To complete the Miracle Choice, please select a blank option and fill in your answer.]
"A blank option…"
Bronya stared at the screen, lost in thought, having never encountered a blank option that she needed to fill in herself.
Truthfully, she wasn't sure what to do next. Though it was a bit embarrassing to admit, under normal circumstances, all she really needed to do was show up.
After all, even if she did nothing, Ron would arrange everything for her. She would just have to follow his lead.
But now, since the game required her to provide an idea…
Thinking about her conversation with General Jing Yuan in the simulation just now, and then thinking about the Path of [The Destruction] which had nothing to do with her—
A flash of inspiration struck Bronya, and she instantly had a brilliant idea.
"Perhaps… this is the most reliable choice?"
With this thought in her heart, Bronya casually clicked on a blank option and typed in her choice.
---o---
At the same time, on the other side.
Watching Bronya accept the lantern from his hand, although the possibility of reverse-walking the Path of [The Destruction] to awaken Nanook now existed, Ron still had a bit of a headache.
The reason was actually quite simple.
Ron himself had encountered countless difficulties and obstacles when he tried to walk the Path of [The Destruction] in reverse. Now, he was entrusting this heavy responsibility to Bronya.
Although Ron was now at a dead end and had no choice but to believe in Bronya, belief was one thing; figuring out how to actually do it was another.
Bronya wasn't an Emanator like Herta, bound to a single Path, nor was she like Fu Xuan, who had no experience with [Salvation]. But she was not a perfect choice either.
After all, although Bronya was not an Emanator, she was deeply rooted in the Path of [The Preservation].
As the next Supreme Guardian, Bronya was qualified to inherit the "Divine Authority" passed down through generations of Guardians. And indeed, she had used this Divine Authority in a previous simulation. Who knew if, as a fellow player, she had already received it as a reward?
But regardless of whether she had it or not, she was thoroughly rooted in the Path of [The Preservation]. While trying to walk other Paths with similar concepts to [The Preservation]—be it [The Abundance] or [The Harmony]—was feasible, what was [The Destruction]?
To embark upon the Path of [The Destruction], which was the complete opposite of [The Preservation], was only a theoretical possibility for Bronya.
Who knew how much trouble one would have to go through to make this possibility a reality?
And after crossing that threshold, there were even more difficulties ahead. Bronya was not like Herta, who had almost walked into the bright abode, touched the Lantern of [Salvation], and worn the crown of an Aeon. Her familiarity with [Salvation] was naturally far inferior.
For her to broaden the branch of [The Destruction] under the guidance of the Lantern's light was also something that was only theoretically possible. And that was something Ron could no longer help with.
In any case, he first needed to help Bronya figure out how to embark upon the Path of [The Destruction].
After all, she had enough determination, but the ability to match…
Sighing internally, Ron pondered for a moment. He looked at Bronya, who seemed to be contemplating something, and was about to speak.
"Since you've already made up your mind, next you must transcend the chasm between Paths, forsake all your current power in [The Preservation], and embark upon the Path of [The Destruction]—"
"This is an extremely difficult threshold to cross. There are almost no similarities between [The Preservation] and [The Destruction]. If you want to embark upon the Path of [The Destruction], you can only try some of the actions I've tested before that align with the will of Nanook…"
As Ron spoke, afraid that his words would put too much pressure on Bronya, he added words of comfort.
"But don't worry. Nanook will need at least half a day to reach the Xianzhou Luofu. Time isn't tight. We can try many times."
"We always have…"
Before Ron could finish his comforting words, he saw Bronya shake her head and interrupt him.
"There's no need, Ron."
She pointed at the Moon-Storing Gourd that Ron had just returned to Fu Xuan, her expression serious.
"I heard from General Jing Yuan that you captured a Lord Ravager, and she happens to be a Heliobus…"
"I've heard that after a Heliobus possesses someone, the two merge into a single entity during the possession. Other than being personally elevated by Nanook, there should be no better way to walk the Path of [The Destruction] than to be led by a Lord Ravager."
Hearing Bronya's words, Ron was somewhat stunned.
He frowned slightly, his voice deepening several notches.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying? Heliobus possession—"
Before Ron could finish, Bronya cut him off.
"A Heliobus will 'devour' the host's emotions and mind, manipulating their flesh and blood. After everything that can be consumed by the Heliobus has been exhausted, the host will burn to a pile of ash in the flames. I saw the rubbings of the Codex Gigas in the Star-Watching Pavilion on my way here. I know the price one must pay for Heliobus possession."
"You know? You know and you still—"
"I know the price, but that is not a reason for me to avoid this choice. After all, this is the fastest, and also the most likely method to succeed."
She interrupted Ron once again, the determination in her eyes burning brightly, echoing the candlelight within the lantern she held.
"The memory of a simulation is but a fleeting moment of pain. That pain is far less important than success."
"The Life Simulation Game gave us different simulation choices, and I want to experience a different life. In the past, it was always you who did things like this. This time, let it be me."
Bronya smiled, her tone earnest.
"I want to be like you… to burn bright just this once."