The aggregation of essence is not only reflected between worlds. It is also reflected between people.
When the myriad heavens and worlds converge and unify in the Land of Return, those sentient beings who shine as bright as stars will also return to become one with their most similar counterparts. If one's own specific essence is too shallow, then it is only a matter of time before one is assimilated and overwritten by the essence of the archetype one corresponds to, or even suffers a drastic change in temperament.
Just like BB, who was briefly influenced by the Crawling Chaos before; she imprisoned Suke in a small hut for several whole months. Because she is ultimately not the Crawling Chaos; her initial birth was merely a reproduction of the Crawling Chaos's archetype.
Tsukishiro Yuki is the same. No matter how her experiences replicate that Heavenly Lord, or how the imagery of her life corresponds to that Heavenly Lord, she is ultimately not the Heavenly Lord. As the aggregation of essence increases, they will only approach those few Supreme Gods more and more, to the point where they themselves are no longer themselves.
Of course, there are exceptions like Boss Mabel. Because, on some level, she was the "determined" incarnation of The One in All and the Lord of the Gate from the very beginning, not a specious archetype born to correspond to them. This is why Boss Mabel is "complete," while the others are "incomplete."
If one were to use objects as a metaphor, Mabel is like a branch forked from a tree trunk, which itself is part of the trunk. Tsukishiro Yuki and the others are like fruits that have fallen from the tree. Although they were born from the tree, they have already separated from the tree to become two distinct individuals. As for whether they can grow into new trees, that depends on their respective fortunes.
This is also the biggest headache for Suke, who has successively gained insight into everyone's essence after eating the Stardrop. Traveling through the heavens entails inevitable contact with similar essences, and similar essences are like magnets: as long as two collide, the weaker one will inevitably be absorbed by the stronger one. As this absorption proceeds, the absorber's initial essence that stabilizes their self will become less and less, while the supreme essence becomes more and more... In the end, can a person still be considered themselves?
Inside the hot spring by the railroad tracks at the Summit, in the men's changing room, Suke was thinking about these matters while changing into a yukata. The Pretender incident that occurred this time was actually sufficient to explain it. Perhaps in the eyes of others, Tsukishiro Yuki becoming stronger again is naturally a good thing. But only Suke knows that if this continues, the essence of the Great Witch named Tsukishiro Yuki is being squeezed and occupied.
If allowed to develop like this, perhaps in the end, the one who becomes the new "Lord of the Wood" and transcends the heavens will be her, but it is unknown how much of "Tsukishiro Yuki" will remain in her after becoming the "Lord of the Wood." Suke really doesn't want his lover to turn into a dove and fly away in the end; that would be a huge joke.
Of course, this is also a bit of unfounded worry. Although the current Tsukishiro Yuki is becoming stronger and stronger within the aggregation of essence, she is still far behind those truly powerful competitors who intend to occupy the position of "Lord of the Wood." Assuming that all possibilities exist in the myriad heavens and worlds, Suke could name dozens or hundreds of existences with a more massive essence than Tsukishiro Yuki.
However, even so, to prevent trouble before it happens, Suke decided that when waiting for the next new world, he would not let Tsukishiro Yuki leave Stardew Valley to take action in the new world for his sake unless absolutely necessary. Tsukishiro Yuki herself is not someone who pursues so-called transcendence, and neither is he. If one gives up being oneself for the sake of an illusory transcendence, then what is the point?
Returning to simplicity, returning to one's true self. This is not Suke slandering those intense seekers of the Way who forge ahead bravely; after all, he knows that he is also special, just like this Stardew Valley he possesses that can turn everything into the mundane.
Moreover, according to Mabel, those who wish to transcend by aggregating the four great supreme essences must first pass the test of these Agnostic Gatekeepers. How to overcome the endless emptiness brought by supreme power, and how to give new meaning to one's existence. This is a topic that those who wish to transcend must face—she said she doesn't even remember how many seekers of the Way have failed at this final barrier.
But Suke always felt that things weren't that simple. She definitely had extra words she didn't say. After all, when Mabel said this, she kept staring at him thoughtfully.
"Sigh, what a headache."
"The train is about to come, and you're just passing by with a toilet plunger—that saying really isn't wrong. Even if the entire myriad heavens and worlds are as messy as Northwest Shanxi, what does it have to do with me, a farmer?"
Suke grumbled to himself while throwing his changed clothes into the locker. Although he could certainly throw the items directly back into his backpack, how should he put it? You understand the sense of ritual, right?
However, just as Suke planned to leave the men's changing room and head to the warm hot spring under the open-air roof, an exquisite figure suddenly barged into the men's changing room!
"Big Brother~"
This figure was none other than Abigail. At this moment, she had already changed into a cute-style swimsuit, with a white yukata of the same style as Suke's draped over the outside. She tiptoed into the men's changing room, and after looking around, she smiled sweetly at Suke and conveniently closed the door.
The comer comes with ill intent, it seems.
"Big Brother, Abigail has a new discovery. I came specially to tell Big Brother~"
Abigail mysteriously extended her small hand hidden behind her back, and an [Ornate Bracelet] appeared in her hand. Correct, a literally [Ornate Bracelet]. The bracelet was cast from gold, with a beautiful emerald hanging in a prominent place. Just one glance would make one feel it was an item of considerable value. The bracelet was just called by this name; when Suke saw Abigail pull this thing out, he saw the Farm Panel jump to identify it.
If Suke remembers correctly, this is an item obtained by fishing in the small pool outside the bathhouse only after reading a Secret Note. Did Abigail fish it out directly?
"It looks good, right, Big Brother? Abigail found this in the pool outside the bathhouse. It looks like a very precious item~ Abigail felt this might be useful to Big Brother, so I specially brought it for Big Brother to see~"
Like she was ingratiating herself, the blonde l0l!—wearing a cute frilled tube top swimsuit and swim trunks, and although draped in a yukata, still showing off her perfect curvy figure without a hint of excess fat—handed the bracelet to Suke. At this moment, she was alive like a little golden retriever actively fawning over her master; docile on the surface, but actually hiding unknown bad-child thoughts in her heart.
"This bracelet... hmm."
Suke hesitated to speak. Facing Abigail's enthusiasm, for a moment he didn't know how to respond without giving her the cold shoulder. Theoretically, the value of this bracelet is not low, although it has no use other than being given as a gift. But after all, it is one of the few rare items that can be used to directly increase the favorability of a sociable character by 100—but this sociable character is specific. It is directly "Abigail"!
"Abi, you keep it for yourself. Don't you think this bracelet suits you quite well?"
Suke did not take the Ornate Bracelet. Instead, he smoothly took Abigail's slender, white arm and put the bracelet on her jade-like wrist.
"Look, how is it?" Suke smiled.
"~?"
Abigail obviously hadn't reacted yet, but after Suke put the bracelet on her wrist, a flush of red dyed the blonde girl's cheeks.
"Big Brother is so cunning, using the gift Abi gave to Big Brother to give back to Abi~ Then Abi has nothing to give back to Big Brother, so I can only give myself~..."
Abigail, whose intentions for sneaking into the men's changing room were impure to begin with, lightly flicked her small hand. The yukata draped over her exquisite body fell in response. Her ice-like skin and jade-like bones were without any flaw. That teardrop-shaped lower abdomen, which was slightly more fleshy than in the past, seemed to have a trace of mature charm rather than fat, including the chest curving slightly under the girl's collarbones. What Abigail wanted to do was self-evident.
"?"
No, he hasn't even left the changing room yet; is she this impatient?
"Abi hasn't had Big Brother all to herself for a long time. I only possessed Big Brother once for a short time before Sister Tsukishiro Yuki came back earlier~... Could it be that Big Brother is the type who doesn't care about people unless Abi becomes a bad child? Abi is so disappointed~"
"In that case, the current Abi will do things that only bad children do, like not letting Big Brother go to the hot spring to soak with the big sisters~..."
Abigail narrowed her eyes, her pretty face dyed completely red, revealing a foolish smile that only a bad child would have. She approached step by step, with the look of a hunter viewing prey, as if Suke had become a respectable woman whose changing room had been intruded upon by someone with ulterior motives intending to commit misconduct.
No, he was just saying she was a good child in the main house earlier!
Suke was a bit baffled. He realized Mabel really wasn't wrong about one thing: regarding the question of who is the big car and who is the child, they really needed to undergo a profound discussion.
Although he indeed had some ambiguous thoughts about bringing everyone to soak in the hot spring, considering that he had notified Emma, Seele, and the others as well, he thought he should restrain himself a bit. The result was that he restrained himself, but others didn't. What if this commotion got out and let Emma, Seele, and the others inside the bathhouse hear it!
Suke was somewhat unable to advance or retreat. Abigail had already blocked his retreat, forcing him into a dead corner next to a partition in the changing room. It seems Abigail, this child, has indeed been stifled these past few days. Presumably, partly because he had given her the cold shoulder slightly, she planned to take the initiative and set her target on him!
"Hehe, it looks like tonight's Big Brother will be enjoyed by the bad child Abi first~"
Abigail giggled, planning to go a step further.
Creak—
But at this moment, the door to the men's changing room was opened from the outside again!
"!"
Abigail was startled. Obviously, she hadn't expected that besides herself, there would be someone else harboring ulterior motives toward Suke attempting to steal a march—
"Quick, hide, Little Abi!"
"You don't want the matter of you running to the men's changing room behind your sisters' backs to be known by them, do you?"
"Wu~!"
Suke had quick eyes and hands. Taking this opportunity, while Abigail was subconsciously tense and hadn't reacted, he opened the shower stall partition behind him and let Abigail hide inside! Although Abigail felt something was wrong—there was no second male in the entire Stardew Valley besides Suke, so who could be the second person entering the men's changing room?
Wait!
"Senpai~~~~"
A girl's melodious voice, deliberately lowered, drifted over. Not long after, Abigail heard the footsteps of that cow woman, with whom she often had conflicts, walking into the room.
"Earlier, BB-chan dressed so alluringly in front of Senpai, yet Senpai's heart didn't flutter at all? That really makes BB-chan too disappointed~ So BB-chan was thinking, it must be because there were too many women present, making it impossible for Senpai to wholeheartedly feel BB-chan's charm, so..."
Her sexy and bountiful body leaned forward slightly, as if deliberately emphasizing the advantages that were a level above all the women in the bathhouse. The girl BB thus walked with a cat-walk she believed to be overflowing with charm, infiltrating the men's changing room where only Suke was present.
Senpai had no feelings for her earlier; it must be because there were too many people present, and he couldn't speak directly due to saving face. But now that it's only her and Senpai, Senpai wouldn't be polite with her anymore, right~?
This... this isn't very good, is it?
Facing BB walking head-on towards him, Suke swallowed. He had to say, BB's outfit was indeed erotic. In a situation where a man and a woman are alone in a room, if he didn't react to her, his sexual orientation would definitely have changed! But...
Suke swept his peripheral vision toward the stall partition behind him where Abigail was, falling into silence for a moment.
"Senpai, BB-chan has gone to such lengths, please be a little more proactive~"
BB similarly took off the large yukata draped over the shoulders of that erotic body. Obviously, she didn't notice the existence of another set of clothes on the floor. After all, the yukatas were all the same style, with low recognizability.
"Can't be helped. Who told BB-chan to be the exclusive junior wholly dedicated to serving Senpai~ Let BB-chan..."
Creak—
Just as two bountiful and soft Slimes were about to attack Suke's chest to make zero-distance contact with him, the door to the men's changing room was pushed open from the outside for the third time!
Suke: ?
No, he remembers the male and female signs were posted very conspicuously on the outside. Are one or two of them doing this on purpose or by accident?
"? Clearly, when BB-chan came in just now, everyone else had already entered the bathhouse..."
"Quick, go in and hide. It won't be good if you're seen!"
"What's not good about it? BB wants to see who dares to disturb BB-chan's good thing... Wuah~!"
Get in there, you!
Suke decisively opened the partition behind him, and disregarding BB's opinion, he smoothly locked her into the stall.
As for how BB would feel staring wide-eyed at Abigail after going in, that was not Suke's concern.
"Hehe, I finally caught a chance~"
"Farmer, Mabel-chan knew you hadn't come out to the bathhouse for ages because you were doing something dirty and nasty here. Now you have nothing to say, right~?"
The newcomer was precisely Mabel. The meager girl didn't even wear a swimsuit that highlighted physical sexiness, but a simple, close-fitting bathrobe that wrapped her body tightly. Obviously, she had already discovered the commotion in the changing room just now and attempted to come over to threaten Suke with it!
"I say, Farmer, are you that thirsty? You can't even hold back from having an affair with someone during the time it takes to change clothes here? How about this: considering there are children in the bathhouse, for the sake of your image, if you give me one hundred bottles of fruit wine, I won't tell them about this matter..."
Good news: the woman entering the men's changing room this time finally wasn't lusting after his body.
Bad news: she's here to rip him off!
"You say I'm having an affair with someone. Did you see a second person? Where is the evidence?"
Suke's face didn't redden and his heart didn't beat faster; after all, there was no need for him to blush or have a racing heart. If he didn't do it, he didn't do it.
"Does this still need evidence? Mabel-chan saw with her own eyes that Nyar sneaked in just now... Where did you hide her?"
Mabel looked suspicious. She looked all around the men's changing room... She clearly watched BB walk in here with her own eyes. But now, where is the person? She clearly heard a "Wuah" sound from outside the door just now!
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Group chat of the Dead
✅ New releases are dropping, plus get exclusive content & updates.
✅ Help us unlock community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!