The Plaything of the Gods

"I could have managed without you, you know."

The grayish substance swirled and transformed in Lacy's hands, further condensing.

"You must have met Zhuang Wugou by now, with his unparalleled combat abilities."

Lacy brought up a name familiar to Ning Yu.

"That's right. Did you design that perfect combat AI program of his?"

"And was it also your intention to stop targeting the Ark Base?"

Ning Yu fired off two questions in quick succession.

"Correct," Lacy replied with a faint smile, though her gaze soon turned profound.

"I could have relied on my own strength to enhance that system further, and the truth I’ve been researching would have surfaced."

"If applied to me, it would grant me an unstoppable power. I would become the ultimate weapon, invincible."

"But the gods are watching me."

Lacy pointed inexplicably toward the sky.

"The problem I need to solve has become a purely mathematical one."

"Yet, every time I attempt to solve it, I get a different answer. Every single time. I’ve run trillions of simulations, expended countless computational resources."

"And every single time, the answer is different!"

"It’s as if God is rolling dice."

Her eyes sharpened with a hint of frustration.

"Do you know why?"

"Suppression," Ning Yu answered.

"Exactly. No one can obtain true knowledge or reach the so-called root by any means."

"The gods love humanity, but that love is nothing more than treating us as playthings."

"You and I are merely toys for the gods."

Lacy chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"But the most ironic part is that the gods aren’t individual entities. There’s no specific being to hate or resent."

"They are the collective unconscious of humanity, the will of the planet, an indescribable existence."

"Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs."

"This doesn’t mean heaven and earth look down on us mortals."

"It means the workings of the universe are beyond human comprehension. They treat us equally—this is both merciful and ruthless."

Ning Yu fell into deep thought as she listened to Lacy’s explanation.

She suddenly wondered: If William’s Utopia Project succeeded, and humans achieved immortality, allowing them infinite time to pursue wisdom, would that also constitute a form of blasphemy or trespass against 'true knowledge'?

If so, did that mean Leon, in some way, was the suppression force acting upon William?

No one knew the answer to this question, and Ning Yu certainly wouldn’t share this possibility with Lacy. She simply felt an inexplicable sadness.

If the pursuit of true knowledge is humanity’s rebellion, and the object of that rebellion doesn’t even exist—or worse, is fundamentally opposed to humanity’s survival—then is such a struggle even meaningful?

"From the moment the disaster began, and you, the key, disappeared, I knew the suppression force had started to take effect."

"That’s why I envy you. Only you can kill him and stop him with your own hands."

Lacy spoke softly, her hands finally coming to a complete stop. All the cybernetically enhanced mutated zombies around her had vanished, replaced by a handful of sparkling soul gems floating gently in her palm, emitting an alluring glow.

"You want me to kill Leon for you?"

Ning Yu understood her meaning.

But even if Lacy hadn’t asked, Ning Yu would have likely done it anyway.

First, if Leon activated the world-ending magic, the entire human world would cease to exist, and Shen Yiyue, whom she cherished, would disappear. She couldn’t allow that.

Second, the Moon Princess had said this was an inescapable fate for her.

Still, she couldn’t help but ask Lacy.

"That’s right. If you agree, these soul gems are yours."

Lacy waved her hand gently, arranging the soul gems in a row before Ning Yu.

Ning Yu stared at them, calculating that absorbing these gems would significantly advance her Akashic Force mission, possibly even completing it.

But her expression remained calm as she replied,

"Even if I don’t agree, you’ll have to give them to me, won’t you?"

Lacy smiled serenely.

"And you’ll have to agree, won’t you?"

"So, what about Chen Xing? If her life is in Leon’s hands, why would she dare to come after me? Why would she want to kill me?"

Ning Yu still didn’t directly agree, instead shifting the topic to Chen Xing.

"Her?"

Lacy appeared to reminisce before answering.

"She’s a high-level mutated zombie who has developed human emotions."

"She’s also developed a desire to perpetuate her kind, to ensure zombies exist forever rather than being burned as fuel by Leon."

"She probably thought killing you would stop Leon’s ritual, so she was willing to take the risk."

Ning Yu understood Lacy’s explanation and followed up with another question.

"So, is she right? If I die, will Leon really be unable to complete his ritual?"

Ning Yu pointed at herself.

"Xiao Yu, don’t you dare!"

Shen Yiyue, who had been silent until now, couldn’t hold back any longer. She suddenly felt unsure of Ning Yu’s intentions.

Ning Yu tapped her on the head.

"I’m just asking. What are you thinking?"

Shen Yiyue pouted, rubbing her head, but still looked worried.

"How envious I am of the two of you," Lacy said, her gaze lingering on Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue with an inexplicable expression.

"So, is it true?"

Ning Yu pressed further.

"I don’t know," Lacy shrugged, offering no definitive answer. Perhaps only Leon himself knew.

Ning Yu glanced at Shen Yiyue. She knew that if she were to die, this fool would undoubtedly start an endless cycle of reincarnation, searching for her again.

"Deal. I’ll take the mission."

She accepted the soul gems from Lacy’s satisfied gaze as if accepting payment for a contract killing.

"May our cooperation be fruitful."

Lacy’s smile remained as enigmatic as ever, revealing nothing of her true feelings.

"I can also offer you cybernetic enhancements, more thorough and powerful than your sister’s. What do you think—"

"No, thank you."

Ning Yu cut her off before she could finish.

The golden vortex mark on her forehead began to glow brightly as she floated into the air, her silver hair billowing as if caught in an invisible energy field.

The soul gems began to orbit around her, spinning faster and faster.