Mini World Game Console-Chapter 694 - 695: Twilight Fading Flower, Dawn Star

Rift Fortress Underground, Cold Harbour Prison.

Beneath the chilling glow of Magic Ice lights, all heat energy was unmistakable. The integrated Abyss Rock floor constantly recorded the data of the footsteps of those walking on it. Every slight touch sent ripples spreading out like a stone dropped into a deep lake at night, seemingly as if one might plunge into it the next second.

Even though the prison had been entirely automated, with each prisoner housed in individual units with automatic feeding 24 hours a day, the prison entrances were still guarded by two fully-armed Farkas Warriors—they couldn't let Morag's people guard it, as they would likely embezzle what they were supposed to protect.

However, in Didra, which had been peaceful for a thousand years except for the occasional Dragon Worship Cult rebellion, though the martial spirit of the soldiers remained high, regular guard duty had long since become lax. The warriors responsible for guarding the prison usually sat at the front desk, processing requests, accessing their Identity Bracelets to chat in the Knowledge Domain, or watching videos.

Suddenly, rippling waves arose from the Abyss Rock ground. The two looked up ahead and saw a familiar figure approaching from afar.

"Tiramisu, here to see Los?" one of the jailers asked. As warriors of the Farkas Divine System and the Comrades-in-Arms Group, they still shared some camaraderie.

Tiramisu nodded, sighing softly. "I didn't expect Los to suddenly fall into this predicament... I had to come and check on him."

The two jailers exchanged a glance, pressed the buttons on their belts, then placed their hands on either side of the Magic Ice door. Instantly, straight red lines of electricity appeared on the door, connecting at both ends. The prison door opened silently, revealing the piercing white lights of the Glass Prison within.

"Tiramisu, as duty requires, we've already registered your information," one jailer said. "Don't do anything that would put us in a difficult position."

"I understand my limits," Tiramisu responded. "Now that Los has fallen to this state, I must earn enough Merit Points in the upcoming Dimension Wars to become a new Divine Descendant of the Comrades-in-Arms Group. Only then will I have the authority to rescue him. I will not jeopardize my chances."

"We are not ignorant prey, but calm hunters. I'm here this time just to reassure Los that I've already taken care of his sister."

"That's good," the jailer couldn't help but remark. "Los is lucky to have a comrade like you. Alas, Los used to be so prominent. Although protected by the Comrades-in-Arms Group, many disliked him. In the Knowledge Domain, people were even paying to scheme against him. I thought someone would take this chance to kick him while he's down."

With a slight smile, Tiramisu strode into Cold Harbour Prison.

"We are brothers who have shared life and death. How could I betray him for a little profit?"

...

...

Ren Suo watched the silver-haired girl expressionlessly, flicked her on the head, and turned to say, "Someone, take her away. Also, tell Black Thorn that this Great Magistrate has no time to accept his gifts anymore."

However, the silver-haired girl grabbed Ren Suo's arm and looked at him. "Don't you want greater freedom?"

"Ridiculous. On what grounds?"

The silver-haired girl glanced at Lanaya, who was dragging away Sad Wind's corpse, then turned her gaze back to Ren Suo, her almond-shaped eyes filled with profound meaning. "Sony the Great, you are now of the Sixteen Bloodline Grand Method, reigning Above All Beings, but you are, after all, a man... There are some things only a woman can teach you, especially a woman like me. Believe me, if you don't let me in, Great Magistrate, you will definitely regret it."

Lanaya and the other Divine Guards kept their gaze averted, showing no reaction to the interaction between Sony the Great and the silver-haired girl. At most, they were surprised that the girl, who appeared so demure, would adopt such a bold and provocative style. It all depended on the Great Magistrate's mood for the day.

Sony the Great, perhaps due to a recent promotion, was indeed in a good mood and surprisingly nodded, allowing the silver-haired girl to enter. It seemed Sony the Great really was susceptible to such tactics.

At that moment, Lanaya said, "Sony the Great, I need to guard you and ensure your safety, so..."

"Lanaya, you want to come in too?" Ren Suo turned his head to look at her. "But I really don't like having other people watch me when I sleep, unless you're in bed too."

"I will protect your safety from outside. If anything happens, just call out, and I will come to your rescue," Lanaya said indifferently.

Ren Suo secretly sighed in relief. Armed with both his and Sony's memories, he knew Lanaya was an extremely formidable warrior. She was also a practitioner of the Great Shadow Method of the Great Lord Nocturnal. No-Hunting Zones were meaningless to her, as she could freely enter and exit any place.

Therefore, if Ren Suo wanted any respite in the coming days, he had to constrain Lanaya's actions with his words. Otherwise, he would have to run the 'Sony' program at full capacity 24 hours a day—a prospect that terrified him. What if his 'core program' became contaminated by 'Sony'? If he later switched back to running the 'Ren Suo' program, would it crash, freeze, or suffer a blue screen error?

Of course, Ren Suo might not have a future.

Although Ren Suo had now become Sony and wouldn't be frightened by realizing 'I'm a fake' or 'I'm in the enemy's headquarters,' he still needed comfort and the satisfaction of his desires. Clearly, Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei would not accept him in this guise. So, if Ren Suo maintained the 'Sony' persona, wouldn't he have to sleep alone all these days?

Of course, even if Ren Suo returned to his true form, he would most likely sleep alone.

But right now, his greatest need was to recharge by being with his sister and girlfriend. Therefore, he had to find an opportunity to revert to his true form and absolutely could not be under Lanaya's surveillance 24/7.

Having dealt with Lanaya, Ren Suo now faced another major problem.

He led the silver-haired girl into the suite's living room, where Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei, who were reading, immediately looked over. Upon seeing Ren Suo with the silver-haired girl, their expressions darkened slightly, and they stared at Ren Suo with unfriendly eyes.

Ren Suo ignored them, sat down, and asked, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"

The silver-haired girl glanced at Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei beside her. Ren Suo said, "They don't understand the Foundational Language. Don't mind them; speak freely."

"They don't understand, but how can you, an Otherworlder?"

Ren Suo's expression remained unchanged. "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Let me introduce myself." The silver-haired girl stood up, turned, curtsied slightly while holding her skirt, and said, "I am Lorifes, sister of Imperial Colonel Los, a student of the Storm Cloak's 563rd class, and a woman determined to change Didra. I was also Sony's debate opponent. When you used Sony's bracelet this morning to refuse my debate challenge, I knew: Sony was dead."

"Just for that reason?"

"Just for that reason."

"Ridiculous. Why would this Great Magistrate waste time debating with people in the Knowledge Domain? Humans cannot be persuaded by words."

Ren Suo stood up, looking down at her. "You're merely speculating without evidence. I must have been bewitched to let you in. If you continue with such baseless conjectures, I will have to ask you to leave."

"Of course, it wasn't just that. Your attitude towards the Great Master of Sad Wind earlier completely proved you aren't Sony," Lorifes said.

Lorifes glanced at Dong Chengling and Ren Xingmei and continued, "Sony is someone who has no concept of—or even despises—marriage, the opposite sex, and love. This is because he grew up without a mother and was exposed to a decadent lifestyle at an early age, which corrupted him into a proud patriarchist. His ability to get along with someone like Sad Wind naturally stems from his agreement with Sangkien's 'hedonistic' values."

"But just now, you loudly expressed your possessiveness towards women. Even though the tone you used was similar to Sony's imperious one, it proves your true moral compass is completely different from Sony's." Lorifes tapped her bracelet. "Just three days ago, Sony was still rebutting me with the point that 'all emotions between men and women are mere animal instincts' and also stated that 'he completely disregarded any turnover in the people around him.' Indeed, that was true. He acted solely to satisfy his desires and never had special feelings for any member of the opposite sex."

"He already knew of my existence. His attention even caused Los some trouble, but he made no further moves afterward, instead continuing to argue with me. Was Sony trying to win my favor this way? No. He simply has no special feelings for any member of the opposite sex. His interest in me was merely to assess his opponent, trying to find vulnerabilities in my life experiences to attack."

Exactly right. Ren Suo, in his Sony persona, knew that Lorifes's analysis of Sony almost perfectly matched Sony's character profile.

From beginning to end, Sony never saw Lorifes as a member of the opposite sex. Having long indulged in every kind of pleasure, Sony no longer valued physical gratification. He pursued mental victories, which is why he became a troll, dozens of trolls, an eternally victorious troll.

His behavior might have seemed somewhat like that of an overbearing tyrant, but Sony, long since corrupted, could have had numerous people tie Lorifes to his bed if he'd really wanted to. That was well beyond what Los could protect against.

Did Sony not know that his subordinates' attempts to help were causing Lorifes's brother, Los, immense trouble? He knew, but he didn't care. Given his personality, not deliberately using real-world tactics to crush an opponent was already a sign of good character on his part. Why would he protect an opponent? Just because she was a beautiful, silver-haired girl?

What a joke. Sony had bedded countless women more beautiful than Lorifes; he had genuinely transcended such base pleasures. Stories like 'Divine Descendant falls hopelessly in love with a commoner' would never happen to Sony.

But neither Sony nor Ren Suo had expected that Lorifes, who had constantly argued with Sony, had managed to analyze him so thoroughly based solely on the views he expressed during their online spars!

Ren Suo forced himself to remain composed and said coldly, "This Great Magistrate repeats himself: I will not engage in pointless debates in the Knowledge Domain..."

"Did you think I started talking to Sony by chance?" Lorifes suddenly interjected.

Ren Suo froze, staring at Lorifes in astonishment. The real Sony would undoubtedly be unable to contain his agitation and would be loudly questioning her by now.

Lorifes said indifferently, "I mentioned earlier that I aspire to change this Didra, with its rigid hierarchy and hedonistic lifestyle. But I am not a Divine Descendant, nor is my brother. How could two children from the Farkas Wolf Institute like us possibly become influential enough to impact Didra?"

Ren Suo's mind raced: The Farkas Wolf Institute, like the Meneleus Annihilation Hall and the Poyesia Proving Grounds, was one of the... orphanages established by the Sixteen Great Monarchs.

Theoretically, Didra was enormously wealthy in resources and possessed nearly limitless energy. It should never have had orphans, even if technology ceased advancing. Aside from a few rebellions instigated by the Dragon Worship Cult, it remained largely peaceful most of the time. Didra people could be quickly healed of any sickness, and their lifespans surpassed a hundred years.

These orphans were, in fact, sent directly to the orphanages by their parents. This had nothing to do with abandonment; it was simply Didra's culture: parents could choose not to be responsible for their children and send them directly to the orphanages run by the Sixteen Great Monarchs. The Great Monarchs and the Empire would then take care of raising them.

Although the children were disconnected from their parents from that moment on, Didra people didn't need their children for old-age support. The resource-rich Empire ensured that any Didra person could live comfortably.

Thus, Didra people valued personal pleasure more. Apart from a few parents who enjoyed raising children, most Didra people entrusted their offspring to state-unified upbringing. It could even be said that most Didra parents had no marital relationship; they reproduced casually.

Ren Suo also knew from the game's plot that Didra people were not the original human inhabitants of this Dimension; they were originally a race of powerful demons, which was why their fertility rate was very low.

Even though the Spirituality of Didra people had been 'castrated' by the Sixteen Great Monarchs, their Physical Condition remained extremely formidable, yet their fertility rate stayed low. Consequently, they naturally took no contraceptive measures when procreating.

Pregnancy out of wedlock was no issue. The Empire would provide financial assistance to women for gestation and childbirth, covering all losses incurred by the woman during this period. There was even a reward after the child was born. Once born, the child could be entrusted to an institution run by one of the Sixteen Great Monarchs, according to the parents' faith. Most Didra people grew up and lived this way; they were long accustomed to this system. Conversely, parents who insisted on raising their own children were in the minority.

However, this phenomenon was different at the Divine Descendant level. Divine Descendants almost universally maintained the 'foreign tradition' of being raised by their parents. Sony, for example, was a prince raised by the Great Lord Xides. Yes, marriage and child-rearing were, to Didra people, foreign traditions.

Los and Lorifes being orphans from the Farkas Wolf Institute was, therefore, a normal background.

"The gap between Divine Descendants and mortals is greater than that between heaven and earth. Without becoming a Divine Descendant, one cannot hold any important position, nor even enter Luoyin City, the heart of the Empire," Lorifes stated. "And becoming a Divine Descendant depends too much on luck and pleasing the ethereal Great Monarchs. That's far too unreliable. I am unwilling to choose that path."

"So you intend to..." Ren Suo asked, "become Sony's woman, then directly become a Divine Descendant and lay claim to power?"

"How could that be!" Lorifes scoffed. "Sony isn't worthy! I merely needed Sony as a stepping stone. If you, this Otherworlder, hadn't replaced Sony, he would have been completely persuaded by me to hire me as his advisor in a short time. I would then have become a Divine Descendant and entered the core echelons of the Empire!"

"I know you want to ask how I knew Sony's identity, even though he hid it so well... But while an identity can be hidden, a worldview cannot. Sony had a frequently used persona under which he often voiced opinions in the Knowledge Domain, saying things like, 'Are there still people these days who haven't been to Luoyin City?' His disdainful remarks towards commoners and women made it easy to see he was a Divine Descendant."

"I sought him out, just trying my luck, casting a wide net to find a Divine Descendant who could appreciate my talents. However, in our subsequent debates, I quickly realized he was Prince Sony. And for me, he was also an ideal employer—he has no special feelings towards any member of the opposite sex, so I didn't have to worry about being toyed with by him."

"Unfortunately, you've ruined everything now, Otherworlder."

Ren Suo narrowed his eyes at Lorifes and asked, "Why do you keep saying I'm an Otherworlder?"

"Isn't it obvious? Sony went on Operation Bayonet yesterday and was replaced by you upon his return. Although it's possible Sony was attacked by other Didra people in the Otherworld, I'm more inclined to believe he underestimated his enemy and was captured by you. Sony's personality is extremely sensitive and suspicious; he's very wary of any Didra people who approach him, so the chances of him being attacked are very low."

Denial was pointless. Lorifes was indeed the person among the Didra people who knew Sony best. She had been planning for a long time, intending to use Sony as a shortcut to ascend to the ruling class—a fact Sony himself had never realized.

Suddenly, Ren Suo reached out and unfastened Lorifes's Drive Belt. Lorifes obediently held her hands up, allowing him to do so. Ren Xingmei, who had been watching the whole time, finally couldn't hold back, but Dong Chengling quickly restrained her, signaling her to keep watching.

Ren Suo removed Lorifes's Drive Belt and bracelet, tossing them directly to Dong Chengling and his sister. He then asked, "So, why have you sought me out now? To avenge Sony?"

Lorifes shook her head. "I originally came to save Los. If you were really Sony, I would have, as his long-time debate opponent, thoroughly persuaded him to hire me. It was a bit risky, but the probability of success wasn't low. Now that Sony is dead, my plans have naturally changed."

Ren Suo asked, puzzled, "Don't you want to avenge Sony? Weren't you two..."

"Ridiculous. Would you develop feelings for an opponent you've sparred with online for days? Especially when he's a Divine Descendant scumbag who despises commoners and women?"

Lorifes sneered, "Indeed, some girls might dream of a 'domineering Divine Descendant falling in love with me,' hoping to be the last woman in a prodigal Divine Descendant's life and thereby ascend the social ladder... But I'm not one of them. I have no interest in being the woman behind a strong man; I intend to become strong in my own right."

"Then what does that have to with me?" Ren Suo asked indifferently.

"Don't you want to return to the Otherworld?" Lorifes said. "I can help you."

"On what basis?"

"On my understanding of Didra and my insight into the human heart." Lorifes tapped her beautiful forehead. "If you want to return to the Otherworld, you must abandon Sony's identity and also take those two women with you out of Didra. If you don't possess a certain degree of power, you won't be able to escape at all."

"Although you act a lot like Sony, Sony himself was an idiot. He didn't understand the checks and balances among various forces. But I'm different. I've already prepared various plans that can help you eliminate the obstacles to leaving at the fastest speed, stir up the muddy waters of Didra, and establish your own Blood Offspring force. Then you can leave smoothly with your women."

Ren Suo was somewhat tempted. "What do you want then?"

Lorifes smiled. "Originally, I just wanted to become Sony's advisor. But since Sony is now dead, and you are a counterfeit Great Magistrate, my modest goal also needs to change."

"I want you to save Los. I want you to plunge the entire Didra from the pinnacle of light into darkness. I want you, this Bloodline Great Law who is second only to one and above ten thousand, to become the Twilight Fading Flower that causes Didra's downfall."

Lorifes pressed her hands to her chest, her silver-white hair fluttering slightly. From her sapphire-like pupils, a light shone, more fervent than that of any Divine Descendant. "And I... I shall become the Dawn Star who rebuilds Didra!"