章 38: I guess I came at the wrong time?
You are imprisoned in Clippert Castle, accompanied by your mother, Cocolia. Himeko has not mistreated you; you are well cared for but confined to Clippert Castle, unable to leave. It seems she wants you to see where Belobog is heading under her rule.
You hear that the Empire has found corporate relics on Jarilo-VI. Ruan led a team that successfully secured the Stellaron and brought it to the depths of Clippert Castle. The Empire is stepping into a new future.
You hear that Ruan led a team to build a wall for Belobog. The Empire's oppressive rule has caused public discontent, and someone seeks you out at night.
A video pops up on the light screen—a man wearing a black trench coat and a smiling mask stands on the eaves of the Guardian's residence, his voice somewhat distorted:
"The Empire is finished... Now everyone hates the Empire. If you are willing, we can overthrow the Empire's rule tomorrow and announce the return of the Great Guardian to everyone." His words are full of temptation, and the smile on the mask reveals a hint of evil: "Don't you think you could do better than Himeko?"
But Bronya in the video just stares at him for a moment, then returns to the residence, uninterested.
"The Empire is getting better... Although this is not the path I wanted to take, it is indeed improving."
"I don't want to bring any turmoil to Belobog."
The image on the light screen fades, and a new message appears:
For the people of Belobog, you rejected him.
You hear that the Antimatter Legion has returned from the ice fields. The Empire's army is sent to the front lines, and the fire of Destruction burns the land. You see Ruan and Himeko arriving at Clippert Castle together. When leaving, Ruan holds the Stellaron container and hurries to the front lines. You immediately realize what he is going to do and desperately shout to stop him. But all you see is his back.
The light that engulfs everything blooms in the sky. Most of Clippert Castle turns to ruins, but the Guardian's residence remains standing. You watch the second sun rise in the sky, letting the wind from the explosion blow across your face. The sand, carried by the wind, leaves deep cuts on your face. As the wind subsides, you feel what seems like shattered crystal dust falling on your face. The Preservation's legacy heals your wounds, and you feel warmth like a spring breeze. Realizing what it is, you bury yourself in Cocolia's arms and cry. Cocolia embraces you with a complex expression, also mourning Ruan's passing. He flashed across the sky like a meteor, clearing away the seven-hundred-year darkness over Belobog and bringing true dawn to the world. He deserves Cocolia's respect.
On October 5, 703 of the City Building Era, the Star Peace Corporation's rescue team arrives. The aid provided by the Star Peace Corporation to Jarilo-VI rivals the destruction brought by the Antimatter Legion. Everything on Jarilo-VI is destroyed and then rebuilt to the corporation's liking. Himeko leads the Empire in an attempt to resist the corporation, but it is undoubtedly a futile effort. The corporation finds no value in the Empire and easily disassembles it. The Empire collapses. Himeko visits you late at night. You talk all night, with Cocolia by your side. The lights in the Guardian's residence only go out at dawn. The next day, Himeko announces the dissolution of the Empire to her followers and then disappears into the cracks of the giant city. For the people of Belobog, you wear the Builder's badge and seek support between the Builders and the corporation's factions. Cocolia helps you navigate the corporation's factions, proving Belobog's value to them. You successfully lead the people of Belobog to join the corporation, becoming its citizens. The administrator recognizes Belobog's value, and the rebuilt city is named "New Belobog" instead of a corporate name. You are hired as corporate employees, participating in the city's management. Time flies, and you try to leave traces of your existence in your homeland. But standing on the streets of New Belobog, the endless steel jungle makes you lose your way. The entire land is covered with steel and concrete, towering buildings line the roads, and streamlined hover cars flash by, forming a continuous river with airships carrying large billboards in the sky. You fail to leave any trace of your civilization under corporate rule. The rich history of Belobog is erased by the corporation, leaving only "New Belobog," a famous resort city in the galaxy. This is no longer your home.
Game Over. To ensure player experience, simulated memories have been loaded. Thin memories flow into your mind, without any surprises in this simulation. The AI-controlled Bronya has been idle for a long time, leaving only meaningless data redundancy in those memories. And then... only the crushing regret remains. Bronya takes a deep breath, steadies herself, and looks at the new text on the light screen:
This life's simulation score is: 30 points.
You have gained 300 world experience points.
Your world level has increased—LV.9.
As the nineteenth Great Guardian of Belobog, your existence is meaningless, merely a stepping stone for Himeko's Empire. You had no impact on events and could only watch helplessly as Belobog took another path. Although you left Belobog's name after the corporation arrived, it was just a name. This achievement cannot overshadow your failure. You are not a qualified Great Guardian.
Only 30 points... It's normal, given that it was AI-controlled. Bronya looks at the evaluation on the light screen and sighs. This simulation failed because she didn't care about the life simulation game and let the AI control it, leading to Ruan falling into Himeko's hands and her own ousting as the Great Guardian. However, besides regretting Ruan's loss, Bronya does not have much objection to Himeko's rise to power. Her dream has always been to protect Belobog... If it could be achieved, what does it matter if she is the Great Guardian or not? She never really cared about the position.
Instead, Bronya is very interested in the new path taken by Himeko and Ruan in this simulation. The issues that troubled Bronya in the previous two simulations, Himeko managed to solve this time. Securing the Stellaron and defeating the Antimatter Legion—things that once gave Bronya a headache—were all resolved in this simulation. The value of the life simulation game lies here, bringing different possibilities and paths each time. However, Himeko paid a severe price for these achievements—Ruan's death. This is not a future that should be recreated in reality. If she had not let the AI control the simulation, Bronya believes she could have done better. At the very least, she would never have let Ruan die. If they held on a little longer, perhaps the situation would have changed. Next time... she will surely do better than Himeko!
With this determination, Bronya looks up, sees the evaluation fade, and the reward options appear on the screen:
You have successfully completed a simulation, please choose—
1. "Corporate Employee Medal" x1
2. "Preservation Gun" x1
3. "Imperial Emperor Uniform" x1
The score is too low, there's nothing worth choosing... She casually chooses the second option and places the Preservation Gun in the corner of her room. Then she tidies up and quickly walks to Ruan's room. In the last simulation, the AI-controlled Bronya ignored Ruan and didn't cooperate with him, causing Ruan to leave her side. She will not let that happen in reality... never!
With this thought, she gently knocks on Ruan's door.
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The knocking wakes Ruan from his slumber. He lazily gets up from the bed and walks to the door.
"Why are you knocking so early... I'm coming, I'm coming!" He yawns and mutters while opening the door—
And then he sees Bronya standing quietly at the door.
...As expected from a job with a monthly salary of 1.5 million credits, do we have to start this early?
Isn't this a bit too intense, boss?
Ruan mutters inwardly, but as a seasoned professional, he greets her with a warm smile:
"It's Bronya... Where are we going today?"
Bronya thinks for a moment and says, "Have you rested well? Today, come with me to find the mining team leader in the lower district. They know best what's happening down there, and I need to understand why the geosupply is decreasing..."
"Is that all? You could have just asked me, no need to find the mining team." A voice suddenly interrupts them. They both turn and see a purple figure approaching them. Himeko walks quickly, her skirt fluttering behind her like a butterfly. She looks at the startled Bronya and Ruan, a faint smile on her face:
"What? Am I interrupting?"
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