I have always yearned for freedom, yet never imagined the price for it would be so steep. I always hoped to soar through the heavens, but the wings that once lifted me are now broken. I always believed I could survive even utterly alone, but to whom can I pour out this loneliness?

When I attained invincibility under heaven, I feared nothing anymore, but... to whom can I share this feeling, this glory? Standing atop a boundless world, looking down upon everything beneath, my heart held not a trace of joy.

It was not until her appearance that I finally discovered there were things in this world truly worth pursuing. An entire epoch of entanglement was spent in endless combat; her might, though it nearly felled me several times, was also what made me feel that I was still truly alive. The final battle finally defeated her, and the elation of turning foe to friend brought forth tears of overwhelming happiness.

As the companions around me grew in number, I too began to feel that this world held things worth my devotion, things that brought the genuine joy of living, yet... the ache in my heart could never be erased. Those long dead were resurrected; those who should not be appeared before my eyes.

Was it illusion or reality, I did not know... Perhaps I already knew it was an illusion, but I ultimately could not bear to lose it, even if it meant causing world upheaval... But then, if I cannot even protect the most vital thing, how can I speak of protecting anyone else?

Looking at the smiling faces around me—so innocent, so joyful. Though there were minor quarrels and conflicts, they always dissolved into laughter over a shared cup of wine, but... was I the only one who could see?

The tragedy hidden beneath that happiness. I clearly did not wish to lose it, yet I could not stop it. When that illusory being vanished from my sight once more, I knew the sin was unstoppable.

All that world-shattering might, all that omnipotent power, seemed utterly futile. Let the departed pass on, and let the living continue to live. If possible, please do not disturb them; let me bear all this iniquity myself.

I am willing to endure everything in their stead! It came faster than imagined. It was more painful than anticipated.

If it were merely physical agony, I wouldn't care, but how can I resolve the torment of the soul? Endless wails and endless screams boiled within my spirit... Soul and body tortured millions of times by this sin, making life a living death.

I long for death! I truly just want to die, if dying could silence all this! But I cannot die.

Because I must bring this to an end within myself. My heart is already riddled with wounds, yet a smile graces my face, finding amusement in teasing others. Perhaps this is the only way left for me to truly laugh.

I cannot stop it. Nor can I prevent it. Though I clearly know the immense suffering she would endure if she shared this burden with me, I know even better the torment in her heart, as she sees how much I suffer.

Therefore, I can only let her join me... Well, even in hell, if we could be together, perhaps there would still be a sliver of happiness? Was I wrong?

Perhaps I truly was. When I looked upon her body, I could no longer sense the slightest spark of life. When I knew that she, who should have been eternal, had perished thus, I finally understood...

how foolish my initial decision had been. She should never have had to endure any of this, yet for my sake, she paid the ultimate price. Then, must I be the one to bear all this?

Did I err in yearning for the sky and chasing freedom? All I desired was simple liberty, so why did the outcome prove so cruel? This world...

I truly wish to annihilate it all! I have no desire to be a savior; I only wish to destroy everything. Yet the relentless tide of the world forces me onto the sharpest crest of the wave...

I saved the world, but I could not save the one I loved most, nor the comrades who fought beside me. What meaning is left in living? How I wish everything could return to how it was.

If I could, I would willingly renounce this power! That innocent, willful little girl who only caused trouble back then—after all this, she has finally matured, finally able to stand on her own. So let us part ways here...

Forgive me, for entrusting all of this entirely to you. Irresponsible, perhaps, or self-indulgent, but I am truly... powerless to endure any more!

There is no going back to the past. No matter what, we cannot return. But I still can...

I can start a new life, abandoning everything I am now to become a new self. Future me, if you can sense everything this present me is feeling, if you can understand the meaning behind my choosing to fade away, if you dare to carry this entire burden, then... this power hidden deep within your soul will stand with you.

Believe in yourself, and believe in me. Do not doubt, never doubt! I have a game of chess, spanning countless epochs.

Using myself as the general, myself as the pawn, traversing the torrent of time, condensing the vicissitudes of ages. At the end of this game lies my eternal sinking into darkness, or perhaps... Wake up, my future self!

... The instant his eyes fluttered open, Lin Luo first felt the uncontrollable tears flooding his vision. A sorrow and agony indescribable by words made him wish to ignore everything around him.

He had no desire to recall what he had seen or heard in the dream, for the feeling was utterly torturous. He felt as if he could see a person struggling desperately in endless despair, only to remain bound by it in the end, the pain in their heart forcing a mere smile, as if that could erase everything... Was that person himself or someone else?

Lin Luo did not know, nor did he wish to investigate, at least not now... he did not want that agony to consume his heart again. Perhaps one day he would have to face it, but not today, or he would shatter!

After an unknowable span of time, as the sorrow slowly receded from his core along with the last of his tears, Lin Luo realized he was situated within a dark, empty space devoid of life and sound. He could sense nothing existing, only countless distorted energies tearing at his body. He was now a powerhouse on the verge of the Heavenly Tier, though he hadn't yet taken that final step.

But because he possessed the ability of creation, he was essentially no different from a true Heavenly Tier expert... an authentic, unadulterated Heavenly Tier First Level! Logically, with his current realm and the heaven-defying ability of 'Creation from Nothingness,' as long as he wasn't instantly killed or his ability sealed, he could immediately restore himself to peak condition regardless of the situation.

However... the projection of the True Mirror was terrifyingly potent; to survive the slaughtering conflict between it and another force, his 'Creation from Nothingness' had suffered an unprecedented drain. It was like a credit card that had been maxed out; it couldn't be used again without making a deposit.

Although this situation seemed contrary to the nature of 'Creation from Nothingness,' considering that Luo Tianyi could easily seal his ability, it wasn't strange that the True Mirror she wielded would suppress it. Thus, at this moment, even facing the confinement of this space, Lin Luo could not break free, because all his power was completely exhausted. Aside from his innate physical strength, he could utilize virtually nothing.

"Damn it all..." This state made Lin Luo feel incredibly stifled. He recalled similar predicaments from the past, like after the conclusion of the Three Kings War, when he not only lost his power but also his memories, subsequently entering the world of the Magic Cannon; then after the Fourth Divine War, where he started completely anew from the afterlife, losing all power; and most recently, in Gensokyo, where he was struck down in realm by the Heavenly Dao, forced to proceed with Earthly Tier strength to Gensokyo thousands of years in the past... This is ridiculous!

Why is it always a decrease in strength? Don't they have any new tricks left?! The sheer frequency of such events even made Lin Luo feel depressed and conflicted.

Thankfully, this time it wasn't a regression of realm—his Heavenly Tier status remained—it was merely a complete depletion of power. It was only a matter of time before 'Creation from Nothingness' restored itself if left to run its course. But waiting for recovery in this space, constantly enduring the crushing assault of those twisted energies, was hardly a pleasant prospect.

"Sigh, if there were a girl here, it wouldn't be so boring," Lin Luo muttered to himself, figuring that companionship made any chore lighter. Yet, deep down, he knew his thought was fanciful; the energy within this dark space, while unable to harm him, would make most powerhouses recoil in fear. Any expert below the Heavenly Tier who fell into this would likely just die.

"Hmm... how exactly can I leave this space?" After a moment, Lin Luo frowned in thought. He didn't know which world he had been washed into, but it certainly wasn't Earth.

This dark space had no gravity, no sound, and the chaotic energies made it seem unlike a pure vacuum... Such a bizarre space was likely located deep in the cosmos or within a dimensional rift. Unless one was blessed with protagonist luck, the chance of rescue was infinitesimally close to zero.

But escaping through his own power... right now, he seemed incapable of doing anything except ensuring his survival... Just as Lin Luo pondered this, he suddenly felt the entire space shake inexplicably.

A colossal force seeped in from the outside, as if something was assaulting the space itself. "No way! Could my luck really be this good?" Lin Luo couldn't help but marvel at his absurd fortune—what he lacked was precisely what was arriving.

As long as the attacker wasn't a Heavenly Tier expert, any assault on this space was entirely beneficial to him. If the space shattered, he would naturally escape; even if it didn't, he stood to lose nothing. As for what happens after he gets out, he had no worries there.

With his Heavenly Tier physical resilience, he could ignore all physical and magical attacks below that tier; he could withstand a hundred Starfall Blasts without losing a single hair. Unless the opponent was a Heavenly Tier expert, in which case he'd be in danger. However, if it truly were a Heavenly Tier powerhouse, they wouldn't bother with these small, probing attacks; they would simply poke a hole through it with a finger.

It was only a Heavenly Tier expert like him—powerless and exhausted—who could be trapped by such a space. But who would be so bored as to attack a dark void like this? ...

Outside the dark space trapping Lin Luo was the boundless universe. A gargantuan battleship was currently halted ten thousand meters away from the void. Inside the ship, a red-haired girl with twin-tails sat rigidly in the captain's chair, her expression grave.

To call her a 'girl' might be excessive; she was extremely short, estimated to be no more than 130 centimeters, and her features were distinctly infantile. Whether she had surpassed ten years of age was debatable; she barely qualified as a loli—a full-fledged young child. Come to think of it, was placing such a child in the captain's seat some kind of joke?

The facts stated otherwise, for soon after, a soldier old enough to be her father approached her side, rendered a crisp salute, and reported gravely, "Lieutenant Commander Vita, we have fired upon that space, but its defenses remain unbroken. Awaiting your orders!" "At a time like this, stop calling me Lieutenant Commander. Just call me Captain," the red-haired child commanded.

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander Vita." The soldier repeated his respectful address. The red-haired child glanced at him, momentarily speechless. Finally, she let the issue of address drop, rose, and said, "Even the concentrated fire from our newest battleship couldn't breach it.

That space is certainly peculiar. But... what's most intriguing is detecting a life signature inside such a space...

Never mind, I'll go personally. You remain here on standby. If anything unexpected occurs, retreat immediately.

Do not worry about me." "Understood!" Following the order, the child left the control room. In mere moments, she entered the vacuum of space alone, equipped with nothing but a set of red attire and a massive, double-headed hammer held in her hands. To enter the oxygen-free void without any life support equipment demonstrated a degree of daring and ability that was staggering.

Yet, those aboard the battleship watched this scene with practiced calm, their expressions betraying slight anticipation and excitement. Meanwhile, in no time, the red-haired child arrived a hundred meters before the dark space. After staring intently for a while, she couldn't help but frown slightly.

"How strange. How could a space like this even form?" She was truly perplexed, as in her experience, the more bizarre a space, the larger its expanse, often approaching infinity. This dark space, however, was vastly different—a mere black sphere with a diameter of only a few hundred meters...

It wasn't a black hole; it lacked any gravitational pull. It felt manufactured, like an artificial construct. "Forget it, contemplating things like this isn't my style." After a moment, she abandoned the line of thought and lifted the hammer in her hands high above her head.

"Whatever you are, stand against this strike!" "Hammer of Judgment, Mana Charge!" As she spoke, a vast torrent of magic erupted from her body. Even the hammer in her hands seemed energized by this power, instantly extending like the Ruyi Jingu Bang, its head swelling to an immense size. At a glance, it appeared almost as large as the dark space itself.

"Juggernaut Mode! Quake Blast... Great Hammer!" With the child's commanding shout, the iron hammer in her hands slammed down heavily toward the dark space...

The momentum was so colossal it looked like a star colliding with a planet. The instant the hammer made contact, a deafening boom echoed, and a visible shockwave radiated outward in all directions, forcing even the battleship ten thousand meters away to retreat slightly. The dark space, receiving the direct impact, endured an even greater pressure.

Crackling, countless runaway currents raced across its surface, seemingly attempting to dissipate the force of the hammer. Blocked? Seeing this, the child paused, astonished that even her full-power strike couldn't destroy the space.

But! A satisfied smirk touched her lips. She once again channeled the mana within her into her weapon.

"Cone Form! Space Splitter!" The dual-headed hammer instantly transformed into a sharp spike. Then, with a forceful swing of her arms, the dark space could resist no longer.

The razor-sharp cone sliced straight through it with a shattering crash! Breached! A flicker of joy crossed the child's face, but before she could celebrate for long, a terrifying surge of force erupted from the crumbling space, nearly sending her flying.

She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut and conjured a defensive spell. After an unknown duration, when she felt the impact finally cease, just as she was about to open her eyes, a voice suddenly sounded near her ear. "Oh dear, you seem to have gotten a bit stronger, but you're still just as clumsy.

With such a reckless attack method, if the person inside weren't me, they'd likely be reduced to dust by now." "Who's there?!" The child started, instinctively looking toward the source of the voice. "Long time no see, Vita," Lin Luo said with a smile, waving to her. "You..." Seeing the familiar face so close, the child froze for a moment, but instantly her face flushed red, and she shouted in a mix of fury and embarrassment, "Bastard!

Don't say things like that while straddling me!" "What nonsense are you talking about? As the Red Knight, isn't it natural for you to be 'ridden' by your master? Besides, I have absolutely no strength right now," Lin Luo replied, perched slightly over her bent form, asserting his point.

"You are not my master! Get off me! Ah...

Don't put your hand there!" At this moment, the child was weeping uncontrollably.