LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 407: Ren, The Non-Traverser
The vast Imaginary space stretched endlessly, a sea of red sand beneath a golden tree. Time and space held no meaning here, only the buried ruins whispering forgotten stories.
This was a forbidden zone, beyond human comprehension, where no life should exist. Yet…
"Who are you?"
Prometheus 17 looked up, her gaze shifting from the footprints stretching to the horizon to the boy standing before her, his back turned.
"You tread upon the realm beyond worlds. Aren't you afraid of being annihilated by the void?"
The boy didn't turn, his gaze fixed on the colossal Imaginary Tree. He tried to take a step forward, but black roots erupted from the sand, binding him.
"This is the edge of the world, but as its recorder and administrator, I, Number 17, also have the right to glimpse beyond the Imaginary Tree…"
Number 17 stopped abruptly, her gray eyes widening as she saw the roots.
As an AI, she possessed absolute rationality. That's why she recognized the roots for what they were.
"Go any further, and the Tree will consume you," she warned.
The sand beneath the boy's feet sank as he withdrew his foot. The roots tightened, pulling him down. He merely shrugged, and the roots crumbled like dry twigs.
Judging by the marks in the sand, he'd done this countless times.
"First, to answer your question, my name is Ren. You should know that already. Second, if you've come here for pointless small talk, I suggest you return to the world within."
"This isn't a good place for idle chatter."
As if to prove his point, dark green creatures emerged from the sand, swarming towards them.
Number 17 raised her hand, a large shield of light appearing, blocking the creatures. She clenched her fist, gravity crushing them into fragments.
"So, within the world, you must abide by the Will of the Honkai's rules, but out here, you can use other powers?"
As she obliterated the creatures, she heard the boy's comment. She was about to reply when the fragmented creatures began to regenerate, their numbers multiplying exponentially.
A true tide of monsters now approached.
"Regeneration?" She frowned, raising her hand to create another shield, but a powerful force slammed into it.
Crack.
The shield shattered. Through the dissipating light, she saw the monstrous form created by hundreds of creatures merging together.
"You can't kill them here." The boy's voice came as the monster loomed over her.
She turned to see him calmly watching the creature, raising a single finger.
The monster's claws, poised to strike, froze mid-air.
Then, like the roots before, the creature rapidly decayed, turning to dust, swallowed by the red sand.
"Thank you."
Number 17 bowed slightly. If not for Ren, she would have had to retreat, returning to her slumber as the Will of the Honkai. She might not awaken until the Stigmata plan was complete.
"State your purpose."
Unlike the Ren in the real world, this Ren, his true self, was devoid of emotion. His gray eyes, their golden World Tree pupils gleaming, fixed on her.
Even Number 17 felt a pressure from his gaze. She sensed an ancient, profound power within those eyes.
She quickly composed herself, recording the experience in her database. "You're outside the world. You know what this world is facing."
"The Honkai is inevitable. This civilization will be destroyed."
"And how does that concern me? You said I don't belong here."
"True, but world parameters indicate a strong attachment to Kiana. I ask for your help, to save this world with her."
Ren scoffed. "Number 17, as an AI, do you have a pre-programmed emotional module?"
"No. Dr. MEI didn't include one. Emotions would cloud my judgment, hindering my objective."
"Then why assume I would retain emotions, existing outside this world?"
His eyes were cold, the golden patterns within them glowing like a god's, devoid of feeling.
This wasn't a facade. Ren's true self had no emotions. In this endless sea of sand, emotions were merely a torment.
"The Herrscher of Dominance's power was granted by the Honkai. These puppets are mere tools, manipulated by my strings."
Ren gestured, and the Ren on Mount Taixu, sitting beside Kiana, became blank, golden light fading from his eyes. His gentle gaze turned cold.
"To me, this world is not essential. It's just a game. A game called Honkai Impact 3rd."
A chilling aura enveloped Number 17. She saw a vision of a boy, sitting on a golden branch, looking down at the world with cold indifference.
"..."
"Ren, you keep telling the other Ren that you're a traverser, someone who's played the game. But is it truly just a game?"
"Or did you truly traverse?"
Number 17 looked up, defiance in her eyes.
"Dr. MEI didn't give me emotions, but I learned them anyway."
"You claim to have erased your feelings, yet you haven't left."
"You're even deceiving yourself!"
She produced a small crystal, a girl with light green twintails visible within. This was how she'd discovered Ren's true identity.
"A Time Crystal."
"A-872 doesn't exist in this world. Your 'traverser' identity is a fabricated story from a Time Crystal."