Chapter 50: Sabbath of the Forgotten (1)
“How can this be! We went through so much to get here. Zihua even expended almost all of her Destiny Power! If we do nothing, won’t we still end up with a tragic ending!”
“Now that you two have appeared, fate has already deviated somewhat. This level of change is not a big deal, but if you continue your actions, you will definitely significantly alter the destiny of this world.”
“What’s the difference? I retorted forcefully, but I actually understood the Head Maid’s meaning. Although we returned to the past to change the future, our original intention was not to plunge the entire world into crisis. Juncheng’s desire…
Based on what Zihua said, the conclusion is that saving Li Nai might lead to the end of the world… If we can’t change it, we’ll just have to choose between these two.
“The original fate of the world was for its continuation. After ‘preliminary trial and error,’ the correct path was chosen from countless parallel worlds. But if you interfere too much, it’s highly likely to cause drastic changes in the direction of the world’s fate.”
“In other words, the world’s fate is also self-correcting. Perhaps ‘restraining force’ would be a better term to understand?”
“In short, it’s some kind of power or will that allows the world to continue to exist. In Chinese terms, it’s ‘heaven’s will,’ vague and illusory yet undeniably present.”
“If the world’s fate heads in the wrong direction and reaches a dead end, the end result will be destruction. I don’t think you two would want to see that either.” Juncheng, who had great faith in Miss Shirley, expressed his thoughts directly.
“Of course, no one wants the end of the world. Zi’ai and I don’t want to be burdened with the responsibility of destroying the world.”
“Indeed. I can feel your sincerity from your words. So, I’d like to ask about your purpose first. Why did you two return to the past?” I blurted out before Juncheng could, knowing he might not bring it up himself. Since the Head Maid of this era has a relatively good attitude towards us and seems willing to negotiate, let’s let her understand the situation first. Perhaps we can even get her help. If this Head Maid, who can see the future, joins our side, she would undoubtedly be very reliable.
“Resurrect? Do you mean you died in the future?”
“Huh? Shirley, you don’t know? Ah, now that I think about it, you did say you were responsible for Juncheng’s death back then. It seems you can’t see Juncheng’s future.”
“Yes, after all, you are the Master of Destiny. I cannot fully see the future of a Master of Destiny, let alone the two of you who have returned to the past to change the world. This is something even I cannot do.” Hearing the Head Maid admit her ‘inability,’ I couldn’t help but tease her.
“Oh~ Even the omnipotent Head Maid has things she cannot do?” Of course, this level of sarcasm wouldn’t affect the Head Maid, who simply replied with a faint smile.
“I have never considered myself omnipotent, only that… ever since my birth, I have never encountered anything I did not know until I met the two of you today.” She stated such an arrogant thing with a completely nonchalant expression.
“But you said you died in the future, which is very strange. I don’t see any ‘death omens’ on you. You shouldn’t have died so easily.”
“That’s something that has already happened. I have already died once… oh, I’ve died twice. The first time I died, I turned into a zombie. The second time, I died completely, leaving only a pool of blood and a finger.” The Head Maid looked thoughtful and pinched her chin, closing her eyes to ponder for a moment. When she reopened them, she rested her cheek on her hand. “…I still can’t figure out how the two of you managed to escape causality interference and come to the past. There are one… no, many important gears missing in between. Of course, perhaps these gears were made by one person and inserted privately.” Although she couldn’t see clearly, she felt she was close. How sharp. This is less like a woman’s intuition and more like a super intuition.
“Ah, actually, this is—” Seeing Juncheng about to reveal Zihua’s matter, I quickly covered his mouth. Juncheng cast me a confused look, and I immediately responded with my eyes: ‘Don’t say it for now.’ Zihua’s communication has become the third form of communication between Juncheng and me, following verbal and mental communication. Perhaps there will be telepathic communication in the future. After seeing Juncheng nod in agreement, I let go of the hand covering his mouth. Although it felt wasteful, I wiped away Juncheng’s saliva from my hand and then turned to the Head Maid and said seriously, “Our origins are not important, are they? You also said that what’s important is what we do next. So, let me tell you what Juncheng and I plan to do next, and you can judge for yourself how significant the impact will be.”
“Hmm, that’s reasonable. Then let’s proceed in a question-and-answer format. You ask questions, and I’ll answer, then we’ll exchange. This way, exchanging information will be fairer.” I was all for this proposal, as it would allow me to obtain a lot of crucial information, such as… the instigator of the zombie virus!
“Then, please ask your question first.”
“Okay. First, I’d like to know about the zombie crisis that will happen in this city later. Shirley, you should have foreseen it, right?”
“If you’re referring to the large-scale virus outbreak that will occur in this city in six days, I think it’s better if you don’t know the specific details.”
“Hmm? Why?” Juncheng reflexively asked the second question, but the Head Maid didn’t rudely say, ‘Now it’s my turn to ask.’ Instead, she patiently explained.
“I’ve judged that it’s better for you not to know about this matter. Moreover, even if you don’t interfere, this matter will eventually be resolved. In other words, this is just a biological disaster, no different from natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.”
“But one of our goals is to prevent Li Nai from becoming a zombie. If we succeed, won’t no one be there to resolve this incident? Won’t the zombie virus then spread worldwide?” This is Juncheng and my biggest concern. Let’s take this opportunity to ask for the outcome directly. Hearing our words, even the Head Maid slightly furrowed her brows, showing a troubled expression.
“Oh… this does indeed significantly affect the world’s fate. If it cannot be handled properly, there’s a high probability of irreversible consequences.”
“As expected!” “It’s exactly as we feared!”
“Then, I’d like to ask why you are doing this?”
“…If I had to say, we don’t know the specific reason. We were just told that we needed to do this.” Yes, this is the truth. Zihua only said that we needed to do this, but she didn’t tell us exactly why. Her explanation was only that preventing Li Nai from becoming a zombie was so that she could truly awaken as the Witch of Calamity, thus gathering the four… Zihua did not tell us about this. Is she deliberately not telling us… No, according to her, it’s that she ‘cannot say it.’ She cannot tell us what will happen in the future, and the reason is unknown. A future filled with mystery and gloom, yet the person involved, Zihua, cannot reveal any information. Thus, Juncheng and I are left in a fog, only able to probe in the mist. The Head Maid can discern lies, so she naturally knows we are not being perfunctory. She nods and continues, “Alright, then regardless of the reason, you intend to save the girl named Li Nai. Is that correct?”
“That’s right.” Juncheng nodded resolutely, his face filled with determination, showing his resolve.
“Then, I’d like to ask you, did that girl ask you to save herself?”
“Huh? This… she doesn’t know me in this era. This little…”
“Then, does ‘saving her’ simply mean your own wishful thinking?” Juncheng fell silent, offering no rebuttal. That’s too harsh! What do you mean, wishful thinking! Has wanting to save Li Nai become a mistake! I wanted to stand up and retort, but Juncheng stopped me with his hand. The Head Maid continued her relentless words, “Even if you don’t save her, she won’t die. She will continue to exist in another form. You should know this without me saying it. If you interfere here, perhaps Li Nai won’t become a zombie, but isn’t this equivalent to erasing Li Nai, the zombie girl? And at the cost of pushing the world towards doom.”
“…” This is too much!
“That’s a sly and cunning argument, Shirley… Perhaps it’s like this… Even if you say I’m fulfilling my own desires, I still want to save her.”
… This time, it was the Head Maid’s turn to fall silent. I, too, looked at Juncheng’s face, unable to speak. Ahh, this is… too ‘real!’ There’s no falsehood mixed in; he is genuine.
“Your magnanimity is truly admirable. That’s why in the future, I will call you ‘Young Master Juncheng.’ Of course, I’d prefer to call you ‘Master,’ but that will have to wait until you and the Young Miss are married.”
“Eh? Shirley, you— You just said you couldn’t see the Master of Destiny’s fate, and now you know things about the future. Does that mean you were lying just now? No, the Head Maid wouldn’t deceive us… Then… did you see such a distant future in such a short period of time!” Indeed, the Head Maid also said earlier that she ‘cannot fully see,’ meaning it’s possible to ‘not fully see.’ Truly not simple. As expected of a hidden boss-level character after the main boss, her intelligence and abilities are monstrous. Speaking of which, Laplace’s Demon is also called the Laplace Monster.
“Then, as a token of my respect, let me first help you achieve one of your goals. Miss Zi’ai mentioned it.”
“I said it? Ah, resurrect Juncheng! Can you do it, Shirley?”
“Resurrecting after death is indeed quite difficult, and the methods are very limited. However, if preventive measures are taken now, death can be avoided. If one hasn’t ‘died,’ then there’s naturally no need to consider resurrection.” This aligns perfectly with our thoughts!
“I understand. Then, considering the Young Miss’s situation, I will preserve Young Master Juncheng’s body after that. This way, the future…” Ah, right. When Ji Lianbing awakened, Juncheng almost died too. But at that time, it was by turning Juncheng into a zombie that he avoided complete death. However, Zihua said that zombies cannot use Destiny Power. I think it’s better not to let Juncheng become a zombie.
“Wait a moment, Miss Shirley. If possible, can you not let Juncheng become a zombie?”
“Are you saying you want Young Master Juncheng to remain human?”
“Juncheng, be quiet.”
“This might affect the Young Miss’s awakening… Furthermore, even if he can use Destiny Power, it might not be a good thing. After all, ‘can use’ is the beginning of ‘misuse.'” As expected, the Head Maid saw through my thoughts directly and also gave me a word of caution. Although she didn’t say it out loud, she was reminding me that overusing Destiny Power consumes lifespan, and Juncheng is the kind of person who…
“Even so, I still think it’s necessary. At least Juncheng shouldn’t always be so passive.” Yes, I’ll urge him on. As long as I’m by his side, I won’t let Juncheng misuse Destiny Power! The Head Maid and I stared at each other for a while. Finally, the Head Maid shook her head helplessly, seemingly agreeing to my request.
“Okay, I understand.”
“It’s a promise! Come on, let’s pinky swear!” This was mainly for a symbolic ritual. After all, if we really considered Ji Lianbing, we don’t know if this loyal Head Maid would still save Juncheng, so it’s important to make an impression. The Head Maid stared at my outstretched little finger, then burst into laughter.
“Hehehehe… a promise…” She shook her head again as if to herself. The Head Maid also extended her hand, hooking her pinky around mine, sealing the promise.
“This is my promise to you. I guarantee that Young Master Juncheng will live on as a ‘human.'”
“Oh! Then I’ll count on you!” I happily waved my hand, not uttering any curses like swallowing a thousand needles if I went back on my word. Being able to make the Head Maid fulfill a promise with me was enough. Like Juncheng, I believe Shirley will keep her word.
