Chapter 119: Clones, Second Impact

Two months later.

"A-621, this is your codename."

"A name? This is not your name; you should choose your own name yourself. Children like you who come out of the Cloning Vat are already countless to me."

"I have no feelings for you, and you must not harbor any emotions toward me that transcend imagination. I only created you to expand my civilization, A-621. Artificial life like you must find your own dreams and ideals to be considered a person."

"A-621, find your own meaning; do not be anyone's puppet."

"..."

How wonderful it is, the time spent living while following the orders of the Lord.

The gentle yet majestic memories in her mind gradually receded, and what met her eyes instead were one hell after another, all currently burning.

A-621, a special combat unit, Elf model type thirteen, slowly opened her eyes, looked indifferently at the monsters howling and running toward her, and pressed the trigger of the firearm in her hand.

There were no sparks of gunpowder, nor any unimaginable changes; just a golden light, accompanied by will, erupted instantly from the barrel, piercing the skull of the demon howling at the sky, turning it into countless scattered sparks that exploded into a handful of fly ash on this shattered earth in an instant.

And beneath the area where the demon had just stood, dozens of pale-faced corpses with no particular expression were piled on the ground like building blocks, slowly bleeding dark red blood. The already congealed eyeballs reflected the figure of A-621 walking over with her gun. What was reflected in those inorganic eyeballs was the image of a young Elf who looked pitiful, yet whose expression was extremely numb.

Standing in the center of the battlefield where black snow was falling, silently watching the corpses of her predecessors, A-621 slowly exhaled a breath of white mist and pressed a device behind her pointed ear.

"This is the frontline command post, A-621, do you have any findings?"

"I have found the corpses of patrol team C3; they were all killed in action after being attacked by demons. I have killed the demons and sent them back into the Subspace. I am now requesting headquarters to carry out support extraction."

"C3? I understand, thank you very much for your help. Please stand where you are and hold the Signal Object high to guide us. We will dispatch a team to recover you in fifteen to thirty minutes. Thank you for your contribution to the Antarctic Pivot, A-621. Once you return and report, you will be free."

"... Mm."

Gently pressing the button behind her head, the young Elf sighed, opened the small pocket on her left arm, took out a pale golden bottle placed inside, and held it high.

A pale golden line began to slowly spread out from the bottle, stretching toward the high sky like a thread, connecting with the tattered Golden Curtain in the firmament, gradually condensing into a beacon pointing the way. A gentle feeling enveloped all directions, even making this tragic battlefield seem somewhat peaceful and harmonious.

A-621 stood in place, quietly watching the corpses fallen on the snowy ground, but her mind was a blank.

It is said she is free, that she can live freely... but what is freedom? Looking at those dead companions, the Elf girl blinked, and a trace of confusion and blankness flashed across her machine-like face. Although she understood the meaning of these words, she did not know the essence of them.

A-621 was one of the first batch of Elf-type clones created in the original Cloning Vat. To prevent chaos and growth errors in the short term, the Star-Bearer allowed some gene expression and repair to gradually diffuse in a fragmented manner during the operation, eventually forming different individuals.

Calling them gene Cloning Vats is more like calling them pure cultivation vats. These pale green Nutrient Tanks could utilize the Ancient Ones' gene repair devices and certain attached items to produce ten thousand gene-modified individuals of various models. They could be Human, Elf, Dark Elf, or even certain forms similar to players. However, player forms were quickly abandoned due to casualties and lack of meaning.

The best remaining choice was the Elf form. Because these forms had excellent constitutions and no worries about long growth times, they could be said to be a very excellent choice. Thus, A-621 was among the first batch of Elves manufactured.

She had a twin sister who looked exactly like her and even had the exact same genes, A-621-1, but she was killed in the last Arctic expansion campaign. Her sister's dying wish was to entrust all combat results and the future to her. Therefore, in this confused life, she quickly received a promotion.

Because her other self had worked very hard during the Arctic expansion campaign, even risking her life, she finally exchanged it for such an opportunity.

But in reality, A-621 did not want to leave this place.

She still wanted to hear that voice from her impressions more.

"..."

It was snowing.

Watching the black snowflakes scattering in the sky, the Elf who walked out of the cultivation vat looked up holding the bottle, watching the golden lines flying toward the sky, and began to recall her life.

From the moment she was born, she had been moving forward without confusion while listening to that voice. That was their creator, the great Star-Bearer Lord. A god among men, the most powerful god, the strongest among the strong, the most terrifying king—such identity descriptions were often heard during the first month of the Integration World Experiment.

The so-called Integration World Experiment was to let all Elf clones integrate into players and various parts of the world within a month, starting to learn about all walks of life, the different customs of each region, as well as their thoughts, conflicts, and attitudes toward life. In this way, the knowledge already recorded in their minds could quickly transform into a real Brand as they applied it themselves.

Compared to those who truly lived in the world, the Elves who walked out of the Cloning Vat, although possessing much knowledge and learning, were mostly naive and unable to use it properly.

Therefore, every Elf received the proper attention of the Star-Bearer Lord during the first month.

That was their parent, and also their master; his voice represented the highest will.

And after the first month of preparation, everyone had to prepare to face their own destiny. That was the three-year service period, facing all the demons of the Subspace.

From the Ice Wall Realm to the Antarctic Pivot, from the Deep Sea Region to the Arctic Wasteland, almost every place needed these clones to go and fill the lines. And the players and other living things lived in ignorance; they did not even know that a war beyond imagination had unfolded in this world.

The Chaos Gods were truly abnormally angry at Li Ang's existence; they almost stirred up a Subspace storm, throwing almost all demons and things that could move over here. Countless demons and monsters howled and emerged in the Subspace, starting to assault the borders of the Old World, intending to push Li Ang and his troops into the ocean. They swore to give everything for their master.

And Li Ang led his Pale Army and the clones to resist these ugly monsters born from souls, wanting to completely destroy their existence and individuals in this world.

Compared to the Pale Army that Li Ang personally corrected and conducted Psionic Mapping for, the Elf prime bodies born from the Cloning Vat often did not have those terrifying supernatural abilities. What they could do was start to maintain their own lines while the Pale Army rampaged on the ground, and start shooting at the enemy with the firearms in their hands.

Although the clones also inherited the genius abilities of the Star-Bearers, because their birth time was relatively short and many of their cognitions had problems, they often would not react immediately, but would be a step slower.

This led to the casualties of the clones being exceptionally tragic; often twenty thousand were thrown in one day, and only a few thousand remained after a few days.

Cruel tug-of-war battles appeared at every border of the world, with various Subspace creatures and surreal walls pulling against each other.

Even the current location of A-621 was not the main battlefield, but a distance of tens of kilometers away from the true main battlefield, conducting her own battlefield reconnaissance and detection, hoping to get more accurate news about those demons. This eventually led to the total annihilation of Team C.

But now, she already had the right to choose her life freely. She could become a citizen of the Star-Bearer and start her own life within the realm.

If she wanted to become an Elf, the Phoenix King Orivien would also open his arms to her.

That eccentric Phoenix King did not care about anything else; as long as she was an Elf, even if she was second-hand goods used by the Star-Bearer, this Phoenix King who felt a bit abnormal would very much welcome all of this.

If she did not wish to become an Elf and simply wanted to travel or see the world, Li Ang's Star-Bearer and a series of cooperative units would also hand over various supplies and clearance certificates to her. For anyone, this was a sum of money enough for her to enjoy her later years.

It was just that 621 stared blankly at the black sky, not knowing what to say.

After a long while, accompanied by the roar of a vehicle, a small vehicle painted with a pale golden star LOGO arrived beside 621. A pale-faced Elf got out of the car, frowning as he looked at everything before him.

Just by looking at the silver skull marked on the black military uniform, one knew he was of the original Pale Army, the super-army belonging to the Star-Bearer Lord, Li Ang himself.

This original Star-Bearer frowned as he looked at the tragic battlefield, and finally nodded at the calm-faced 621.

"Hello, I am Gessala Linge of the Pale Army."

"... I am 621."

"Thank you for your hard work, 621. You are currently the soldier who has obtained amnesty qualifications the earliest in the Antarctic Pivot region. Now you can go back and apply for your form. You are free."

"..."

"Serve for three years, or make a major battlefield contribution. As long as you have one of these two, you can freely choose what you want to do. Although only one month has passed, your battlefield contribution has already been greatly supplemented due to the transfer from your other self. You can choose one thing you want to do, and we will try our best to help you fulfill your wish."

Limited wishing—this was also a unique establishment benefit belonging to the Star-Bearer.

Because Li Ang could basically do whatever he wanted through the relics of the Ancient Ones like a living god. So even for some super-standard matters, or even some unimaginable deeds, Li Ang could easily accomplish them.

For these artificial clones who currently did not have too many wishes, what Li Ang himself said was essentially no different from directly giving them a wish machine.

However, 621 did not put forward any requests when facing the white Pale Army, only looking at him with hollow eyes.

As the atmosphere gradually became awkward, 621 slowly blinked and put forward her request.

"……Can I see my father?" "Father? You are artificial humans who walked out of a Cloning Vat; there is no such thing as a father. But if you work hard, perhaps you will become a qualified mother in the future."

"No, I have a father. I want to see my master, the Star-Bearer Lord Li Ang."

On a face that was young and tender for an Elf, there was a trace of stubbornness as she spoke very earnestly to the Pale Army before her. This request made the Soulless One opposite her look much more awkward.

Of course, 621 knew the reason. Because even as the Pale Army, in reality, it had always been Li Ang who went to find them, pouring his voice into everyone's minds, rather than letting these people come to find him directly. Only a few people could directly find Li Ang.

However, before he could utter words of refusal, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"It's fine, let me hear what this little girl has come to find me for."

A golden figure walked out from behind. The radiance of the Star-Bearer began to spread to the surroundings, bringing a warm and soothing feeling.

Li Ang's avatar stepped out from the shadows, and beneath that golden light, a face of an ordinary person soon appeared. With a gentle expression, he walked up to the short Elf girl and patted the girl's shoulder.

"Tell me, what have you come to find me for?"

"……I want to ask, what can I do?"

"That is for you to decide yourself."

"No, Father, what do you want me to do? What can I do for you?"

"I am not your father, and you are not my daughter. You are just a tool I manufactured. You can do whatever you wish to do. You can choose the path you want to walk."

Looking at the girl whose expression was somewhat dull, and even somewhat dejected, Li Ang's light-shadow sighed, feeling somewhat helpless.

"To be honest, I have always felt a bit of a guilty conscience because of my decisions. Your lives are too short and plain; you walk out of the Cloning Vat, and your born destiny is to fill the battlefields I have planned, and the places I wish to occupy. Although twenty thousand people appear every day, the quantity is still not enough."

"Every day, massive casualties occur on increasingly complex battlefields, and every day your actions and thoughts are more like real people; I always feel that I shouldn't have given you more sapience, letting you have such pain."

"But please forgive me, I just purely want to maximize benefits. I just want to lead the Star-Bearer toward the Starry Sky."

Looking at the mechanical girl with a numb and calm expression, Li Ang's expression was also extremely firm and unyielding, as if burning with a fierce flame, wanting to burn away all injustice and all retreat.

"So whatever you want to say to me, whatever you want to understand, I will provide support. But if you want me to provide an answer for the future of your life, I will say I cannot do it. I don't know what kind of future you will have, nor do I know what kind of future you can possess. To me, these are all too far out of reach."

"So only you yourself can choose your own future. This is also something only a decision made by yourself can achieve. No one can replace you and make you choose something that doesn't belong to you. You are you, no one can replace you."

"Speak, what is it you want to do. I will satisfy your request as much as possible. Even though you are a replica, a clone, you are also human. I will satisfy you."

"……"

621 remained silent once again.

This white-haired, red-eyed Elf, who had walked out of the incubation vat less than three months ago, just thought calmly.

She thought for a long time, bathing in the various falling black snow and frost amidst the black blizzard, just considering all of this. Finally, the girl looked up at Li Ang, seemingly revealing a somewhat aggrieved expression.

"I don't know, Father."

621 said softly, her voice seemingly carrying some grievance and bewilderment.

"I don't know what I can do; I am always like this, but I really don't know what I can do now with my abilities. You must need me, so I will do as you think. If possible, I also hope to help you do one last thing."

"That's true. Your age is truly too young. Then come with me. Temporarily, you help me do one thing, make one resolution. In this way, perhaps you can also feel the meaning of life."

Li Ang sighed and reached out to press her shoulder.

Then in the blink of an eye, the surrounding time began to change gradually, and it seemed that things beyond cognition began to appear. The two arrived in front of a Giant Tower in an instant.

This Giant Tower looked as if it were eternal, and beneath the black sky, almost no power could shake it down. And looking at that Giant Tower, Li Ang pointed casually at a spot.

"Then you stand here."

"Mm."

"Help me press this button."

"Okay."

621 nodded calmly and pressed the bright red button that was clearly just created.

And in the next instant, the Antarctic Giant Tower, which stood tall before everyone, underwent a violent tremor, and countless rays of light gathered again from all directions, just like a prism tower, with brilliant golden light rays converging on this sole Giant Tower.

Standing on the Antarctic Continent, the Giant Tower that was about to illuminate the entire world absorbed a heavenly amount of energy capable of splitting the ocean in half in an instant, and then shot it toward the firmament.

That terrifying energy poured out in a mere 0.1 seconds, and then in the next instant, that golden pillar of light returned exactly as it was, instantly piercing through the heaven-reaching Giant Tower. The entire Giant Tower was bombarded into pieces by the back-flowing energy pillar in the blink of an eye.

This was a scene with almost no sound; this moment could hardly be called deafening. There was only a sigh, and the scene of the massive all-metal Giant Tower silently dissolving in the face of the light refracted down from the sky. And dissolving along with it was the golden Veil in the sky.

Li Ang's Psionic Stance overloaded once again, exposing everyone's will to those dark gods. And this shot toward the sky could not be called an accident at all.

Amidst everyone's screams, Li Ang's sigh seemed to ring out right beside 621.

"Sigh, the Second Impact didn't have much effect either... I'm truly sorry, I'm afraid your juniors are going to suffer once again. Those guys definitely won't give up such a god-given opportunity."

"……"

Watching the sky instantly darken again, gradually shrouded by crimson fog, 621 blinked. She seemed to vaguely hear the sound of a monster roaring in the sky.

'Stop him, stop the Star-Bearer, his toxins are already spreading in your world!'

'At least in our crazy world, you can still experience the variety of life, experience pain, experience love, rejoice or grieve for the grace of the gods, and be shocked or terrified by the operation of the world.'

'But that guy doesn't. Even the world of the Undead has the clamor of the immortal and the instability of the Soul, yet in his world, all laughter and fear, all actions and definitions are physical hormones and desires; he is a true monster! Everyone, no matter who you are! Kill that monster!'

"What a noisy clown. Look, this is the final piece of advice I give you."

The golden phantom patted 621's head and said earnestly: "Even so-called gods are actually nothing more than this. All definitions and concepts are spread out by intelligent beings themselves. Believe in yourself, believe in all of this, you are your own hero."

"……"

"I definitely have my own preparations when I do things."

Looking at the giant monster in the sky, Li Ang smiled and stretched out his palm once again, aiming at the massive Giant Tower. Watching the Giant Tower before him gradually explode and collapse in the raging fire, its months of hard work melting into magma in an instant, the Elf blinked, seemingly understanding something, yet also seemingly understanding nothing.

Believe in your own cognition, you are your own hero……

Under 621's gaze, the melting Giant Tower gradually fell downward, and then in a flash, another Giant Tower rose from the spot, and the pale golden Veil once again shrouded the black sky, letting the angry cursing gradually dissipate into silence.

"People must always keep moving forward. Whether it is now or in the future. It is most important to do what you like. Move forward with this mindset, 621. You should also find a friend."

The golden phantom shattered in an instant, leaving only specks of golden light scattered in the air.

621 blinked his eyes and slowly clenched his palm, his red pupils reflecting the colors dissipating in the firmament.

Accompanied by the finely scattered light in the high sky in the distance, the event named "Second Impact" seemed to have occurred just like that, a mere two months after the First Impact, in a mundane fashion.

(End of this chapter)