Am I going to be controlled by the players too?

Freya is dead.

Chapter 95, The Darkness of the Torrent of Rain

Cheng Cheng couldn't help but recall his anger and sorrow after Freya's death during the Witch Trial.

At that moment, the dragon's flames dyed the entire night sky crimson gold. He squatted beside Freya's corpse, the girl's nightgown spread out, her eyelashes motionless, like Sleeping Beauty in a fairy tale.

But Sleeping Beauty is awakened by a prince's kiss, while she is not.

Freya is dead, and he can no longer feel joy.

Enraged, he killed the queen, purged the entire royal city, and showed no mercy even to Karen and Vilette in the dream. He even developed numerous deadly methods to kill them, such as:

Sifu Fist, thoughts flow like a spring!

The Nianfu Sword, I will never forget it!!

Hao Fu Palm, for all eternity!!!

Freya! Freya! Freya!

Amidst the brilliance, decay; Zhongli feigns death! Ablaze in the capital, the roar of a platinum dragon! Truth in the void, furious rage! A solo dance in the palace, an endless reciprocal dance!

Ultimately, he burned the world, destabilized the nation, and killed the queen... and then was killed by Sylvia.

But it was all just a dream.

Moreover, he only learned after leaving the trial that Freya was faking her death like Zhongli, not actually dying. After Cheng Cheng withdrew from the trial and was resurrected, Freya acted as a tyrant for decades until the rebel army besieged the city, at which point she finally chose to commit suicide.

The trials and reality have both coincidences and differences; who knows if they will actually come true?

Although Freya's game will revert to its previous state after she dies, no one knows the system's save points. What if she gets stuck in a dead save?

Cheng Cheng began to hesitate.

He wasn't always like this. When he first started playing the game, he would die without a second thought, didn't value Sylvia's life, and would commit suicide when in doubt. He defeated Cicero by constantly reincarnating.

But as he gradually interacted with the people in this world, developed feelings for Sylvia and Freya, and formed bonds with more companions, he found it increasingly difficult to treat them as mere game characters.

Even if there is a rollback, even if they can be resurrected, it doesn't mean we can ignore their deaths.

Just like when I play "Gen Shen", even in the open world I will bring a shield and healer so that if I accidentally fall or ambushed by wild monsters, I can immediately restore my health - you can call it obsessive-compulsive disorder, but more than that, I don't want the character I have developed feelings for to get hurt.

Therefore, when Navel led her personal guards to storm the palace, followed closely by Sylvia and Li Xianyu, and the nobles responded one after another, Cheng Cheng was a step behind.

"Freya, I..."

"Cheng Cheng," Freya's voice echoed in his mind, "Go to Sylvia's place."

"Huh? Why?" Cheng Cheng was taken aback.

Although she was speaking in her mind, Freya's voice was very low, like an echo trapped in a jar: "I don't want to go... I don't want to see him."

"...Your father?"

Cheng Cheng stopped in his tracks, lost in thought.

In the Witch Trials, Freya's father had very few scenes, perhaps hinting that the prince had other plans. However, neither Freya nor Cheng Cheng noticed anything amiss from beginning to end. For Freya, subconsciously she felt that her father was already dead, so it was normal for him to have few scenes.

Cheng Cheng... is a spicy genius.

As a true spicy immortal, the thought of a female character and her father makes me feel like I'm dating a man named Jingye. What's the difference between that and being cuckolded? I just can't accept it, it's too cheesy.

So I subconsciously ignored it.

But now, when I think about it, new questions arise: Why did the prince suddenly put Harari on the throne? What exactly does he want to do? Does he have any trump cards up his sleeve? Is there any risk in Sylvia and the others going to purge the court of corrupt officials?

But Freya wouldn't consider any of that.

In the few minutes that had just passed, she first learned the devastating news of her mother's death, then saw her father again after ten years, only to discover that he was not dead at all and even wanted to put an illegitimate daughter on the throne.

If my father is not dead, why hasn't he seen me in the past ten years?

Does he still really love me?

I am my mother's only child, so why does my father have an illegitimate daughter who is older than me? Does he really love my mother?

The thought of all this made Freya feel breathless; a wave of sorrow washed over her, then turned to ice, leaving her no room for further thought.

"Cheng Cheng, I have no mother anymore, and my father doesn't love me..." Freya suppressed her grief, her voice low as if pleading, "I want to be alone... is that alright?"

"No."

Cheng Cheng shook his head, took out his phone, and sent a message to Sylvia and Li Xianyu: "You two go first, be careful, I have other things to do."

Freya stared blankly at the scene for a long time before slowly asking, "Can Sylvia manage without your help?"

“She’s a warrior, I trust her.”

As Cheng Cheng spoke, he opened the system interface and, to Freya's astonishment, clicked on "Thousand Star Odds and Evens," outlining a soul form in front of Freya. Then—

He pulled the girl into his arms.

"But I can never abandon you."

Freya's pupils trembled, and a crack finally appeared in the ice within her heart. She buried her face in Cheng Cheng's chest, her tears soaking his clothes, silently spreading out in a small patch.

Then, a suppressed sob escaped from her throat...

"Ugh... Ahhh..."

Cheng Cheng placed his hand on her back and patted her gently to comfort her.

After a long while, the crying gradually subsided.

Freya could only manage soft sobs. The girl bit her lip, rubbed her face haphazardly with the back of her hand, gently broke free from Cheng Cheng's embrace, and took a half-step back.

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, the moonlight reflecting in her light blue eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered gently as she forced a smile.

"My dear dragon, could you help me escape one more time?"

"it is good."

…………

Cheng Cheng is not optimistic about Sylvia becoming queen.

Firstly, he already possessed the "Grim Reaper," giving him the opportunity to achieve legendary status, so his desire for the "Empress" was not strong. Secondly, Bugu had warned against letting Sylvia become queen, as time was too tight and there was simply no time to find and defeat the Inverted Demon. The position of queen was a trap, and sitting on it would be a loss.

It's fine to let Harari sit on this golden toilet. I can continue being an adventurer, leveling up and preparing for the ceremony. After becoming a legendary "Grim Reaper," I won't be any worse than the Queen.

But he did not stop Sylvia.

After all, this was Sylvia's own choice. If one considers oneself a player and Sylvia a character, then disobeying the player's wishes would be severely punished. But Cheng Cheng sees the girl as someone he likes, so how could he condescendingly change her mind?

Anyway, Sylvia has the jade pendant left by the saintess, which will automatically revert to her previous state if she encounters a life-threatening situation, and she also has a legendary father as her backer, so Cheng Cheng is not worried.

Kofreya is different.

Unlike Sylvia, Freya was not a particularly resolute child.

Even before Cheng Cheng interfered with Sylvia's fate, she was a devout and brave girl who, when faced with the sacrifice of the Primal God Cult, would rather die with her head held high than bow down and beg for mercy from evil.

That is why, when Cheng Cheng led her into the realm of the extraordinary, she was able to gradually find and solidify her own path, forging ahead fearlessly, transforming herself into the most lethal blade on the battlefield.

But Freya was much smarter and much weaker than her.

She was good at escaping, timid yet strong. When Cheng Cheng first tried to control her, Freya was outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, secretly trying to break free. It wasn't until Cheng Cheng and Sylvia joined forces to discipline and subdue her that she obediently surrendered and placed her fate on Cheng Cheng's shoulders.

But what they have in common is that they never bow down to fate.

"No matter who sits on the throne, I will continue to search for the inverted demon and fulfill my vow."

Night falls on the Claire family estate.

The calm lake reflected their figures. Freya held Cheng Cheng's hand tightly, carefully sorting out her thoughts: "But until then... can you stay with me forever?"

Cheng Cheng didn't answer, but simply held the girl tightly in his hand:

Is there anywhere you'd like to go?

"To be honest, no," Freya shook her head gently. "I just don't want to go back to the palace."

“How about we go on a trip together? To relax,” Cheng Cheng suggested. “Once this is over, if Sylvia succeeds in purging the court of corrupt officials, fine. If not, we can travel around the kingdom together, looking for the Inverted Demon while preparing for the legendary ritual.”

"Hmm...it's raining?"

Freya was about to agree when she suddenly looked up.

The heavy rain that Vilette had stirred up to extinguish the flames of the explosion had somehow reached the manor on the western outskirts of the city.

Rain swept across the lake, creating tiny ripples, and moonlight shattered into countless silvery fragments that shimmered on the water.

The earthy smell mingled with the scent of crushed grass. In the distance, the lights of the manor diffused in the rain, turning into blurry, warm yellow patches of light.

Da da da—

The rain poured down, like pearls falling onto a jade plate, clear and melodious like the sound of a piano. As noble beings of gold, the two of them would not get wet in the rain, nor would they need an umbrella. Simply spreading their golden holy domain was enough to keep the rain away from their bodies.

—But it cannot isolate malice.

In the dense rain, more than thirty figures appeared out of nowhere.

They were so abrupt, like messengers of the night, with identical faces, walking leisurely through the wind and rain, forming independent zones impervious to the elements.

Golden Sanctuary.

More than thirty gold medalists!

They are the offspring of the Lord, whom Queen Alvira had given birth to before her death, using her authority as "Empress". Each of them has the cultivation level of the early Gold Realm and possesses all of the Lord's abilities, bloodline and combat skills!

Freya Alvira von Konoma.

The uninvited guests all said in unison:

"Your mother has passed away. By order of His Majesty's last decree, you are ordered to return to the palace immediately and ascend the throne as king."

The little hand I was holding trembled slightly.

The uninvited guests gathered in greater numbers and drew closer, their gazes fixed on the two women's tightly clasped hands. Then they issued an unquestionable order: "We are imperial envoys. Release Her Highness, or you will be executed."

At the same time, their wrists split open, blood gushing out and forming blood-soaked spears, exuding a murderous aura!

Cheng Cheng didn't ask how they found this place, nor did he inquire about their origins. Instead, he lowered his head and calmly asked Freya, "Are you afraid?"

"Not afraid."

Freya chuckled softly, her voice clearly audible through the rain: "With you here, I'm not afraid at all."