Millennium Witch

She had never seen such a forced smile on Zero's face before; this wasn't how she should be. She had just annihilated an arrogant top-tier expert; she should be happy, like countless times before, proclaiming her victory with that arrogant, mocking smile.

What exactly is she sad about?

The tender touch was fleeting; Zero released her and turned to walk forward.

Liana was getting anxious, but she was exhausted and could barely stand up; there was no way she could catch up.

She could only watch as Zero walked further and further away, and wherever she went, it was as if a domain of divine punishment had been unleashed. Whether it was Ducha or the other enemies who arrived late, they would instantly mutate and become monsters that followed her.

She became inexplicably anxious, calling out Zero's name repeatedly. But unlike every time before, this time, Zero did not turn around.

……

In the dim light of day, the park behind the Church of Soulfire was filled with the smoke and chill of battle. Yvette's bone blade pierced the soul of the Soulfire Saint's clone, and before the opponent could even utter a muffled groan, he turned into a wisp of black smoke and dissipated into the air.

She frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

Her previous battle with the Soulfire Saint was quite evenly matched. Since the Pure White Touch was confirmed to be unable to harm spirits, the battle between the two became a pure mage duel. The opponent unleashed a barrage of ghosts, bone spears, and cursed winds, while she countered with her favored elemental spells fused with Soul Flame.

Later, Soulfire Saint seemed to be annoyed by her attacks and actually summoned a bone blade, engaging in a swordsman-like duel with her. The battle was so fierce that the heavens and earth were almost obliterated.

But this exhilarating battle didn't last long. In a sudden moment, Soulfire Saint's movements abruptly froze, becoming as stiff and sluggish as a puppet. A few seconds later, she completely gave up resisting, allowing her bone blade to pierce through her easily.

This is very strange. Even if it is a clone created by a spirit, the Soulfire Saint should not give it up so easily.

Could it be that the main body of the Soulfire Saint has encountered something, which is why it suddenly lost control of its clone, as if the network had gone offline?

A strong sense of unease welled up within her, and Yvette fell into deep thought, feeling as if something was about to happen.

……

Wearing the black cloak that Liana had given him, Zero walked steadily through the thickest darkness before dawn.

The streets of Fusijiang stretched out beneath her feet, deathly silent and empty, save for the ever-growing, monstrous army of flesh and metal behind her, which emitted a chilling shriek.

A tidal wave of soldiers, police, and priests surged forward, numbering in the hundreds or thousands. But the moment they came into her sight, their movements froze in unison. Then they began to wail wildly, twist, and reform, transforming into grotesque monsters that joined the silent, mutated legion.

A few minutes later, three magical mechs, having received an emergency order, stood like mobile fortresses blocking the end of the street.

But the result was the same. Zero just glanced at them and turned the three steel giants into docile mountains of flesh crawling at his feet.

She continued walking forward, but perhaps because her aura was too terrifying, the number of enemies appearing ahead gradually decreased, to the point that she didn't even bother to glance at them, as the mutants would spontaneously take care of them for her.

Finally, the first glimmer of dawn struggled to pierce the horizon, and at the end of the road, the figure of a silver-haired girl holding a bone blade slowly walked towards them.

"That's about it..." Zero thought quietly, then suddenly looked up at the gray sky.

Several kilometers away, on the Bone Dragon's body, the Soulfire Saint, who was still fighting the mutated Corpse Saint, suddenly froze.

then……

His body began to convulse and swell uncontrollably, and beneath his skin, the same purplish-red veins spread wildly.

Along with it, the bone dragon beneath him let out painful howls and began to undergo violent mutation.

……

It is unknown how much time passed, but the waves of chaos and distortion subsided, and in the faint morning light, the aberrations disappeared underground as if they had never existed.

But by this time, most of the Fros River had become a vast, silent tomb. The streets were deserted, save for congealed bloodstains, scattered weapons, and ruined buildings, which wailed in the cold wind.

How many people died? Two hundred thousand? Three hundred thousand? Or more?

What about Soulfire Saint? Did he escape? Or was he also killed by Zero?

What happened to Liana and Firefly?

Yvette was unaware of any of these questions.

But she didn't have time to think about these things now; she had to keep a close eye on Zero's every move because she knew very well that Zero would be extremely aggressive towards her when Liana wasn't around.

Moreover, Zero's signature smug smile had vanished, replaced by a chilling indifference, like a delicate yet cold porcelain doll walking on the path to destruction.

Then, not long after, under her gaze, Zero quickened her pace, turning into a running posture, and charged towards Yvette.

Without hesitation, Yvette used her mutated magic, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall from a galaxy, sweeping towards Zero.

This trick has always been very effective, and it always manages to immobilize Zero. She has become quite proficient at it.

But this time, things were different.

A strange yet familiar power was released from Zero's body. All the silver-white hairs that rushed over twisted and wriggled under this power, eventually turning into purplish-red fleshy tentacles that attacked Yvette, their master!

This was an unprecedented situation. Yvette never imagined that her Pure White Touch could be infected and mutated!

She should clearly be the nemesis of the aberrant factors!

In an instant, her devouring ability was activated, and as she absorbed and digested the mutated factors, her pure white touch began to return to its original state.

At the same time, Zero rushed up to her and then, with an unexpected rocket headbutt, slammed her into a two-story building next to them.

boom--! !

The walls collapsed, bricks and stones flew everywhere, and dust rose up inside. Since the ordinary people in the vicinity had been indiscriminately killed by Zero, there was no one else here, only Yvette lying in the ruins and Zero lying in her arms, not making any further moves.

Yvette's head was buzzing. Her four layers of crimson armor had been shattered so easily. But what was even stranger was that after the defenses broke, Zero either ran out of steam or held back the force of his headbutt. In any case, it didn't cause her any major damage, only making her see stars a little.

“Hey, Yvette.”

Yvette heard Zero's voice ring out, a gentle tone she had never heard before, which even made her feel flattered.

But two seconds later, she realized what was happening and asked, "What did you call me?"

Zero chuckled softly, her voice low and weary, yet somehow endearing. She didn't answer Yvette's question, only muttering haltingly, as if in a dream, "This...isn't...a completely fake world..."

"I... need to sleep for a while..."

"Take good care of Liana for me..."

"please……"

"another me……"

After saying this, she pressed her face against Yvette's soft chest and fell into a deep sleep.

Yvette stared at her blankly. Before she could understand what was happening, she saw Zero's body emit starlight, and then, like grains of sand, it dispersed and disappeared, as if it had never existed.

At the same time, she saw starlight appear on her body, but instead of disappearing, it surrounded her and caused some subtle changes.

This process lasted for more than a minute. When the last bit of starlight disappeared, Yvette slowly sat up, looked at her loose clothes, and confirmed something.

She shrank.

There's no time to do this now, I'll post it first and revise it later.

Chapter 132 is a headache just thinking about it.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the ruins, painting golden streaks across the billowing dust. Yvette got up from the ground, still looking somewhat bewildered.

What on earth is going on...?

She adjusted her slightly drooping black dress, then looked at the loose-fitting coat that covered her hands, now resembling cute sleeves, and felt as if she were still in a dream.

Could it be that I've been affected by the Soulfire Saint's soul magic and trapped in a world of illusion?

She couldn't help but pinch her cheek, feeling the pain and also thinking it was unlikely. After all, with her spiritual strength, even if she were in a hallucination, it was impossible for her to be completely unaware of it. Besides, what kind of hallucination was this? It made no sense at all; even a third-rate novel wouldn't dare to write something like this.

So Zero really disappeared?

She said she needed to sleep for a while because she had suddenly gone berserk and exhausted her strength.

But why did I shrink?

Is this a global historical revisionism? Were the two zeros inherently flawed? If one disappears, will the other automatically become the legitimate one?

Also, how did Zero know that she was her? And what did she mean by "a world that is not entirely false"?

Is this more than just a dream?

Countless questions churned in her mind, and Yvette felt her head was about to explode. She sighed, lifted her skirt, and decided to leave first and go to the rendezvous point to check on Liana and the others.

……

As a cautious person, Yvette had been keeping a close eye on her magical power throughout the battle with the Soulfire Saint. So, she still had a small amount of magical power left, which she had originally intended for escaping and retreating, but could now use it to travel.

Whether it was because Zero's destruction killed the relevant staff or not, the no-fly zone's effect had disappeared. She could now imbue herself with wind magic, leaping lightly through the city ruins, heading straight for her designated location.

At this time, the abandoned steel plant had returned to its former tranquility.

The golden morning light spilled onto the grass, making it look vibrant and full of life, completely unlike the terrifying scene of zombies running around before dawn.

Since Zero said he would be back soon, Liana and Firefly found a corner to stay in. When they saw Yvette approaching, Liana immediately jumped out and shouted, "Yvette! Yvette! Over here!"

She was overjoyed and breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that she must have been delusional before, actually thinking that Yvette would never come back after leaving. Now that she thought about it, it was really a bit embarrassing.

But when "Yvette" landed, she realized something was wrong. First, the other person's temperament was strange, as calm as an autumn lake, completely the opposite of the "Yvette" she remembered. Second, the other person's clothes had also changed, wearing an ill-fitting black dress. She remembered that this should have been the outfit her sister had chosen when she set off.

"What happened? Why are you wearing your sister's clothes?" Liana asked, her voice now filled with concern. "Where's your sister? How is she? Have you seen her?"

Firefly trotted over, pointed the camera at Yvette, and looked her up and down, saying, "Yvette, you look like my older sister."

Yvette looked at them silently, unsure how to explain Zero's disappearance, but she felt that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one. Rather than having her play the role of Zero, it was better to let her reveal the truth.

“Yvette is gone. I am her sister, and I am also her,” Yvette said directly.

Liana and Firefly were both stunned.

But the two had no choice but to believe it, because Yvette and Zero's personalities were too different. Besides Zero, the two also had a certain understanding of Yvette and could immediately sense the completely different souls hidden beneath the same skin.

"Sister, have you and Yvette merged?" Firefly was the first to snap out of her daze and asked in shock.

Yvette shook her head: "...No, she disappeared right before my eyes, and I... am also her, but I have no corresponding memories."

Firefly looked puzzled: "Sister, what does 'you are also her' mean?"

Yvette confessed, "I am her from the future, and she is me from the past. But I have no memories of the past, and then, for reasons I don't even understand, I came here and came into contact with you all..."

In a few words, she described the general situation, but skipped most of the information about the real world. She only mentioned that after the apocalypse, she, who had lost her memory, suddenly traveled back to the past by a twist of fate and noticed the existence of Zero. That's why she chose to contact them as the older sister.

Firefly suddenly realized: "No wonder you and Ivy look so alike. I always thought it was strange. People who look so alike are usually twins. You and she are even different ages... So you're the same person."

As a mechanical puppet, it is relatively quick to accept the current situation. Moreover, the emotions and state that Zero expressed before leaving were a bit strange. Although this unexpected development is bizarre, it can also explain Zero's attitude.

Yvette then asked, "...What happened to you before?"

Since Zero claims to be in a state of slumber rather than death, and considering her previous lethargic behavior, it is likely strongly related to the depletion of her power.

It's unclear what exactly happened to the three of them, but even Liana, the Number One, couldn't handle it, and it took the Zero going berserk to resolve the issue.

Liana didn't speak; she was petrified by the overwhelming amount of information, like a stiff marionette.

Seeing that Liana remained silent, Firefly described the situation for her, from the appearance of the High Priest Ducha of the Cycle of Reincarnation, to the two Holy Priests descending from the sky on their bone dragons, and finally to Zero displaying godlike power.

Yvette fell silent. She really hadn't expected the Holy Spirit Cult to be so perverse. On the surface, it was already exaggerated to have a Soulfire Saint, but in secret, they also had a Corpse Demon Saint, a heavyweight war beast Bone Dragon, and a Reincarnation Priest.

But Zero is even more outrageous. He can kill even a top-tier powerhouse like the Corpse Demon Saint with a single glance. Even a true god is probably no better than that.

So, am I really the source of the apocalypse? The destroyer of the world?

The room suddenly fell silent, with only the spring breeze gently lifting the silver or gold strands of hair, causing them to sway softly.

After an unknown amount of time, Liana finally snapped out of her daze. She stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar Yvette before her, a surge of overwhelming sorrow washing over her, almost causing her to stumble. After Yvette steadied her, she asked, her eyes reddening, "Then... sister... can Yvette come back?"

“She definitely can.” Yvette reached out and ruffled the blonde girl’s hair, comforting her. “She said she was going to sleep for a while, so she’ll definitely wake up someday. She probably just needs time to recover her strength.”

She paused, then continued, "And even if the world were destroyed in the future, she would have survived unharmed. Otherwise, how could I exist? Don't forget, I am also her."

“That’s true…” Liana exhaled, her gloomy and dejected mood dissipating slightly, and a glimmer of hope appearing in her eyes. “So all we have to do is wait, right?”

“Yes, we just have to wait,” Yvette said with a smile.

……

That evening, in a small county town next to Fusjiang, Yvette and Liana, disguised, found a small hotel to stay in temporarily with Firefly.

After the army of mutants created by Zero appeared, the garrison troops guarding various transportation routes outside Fus River all came to reinforce the city, and were then wiped out by Zero.

This meant that when leaving, Yvette could easily drive the magical motorcycle she picked up by the roadside, carrying Liana and Firefly across the wilderness, escaping to the nearby small town without any pressure, and encountering almost no obstacles along the way.

That evening, at the hotel, Yvette used a magic terminal to learn about the Rusty Bone official report on the Fusjiang massacre.

In this report, Rustbone officials attributed the attack to a highly lethal supervirus and claimed it was a premeditated bioweapon attack, pointing the finger at the United States of New Eden and Black Tower Pharmaceuticals.

However, while it was indeed the leak of experimental subjects from Black Tower Medicine that caused the incident, Rustbone and the Holy Spirit Cult failed to capture the subjects themselves and even caused them to go berserk. It would be a stretch to pin the blame on New Eden. Therefore, within a few hours, Federal President John issued a strong condemnation of the matter, claiming that it was all a rumor and slander.

What followed was a war of words. Although the massive death toll of over 30 shocked the world, the two countries’ passing the buck successfully characterized the incident as a “deadly virus leak.” More in-depth information, such as information about variants, was either not disclosed at all, or if it was, it would not have garnered any attention.