Although she could finally rest easy now, looking back at that period, it truly made her scalp tingle… Among Li Bei's clones, she was the most dissatisfied with the matter of the sacred severance.
Shoko was completely indifferent to it because she had caused the least trouble and was confident that even if she returned to the Chainsaw Man world, she wouldn't suffer much.
At most, it would just be changing places to continue her peaceful life.
The difference between Blue Earth and Earth wasn't that significant to her. In fact, from a certain perspective, Earth, where she only had to worry about devils, was much better than Blue Earth, where all sorts of demons and monsters could pop out at any time.
Twilight didn't have much of an opinion either, mainly because although the emotions of the Astral Express crew were heavy, they weren't extreme to that extent. Moreover, with her powerful strength, she didn't have to worry about being locked in a basement or anything.
Lihua had quite a few complaints about this, but how should one put it? Because she had shouldered too many burdens, she had gotten a bit used to it, accustomed to misfortune… It was just three lunatics.
If worse came to worst, she could still try to contact Senti or Mei and the others; perhaps she could escape the disaster of the basement.
And the one who showed the most resistance to this was undoubtedly Lee!
The reason was simple: no one knew better than her how much trouble she had caused! Back in the Previous Era, in order to earn energy, she could be said to have been unscrupulous in her methods, targeting everyone.
Those with heavy emotions, she didn't let a single one go. Relying on the fact that even if these people came looking for her later, the main body would be there to take the blame, she completely disregarded what might happen in the future, using only ruthless tactics.
In this situation, you want her to suddenly jump from being dead to being alive, and then face that large group of lunatics whom she had personally killed before and who now harbored a bellyful of complex emotions…
If she had a choice, Lee would rather go learn from Kevin back then and have a one-on-one showdown with the Herrscher of Finality than face this group of people—unfortunately, she had no choice.
Had anyone ever tried lying down while being stared at intently by nineteen pairs of eyes, with each gaze being equally chilling, yet each conveying a different emotion?
After being brought back to Earth, Lee enjoyed this treatment, and her feeling about it was—she completely didn't want to open her eyes, didn't want to face reality.
Let alone others, just Kevin alone was enough to give Lee a stomachache.
If this man, who had waited for fifty thousand years, whose feelings had not faded but had instead grown heavier, grabbed her and made her fulfill the promise she made to him back then—to date him after twenty years—what was she supposed to do? Was she really going to let him?!
I don't want that kind of thing! I still want to wander the world before settling down!
And if she really hardened her heart and said yes to Kevin, what about the others watching from the sidelines?
Mobius, Elysia, Su, Kalpas… Were they the type to smile, accept it, high-five her, and offer blessings?
Even if Lee tried thinking with Lihua's brain, she knew it was impossible! She even thought if she did that, those lunatics would tear her apart!
After exhausting all desperate measures, Lee could only choose—to play dead.
Sigh, after all, to allow Shoko and the others to achieve their plan, Lee had taken the initiative to shoulder the task of attracting Li Bei's attention. But after the matter was exposed, Li Bei's anger towards her seemed to be the highest.
Therefore, in the end, while Shoko's and Lihua's consciousness could still be reshaped, Lee's consciousness seemed to have been too heavily damaged, and it was unknown if she could even wake up… Lee herself knew this stalling plan was really stupid, but what else could she do?
She really couldn't think of how to face these people for a while.
After all, the current situation was different from back then.
Back then, at worst, she could just flee from Earth, but now, she could really be caught and have her head bashed in in a basement. Let alone others, just Mobius and Vill-V, Lee could sense similar strange emotions from their consciousness auras.
So Lee simply chose to act like a vegetable in her hospital bed, determined not to reveal the fact that she was already awake until she thought of a solution.
Her "family" had even thought of sneaking away when no one was paying attention, but unfortunately, there were always at least three MANTISes sitting in her ward, which, while ensuring her safety, also cut off any possibility of her escaping.
The only fortunate thing was that with her power, as long as she wanted to hide, even Su and Aponia couldn't clearly detect her consciousness. Plus, Lihua was there as a wingman to help her coordinate… She felt like she could probably stay stable for a while longer.
But as the saying goes, plans can never keep up with changes.
Lee originally thought that during this period, she would only need to pay attention not to laugh out loud when Elysia and the others were chattering in her ear, hoping she would wake up. But when Kevin was smashed into her ward by Kalpas that day, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
Seriously, guys, it's only been a few days, and Earth is about to collapse. How can you still be causing trouble?!
"Kevin, get up! Aren't you very strong and good at fighting?!"
Roaring, Kalpas's body at this moment burned with a raging fire, just like his heart. And in front of him, the strongest man on Earth lay battered and bruised on the ground, showing no trace of the cold arrogance he once had when he declared he would let the entire civilization accompany him into eternal sleep.
He didn't speak, only silently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Thanks to Kalpas's fierce flames, at least at this moment, he felt hot blood flowing from his wounds.
It wasn't difficult for Kevin to defeat the Kalpas before him, but at this moment, he had already lost the will to fight.
Fighting required a reason, but the current Kevin had already lost all reasons to fight. He once fought for civilization, once fought for revenge… In the end, no matter what name was added before that reason, there was only one reason for his battles—and that was for the person he loved.
He had once sworn to protect the person he loved, but in the end, he couldn't protect anything, only letting her get hurt again and again, until the very last moment, even after her death… He had originally seen a glimmer of hope in Lihua, but in the blink of an eye, everything had now been burned to ashes.
Indeed, people from other worlds had all gotten their desired perfect endings—except for his Lee.
He had fantasized countless times in his mind that if he could see Lee again, he would definitely be able to protect her. But what was the result?
He saw her, and then he still couldn't protect anything… Instead, Lee saved him one more time in the end.
The result was that the person he loved could still only lie in a hospital bed like Sleeping Beauty, forever…
Kalpas's anger was understandable. In fact, that he had endured until now before coming to settle accounts with him had already exceeded Kevin's expectations.
Perhaps Kalpas was looking for a way to vent his emotions, perhaps he was holding him accountable for failing to protect Lee back then. But no matter what, what right did he have to fight back now?
No reason, no motivation… The once mighty Kevin was now being beaten by Kalpas like a drowning dog, all the way from the Pacific Ocean to Schicksal's intensive care unit.
"You two, if you want to fight, fight outside!"
Removing the protection she had placed in front of her, Elysia's eyes were now almost sparking with the same fire as Kalpas's. "You almost hurt her!"
"Sigh!"
At this moment, Kalpas actually had a lot to say, such as that stupid woman getting up from the bed herself and telling him to leave, or acting disdainfully to provoke that stupid woman lying in bed to wake her up… But looking at the pale-faced person lying in the hospital bed, he ultimately couldn't say anything.
"Fighting is not good, it will disturb Big Sis Lee," Griseo, who was also staying in the ward, said calmly.
"If you don't leave, then I can also ask you to leave yourselves…" Su, the other person staying behind, didn't seem to have Griseo's temper. Although he was trying hard to remain calm, there was still an angry tremor in his voice.
Good heavens, has the situation deteriorated to this extent, are they about to start an internal all-out brawl?! Earth has only been peaceful for a few days, can't you just leave it alone…
Sensing the tense atmosphere around her, Lee felt only despair in her heart. She had thought playing dead was a delaying tactic that could buy her some time to think, but now, after only a few days, the others were already unable to resist making a move!
What should she do?
If she really let it go, today it was Kalpas beating up Kevin, tomorrow it might be Su fighting Aponia, Elysia fighting Vill-V three-on-one, and then a chaotic battle between the Previous Era MANTISes, and a war between the Current Era and the Previous Era… But the sins of her predecessors were so numerous…
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in Lee's mind—she suddenly had an idea!
The next moment, an almost imperceptible cough sounded in the room. But this slight sound was like a clap of thunder, causing everyone to instantly fall silent, their gazes all locked on Lee, who was lying in the hospital bed.
They saw those familiar, naturally blue eyes, slightly open again.
"Lee!" Instantly forgetting the two fighting individuals, Elysia nervously held Lee's hand and leaned closer to her. "How do you feel? Are you okay? Is there anywhere you're uncomfortable? Can you hear me clearly now? Say one, two, three with me, one, two, one—"
"Elysia, she just woke up. How could she understand so many things in such a short time!" Kalpas had appeared on the other side of the ward at some unknown point, the flames on his body completely extinguished. Even his voice, though angry, was still controlled in volume as he reprimanded Elysia.
Sorry, Kalpas, although you're acting quite gentlemanly and reliable right now, that crying spirit mask on your face really makes me want to laugh—
"Pfft… You look so strange, person?" Lee pointed at Kalpas's face and laughed out loud. "Why are you wearing something like that? It's so funny~"
"What are you talking about—wait, you…" Kalpas's voice, which had initially been filled with pleasant surprise, suddenly became hesitant, even trembling. "Do you know who I am?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Do I know you? Eh, impossible. If I had seen someone who looks as strange as you, I would definitely—hmm, have I seen you? So strange, I can't remember…" Lee's initially smiling face slowly became somewhat hesitant. She scratched her head in confusion. "Strange, why can't I remember anything…"
Under the bewildered gazes of her "family," after racking her brains, Lee looked up somewhat embarrassedly, revealing an awkward smile. "Um, you might think I'm a bit strange for saying this, but… do you guys know who I am? I don't seem to remember clearly anymore…"
That's right, this was the final solution Lee had thought of—Amnesia Severance!
She had committed too many sins in the past, owed too many debts. Now that they were all gathered and coming for her, what was she to do? Simple, just don't acknowledge them!
Lee felt as if she had grasped the true meaning of the universe. Since the main body could sever the clones, why couldn't she sever her past self?
Didn't figures like Saint Myōe understand this well? Just say that after reincarnation, there's no connection with the previous life, and the sins committed in the past can't be traced to the current self.
So she decided to do just that. Whether others believed it or not, she believed it!
"Lee, you…?"
Elysia's expression was uncertain. She held Lee's hand tightly and asked tentatively in a soft voice, "Do you still remember who I am?"
"Uh, should I know you too? Sorry…" It seemed the gazes of the others were too intense. Lee's eyes became somewhat flustered. "If that's the case, does it mean we all actually know each other—haha, I'm just kidding, Elysia~ Look how nervous you are. Prank successful!"
Seeing the familiar smile replace the anxiety on Lee's face, Elysia's heart finally settled. In those short few seconds, she felt her mood had been like a roller coaster, going up and down. "Don't play this kind of joke again, Lee, you scared me to death!"
Elysia looked up at Su, who was also still shaken beside her. "Su, quickly help her check if there's anything else. I'll notify Mei and the others to come over now."
The reason a psionic-type MANTIS was stationed in the ward was precisely for this, to ensure that someone would check and stabilize Lee's mental state as soon as she woke up, just in case.
It was just that Su's own mental state was still somewhat dazed at this moment. He remembered that Lee seemed to have done something similar before.
That was after she had just undergone the artificial Herrscher surgery; the first thing she did when she opened her eyes was to pretend to be a Herrscher to scare them… Looking at it this way, this was indeed still Lee's personality—
"Kevin, what are you doing?!"
Su's attempt to reach out to Kevin was not completed, because that white-haired man, his former best friend, was now blocking him. And those eyes were staring fixedly at the person on the bed, without moving an inch.
"…Lee, are you really okay?"
"What problem could I have? Everything's A-okay~" Lee giggled and gave Kevin a victory sign. "Don't worry, Kevin, I'm fine."
"Their names." Kevin abruptly pointed at Kalpas and Griseo. "Say their names."
"Kevin, what nonsense are you spouting again—"
Elysia's voice got stuck, because in that instant, Lee, who had been staring at her, subconsciously tightened her grip slightly.
Lee was nervous… But what was she nervous about? The secret about Elysian Realm that she wanted to take her into hadn't been exposed.
Elysia's confusion was cleared up after seeing the fleeting fluster on Lee's face.
"Lee, you don't remember Kalpas—no, you don't even remember any of us, do you?!"
Instantly, Elysia understood everything. Lee hadn't been joking just now. She had truly forgotten who she was.
It was only after realizing that everyone around her was closely related to her that she felt everyone would be sad if she had amnesia, so she deliberately pretended to be joking… Kalpas had mentioned her name just now, so she knew her name was Elysia. The same applied to Kevin and Su.
But since she woke up, no one had called Kalpas or Griseo by their names, so Lee couldn't say them now!
"…It's okay. Maybe her consciousness just woke up, and her mind isn't very clear yet." Su's palm instantly clenched, but he immediately forced himself to relax again. "It's okay, Lee, I'll help you check… There definitely won't be any major problems."
"Sorry, then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Su."
Hearing this address, Su's breath hitched, but he still pretended to be nonchalant.
It's fine, everything will be okay. It's just some minor aftereffects…
But Lee could only express regret about this. In this world, her consciousness abilities were above others. Even if the Herrscher of Sentience came, she might not be able to see through her feigned amnesia!
What dating after 20 years, what helping out in the lab… Was there such a thing? Anyway, I don't remember, and what I don't remember is as good as non-existent!
Although it was a bit shameless, this was also a desperate measure. Everyone, don't blame me for being despicable!
Lee's ward quickly became overcrowded. Some, like Eden, flew in directly from the large pit Kevin had smashed out earlier. Others, like Vill-V, came crashing through the door, tumbling all the way. They all crowded anxiously by the bedside, chattering like a wet market.
But in this environment, a petite figure sat to the side, watching them quarrel expressionlessly, with no intention of participating.
That's right, Lee had amnesia.
This was the same answer they got whether they found the best consciousness domain experts or asked Lihua, a comrade who had once been controlled by that world consciousness along with Lee.
Perhaps the previous damage was too severe. Now, although her consciousness had recovered, her past memories couldn't be retrieved…
All the facts and appearances pointed to this. The others could only accept it—however, Griseo never looked at facts; she was a pure intuition player.
Her intuition told her Lee didn't have amnesia, that she might be pretending. So, to her, Lee here was just pretending to have amnesia.
Perhaps it's because these people are too troublesome, always noisy and clamorous, making Big Sis Lee a bit overwhelmed. Griseo looked at the group arguing about who should stay by Lee's side to take care of her, almost coming to blows, and felt she could really understand Lee's mood. These people were indeed annoyingly noisy to the point of death.
What? Why not tell others that Lee was faking amnesia?
Let alone whether others would believe her—why should she tell others? Isn't it good that only she knew this?
Now Big Sis Lee's secret is in my hands. She definitely wouldn't want others to know about this… Isn't this what the books call leverage?
For some reason, Griseo found a smile gradually appearing on her face.
This feeling is so strange, but it seems… not bad?
—
Blue Earth, a place that had seen countless large-scale wars throughout history. The rights and wrongs of it all were difficult to ascertain.
The peaceful and ordinary Blue Earth that Li Bei once longed for was ultimately gone forever. The connection with other worlds didn't disappear just because the clones and the group of lunatics they brought were sent back to their respective worlds; instead, it solidified.
Now, Blue Earth still experienced visitors or monsters from other worlds every now and then, but under the protective measures Li Bei had previously exchanged for, it didn't have a major impact on Blue Earth.
It could only be said that the adaptability of Blue Earthlings was astonishingly strong. Especially with a powerful existence like Li Bei ensuring everything from behind the scenes, they quickly accepted the changes of the times and the reality of the multiverse being connected.
Now, Blue Earth's civilization was rapidly absorbing nutrients from other worlds, and its own strength was also developing rapidly. In the foreseeable future, different worldviews and powers would mix together, and a scene where the public was unfazed by such things would surely arrive.
Li Bei looked forward to the arrival of that day, because by then, he would no longer need to be Blue Earth's babysitter. He could hand over other matters to the people of this world to solve themselves, and he could gloriously slack off and live his peaceful life.
It was worth mentioning that ever since Li Bei severed his clones, he hadn't conducted any new simulations, and Blue Earth had finally not had any new worlds crash into it during this period, achieving a brief peace.
This even made him suspect for a time whether the reason other worlds crashed over was because his ridiculous system had created the clones… Although the system firmly refused to admit it, he reserved the right to be skeptical.
The current Li Bei was already very strong, but it by no means meant he was strong enough to have no rivals, reaching a state of solitary dominance throughout eternity. A mere half-step Aeon's strength, looking at the vast multiverse, there were too many things that could threaten him.
But he had no intention of continuing to create smurf accounts or strengthen himself. After all, from the very beginning, Li Bei's biggest goal wasn't to become the strongest in the world. The reason he embarked on this path was entirely due to being forced into it.
All Li Bei wanted was to be able to live his peaceful life. Just like on that peaceful Earth back then, he was satisfied just by winning the lottery; he had no intention of becoming the world's richest man or the president of Blue Earth. And his current strength was enough for him to live the life he wanted in this world.
Perhaps one day, a stronger existence or threat would appear, forcing him to embark on the path of becoming stronger again, but that was a matter for the future. Li Bei wouldn't let future matters consume his present self.
Therefore, now was his time to rest, his time to enjoy the peaceful moments brought about by his struggles.
Li Bei leaned back on the sofa, looking at the city scenery outside the window—the world had changed, and this scenery was much different from the last time he gazed upon it, but this comfortable feeling was the same.
So, after all this fuss, wasn't it all for this peace in the end? It really was a long detour.
Li Bei sighed deeply and raised his cola cup towards the peaceful world.
"Indeed, the best thing about this world is a peaceful life where you can just empty your mind."
[End of Book]