Alternate Dimension Game: Happiness is all that matters!
Chapter 260 - 240 Dragon and the Strong

Chapter 260: Chapter 240 Dragon and the Strong

The Dragon was about to undergo a true metamorphosis!

Every movement of its body caused a spatial disturbance in the Etheric Abyss, which, through the butterfly effect, further influenced the development of the entire Abyss World.

Yet, facing its own achievements, it remained unflustered, neither joyous nor sad, with nothing but a cold gaze, devoid of much emotion.

Perhaps, in its view, standing out among countless lives was just a natural occurrence, a "mission" it was inherently meant to accomplish.

What is given by heaven must be taken, or one suffers the consequences.

If it could not achieve this, it would be a sin, better to die.

Or perhaps, it simply had no emotions at all. As an Idealistic species about to undergo a transformation, it had to choose a suitable Rule.

The Rule was itself!

However, before the real transformation occurred, it had once again painstakingly come to a small canyon.

Clouds rolled like waves, the setting sun reflected off distant majestic mountains, turning all peaks brilliantly red, and the world’s last light bathed the earth in magnificent red.

This was where it had once cultivated and nourished itself, and where many stories had taken place.

It remembered this place.

And there was still a trace of nostalgia.

Now, it was far too large.

This world could no longer bear its presence.

Thus, only its head could rise above.

Even this head, in this small world, became merely a backdrop, not overpowering but transforming into a pillar reaching the skies, unnoticed by any anomalies.

No abnormalities dared approach this towering pillar.

All life, consciously or unconsciously, avoided it.

This was due to a great disparity in tiers, an inevitable phenomenon.

In the Moho Layer of the Etheric Abyss, its existence was already too exaggerated...

Unexpectedly, or perhaps inevitably, this time, it did not see that familiar tiny figure—the human called "Blue Gold."

Instead, another young man, carrying a backpack, seemed to be searching for something. In the twilight, his shadow was elongated.

...

The style of the backpack looked familiar.

It was an ancient backpack, years flowing like water seemed to have carved deep wrinkles on its surface with a knife, turning its originally glossy black exterior somewhat gray and dusty.

The Dragon recognized this backpack—it belonged to "Blue Gold," filled with all sorts of junk.

But clearly, this young man was not "Blue Gold," but someone who bore a slight resemblance.

...

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept up, engulfing the young man’s entire body.

His reflexes were commendable, initially slightly panicked, but he quickly performed a backflip, landing smoothly amidst the wild wind, his posture identical to the past "Blue Gold."

"Where did this wind come from?"

He looked around, searching for the source of the wind.

Then putting a hand over his brow, he gazed into the distance.

His young face resembled Blue Gold’s.

But it was just a resemblance.

...

A foreboding feeling arose in the Dragon’s heart.

In the Etheric Abyss, the disappearance of life was merely commonplace.

Every moment, billions of creatures were born, and billions faded away.

But at this moment... it sensed something subtle.

An indescribable emotion.

Its Sixth Sense told it that the last meeting had indeed been the final one.

There would be no next time.

It saw in the river of Destiny, a lowly ant struggling mightily to leap, struggle, linger, and repeat the process. He leaped high, trying to break through the historically destined fate, but in the end, exhausted, he drowned in the long river.

But the Dragon thought, that... perhaps, he was a strong being.

At least, among the ants,

He was an interesting strong one.

One who was the master of himself, the master of his own destiny, fully embracing his "free will," profoundly feeling himself as the prime mover, deciding everything in the world, feeling the heavy responsibility and undeniable duty, yet also feeling confident, invincible.

No longer a manipulated, determined, dominated, helpless, downcast, passive ant waiting for opportunities.

Now, a world’s strong being had passed away.

The Dragon, wistful and lost.

For the first time in its not so long life cycle, it felt this emotion.

Some things once missed, are never to be encountered again.

...

The young man looked around nervously for a while, as the sudden wind whirled around him, seemingly without much malice, like it was just a prank.

Finally, it was a loud laugh in his mind that made him see the huge Heavenly Pillar resembling a backdrop.

"So it’s true... you really do exist!!"

The young man took a deep breath, seeing for the first time the enormous anomaly that broke through the sky, inevitably feeling a trace of panic in his heart.

Of course, he had heard of the other party.

His father had talked about this colossal creature.

"You truly are... even more gigantic than in the stories, almost merging with this world. If not for the deliberate hint, I might not have been able to find you."

"...It is said that the larger the object, the greater the pull of Idealism it experiences. How did you get here?"

The Dragon remained indifferent.

It had come here merely to see the once powerful beings.

Now that the mighty had perished, there were no more ties left.

Even if it could not ascend, what did it matter?

The resources here were too scarce; even breathing was barely manageable.

Thinking this, the Dragon couldn’t help but yawn. It lacked human thought and had no concept of "friends," but the death of someone it recognized inevitably brought a slight sense of melancholy.

There were subtle changes in the sky’s clouds, but unlike the past, it did not lead to fierce storms, only gentle sprinkling rain.

It might never come here again.

...

Meanwhile, the young man felt uneasy as he gazed at the giant in the sky, recalling the stories his father had described.

"When I reached that canyon, climbed a small hill, and found a bit of the Super Spirit Shield Metal, I then saw that cloudlike entity. It covered the sky, as if engulfing the whole world."

"It was not so big in the beginning, only about the height of a thirty-story building, but later, it grew larger and more unbelievable. The Etheric Abyss truly is a place full of miracles."

Their acquaintance seemed a fleeting meeting.

Yet it was like a noble friendship.

Or perhaps, it was simply that his father had unilaterally offered a small favor.

...

"I came here partly because my father wanted me to meet you. He considered you his friend, and felt it a regret that he did not repay your kindness."

"Also, it is necessary to inform you that my father has died in the battlefield, and his body could not be found."

"He tried to reach the Moon... but never returned."

The young man sat on the ground, sighing, "According to his will, I have buried his ceremonial garments in this land filled with hope."

"If not for your presence, he might have passed away completely forty years ago..."

...

The Dragon had already foreseen this and remained indifferent.

The powerful had passed away.

But it wasn’t as indifferent as imagined.

Unintentionally, its eyes shimmered briefly, and in that moment, the sky appeared to host two golden suns.

...

"My father’s life can only be described as full of hardships. He lost his mother at age seven, his father at fourteen... and never found the missing key."

"But he remained a gentle and kind man, bearing the heavy burden of his fate until the very last moment."

"He was a strong and steady person."

"But he also had an unimaginably powerful adversary."

...

The Dragon remained indifferent, yet seemed to acknowledge.

...

The young man let out a light sigh, "Over the years, our world... a concept known as the ’Rule’ has been widely promoted."

"The collapse of the world hasn’t been as swift as imagined; people in our world are brave and clever."

"There are many elites among the human groups and in various public settings, we have worked together to establish new rules to combat its power. People all over the world have implicitly come to know these things and have begun to adapt to a new way of life."

"But this only delays the collapse of the world, not curing it completely. The world is like this; we were only ever struggling, never initially intending to defeat it. The sealing failed, and now we can only try to look for a greater external variable."

The young man took out the ceremonial garments from his backpack, dug a hole, and buried them.

"He was a very lonely man, guarding the world’s greatest secret. Not too many people can know the secret, as any breach could potentially lead to the world’s collapse."

"Actually, he enjoyed bustling environments; he liked to work where there were sounds."

"Later, I was born, bringing him trivial joy... our world had very few children."

"He was an excellent father, teaching me much knowledge; my mother was also a strong lady, vanishing on the same battlefield. Life is truly lonely."

The Dragon remained indifferent.

Or perhaps, it was in a deeply Mysterious state.

It should remain indifferent.

It should...

With golden eyes closed, it began to search for the destined enemy within fate.

It found them...

But it was perplexed.

As it currently stood, it was no match for the opponent, not even after transformation.

This was the first time it felt uncertainty while facing an unbeatable destined adversary.

What should one do when faced with such a destiny?