Emily's words were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, the ripples it stirred echoing for a long time within the cramped space of the convenience store.
The police officers fell into a long silence. The violent conflict between adult rationality and the supernatural reality before their eyes made it difficult for them to immediately digest this information.
Internet settings, a giant in a dream, the Emperor, saving everyone...
Strung together, all of this felt like a crazy, bizarre script.
However, the children's reactions were completely different.
Michael's eyes widened, his face full of wonder and admiration. He tugged at the corner of his brother Jack's clothes and whispered, "Are there really angels and an emperor helping Emily?!"
The other children also gathered around Emily, chattering and asking about the details of the golden giant, their eyes filled with pure trust and a yearning for heroic tales.
For the children, in this monster-infested world, the appearance of a powerful existence protecting them, like a god from a fairy tale, was far easier to accept than for the adults.
Looking at the scene before him, Roy's heart was equally filled with confusion and doubt.
The Emperor?
The main universe?
These concepts far exceeded his cognitive framework as a small-town sheriff.
However, he could not deny what he had seen with his own eyes; the warm, sacred golden light in his daughter's bedroom was real, and the fact that the light had dispelled the fear in their hearts was also real.
When Emily was bathed in the golden light, those frenzied monsters outside had indeed stopped their attacks.
These phenomena that could not be explained by science were like heavy weights pressing down on the "believe" side of the scale.
He took a deep breath. As the leader of this small team, he had to make a decision.
Whether to verify Emily's words or to let everyone survive, they needed to rest.
And the promise of "being able to sleep peacefully" was no different from the most precious sweet rain at this moment.
"Alright, everyone quiet down."
Roy's voice carried exhaustion, "Emily's words... you all heard them.
Right now, debating true or false is meaningless, but there is one thing: we all need to rest, especially the few of us."
He pointed to himself, Alan, and Pete.
"Since that... Emperor said we can sleep peacefully..."
He weighed his words, trying his best not to sound too bizarre. "Then, the most important thing right now is to recover our physical strength.
Jack, you will still be responsible for the first watch, four hours, and then wake us up to rotate."
"Understood, boss."
Jack nodded. Although his heart was equally filled with questions, he still chose to obey orders.
Jack checked the ammunition in his rifle, stuffed a few more magazines into his pockets, and then used the ladder in the storage room to climb onto the roof of the convenience store.
The view here was relatively open, allowing him to monitor the situation around the gas station.
Roy turned to the children, especially Emily and Michael: "You kids, keep quiet. You can move around in the store, but you are absolutely not allowed to make loud noises, nor are you allowed to approach the doors and windows. If you are hungry or thirsty, eat the food here."
He pointed to the gathered supplies.
"Got it, Dad."
Emily and Michael took the lead in agreeing, and the other children obediently nodded.
Having made these arrangements, Roy, Alan, and Pete could no longer hold on.
Continuous overnight duty, witnessing and participating in bloody battles, coupled with extreme mental pressure and emotional fluctuations, had long since overdrawn their physical strength and willpower to the limit.
They found corners, not even caring about the hardness and dust of the ground. Almost as soon as their bodies touched the floor, heavy sleepiness completely submerged them like a tidal wave.
Almost the moment he closed his eyes, Roy felt that he did not fall into darkness, nor did he begin to dream.
His consciousness seemed to be pulled by a gentle yet irresistible force, detaching from his heavy body and entering an unprecedented bizarre state.
Before his eyes...
If this could still be called vision, the scene was not pitch black, nor was it the bizarre illusions of ordinary dreams.
He found himself in an indescribable void realm.
All around was an energy membrane that did not look solid, but rather flowing, translucent, like water ripples or auroras, emitting a soft glimmer.
Looking outward through this membrane, the sight was even more shocking...
It was a vast, boundless prairie with lush green grass and blooming flowers, where the sunlight was warm and a gentle breeze brushed the face.
In the distance, the magnificent and majestic outline of a bizarre metropolis could be vaguely seen, blending classical Chinese, Gothic, and other styles with futuristic lines, its towering spires shining brightly in the light.
What shocked Roy's mind even more was that many human figures were scattered across the prairie.
They wore various clothing; some were strolling and chatting with calm, contented smiles on their faces;
some were playing and frolicking on the grass, letting out cheerful laughter;
and some were just sitting quietly, bathed in the sunlight, as if enjoying eternal peace.
Everything there was full of vitality, serenity, and hope.
It formed a contrast like heaven and hell with Ronda Town, which was shrouded in thick fog, monsters, and death.
He subconsciously wanted to get closer to that prairie, closer to those people who looked so normal and so happy.
But that invisible barrier, or energy membrane, blocked him.
He could not penetrate it, nor could he attract the attention of anyone on the prairie.
They seemed to exist in another parallel, untouchable beautiful dimension.
"Sheriff?"
A familiar voice came over.
?
Roy abruptly turned his head, surprised to find that Alan and Pete were unexpectedly in this bizarre void realm as well.
They were equally bewildered and shocked, clearly having just arrived as well.
Not only that, around them, there were hundreds of other figures within this void realm wrapped by the membrane.
There were men and women, young and old, wearing different clothes, but all with similar confusion, vigilance, and a trace of imperceptible anticipation on their faces.
It seemed they were all chosen ones gathered here by some kind of power?
"Are we dreaming? Or are we all dead?" Pete's voice was dry, everything before him thoroughly subverting his cognition.
"It doesn't feel like a dream, it feels too... too real." Alan muttered, reaching out to try to touch the flowing membrane, feeling a warm, moist sense of energy at his fingertips.
Just as the crowd was in a state of frightened uncertainty, trying to understand their situation— "Everyone."
A voice sounded.
It did not travel through the air, but echoed directly and clearly in the deepest part of the consciousness of everyone in the void realm.
That voice was grand and tranquil, containing an indescribable majesty, yet bizarrely lacking any sense of oppression; instead, it gave people an incomparably steady sense of reassurance, as if they had found their ultimate reliance.
Everyone, including Roy, Alan, and Pete, involuntarily looked in unison toward the direction the voice came from.
Then, they saw that in the center of the void realm, the membrane slightly distorted, and a stalwart figure transformed from ethereal to solid, gradually appearing.
It was a giant over five and a half meters tall, like a Titan from mythology.
He wore a bizarre suit of armor with a simple and solemn design, black as the base and inlaid with dazzling golden patterns. A heavy scarlet cape draped from the broad shoulder armor, moving without any wind.
His facial features were as resolute as a sculpture, and his eyes were like two bright lamps containing sparks of stars, emitting a golden glow that could see through souls.
His very existence radiated a majesty and power that transcended the mortal realm, seemingly exactly the golden giant in Emily's description.
The existence who called himself Emperor Samuel Young.
!!
There was no need for any words, or even any thought.
The moment they saw Samuel Young's figure, an awe originating from the depths of life's instincts, an absolute reverence as if encountering the supreme guardian and ruler of their race, swept over everyone in the void realm like a tidal wave.
Including the most rational Roy, an irrepressible, strong urge to drop to their knees, bow down, and offer their highest respects surged in everyone's hearts!
That was not fear, but a complex emotion mixed with belonging and trust.
And Samuel Young's golden gaze calmly swept over these hundreds of faces in the void realm, as if able to see through everyone's soul and experiences.
He slowly spoke, his voice still echoing directly in everyone's hearts, clear and resolute: "Everyone, the world you are in is currently suffering the erosion of some Outer God's evil thoughts. The thick fog is its minion, nightmares are its breeding ground, twisting the forms of living beings, and corrupting the light of civilization."
His words revealed the essence of the disaster in Ronda Town and even on a larger scale, sending a chill through everyone's hearts.
"And you..." His gaze lingered briefly on Roy and the others, "are the crucial sparks capable of igniting hope, resisting the erosion, and saving that world."
He paused slightly, giving the crowd time to digest this astonishing information.
"You all have passed my initial sensing and screening. Holding fast to humanity amidst despair, sheltering the weak amidst peril, your minds still harbor light, and your souls have not fallen into darkness.
It is certain that you are existences worthy of being entrusted with and bearing the power of conviction."
These words were like an invisible affirmation of their previous struggles to survive and actions to protect the children.
"Therefore, I shall reach across the boundary walls, granting you power and guidance, assisting you to drive away the thick fog, purify the corruption, rebuild order, and lead your lost compatriots back to the path of light."
The Emperor's decree resounded like a massive bell in this void realm connecting desperate reality with unknown hope.
The heavy responsibility of saving the world descended upon the shoulders of this group of ordinary people who had just been struggling to survive, in a manner beyond imagination.
Moreover, Samuel Young's words were like an invisible edict. As soon as his voice faded, a gentle yet majestic power silently infused into the body and mind of everyone in the void realm.
Roy, Alan, Pete, and the hundreds of other chosen survivors instantly felt a warm current surge from the depths of their souls, rapidly spreading to their limbs and bones.
That was not a simple increase in muscular strength, but a more essential sense of fulfillment. Exhaustion was swept away, mental listlessness was replaced by determination, and the life force depleted over time by fear and despair seemed to receive an initial nourishment.
They felt their senses seemingly become sharper, and their willpower more concentrated, as if they had been endowed with an invisible barrier to resist the corrupting influence of the outside world.
However, the power brought not blind obedience, but instead stimulated a deeper desire for inquiry in Roy's heart.
His instinct as a police officer and his concern for his daughter's encounter gave him the courage to withstand that invisible coercion. He raised his head and looked at the golden giant, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremble, yet asking exceptionally clearly: "Who... who exactly are you? That Emperor... what kind of person are you truly?"
A subtle ripple went through the void realm, as if the other survivors were also holding their breath waiting for this answer.
""
Samuel Young's gaze fell upon Roy. There was no displeasure in those golden eyes, only a calmness that saw through everything.
He fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice still resounding directly in everyone's hearts: "My name is Samuel Young. I am the supreme ruler of the Human Empire, and also the protector of humanity, flowing with the same bloodline."
The ruler of the Human Empire...
The protector of humanity...
This answer confirmed his identity, yet brought more questions.
Soon, another person in the void realm could not help but ask, "The Human Empire? What... what exactly is that? A country we don't know about? Or?"
His question represented the heartfelt voice of the majority.
What kind of appearance would the Empire behind an existence calling himself the Emperor and possessing such mighty power have?
Samuel Young did not speak directly to explain this time.
He merely slightly raised his right hand covered in black-gold armor and gently waved it toward the crowd in the void realm.
In an instant, a massive amount of information like a breached flood, in a manner transcending the understanding of language and text, was directly branded into the depths of everyone's consciousness.
Roy only felt the light and shadows shifting before his eyes. Countless lifelike images, majestic data streams, impassioned convictions, intertwined with cold historical facts of war, flooded into his mind—
He saw a magnificent empire whose territory spanned countless stars, its structure as complex as a miracle, integrating technology and conviction, with buildings towering into the clouds and fleets blotting out the sun.
He felt the superhuman warriors named Astartes, with their unparalleled loyalty and destructive power; they were the Emperor's Angels of Death, war machines beyond the reach of mortals.
He knew of the existence of the Primarchs, those demigod-like Descendants of the Emperor, each commanding legions with vastly different styles yet equally powerful, fighting for the survival of humanity.
He understood the Empire's creeds—the defense of humanity, the uncompromising purification of aliens and Chaos, and the absolute faith in the Emperor himself as the beacon and guardian of humanity.
Most crucially, a shocking realization clearly surfaced:
This Human Empire was not a regime confined to a single universe, but a cross-universe behemoth capable of connecting and integrating countless parallel universes, its scale and ambitions beyond imagination.
All this information was not forcibly instilled either, but presented in a form that could be understood and accepted, deeply branded into consciousness.
They instantly understood the meaning represented by the Human Empire of the main universe—it was an ultimate entity that considered the fate of humanity on a multiverse scale.
Digesting this subversive information, that initial and most fundamental doubt in Roy's heart became even more pressing amidst the shock.
He raised his head once again, looking at that golden figure standing tall like a god, and asked the question that lingered in everyone's minds but that they might not have dared to voice aloud: "Are... Are you truly human, or... a god?"
Emperor Samuel Young, this existence calling himself the protector of humanity, the power he displayed, his Empire, and the missions he described—did all of this truly still belong to the category of human?
Facing this inquiry pointing straight to his essence, extremely faint ripples seemed to flash past in Samuel Young's eternally calm golden eyes.
But he did not answer.
He neither confirmed nor denied it.
As if this question itself contained a complex answer that transcended what could be spoken at this moment.
He merely shifted his gaze away from Roy, sweeping over the entire void realm, and gave his final instructions in that grand and direct voice: "Very well, everyone.
The information has been bestowed, and the power is temporarily deposited.
The world you are in is currently being eroded by darkness and urgently needs light and order.
Your heavy responsibility at this moment is not to investigate my essence, but to take action and save your compatriots."
His words carried an unquestionable sense of urgency.
"Let more survivors know of my existence, let the glimmer of conviction ignite in despair, gathering into a flame sufficient to drive away the thick fog.
When enough conviction and calls cross over illusions and anchor reality, that is when I will be able to truly cross the boundaries, descend upon your world in person, and end all suffering."
As his voice faded, not waiting for the crowd to react further, the entire void realm began to ripple and fade like water waves.
That golden giant's figure also gradually became transparent, with only those golden eyes containing the sparks of stars taking one last deep look at the crowd.
Immediately after, Roy felt a gentle pushing force peeling his consciousness away from that bizarre void realm.
He abruptly opened his eyes.
Entering his vision was the ceiling of the convenience store.
Beneath him was the cold, hard floor. In his ears came the deliberately lowered voices of the children, as well as the faint sounds of food being chewed.
Outside the window, the originally grayish-white and oppressive sky had already turned into a dusky, heavy evening.
A few wisps of dim sunset struggled to penetrate the still-existing thin fog, casting twisted shadows on the cracked glass windows.
The sleep of just a few short hours, or rather, the experience in the void realm, felt as if a long time had passed.
Roy sat up and moved his somewhat stiff body. That fulfilling power he had felt in the void realm did not seem to have disappeared; it was still faintly flowing within his body, dispelling the extreme exhaustion.
He looked to his side; Alan and Pete also woke up almost at the same time. Both of their faces retained shock and a daze, clearly having experienced the same exact things.
""
They exchanged a glance with each other; everything was understood without words.
Emily's words were true.
That Emperor truly existed as well.
And they had already been swept into a grand narrative that far exceeded the scope of Ronda Town, concerning the fate of humanity across the entire parallel universe...
..
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.
Every 5 reviews = 1 extra chapter on Saturday.