[You gave Bronya a final piece of advice, telling her how to proceed and arranging a path forward for her.]
[You greedily drew Imaginary energy from the Path of the Preservation, transforming into a thick layer of crystal rock that tightly enveloped the Stellaron.]
[The Creation Engine faithfully followed your will, hurling you, who had become the crystal rock encasing the Stellaron, into the sky with all its might.]
[Because you unhesitatingly gave your life for the Preservation of Belobog, your brilliant will shone so brightly that it attracted the momentary gaze of the Amber Lord.]
[He paused the great hammer in his hand for you. The arrival of the next Amber Era was postponed by 0.00013 seconds because of your existence.]
[You have gained the temporary trait: Gaze of the Amber Lord (Gold).]
[You have successfully taken another solid step on the Path of the Preservation—]
[You have solidified the principles of the Preservation, and the Path has responded in kind... You can now draw even more Imaginary energy from the Path.]
[Perhaps, you could now barely hold your own against an Anti-Matter Legion Reaver...]
[But the power of the Stellaron is not something a mere Reaver can compare to.]
[An unparalleled radiance bloomed from within your embrace—]
[Your crystallized body felt an extreme, scorching heat as a terrifying brilliance leaked out.]
[You, along with the Stellaron, became the most brilliant firework in the entire history of the planet Jarilo-VI.]
[Bronya's Affection for you has increased dramatically. Her current Affection for you is 100 (Cap reached. Exchange Vows of Fate to raise the limit).]
[After your death, a dazed Bronya remained on Everwinter Hill in silence for a long time. Finally, she pulled out the Lance of Preservation and returned to Belobog.]
[The two people she loved most have both died before her eyes, which has had a profound impact on her psyche.]
[She has successfully matured.]
[Upon returning to Belobog, Bronya follows your arrangements and becomes the nineteenth Supreme Guardian of Belobog.]
[She swears an oath before the Everwinter Monument, vowing that Belobog will no longer sway in the blizzard and its people will no longer tremble in the winter cold...]
[However, she did not follow your arrangements completely. She truthfully proclaimed everything that happened on Everwinter Hill, telling the citizens of Belobog that you were the true hero who brought the dawn, while she was merely a naive girl who was nearly seduced by the Stellaron and could only follow in her mother's footsteps.]
[Bronya's prestige has declined. Dissonant voices have appeared in Belobog.]
[But because of the instructions you gave her, Seele secretly snuffed out these discordant voices; they all dissipated into butterflies.]
[With the Stellaron's explosion and disappearance, the Fragmentum is steadily receding, giving Belobog more room to develop.]
[Under Bronya's diligent rule and with the full cooperation of the Overworld and Underworld, Belobog has redeveloped the Commercial District reclaimed from the Fragmentum.]
[Belobog has thus entered a period of stability.]
The text on the screen vanished, and a new scene appeared:
A noticeably cleaner Belobog stood under a clear sky. The blizzard that had once plagued the city was gone, and warm sunlight shone on the ever-standing city, plating it in a golden radiance.
Citizens walked the streets and alleys. Although they looked no different from before, they all wore smiles filled with hope for the future.
The scene changed, shifting to the majestic Qlipoth Fort.
A much more mature-looking Bronya, dressed in the Supreme Guardian's attire, was frowning at the massive globe in her office, studying every feature of Jarilo-VI as she discussed plans for outward expansion with Seele...
The long desk of the Supreme Guardian was impeccably organized and clean, with only a few simple decorations on it—
—and a single badge, one she had once pinned on Ron, was placed in the center of the desk, gleaming brightly in the sunlight that streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of Qlipoth Fort.
The image on the screen gradually faded, and new text appeared:
[The peaceful days lasted for several years...]
[Until the last echoes of the Stellaron finally faded, and the perennial ice began to melt under the blazing sun—]
[The minions of Destruction broke free from their frigid prison and once again bared their fangs at Belobog.]
[The flames of war were ignited on Jarilo-VI once more.]
[Under Bronya's command, the Silvermane Guards constructed a seamless defensive line, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot against the invasion of the Anti-Matter Legion.]
[Seele temporarily led Wildfire, who had been developing the Underworld, back to the Overworld and launched a final resistance against the Anti-Matter Legion.]
[Wildfire's resistance failed.]
[Destruction embraced this cold world.]
[Game Over.]
[Your score for this life simulation is: 80.]
[In the 2180th Amber Era, 37th month, the Armed Archaeology Division of the Intelligentsia Guild excavated the ruined planet of Jarilo-VI after it had been feasted upon by the Anti-Matter Legion.]
[They unearthed a shattered piece of dark golden crystal rock. With the help of a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection, the light that had once resided within the crystal bloomed again after several hundred years.]
[The light was sealed within a Light Cone and swiftly transported to the Interastral Peace Corporation—]
[Half a month later, the front page of the Interastral Peace Times printed a bombshell story.]
[The news extensively publicized the mysterious existence that had once shaken the galaxy and caused the Amber Lord to delay his hammer blow by 0.00013 seconds.]
[With a cost-is-no-object investment from the IPC, a masterfully produced promotional video was broadcast to every corner of the universe.]
[Almost everyone saw that great city of ice and snow, and the brilliant firework that had once bloomed in the gloomy sky.]
["Radiance of Preservation, Ron" became the brightest star among stars among stars in the galaxy at that time. The discussions he sparked remained fiery for three whole Amber Eras.]
[You have successfully completed an Epic Event in this simulation. You will be guaranteed to receive one Golden Trait.]
[You have obtained the trait: Gaze of the Amber Lord (Gold)]
[Gaze of the Amber Lord: Under the Amber Lord's gaze, the golden radiance of the myriad worlds will be bestowed upon you when the time is right. The initial affection of beings related to [Preservation] and Pathstriders of the Preservation towards you will be fixed at Friendly. When you manipulate Imaginary energy in accordance with the principles of the Preservation, your enemies will suffer "Rebound" damage after attacking you.]
Looking at his reward, even though he had successfully farmed an Epic Trait, Ron couldn't bring himself to be happy.
He didn't like the ending of this simulation.
So she couldn't hold on after all...
Ron felt a bit helpless. This simulation had truly exhausted him.
He just couldn't understand how Bronya was so good at feeding, throwing away the massive advantages he had built for her time and time again.
If Bronya hadn't fed, if she had given Ron enough time to develop—even just one more year—the vanguard of the Anti-Matter Legion wouldn't have been able to burn Jarilo-VI so easily and drag the world into destruction.
The ending of this simulation would have been completely rewritten.
Bronya was really cute, but she was just too terrible at this...
Ron rubbed his temples, a headache blooming. He grabbed something to eat and then left his old apartment.
This simulation had left him feeling a bit sick to his stomach. Bronya's incompetence had made him want to take a break from the game for a while.
He had taken several days off work for this simulation, only to get screwed over like this... The AI Bronya in the simulation had messed him up so badly that he actually wanted to go to work to calm down.
And it was indeed time for him to go to work. If he slacked off any more, even as a Silvermane Guard Officer, he would probably be dismissed for taking too much leave.
And that was only because he was a Qlipoth Fort doorman.
If he held any other important position, a patrol officer would have probably shown up at his door on the first day of his leave to see what he was up to.
Although his simulated self was practically the power behind the throne, the second savior of Belobog, the true hero who brought the dawn, in reality, he was still just a doorman living in an old apartment...
If he didn't work, he would literally starve. And a job like a Qlipoth Fort doorman, where he could slack off whenever he wanted and still get a high salary, wasn't something Ron wanted to lose.
Ron strolled leisurely down the streets of Belobog, expertly clocking in at the last possible second. He ran into the guard hall at Qlipoth Fort, put on his armor, and stood before the gate, lazily basking in the sun.
Slacking off was like a war, a bloody battle waged by the working class to reclaim their rightful compensation from the capitalists...
Newbie slackers were timid on the battlefield, only daring to steal a moment of leisure here and there.
But a veteran slacker like Ron was unbridled on the battlefield. The moment the battle began, he was already in slacking mode, never allowing the capitalists to suck a single drop of blood from him!
This was Ron's Way of the Slacker!
Clack, clack, clack.
As Ron lazily enjoyed the warmth from a nearby heater, he suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps—
He saw Bronya walking towards Qlipoth Fort, her eyes slightly red. She was clutching a badge in her hand, her knuckles white from the pressure.
Who pissed off Bronya? Why is she storming over here like this?
Can't you just let me slack off in peace?!
Ron hurriedly stopped slacking, but before he could even properly adjust his armor, Bronya was already in front of him.
Her voice held a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. "You're Silvermane Officer Ron... right?"
A mere salary thief like Ron had never been in a situation like this. The Bronya in the simulation might have a life-and-death bond with him, but the real Bronya didn't even know he existed.
Usually, the most she would do was give him a polite nod. Sometimes she was even colder, not even glancing at a doorman like him. Why was she acting like this all of a sudden?
And why did this feel so familiar...
Ron was taken aback, and then it hit him—wasn't this one of the mandatory opening events of every simulation?
But why haven't I received any orders from Cocolia? I only see Bronya.
What happened to the main army heading for the front lines?
Ron was baffled, but faced with his superior's question, he still nodded seriously.
"You are correct, Lady Bronya. I am indeed the captain of the Qlipoth Fort guard team, Silvermane Officer Ron."
After receiving his confirmation, Bronya suddenly stepped closer and pinned a badge to his chest.
With a faintly trembling voice, she spoke the exact same words from the simulation's plot:
"From now on, you are my personal guard..."
As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, until it was as faint as the buzzing of a mosquito, inaudible to anyone else.
"This time, I won't fail you again."