The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v2c109

Chapter 109: Her “Birth,” Humanity’s Victory 

Amidst the lingering smoke, the fragrance of vegetation and earth mingled with a subtle sweetness and a barely perceptible scent of blood.

The sky remained blue, the earth teeming with life, white flowers blooming amidst the ruins.

In this vibrant world, people lived their lives as usual, even though the city around them was destroyed, no longer existing.

…Because they were dead, yet unable to find release.

Their consciousnesses were trapped within their bodies, helplessly witnessing everything, powerless to act.

This was the end of an Origin Point, a tragedy unique to Columbia.

No matter how many Boundary collapses, no matter how meticulously planned, it was all for naught.

From the moment the Puppet Ballad first appeared in the Columbian world government’s sight, It had already permeated every moment of the Origin Point, inescapable.

Those dominated by It became Its puppets, and with each new puppet, Its power grew, even Grotesqueries higher in the Sequence than It became Its pawns.

The world government had tried countless times, using the power of Judgment to destroy Its body, severing Its fate from the Other Shore, using Myriad to retrieve the lost souls, entering Oneiric to attack Its essence, but even Order couldn’t stop Its advance, and all of Elemental’s struggles were futile.

This hopeless resistance continued until the world government’s complete collapse, as white flowers bloomed within Columbia’s last sanctuary, marking humanity’s final hour.

The remaining eighteen elite teams, following the world government’s final “Endgame” plan, began their operation.

It was a valiant yet desperate plan.

After multiple attempts, the few remaining Awakened Ones had realized that the Puppet Ballad was a Grotesquery driven by instinct, but it was humanity’s negligence that had led them to this irreversible doomsday.

A terrifying Grotesquery dominating the entire human world, even Taboos had to avoid it. Humanity had no chance of truly defeating It.

The “Endgame” plan was just a final, desperate struggle.

But at least, if they could liberate the dominated souls and consciousnesses, it would be enough.

Fourteen teams sacrificed themselves, merging with the Puppet Ballad, their consciousnesses enduring immense pain, searching for Its main body amidst the fungal strains that covered the world.

After exhausting almost all their power, they became a part of the Puppet Ballad, but they successfully located Its main body.

Three teams, paying an unknown price, obtained fragments of various Taboo Authorities, merging them with their consciousnesses and attacking the Puppet Ballad’s main body directly.

This mental battle, as always, ended in failure. The Puppet Ballad effortlessly dominated them, absorbing their power.

However, this suicidal attack wasn’t meaningless. Their goal was to influence the Puppet Ballad’s consciousness, using Taboo Authorities to inject a virus called “emotion.”

The surge of intense emotions caused the Puppet Ballad to waver slightly, but it was just a flicker.

The last elite team appeared.

—The Shadow Sacrifice team.

Their goal was to replace the Puppet Ballad’s consciousness, even if just for a moment, to gain control…

Just a brief moment would be enough to liberate humanity from its despair.

The selfless sacrifices continued, but tragically, even after the last member of the Shadow Sacrifice team merged with Its consciousness, it still had no effect. Humanity remained under the Puppet Ballad’s domination, no hope in sight.

Had they failed?

No…

Within the Puppet Ballad’s instinct-driven consciousness, focused solely on spreading and consuming, after completely annihilating all life in Columbia, a flicker of awareness emerged.

It suddenly realized that although it controlled all humans, all living beings, it knew nothing about them.

Perhaps due to the changes brought about by the “Endgame” plan, It wanted to understand humans, to explore their emotions and consciousness.

It gradually became… a human-like Grotesquery.

And when this understanding reached its peak, It became her, the personality “Su Wan” finally born.

At the moment of Su Wan’s birth, humanity’s desperate struggle, the “Endgame” plan, finally achieved its tragic victory.

Su Wan realized that it was her existence that had caused Columbia’s tragedy.

After an unknown amount of time, struggling and hesitating, she finally chose self-destruction, granting Columbia a chance for release.

Columbia, the Origin Point, after a long period of despair, finally found a tragic hope. Its complete destruction brought about the gaze of Doomsday.

The Doomsday and Transcendence Paths appeared before Su Wan. She saw the Doomsday Authority, Devour, born from her, and also the opposing Transcendence Authority, Birth.

Moreover, between Doomsday and Transcendence, she sensed a faint, sorrowful light.

This light, although weak, shone brightly in the void, carrying a motherly warmth and attachment, letting Su Wan know… her true origin.

More accurately, the origin of the Puppet Ballad, and all Sequence Grotesqueries.

Doomsday and Transcendence, the original Paths.

The true crisis and salvation… had only just begun.

Within the dark void, Su Wan took the Authority, Birth, and gently embraced the light… hand in hand with the small figure, walking towards hope.

Even though the shadow of Columbia’s demise still lingered.

Within a small, unremarkable county town in a Boundary originating from Victoria, two special sisters arrived.

The older sister was called Su Wan, the younger sister Luo Ling.

At the same time, another being, born from the Puppet Ballad’s intense emotions, calling herself “Ji Ying,” dedicated her existence to hunting down the Puppet Ballad.

From the very beginning… Ji Ying hadn’t survived the Puppet Ballad’s apocalypse. She was an avatar of the Shadow Sacrifice team, executing the “Endgame” plan, Columbia’s final will. With her demise, the tragedy of Columbia remained only within Doomsday, then forgotten forever.

“……”

Luo Ling, wielding “Victoria at the Final Hour,” finally accessed her sister’s deeply buried memories, the tragic past of Columbia.

Her sister had sealed these memories because the Puppet Ballad’s abilities were uncontrollable. She had attempted self-destruction and self-exile, but she couldn’t fight against the Puppet Ballad’s innate instincts.

Without sealing these memories, the destruction wouldn’t be limited to Jiangcheng County, but all of Victoria, falling under the Puppet Ballad’s domination.

This was a High-Risk Grotesquery that had destroyed an entire Origin Point. Its Sequence ranking was meaningless in this case, unless a stronger Grotesquery could destroy an existence on par with Columbia.

The Transcendence Authority, Birth, corresponded to Luo Ling’s Devour. It was because of Birth that Luo Ling could wield the powers of different Grotesqueries in various forms.

Of course, this aspect of Birth also required Luo Ling’s unique nature, her ability to contain so many Grotesquery powers.

As Luo Ling’s near-tangible desire for salvation intensified, her efforts finally bore fruit. A gentle voice echoed in her ears, a warm embrace enveloping her.

“I understand you, Xiao Ling. I know… the pain you’re enduring,” her sister said softly. “But it’s okay, Sister is back now. Leave it all… to me.

“So, Xiao Ling… don’t cry anymore, okay? Girls… don’t look pretty when they cry.”

Her sister’s illusory figure leaned against Luo Ling’s back, the warmth, although faint, incredibly precious.

Under the influence of the Birth Authority and Luo Ling’s intense desire for salvation, the Doomsday Authority, Angel of Demise, underwent a shocking transformation, a reversal towards Transcendence.

“I’ve never been pretty…”

Luo Ling lowered her head slightly, tears streaming down her face.

Her black hair turned silver, not the sickly pale of the White Witch, but a grotesque yet holy, divine silver.

At the same time, Luo Ling’s appearance also changed.

But unlike her other forms, which were drastically different, this time, she simply looked like a slightly older version of herself.

All the teal-black scales on her body vanished, her dark gold vertical pupils fading, replaced by a faint gold.

However, a pair of demonic wings sprouted from her waist, tightly bound.

Complex patterns, a mix of crimson and purple, appeared on her arms and legs, like some ancient language, seemingly containing a terrifying, taboo power.

Luo Ling now resembled a demon born from hell, yet strangely holy and divine, bringing salvation to the world.

—The Authority of the Transcendence Path, Savior Witch.

She had once been a demon walking the Doomsday Path, but her intense desire for salvation had reversed everything.

“Come, Xiao Ling, with me…”

Her sister said softly, taking Luo Ling’s hand, their fingers intertwining.

Looking at her sister, whom she had longed for, Luo Ling wanted to say so much, but all the words turned into a soft,

“…Mmm.”

The only two Authorities on the Transcendence Path, Savior Witch and Birth, activated simultaneously.

The void that had completely engulfed Victoria slowly receded, the Origin Point, once lost to Doomsday, gradually restored by Transcendence.

Boundaries were reborn, just like after every Boundary collapse, everything once lost now returning.

Even… just like the new world envisioned by Philosopher, all the dead were resurrected, reborn within the Transcendence Path.

Finally, under the combined power of Savior Witch and Birth, even Victoria, the Origin Point, was reborn, restored to its former state.

All the disordered Boundaries were realigned, the entire Origin Point returning to a single timeline, the ubiquitous Realm of Nothingness no longer separating them.

At the same time, her sister’s illusory figure solidified, the rewritten reality, under the influence of the Transcendence Path, becoming truth.

Finally, Su Wan’s form materialized, appearing before Luo Ling.

“Sister…”

Luo Ling opened her mouth slightly, but her emotions overwhelmed her, rendering her speechless.

Su Wan simply smiled, gently embracing Luo Ling and kissing her forehead.

All the emotions between the sisters were unspoken.

“Xiao Ling, you’ve worked hard during this time.”

Looking at her sister’s cute face, Su Wan instinctively reached out.

She wanted to pinch Luo Ling’s cheek like she used to, but realizing her Xiao Ling had grown up, it seemed inappropriate, so she withdrew her hand.

But before Su Wan could fully retract it, Luo Ling took her hand, pressing her warm palm against her cheek and whispering,

“I… wasn’t tired at all, Sister, as long as I could see you again.”

Luo Ling had so much to say to her sister, but now, seeing her again, she realized all words were pale and inadequate.

They didn’t need words.

A simple gesture, a soft response, a warm embrace, were enough to fill the void.

Luo Ling’s proactive gesture surprised Su Wan. She had never seen her Xiao Ling like this before.

But thinking about what her sister had gone through, a knowing smile appeared on Su Wan’s face. It seemed… Xiao Ling had truly changed.

But for some reason, this thought brought a subtle pang of sadness to Su Wan’s heart.

Xiao Ling had changed so much, yet she hadn’t been there to witness it, to participate in her growth.

With this thought, Su Wan’s embrace tightened slightly, as if wanting to leave more of her presence on her sister.

The warmth of their reunion was short-lived, as Luo Ling’s attention returned to the reborn Victoria.

Luo Ling felt a deep connection to this Victoria, which she and her sister had saved from Doomsday.

Victoria’s return was like a Boundary collapse in reverse, gradually emerging from the void, yet also different.

Luo Ling sensed some subtle changes in Victoria, unclear whether they were good or bad, requiring further investigation.

At least… in this act of salvation, only the ordinary people, unaware of the true world, had been resurrected. All Awakened Ones who had walked the Paths had fallen into eternal Silent Demise.

This was the path of another deity, even Transcendence couldn’t revive them.

However, after this drastic change, Victoria, at least for now, had become even more chaotic, making it difficult for Luo Ling to intervene directly, given her identity.

The White Witch’s infamy still lingered, terrifying even children.

“But… the Awakened Ones in the Kingdom hotel should be able to return now, right?” Luo Ling thought. “If they remain dormant for too long, they might be corrupted by the Grotesquery’s power.”

These low-level Awakened Ones’ dormancy was maintained by the Puppet Ballad’s power. Although Luo Ling could ensure she wouldn’t harm them, she couldn’t completely prevent the Puppet Ballad’s inherent nature from affecting them.

“By the way, Sister, I also want to introduce you to… uh… some friends I met during this time,” Luo Ling said hesitantly.

“Shouldn’t they be… family?”

Su Wan said with a smile, gently booping Luo Ling’s nose.

“Mmm, Sister…”

Luo Ling lowered her head awkwardly.

“Let’s go, Sister doesn’t mind,” Su Wan said, taking Luo Ling’s hand, their fingers intertwining. “I also want to meet… Xiao Ling’s family.”

“Mmm, mmm.”

Luo Ling nodded repeatedly.

But why did her sister’s words sound… a bit sour?

……..

Within Starry Victoria.

Fiona seemed unusually quiet after returning to the Kingdom.

She and Lu Fangling had witnessed the birth of the Angel of Demise in the real-world Victoria.

And the subsequent destruction of the holy, six-winged angel, falling along with the black sun.

Then came the arrival of Doomsday, Victoria’s final hour.

Even then, Lu Fangling had refused Fiona’s help, choosing to face Doomsday alongside Victoria, leaving Fiona to return to the Kingdom alone.

The atmosphere in the Kingdom was heavy. From the moment Victoria’s collapse began, they had lost their ability to observe the outside world, only Fiona could venture out and gather information.

But after Doomsday’s arrival, Starry Victoria had completely lost contact with the real world, only endless darkness and void remaining.

Time and space within the Realm of Nothingness were distorted. Luo Ling had only been trapped in the Incubation Barrier within the Realm of Nothingness for half a day, yet several months had passed in the real world.

And this terrifying disaster hadn’t ended yet.

Perhaps months, perhaps years, perhaps even decades…

…would pass before they knew the final outcome.

Fiona sighed, trusting Luo Ling, but the wait was agonizing.

The Kingdom’s defense system was almost complete, and everyone in the little family had nothing to do, and at this point, they were in no mood for anything anyway.

Linna meticulously polished her armor, silently staring at her Sacred Tool, Star Gun, lost in thought.

Stasha and Alyssa anxiously watched the area where they usually observed the real world, hoping for a miracle.

Little Elsa was nowhere to be found, and Fiona didn’t bother looking for her. She was probably hiding in some secret base.

Just as Fiona was trying to find something to do, to avoid appearing idle when Luo Ling returned, Stasha suddenly exclaimed,

“Victoria… seems to be back?”

“Hmm?”

Fiona was startled, quickly opening the observation window. Even Linna moved closer to her mother, wanting to see.

But before they could see anything, they sensed ripples within the Kingdom.

Two figures slowly appeared, one of them the familiar Luo Ling.

But the other… was a gentle woman they had never seen before.

The unfamiliar woman looked at everyone in the Kingdom, then curtsied slightly and said softly,

“Hello everyone, I’m Su Wan.”

“Luo Ling’s older sister.”