Haoyu had forgotten the meaning of fear and despair. His soul was filled to the brim with anger, contempt, hatred, and most importantly, revenge. He wanted to punish this monster in front of him with every last fiber of his being.
— Come on, do you really think you can hurt me? Go head and try. Release all your anger-
He punched her dozens or even hundreds of times, until his fists broke. But he never felt pain. His determination was too strong to be distracted by a mortal concept. She smiled at him, finally seeing him exhausted.
— I won't hurt you, because I need you alive. But you did this to yourself. Too bad I'm not a healer.
She walked to the window and looked out at the horizon.
— This planet was once like yours. A single person flooded everything out of desperation. And no, that person is not a god. She is one of the only people who could rival deities.
She walked up to him and leaned in smugly.
— Do you understand? Measuring your power level against hers would be a disgrace. There would be so many zeros that you could never reach it.
— So why do you need me alive? If you could just spit on me and erase my existence, so be it!
— Already giving up on life, huh? Turns out your karmic value exceeds that of most of the universe.
— Karma is a lie...
— For humans, it may be. But deities have to deal with it all the time. I could hurt a god with your karma.
— How so? You said I was too weak to even tickle you.
— Power and strength are usually measured in pure destruction, but you're one of those beloved exceptions. Your friend was not, that's why I didn't need him.
He glared at her with pure hatred.
— Ria, for example, can cause a nuclear explosion by clapping her hands. Her karmic value is excellent, but yours is on another level.
— Ria... is she that strong? Then she could hurt you!
— I'm afraid not, my dear. If I really committed myself, I could destroy this planet with my bare hands, because my power is not destructive.
— You're bluffing...
— I have no history of destroying things, because the other deities would put me on a watch list. And I'm the one who should be watching the others. But...
She brought her crazed eyes closer to his.
— ...if you really want to see, I can show you. After all, a well-trained pet is more valuable to its owner.
Haoyu was scared. Not because he could die, but because he could not die under those hands.
— Just kidding, darling. I don't want to hurt my precious fists with dirty work. But I can prove your value to me.
A portal opened beneath him. He was now in a blank space. It was pitch black everywhere. He couldn't move, only think.
— Just the fact that you're alive means something. I've imbued you with a cosmic barrier, but most people would turn into vegetables if they came here for even a millisecond.
She hugged him from behind.
— Like that one.
She guided his gaze towards Ria.
Ria!
— She can't hear you. Unlike you, she can't even think. What she's seeing overflows her entire being.
You... why are you doing this...
— Don't worry, she'll come back to normal, because of a third party I prepared beforehand. But you're staying with me.
So you're turning me into a doll for eternity?
— Of course not. Only kids like dolls. Deities prefer defiant slaves.
You're worse than Jing...
— Speaking of Jing... do you know where we are now? This is not a dimension I created or anything. It's a place that exists... somewhere.
This is not my universe... There's no such place as a dark dimension.
— Do you know why there's such a thing as an observable universe? What lies after that? Empty void or more universe?
Why does it matter? Humans will never reach the outside...
— Normal humans may not, but you're here now! This is outside of Ria's observable universe. Her outer universe.
Ria's universe?
— Just for calling. She's not the center of this universe or anything. But she comes from it.
But we saw each other... she was investigating Mount Everest like us. She's from my universe!
— Of course there was a Ria investigating Mount Everest... in your universe. Do you think there's only one Ria in the human realm?
What...?
— You remember her as being more energetic, taller and kind, right? That Ria over there obviously does not match your description.
No, this can't be... I always believed there were other versions of me, but...
— It's hard to see with your own eyes, isn't it? Well, returning to Jing... she's called Yuka in Ria's universe.
Yuka? So she's not the same person! If Ria shares the same name, why wouldn't Jing?
— She was born in Japan, unlike Jing. Of course her name would be different. But her karmic value is the same. She's essentially a variation of the same being.
So... there's another me somewhere? Why are you so fascinated by me specifically?
— Well, you were the most susceptible to cosmic power. Variations mean they don't have exactly the same attributes. You're the best specimen, to sum it up.
So I'm your best option...? My only purpose was to serve you...?
— Whoever gets you first keeps you. I'm simply excellent at anticipating things.
There was not... another option...?
— There was, Yuka. She entered the God of Infinity's domain and passed through the same places as you, with a few more. Her case was exceptional, so even that man was taken by surprise.
So why not take her...? Why am I so special?
— You saw it with your own eyes. That blue-haired girl killed herself right after leaving his therapy session. It seems like Jing, Yuka, or whoever is always destined to commit suicide in the end. Not even I can change that.
Then... if I died, everything would work out?
— Not for me, obviously. But I won't let you die, you can be sure of that.
You said you were not a healer... and that you would not turn me into a vegetable... what stops me from killing myself when we leave this place?
— I said I'm the Demigoddess of Observation... and that I can anticipate things better than basically anyone. Isn't that enough? I can read your mind and your future. You won't die under my hands.
You're the worst...
— In your tunnel vision, I may be. But there are things outside of mortal scope, like the outer universe. The worst to me is... the God of Distortion.