At the Center of Shadow Continent…

Natasha’s POV

Anything I learned from the books said that the stars and moon that decorated the night sky make me feel safe because it is considered one of the most peaceful things on Earth. Well, I wish I can feel that but it failed me. The night sky that I’m looking at right now is not what I used to watch in my life inside the Pocket Dimension filled with copies of Earths. There are 9 moons with different colors and those things should never be underestimated. Who knows? Maybe those things will attack just like the Eye of the Apocalypse.

Anyways, no matter how I analyzed this world, it doesn’t make sense to me. Everything defies the laws of science and the system told me that I’m playing a game but then that thing changed its mind. It told me to think of it as a reality.

This is the game with the most realistic graphics, A.I. and sensors in the world, or even the universe for crying out loud. I suspected that Crack and his family are the god-tier game developers. Maybe my body is dead and Crack played with my brain. The contract that I signed a million years ago is just bullshit. Maybe Crack already wiped the contract in his dirty ass and threw it in the garbage can or flushed it in the toilet.

Did I feel at peace? No, that shit never came to my life ever since I was born, after death and after the so-called reincarnation and isekai.

I was born and died in the most fucked up world. My past taught me not to trust everyone so easily, kill the weed of my nation, the strong dominate the weak, never let my guard down and never play fair if the world itself is unfair.

Today, I don’t know what to believe even I saw it in my own eyes but I’m still questioning myself.

Why am I playing this game in the first place? The game that is probably riddled with cheaters.

I asked myself so many times since I started teaching my shadow army, soon to be the goddess of the machine, and now, a dark messiah. I killed 4 players without getting EXP so far in this game and yet I’m still confused about this. It feels so real and I doubted my existence.

Am I real?

Even if I’m real, what about the people in this world, except the so-called gods?

Are they real or just a bunch of bots?

Or am I just stupid enough to complicate everything around me?

My everything… That thing motivates me to play this game even it took me millions of years of grinding and yet I’m still doubting.

What if, even I finished the game, will Crack grant my wish? Well, the contract didn’t state something about it.

My inner thoughts were cut off when I feel someone tapped my shoulder. I turned my head to see who did that and it was Elios, “Natasha–I mean, General! We can see and smell your feelings. What’s wrong? Is there anything we can help you with that?”

“I’m fine,” I replied, shaking my head.

Elios and his siblings are still with me in the middle of Shadow Continent while I’m carrying the unconscious baby. Crack is already inside of his domain while doing his experiment. He didn’t give us any detail about it before he left us here.

I gazed at the baby and he looks harmless but once this child wakes up, I don’t know how he reacts. Will he cry like other normal babies or use his Demi-God Mode against me because of my [Natural Enemy to All Races] title?

Crack gave me a new quest to keep this child alive for at least 7 years because Orion is the main ingredient of his experiment. Whatever that experiment is, I hope it’s very useful once he’s done with that.

“Uhm, but you lied to us now,” Elios responded as he and his siblings looked at me in suspicion.

My ˹Observe˼ skill told me that Elios and the rest of shadow walkers in this world can see and smell emotions that they can be the lie detectors just like us, shadows. Unlike in my past life, Emmanuel is the only shadow walker with that kind of ability. My face might be emotionless but they can still see through me. Another but, Elios saw me smiling and giggling back inside of my Pocket Dimension. I should’ve used my skill to mask all of my emotions so these types of people can’t tell what I feel today or I suppress my unwanted feelings.

Damn this Zero Emotions! You have one job and yet you failed me!

“I think you are worried about how to raise that baby,” Cassy spoke as she looked away, avoiding to make eye contact.

Elios turned around and spoke to his siblings, “But he’s a human. As your big brother, I know the big difference between us and this child. This one can get thirsty, hungry, piss, or shit anytime he wants. Unlike us, human necessity is impossible. All we have to do is to force ourselves to sleep, live our life until we get mature for reproduction–” He paused and shyly glanced at me, “Uh… Forget about the last part.”

Since I know nothing about their past, I became curious about how they got caught by the emperor.

Carl scratched the back of his head, “Bro, we know nothing about our home but seriously? Live our life until ready to–mph!”

Elios cut him off by covering his mouth through his hand and he looked so serious, “General, if you want to know more about us, there’s a condition for that.”

Then Elios’ eyes are now fixated at the child as his cheeks darkened, “And since our God wants you to raise him, I can help you with that.”

Carl freed himself from Elios’ hand and said in disbelief, “Eh? The hell?”

But then Carl’s eyes showed something that reminds me of my past life. It looks like he wants to challenge his older brother and Elios seemed to accept it as he smirked at him. Then I imagined that they’re intensely staring at each other in the middle of the arena.

“Then I can help her too,” Carl said as he shoved his hands in his pockets, his black eyes became purple and glowed intensely.

Elios retorted as his eyes did the same thing as Carl did, “Like hell, you will!”

Cassy can’t help but watched them nervously while her brothers are releasing their dark auras. Those boys think I know nothing about this task and their primitive instincts use this opportunity to impress me. This reminds me after the birth of my son and some of my male soldiers wanted to become the nanny but I only chose the best one which was Emmanuel.

And now, I only mentally facepalmed because this has something to do with the Love Target main command.

Those idiots are fighting over me.

The End of Prologue Vol. 2