Chapter 163 : How Careless

“Damn it.”

The lightning dancing on her fingertips violently struck the sphere of light before her, the dazzling electric glare exploding in the air. However, once the light dissipated, the glowing white sphere remained completely unscathed. Even the black stone pillars surrounding it showed no signs of being scorched by the current.

Milly’s pupils contracted slightly. From the moment the countdown began to accelerate, she should have realized it might already be too late. Milly had never imagined that the end of the countdown would mean the entire world being formatted and reset.

Because of the existence of a virus, and the inability to completely erase a special virus like Stacy, they had ultimately resorted to preparing a format and reset of the world. At that time, not only would Stacy, as a virus program, be erased, but Milly, who had been pulled into this world, would also be cleared away as data.

Her gaze fell on the translucent text that appeared via her appraisal skill. No Termination Protocol. Those words stung her eyes. Was it directly telling her that the program, once started, could not be stopped, and that once the countdown ended, she could only accept the fate of being erased?

An even more intense bolt of lightning erupted from her fingertips. Her light dress began to float with the surging electricity. At this point, Milly couldn’t be bothered with her skirt. If it exposed her, so be it. There was no one else here anyway. As for Stacy standing beside her, they had already seen everything of each other, so there was nothing to be concerned about.

When the surging light dissipated, it still couldn’t leave even a single mark on the sphere’s surface.

“Are you kidding me…”

Before, it had all been just speculation. Now, it was confirmed. After the countdown ended, all data would be directly formatted and reset. At that time, both Stacy and she would be directly erased. It seemed the creators behind the scenes were determined to erase her along with everything else.

Since her lightning was useless, then… Milly raised her right fist and aimed at the sphere. She still had Stacy’s tentacle. As a virus, it might be able to have some effect. If she could just slow down time, if there was still time, she would have a chance to find a way to leave this world.

“Milly, calm down.”

Stacy stepped forward and grabbed Milly’s wrist. With that interruption, the tentacle that was about to emerge from Milly’s palm dissipated.

“You haven’t been yourself since just now.”

The last time she had seen Milly like this was when she had first brought her home, and the little one had summoned that broken sword to fight her to the death. Stacy could only guess that Milly could probably understand the content carved on the black stone pillars, and that what was written was not good news.

Interrupted by Stacy, Milly took a deep breath and stepped back. Indeed, she had been a little too agitated. She wasn’t alone here. She had almost forgotten that there was an existence who was a virus right beside her.

What she couldn’t do, maybe Stacy could. As a special virus, Stacy’s existence was so troublesome that it even forced those behind the scenes to resort to a format and reset, attempting to completely erase her.

“Did you discover something from these words?”

Seeing Milly’s silence, Stacy couldn’t help but ask. She really did need to explain things to Stacy. After all, she was just a string of created data. Things beyond the common sense of this world, only Milly could explain.

“The existence of this thing will wipe and reset the entire world. At that time, both you and I will be directly erased. The entire device is already activated, and once activated, it can’t be stopped. If we can’t leave before the world is reset, the fate awaiting us is to be directly erased.”

A hint of astonishment flashed in Stacy’s eyes. “Little Milly, are you serious?”

“Do I have a reason to lie? I can’t solve this.”

Stacy looked at Milly, then at the sphere. When she first found it, she hadn’t understood it, but she had instinctively felt a sense of danger from it. It seemed her premonition was right. This thing, beyond her comprehension, could reset the world and erase their existence at the same time.

This was more dangerous than any special magic those behind the scenes had researched to deal with her.

She stretched out her hand toward the sphere. Several tentacles shot out from the ground, rushing toward it. But Stacy’s usually invincible tentacles failed for the first time. They couldn’t even pause the countdown, let alone scratch the surface.

Stacy, failing for the first time, sneered. This thing beyond her comprehension was more difficult than she had imagined. Since her usual tentacles didn’t work, she had to take a risk.

In her own body, it would be no problem. But in Lillian’s body, she couldn’t be sure she could handle it. But the thought had already taken root. A black mist flowed from her palm, gradually condensing into a floating black spike.

Just making one had almost drained her.

Using Lillian’s body was indeed too taxing.

Milly looked at the black spike floating beside Stacy. A bad feeling. The strange spike exuded an extremely dangerous aura. If she touched it, she couldn’t imagine what would happen.

Her appraisal skill showed a few question marks. Another existence beyond her comprehension. She couldn’t get information from it.

She stared at the sphere.

A crisp cracking sound.

“Success?”

Milly looked at the crimson countdown in her vision. The rapidly changing numbers had paused.

Phew… it was just a bluff. She had thought there was no chance. Milly breathed a sigh of relief, but things were not so simple. After a moment’s pause, the numbers began to tick away even faster.

“What’s happening?”

The black spike that had pierced the sphere began to turn into black smoke and dissipate. The shattered sphere was healing at a visible rate. When the spike was completely gone, Stacy stumbled back, a rare look of fatigue on her face.

“Useless.”

A familiar voice from behind. Milly whipped around. The old fool Pope had appeared. His eyes, once human, were now pools of liquid holy light.

Even though the old fool was possessed, now that she knew the truth, Milly had a few questions for the ones behind the scenes.

Before she could speak, the Pope, his gaze on Stacy, spoke first.

“How careless. I forgot that Lillian was split from your body. I should have erased her along with you.”