Chapter 25 Qlipoth Fort

Cocolia walked up the steps to Qlipoth Fort.

In the past, these steps were so long it usually took more than five minutes to reach the top.

Cocolia always thought they were a waste of time, not only delaying the delivery of letters to the Supreme Guardian's desk but also tiring everyone who climbed them.

She almost issued an order to shorten the steps. Although her secretary argued that "the laws of the ancestors are immutable," Cocolia, who had just become the Supreme Guardian, found these steps as dull as her complicated courses—unnecessary and tedious.

But now, as she returned and climbed these steps, she had a new understanding. Those in high positions should not make hasty decisions. A single decision can impact the lives and safety of the entire city of Belobog.

If she could hear the voice of the stellaron, then this influence, passed down for generations, had remained with the Supreme Guardian for hundreds of years.

The first seventeen guardians, regardless of their political achievements or mistakes, even the seventh guardian, who was once called "The Fool" and was ignored by powerful ministers, never gave up on Belobog.

Yet, as the eighteenth guardian, she had actually considered abandoning this city and all its people.

Even now, thinking about it made Cocolia feel awful. Just as she was reflecting on this, that familiar, otherworldly voice echoed in her mind again.

" Cocolia Your wish is about to be fulfilled. Why hesitate? Don't you want to do it?"

The voice was ethereal and transcendent, carrying a non-human, divine presence. Listening to it stirred a deep sense of conviction, and those without strong willpower might easily succumb to it.

But now, hearing it again, Cocolia's mindset was completely different from before. In the past, she had debated with it, using the theories and values she had learned as the Supreme Guardian.

She was often the one who was persuaded. The theories and values she learned seem so fragile and vulnerable in the face of the grand perspective and power of the stellaron.

The planet Jarilo-VI was once an extremely prosperous planet. Before the invasion of the Antimatter Legion, the people on the planet believed in the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth.

Tall and majestic cities once spread across every piece of land on this planet, and its technological civilization also developed to the point of communicating with other planets.

On this planet, there is a mineral called geomarrow. Its ultra-high energy storage and utilization efficiency bring vitality to this planet.

With the power of the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, they built a [Creation Engine] that towered up to the sky.

These massive machines once transformed the entire planet's landscape, crossing oceans and climbing mountains, clearing all obstacles to the planet's development.

There were over a hundred of these machines on Jarilo-VI. Today, Belobog is the last city still struggling to survive in the harsh climate.

Within the controlled territory, only one [Creation Engine] remains in the northeast of Belobog, on land they once owned.

Ironically, this machine, once hailed as a symbol of the people, now holds the planet's greatest disaster, the Stellaron.

It's unclear when exactly, but Cocolia can no longer operate the Creation Engine. "Does this mean the power of preservation has left me?" Cocolia looked up at the sky above Qlipoth Fort.

Under the warm sunlight, the people in the upper city lived peacefully, while in Rivet Town, only the glow of the earth's core could light their way.

In the past, the pioneers stationed in the underworld were symbols of heroism. But now, under her own policies, the gap between the underworld and the overworld has been steadily growing.

With fewer Silvermane Guards and rising prices, even months or even a year of work in the underworld might not be enough to afford a small house in the overworld city.

"When did this all begin?" Cocolia wondered as she walked down the stairs.

"Trust me, I will bring you a brighter tomorrow. A wonderful, new world," a seductive voice still echoed in her ears, yet her steps seemed no longer burdened by it.

Cocolia looked at the camp of the Silvermane Guard, wondering how Orion was doing now, but he believed that with his strength and will, he could cope with all difficulties.

Thinking of the act of putting the badge on him with her own hands, Cocolia felt a little regretful.

Maybe it would be better to do something like this later. In any case, at least I wouldn't be so embarrassed.

The sound in her ears did not stop, but Cocolia seemed to be able to ignore its influence.

Just like what she promised in the Neverwinter Workshop, she will protect the people, no matter whether he is in the city or not, no matter whether she succeeds or fails.

Cocolia Rand will follow through.

In front of the door of Qlipoth Fort, a clerk who came to receive him was already standing in front of the door, waiting for Cocolia's return.

"Gee, what a chore."

With her small stature and shiny black hair falling between her clothes, this glasses-wearing clerk is no small deal.

Her name is Pela. When she was a child, Cocolia's teacher thought she had some questionable interests and even warned Cocolia to stay away from her.

But these "questionable interests" were just reading some "unconventional" novels and making music that older people didn't like.

"While I'm waiting for her, I might as well read another chapter of *Adventures in the Snow Country*," Pela thought, lightly tapping her leather boots on the ground and absent-mindedly clasping her hands behind her back.

"Really? Then show me that book next time."

"Okay, okay! Let me tell you, the most exciting part of *Adventures in the Snow Country* is..." Pella started to say, but something felt off. Her blonde hair gleamed in the sunlight, and she noticed something wasn't quite right.

A tall figure stood in the sunlight, a white coat fluttering in the breeze. Just a moment ago, Cocolia was standing in front of her.

There was no scolding as expected; Cocolia's expression was just as kind and approachable as her tone had been.

This attitude left Pella feeling a bit uncertain. Since the last time she saw Cocolia, it seemed like something had changed about her.

"Welcome back, Supreme Guardian," Pela said as Cocolia's military boots stepped onto the final stair, her gaze sweeping over the scenery of Belobog below.

On this long staircase, she reflected on the first half of her life and made her own decisions. Perhaps these long steps are there for each Supreme Guardian to make their own choices.