"Aure, do you think extraterrestrials have superpowers? Like telekinesis? If they're more advanced than humans, having superpowers wouldn't be surprising."

  "Maybe they can even travel faster than light, traversing the universe with their physical bodies."

  "Haha, that's not science fiction; that's just nonsense."

  ...

  Five years passed in a flash.

  "Boss, do we still need these magazines?"

  The workers carried boxes of magazines to a waiting truck. Quickly, the small publishing company was emptied, not a single desk remaining.

  It was utterly bare.

  Veyne looked at the stacks of magazines. "Keep one copy of each issue for me as a souvenir. The rest are unnecessary; you can take them."

  "Okay."

  Then,

  Veyne took a hammer to the entrance of the publishing company and pried off the sign. He tossed it into the truck along with the other discarded items.

  Mei asked, "Not keeping it as a souvenir?"

  "No need."

  Veyne's expression was inscrutable, but everyone knew he felt bad. The publishing company's financial situation had deteriorated, making closure inevitable.

  It had lasted longer than expected.

  "What are you planning next?"

  "Find a job to support my family."

  Veyne calculated that he was already over thirty, nearing forty. The closing of the publishing company had lifted a weight from his mind.

  What he'd once considered a belief had become an obsession—a lack of results fueled his discontent.

  He might still dedicate some time to his search, but his priorities had shifted to his family and their livelihood. It was time to wake up from his dream.

  Looking back,

  It seemed like a distant memory.

  Veyne's dream had begun when he was ten, sparked by a stranger claiming to be from another universe. Now, he'd finally woken up.

  He'd never told anyone about it. Even now, Veyne wondered if it had been a dream.

  Perhaps he'd never actually met that stranger.

  Or perhaps,

  It was just a prank.

  "What about you?"

  Veyne asked Mei. "Going to a big city to seek your fortune?"

  "I've told you before."

  "What?"

  "I'm going on a world tour."

  The chubby man suddenly understood; he'd realized.

  Soon,

  The publishing company was completely emptied. The longtime colleagues in this small town exchanged silent farewells and dispersed.

  "Boss, goodbye!"

  "Chief Editor, let's get together again sometime!"

  "Okay."

  Mei smiled and nodded at them. Then she patted Veyne's shoulder. "I bought a ticket for this afternoon."

  "So soon!"

  Veyne was surprised.

  The publishing company had been a crucial link in his and Mei's relationship. Now that it was closed, the weight lifted, and it was time to part ways.

  Reflecting on this,

  Veyne didn't hesitate, bidding Mei farewell with a smile. He'd held his friend back for too long.

  "Fair winds and following seas."

  "Mm-hmm."

  And so,

  The Lamhyrien extraterrestrial investigation team officially disbanded. Veyne felt a sense of liberation, shedding a certain burden.

  He was no longer the boss of a publishing company but a salaried worker in a small town, working 9 to 5, much to his wife's relief.

  At least,

  His family no longer worried about the publishing company's financial struggles. The removal of that burden improved their overall family atmosphere.

  Everything returned to normal.

  Or so it seemed.

  Until one day,

  Vairen got married. Veyne attended the wedding and unexpectedly ran into Songveil, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. Her attire suggested she was doing well.

  "Songveil? Long time no see!"

  Veyne was astonished.

  "Indeed."

  Songveil sighed, "It seems everyone's doing well."

  "Haha, pretty good."

  Turning to Vairen,

  Veyne exclaimed, "You finally got married! I'm impressed you two lasted this long."

  Vairen looked somewhat resigned.

  "Everyone has their own struggles."

  It was rare for Vairen and Songveil to be together, yet Mei, who had never missed such gatherings, was absent. Life was truly unpredictable.

  Veyne felt a pang of regret. "It would've been nice if Aure was here. I wonder where she is now."

  "..."

  The atmosphere suddenly stilled.

  Vairen and Songveil exchanged glances, mutual confusion evident in their eyes. Vairen looked at Veyne in astonishment. "Who's Aure?"

  "Huh?"

  Veyne was stunned, thinking Vairen was joking, but their expressions revealed that they genuinely didn't know who Mei was.

  "Aure, Aurelia! We were all university classmates!"

  "You've forgotten?"

  Vairen and Songveil remained confused, shaking their heads. Vairen strained his memory, completely at a loss.

  Songveil asked Veyne,

  "You wouldn't have gotten the wrong person, would you?"

  The question left Veyne wide-eyed.

  "No… you…"

  Really?!

  A living person simply forgotten?

  Seeing their genuine lack of recollection, Veyne felt the situation was bizarre. He approached Vairen's parents at the wedding.

  To subtly inquire if they remembered Mei.

  The result silenced him.

  Vairen's parents had absolutely no memory of Aurelia. In their recollection, Vairen never had a university classmate by that name.

  They only remembered Veyne and Songveil.

  What was this?

  A supernatural phenomenon?

  Veyne's friendship with Mei had been profound, coupled with his persistent interest in the mysterious. That stubbornness, dormant for a while, resurfaced.

  Noticing Veyne's troubled expression, Ciomi approached with concern.

  "Honey, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

  Veyne shook his head, asking Ciomi, "Honey, do you remember Aure? My close friend from the company and publishing house days."

  A glimmer of hope remained.

  If someone else remembered, it would be reassuring. Either he was crazy, or the world was. He didn't want it to be him.

  "Aure?"

  Ciomi frowned, thinking. In Veyne's dejected gaze, she shook her head. "I don't think you ever mentioned her. Do I know her?"

  "Aure, the Chief Editor! You've forgotten?"

  "..."

  Ciomi shook her head again. "When I was at the publishing company, you were always the Chief Editor."

  If he hadn't experienced it himself, Veyne wouldn't believe such a bizarre event could happen. What was this? Collective amnesia?

  He asked repeatedly, and everyone who had known Mei had completely forgotten her; no one remembered such a person ever working at the publishing company.

  Including the former staff.

  "What the hell happened?"

  Veyne anxiously rushed home, frantically searching for the digital camera Vairen had given him, hesitant to turn it on.

  Photo after photo scrolled past.

  He and Mei rarely took pictures, but Veyne clearly remembered taking several photos with Mei on his wedding day. If she was in those photos,

  Then it wouldn't be his problem.

  It would prove he wasn't mistaken.

  However,

  When the photos paused on a group shot, Veyne's pupils constricted. He and Vairen were in the photo, but Mei, who should have been there, was absent.

  "She's not…"

  "She's not…"

  "She's still not there!"

  In several group photos, Mei's figure was completely absent, leaving no trace. Veyne put down the camera, dazed.

  Had he really mistaken things?

  Was he suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder?

  Therefore,

  He deliberately saw a doctor, but all tests were normal.

  Veyne felt Mei had simply visited this world, leaving without a trace, taking his memories and related traces with her.

  Like a ghost.

  "Honey, what's wrong with you lately?"

  Veyne's recent behavior had been worrying Ciomi. She'd never seen him like this.

  "Nothing."

  Since no one else remembered Mei, mentioning it would be pointless; he might even end up in a mental hospital.

  He would investigate himself.

  He absolutely refused to believe Mei didn't exist.

  The next day,

  Knock knock knock!

  "Who is it?"

  Veyne went to the apartment where Mei had lived and knocked on the door of the neighboring apartment. He'd been there several times and was familiar with the elderly woman who lived there.

  "Hello, I'd like to ask if you remember the person who lived across from you before."

  "Huh?"

  The woman thought for a moment, looking at Veyne suspiciously. "Wasn't that you who rented the apartment before?"

  "Me?"

  "Yes!"

  "Okay, sorry to bother you."

  The situation was even stranger than Veyne had imagined. Not only had others forgotten Mei, but the memories and physical evidence of her existence had been seamlessly filled in, creating an unbroken continuity.

  Veyne felt like he was on a deserted island. Besides him, no one in the world remembered Aurelia; there was no trace to prove her existence.

  "I still don't believe it!"

  Veyne refused to accept this, repeatedly revisiting places, even returning to the university. He couldn't believe his best friend was a figment of his imagination.

  He firmly believed,

  Aurelia had existed!

  Denying Aurelia was even harder than denying his own existence.

  "Aurelia? Never heard of her."

  "There's no such person."

  "Her name isn't in the student records."

  "Aurelia, the manager? Wasn't the company founded by you and a few others? I don't remember anyone by that name."

  ...

  "Don't look."

  Back in Lamhyrien,

  Vairen found Veyne in a distraught state and urged him to stop searching. "I don't know why you have these delusions, but if you continue, you'll end up in a mental hospital."

  Veyne said nothing.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Silently, he returned home.

  Then,

  He remembered something and retrieved a notebook from a pile of clutter. It was the one Vairen had given him at his wedding, containing notes about Mei.

  He flipped through it.

  Nothing.

  All the entries were gone.

  The complete absence of any record made Veyne doubt his own memory. But he had exhausted all possibilities.

  He couldn't find any information related to Mei.

  The entire world was telling him he'd made a mistake.

  Veyne stopped arguing.

  He silently resumed his normal life, never mentioning the friend he'd once had, the friend he’d attended university with.

  The friend he’d searched for extraterrestrials with.

  The friend with whom he built a successful company.

  The friend with whom he opened and closed a publishing house.

  Gradually,

  Even Veyne's own memories were fading, a fact he hadn't realized. Memories related to that person were being erased from his mind.

  The fading memories were abruptly interrupted one day.

  While walking down a residential street, Veyne noticed the dilapidated apartment building's door was open. A surge of emotion welled up inside him, and he involuntarily entered.

  The moment he stepped inside, familiar objects instantly triggered numerous memories, leaving him stunned.

  Scattered on the floor were discarded magazines, a publishing company sign, and a dusty old radio. Veyne looked around.

  Something was missing.

  Then,

  He saw someone standing in the middle of the room, wearing an iron pot on their head, with a long antenna protruding from it—a comical sight.

  It took him a while to recognize the person.

  "Alenbright?"

  Alenbright was wearing a striped patient's gown with the red lettering of Lamhyrien Mental Hospital. Years had passed, and he looked much older.

  Alenbright stood motionless, the antenna on his head seemingly sensing brainwaves in the air, oblivious to Veyne's presence.

  "Found it."

  Then,

  Alenbright spoke, breaking the silence.

  Veyne was confused.

  "Found what?"

  Extraterrestrial brainwaves?

  Extraterrestrials?

  At that moment, Veyne felt some memories surging to the surface, yet he struggled to recall anything.

  "Her brainwaves are here; I can sense them."

  Alenbright mumbled, turning to Veyne. "She left a message here. She said… 'I found her; you'll find her too.'"

  In an instant,

  Powerful memories surged, flooding back. He remembered having a friend.

  Even older memories surfaced, a girl's face appearing in his mind. She had adjusted the radio here, saying it might be useful.

  A striking memory from his tenth year appeared. Veyne remembered a stranger appearing out of nowhere. Confused, he'd asked who she was.

  She'd said she was an extraterrestrial.

  Then,

  Her face became clear. She'd adjusted that radio here. Years of suppressed emotion erupted.

  "Ha ha ha ha ha!"

  Veyne laughed, tears streaming down his face, a mixture of joy and relief. His friend had truly existed, and he had been right.

  His relentless pursuit of the truth had finally yielded results.

  ...

  Boom!

  With a resounding crash, the last wall collapsed. The dilapidated building was reduced to rubble and twisted steel.

  An excavator scooped up the debris and loaded it onto trucks, swiftly transforming the site into a vacant lot overgrown with weeds.

  Veyne glanced at it as he passed.

  He felt nothing.

  Returning home,

  He called out to the kitchen. "Honey, don't make me dinner tomorrow night. I'm going out with some friends; I might be late."

  "Okay."

  Ciomi placed the prepared food on the table. "Who are they? Your old friends?"

  "Yeah."

  Veyne nodded. "You met them at Vairen's wedding. It's rare for us to get together, so I thought we'd have a reunion."

  "Makes sense."

  Veyne turned and saw his six-year-old son tiptoeing to reach a radio in a cupboard. He quickly picked him up. "That's not a toy; it's not for playing with. Let's eat."

  Ciomi took their son.

  She looked at the old, dusty radio in the cupboard, puzzled. "That thing's broken. It's just taking up space. It's not a treasure or anything."

  "Keep it."

  Veyne couldn't explain. He'd forgotten who had given it to him, but it seemed to hold sentimental value; throwing it away felt wrong.

  So he kept it.

  "Let's eat!"

  ...

  Hum—

  Immense spacetime energy flowed back into the Spacetime crystal. The Tideborne Galaxy's time flow returned to normal; the causal influence in the subconscious had reached its limit.

  Then,

  Her figure vanished without a trace.

  Leaving behind no evidence or information.

  Possessing immense power allowed her to transcend limitations, but she also genuinely enjoyed experiencing simple, humanistic moments. Those quiet times brought a smile to her face.

  However,

  She was destined to be only a passerby.

  The faith marker harvest continued. Mei distanced herself from the ruin's coordinates, sweeping through every galaxy along the way. The faith marker holders instantly became her tokens.

  【Tokens Acquired: 2,000】

  【Tokens Acquired: 36,000】

  【Tokens Acquired: 70,000】

  【Tokens Acquired: 200,000】

  Until the month ended.

  【Remaining Tokens: 784.9 billion】

  Still 215.1 billion short of a trillion. It seemed the next time she returned to the Earth Universe, her token total would surpass one trillion.

  Reaching ten trillion in the short term was unrealistic.

  A spatial prompt sounded.

  Mei's figure flickered back into Hyperdimensional Space. Time in the Earth Universe was once again frozen at this moment, brought about by a greater, higher-level power.

  Whether it was the Gaia consciousness—the abstract concept encompassing all life and non-life in the Earth Universe—or the Star Spirit King Ruin, containing Tier 8 power,

  All were powerless against the time stop, occurring without the slightest warning.

  ...

  Hyperdimensional Space.

  Missions were about to begin. A group of Void Wanderers returned to the space, and Mei happened to encounter the explosives expert who'd previously informed her about Transcendent Space.

  "What a coincidence, same group?"

  "Yeah."

  Mei replied with a smile.

  Then,

  The explosives expert said nothing more, concentrating on preparing. As his name suggested, this guy was a science and technology enthusiast.

  A staunch turret-type player.

  Soon,

  The interface flashed.

  【Mission Type: Tethered Mission】

  【Mission Difficulty: Tier 2】

  If Mei remembered correctly, this was her third tethered mission. Theoretically, the next mission should be a Tier 2 to Tier 3 Advancement Mission.

  Mission Commencing.

  Tzzz—

  Mei's figure flickered and disappeared, entering her third Tier 2 mission world.

  ...

  Upon entering the mission world, the main mission prompt appeared.

  【Main Mission · Phase One: The boundless stars and the vast universe nurture an eternal power; a hidden current flows beneath the silent world. Choose your allegiance: Order or Chaos?】

  【Mission Reward: 1000 points】

  The Order and Chaos factions weren't strictly defined; this was simply the main mission assisting Void Wanderers in quickly integrating into this world.

  The first phase of the main mission was usually of this nature, providing quick information about the mission world through its description.

  To varying degrees.

  Even after choosing a faction, a Void Wanderer could freely switch sides; completing the mission was all that mattered; there were no compulsory requirements.

  Nor were there penalties for failure.

  In other words,

  The so-called faction choice in the first phase of the main mission had no binding power.

  ——

  【Name: Mei】

  【Grade: Tier 2】

  【Points: 1,156,600】

  【Pet: Shiro ·LV30 (Tier 6)】

  【Abilities: Primordial Daemon ·LV40, Limit Break ·LV10, Super Burst ·LV15, Guaranteed Hit ·LV20, Causality Manipulation ·LV1, Truth Manifestation ·LV1, Conceptual Counter-Creation ·LV1】

  【Items: Personal Spatial Storage ·Universe, Chapter of Gaia, Tyrant's Heart, True · Death Substitute *1, True · Source Annihilation *2, Tier 8 reward ticket…】

  ——

  Shiro had rarely participated in combat since its creation, primarily serving as Mei's weapon against immortal beings. In reality, its combat strength wasn't weak.

  Tier 6.

  A top-tier Galaxy cluster-level beast.

  【Target detected】

  【Authority installation in progress】

  【Installation complete】

  【Entering random selection】

  【Random selection: Truth Manifestation】

  Another random selection of an ability Mei already possessed. She recalled a similar situation with Limit Break; after the upgrade, it had inexplicably raised Limit Break's limit from Tier 6 to Tier 7.

  Truth Manifestation was already an incredibly powerful higher-level conceptual ability. Mei couldn't imagine what it would become after another ten-level increase.

  It would undoubtedly become unimaginably powerful.

  Immediately afterward,

  Ten upgrade tasks appeared.

  ...

  【Upgrade Task 1: Create or alter 1 key coordinate; Truth Manifestation level increases by one.】

  【Upgrade Task 2: Create or alter 2 key coordinates; Truth Manifestation level increases by one.】

  【Upgrade Task 3: Create or alter 3 key coordinates; Truth Manifestation level increases by one.】

  ...

  "Key coordinates?"

  Just as Mei was about to investigate what the upgrade tasks meant by "key coordinates," the entire universe's energy erupted, the stars trembling violently.

  Boom!

  In an instant, the stars shifted.

  Magnificent beings emerged from the cosmos, surrounded by deep darkness, their forms adorned with starlight and galaxies.

  An unparalleled pressure swept across the universe, as if the cosmos' entire power was bearing down to destroy everything. Mei instantly recognized them as the world's high-ranking deities.

  Each one,

  A conceptual-level god!

  "Daemon from the void, you have transgressed!"

  Causal force would suppress all of Mei's traces and information; this powerful suppression couldn't even be detected by the Gaia consciousness.

  However,

  It wasn't a single conceptual deity that had arrived, but a group of them. Each represented one or more concepts.

  Given this world's unique circumstances—the interconnected nature of the conceptual deities—they were essentially one entity in a certain sense, representing all concepts as a collective.

  All concepts!

  Undeniably, "All Concepts" represented the totality of all concepts; its level far surpassed causal force, so detecting Mei's presence was unsurprising.

  This was Mei's first encounter with such an unexpected event—confronted by background characters upon entering the mission world.

  She wasn't bluffing.

  She didn't care about "All Concepts"; it was just bad luck to run into this situation so early.

  The conceptual deities were furious.

  Mei's transgression was a significant threat and provocation.

  "Daemon, leave our universe!"

  Rumble!

  Instantly,

  The starlight flickered, the universe trembling. The conceptual deities manifested their bodies from the cosmos, vast and boundless. Mei was like an ant before them.

  "It seems this can't be resolved through negotiation."

  Mei was unafraid.

  Then,

  Hum—

  An even older and more powerful Primordial Daemon manifested, its terrifying aura sweeping across the cosmos, causing the universe to churn, even striking fear into the hearts of the conceptual deities.

  In an instant,

  Void fluctuations engulfed the entire universe. The Conceptual Counter-Creation power instantly collapsed the conceptual forces of the conceptual deities, rendering them unable to utilize any conceptual power.

  Mei was the opposite of All Concepts.

  Now,

  They could have a proper fight!

  Mei would conveniently tidy up All Concepts as well.

  "How is this possible?!"

  "Daemon, your power…"

  Boom!

  Mei didn't waste words; actions spoke louder than words. If they didn't submit, she'd kill them until they did. She defiantly raised her blade against the deities.

  A universe-shaking battle ensued.

  Almost destroying the universe itself.

  In this battle, the deities perished, concepts collapsed. Mei, existing alongside the void, had lost their conceptual power, preventing the deities from eliminating her from the source.

  Mei could endlessly revive. Even though the Primordial Daemon had reached Tier 7, Level 40, its maximum, it could no longer evolve or level up after revival, but it could remain at full strength.

  The deities were not so fortunate.

  Shiro swallowed one after another, its hunger sated. Any conceptual deity captured by Mei was thrown into Shiro's maw, instantly and completely destroyed.

  "Woof—"

  In the cosmos,

  Shiro, like a voracious beast, devoured a conceptual deity severely battered by Mei. A burst of light flashed beside Mei.

  【Ability Acquired: Concept · Gravity】

  【Ability Acquired: Concept · Elasticity】

  【Ability Acquired: Concept · Growth】

  …

  【Enhancement Successful】

  【Star Beast ·LV32?】

  【Star Beast ·LV34?】

  【Star Beast ·LV36?】

  …

  【Star Beast ·LV50?】

  After devouring over a dozen conceptual deities in one go, Shiro's level skyrocketed, quickly surpassing the Tier 6 limit and reaching its peak at Tier 7.

  As conceptual deities, none were below Tier 6; some even possessed Tier 7-level power.

  This showcased the universe's immense power.

  To cultivate so many conceptual-level deities, yet ultimately, they were mere food for Mei's pet.

  The drop rate of Tier 6 and Tier 7 items was quite high. Almost every fallen deity yielded several items for Mei, most of which were their conceptual powers.

  Not all deities were easily defeated; these powerful Tier 7 deities, when working together, could briefly withstand Mei.

  Hum—

  Void energy surged; the wounds on Mei's Daemon body instantly healed. With one hand, she crushed a Tier 6 conceptual deity. Unable to utilize conceptual power, the deity perished instantly.

  【Ability Acquired: Concept · Strength】

  A lower-level concept.

  ...

  Across the cosmos,

  Galaxies dimmed and collapsed, countless stars crumbling, and terrifying void rifts spreading across the universe itself.

  Near collapse.

  Mei's power exceeded all expectations. In a brief exchange, they lost over a dozen deities—a devastating lesson unprecedented since the universe's creation.

  The deities were terrified.

  The concept of the God of Time reverberated across the cosmos.

  "Seal her!"

  With that,

  Boom!

  Immense energy pathways wove through the universe. The deities exerted all their strength to create a massive sealing cage, intending to imprison Mei.

  However,

  Right before their eyes, Mei walked directly out of the sealing barrier. Without the complete suppression of conceptual forces, physical seals were meaningless against her.

  The Primordial Daemon, a fusion of the Planck Membrane Lifeform, possessed the ability to freely enter and exit all warped spacetime dimensions. This world was riddled with holes in Mei's eyes.

  She could freely traverse every corner of the universe through warped spacetime; physical barriers were meaningless.

  Seeing this,

  The deities were terrified.

  Silently, the God of Time retreated into the cosmos and fled. This was a battle with no chance of victory; the deities were powerless against such an opponent.

  Mei surveyed the cosmos, her killing intent palpable. Her immense Self-Awareness structure unfolded, her blade pointed at the deities. To reach the realm of All Concepts, she had to obliterate them all.

  None could be spared.

  Suddenly,

  Boom!

  Another devastating battle erupted in the universe—a conflict capable of destroying all things, a massacre of the deities.

  Sentient beings looked to the heavens, witnessing stars extinguishing, galaxies collapsing, incomprehensible Self-Awareness structures like cosmic pathways enveloping the cosmos.

  Abnormal tremors.

  Nearby galaxies were simply swept away by the residual energy, instantly obliterated and reduced to nothingness.

  After an unknown duration,

  Silence descended upon the cosmos.

  Across the space filled with turbulent energy, the shattered bodies of the deities lay scattered among the stars, the universe torn open by void rifts spewing extra-universal energy.

  Energy intertwined, emitting blinding flashes. The blood of the gods stained the void, forming rivers of stars. Shattered divine weapons dispersed their residual might across the cosmos.

  Mei stood on the crushed body of a deity, crushing a divine weapon in her hand before carelessly tossing it into the depths of cosmic space. A burst of light appeared.

  【Ability Acquired: Concept · Decay】

  Mei grasped the light, instantly mastering this concept. The battle was a one-sided massacre. While a complete victory yielding many concepts, several deities, sensing the tide turning, had successfully escaped the chaos.

  Moreover, the drop rate of conceptual power wasn't 100%, preventing Mei from instantly acquiring all the deities' concepts and reaching the realm of All Concepts.

  "Burp—"

  Shiro let out a long belch, then vanished alongside Mei. Those fleeing deities wouldn't escape; Mei reaching the realm of All Concepts was merely a matter of time.

  ...

  【Upgrade Task 1·Complete】

  【Truth Manifestation Level·Upgraded】

  【Truth Manifestation ·LV2?】

  ——

  【Ability: Truth Manifestation】

  【Level: LV2】

  【Description: All sentient perceptions in this world become the wielder's perceptions. All sentient beings' fantasies, legends, and myths in this world can be temporarily manifested. Duration: thirty minutes. The specific effect cannot exceed the controller's current Grade.】

  ——

  Previously, this ability's duration was roughly five minutes. After the upgrade, a specific time limit appeared.

  Now, thirty minutes.

  Excellent.

  Killing the deities was considered a key coordinate, allowing Mei to complete an upgrade task. Only now did Mei have time to understand what a key coordinate meant from the interface.

  In short,

  Every world has individuals or events that can influence its overall trajectory. Whenever these individuals or events are about to alter the world's course, it represents a key coordinate.

  Killing the deities was undoubtedly a crucial key coordinate, directly causing drastic changes in the world with a significant impact.

  In the cosmic void, various conceptual forces created ripples. She had eliminated over a hundred conceptual deities, obtaining dozens of concepts:

  Gravity.

  Elasticity.

  Growth.

  Decay.

  ...

  Most were concrete, lower-level concepts. Deities wielding higher-level concepts like time, space, death, and existence were all quite slippery.

  As soon as they realized they couldn't win, they fled.

  Mei couldn't capture them easily. These higher-level conceptual deities were all Tier 7 powerhouses; she couldn't suppress them on a fundamental level.

  Conceptual Counter-Creation could certainly render all conceptual forces in the universe ineffective, thus eliminating the deities' ability to conceal themselves. Finding them shouldn't be difficult, but it wasn't that simple. Mei had already tried.

  All traces of these higher-level conceptual deities had vanished from the universe.

  Through the remaining causal force, Mei found some clues. Seeking a sliver of survival, these higher-level conceptual deities had directly destroyed their own concepts.

  Thus evading Mei's pursuit.

  This meant they'd chosen temporary death. If someone could later manifest these concepts again, they could revive.

  Rather than being completely devoured by Shiro or having their concepts permanently stolen by Mei, leading to true death, they chose to gamble, feigning death to survive.

  It was, admittedly, a good strategy.

  At least for a while, Mei couldn't easily re-manifest these destroyed concepts. A divine ascension ritual was an option, but it would take considerable time.

  Moreover,

  The divine ascension ritual might not be suitable for this universe; it wasn't Self-Awareness universe. If the ritual was unusable, alternative methods would be needed.

  Mei wasn't in a hurry.

  She had plenty of time.

  The higher-level conceptual deities possessed the ability to silently wait for awakening within the river of time, unlike their lower-level counterparts who could only flee.

  However,

  Regardless of their attempts at escape, the threat of death loomed. Mei's brutality had stripped them of their fighting spirit, leading them to silently perish.

  Over countless years, the deities had never encountered anyone who treated conceptual deities as food, much less a single individual facing their entire pantheon.

  It was simply unbelievable.

  ...

  In the silent void,

  A deity of distance hid in the rifts between the universe and the void, attempting to evade Mei's pursuit, fear spreading through them.

  After a moment,

  Mei emerged from a warped spacetime dimension. The Conceptual Counter-Creation power enveloped the deity of distance, instantly turning it into prey.

  "Demon God, I submit!"

  "Unnecessary."

  Boom!

  As the words fell,

  Mei tore apart the entire dimensional space, ripping the body of the deity of distance in two—a display of extreme brutality.

  "Shiro."

  "Ooh!"

  Shiro opened its jaws and swallowed the deity of distance whole. Lower-level deities, unable to utilize conceptual power, were as weak as chickens before Mei.

  They became Shiro's next meal upon confrontation.

  A burst of light appeared before Mei.

  【Ability Acquired: Concept · Distance】

  Mei mastered this concept and continued hunting down the lower-level conceptual deities. Unbeknownst to anyone, Mei single-handedly slaughtered this universe's background characters.

  The rivers of blood from the previously unconquerable conceptual deities flowed endlessly as they perished one after another. Soon, the lower-level conceptual deities who had managed to escape were completely annihilated.

  Next,

  Only the higher-level conceptual deities feigning death remained. Only then did Mei refocus on the mission.

  Finding the individuals or events that could influence the world's trajectory was simple: follow the converging points of causal force.

  The results surprised Mei. She discovered that a vast amount of this universe's causal force converged on a single ordinary planet, meaning this planet could easily influence the universe's future.

  Its civilization and power weren't particularly strong, yet it was undoubtedly the center of the universe, as if everything revolved around this planet.

  Since this planet was the universe's center, it would naturally contain numerous key coordinates, which suited Mei perfectly.

  Suddenly,

  Mei appeared on the planet. Its name was Apokolips; it was in a highly underdeveloped feudal era.

  The civilization was Western-influenced, with a blend of secular and theocratic rule, where the king held ultimate power, and the Church wielded significant influence through its vast following and political power.

  In this dark and ignorant age, the masses believed in the supreme authority of the Church, whose power even rivaled that of the king.

  Underdeveloped societies tend to reject the incomprehensible to solidify their authority and eliminate threats.

  By chance,

  The Church discovered the existence of an immortal being, publicly declaring it a heretic and devil, emphasizing its danger and wickedness.

  Then,

  A massive manhunt began.

  ...

  A rainy night.

  A dying man lay in the mud, rainwater washing over his wounds, revealing horrific, crisscrossing gashes.

  Footsteps approached.

  The man startled, desperately raising his head to meet a pair of deep eyes. Mei asked him, "Want to continue living?"

  Realizing Mei didn't seem to be from the Church, the man, as if grasping a glimmer of hope, pleaded desperately, "Save me!"