"Burp ~"
The little fox now looked like a balloon, its large belly full of spicy noodles.
It rolled along the street.
No One glanced at his depleted amount of Gold with slight regret, despite the incredible number of reward tickets.
Snow Moon also stopped, though he suspected it was more due to her shyness than being full.
How could one be full from eating in virtual reality?
"It's been ages since I've eaten like this, it's amazing ~"
No One laughed as he looked at the now-round Thousand Tails Yaoguai King.
"How long has it been since you roamed the City of Thousand Tails?"
"A few decades..." The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King perked up her ears, trying to recall.
"I used to quite frequently meet the people to resolve their issues, but ruling never suited me at all ~"
"Hey! Who gave you permission to touch me! But... I kind of like it, hehehe ~"
No One admired the fluffy fur of the Thousand Tails Yaoguai King.
Unable to resist, he reached out to stroke the soft, smooth fur.
It felt very strange.
The fur wasn't wet but rather cool to the touch.
Incredibly soft, almost unreal.
"If it doesn't suit you, why have you done it for so long?"
The Thousand Tails rolled her round belly.
"Who else is there to do it?"
The little fox jumped up, scratching her neck with a paw.
"Wu Gong likes to eat his kin. Oceanis is busy managing the seas. Yin Fang enjoys wandering freely.""The old monsters are all focused on becoming stronger, without a thought for the Yaoguais."
"Letting any of them take that position would only bring hardship to the Yaoguais."
"For the Yaoguais to thrive, their Ruler isn't the strongest, but the one who sacrifices the most for them."
No One nodded in agreement.
It made sense.
If presidents, prime ministers, and leaders of countries were simply the most muscular, the world would likely end even faster.
"So you were forced into this position?"
"I volunteered," replied the Thousand Tails Yaoguai King, shaking her head.
"Ever since I was young, I've heard tales of the Divine Tiger."
"He was very close to the Aqua Vulpes tribe, and it was his blessing that granted them impermeable fur."
"The Yaoguais revered the Divine Tiger above all, not just for his power but for his way of ruling."
"I always heard about that era when the Yaoguais and Humans didn't slaughter each other."
"The Divine Tiger clearly defined the territories of both sides, and there were even areas where both could coexist peacefully, like where I once lived."
No One and Snow Moon listened attentively.
"However, the Demon Race, of course, couldn't accept such peaceful coexistence. They thrived in chaos."
"Corpses are power, deceit is their creed."
"The Demon Race enticed a faction of Yaoguais still harboring resentment against humans, using them to overthrow the Divine Tiger."
"The Divine Tiger, with his majestic power, couldn't be brought down by mere traitors."
"But with the Demon Race's assistance, it was indeed possible."
"At that time, the Demon Race also had a Demon God."
"Due to the Divine Tiger's curse, the Demon Race couldn't enter the territories of the Yaoguais or Humans."
"So, the Demon Race ordered those traitors to massacre the Aqua Vulpes tribe, aiming to seize their fur."
"The Aqua Vulpes' fur could repel all types of things in the world, including the Divine Tiger's Yaoguai Magic."
"Yaoguai Magic utilized water from all elements."
"The Demon Race gave those traitors a blade called the God Slayer."
"It was a blade crafted by a Demon God who once controlled the Demonic Path. It could nullify the powers granted by the Heavenly Path."
"Not enough to kill, but more than enough to cause harm, destabilizing the Divine Tiger's spell and allowing the Demon Race to invade."
"The Demon Race's army lay in wait, ready to engulf both the Yaoguai and Human Races."
"Those traitors were so foolish they didn't realize the Demon Race had no benevolent intentions."
"They allowed the Demon Race to seize the Heavenly Path from the Divine Tiger, establishing the Demonic Path."
"Those traitors didn't expect that the God Slayer wouldn't just block the power granted by the Heavenly Path but also sever the Yaoguais' connection to it."
"It destroyed the Yaoguai Path."
"After that, they hunted down the Yaoguai Emperors and Kings."
"Hardly any Yaoguai Emperors or Kings have survived since the Divine Tiger's reign."
"It forced the Yaoguais to rely on the Demon Race."
"For years afterward, the Demon Race's policy was to make peace with the Yaoguais."
"Through both gentleness and force, they did everything to make the Yaoguais accept relying on the Demonic Path."
"The Yaoguais then became incredibly weak, unable to oppose the Demon Race."
"The alternative would be extermination."
"As time passed, humans, through miraculous means..."
"Regained the Heavenly Path."
"Thanks to elder sister," the Thousand Tails Yaoguai King whispered, jumping onto No One's shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck.
It wasn't surprising.
No One was getting used to how domineering his master could be.
"So why does the master not want to intervene this time?"
"Because of White Night," the Thousand Tails Yaoguai King responded bluntly.
"White Night occurs when humans hold the Heavenly Path for too long."
"It sounds sad, but this world favors humans."
"Because whoever is behind this world treats it like a meal."
"The Heavenly Path is the prime catch, while the Demonic and Yaoguai Paths are like stale fish."
"That entity is picky and waits for the Heavenly Path to be at its tastiest before devouring it."
"Just like waiting for fish to be perfectly cooked."
"When humans are most prosperous, strongest."
"That's when this world is at its most delicious to him."
"The Heavenly Demon In Black learned this after two lifetimes."
"So, in this life, she has long controlled who holds the Heavenly Path."
"Even though her origin is human, and she only used the Demon Race to gain power, she doesn't completely side with humanity."
No One was trying to absorb all this new information.
This world... Is it truly a meal for someone?
Or rather, for the White Beast?
He recalled the eyes from the teaser trailer.
Snow Moon, listening all this while, couldn't believe the story.
A past life?
And even reincarnation?Eating the world?
So much information she was trying to process.
The information Cosminsto had on the Heavenly Demon In Black was very limited.
Was it because of this?
"A bit off-topic, but history has led us to this point."
"After humanity seized the Heavenly Path, no one took charge."
"The Heavenly Demon In Black intentionally left that position vacant."
"That way, the meal for that entity would lack a main course. It would not want to touch it."
"This extends the existence of the Heavenly Path, as someone needs to reach the required state to take charge."
"During this time, the Yaoguais gradually relied less on the Demon Race."
"The Yaoguai Kings began to emerge."
"After the Heavenly Demon In Black ended the Demonic Path, the Demon Race weakened significantly."
"So they could no longer control the Yaoguais."
"Oh, and of course, my sister is best at throwing stones and hiding her hand; the Demonic Path has no idea."
The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King grinned.
"Since becoming a Yaoguai King, I've done my best to revive the Yaoguais."
"I've seen countless futures, changed countless things, to prevent the Yaoguais from facing extinction."
"That's why these eyes of mine are reaching their limit."
Snow Moon and No One remained silent, lost in thought.
The history of this world became more vivid in their eyes.
"So... where are we headed now?"
The Thousand Tails Yaoguai King jumped down.
"An old friend, we're almost there."