WorldCrafter - Building My Underground Kingdom-Chapter 282: My Love

All her planning and actions were meant to fight against the protection of reality itself.

They weren’t even on her radar.

"All those Templars, even many epochs for her, are just part of her plan," Ben said.

"Just where did that crazy woman come from?"

"I have some idea," Apophis added.

Elvira glanced at her. "Then tell us. We only have limited time, you know.

Honestly, I would love to spend my last moments living quietly with Ben, but you just had to come out."

"Fufufu. Sorry," Apophis said.

"Your lover is the one calling me out. Anyway, I heard about her from Baal."

Apophis’ eyes narrowed.

"She was a genius. Someone who grew strong on her own plane.

Another being tried to invade and colonize her plane.

She rose and succeeded in protecting it, but then, for unknown reasons, her whole plane was destroyed.

After that, she became like this."

"You know it’s rude to tell other people’s stories without permission."

A beautiful voice cut through the air.

Ben and Elvira stood up at once.

Apophis shot back into Ben, fusing with him again.

Eve had appeared right in front of them.

In her hand was a chopped head.

Ben’s blood turned cold.

It was Arthur.

His eyes were still wide open. The water mark was on his forehead.

Eve tossed it toward the lake behind her like she was throwing trash.

SPLASH!!!

She smiled at Ben and Elvira. "Why are you so curious about me?"

"I just want to know why you do all this," Elvira said.

"Since we’re going to die anyway, is it wrong to want an answer?"

Eve hummed softly. "You’re right. It would be unfair for you to die without knowing anything."

She waved her hand.

A table appeared, along with three chairs.

On the table were three plates of fruit cut into neat pieces, and warm tea set beside them.

"These fruits are juicy and sweet," Eve said. "They’re called Maha. They come from my old world."

Ben and Elvira exchanged a glance.

Then they sat.

They didn’t even think it was a trap.

They already knew how strong she was.

Eve took a sip of tea. Her gaze turned distant, almost nostalgic.

"This barrier," she said. "You made it, right, Elvira?"

"Yes," Elvira replied. She didn’t even ask how Eve knew her name.

Eve set the cup down.

"Since you can create a time barrier, you should understand time better than most.

Tell me this. Do you think time is real? Or is it just a concept created by us?"

Elvira hesitated. Then she answered carefully.

"Time is not just a concept we created. Time is one of the most fundamental laws in this world.

It would take too long to explain everything I understand, but to put it simply, time can be seen as causality."

"Causality," Eve repeated. "Cause and effect."

Her smile faded a little.

"But what if the effect is already predetermined?

Can you still call it causality? Or is it fate?

Or is it just another script written by a stronger being, one that already decided your whole life since birth?"

"That is..." Elvira didn’t know how to answer.

She had never thought that deep.

And Eve’s question was more philosophy than magic.

Ben frowned.

"I don’t think it matters," he said. "Just like now. Our fate is in your hand.

You’re stronger than us, so we can’t escape and we can’t fight back. Everything is pointless."

"So you surrender to predetermined fate," Eve said. "That’s your choice. But I don’t agree with what you said."

She leaned forward a little.

"My power overwhelms you, yes. But since I didn’t kill you directly, doesn’t that mean I need something from you?"

Ben’s eyes narrowed.

"And since that something is under your control, you can still do something."

"What can we even do in this situation?" Ben asked.

"Not knowing the answer is not the same as there being no answer," Eve said.

"Though I admit your situation is my design. I created a path where you barely had time to understand anything."

Ben’s frown deepened.

’So our guess was right. From the start, I’ve been in her palm.’

Ben stared at her. "Then answer this. Why did the Primordial Flame choose me?

I feel it’s because I had the most of its essence as a living being, but somehow that doesn’t feel right."

Eve chuckled.

"That’s quite an answer. It isn’t really wrong, but it’s a paradox."

She tilted her head.

"You have the most essence because the Primordial Flame chose you. Or You have the most because it chose you?

Do you think you would have lived your whole life like that, with the Primordial Flame inside you?"

Ben understood what she meant.

His lived his old life as a construction worker.

A life where he had to lower his head to survive.

Obeying those with more authority than him.

"You mean... in the past I didn’t have this essence?"

"Yes," Eve said. "You only got it when you were pushed through that moment of time into this future."

She picked up a piece of fruit and ate it calmly.

"Let me put it in simple terms, in a language you can understand. Think of the world as a computer."

She pointed at the table lightly, as if the air itself was a screen.

"Each individual is like a file. Each plane and planet is like a folder. Each file contains life stories, records, and experiences."

"You, as the file, can’t see anything outside your folder," Eve continued. "But those who control the world can see everything at once."

"Just like with a single click, you can check which file is the biggest, they can check which individual has the most potential."

"A fourth-dimensional being..." Elvira murmured. She had read about that theory before.

A being that saw time as a whole.

Past, present, and future at once.

"Yes," Eve said. "A fourth-dimensional being."

Her gaze sharpened. Her Killing intent shoot out.

"My goal is to find a way to rise to that level and take revenge on the ones who created a fixed point where my plane must be destroyed, no matter how many times I tried to save it."

Ben and Elvira both moved back at the same time.

Ben took out his pickaxe.

Elvira’s circles formed almost instantly.

It was pure survival instinct.

Eve chuckled and stood up.

"It seems our time to talk has ended. I’m sorry for showing that, but you should understand now.

Those fourth-dimensional beings are something I will kill for sure."

"But that’s only your theory," Elvira said quickly, trying to push back and buy time.

"It doesn’t necessarily mean such a being exists. Your logic is flawed."

Eve took one step.

Then she was behind them.

Ben and Elvira tried to move.

They couldn’t move a finger.

Elvira’s eyes widened.

"You took control of my space..."

Without her even noticing, Eve had taken control of Elvira’s whole spell array, claimed it, and even improved it.

Eve’s voice was calm behind them.

"Their existence is the only answer that makes what happened possible. And his presence here, with that pickaxe, is another confirmation."

Her aura spread outward.

"And even if I’m wrong, I still have to do this. I still have to try to save my plane again."

Eve’s voice softened,.

"Just like you would do anything to save the one you love, I would do the same, Elvira."

Her palm changed into a spear.

It shot toward Ben’s chest.

STAB!!!

Crimson blood burst outward.

But none of it reached Eve.

It disappeared before it could touch her skin, erased like it never existed.

Ben’s eyes shook.

"Elvira... why..."

Elvira somehow had moved her body into the path on time.

She took the strike.

She blocked Eve’s attack with her own flesh.

Elvira’s lips trembled.

Her breath came out wet.

"I’m sorry, Ben," she whispered.

"My love... I don’t want to watch you die with my own eyes."

Ben h caught her as her legs gave out.

For a moment, he forgot about eve.

His hands shook as he held her.

Warm blood kept spreading across his palms.

"No... no... stay with me," Ben said, voice breaking. "Don’t do this."

Elvira forced her eyes open.

Her gaze stayed on him, even as it started to blur.

Her hand lifted, weak and trembling, and touched his cheek.

Ben’s throat tightened.

Something deep inside him began to crack.

Something that he never thought exist..

The Primordial Flame inside him ignited.

Rainbow light leaked out from his skin like a sunrise trapped under his ribs.

The pressure holding his body still shattered.

He pulled her close to his chest.

Tears slid down his face before he realized he was crying.

Elvira’s breath grew thinner.

But she smiled anyway.

"Ben..." she whispered. "Being beside you... these moments... they were enough."

Ben shook his head hard. "No. Don’t talk like that."

Her fingers tightened once, barely.

"I... I’m happy," Elvira said. "I’m really happy."

Ben’s voice came out rough. "I will fix this. I will. I don’t care how."

Elvira’s eyes softened.

"My love..." she whispered. "Don’t blame yourself."

Her lips parted again. The words came out slower now.

"Thank you... for forgiving me... for staying..."

Her hand slipped from his cheek.

Ben grabbed it and held it tight, pressing it against his chest like he could share his heartbeat with her.

"Elvira!" he called, voice cracking. "Look at me. Don’t close your eyes."

Elvira tried.

Her lashes trembled.

"I’m sorry," she whispered again, smaller this time. "I... I love you..."

Her breath caught.

Then it eased out, like she was falling asleep.

Ben froze.

For a heartbeat, there was no sound.

Only the warmth in his arms that was fading too fast.

He lowered his forehead to hers, shaking.

"I love you too," he whispered. "So don’t leave. Please."

The rainbow flame around him surged higher.