Chapter 1: Selfish Happiness (Part 1)
[Does life exist for 'happiness' or for 'meaning'?]
In the Mycroft World, the Helgamos Empire, the Imperial Foreign Exploration Department, designated 'Elite Squad 0003', Senior Alchemist Constantine, was pondering this age-old question that even all the clever people with nothing better to do would only bother to think about when in a sage-like state of mind.
At this moment, he and his teammates were aboard a specially modified armed warship, traveling through the boundless void.
Their destination was the sealed world known to the public after the Ultimate Crisis, the 'Court of Extinction'.
['Happiness' is merely a simple desire. To think life lives for that is a bit shallow. But isn't 'meaning' also a manifestation of some desire? 'Ambition', 'Proving one's ability', 'Self-actualization'... Are these desires really any superior or inferior to 'being full', 'staying warm', or 'being with the one you love'?]
The Court of Extinction, a very imposing name. But in reality, the background of this 'prison' is far more famous than its name — within this world-class prison, jointly created by the gods and nearly all the legendary experts of Mycroft, and reinforced and upgraded countless times, are imprisoned numerous terrifying entities that, if released, would undoubtedly turn the entire Multiverse Star River upside down.
'Black Mist', 'Undying Void Behemoth', 'High-Tier Chaos Minion', 'Evil God Fragment', 'Extreme Virus Experimental Ground'... Any single being imprisoned here starts at the Legendary rank. Even if not some super lifeform, they are things like the extremely terrifying and bizarre Extreme Virus plague, or other creations of previous civilizations.
Most of these things possess extremely high research value. Simply destroying them would be too wasteful. So they were sealed with the most stringent methods and slowly studied with the utmost caution.
However, the Elite Squad's trip to the Court of Extinction this time was not due to their captain, Priest, being a disciple of Grand Marshal Radcliffe, but because of the Alchemist Constantine.
He was here for a prison visit.
[But regardless — whether it's 'happiness' or 'meaning', one needs a 'self', one needs to be 'alive', right? Abandoning the self for happiness, abandoning life for meaning... Isn't that incredibly stupid?!]
Harboring such doubts, the Elite Squad passed through nineteen layers of rigorous monitoring and entered the world known as the 'Court of Extinction'. This world, it was said, was jointly created by the Seven Gods and the Fairy Queens of the Fairyland, then inscribed with over seventeen hundred layers of legendary mythal locks and spatial-temporal barriers by various legendary mages. Furthermore, Marshal Radcliffe had covered the entire periphery of the world with a portion of his own body. If things went irreversibly wrong and something was about to escape, he would simply crush the entire world from afar and stuff it into a black hole engine.
"So, we're actually inside the Lord's body right now?"
While Priest and Constantine were submitting their prison visit application to the Silver Fairy at the front desk, the knight Clark was rather rudely picking his ear. He watched the elemental fairies of various colors and lights flitting back and forth in the corridor, feeling a bit dizzy. "And why are all the staff here fairies?"
"To be precise, we are in the Lord's palm," the mage Wayne replied calmly, his posture extremely upright. "I suggest you don't be so casual. This is a place where all the gods and powerful beings have their eyes fixed."
"As for why the staff are all fairies, the answer is simple." The priest Seth, who had been meditating with his eyes open, closed them and spoke softly. "Through various tests, the gods determined that no being could possibly beguile or erode a fairy without being noticed. For example, that fairy who volunteered for the experiment last time, the one eroded by a foreign legendary being. The being repeatedly told her not to tell anyone. She forgot in two seconds and ran off to boast to her companions about making a big new friend."
"...That's actually quite reasonable."
Elemental beings indeed have no hidden agendas, but they possess astonishing patience. The knight thought carefully: if some powerful being tried to beguile a fairy into opening a seal for them, they would have to endure centuries of the fairy's chatter — by the Seven Gods, he still remembered the case of a fairy talking to a tree until the tree actually became a Treant.
Perhaps only Silver Fairies are a bit better.
"Alright."
Suddenly, the slightly tired voice of the Alchemist came from the front desk, along with the hum of the front desk Silver Fairy activating the teleportation array. This usually cheerful and optimistic elf was now clearly dejected, his pointed ears drooping, his whole body listless. "Just wait for the teleportation... Thanks for coming with me."
"Don't overthink it. We're teammates." Beside him, Priest patted his shoulder — he felt a hard protrusion there, probably a retracted bio-wing — but the captain, long accustomed to this, didn't mind. "With such a big thing happening at home, we're all brothers. Of course we'll support you."
Constantine didn't speak. He just looked gratefully at his teammates who were silently encouraging him.
Then, the teleportation array lit up, and they vanished in a flash of azure light.
[But in reality, there are always people who abandon the self for happiness, who abandon life for meaning... Why do people do this? No matter how I think about it, I can't understand. No matter what, I can't figure it out.]
Teleported into a dark, empty hall, the Elite Squad saw a space in the center gradually becoming transparent. Endless energy radiance spilled from the edges of this transparent area, illuminating the entire hall and allowing everyone to clearly see the being within that transparent space.
It was an elf who could be called 'handsome' and 'beautiful', possessing both the masculine heroism and feminine softness.
His body could be described as 'perfect'. Even though half of it was shattered, the broken flesh and organs exuded a vibrant vitality, looking not at all gruesome or bloody, but rather inspiring a sense of admiration for the tenacity of life.
'Ultimate Elf · Noipell'. The first case of an Ultimate Lifeform in Mycroft civilization. Responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands at the Jetram Void Base, the half-destruction of the void base, the sinking of most of a fleet, and the deaths of dozens of ambassadors from foreign civilizations.
During the invasion of the Mycroft World's homeland, in the Northern lands of Moldavia, he was defeated by the Paladin Loranda. Strangely, he didn't cause massive destruction or try to escape at that time. After being defeated, he simply surrendered and was captured by Nostradamus and Brandon, who arrived shortly after, and sent to the Court of Extinction for sealing.
Sensing that the seal seemed to be loosening slightly, the Ultimate Elf's eyes opened slightly, revealing a clear, sapphire-blue light that rippled like water. He looked at the Elite Squad before him and showed a strange expression.
"Constantine?" he asked, puzzled. "Why are you here?"
"Cousin..."
Taking a step forward, the worried Alchemist sighed and shook his head with some annoyance. "Honestly, I don't even know if you, this monster, are really my cousin. But for the sake of my aunt and uncle's pleas, I'll call you that for now."
"They just want to know how their poor son turned into a monster. Whether the son they raised for so many years suffered when he was being eroded. What his final thoughts were when he died."
The Ultimate Crisis caused everyone in the Mycroft World to evacuate to the Sanctuary World. Such a massive undertaking naturally aroused public curiosity. The new coalition government, not fearing public panic, released some information regarding the Extreme Virus — including the process of virus erosion leading to Ultimate Lifeform transformation.
When Constantine learned that his relatively familiar cousin had suddenly turned into a vicious monster that killed hundreds of thousands, his shock was no less than that of the poor parents. He knew his cousin well — intelligent, cautious, self-aware, always able to refuse temptation... Even if eroded by the Extreme Virus, he shouldn't have gone so silently. He should have resisted.
Why? Why, after becoming an Ultimate Lifeform, could he lurk for so long? Why, after being defeated, didn't he run, but simply surrendered and let himself be sealed so easily?
He clearly had the power to escape, didn't he? Even if he became a monster, he should have chosen the future most likely to lead to survival, not this sealed, slow death.
Constantine was filled with doubt. He wanted the answer. So he took on the commission from Noipell's parents, personally requested permission from Marshal Radcliffe, and came to the Court of Extinction to see his 'cousin' one last time.
And then, wait for his answer.
"...Of course I am still Noipell. You all like to say that an Ultimate Lifeform is a monster that replaced the original person. But in reality, there is no distinction between 'Ultimate Lifeform' and 'Eroded Person'. The Extreme Virus is just a set of programs, a set of information and data."
Facing Constantine's reply, the Ultimate Elf smiled. His voice came through the transparent seal. "Think of it like learning new knowledge. A young person who knew nothing about society, after learning relevant sociological knowledge, gains a completely new perspective on the world. Facing things they previously thought they 'liked' or 'disliked', they have new perspectives and attitudes. This change can almost be said to be a completely different person."
"Another example: a person as a child and as an adult always has many differences... Does that mean that you, after learning new knowledge and changing your mind, are no longer the original you? Is the child you and the adult you not the same person? Ah, maybe for some people it is. They always like to say things like 'The original me is dead. The me you see now is a brand new me!' But no one thinks they are monsters."
— People are always changing. So why is Ultimate transformation seen as alienation?
Not intending to convince the other, 'Noipell' was nearly motionless within the seal. His life was sustained, but his bodily functions were completely locked down. The only reason he could speak now was due to special permission from the higher-ups to obtain relevant data. The elf smiled cheerfully, just like before. "Although I was initially unaware of the infection, without a doubt, choosing 'Ultimate transformation' was my own personal choice. Inside the cocoon, when I learned what Ultimate transformation could bring me, I chose this path without hesitation."
He wasn't lying, and he couldn't lie. This was indeed the truth, as proven by the Truth Divine Spell Array flickering nearby.
"Actually, knowing our civilization's power quite well, I knew I could only be free for a short time, not forever. So after being defeated, I simply surrendered. Resistance was pointless."
"—He said 'our civilization'?" the knight whispered behind, but was told to be quiet by the mage and priest. After all, they were just spectators accompanying their friend. This was essentially a private family matter for Constantine.
At this moment, Constantine looked even more confused. He couldn't help but press further. "No, this doesn't make sense at all! You know perfectly well that a person's self is very fragile. Being flooded with massive amounts of information is called brainwashing, not learning! You know this! How could you actively choose Ultimate transformation?!"
"Because I knew this was my only chance for happiness."
'Noipell' stated directly, without any concealment. His handsome, almost eerily beautiful face showed a calm expression. The Ultimate Elf said flatly, "Cousin, you've never been infected by the Extreme Virus, so don't speak so presumptuously. Faced with such temptation, very few people in the entire Mycroft civilization could resist. After all, those who can maintain their sense of self under Extreme Virus infection are already strong enough not to be eroded by it in the first place — at least Ultimate-rank, Legendary-rank wouldn't be surprising."
"Wait, weren't you happy before?" Constantine was stunned again. "Family, friends, people who love you and people you love — and a good, easy job with a boss who favored you. Noipell, are you crazy to think that wasn't happiness?!"
"Isn't the elven bloodline good enough? The potential to advance to Legendary, excellent adaptability, long lifespan, handsome appearance — you were even the most talented one in our family! If you had become a Druid, you'd probably be Ultimate-rank by now! So why did you keep replacing the organs your parents gave you, replacing your heaven-given body, wasting your perfect talent?"
This time, it was 'Noipell's' turn to ask. He shook his head slightly. "Your parents have complained more than once that you don't love them, that your reckless replacement of flesh and blood is a sign of not loving the elf race. They think you are inherently heartless and cold, a crazy rebel. But I know you're not that kind of person. It's just that the happiness you want is different from what most people want."
When the Alchemist heard the first sentence from the other, he couldn't help but clench his fists. Behind Constantine, Priest and the others could hear his heartbeat rapidly growing louder. The Heart of the Terror Turtle was thundering, vibrating rapidly, a sign of its owner's agitation.
"My happiness is actually very simple — I want to become strong."
'Noipell' ignored this and continued calmly. "I want to become a powerful being who can fly through the sky and burrow into the earth, freely enter and exit the void, travel to other worlds, and be free and unrestrained. This isn't a thought twisted by the Extreme Virus infection. It's my deepest wish — it's just that I'm smart, I have self-awareness. My talent isn't enough. I can't, like you, cousin, abandon excellent talent and still shine brilliantly in other fields, even becoming a member of a famous exploration squad. You'll never know how much I envy you, just as you think I am incomparably happy."
— Happiness is the dual satisfaction of 'spirit' and 'matter'.
— Meaning is the process of 'realizing' and 'following' one's own will.
"Twisting the self, being infected by the Extreme Virus? Compared to happiness, it's a bargain. I experienced it, that feeling of power. I could move freely in the void, gallop across the boundless multiverse as I pleased... Gods, when I saw the light of the Magic Tide swirling around me, when I saw the stars twinkling, as if all the heavens and stars were watching me, that was the moment I felt truly alive. That feeling of wanting to cry, wanting to shout — you will never understand."
Within the seal, the Ultimate Elf showed a satisfied expression. It seemed he was truly happy at that moment, even reminiscing in the Court of Extinction. "To others, I am dead? I don't care. To others, I am no longer me? I don't care. This world is full of people whose lives are unhappy, whose lives are meaningless, who would be better off dead. I don't want to be that kind of person."
"This was so happy that I really wanted to share this happiness with Mom and Dad. I know Dad loves exploring the deep sea, I know Mom loves climbing mountains and looking into the distance. But they were trapped in the forest their whole lives, staying within the Mycroft World. Facing the endless vastness of the multiverse, they could only watch with envy, unable to go themselves... Constantine, what you call happiness is false. What I pursue is my true desire."
Stunned, Constantine subconsciously looked at his own hand — it was a hand that had been modified into a psychic-linked Siphoner Mimic arm... If we're talking about alienation, who could be more alienated in flesh than him? Even the Mother Tree didn't consider him an elf. Even his parents felt he had abandoned his own race... Compared to Noipell, who had truly abandoned their self? Were they both monsters who, for the sake of their own happiness, willingly abandoned their 'self'?
"But... why didn't you run?" This was the doubt the Alchemist still couldn't understand. "You clearly could have run, but why didn't you try?"
"Because I know I made a mistake and must be punished. Since resistance is futile, I'll just wait for death peacefully. I've already realized my wish. My life has no regrets. If I can contribute a little value to Mycroft civilization and make up for some of my mistakes, then take me. This is also the choice of 'Noipell the person'."
Until the very end, the beast was incredibly firm. He spoke word by word. "Finally, Cousin Constantine, if Mom and Dad ask you to inquire whether 'Noipell the person' suffered in the end — then tell them that 'Noipell the person' finally obtained the happiness he pursued. At a time when most people can't figure out what they are truly seeking, what the meaning of their life is, he transformed into a beast and found his original wish."
"Even if it was only for a few short days, he finally reached a future he could never have achieved in his original life. He realized a wish he could never have fulfilled in his original life. He witnessed the vastness of the void, beheld the immensity of the stars. He was moved by it, even laughing and crying."
"Compared to these, 'self' and 'life' are trivial matters."
As for the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who died during his sublimation process, they were even more trivial. Even though he knew it was wrong, even though he felt guilt about it, he would do it without hesitation.
"Because I am just a selfish life, a selfish beast. I am willing to abandon self and life for happiness."
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