-Vikarn, Bai, and I
Vikarn, Day 721.
The eighth experiment seems to have been neither a success nor a failure.
I meticulously recorded the experimental procedure in my logbook.
“Sister Neily, are you done yet?” a small, quiet voice asked.
I looked up at the silver-haired little girl, barely taller than the table, a smile touching my lips.
“Almost finished, Bai. Be patient.”
Bai, seemingly ignoring my words, continued to watch me write, her brow furrowed in concentration, the effort making her look even more adorable.
Tiny Bai, as docile and well-behaved as a kitten.
But I couldn’t look directly into her eyes. Those deep, unsettling dark-gold vertical pupils reminded me of someone… terrifying.
It was hard to believe such a monstrous being had created something so adorable.
But soon, it would all be over.
A cheerful knock came at the door, and a figure burst in like a whirlwind.
“Neily, Neily, come look!”
“Nisha,” I frowned slightly. “Didn’t I tell you? Before entering…”
“I knocked!” Nisha interrupted, hands on her hips, as if proving her obedience.
…Although her knock had been barely audible.
I glanced at the table; Bai had vanished the moment Nisha entered. Even I couldn’t find her in this small room.
Nisha, oblivious to my distraction, pulled a recording stone from her pocket and held it up.
“Look at this! A demon from the Abyssal Demon Realm has entered Vikarn!”
“A demon? In Vikarn? What about the Gatekeeper?” I asked, surprised. Normally, no one could enter Vikarn without the Gatekeeper.
Vikarn existed in a separate dimension, its only access point guarded by the Gatekeeper.
There was one other way to enter, but it would destroy Vikarn.
Clearly, Vikarn was still intact, which meant the demon had entered through the Gatekeeper’s “Gate.”
“The old man’s out drinking. He gave me the key!” Nisha said, waving the unassuming ring on her finger as if showing off.
Then she seemed to realize her mistake, clamping a hand over her mouth.
“Nisha!” My voice sharpened. “You brought a demon here?”
Nisha nodded meekly.
“Vikarn is a crucial location. No one is allowed to enter or leave freely, especially not enemies,” I said sternly.
“But that demon… isn’t an enemy, is she?” Nisha’s voice was hesitant as she quickly placed the recording stone in my hand. “Come on, Neily, just look! See for yourself!”
I sighed, taking the stone and channeling my psychic energy into it.
A blurry image appeared, depicting a little girl around Bai’s age.
I could barely make out her pale blue eyes and short, gray hair.
“Cute, isn’t she? Hee hee…” Nisha grinned, nudging me.
“An Ice Demon… I thought they were rare, and they didn’t participate in the war. Why would a juvenile be here?”
Seeing the little demon, however, eased my concerns slightly.
She wasn’t a threat, and I didn’t have the energy to care.
“I don’t know. She seemed to be looking for Vikarn, so I used the key to bring her in. But she doesn’t seem to know this is Vikarn.”
Nisha picked up my notebook, flipping through it curiously. “Neily, are you still working on this Weapon project? It’s been so long.”
“It’ll take a while longer,” I said, not stopping her.
The notebook contained only experimental data and observations, which wouldn’t interest Nisha. She wouldn’t understand any of it.
Sure enough, she quickly put it down, her gaze drawn to a large, transparent container in the lab.
It was filled with liquid, several tubes connected to a dark shape within.
She walked over and tapped it curiously.
“Is this the Weapon?”
“It’s not finished yet.”
I put away the recording stone, grabbed Nisha before she could touch the container, and dragged her to the lab’s entrance, throwing her out.
“Alright, time’s up. Don’t disturb me—and no entering even if you knock next time.”
“Hey, what about the demon?” Nisha, used to being thrown out, simply dusted herself off and stood up.
“If you like, you can play with her. Just make sure she’s out of here before the Gatekeeper returns,” I said dismissively, closing the door, sighing inwardly.
My little sister, only two and a half years younger than me, was always so reckless.
One day, her carelessness would cause a disaster.
As the door closed, Bai reappeared, peering curiously outside.
But sensing my gaze, she quickly schooled her expression, her small face serious.
“Do you want to go outside?” I asked, my voice softening as I returned to my desk.
Bai hesitated, then nodded.
Since her creation, she had never left this dimly lit laboratory.
“Don’t worry, Bai. You’ll be able to go outside soon,” I said, picking up my pen again, unsure if I was speaking to her or myself. “Once everything is settled…”
“I can wait,” Bai said seriously, her small face adorable in its earnestness.
“Good…”
Looking at Bai, my spirits lifted slightly.
But then, my gaze fell on her unsettling eyes, and my hand trembled, my writing faltering.
“What’s wrong, Sister Neily?” Bai asked, her voice filled with concern.
“It’s nothing,” I shook my head, my expression darkening slightly.
I was reminded that Bai wasn’t an ordinary little girl. Within her small frame resided terrifying power, enough to rival a World Ender Class being.
She was a weapon of destruction, born for bloodshed.
She knew what she was, knew her destiny, yet fate had given her the appearance and demeanor of a sweet, innocent child.
Bai was a monster, a killing machine disguised as a little girl.
I wished she were just a normal child…
“Soon, it will all be over,” I said, looking at the transparent container, my resolve hardening.
The ninth experiment, commencing.
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