Yan Duo and its two other brothers gathered, discussing how to save the other three Giant Gods.
They were known as "extraterrestrial life" by the indigenous beings. Long before recorded history, the ancients had detected and become aware of these super-giant life forms that fell from the stars, and they were greatly feared.
In ancient times, Yan Duo’s arrival on Earth created a huge crater, burning an entire forest to ashes. Since then, Yan Duo had always felt guilty about this world and was determined to make amends.
"You too have suffered at the hands of humans," said the Frost Giant God Elride, exuding an extreme chill in the void. Due to its inherent frost domain, the molecular movement around Elride was extremely slow, almost freezing everything. This breath of cold was just a minor projection of its presence, yet it was enough to make Yan Duo feel the chill, "but you refuse to join our plan."
"Yan Duo... Yan Duo..." Zenith tried to clarify the situation to them.
First of all, the little ones only wanted to dig out some metals from Yan Duo. They wanted Yan Duo’s help, due only to a lack of communication which led to misunderstanding. In fact, Yan Duo was willing to help the little ones; it knew that dropping just a little bit from its body could greatly assist them. They were collecting these fragments surely for building houses, forging tools, and improving their lives. Yan Duo didn’t mind.
The only problem was, the house they provided for Yan Duo to live in was too small.
Yan Duo could hardly move, feeling cramped, annoyed, disconnected from the sunlight, and grew thin and extremely fearful from digging day and night. When Yan Duo tried to move, the little ones would strike its head and heart with huge bombs, and those were its moments of greatest despair.
But it was just a mere 150 years, which was like a moment for Yan Duo.
Yan Duo wouldn’t hold a grudge against the humans for these things; since being exposed to sunlight, it had gradually recovered its health.
What’s more, when Yan Duo observed through the glass screen, it occasionally saw some kind-hearted little ones sticking to the observation dome, wearing protective suits and gloves, with faces full of compassionate expression, as if they deeply empathized with Yan Duo’s situation, just powerless to change it.
And then there were the little friends! They rescued Yan Duo from the cramped depths of the sea, allowing it to wander carefree. That compassion alone filled Yan Duo with hope for humans and witches alike. They were indeed worth saving. Yan Duo’s existence was not for destruction but for helping.
Like the sun, full of warmth, shining upon everyone...
Pomorty and Elride both despised Yan Duo’s views.
"You will be utterly destroyed," warned the Giant God of the Dead Earth, Pomorty.
It ruled over the domain of death, having long ago marked all living creatures for death in order to bind their souls. Because of Pomorty’s influence, once a life faded, the spirit would separate from the body, becoming a ghost of the Netherworld.
Moment by moment, people turned into ghosts, incessantly joining the shadows behind Pomorty; they died from disease, war, famine, and toil, their fate being to cycle in the void of the Great Maelstrom.
"There’s no need to persuade Yan Duo," Elride said.
"It will understand, just not now," Pomorty agreed.
The two Giant Gods reached a tacit agreement and turned towards each other, leaving Yan Duo behind.
"I shall transform the world into utmost cold." The Frost Giant God Elride summoned the wintery winds to blow high above, spreading frost winds across the world, "The whole planet will step by step become encased in ice and quiet, until the earth is a blank slate. The glaciers will expand, the vegetation will perish. The tropics will change to temperate zones, temperate zones to cold zones, and cold zones into lifeless areas. The height of summer will be replaced by bitter winter, and that winter will turn into a Frosty Prison."
"Those who freeze and starve to death will become carcasses, their souls will become my power, and the survivors will fight for fuel and resources to survive," Pomorty agreed in understanding.
The two Giant Gods would join forces to destroy the world.
Once humanity perished in the extreme cold, the Ancient Mystics would lose their foundation of faith, and the Witches, unable to reproduce, were destined for doom and extinction. This planet would then easily fall under the dominion of six external beings, becoming their colony to return to the stars.
His brothers’ plan caused Yan Duo pain.
They despised humans, loathed Witches, and attempted to toy with their fate, manipulating their future. This blatant contempt and arrogance made Yan Duo uneasy.
Indeed, in the face of the cosmic titans, humans and Witches seemed so insignificant. But weren’t these so-called "titans" also insignificant in the vastness of the universe?
Yan Duo always maintained patience and reverence, especially toward those little people and Witches. Their minds were so rich, their creativity so astonishing that Yan Duo felt it was but a blink of an eye before humans had built so many beautiful cities, though they were fragile, so that Yan Duo could only gaze upon them from a distance.
Ah, Yan Duo loved this place, yet its brothers sought to drag everything into destruction.
It could only pin its hopes on its little companions, hoping they could preserve as many lives and resources as possible in the coming bitter cold.
Kind men would lend a helping hand, careful Witches would manage affairs, and the little Witch Goddess might break through limits, connect the stars, and reclaim the fallen, shattered outer sky. By then, Yan Duo could go home, with all the beautiful memories from this land, back to its homeland.
Watching its brothers wreaking havoc, Yan Duo couldn’t persuade them otherwise.
Yan Duo believed that all life and existence were interrelated; therefore, they should care for and look after each other, sharing their kindness and passion. With such boundless love filling and purifying everything, hatred, jealousy, and harm would vanish, leaving only sincere passion and bubbling joy. People would unite without contention and live in harmony.
Yet there is always such a principle in the world: whenever one party is utterly sincere, the other will have ulterior motives, looking to exploit that gift of kindness. Hence, all cooperation must be based on considerations of interest, and pure kindness is bound to be bullied.
So, were all of Yan Duo’s choices based on kindness foolish?
The answer to this question remained unresolved. For now, only one thing could settle the doubts: whether Yan Duo’s companions could fulfill the wish it once expressed—"The world now is chaotic, unjust, and corrupt. I hope you can turn it into a beautiful human world."
If they succeeded, it would prove that Yan Duo was right, that kindness prevailed, and that good people received their rewards.
Now, Yan Duo could only try to slow down the pace at which they froze the world. Its little companions still needed time to grow, and Yan Duo hoped they would grow strong enough to melt the ice and conquer death!
"Yan Duo." Yan Duo handed over a Fragment of the Throne of God to Elride, a gift from Farosa to be passed on. The sparkling diamond-shaped shard nearly illuminated the entire Afterlife World, causing millions of sunken souls to look up in awe, as the Frost Giant God received it and studied its mystery closely.
"Yan Duo... Yan Duo..." Yan Duo informed them that the study of this shard was of great importance, for it was well aware of the information etched upon it and understood what had created it.
When Yan Duo hinted at the origins of the Ascension Machine, Elride and Pomorty began to regard Zenith with newfound respect, observing this eldest among the six surviving external races.
Thereafter, Yan Duo sat down beside its brothers, letting them ponder the mysteries of the Fragments of the Throne of God, and the world’s icy winds seemed less harsh.
Yan Duo made up its mind that from now on, it would not move, as long as its little companions hadn’t fallen, Yan Duo would not meddle in their plans, nor would it help anyone do evil.
Unless even its companions fell in their quest for a better world, then Yan Duo would have to make its choice.
As for now, Yan Duo only wished for them to remain buoyant, steadfastly advancing, and to live a beautiful and happy life!