Eugenia rose to her feet and beckoned to me. I followed, watching as she lifted a finger and swept it around, gesturing at our surroundings. I gazed about, confusion knotting in my chest.
"What's wrong?"
"At first, this Realm of Illusions was barren. Everything you see now—when I first awakened and became aware—was nothing but endless black. Ages ago, I remember, this place was pure shadow. I wandered through that suffocating darkness for who knows how long, until I finally encountered other Chimera Beasts. But every meeting erupted into violence. Back then, we were all consumed by a deep, primal hostility. The fighting was relentless, without end or purpose."
I nodded. Eugenia settled herself on the edge of the platform, her gaze fixed on the river that flowed beneath us. She began to speak, her voice low and distant.
In this world stripped of all color, Eugenia roamed for millennia, never glimpsing a single hue. In those days, she and every Chimera Beast she met nursed a burning hatred for humanity. From the moment they opened their eyes, they were monsters born from the fevered dreams of humankind—creatures of nightmare given form.
Savage and bloodthirsty—these were the hallmarks of every Chimera Beast. None of them realized they could choose a different path instead of endless slaughter. No one would yield, and there was no reason for the carnage. By the time Eugenia grasped this truth, she had endured countless battles where death was always near. She was drained, hollowed out by the ceaseless violence—and weary to her core.
In this hollow, meaningless world, she began to evade the other Chimera Beasts. At first, moved by a flicker of compassion, she tried to warn some of them that this endless fighting was futile. But none would heed her words; they remained enthralled by the vast, unending war.
But no matter how fiercely they fought, no matter how savage the bloodshed, the Chimera Beasts never became the undisputed masters of the Realm of Illusions. Eugenia began to feel the crushing sorrow of such an existence. She even contemplated ending it all.
The urge grew ever stronger, gnawing at her spirit. At last, one day, Eugenia could bear it no longer. She sought out a formidable Chimera Beast and intentionally surrendered to it. She expected to be devoured, to be snuffed out—but instead, her opponent released a mournful sigh.
Even if I kill you, what do I gain? Even if I devour you, this world remains nothing but darkness. Nothing will ever change.
The brutal battles finally came to an end. More and more Chimera Beasts began to rest, and when they gathered, they would even talk to one another. Yet in this world, there was no hope for any of them.
During this time, Eugenia met countless Chimera Beasts—over a hundred, each with different personalities and appearances. She visited them again and again, hoping to hear different stories, but every tale was the same, as if predetermined. Everything about these Chimera Beasts followed the patterns set by human imagination.
But one day, in that dull world, a strange light appeared. All the Chimera Beasts sensed it instantly and followed it. What they saw was the place where Mother Goddess Nuwa resided—filled with vibrant colors and countless sights. Every Chimera Beast was stunned.
Some Chimera Beasts even fought fiercely over Nuwa's territory. But eventually, the fighting stopped. Nuwa told them to create with their own hands and eyes. Although they were born from human fantasy, they lived in this world. Even if they'd never seen it, within their bodies existed descriptions of imagined scenes. All they needed to do was keep imagining.
Just as Nuwa said, the Chimera Beasts parted ways and began their own journeys of imagination. In the places ruled by powerful Chimera Beasts, new sights and colors appeared, and worlds with distinct styles were born. More and more Illusory Realms were created.
Eugenia's eyes gained color as well. She started building her own world according to her preferences—a realm that belonged only to her. Many fantasies were born and began to interact. Yet the battles among the Highvale Chimera Beasts did not cease. From time to time, they would seek out opponents and fight, just as I said—it was simply a part of life, like a seasoning.
Once everything settled, the Highvale Chimera Beasts discovered countless subsidiary spaces below them. There, much weaker Chimera Beasts lived. At first, some Highvale Chimera Beasts would descend and destroy or devour those in the middle layer.
This went on for a long time, but eventually stopped. Even devouring the middle-layer Chimera Beasts was meaningless to them. The world came to a standstill. Though it kept expanding, and sights and colors kept increasing, after all these years, it reached its limit.
"I've traveled across every Chimera Beast's territory in Highvale. I remember the appearance of each place clearly. I've even visited the desolate lands without powerful rulers. Long ago, I met a person who told me many things about the human world. But those things can't be made real by imagination alone, because I've never seen them myself."
"I see. I just think it's reasonable that you all exist here."
Eugenia looked up at me. At that moment, I noticed a commotion in the woods around us. I watched, puzzled, as Chimera Beasts of all shapes and sizes approached—some carrying wine, some with fruit, some with meat. A few, resembling monkeys and covered in purple, placed their offerings before us and quickly left. There were even flying Chimera Beasts overhead; these must be Blueflame Warden's followers.
I stared in surprise at the jars of wine—each different in color and taste. I randomly picked one up and drank; it was sour. Then I tried more, sampling each in turn. Eugenia looked at all these things with indifference, but behind her, Zephyr's two heads perked up and he eagerly devoured some fruit.
"I'm sick of it. I've had enough of this stuff for ages."
I glanced around, and memories of roasting food surfaced in my mind. I stood up.
"It's just a pity there aren't any seasonings here."
After pondering for a while, I suddenly felt something strange. With a wave of my hand, a full set of kitchen utensils appeared before my eyes. I stared in astonishment, while Eugenia rushed to the stove, looking at the knives, cutting board, and tableware as if she'd discovered a new world.
"What are these things, Ethan Zhang?"
"They're for cooking in the living world. Wait a moment, I'll make something delicious for you."
I didn't know why I could cook, but I was very familiar with seasonings and handled the food with ease.
Soon, Eugenia was staring in amazement at the sizzling meat on the grill, her mouth watering with crystal-clear drool.
"What is this?"
Blueflame Warden returned, dropping a large pile of goods and looking at everything before him in disbelief.
When I was a child, I made plenty of roasted food and placed it on a table that appeared with a thought. Eugenia and Blueflame Warden gathered around, staring in amazement at the steaming food. They started eating, and within minutes, the table was cleared.
"Delicious. I've never tasted anything like it before."
Eugenia stared at me in surprise. I sat down, and with a wave of my hand, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter appeared. It was all so incredible—I didn't know why it happened, but anything I could imagine would appear in this Illusory Realm.
"Ugh, what is this? It's awful."
Eugenia spat out the cigarette she'd put in her mouth. I smiled and explained it to them.
Then I made more things—foods from the living world that I remembered clearly. Strangely, I could recall these things perfectly, but nothing about my own past. I looked at the seasonings on the stove, knowing their proportions and even their flavors.
This isn't something you can master in a short time. I can't remember where I learned any of it, and for a moment, I felt helpless.
"Let's go, Eugenia. To Golden Howler's domain."
At that moment, Blueflame Warden stood up while Eugenia was still trying to smoke, coughing as she looked at Blueflame Warden.
"Why are you so enthusiastic?"
Suddenly, the two Chimera Beasts started bickering again. I watched from the side, smiling, and understood their excitement—new things brought hope to them.
"Thank you, both of you. I don't know why I can do these things, but if possible, I hope the others in the Illusory Realm can taste them too."
After a while, Blueflame Warden and I stood on Zephyr's back. Eugenia glowed with a faint blue light. She said that to reach Golden Howler's realm, all it took was a blink of an eye—it was really close.
I nodded, and soon both Blueflame Warden and I were surrounded by a pale blue glow.
The chirping of birds echoed around me. I swallowed, finding myself at the foot of a mountain, standing on a white stone staircase. The steps looked long, winding upward. I saw many buildings in the mountains, some with distinctive features, and hurried up the path.
I didn't plan to fly—I wanted to walk, because everything around me was so familiar, just like the living world. Gradually, I saw what looked like a temple. On the red walls on both sides, there was a Buddhist character inside a circle. Over the temple's main gate, a huge plaque read: Universal Temple.