Chapter 59: The Voice of the Stellaron

When the roar of the Stormterror reached the hall, and screams echoed from outside, chaos erupted in the room.
Yet Venti remained immersed in his performance, the tragic and tense atmosphere created by the music further fueling the crowd’s sense of panic.
As the first person, unable to suppress their curiosity, stepped outside and saw the light barrier that had protected humanity for seven hundred years shattered by the demon dragon, the speed at which people’s mental breakdown occurred far exceeded Venti’s expectations.
They practically scrambled to get out. If not for the few Silvermane Guards maintaining order, there might have been casualties from stampeding before the dragon even caused any real harm.

Venti calmly observed all of this, continuing to play the music that gradually shifted from calm to climax—
By the time the final note fell, the audience seats were empty, leaving only Old Goethe at the front desk, staring at him in a daze.
While everyone else ignored the apocalypse and focused on the bard playing his unsettling tune,
Old Goethe, the owner of the hotel, sensed something amiss. Though it wasn’t strong or based on any intuition,
he had a vague premonition—just as this bard wouldn’t give up his performance, today’s attack would surely happen again.
If the strong walls protecting the people were to collapse completely, how would they survive in such harsh conditions and under the threat of the rift?

Almost utterly despairing, Old Goethe’s figure seemed to hunch further, his face etched with weariness.
At this moment, the bard softly asked, "Mr. Goethe, how did you find my performance?"
"...Still performing? Everyone’s run off. Calling it the worst performance wouldn’t be an exaggeration..."
Old Goethe’s eyes were dim, his tone dejected.
"The worst, not the poorest... Hmm, that’s quite objective."
Venti chuckled lightly, then, under Old Goethe’s gaze that seemed to regard him as a madman, hopped down the stairs until he reached the smashed-open front door.

Outside, panic had set in, but it wasn’t chaotic.
This was partly due to the evacuation drills Belobogians had been trained in since childhood, and partly because of the Silvermane Guards.
Among them was a petite woman at the center of the crowd. Though not tall, her presence was commanding.
Not only did she maintain order, but she also guided people toward the shelters.
At the same time, as Venti looked in her direction, Pela seemed to sense his gaze and turned to meet his eyes.
Their gazes locked, and then she called out to him from afar.
"—Venti!"

"Ah, seems like I’ll have to take a temporary exit."
The young man murmured softly, transforming his lyre back into a Vision and hanging it at his waist as he ran toward Pela’s position.
Since the prelude to the end of days had already begun, it was destined to reach its finale. To ensure a better performance later, he needed to prepare carefully.
Only then could he make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—
And as he stepped backstage, it also meant that dazzling new stars would shine brightly at this unprecedented historical moment.
An "orderly" civil unrest was about to erupt, and the usual rules no longer applied.
He hoped the cold-blooded tyrant sitting on the throne would appreciate the grand gift he had sent.

Meanwhile, inside Qlipoth Fort.
The sound of shattering porcelain broke the silence, and a woman’s voice filled with intense anger echoed throughout the hall.
"Investigate that monster immediately and find out what’s going on!"
The Silvermane Guards below trembled, their heads bowed deeply, while the other officials felt fearful and uneasy at the Supreme Guardian’s rage.
Qlipoth Fort’s location was excellent—so much so that, not long ago, they had witnessed the demon dragon’s appearance, its destruction of the protective barrier, and its subsequent disappearance.
That was no monster that human strength could handle.
This was the consensus of everyone in the hall. More importantly, at such a critical moment, the Supreme Guardian had completely lost her rationality...

Ordering an investigation, but the sky was no longer a place humans, trapped in their grounded cages, could reach.
Even if they could build reliable flying vehicles, how could they guarantee they’d survive chasing after it and bring back intelligence?
Thus, no one wanted to be the first to act, all timidly lowering their heads, not daring to make a sound.
As if disappointed in them, after the Silvermane Guards were dismissed, the rest were also cleared out, leaving Cocolia alone, furious and growling at the empty space.
"You lied to me!"
Though the hall was empty, she seemed to be conversing with someone.
"...Cocolia, this is an unexpected variable. It has nothing to do with us..."
A voice, neither male nor female, neither old nor young, echoed in Cocolia’s mind, its eerie tone making it hard to discern its origin.
"...That dragon carries the aura of the rift, but it’s not an ally..."
Like a spiral of contradictions, after her extreme anger, Cocolia’s emotions froze into rationality.
She coldly demanded,
"What does this mean?"
"The dragon is a variable... an outcast... the prelude to the end of the old world..."
The voice of the Stellaron rippled, and then an image appeared before Cocolia’s eyes.
The demon dragon soared through the sky, singing joyfully through the clouds, as if the prelude to destruction was merely a playful act, oblivious to human hearts.
Did humans seem like ants to it, existing only to satisfy its curiosity?
Just this thought filled Cocolia with unquenchable anger.

"Now... the choice is before you. Overturn the old order and welcome the new world... Only then can humanity survive..."
The seductive voice she had grown tired of hearing now seemed more persuasive.
Cocolia’s rage gradually subsided, or rather, was suppressed.
In its place was the cold, detached demeanor of someone who had cast aside all emotions.
"How can I trust you after you’ve already broken your word once?"
"...We’ve already seen what the new world looks like. You can choose not to believe... We respect that."
This exceptionally irritating response caused a flicker of disorder in Cocolia’s otherwise calm demeanor.
At the same time, she seemed to recall something, murmuring to herself.
"...I must call Bronya back. The frontlines near the restricted zone are on the verge of collapse."
The voice of the Stellaron echoed,
"She... is good. She... can become the mother of the new world..."
"Shut up! I won’t hand her over to you emotionless things!"
As if touching a nerve, Cocolia hatefully growled.

"......"
The voice of the Stellaron fell silent.
After a while, Cocolia finally regained her facade as the Supreme Guardian.
Her first order was to summon Bronya back to Qlipoth Fort.
As for the Silvermane Guards who might face the onslaught of monsters on the frontlines, or the people caught in the chaos within the city, they were no longer on Cocolia’s list of concerns.
But it didn’t matter. Even in death, they would enter the cradle of the new world—
This was her final mercy as the Supreme Guardian.

This is probably the fifth time I’ve written a pre-release note, and it likely won’t be the last.
My current creative philosophy remains—to write stories that I can enjoy and that are engaging enough.
This isn’t easy, especially when real-world issues force me to choose between what I like and what the market demands.
Thus, the development of this story is a blend of the two.
I didn’t want to simply rehash the main storyline with boring, repetitive content, nor did I want to take too big a leap.
In my view, Belobog is a great starting point—it’s not as brief as the space station arc, nor as mystery-laden as the Xianzhou arc.
Belobog is a perfect stage, with relatively detailed settings and plenty of content glossed over in the main story to explore.

After settling on the stage, I also thought about what the protagonist should be like.
Initially, I considered a protagonist aligned with the Stellaris tech tree. I even bought Stellaris and spent a lot of time studying its lore, but ultimately decided against it.
I’ve tried this approach before, and the response was poor. I’m not a scientific professional, so I inevitably made the content obscure and dry, which went against my original intent and didn’t align with mainstream reader preferences.
After much thought and experimentation, my gaze unconsciously fell on Venti.
It was as if a vague inspiration suddenly struck me. I felt Venti was perfect for this stage, fitting so well that he could seamlessly integrate into it.
Whether it’s his philosophy of freedom, his great power to dispel snowstorms, or his seemingly carefree yet deeply caring for everyone demeanor, he embodies the "protagonist" I envision.
More importantly, a story with him in it should be interesting—
This is why it’s "Venti," not "someone else."

... Praying like a maiden...

After discussing the story’s development, I also want to talk about the challenges I’m currently facing—or perhaps just vent a little?
If you’re not interested in this and don’t want your mood spoiled, feel free to skip ahead.
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Alright, thank you for continuing to read.

To continue from above, the reason the plot has been flat recently is—
I had surgery a few days ago and was in poor condition. Additionally, an elderly family member was hospitalized due to health issues, so I rushed them to the hospital and stayed until 3 a.m. before another family member took over.
By the time I got to bed, it was past 4 a.m. I slept for about two hours before being woken up to open the shop, as it’s the busy holiday season here.
This meant I had almost no time to write, relying on spare moments to barely get anything done.

The lack of rest, combined with anxiety and worry and the various minor ailments from overworking, made this period very difficult.
Fortunately, the elderly family member has been discharged safely, with no triggered illnesses, so we’ve weathered the storm.
The holiday season is also winding down, so I’m gradually finding more time to write.
The encouragement from readers has also been a major motivation for me to keep going.
At that time, I truly felt exhausted enough to want to give up).
My mind was filled with escapist thoughts like, "It’s not even released yet," "Even if it is, the performance will probably be mediocre," and "It’ll just be another case of critical acclaim but no commercial success."
But thankfully, I persevered.
The plot involving Pela and her mother was somewhat inspired by my own feelings.
So, I hope this time I can do a little better than last time.