Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 619 - 85: Catherine’s Indecision_1

Chapter 619: Chapter 85: Catherine’s Indecision_1

Catherine was in a tough spot, she had never encountered such a difficult situation or such a challenging choice since the day she was born. On one side was Vivian who treated her as a sister, on the other side was the relatively innocent Ava. Whichever side she chose, the other would sink into despair. For a moment, Catherine even felt some dizziness. She really wished she could just faint and escape far away from this scene where she had to make a decision.

Unfortunately, in the face of challenges, knights could never flee. Even if it was difficult, they had to face it head-on. Thus, Catherine could only stand there dumbfoundedly, her fists tightly clenched, her lips turned white from biting, her body shivering slightly, but her eyes were filled with confusion. She didn’t turn back, nor did she seek help from her comrades. In her heart, she knew that whatever decision she made, her comrades would support her. Or to put it another way, the person who was truly in a dilemma was her. Freya didn’t need to be asked, she would undoubtedly choose to sacrifice Ava to save Vivian. Lina might hesitate, although she was a follower of the goddess of love and was kind-hearted, she would feel pain for sacrificing the innocent, but it was just pain, she didn’t have Catherine’s obsession with morality. Thus, when faced with the choice between an innocent individual and a relative, Lina would unconsciously lean toward the latter. As for Pannis... Catherine couldn’t help but steal a glance at Pannis, his expression was strange, his gaze seemed to be on Catherine, yet it also seemed to pierce through Catherine’s face, looking toward the unknown distance. His expression seemed to carry expectation, but it was more than just expectation.

"What should I do?" Catherine asked herself in her heart: "How would Lady Nellie handle this? What choice should a true knight make when faced with such a dilemma? All other gains and losses could be put aside without a care in the world. But now the item on the scale is a life. How should one choose? Could I allow familial affection and friendship to influence my judgement?"

"Having trouble making a choice? Hehehe." Sigein was playing with an ivory comb that was white as jade, smiling leisurely: "Well, let me add another weight to the scale then. If this little girl’s body keeps developing like this, it will completely collapse in at most 300 days. Don’t regret it when it’s too late."

"You talk too much." Vivian suddenly spoke up, her faintly blue eyebrows knitted together in disapproval: "Since you said you’re turning the decision over to us, then please wait patiently for the elder sister to make her decision. There’s no need to pressure her with words. The more you pressure her, the more inclined we are to Ava."

"No no no, you are the one who’s mistaken." Sigein seemed not to care about Vivian’s threat at all. As though he was 100 percent confident in the final outcome, he responded with a relaxed expression: "Since I’m allowing you to choose, naturally I should inform you of all the pros and cons that come with each choice, right? Wouldn’t you blame me for hiding something if I didn’t?"

"Who are you seeking revenge against?" Lina put away her usual curiosity and hyperactivity, standing as serious and composed as a true Holy Occupation, she asked quietly: "Is your vengeance directed at all the deities?"

"Of course it’s not. Why would you think so?" Sigein’s surprise seemed genuine as he retorted to Lina: "That’s war. Isn’t it completely normal for a priest of Denia to be wounded or killed in a war? How could this possibly warrant a grudge? Moreover, we started the war, so what right do we have for revenge against the deities who were simply defending themself?"

"Not them?" Lina was taken aback, she pressed on: "Then who are the subjects of your revenge?"

"Naturally, it is those traitors." Sigein’s smile was warm, white teeth peeking from his red lips. His expression, truly enticing, but also reminiscent of the feeling when faced with a hungry, bloodthirsty beast: "War casualties are one thing; betrayal and deception are a different matter. We hold no grudges against the victors of the war. Death is something we already accepted when we instigated this war. What we cannot accept, however, is betrayal. We vow to take revenge on those traitors. Of course, those treacherous deities know our temperament all too well, they won’t let us be either. Hehehehe. So it’s a matter of who can kill the other first."

"I can understand your resentment towards the traitors." Catherine briefly escaped her immersion in thought about her own dilemma, she attempted to disrupt her adversary with words: "But your actions, how are they any different from the traitors you loathe? You tempted them into war against the deities, leading to their near-annihilation, you speak of vengeance against the deities for betraying you. Have you ever thought, what if the goblins want to take revenge on you too? Just as Ava has done. How would you face it then?"

"Hehe, I understand your thinking, but it’s a pity. My actions are different from those of the betrayers," Sigein laughed playfully, speaking with apparent enjoyment. "When I misled them, I didn’t tell a single lie, didn’t give them any erroneous information. Their trajectory could’ve truly allowed them to shake off their inherent frailty, to gain the formidable bodies and powers of the Triclops, and to acquire the Triclop’s eternal life. All of this is real – just with significant risks. However, they were fully aware of these risks. It’s their overconfidence that led to their downfall. Here’s the most crucial point: I didn’t betray them. I never left this research center. I stood by them until the end; their excessive reliance on Crystal Energy technology and neglect of strengthening their Soul Power caused them to be unable to follow my steps. So, I feel no guilt concerning the goblins’ fate, and they have no valid reason for vengeance against me. Don’t take my word for it - ask Ava. Did anyone give her the directive to seek revenge on me? The instruction she received was merely to retain the right to revenge against me, which means even the goblins themselves don’t think they should avenge me, otherwise the directive would’ve been different. As for our ten-thousand-year entanglement, it’s more accurate to say that she wishes to retain her consciousness and freedom rather than avenge the goblins, unwilling to change back into the control hub that only executed commands and made logical judgments. Isn’t that right, dear Ava?"

"Correct." Ava fell silent for a while, then said in a plain tone, "I don’t want to die. In fact, I’ve already become a person. I want to keep living. I’ve not even glimpsed the normal world, I want to see the world using my own eyes. I want to see animals for myself. To see the intelligent beings of the Fourth Epoch, not through cold, detached equipment."

"You’ve... never ventured out?" Vivian asked, her voice low. "Imprisoned in this artificial world for ten thousand years?"

"Yes, never," Ava said. "In the past, I could interact with the still-active control hubs outside via the Crystalline Network. Although these hubs lacked will, they could engage in simple conversation and responses. But since the onset of the Spatial Anomaly, those control hubs one by one fell into silence, and I lost the subjects with which I could communicate."

"Haha, at least I often projected myself outside to chat with her," Sigein laughed lightly. "Without which, this newborn entity might’ve self-destructed out of madness long ago. After all, she’s no longer a mechanical life form devoid of consciousness, she can feel loneliness, too. Can’t you, dear Ava?"

"Were you really accompany her to talk for her sake?" Freya scoffed, retorting, "Loneliness can drive her to madness, but why would it not drive you mad?"

"Do you think that someone who has wandered alone in the void for over ten thousand years would go insane over one thousand years of loneliness?" Sigein chuckled, cupping her cheek. "Do you know what the void is like? Dark. Desolate. Silent. No food, no water, no sound, no air. Not a soul. That’s what hell is like; by comparison, this place is paradise."

Ava, do you have anything else to say?" Catherine asked, "As Sigein just said, since we’re asked to make a choice, we should take into account all the pros and cons. That’s only fair – for you and for us."

"Nothing more," Ava sighed, seemingly in despair. "I know, the odds of winning this wager against her are too low for me. She has too much to offer you, but I have nothing. Ideally, I should’ve waited longer to start this wager. But to me, you’re already the best candidates I could’ve found in ten thousand years. Logic dictates that the odds of finding better candidates are close to insignificant, which is why I let you in here. If I end up losing, then so be it. Make your choice. Whatever you choose, I won’t object, and won’t blame you. The only regret is that, ever since I saw you by chance, I’ve been going against my own logic, fantasizing about being by your side, experiencing things alongside you. Alas, maybe fantasies can’t come true."

Catherine sighed deeply, aware that she had to make a choice. Regardless of her internal resistance, there was no time for hesitation. Between sentiment and faith, did she really have to choose only one? Maybe this was a test of destiny.

Catherine’s mind was filled with turmoil, the intense mental struggle made her back soaked in sweat. Just as she raised her head again, intending to utter something with trembling lips, an intense, offensive magical fluctuation exploded from Vivian without any forewarning. The intensity of the fluctuation was unprecedented, almost reaching the peak of what a Legendary entity could achieve. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to visit qidian.com to give it a recommendation or vote which will be my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)