Heaven, Earth, Me Chapter 1632. Trial of Values.

Yasenia pondered and spoke. "Let’s separate into groups of eight and move in different directions slowly. Before arriving at the very end, let’s return and share experiences. We can then deduce from clues how this Value trial is completed."

Yasenia took all her lovers and one maid with her. The maid she chose was Doriel because her group didn’t have an assassin-type fighter.

Doriel, having been chosen, appeared right beside Yasenia. While her face was blank like usual, her tail would’ve been wagging rapidly if she had one. The happiness radiating from her was undeniable.

The girls chuckled and then decided to move toward the middle of the gloomy area. There was no reason, just simple deduction. "If this is about values, choosing the worst location should show our will to face hardships. Since this trial is to decide guardians, then this choice is the more logical without any additional context."

Yasenia said so, and the girls agreed. Therefore, they began moving toward that direction of the vast grassland. As they moved, a sudden large town appeared in front of them. The way it appeared felt as if it had been hiding beyond the horizon, slowly rising as they approached.

The girls were confused, but they continued forward. Once they were close, they noticed a man running toward them with deep wounds. "Kali."

Kali’s fox tails waved, healing energies pouring onto him. However, the man’s wounds didn’t change. Kali frowned. "He doesn’t feel tangible. It is possible that he is an illusion."

Tatyana spoke, a touch impressed. "Illusions at this level are rare. Even I can’t discern it."

"H-Help!"

The man, panting and coughing blood, spoke raggedly and with a pleading expression.

"T-There are monsters, cough. Many of them! P-Please, immortals, help!"

Yasenia wanted to reach out to ask more, but as soon as he was done speaking, his body twisted grotesquely, and a monster similar to the one described by Han Luan appeared in front of them.

SCREECH!

Yasenia frowned. "This beast is the one that appeared in the trial. The one that screamed for a long time to test us."

Andrea asked, even when the monster was rushing at them. "Subjugate or destroy?"

Yasenia hummed and tilted her head. "Destroy. If that’s the incorrect option, then the creators of this test are in the wrong."

Andrea stepped forward, raising her halberd high and then lowering it. Intense heat spread forward like a molten tsunami, swallowing the creature. The girls tried to feel life within, but nothing appeared.

Andrea confirmed the kill. "It is dead. Let’s move on."

"Got it."

Everyone rushed toward the town at their fastest speed, and the spectacle inside could only be described as nightmarish. Humans and other species ran around haphazardly, trying to not approach each other.

At odd times, some of those perfectly healthy-looking individuals twisted, their bodies becoming quadrupedal and their skin gaining twisted scales. Dark tendrils burst from their skin, and their mouths opened far wider than what the skull should allow, chomping a nearby human in half.

Yasenia and the girls discussed what to do with high-speed communication. "Choice: do we purge the entire town, or do we only deal with those transforming?"

Since it was an illusion, any sensing skills were useless. The very person right by their side could, at any moment, burst and transform into one of those lizardlike, twisted humanoid creatures.

"I noticed, but... why are they only killing the women and dragging the men away?"

Evelyn’s question made the others focus on the slowed-down world before them. Since they had accelerated their senses to the very limit while communicating, the entire world around them was moving in slow motion.

They could see that in a corner of the city, a human woman was about to be chomped from waist up. Meanwhile, a man was being dragged below the ground with those tendrils sprouting from their back.

Tatyana’s eyes became strange. "Didn’t the text say something about a mother? If we take into consideration that the creature sealed within this orange orb is the mother of these things... they might be a race that forcefully takes the men’s essence and kills the females because they are basically useless... or food."

Yasenia blinked and hummed. "Quite drastic measures but... somewhat logical if you want to propagate quickly."

Angel spoke softly. "If that’s the case, those transforming might also be only females."

Yasenia patted her head, and Angel corrected herself. "The first we encountered who transformed was a man..."

Yasenia hummed. "Troublesome. Perfect mimicry, high fertility, and powerful bodies. They are a living nightmare for any civilization."

Tatyana spoke. "We should purge the entire place. Even leaving one of those things alive could cause terrible damage. If even one survives, they will multiply again and become a parasite in another place."

Yasenia agreed. She logically agreed. However... Was that what these guardians wanted?

Knowing her struggle, Tatyana spoke softly. "In these situations where your values are tested, the best is to do as you would normally. Changing your acting way just because it is a test is not... advisable."

She explained a touch further. "If you were the creator, would you allow for such deceit, love?"

Yasenia’s confused eyes cleared. "Right. I wouldn’t. Since that’s the case..."

Yasenia stepped forward, appearing in the middle of the city with one arm raised.

"[Dying Sun]."

A massive blue Sun manifested above her, larger than even the town itself. Then, with a single gesture, the sun dropped from the sky and exploded.

White light covered everything, bright enough to be seen across the entire grassland.

After the girls stepped out of their defensive barriers, they saw a devastated nothingness. A massively large hole full of bubbling magma was the only proof left that a town had been here just a few moments ago.

Yasenia returned to their side and spoke with a relaxed look. "Let’s move on."

The girls nodded and followed. Evelyn smiled. "That skill is as destructive as ever. But... I recall the skill being a red sun. It did change during your battle against the Golden Giant. Why is that?"

Yasenia answered softly. "I could mix Celestial Energy with the skill. At first, I was using raw Sun Energy. However, that was incorrect."

"Hm?" Andrea tilted her head. "But your copy was using a red sun as well."

Yasenia laughed. "That’s what confused me at first. Then, I remembered. My copy uses skills with opposite colors."

"Ah."

The girls laughed. Kali chuckled. "I am glad you noticed that small detail."

As they moved forward, they saw a city appear before them. This time, the city was larger, something like a royal palace. As they approached, the guards at the gate barred their entrance.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Yasenia’s lips moved without her permission. "We are the guardians chosen by the high council; let us pass. We have urgent messages."

The gate guards bowed quickly and opened the gate. However, Yasenia frowned deeply. "...I never spoke those words."

Tatyana scanned Yasenia’s body and spoke. "You have nothing wrong with you. The illusion probably overlapped with you and used your voice to speak."

Yasenia’s deeply furrowed brows relaxed. She would’ve hated her body to be arbitrarily controlled even if it was a trial.

After they arrived at the palace, a strange intent flowed into their minds. This "intent" told them that the monsters had already infiltrated deep inside. They had arrived here to make a choice.

The girls conversed together again. "Another kill-all-or-only-some scenario, but with high-ranking individuals?"

Cecile tilted her head. "Does that change anything?"

Yasenia smiled faintly. "Usually, you have many more things to take into consideration."

Cecile blinked. "Like what?"

Yasenia explained it simply. "Imagine if I were among those people. Would you choose to eliminate everyone so easily? It is that kind of feeling."

Cecile pondered. She could say that she would use their bond to tell, but Cecile naturally understood that was not the point of the hypothetical scenario.

Tatyana glanced at Yasenia. "So, what’s the verdict?"

"Let’s listen first."

Yasenia spoke after pondering momentarily. The one sitting in the highest position, looking like a wise and good-looking emperor, glanced down with imposing eyes. The strength in those eyes was so firm that even Yasenia’s eyes shone with momentary admiration. It was clear that this man was a good leader.

"You’ve done well carrying such precious information. Is there a way to identify them?"

Yasenia’s lips, or her illusory lips, moved once more. "None, Your Majesty. We had to destroy an entire town on our way here because it was impossible to distinguish them."

"Propostreous!" One elder jumped. "How dare you annihilate a town full of innocent individuals? You should’ve only killed those who transformed!"

Yasenia continued to "speak."

"That’s not possible. If even one of those creatures escapes, it can become a disaster. Total extermination is the only option in that scenario. Sadly, the creatures didn’t only appear there. By the time we arrived at nearby cities, some traces of them could be seen... even in the imperial city."

Murmurs echoed around them, while the Emperor’s eyes sharpened and became somewhat heavy. "I... understand. You will be responsible for this disaster. Whatever resources you need, you will have them."

The Emperor retrieved a luxurious golden dagger, three exquisite silver daggers, and four finely crafted bronze daggers. "Use them as you please. Now, proceed."

The people around looked at those daggers with wide eyes, not understanding why the Emperor was giving them away.

Meanwhile, Yasenia’s groups noticed that it was now their turn to choose. Yasenia looked around and placed herself in their position. A sigh escaped her. "What a dilemma."

The girls naturally knew that the Emperor’s words were not as simple as to proceed and use these daggers. He was wise, and he was noble. Therefore, he quickly put the pieces together and understood that those things had even infiltrated the imperial palace.

Therefore, he was giving them a choice. Do you kill everyone here just in case, or will you not do so?

The problem was... could you even trust the Emperor? If those things had the ability of perfect mimicry, even his current solemn expression might be a facade to lower their guards.

In this situation, you could not trust anyone. Only those who had been with you from the start and had never gotten out of your sight could be trustworthy. Perfect mimicry was that horrifying to face.

Yasenia spoke. "Do not act."

Tatyana’s eyebrow raised with interest. "What’s the reason?"

Yasenia explained. "If this place is compromised, then eliminating them or not doesn’t change much. At least, while they are mimicking them, they will continue to act for the benefit of the country. They will naturally infiltrate further, but we would have extra time to prepare. Moreover, if the Emperor is not infected, he will now be an active ally."

Tatyana asked. "What if he is?"

"He already gave us the highest authority to us. Even if this was a ploy to lower our guards, the very existence of that ploy is because they fear us."

Yasenia’s eyes shone as she spoke with conviction. "The first eight guardians were strong enough to bury their ambitions, seal their strong, and hold back this cataclysm that could’ve spread to other worlds. They were strong, terribly so. So, while they are fearful, we would have time to think of countermeasures. Endless resources and the strongest of this world. That’s a combination that can turn around almost all dire situations. So, the correct choice here, even if the Emperor is already compromised, is to let them live and go take as many resources as we can straight away."

Tatyana’s lips arched, and the rest of the girls glanced at Yasenia with a touch of admiration. Angel hugged her arm. "Hehe."

Yasenia chuckled and then bowed to the Emperor. "We will go straight away and get the treasures to end this catastrophe. Please, hold back as much as possible."

The Emperor’s eyes flashed, and then he nodded. "Go ahead."

Then, the illusion vanished. Yasenia looked around and nodded. "Let’s continue. There should not be many trials left."