Chapter 34: The Ancient Shadow and the Little Chick

The vast expanse of colorful lights had shifted and interwoven together, birthing a massive, idyllic island that floated serenely in the endless space.

This newly formed island featured a shimmering blue ocean, rolling green mountains, and a deep, shadowy chasm cutting through its center.

A small chick was playing happily among the gentle waves at the shore, splashing water around with innocent excitement.

This was the very first time Summer had ever seen a real ocean, both as a zombie and back when she was still a living human.

Lancity had been a mountainous city nestled far away from any coastal regions. They had no oceans, no beaches, and no vast bodies of water.

The climate there had always been bitterly cold, even during the peak of summer, leaving her with fond memories of searching for any small trace of warm sunlight.

To Summer, this island was absolute perfection. The water was crystal clear, the sunless sky glowed with comforting warmth, and the atmosphere was peaceful.

However, that peaceful atmosphere was thoroughly ruined by a fat, oversized chicken wailing loudly from the sandy shore a few feet away.

"You naughty girl, come over here right now!" the fat chicken shouted, flapping its oversized, colorful wings in desperation. "Is this really how you treat your own grandpa?"

"I don’t want a chicken as my grandpa," Summer replied plainly without even turning her head, paddling her small, feathered legs through the soft waves.

If before she had said she would call him a stinky old man simply because she found it funny to bully him, now, after seeing his actual physical form as a big, ridiculously fat chicken, she genuinely refused to accept him as a grandpa.

What a shame to have a chicken as a grandpa.

The old man had been trying for over an hour to lure the little chick out of the water, but she continuously ignored him, driving him so close to frustration that he was almost ready to burst into tears. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

A chicken? Did this little girl actually call him, the supreme shadow of the Ancient Chaos, a mere chicken?

It was not as if he minded the heir of the Ancient Chaos calling him whatever silly nickname she wanted, but the little girl seemed to be completely disgusted by his magnificent physical manifestation.

The old man felt so aggrieved that he began banging his feathered head against a nearby rock in utter despair.

[He is the shadow of the Ancient Chaos.]

The system spoke for the very first time since it had abruptly vanished earlier.

Summer immediately stopped splashing around in the waves, her glowing ruby eyes brightening with immense joy.

’System, you are back!’ she cheered mentally, exceptionally happy to hear its familiar voice again.

[Mm...]

’But aren’t you scared that fat chicken will see you?’ she asked, a tinge of genuine worry in her mental voice.

[I initially believed he was the active consciousness of an ancient entity. That is why I hid, fearing he might seek to harm your mind,] the system explained in its usual precise tone.

[However, he is merely a bloodline shadow. He is an instinctual manifestation attached to your power. The chances of him ever hurting you are absolute zero.]

Summer did not understand a single complex word of that explanation except for the single important detail: the old chicken would not hurt her.

Still, she felt quite annoyed at the thought that her bloodline’s shadow was a fat chicken.

’Is the Ancient Chaos powerful?’ Summer asked tentatively, floating on her back.

[Yes. Extremely powerful.]

’Then what about you?’ Summer pressed further, her curiosity piqued. ’You or him, who is more powerful?’

[Currently? It is undoubtedly him,] the system admitted without hesitation.

[However, you must remember that he still has a limit. His existence is bound to the laws of this universe. But we are not. We can evolve as far as we desire, provided we find the proper opportunities.]

’Oh...’ Summer mouthed quietly, processing the information in her simple way. ’Then with both of you inside me, am I the most powerful person in the entire world?’

[Silly girl, the Ancient Chaos is the pure energy of creation, while I am an energy of supreme corruption,] the system noted, sounding genuinely puzzled.

[Our fundamental natures directly oppose each other. How we can coexist within a single physical body is something even I cannot comprehend. How could a human born on Earth possess the bloodline of the Ancient Chaos? Girl, either your father or your mother was definitely not an ordinary person...]

"Naughty girl, who are you talking to?"

A loud, sudden voice boomed from right behind her, scaring Summer so badly that her little feathered body leaped straight up into the air.

With a loud plop, she fell back headfirst into the salty waves, popping her head out to glare angrily at the fat chicken who had crept up behind her.

[Do not react!] The system’s voice warned sharply.

[He has already sensed me. Just do not acknowledge my presence aloud. As long as you do not give form to my existence, my shadow will never extend beyond your soul, and he will never be able to see me. Remember, only when you actively acknowledge me can he perceive my existence.]

’I thought you said he would never hurt me? What is the problem if he sees you?’ Summer asked, completely confused by the secrecy.

[He will never hurt YOU. I am NOT you, you DUMMY!] the system barked, losing its composure for a brief second.

’Oh...’

"Little girl, who is it?" The old chicken leaned down, his wide beak hovering just inches above the water as he probed with deep interest. "Is it a hidden treasure? A lingering soul? Or something else entirely?"

Summer clamped her small beak tightly shut, refusing to exhale even a single puff of air. The old chicken froze for a moment, his sharp eyes narrowing as he observed her quiet posture.

"It told you not to acknowledge me, didn’t it?" the old chicken asked casually.

"How did you know?!" Summer’s eyes widened in sheer shock, her mouth popping open before she could stop herself.

"So that is how it is!" The old chicken’s voice laced with triumph as he flapped his wings. "An entity that possesses knowledge about both me and the Ancient Chaos... It cannot be a simple remnant consciousness. What could it possibly be? A foreign God? A cosmic blessing? Or perhaps... a System?"

Summer’s entire body froze as he finished speaking. How did he find out? She screamed in her mind.