Beneath a pitch-black night sky, in a quiet grove, a bright yellow campfire illuminated half of Lin Qi's somewhat handsome face.
The warm flames, the harmonious chirping of insects, the comfortable temperature, and a gentle breeze—everything was so cozy, so peaceful.
If some overworked office worker had been here, they would've already stretched out in relaxation. But Lin Qi felt no enjoyment at all.
'I feel like throwing up...'
Lin Qi stared blankly at the flickering tongues of fire in the campfire, his stomach churning.
It wasn't that he didn't want to enjoy this tranquility.
But that massive ring of light in the sky was too blinding, too oppressive—it made it hard to breathe.
He had inexplicably arrived in this world, landing in a Chaldea devoid of people—no kouhai, no Da Vinci, no doctor… not even a single person to talk to.
It was as if someone had told him—"It's your turn to save the world, kid."
But how could he bear such a responsibility?
Lin Qi had once given up, wallowing in despair, throwing tantrums in his empty Chaldea, rolling on the floor, clutching his head and crying...
But.
"I'm so lonely..."
"Can't someone—anyone—just talk to me?"
"Even just one word..."
After barely a month, Lin Qi couldn't take it anymore. He threw himself into frantic training, studying Chaldea's systems, until finally standing before the Rayshift coffin.
With clumsy combat skills, barely enough magecraft to light a fire, classic Chaldea mystic codes, and three Black Keys—that was all the preparation he could muster.
No Servants.
By all accounts, Lin Qi was walking to his death.
And that was exactly what happened.
Five months had passed since he arrived in Chaldea. By now, the Singularities had likely changed beyond recognition—his knowledge of the "story" was barely a reference at best.
Lin Qi hadn't even considered survival as a real possibility.
The moment he entered the Singularity, he was hunted down by Shadow Servants. A hopeless situation.
Yet, against all odds, Lin Qi discovered he might possess some hidden ability?
No time to dwell on it—he fled like a rat, only to miraculously stumble upon the Singularity's sole potential ally: Cú Chulainn.
And somehow, against all logic, they defeated Shadow Emiya and Altria Alter, successfully resolving the Singularity.
Of course.
Bridging such an impossible gap wasn't easy—nor was it without cost.
Shadow Emiya was manageable—no Noble Phantasm, Lin Qi had intel, and Cú Chulainn was strong. One Command Spell ended that fight.
But Altria Alter, powered by a Holy Grail?
A burning wooden golem was no match for an inverted Excalibur. The black beam of light reduced it to dust.
"Hey, it's all on you now, kid. Don't disappoint me!"
Lin Qi still remembered Cú's last words before fading.
Cú Chulainn wasn't the type to be gentle—Lin Qi knew that from games and anime.
Yet, despite that, Cú had stood in front of him like an older brother, staff in hand.
Faced with this once-in-a-lifetime chance—a chance bought with Cú's life—could Lin Qi really ignore it?
His actions answered that question.
Somehow, he fused with the remnants of Cú's broken Spirit Origin, picked up the fallen wooden staff, and charged through the cover Cú had created.
Lin Qi barely remembered what happened next—just that he closed the distance in an instant, locking Altria Alter in a grapple with the staff.
Then, his last Command Spell activated.
A burning golem erupted from the ground, seizing both of them in its cage-like chest—a mutual destruction tactic.
It wasn't recklessness. The earlier fight had proven that in a straight Noble Phantasm clash, even if he fired first, Altria's counter would obliterate him.
To truly defeat her, he had to seal her Noble Phantasm.
Thanks to his mysterious ability, no matter how Altria struggled, Lin Qi held on—until the golem's explosion shattered her Spirit Core.
But the suicidal attack left half his body severely burned.
Looking at his scarred right hand, Lin Qi ended the memory.
'If I went back to that moment now, I doubt I'd be as decisive as I was then.'
He couldn't help but laugh at himself.
Cú's Spirit Origin had shattered after the battle, but fragments of his power remained in Lin Qi's body.
Lin Qi—
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: C
Magic: C
Runes (A)
Battle Continuation (C)
Finally, he had escaped the absolute bottom tier—at least he wouldn't be chased by skeletons anymore.
But despite gaining the power he'd longed for, Lin Qi wasn't happy.
If anything, it was after clearing a Singularity that the weight truly settled on him.
Was saving the world really his burden to bear?
During his lonely recovery in Chaldea, pressure, anxiety, even fear—all piled up in his heart.
'I really feel like throwing up...'
The nausea grew stronger as he stared into the flames.
Why did it have to be me?
Why didn't I have a single ally to rely on?
Even just one useless teammate, even if they were dead weight—at least I wouldn't be alone...
His silent questions turned his eyes red.
'I want to cry...'
He sniffled, vision blurring.
"Crack!"
The sound of a snapped branch cut through the night.
"Who's there?!"
Lin Qi wiped his tears, quickly composing himself. He stood, grabbed a Black Key, and hurled it toward the noise.
The blade embedded itself in the ground—not a great throw, but enough to startle the intruder.
A girl emerged—golden hair tied in a braid, blue eyes tinged with awkwardness.
She wore a blue-black dress armored with silver metal, the slits revealing slender legs clad in black stockings. The contrast between her pale thighs and the dark fabric was striking, especially the slight indentation where the stockings pressed into her skin.
Paired with that classic Takeuchi face and a chest barely contained by her outfit—her identity was obvious.
"Uh… I just came to check..."
Jeanne d'Arc cautiously stepped away from the Black Key.
Recognizing her, Lin Qi sat back down, silently staring at the fire.
Maybe it was the long isolation, or maybe just his lack of experience talking to pretty girls—he couldn't find the words.
"The nearest town is far. Mind if I join you? It's safer together."
Thankfully, Jeanne wasn't as socially awkward.
"Do what you want."
Lin Qi didn't look at her, just tossed more wood into the fire.
Jeanne sighed in relief, picked up the Black Key, and sat beside him, hugging her knees.
She offered the blade back.
Lin Qi glanced at it, took the hilt, and set it aside.
"You seem upset. What's on your mind?"
Jeanne noticed the redness in his eyes.
"Nothing. Just wondering when I'll die."
The words left his mouth before he could think.
"...Huh?"
Jeanne blinked, utterly lost.
After replaying his sentence in her head a few times, she confirmed she hadn't misheard.
'If I don't talk him out of this, something bad might happen...'
She straightened, expression serious.
"Why would you think that?"
"Because I—the last Master of humanity—will probably fail to clear even the first Singularity."
'Wait, what? Since when do I need a degree to understand people?'
Jeanne's face was pure confusion.