A shadowed basement.
Before his time travel, Ling Ke couldn't understand why these things always took place underground, in buildings like churches.
The first impression it gave was one of "shining on the surface, but hiding ugliness beneath."
Quite suitable as the setting for an ironic story.
Of course, after Ling Ke became the Law of Domain, thanks to his dual-learning ability, he had already gained knowledge across various fields.
Thus, in this era, he learned that the original purpose of a church basement—besides serving as a chapel—was generally as a "burial chamber."
Used to store remains, sacred relics of religious believers, and served as a designated space for coffins.
Right now—
"Madam Aponia, you may leave now."
A young dark-haired girl, standing beside the only exit of the basement, paid the toll.
At the same time, she smiled and said, "Thank you very much for your cooperation, and also for carefully preparing the 'script' for us. It provided an excellent stage for the performance."
Hearing this—
"It seems I don't have the right to refuse,"
Said Aponia, "a tall woman in a nun's uniform, with long hair tied into a small braid over her shoulder."
In response, the dark-haired youth only smiled and said nothing.
He simply followed up with, "Rest assured, the funding for the nursing home will be delivered soon."
"The children won't know their 'mother' was absent for a while today."
"And we… will never come back to bother you."
There was no need to anymore.
The "chapter" here had already ended.
One of the main actors was about to move on to the next "scene."
At that moment, the dark-haired youth stopped speaking… He gently brushed his right hand to the side, connecting directly to the spatial door that governed the theater, and opened it.
He stepped in.
"Excuse me."
Behind him, Aponia, who had not immediately stepped out of the basement, suddenly spoke: "Savior (World Destroyer), you who are filled with contradictions… when will your revenge end?"
The dark-haired youth paused.
For a long time.
"It seems you've misunderstood something, Madam Aponia."
He turned slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting in a faint arc. "My revenge is over."
"With the complete disappearance of the old era (the Age of Civilization), my obsession… remained there as well."
"And now—"
The dark-haired youth turned back and stepped fully into the spatial door.
As it slowly closed—
"I am now a newborn, forcing the entire world to cooperate with me in twisted ways to satisfy my curiosity and thirst for knowledge."
"Madam Aponia, you once said—"
"If you were to encounter a situation where 'protecting someone would inevitably harm others'… and both cannot be had…"
"'What would you do?'"
In that moment, the dark-haired youth did not wait… or perhaps he never intended to hear Aponia's answer.
With that, the spatial door closed completely.
Aponia stood alone in silence, pondering for a long while.
Eventually—
"Ah~"
She let out a helpless sigh, looked toward the exit, and said, "Yes, what should I do?"
"I wish I were a 'bad person' too."
"Maybe then this wouldn't trouble me."
Meanwhile, in the alley beside the ruins of the church—
"Good times, good times, truly good times."
"How did this happen? Boss!"
A scruffy girl squatted on the ground, holding a bag of salted dried fish in her hands.
She munched on a snack she had never eaten before, but for some reason always felt a "fated connection" with. Her cheeks puffed out, and her feline mouth resembled a hamster's.
She had fallen for the food.
While enjoying herself, she raised her right hand and gave a thumbs-up to the dark-haired youth squatting like a street drifter in the corner beside her.
All these delicious snacks were gifts from him.
The other person had behaved so terrifyingly that even Can (a stray cat) was frightened and found it hard to get along with him.
"You're really eating that?"
"Uh~"
Pardofelis froze mid-chew.
The bag of salted dried fish in her hand neither went forward nor retreated.
Suddenly, it was like she was having a fit of her money-addicted instincts.
Though she'd secretly been watching the dark-haired youth and felt uneasy, she quickly looked up, straightened her neck, and gulped down the dried fish in her mouth.
Then she stared straight at the dark-haired youth—
Feigning innocence.
Seeing her like this—
"Haha, just teasing you."
The dark-haired youth raised his hand again, ruffled the cat girl's head, and handed her a paper bag. "I've got more here."
"If you like it, you can have it all."
"Ah… oh, hehe, hehe~"
Pardofelis chuckled awkwardly. "Thanks, boss, haha."
After confirming that the dark-haired youth was really just joking, she sighed in relief and patted her chest.
Yep.
"This boss is a bit bad. After spending time with him, he really won't go easy on your poor little heart," Pardofelis thought.
But "the food he gave was really delicious, and there were no shady tricks (no drugs), so I don't mind."
"It's free anyway…"
"Hehe~"
Pardofelis smiled, carefree.
Even though, at first encounter, the other's unique aura—like a peak predator—was super, super, super scary.
She still didn't sense any malice from him.
On the contrary, there was a kind of inexplicable kindness.
So, she didn't double-standard him and responded with kindness, just like always.
Tried interacting with him.
He claimed Sister Nia was fine and gave her permission for what had just happened. He said he was a filmmaker, spending money to shoot here… Well, just accept those explanations.
In short, the other party made an effort to put her at ease.
And—
He gave her delicious food!
So many things happened back and forth, and Pardofelis gradually let them go, until now.
Her cheeks, little by little, puffed out again.
Speaking of which—
The dark-haired Ling Ke had just been at a night market in Changkong City not long ago.
Now, he had crossed thousands of kilometers, from the Far East to this chaotic Middle East.
Dusk Street.
At present, as a being, he naturally no longer needed to personally do all the laborious tasks necessary to complete a so-called "work."
Now he was clearly positioned—
He was the "director," the "screenwriter," and the "audience."
But unlike that dark-haired boy in the basement (the one controlling the puppet), he took on roles like "stage decorator."
At most, "many props were copied from the audience, and some suitable background music was added to set the mood."
Therefore, the only reason he suddenly came here alone was simply because…
It was fun~
Or more precisely: fun as hell!
Pardofelis, the Flame-Chasing Hero of later generations, ranked thirteenth, a girl marked by the Sigil of "Empty Dream"...
Previously, beneath the stage, Ling Ke had deliberately set it up to feel familiar—but with one key person's position reversed.
She made a different decision than the original Raiden Mei.
Faced with a stranger, she also didn't "trust" the other person.
But at least she gave a "response" to them.
He admitted he was curious.
Curious… would Pardofelis only do this for "certain people"? Or… if it were his current self, could he still receive her "response"?
So he came.
Once again… to try releasing his goodwill.
Awkwardly—
Now he was no longer weak. Once a god, now with a transcendent personality.
But for this one attempt, he was a bit nervous and cautious.
And the goodwill released—
Wasn't much. Just a few street snacks.
And the final conclusion:
"People are truly different."
"Ling" engraved this in his heart, sighing to himself in a pun.
But he still received a "response."
At that moment, he looked at the scruffy girl squatting beside him. Earlier in Changkong City, he had been in high spirits admiring the artistry Eden displayed. But now, this moment was equally thrilling ↑stimulating↑.
Indeed, life is like that.
One can be crushed by one small "despair" after another.
And also find light in one faint "hope" after another.
Now, having reawakened anew, Ling Ke had walked into the light.
Just like the original Raiden Mei, and Bronya.
But—
"The night suits me better."
"Quiet, undisturbed, easier to move through, and it hides a lot of things you don't want to see."
Thinking this wasn't out of regret or self-pity for the past—it was just to quench a little thirst for knowledge and humble curiosity.
He looked up at the sky, his left hand unconsciously shielding his eyes as he squinted. "Tsk, I'm really not used to having this thing hanging in my eyes all the time."
The sun—too dazzling.
It no longer suited him.
Nor did he care for it anymore.
Now then—
"Goodbye, little Pardo."
Ling Ke tilted his head, looking at the dirty girl still squatting on the ground. "I'm off to work."
He was about to leave.
"Oh, right."
Ling Ke raised his right hand and lifted his index finger. "Remember to hide far away next time something like this happens."
He gave a piece of advice drawn from personal experience: "You're just an ordinary person. You don't owe anything to anyone."
"If you don't want to get caught in trouble—then avoid it."
In that moment, it was as if he had seen the future of this carefree young girl standing before him—
On the silent moon, a broken badge… cat claws lay quietly on the barren plain.
It symbolized that there once was an "ordinary" person who only wanted a full meal every day and held that one small wish.
In a trance—
"Just an ordinary person… Why fight for your life! Honestly."
Ling Ke murmured to himself.
It sounded like self-mockery, like a sigh.
After saying that, he finally reached out and habitually patted Pardofelis's cat head.
He liked that feeling, he had to admit—
A little.