Category: Miss Luo Yan’s Feet Are Buried With Corpses

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 77 – “Absolute Death”

Yan City was baffled by Luo Yan’s (One’s) appearance.

Her entrance, Dawn’s reaction, even the usually composed Rhine losing his composure…

It was all incomprehensible. They didn’t know what was happening.

Being too far away, they couldn’t hear the conversation between Luo Yan and Rhine.

However, Luo Yan had shown goodwill by returning Sun Biwu, so Yan City decided to wait and see, while also tending to Sun Biwu’s injuries.

Until the crimson mist appeared.

This mist was all too familiar to Yan City…

Both the Ghost Town and Flower Street incidents, and the recent string of disasters, had all involved this crimson mist.

Dawn, with Grifres and Alyxsia having experienced Ghost Town, also recognized the mist’s danger.

And within the mist, a crimson figure emerged, swaying gracefully.

She clapped her hands gently and said with a smile,

“As expected of one of the original nine God’s Chosen… you actually noticed me?”

A beautiful face appeared before them, her body wrapped in translucent red ribbons, her form tantalizingly revealed.

“…It’s you.”

Luo Yan’s eyes flickered; she recognized the crimson figure.

Identical to “Red Butterfly,” but not Red Butterfly.

She had looked directly at Red Butterfly at the end of the Flower Street incident and was familiar with the Devil’s minion influenced by the “Witch of Envy’s” will fragment.

The reason Luo Yan, with her lack of aesthetic sense, had called Red Butterfly ugly was because she had seen the distorted consciousness twisted by the Witch of Envy.

This distortion had been so severe that it affected even the physical body, causing it to… collapse… into a beautiful woman.

Although outwardly more pleasing, the essence was the same.

And this crimson figure before her was almost identical to Red Butterfly back then.

Of course, Luo Yan, remembering her current identity as One, didn’t call her Red Butterfly directly, simply saying “It’s you.”

Now… Luo Yan understood why One had wanted her to maintain this disguise.

At least… to make the “Witch of Envy” believe that One had been resurrected…

“How curious, a human capable of this,” the crimson figure looked at Luo Yan in surprise. “Such a perfect resurrection… it seems you’ve truly harnessed the power of the ‘Eye of Malice’.”

“‘Eye of Malice’?”

Luo Yan was puzzled, but the crimson figure didn’t elaborate.

She waved her hand, and the menacing crimson mist dissipated.

“It doesn’t matter. Humans of a bygone era… will eventually fade with the passage of time,” the crimson figure sneered. “Even… she… couldn’t escape time’s judgment.”

These words were cryptic to the others, but Luo Yan, knowing the truth, understood.

So you outlived the original ‘Luo Yan’ by relying on a Primordial Demon’s immortality…

Perhaps this was One’s thought as well; Luo Yan suddenly felt the urge to retort.

The crimson figure continued to scrutinize Luo Yan, a mocking smile on her lips, but her crimson eyes held a hint of caution and wariness.

She had been waiting near the Ember Furnace, anticipating this decisive battle.

Waiting for the “Ember’s” eruption, for both Yan City and Dawn to be weakened.

Then, it would be her turn.

The crimson figure’s original body was Frick. Although his soul and consciousness had been rewritten, his ability, “Plunder,” remained.

In fact, due to the Witch of Envy’s influence, “Plunder” had been significantly enhanced, just like the “Gu Seeds” Red Butterfly used.

However, the abilities Frick had previously plundered were gone after his transformation.

Therefore, the crimson figure’s current strength was weaker than Frick’s.

But this was temporary. By plundering more abilities, she could easily surpass Frick’s original power.

Even approaching “Destruction” level wasn’t impossible.

Once Yan City and Dawn were weakened, it would be her time to harvest.

But… nothing had happened.

And then Luo Yan appeared.

The crimson figure, carrying a portion of the “Witch of Envy’s” memories, quickly recognized Luo Yan (One).

But like Rhine, she wasn’t certain if the original God’s Chosen had truly been resurrected, so she continued to observe from the shadows.

Meanwhile, the corrupted Qin Wen was still trying to erode the Ember Furnace. If she could control it… these threats wouldn’t matter.

But they had been discovered.

Forced to act, the crimson figure revealed herself, concealing “Qin Wen’s” presence.

She was putting on a show of power, using “Soul Eater” for a grand entrance, then casually dispelling it.

But it was just a facade. She couldn’t maintain “Soul Eater” for long.

…If she were truly that powerful, she wouldn’t have waited for both sides to be weakened.

In reality, she was only “Peril” level, no match for Rhine.

And then there was Luo Yan (One).

A true “Destruction” level ability user, although perhaps weakened by her resurrection, her casual spatial manipulation was enough to expose the crimson figure.

“I failed to kill you last time… my mistake,” Luo Yan said gravely, a spatial distortion forming in her hand. She found it quite convenient to use this as a blade.

The unstable spatial energy, like a sharp knife, created fleeting spatial rifts.

And these rifts could cut through even souls.

Luo Yan was referring to the “Witch of Envy’s” will fragment that had twisted Red Butterfly’s soul, but the crimson figure thought she was talking about the Witch of Envy herself.

“Kill the Lord? You…?” The crimson figure seemed enraged, chuckling darkly. “Laughable… truly laughable… Even she failed! How can a mere mortal defy the Lord?!”

“But if your Lord is so powerful, where is He now?”

Luo Yan shrugged, her expression innocent. “If He’s still around, why not come out and say something?”

“You! I… you! Lord…”

The crimson figure’s eyes widened, but she seemed to be choking on her words.

“If this ‘Lord,’ Mister or Miss, is truly as powerful as you say… how could a mere mortal force Him to hide, relying on lowly minions like you to act in the real world?”

Luo Yan’s tone was calm, matter-of-fact.

But in this context, it sounded incredibly mocking.

“…How dare you! Your filthy words… insult the Lord!”

The crimson figure glared at Luo Yan, pure malice radiating from her black eyes.

“Stating facts is also considered filthy?” Luo Yan pondered for a moment. “Well, it wasn’t entirely factual. It would be quite difficult for a mere mortal to achieve this. If it weren’t for ‘Absolute Death’ back then…”

“Shut up!” The crimson figure shrieked before Luo Yan could finish. “Don’t you dare mention that name!”

“What name?” Luo Yan paused. “‘Absolute Death’?”

“Shut! Up!”

The crimson figure roared, countless tentacles erupting from her body, flailing wildly.

A faint crimson mist spread, but this time, it seemed weaker.

Even this weakened “Soul Eater” could only spread a few feet, barely enough to fill a single room.

“No mortal… can defy the Lord’s will!” The crimson figure’s body began to flicker, its hoarse, ethereal voice filled with pain and rage. “She couldn’t! Absolute Death couldn’t! No one can!”

Her lost rationality was completely consumed by rage, and she began to burn through her life force, desperately trying to kill the chattering girl in blue before her.

Meanwhile, “Qin Wen,” still hidden, clutched her head, her pupils dilating, her expression conflicted.

But this wasn’t Qin Wen’s consciousness fighting back, but something else.

“Damn it! Why now…?”

“Qin Wen” pounded her head frantically, groaning in pain, her palms bloody.

It seemed some forbidden memory within the “Witch of Envy’s” consciousness had been triggered, filling this fragment of influenced consciousness with endless rage and hatred.

It was the resentment of being betrayed by Absolute Death, of being cornered by “Luo Yan,” a memory etched deep within the “Witch of Envy’s” consciousness.

The stronger the influence of the “Witch of Envy,” the more easily this resentment spiraled out of control.

“Qin Wen,” only partially influenced, hadn’t been completely twisted, only experiencing unbearable pain.

The crimson figure outside was transforming into a monstrous form, just like Mrs. Natalie, its flickering form expanding.

This surprised Luo Yan. She hadn’t expected the mere mention of “Absolute Death” to provoke such a reaction.

It seemed she was intent on taking Luo Yan down with her…

…What exactly did ‘Absolute Death’ do…?

But there was no time to ponder this now; she had to deal with the expanding monster.

“Aren’t you going to… do something…?”

Luo Yan turned to Rhine and said gravely.

Although she now possessed the “End” ability, she wasn’t proficient in using it.

Such a powerful ability, if it went out of control… no one here would survive.

Luo Yan knew this and hadn’t dared to use “End” for large-scale spatial severance.

Creating small spatial rifts was her current limit.

“…As you command.”

Rhine nodded, still puzzled.

But it seemed… this “Eldest Mister”… was truly the Eldest Mister. He couldn’t see any flaws.

His intuition told him something was wrong, but the evidence was before him.

In her brief exchange with the Devil’s minion, she had revealed several secrets about the Primordial Demons.

The crimson figure, burning through her life force, showed signs of transforming into a monster, but she didn’t become a giant creature capable of altering the ecosystem, and the crimson mist couldn’t spread far, its range similar to the Flower Street incident.

This weakened “Soul Eater” couldn’t instantly annihilate everything like in Ghost Town; it could only gradually erode the minds of “Ruin” level ability users, those at “Peril” level or above being mostly unaffected.

The Dawn team, being elite, quickly formed a battle formation upon receiving Rhine’s command to attack the crimson monster, resisting the surrounding mist.

Yan City’s reaction was slightly slower, but after the initial confusion, Li Ping made a decision.

Elite ability users would assist Dawn, while the other troops would retreat and wait for further instructions.

Without the pulse cannons, ordinary soldiers would be nothing more than fodder.

And this wasn’t the time to continue the war…

A disaster similar to the Flower Street incident had occurred, and near the Ember Furnace, no less.

Even without Dawn’s help, Yan City had to deal with this crimson monster.

Or rather, Dawn was now helping Yan City.

Why would Dawn help them? If they simply let the crimson monster rampage, they could easily win the war…

The only reason… was the mysterious silver-haired girl.

Li Ping narrowed his eyes, looking at the icy-blue haired girl standing among the Dawn members. She seemed to sense his gaze and looked back.

A single pale blue eye met his, and for some reason, Li Ping felt a strange familiarity in that indifferent, slightly dazed gaze.

As if he had seen it… somewhere before…?

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 76 – The Wrong Script?

The same event, when some truths are hidden, can be perceived differently. Luo Yan was trying to save Sun Biwu’s life, her actions solely for his well-being.

But… to others, it looked different.

A heavily wounded Sun Biwu tumbled out of a spatial rift, followed by a bandaged, terrifying-looking girl.

And the girl, while apologizing, summoned a blade-like spatial rift in her hand, seemingly about to stab the injured Sun Biwu…

It looked like a scene straight out of a yandere story!

Considering Sun Biwu’s severe injuries after disappearing for only a few minutes, what he had experienced… was anyone’s guess.

Everyone shuddered.

The situation was so bizarre that both Yan City and Dawn remained silent.

Whether out of shock or some other reason… no one disturbed Luo Yan.

As for recognition…

For Dawn, the Eldest Mister was a distant memory. After centuries, no one remembered what she looked like.

And even if they had a portrait, One’s bandaged body would make recognition difficult.

On Yan City’s side, due to various reasons, few had ever seen the “Ice Coffin Weapon” directly.

Even Hua Qiling hadn’t recognized her at first, only realizing it after Luo Yan’s reminder.

However, Luo Yan’s mind finally cleared, the confusion from the void receding. Even she was startled by the “End” power in her hand and quickly dispelled it.

Suddenly losing access to “Envy”… felt strange.

Although “End” might be more powerful in combat, it wasn’t as convenient in daily life as “Envy.”

Luo Yan sighed, then stood up, wondering if she should take Sun Biwu to the hospital.

She looked up and saw hundreds of eyes staring at her.

“…”

Luo Yan blinked her one visible eye. She recognized Li Ping in the distance.

And judging from the situation, she could guess who the others were.

Dawn…

She had stumbled right into the center of the battlefield!

Luo Yan wanted to say something. She had come here to stop this war.

But she wasn’t prepared, and being naturally taciturn, she couldn’t come up with a compelling speech on the spot.

However, even without knowing what the Eldest Mister looked like, Rhine wasn’t foolish.

He saw the spatial fragments swirling around this mysterious girl, and her earlier display of spatial manipulation…

Opening and closing spatial rifts with such ease, forming blades of space, then dispelling them…

If anyone in the world possessed such control over space, without losing control, it could only be one person, long deceased.

“Eldest Mister…”

Rhine whispered, his gaze fixed on the bandaged girl.

But the Eldest Mister had been dead for centuries…

…Hadn’t she grown up?

Or rather… had the Eldest Mister always been so small?

He vaguely recalled the portraits of the deceased Misters hanging in the Ember Furnace, back when Dawn City hadn’t yet been destroyed.

The Eldest Mister had been a girl with icy blue hair, but the portrait had been more… mature…

What Rhine didn’t know was that those portraits had been idealized. One, for example, had been depicted as 1.7 meters tall, instead of her actual 1.4 meters, and her expression had been more imposing.

The real One, for various reasons, had remained frozen in time, her appearance the same as when she had first obtained her demonic power and accidentally destroyed her entire settlement.

Luo Yan heard Rhine’s voice and turned towards him.

Sensing the powerful, turbulent spiritual energy emanating from the large man, she guessed he was Dawn’s leader.

So, Luo Yan simply nodded slightly and whispered,

“Yes.”

Judging from their names, Nine was the Ninth Mister, and One was… the Eldest Mister. It made sense.

Claiming to be Luo Yan now would be unbelievable.

And… Luo Yan wasn’t sure what Dawn would do if they knew their “Eldest Mister” was actually someone else.

Therefore, she had to maintain this facade for now.

“Forgive me, One…”

Luo Yan apologized silently.

Rhine was caught off guard by her simple answer.

His expression flickered with disbelief, and he asked, his voice trembling,

“…Is it… truly you…?”

Luo Yan didn’t answer. She raised her hand, and a spatial rift opened beneath Sun Biwu’s feet, swallowing him.

Another rift opened a few dozen meters away, and Sun Biwu fell out, landing at Li Ping’s feet.

Li Ping quickly helped him up, then heard the mysterious girl’s raspy, childish voice.

“Don’t worry, he only suffered some superficial injuries while traveling through space, nothing serious.”

“…Thank you.”

Li Ping looked up at the bandaged figure, his eyes flickering, and nodded.

He had been worried about his old friend and about Luo Yan’s sudden appearance, unsure if she was friend or foe.

Hearing her words, he was relieved; at least she wasn’t an enemy.

Meanwhile, Luo Yan’s display of spatial manipulation dispelled any remaining doubts in Rhine’s mind.

This wasn’t just spatial displacement… this was teleportation through the void!

Spatial displacement usually utilized the gaps between the real world and the void, far less dangerous than the void itself.

Even then, non-spatial ability users needed extensive protection to safely teleport.

And the endless void was a place without time or space, a single misstep potentially sending one thousands of kilometers away in the real world.

And that was the best-case scenario. Most of the time, a misstep meant being lost in the void forever.

And then there was the void’s turbulent currents, capable of annihilating even “Destruction” level ability users.

Luo Yan wouldn’t normally use this method; her control over “End” was far inferior to “Envy.”

But seeing the anxiety in Li Ping and the others’ expressions, she knew this old man was important to Yan City.

So, she had used this risky method to send him out of Dawn’s encirclement.

And to demonstrate her “End” ability.

This was more effective than words, especially since Luo Yan wasn’t good at lying.

“Eldest Mister…”

Rhine’s voice trembled with excitement.

He hadn’t expected this war, launched for various reasons, to result in the Eldest Mister’s return.

With the successive deaths of Dawn’s founding Misters, even Mister Nine, who had watched over them for centuries, gone, everyone knew Dawn was on the verge of a major upheaval.

But if, at this moment, a living Eldest Mister returned…

All their problems would be solved!

Not just stability, but unprecedented unity!

And if the Eldest Mister, unlike the other Misters, supported Dawn’s current goals and ideals, they would reach new heights!

But after the initial excitement, Rhine calmed down, a thought crossing his mind.

Was this resurrected Eldest Mister… truly their Eldest Mister?

According to Dawn’s internal records and the Misters’ memories, their eldest sibling, shortly after returning from a solo visit to “Noah,” had begun preparing her own “Ice Coffin.”

Her condition had been dire, her body constantly emitting spatial rifts, her mind often lost.

Her last moment of clarity and control had been when she entered the “Ice Coffin,” summoning all the Misters for a secret meeting, a final act of will.

No one knew the contents of that meeting, but the result was that the eight Misters declared the Eldest Mister deceased, sealing her coffin away in the depths of Dawn City.

Until the sudden cataclysm, scattering almost seventy percent of the Ice Coffins, including the Eldest Mister’s.

Such a long and detailed record pointed to one conclusion.

—The Eldest Mister was dead.

Some Misters’ deaths were uncertain; they had either wandered into the Wasteland or been sealed away after losing control.

But the Eldest Mister’s death was a fact.

She was the least likely to reappear.

But this girl before them…

Was it a miracle?

Or… divine intervention?

Rhine looked at the mysterious girl, his expression turning serious.

The other Dawn members were still in a state of disbelief, only Grifres noticed the doubt in Rhine’s eyes.

“Brother, what’s wrong? Is the Eldest Mister… fake?” Grifres frowned slightly and whispered. “Except for her size, she looks almost exactly like the portraits…”

“Or…” Grifres glanced at the equally shocked Yan City forces. “Did Yan City manipulate the Eldest Mister’s remains?”

Rhine was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

Even with all the evidence, he wasn’t certain.

Although Rhine and Grifres had whispered, using a discreet method of communication, Luo Yan still overheard them.

Controlling “End,” her body was now between the void and reality, able to perceive both.

Distance was meaningless to her; although not exactly clairvoyant, she had exceptional hearing.

Rhine’s doubts reached her, and she felt a sense of… relief.

She didn’t want to live under someone else’s identity.

This current situation was a deliberate arrangement by One, before her consciousness faded.

Luo Yan didn’t understand her intentions, but it couldn’t be a prank.

Nor was it likely that she wanted Luo Yan to lead Dawn…

One hadn’t mentioned Dawn at all during their brief conversation in the void.

Perhaps, in her mind, only the Dawn with all the Misters… was the true Dawn.

Regardless, Luo Yan couldn’t reveal her true identity yet, but she also didn’t need to maintain the pretense any longer.

As everyone’s attention was focused on Luo Yan, unseen, countless crimson tentacles spread through the shadows.

They emerged from cracks at the base of the tower, writhing and twisting.

The Ember Furnace was being eroded. Even Qin Wen’s resistance within couldn’t stop it, only delay it.

Rhine, after much deliberation, decided to ask directly.

The Misters didn’t mind being questioned; they were Dawn’s guardians, not dictators.

And the Eldest Mister shouldn’t be an exception.

However, few would ever dare question the Misters; their status was transcendent, not just within Dawn.

But the situation was unusual. Rhine had to confirm whether this resurrected “Eldest Mister” was truly their Eldest Mister.

“May I ask, Eldest Mister…”

Rhine took a step forward, his gaze fixed on the mysterious girl.

But before he could finish, Luo Yan raised her hand.

“No, wait.”

“Hm?”

Rhine paused, confused. He hadn’t even asked his question yet.

However, Luo Yan hadn’t interrupted him to maintain the pretense. She frowned slightly, her nose twitching.

“Is there… a familiar scent…?”

A scent?

“…What scent?”

Rhine asked, puzzled. Besides the residual aura of the spatial rifts, there didn’t seem to be anything unusual…

Luo Yan didn’t answer. She looked towards the edge of the Furnace platform, her eyes narrowing.

“…Perhaps I know where it is.”

She sensed a disgusting odor, one she had encountered many times before…

The “Witch of Envy.”

She hadn’t expected a Devil’s minion to have reached this place…

Just then, a single clap echoed, and a crimson mist filled the air, a figure faintly visible within.

This mist was familiar to both Yan City and Dawn.

The “Envy” domain, “Soul Eater.”

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 75 – Manifestation…?

Recalling what had just happened, Luo Yan seemed to understand.

“End” could not only cut through space, but also be used for spatial displacement.

However, traveling through the void outside of normal space… It was a terrifying thought.

But Luo Yan couldn’t worry about the risks now.

Sun Biwu’s aura was fading due to his burning spiritual energy (without the Ember’s replenishment); if she delayed any longer, he might die.

Luo Yan made up her mind and raised her bandaged hand.

A meter-tall spatial rift slowly opened, revealing the chaotic turbulence of the void within.

Even the slightest leakage of its aura hinted at the immense danger within, a forbidden realm even “Destruction” level ability users wouldn’t dare enter casually.

Even Luo Yan, possessing a Space-type ability, felt a tremor of fear upon seeing the void’s turbulence.

However… she also felt a strange sense of… familiarity.

Perhaps because of “End”?

Luo Yan had a feeling she could freely navigate the void, returning to the real world at will.

“No, no, that must be an illusion…”

The void’s violent aura quickly dispelled this baseless confidence. She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

However, the good news was that she could travel through the void.

And… she could use it to escape this strange place.

Luo Yan glanced at the unconscious Sun Biwu, hesitated, then helped him up.

But as she did, she noticed that the closer he was to her, the more he was cut by tiny spatial rifts.

Even with Luo Yan’s conscious control, there was still some leakage of “End’s” power.

“I have to minimize contact…”

Luo Yan carefully lifted Sun Biwu above her head, away from her body.

Fortunately, One’s body was incredibly strong; lifting him was effortless.

“This should be fine…”

Luo Yan looked up. Although the old man was still slightly affected by the spatial fragments, it was much better than before.

She would quickly take him out of this space, then keep her distance.

Luo Yan looked at the spatial rift, the void’s turbulent aura still terrifying.

She took a deep breath, her small frame carrying the elderly man, and jumped into the rift.

“…Let’s go!”

…

When Rhine saw Sun Biwu jump into the Ember Furnace without a word, his heart sank.

This was the closest he had ever come to death.

During the Colonna war, Rhine had advanced with his team towards their Ember Furnace.

He had only revealed himself when the Ember erupted, forcefully withstanding its power to crush Colonna.

But Colonna’s Ember hadn’t been focused on him, its power dispersed.

Therefore, Rhine had been able to use various methods to shield himself, not needing to directly withstand the blast with his body.

Even so, he had been seriously injured.

And now…

Yan City’s “Peril” level ability user had locked onto him. This was the price of forcefully advancing to the core district using his ability.

This was why Rhine had been reluctant to intervene directly, why Dawn hadn’t concentrated their forces for a breakthrough.

…Because the cost would be too high.

Over a third of their forces lost, and even Rhine himself facing a potentially fatal threat.

Neither Yan City nor Dawn wanted this outcome.

However, strangely, after Sun Biwu jumped into the Ember Furnace, Rhine waited, but the expected eruption didn’t come.

The “Ember’s” eruption was a pure spiritual energy explosion, its terrifying power due to its high concentration.

But now, the Ember Furnace had only flickered slightly when Sun Biwu entered, then nothing.

“Did he… fail?”

Rhine’s expression was strange. He knew the principle behind using a “Peril” level ability user to trigger the “Ember’s” eruption, and he knew there was a theoretical possibility of failure.

But… was Yan City’s “Peril” level ability user that unreliable?

Something that eighty percent of “Peril” level ability users could achieve… he had actually failed?

This unexpected turn of events surprised the other Dawn members. Grifres whispered, puzzled,

“Brother, does the ‘Ember’s’ eruption… take this long to prepare?”

Rhine paused, then shook his head and said helplessly,

“No, perhaps he… couldn’t control the ‘Ember’…?”

He hadn’t expected the most dangerous part of their plan to be resolved so… anticlimactically…

The strange silence didn’t last long, their expressions turning serious.

They could now sense the Eldest Mister’s aura, so close, a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling that brought tears to their eyes.

At the same time, Yan City’s vanguard arrived, the injured Li Ping and Lin Cheng among them.

But they stared in disbelief at the unharmed Rhine.

There had been no response from Sun Biwu, who should have triggered the “Ember’s” eruption… Had he failed to even injure Rhine?

No…

Perhaps he had simply failed to activate it…

Li Ping and Lin Cheng’s expressions darkened.

Yan City’s forces surrounded the remaining Dawn members, the nearby guards joining the encirclement.

But this time, they didn’t dare use the pulse cannons.

This was the Ember Furnace, the most important location in Yan City.

The “Ember” itself was unlikely to be damaged by the pulse cannons, but the Furnace…

Yan City couldn’t build another Furnace; they would have to request one from “Noah,” at a steep price, comparable to the “Ice Coffin Weapon.”

Even considering the war, “Noah” wouldn’t give it to them for free.

The Dawn members were less than three hundred meters from the Furnace, a blink of an eye for ability users.

Rhine looked around and took a deep breath.

Both Dawn and Yan City’s forces were exhausted.

This war, although short, had been incredibly intense, even by Dawn’s standards.

Now, it was time for it to end.

Time… for victory.

Rhine looked up at the towering Ember Furnace, his eyes flickering.

“Eldest Mister, Mister Nine… your junior, Rhine, has come to bring you home.”

He stepped towards the Ember Furnace.

The other Dawn members surrounded him, their weapons aimed at the Yan City forces.

The exhausted Yan City forces couldn’t launch another attack, and the pulse cannons, too close to the Furnace, couldn’t be used.

Li Ping and Lin Cheng wanted to attack, but their injuries and the aftereffects of the secret technique prevented them.

And so, an eerie calm descended upon this decisive battleground.

Before the arrival of large-scale reinforcements, Dawn seemed poised for victory.

But… not quite.

Just as Rhine was about to enter the Ember Furnace, he felt a sharp, inexplicable pain.

A primal instinct warning him of mortal danger!

Rhine’s pupils constricted. Could there be another ambush near the Furnace?

As this thought crossed his mind, he stopped and quickly retreated.

At the same time, a spatial rift opened before him, the terrifying aura of the void’s turbulence washing over him, making his hair stand on end.

This was a primal fear, a fear of the void, of the unknown.

What… was this…?

Rhine stared at the spatial rift, a terrifying thought forming in his mind.

Could this be… the Eldest Mister’s “End”?

But an uncontrolled “End” wouldn’t create such a small rift…

Could it be…?

Impossible, how could Yan City control the Eldest Mister’s power to such an extent?!

If the Eldest Mister’s “End” could be controlled so precisely, why would she have sealed herself away?!

As these chaotic thoughts raced through his mind, a figure emerged from the spatial rift and crashed to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

Before anyone could see clearly, Rhine shouted, his spiritual energy surging, ready to attack.

“Careful!”

The other Dawn members were also on high alert, and the Yan City forces stared at the figure, tense.

As the dust settled, the figure was revealed.

An elderly man, covered in blood.

To Dawn, he was a stranger, only Rhine found him vaguely familiar.

But the Yan City forces gasped, Lin Cheng and Li Ping staring in disbelief.

“Brother Biwu?”

“Old Sun?”

Their cries of surprise finally jogged Rhine’s memory. This was the Yan City “Peril” level ability user he had glimpsed atop the Furnace earlier.

But why… was he here… like this?

And covered in blood, as if he had been tortured.

The atmosphere became strangely tense.

Meanwhile, the spatial rift remained open. As everyone’s attention was focused on the unconscious Sun Biwu, a small figure appeared at the edge of the rift.

A bandaged arm reached out, followed by a head of icy blue hair.

And then, everyone looked back at the spatial rift.

And what they saw… defied all logic.

A small girl, using her hands, squeezed herself out of the spatial rift.

The bandaged girl “jumped” through the rift with some difficulty, and as her feet touched the ground, the rift closed.

“Phew…”

Luo Yan breathed a sigh of relief, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, although there was no sweat.

Traveling through the void wasn’t easy, especially while carrying an injured old man…

Thinking of this, Luo Yan felt a pang of guilt.

The spatial fragments surrounding her had become even more chaotic and powerful within the void.

They had instantly covered Sun Biwu in wounds.

Fortunately, Luo Yan had figured out how to partially control the fragments, preventing any fatal injuries.

Although he looked gruesome, the wounds were superficial, not even reaching his muscles.

To prevent further injury, Luo Yan had quickly reached the corresponding void location outside the Furnace and opened another rift, pushing Sun Biwu through.

And so, this scene had unfolded before the Furnace.

However, because the rift had been too high, Luo Yan had to scramble out, using both hands and feet.

As for reopening it…

It was too troublesome. The void coordinates were constantly shifting; closing this rift and reopening it at the same location would take time.

Therefore, Luo Yan had appeared before everyone in a rather undignified manner.

And having just emerged from the terrifying void, her mind was still slightly disoriented.

Seeing the blood-soaked Sun Biwu lying on the ground, Luo Yan rushed over and helped him up, completely oblivious to the crowd around her.

“I’m sorry, old man…”

Luo Yan murmured, then instinctively tried to use her ability to ease his pain.

Although rewriting souls and consciousness couldn’t heal physical injuries, it could block the pain and heal spiritual damage.

But the ability she instinctively used wasn’t “Envy.”

It was “End.”

A small spatial rift formed in her hand, like a sharp blade capable of cutting through anything.

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 74 – The “Ember”… Doesn’t Erupt

Just as the pulse cannon barrage ended and the force field deactivated, the sandstorm intensified, its fury unleashed as it surged towards the Ember Furnace.

At the same time, the Dawn suicide squad engaged the Yan City forces sent to intercept them.

Invisible spiritual flames burned around the seventeen figures standing on the precipice, their final gambit.

“They’ve broken through,” Lin Cheng’s muffled voice echoed from within his heavy armor, tinged with exhaustion.

Even with the “Ember’s” support, controlling such heavy armor was physically and mentally taxing.

And his opponents weren’t the mindless calamity monsters from the pioneering days, but Dawn’s elite.

After being initially caught off guard, Dawn had quickly regrouped and launched a counteroffensive.

“Expected… Our hastily assembled defenses couldn’t stop them…”

Li Ping’s condition was even worse. He was covered in wounds, his sword arm hanging limply, traces of destructive spiritual energy lingering on it.

He could exploit openings, assassinating isolated Dawn members, but each attack left him vulnerable.

Although few in Dawn could match his and Lin Cheng’s combat experience, they were still seasoned veterans.

Li Ping had fallen for several traps, lured by feigned weaknesses, and the resulting counterattacks had taken their toll.

He had only managed a few hasty bandages while Dawn’s force field was active, a meager comfort.

Almost all healing ability users were at the hospital, tending to the wounded. Yan City couldn’t afford dedicated healers on the battlefield, not during such a high-casualty engagement.

Of course, for Lin Cheng and Li Ping, this was nothing new; they had experienced far worse during the pioneering days.

But now…

“The pulse cannons need to cool down, they’re already overloaded,” Lin Cheng received the message from the Pulse Cannon Battalion and shook his head. “Other units are on their way, but it seems they won’t arrive in time…”

“And more importantly, our forces can’t get through.”

Li Ping stared at the figures ahead, the Dawn suicide squad holding back the Yan City forces.

They, like Li Ping and Lin Cheng, had ignited their spiritual energy.

But unlike them… they didn’t have the “Ember” to replenish it.

Igniting their spiritual energy meant death.

But they were prepared to die… Their only wish was to delay Yan City’s advance.

Even as enemies, Li Ping and Lin Cheng couldn’t help but be moved by their sacrifice, a sense of helplessness washing over them.

Yan City had done everything they could… even more.

But Dawn’s strength wasn’t just their power; their conviction was just as strong as Yan City’s.

Even after suffering over thirty percent casualties, they hadn’t wavered.

Yan City, fighting with the “Ember” and their defenses, hadn’t even lost twenty percent.

Of course, such comparisons were meaningless; each number represented a life. But it still showed Dawn’s resilience.

This resilience came from “Mister.” Without him… Dawn wouldn’t be Dawn, not the Dawn of today.

This was why Rhine, knowing this costly operation was just to retrieve a corpse, still felt it was worth it.

If the world knew that Dawn’s revered Eldest Mister was being used as a weapon by the Free Federation, and Dawn did nothing… what would happen?

The consequences would be severe, the worst-case scenario being Dawn’s complete collapse.

Some would join other factions, some would become refugees, and others… would become even more extreme, their hatred for the world amplified.

Although this operation was born of necessity, it also had a deeper meaning.

The raging sandstorm, as it advanced, gradually shrunk, but it was still unstoppable by Yan City’s defenses.

Their meticulously crafted second line of defense was like paper before this force of nature.

Their only chance was to attack Dawn from the flanks or the rear, to slow their advance.

But the Dawn suicide squad had blocked this possibility, sacrificing their lives to hold back Yan City’s forces.

A “Peril” level ability user’s resolve, when facing death, was terrifying.

And there were three “Peril” level ability users among the suicide squad.

Having ignited their spiritual energy, their combined power far surpassed even Lin Cheng and Li Ping’s.

And their objective wasn’t to eliminate Yan City’s forces, but to protect Dawn’s advance.

Defense was easier than offense, and Yan City’s hasty attacks were easily repelled. Even the pulse cannons, firing at overload, couldn’t breach their lines.

One after another, the members of the suicide squad fell, but the remaining few held their ground, unyielding.

From above, a straight line could be seen rapidly approaching the Ember Furnace in the core district.

Explosions and bursts of spiritual energy erupted along its path, but none could touch it, not even close.

But sometimes… close wasn’t enough.

Finally, eight hours after the war began, five and a half hours after the first line of defense fell, half an hour after the second line was breached, and an hour before the first large-scale reinforcements arrived, Dawn reached their destination.

Yan City’s Ember Furnace.

Having exhausted the swirling air currents that fueled it, the massive sandstorm stopped before the Furnace and dissipated.

Only a path of destruction, cutting through Yan City’s core district, remained.

Dawn had started this operation with ninety-seven “Ruin” level ability users and twelve “Peril” level ability users, including Rhine.

Now, only sixty-one exhausted “Ruin” level and eight “Peril” level ability users remained.

They had paid a heavy price, just to reach their destination.

Rhine looked up at the Ember Furnace.

A frail figure atop the Furnace also looked at Rhine. Sun Biwu, Yan City’s only remaining “Peril” level ability user, had locked onto his aura.

“Farewell… Brother Biwu,” Li Ping’s voice, filled with suppressed grief, came through the communicator. A rare smile appeared on Sun Biwu’s usually stoic face, and he turned and jumped into the Ember Furnace.

…

Since the beginning of the war, Sun Biwu had remained here, prepared.

And when Rhine decided to reveal himself, using his ability to force their way to the Ember Furnace, Sun Biwu only had one objective.

—To kill Rhine.

Even if he couldn’t kill him, he had to inflict a crippling injury.

As he jumped into the Ember Furnace, Sun Biwu had thought he would only feel relief, his decades of torment finally ending.

But as his consciousness faded, perhaps influenced by some ability, memories of the pioneering days flooded his mind.

He felt… a pang of regret…

Feeling the scorching heat of the surging spiritual energy, Sun Biwu closed his eyes slowly, his consciousness merging with the Ember Furnace.

The endless energy almost shattered his mind, but his “Peril” level mental fortitude allowed him to withstand it, giving him a chance to directly control the “Ember’s” eruption with his will.

Rhine’s spiritual energy signature had already been locked on; the surging tide of energy was about to be unleashed.

But just then, Sun Biwu saw a figure appear in his chaotic mind, as if out of nowhere.

No, was it really in his mind…?

Could it be… inside the Ember Furnace?!

An intruder!

A small, icy-blue figure flickered past, its movements impossibly swift, like a fleeting illusion.

This momentary distraction caused him to miss his chance to unleash the “Ember’s” eruption on Rhine.

“No…”

Sun Biwu tried to focus, but he couldn’t, his consciousness being consumed by the raging spiritual energy…

He fell into a bottomless darkness.

“Huh?”

Luo Yan, just awakened, saw an old man falling from somewhere.

Startled, she instinctively used her ability to save him, seemingly attempting suicide.

However, the ability she instinctively used wasn’t “Envy,” but “End.”

A spatial rift opened, swallowing Sun Biwu.

Less than a second later, another rift opened in a safe location, and Sun Biwu was ejected.

“…”

Luo Yan was momentarily confused, then, seeing the bandages covering her body, she realized what had happened.

“Damn it, I almost caused a disaster!”

Luo Yan slapped her forehead. She had forgotten about switching bodies!

This was “End,” a Space-type ability, a single uncontrolled outburst capable of collapsing District Two!

Fortunately, even subconsciously, Luo Yan seemed to be quite skilled in using “End,” especially for rescuing people.

However, Sun Biwu was now unconscious, lying motionless on the ground.

Luo Yan cautiously approached, checking his breathing before sighing in relief.

“Good, good, he’s still alive…”

She patted her chest, her control over this body improving.

It seemed One had planned this. Before her consciousness faded, she had prepared her body.

No chaotic memories, no stiffness or awkward movements.

Luo Yan flexed her arms; it felt like her own body.

But it was still strange…

Perhaps influenced by One, Luo Yan’s emotions were more pronounced. Even with her face covered in bandages, a hint of confusion could be seen in her one visible eye.

What was One planning?

Why had she deliberately isolated her original body, leaving this one for Luo Yan to use?

Perhaps the urgency of the situation hadn’t allowed One to explain, but this was clearly a deliberate arrangement.

“Right, where am I…?”

Luo Yan stood up and looked around.

She was in a sealed, empty space, surrounded by flickering flames, an unbearable heat.

And this heat was strangely… seeping into her spiritual energy, threatening to ignite it.

But One’s body wasn’t so easily ignited. She had been a “Destruction” level ability user, one of the strongest.

Even after death, her body’s power, although diminished, wasn’t so easily affected.

Therefore, Luo Yan only felt a slight warmth, nothing more.

However, just because she was fine didn’t mean Sun Biwu was.

Luo Yan could see that, perhaps due to this space, the old man’s spiritual energy was burning.

“But how do I get out of here…?” Luo Yan frowned.

Even if not for herself, for the old man’s sake, she had to find a way out quickly.

And the war between Yan City and Dawn was still raging; more lives were being lost with each passing moment.

If Luo Yan appeared now, in One’s form, she could stop this meaningless war.

But after searching for a while, she couldn’t find an exit.

The space was like an empty, unrendered world, only the flickering spiritual flames.

Just as Luo Yan was starting to panic, a few faint spatial rifts flickered around her.

“Wait…”

Luo Yan suddenly recalled how she had instinctively used “End” to save the falling Sun Biwu.

“End” was a Space-type ability, but Luo Yan hadn’t seen any related information (Yan City had practically none), so she didn’t know its true power.

The only time she had seen “End” unleashed was when she killed the “Witch of Envy’s” will fragment… Its terrifying power, not even a spiritual form could escape.

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 73 – Those Who Embrace Death

A massive sandstorm raged through Yan City’s core district, its towering skyscrapers offering little resistance as it headed towards the Ember Furnace at the city’s heart.

Everything in its path was relentlessly destroyed.

Fortunately, Yan City had its wartime command center. The moment the sandstorm appeared, civilian evacuations began.

Although some, too close to the storm, couldn’t escape, most were safely evacuated.

Dawn tried to avoid civilian casualties when possible, but not at the cost of their mission.

And now…

Yan City’s remaining strongest combatants were gathered here, prepared for a desperate last stand.

The twenty or so “Ruin” level ability users were divided into small teams, protecting the deployment of the pulse cannon battalions.

And Li Ping and Lin Cheng, burning their life force to ignite their spiritual energy, had taken that monumental step.

Although their power would greatly diminish afterward, their aged bodies at risk…

They stood firm, without hesitation.

Because… they were the fathers.

Yan City had no gods, only those they revered.

They revered the forefathers who had bravely pioneered this land, who had never retreated, even when the path ahead was uncertain.

Li Ping held his sword in one hand, his wrinkled face seemingly rejuvenated by the burning spiritual energy, his gray hair darkening, a hint of his younger self returning.

Lin Cheng stood beside him, wielding a massive two-handed sword, his heavy armor clanking with each step, the ground trembling beneath his feet.

Although both had been taught by the Sword Saint Sect Master, their fighting styles were different.

However, having fought together for many years, their coordination was impeccable.

“Yan City might fall, but not… today,” Li Ping whispered, his figure blurring as he charged towards a Dawn team that had split off to attack their flank.

Lin Cheng, clad in heavy armor, charged into Dawn’s formation like a fortress, trying to break their ranks.

At the same time, another surge of energy, though less intense than before, emanated from the Ember Furnace, the Eldest Mister’s aura.

“Damn it…”

Rhine’s expression darkened.

He had anticipated Yan City’s ambush, but they had practically staked everything here, and now, another surge of the Eldest Mister’s aura…

Yan City’s intentions were clear.

They were stalling them, planning to use the Eldest Mister’s remains!

After calming down earlier, Rhine had realized that Yan City wasn’t likely to sacrifice tens of thousands of lives in the core district just to stop Dawn.

It would be an act of madness, something only a Primordial Demon would do.

However, the Eldest Mister’s aura was undeniable. It could only appear if the “Ice Coffin” was opened.

All signs pointed to Yan City still planning to use the “Ice Coffin Weapon.”

Perhaps… they had found a way to control the Eldest Mister’s power, to contain the “End” ability within a limited area.

Although his anger and hatred intensified, Rhine made a decision.

“Don’t engage, advance quickly!”

If they could reach the Ember Furnace before it happened… whatever Yan City was planning would be futile.

More and more of Yan City’s forces were converging here; both sides knew this was the decisive battleground.

Lin Cheng and Li Ping, with their impeccable teamwork, held off several Dawn teams.

Lin Cheng, in his heavy armor, wasn’t agile, but the powerful defensive runes inscribed on his armor, combined with his massive two-handed sword, made him an unstoppable force. No one in Dawn’s ranks dared to face him directly.

Of course, if that was all he had, he would be just a slow-moving target.

But… there was also Li Ping.

Li Ping’s swordsmanship was similar to Qin Wen’s, an assassination style known for its swift, deadly strikes.

The difference was that Qin Wen could use her ability to attack from multiple directions and locations simultaneously, while Li Ping only had a single sword.

However… a single sword was enough.

In terms of single-target assassination, Li Ping was now even stronger than Qin Wen. He couldn’t attack multiple targets at once, but each flash of his blade would take down a “Ruin” level Dawn member.

As Lin Cheng broke through their formations, Li Ping weaved through the battlefield like a venomous snake.

Any Dawn member caught out of position… would be instantly killed by his blade.

To defend against Li Ping’s assassination technique, they had to stay close together.

But then, it was Lin Cheng’s turn to shine.

With the two veterans’ teamwork, two Dawn teams were forced to retreat, and two more were deployed to stop them.

However… this meant Dawn couldn’t defend their left flank, and the Pulse Cannon Battalion quickly finished their deployment.

Dozens of pulse cannons, imported from “Noah,” were set up on rooftops about a kilometer away, aimed at the Dawn teams advancing behind the sandstorm.

“Fire!”

Blazing blue flames erupted from the muzzles of the pulse cannons, powered by the “Ember,” their “Ruin” level spiritual pressure spreading.

Each cannon’s destructive power was equivalent to a full-powered attack from a “Ruin” level ability user.

At the same time, the Yan City ability user teams, having received the order to fire, immediately retreated, and the blood-soaked Lin Cheng and Li Ping also withdrew from the battlefield.

A barrage of pulse fire rained down on the Dawn teams.

Alyxsia immediately activated her force field shield, one of the few pieces of equipment she had left after her failed attack on the southwestern front line.

Her ability was to control electricity with incredible precision, even manipulating electromagnetic fields at a microscopic level.

This ability wasn’t particularly strong in direct combat, but it gave her an unparalleled advantage in creating machinery.

And within Dawn, with Mister’s guidance, she had access to valuable information from the Old Era, even more complete than “Noah’s” archives.

That’s why Alyxsia, at such a young age, had become one of Dawn’s top ten Cadres. The mechanical weapons she created were unmatched, even by “Noah.”

And this force field shield, created by Alyxsia, could easily withstand the “Ruin” level pulse fire.

But… maintaining the shield required spiritual energy.

Dawn didn’t have Yan City’s “Ember” to draw upon; the shield could only temporarily delay their advance.

The pulse fire, powered by the “Ember,” seemed endless, barrage after barrage crashing against the force field.

Alyxsia’s spiritual energy rapidly depleted, her face pale.

Just then, several anxious voices echoed.

“Alyxsia! Deactivate the shield, we have to counterattack!”

“Are we just going to sit here and take it? Abandon our fallen comrades?!”

“Cheng Xi, Seville, Wells… they all died at the hands of these Free Federation bastards…”

“But, but…”

Alyxsia hesitated, looking at the Dawn members around her, their eyes red and filled with rage.

Yan City’s ambush had been effective, especially with Li Ping and Lin Cheng’s teamwork, and Dawn had suffered heavy losses.

They wanted revenge, but Alyxsia had trapped them behind the shield.

“I…”

Alyxsia’s hand trembled as she held the shield’s control switch.

Her earlier defeat against Luo Yan had shaken her confidence, and now, facing her comrades’ accusations, she couldn’t think clearly.

Just then, Rhine patted her shoulder and said,

“Everyone, calm down.”

Grifres immediately unleashed a calming wave of spiritual energy. Although he specialized in offensive mind-related abilities, such subtle control was still within his capabilities.

“What’s our current situation?” Rhine asked after everyone calmed down. “How many injured, how many dead?”

“…Twelve comrades died in the interception battle, and over thirty are seriously injured,” Grifres reported.

These were the casualties since the start of the operation. Combined with the losses at the first and second lines of defense, Dawn’s total casualties were now over twenty-five percent.

And these losses were almost equal to their total losses during the Colonna war, yet they hadn’t even reached Yan City’s “Ember Furnace.”

Yan City’s weapons and defenses were stronger than Colonna’s, and their army, having only recently finished pioneering the city, was still a formidable force.

And the initial defeat at the first line of defense had been a major setback.

“My older brothers… they always said I was too soft, too sentimental,” Rhine whispered. “They said it was a good quality, but sometimes… not so good…

“Like… in war.

“That’s why I’m not as good as them, I’ll never catch up.”

Rhine sighed, his gaze sweeping over the Dawn members.

Their faces were etched with exhaustion and grief.

The rumbling of the pulse cannons continued, but within the force field shield, an eerie silence fell.

“To bring the Eldest Mister home, we’ve paid a heavy price, and so has Yan City,” Rhine whispered. “Was it… worth it? I often ask myself this…”

The Dawn members hesitated, but remained silent.

Dawn was united by the Misters, a family formed by them.

The Misters were the parents, and they were the children, even though these children had grown up.

“I think… perhaps it wasn’t worth it… so many lives… just for…”

Rhine chuckled self-deprecatingly, then looked towards the Ember Furnace.

“But that’s not how it works… We are Dawn, and Dawn cannot exist without the Misters. Without them, we wouldn’t survive in the New Era.”

Rhine pointed towards the Ember Furnace, or rather, towards the Eldest Mister’s aura.

“Dawn cannot tolerate… cannot accept… that our patriarch’s remains are being used as a ‘weapon’ by outsiders. It’s an unimaginable disgrace.

“We… will not allow it.”

Rhine’s gaze hardened. He wondered what his two older brothers would do in this situation.

What should he do?

The answer was…

“Those who embrace death, step forward,” Rhine whispered.

Indeed, the fastest way to break through Yan City’s defenses was…

A suicidal charge.

Yan City was using suicidal tactics to delay them.

Dawn could only break free by doing the same.

After a brief silence, several figures stepped forward.

“I’m old, not much potential left, I never expected to return anyway…”

“Nonsense, you’re twenty years younger than me! I’m the old one!”

“Heh, stop arguing, we’re all old bones, just giving the youngsters a chance.”

Indeed, all the Dawn members who stepped forward were the older “brothers” in the team.

Or rather, those who appeared older.

Spiritual energy could slow down the aging process, the stronger the energy, the more significant the effect.

A one hundred and twenty-year-old “Peril” level ability user, compared to an eighty-year-old “Ruin” level ability user, would appear much younger, both physically and in terms of vitality.

And most of those who stepped forward were Dawn members nearing the end of their lifespans.

“The rest of you, continue the advance,” Rhine whispered, then turned to those who had volunteered to die. “I… will mourn for you.”

Time was of the essence; there was no time for sentimentality.

The other Dawn members watched silently as those who embraced death formed an assault formation, facing Yan City.

Rhine took a deep breath, then looked at the still-dazed Alyxsia.

“Deactivate the force field.”

“Huh?” Alyxsia looked up. “I can still hold on for a while…”

“Save your strength for the next fight,” Rhine ruffled her hair, accidentally undoing her twintails. “Oops, sorry…”

He smiled wryly, then his expression turned serious.

He channeled his spiritual energy, guiding the raging sandstorm, slowly advancing.

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 72 – A Twisted Truth

“A futile struggle.”

“Qin Wen,” her lips curled into a cold, seductive smile, watched the writhing, entangled crimson tentacles.

She stood near the Ember Furnace, a hair’s breadth from Sun Biwu, yet he was completely oblivious to her presence.

No one, not even the patrolling guards, could see the tentacles.

Even when a stray tentacle almost brushed against a guard, they remained unaware of the danger.

However, no one was injured in this silent struggle.

Because at least half of the tentacles were fighting against the other half, desperately preventing them from attacking.

“Qin Wen’s” crimson eyes, hidden beneath her bangs, glinted coldly.

“But I have to admit… quite resilient, worthy of being descendants of those God’s Chosen… A bit troublesome to assimilate.”

Qin Wen’s soul and consciousness had been overwritten by the “Witch of Envy.” The “Fear” mark Luo Yan had planted allowed for only a temporary escape, not a complete severing of the connection.

When Luo Yan’s consciousness returned to the real world, the “Witch of Envy” had glanced at Qin Wen, instantly rewriting her mind.

But… unlike Frick, this rewriting wasn’t complete.

Not because Qin Wen was stronger than Frick, but because Frick had already stolen the power of “Envy” before being targeted, a dangerous power directly from the Witch.

The “Witch of Envy” hadn’t needed much effort; a single glance had shattered Frick’s mind, turning him into a true servant.

But Qin Wen was different. She hadn’t touched any demonic power and carried Luo Yan’s “Fear” mark.

And… Qin Wen hadn’t given up, even after being infected.

Therefore, even the “Witch of Envy’s” will fragment couldn’t completely control her.

To resist, Qin Wen had even relinquished control of her body, focusing all her remaining consciousness on the crimson tentacles, trying to restrain the “Witch of Envy.”

The Witch wanted to assimilate the Ember Furnace, to claim its endless energy, but Qin Wen’s resistance prevented her.

However… she was patient.

She had always been patient, just like back then, patiently waiting for the God’s Chosen to break.

And assimilating the Furnace was just a whim; the more important task… had already been completed.

Within the Wall of Resentment, the Ice Coffin in the small room was gone.

And her visit to the Ember Furnace had simply been out of curiosity, sensing the fading aura of “Greed.”

“Now, the ‘Eye of Malice’ is in my grasp… My return… is only a matter of time.”

“Qin Wen” sneered, looking towards the distance, the intense clash of esper abilities sending powerful energy fluctuations, the brutality of the battle palpable even from afar.

“These insignificant humans… still engaging in their meaningless squabbles… after all these years… nothing has changed…”

Sensing her connection to the real world strengthening, she smiled.

…

When… had she fallen asleep again?

Luo Yan opened her eyes, or at least she thought she did.

But she was surrounded by an absolute darkness, nothing visible.

And a terrifying silence, not a single sound.

“The Void…?”

This time, Luo Yan quickly regained her senses, the memories of her recent experiences vivid in her mind.

Including her conversation with One in the void, and the truth she had glimpsed through Nine’s final act at the Ember Furnace.

However…

Luo Yan looked around. There was no one beside her, no childish yet ancient voice whispering in her ear.

“It seems… One has truly left…”

A sense of loss washed over Luo Yan as she recalled their conversation.

But she had obtained the answers she sought.

“Gods…?”

She had read about “gods” in the files (meaning novels) in Yan City, but she hadn’t thought such lofty beings had anything to do with her.

She was just an ordinary person, with a… special ability.

However, one thing was certain: “Luo Yan” and Absolute Death had sacrificed themselves to create her.

That’s why Luo Yan possessed “Luo Yan’s” life force and Absolute Death’s appearance.

Everyone who found her familiar had met either Absolute Death or “Luo Yan.”

Their confusion stemmed from Luo Yan embodying both, making her a mystery.

And just now…

Recalling Nine’s shocked expression upon seeing her, Luo Yan sighed softly.

“To see his sister again in his final moments… Nine must have been very happy.”

Luo Yan now realized that she had gone to the Ember Furnace in One’s body.

One’s body had been on the verge of losing control before being sealed in the Ice Coffin. The long years of confinement had only delayed the inevitable, not reversed it.

That’s why Luo Yan had seen those chaotic, fragmented images and memories, all buried deep within One’s mind.

One’s consciousness had briefly surfaced, uttering a final word to the dying Nine, then vanished completely.

This wasn’t surprising. Having been trapped in the void for so long, One’s consciousness had been fading.

And returning to her body, the rampaging “End” power, had accelerated the process.

Being able to speak at all was because Luo Yan’s consciousness had been controlling that out-of-control body, a body that was now just a “weapon.”

Now, everything was finally over…

No, not yet.

Luo Yan’s expression turned serious, the clues she had gathered connecting in her mind.

“One is Yan City’s ‘Ice Coffin Weapon’… but she’s also Dawn’s First Mister.”

Luo Yan’s strongest impression of Dawn was their treatment of their members, like family.

Besides Mister, the only Dawn member she knew was Grifres, whom she had met in “Ghost Town.”

He had been there to rescue Ling Qi.

And now it seemed that even for a “Calamity” level member trapped in “Ghost Town,” they wouldn’t hesitate to send two Cadres…

Although it was likely a convenient side quest, it still showed Dawn’s care and concern for their members.

Let alone… this was a Mister’s remains. If they learned that One was in Yan City’s hands, being used as an “Ice Coffin Weapon”…

Dawn’s reason for starting this war was clear.

Luo Yan recalled Mister’s words during their walk in the rain.

“Perhaps… I understand now,” Luo Yan sighed. “Should this be attributed to fate… or destiny…?”

One hadn’t minded being used as a weapon; she had even been grateful to be able to protect a city, even in death.

Nine felt the same. This was the mindset of those who had lived through the harsh early days of the New Era.

Everything… was for humanity’s survival.

But the current world couldn’t tolerate such naive ideals.

“But perhaps… I can stop Dawn…”

Luo Yan thought, restless.

She had seen the devastation in Yan City, the countless innocent lives lost.

And even now, more lives were being lost in Dawn’s relentless attack.

This wasn’t about taking sides. Even though she was indebted to One and Nine, Luo Yan couldn’t condone their organization taking innocent lives, regardless of their reasons.

But… there was another, more pressing issue.

“How do I get out of here?”

In this empty void, Luo Yan could only sense her own consciousness, nothing else.

She couldn’t even sense her own body, as if it were separated from her by some barrier.

Wait, what if it wasn’t her body?

Luo Yan suddenly realized that when she entered the void, she had been using One’s body.

“If it’s One’s…”

Luo Yan pictured One, her final, relieved smile as she rushed towards her.

As this image appeared in her mind, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and images flashed through her mind, gradually shifting to One’s perspective.

From One’s perspective, she saw her own panicked expression.

…Seeing herself from this perspective was strange.

But just then, Luo Yan finally sensed a connection between her soul and consciousness, a faint link to somewhere distant.

It seemed she just had to… reach out… and she could leave this void.

“Did I… succeed…?”

As this thought crossed her mind, Luo Yan’s consciousness faded once more.

…

A silent march.

After their tears and mourning, Dawn hadn’t given up their attack.

Their resolve was strengthened, determined not only to retrieve the Eldest Mister’s remains, but also to bring Nine back to his rightful resting place.

…They deserved a proper burial, not to be used as weapons, their bodies desecrated.

While the weather conditions were still favorable, Rhine gathered the sandstorm once more, its power devastating as it advanced.

Yan City couldn’t establish an effective defense against such a powerful weather manipulation ability; all their fortifications were easily crushed.

To stop Dawn’s advance, they had to bypass the sandstorm and attack from the flanks or the rear.

However… Dawn’s forces weren’t to be trifled with. Such an interception would only delay them, at a heavy cost.

From a strategic perspective, it was a losing proposition; the cost to Yan City would far outweigh the benefits.

But…

Time was victory.

“Team Three, Team Seventeen, Team Eight, cover the Pulse Cannon Battalion, flanking from the left,” Li Ping calmly directed his teams, facing the approaching sandstorm. “City Lord Lin and I will hold the right flank and alleviate the pressure as much as possible… May our forefathers protect Yan City.”

“May our forefathers protect Yan City.”

A chorus of voices echoed from the communicators, and countless figures moved through the streets of the core district, their footsteps, although muffled by the rain, still audible in the silent night.

Dawn, composed entirely of high-level ability users, immediately detected Yan City’s movements. Two teams split off, intending to intercept the Pulse Cannon Battalion before they could set up.

However, as they approached, several Yan City ability user teams charged out, desperately holding them off.

The pulse cannons were Yan City’s main weapon against Dawn; without them, they couldn’t even hold the line, let alone stop their advance.

Even “Peril” level ability users, except for those with defense-enhancing mutations, couldn’t withstand the pulse cannons.

They could endure a few hits, but the accumulated damage would be fatal.

Dawn knew this, so as their two elite teams were stalled, another team split off to eliminate the interference.

However… how could Lin Cheng and Li Ping allow Dawn to freely reposition their forces?

Two sword beams flashed, and Lin Cheng and Li Ping, drawing upon the “Ember’s” power, ignited their spiritual energy, instantly reaching “Peril” level.

And not ordinary “Peril” level.

Lin Cheng and Li Ping had the potential to reach “Peril” level naturally, but they had suffered hidden injuries from Calamity infections during the pioneering days.

As pioneers, they lacked the resources and medicine to heal these injuries.

And by the time they had access to such resources, they were too old to progress further.

Their physical bodies had aged; they lacked the strength to reach “Peril” level.

But this didn’t mean their combat skills were inferior to “Peril” level ability users; their spiritual energy levels were simply lower.

Years of experience in the Wasteland, and the swordsmanship taught by the Sword Saint Sect Master himself, allowed them to hold their own against “Peril” level opponents, even at “Ruin” level.

And now, using the same secret technique as Sun Biwu, they had finally reached this realm.

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 71 – Specter of the Tower

Meanwhile, Lin Cheng and Li Ping, rushing towards the battlefield, stopped and looked back at the towering Ember Furnace, their pupils constricting.

“The anomaly at the Ember Furnace… has vanished,” Li Ping whispered.

Lin Cheng sighed. “It seems… Mister is gone.”

Although they couldn’t sense the aura of the “Greed” ability, the terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations had dissipated, and the Ember Furnace was calm again.

Although their reasoning was different, even incorrect on Yan City’s side, both realized that an ancient being, a witness to the New Era, had passed away.

Further confirming this…

The sandstorm in the distance gradually subsided, and various esper abilities bloomed in the air.

The resulting energy fluctuations caused the ground to tremble.

“Dawn… they must be… bidding farewell to Mister,” Lin Cheng looked up at the display of esper powers in the sky and gasped.

“Such power… and that’s just Dawn’s hastily assembled force… Even if Yan City develops for centuries, we might not be able to match them…”

“Because Dawn has been developing for centuries,” Li Ping said softly. “If Mister hadn’t been so reluctant to expand, they would be a force rivaling even the Free Federation.”

The Misters’ original intention in founding Dawn had been to provide a home for the homeless.

However, at the time, many ability users were ostracized and homeless, which was why Dawn had become such a powerful organization, composed of over eighty percent ability users.

But such a concentration of power, capable of disrupting the world order, couldn’t be dismissed as simply “a home.”

And so, Dawn became what it was now.

Ultimately, it was an irreconcilable difference in philosophy between Mister and the younger generation.

“…A long silence…”

Lin Cheng said gravely, his gaze fixed on the spot where the sandstorm had dissipated.

After the burst of esper abilities, the sandstorm didn’t reform, and the expected Dawn attack didn’t come.

“Perhaps they’re just mourning,” Li Ping touched the sword at his waist. “This is a good opportunity, it buys us some time… I’ve mobilized most of our remaining teams.”

The reason they weren’t attacking while Dawn was mourning wasn’t because Li Ping wanted to be honorable.

It was because they weren’t ready…

Launching a hasty attack against a force composed of “Peril” and “Ruin” level ability users would be suicidal.

Although Lin Cheng and Li Ping had decided to fight personally, and together, they were Yan City’s strongest conventional force besides Sun Biwu…

They alone couldn’t withstand Dawn’s assault.

They needed to gather Yan City’s forces for a decisive battle, just like Qin Wen’s earlier strategy.

Their objective wasn’t to defeat Dawn, but to delay their advance and help Sun Biwu locate their leader.

Sun Biwu was already in position at the Ember Furnace, ready to activate the “Ember’s eruption” the moment Lin Cheng and Li Ping gave the signal.

Once that happened, Dawn’s final offensive would fail.

But the cost to Yan City…

Would be heavy.

“It’s so quiet,” Lin Cheng looked up at the sky. After the torrential downpour, not a single cloud remained, revealing a rare, starry night. “It’s like… the calm before the storm.”

“Indeed,” Li Ping shrugged.

They both knew that when Dawn’s mourning ended, a fiercer attack would follow.

Although Dawn’s objective wasn’t entirely clear, judging from their movements and the direction of their attack… it was likely the “Ice Coffin Weapon.”

Dawn had launched several operations to retrieve “Ice Coffin Weapons,” even attacking mega-cities.

But those were usually small-scale operations, involving only a few ability users, or at most, one or two teams.

The last time Dawn had deployed ten teams at once was thirty years ago, during the war against “Colonna.”

Colonna’s fate was well-known, and Yan City didn’t want to share it.

“Three Disaster Response teams will arrive in ten minutes, the others are still assembling, it will take about half an hour…” Li Ping sighed. “Dawn’s multi-pronged attack has stretched our forces thin, many teams are understaffed.”

“Three hundred pulse cannon troops from the southeastern front are also on their way, and about seven hundred mobile armored soldiers from the north,” Lin Cheng shook his head, his expression grim. “That’s all we have for now. The other garrisons need to regroup.”

Li Ping was monitoring the Anomaly Management Bureau’s deployments, while Lin Cheng was in charge of the Yan City army.

“Such a small force… well, we’ll hold on as long as we can…”

Li Ping took a deep breath, his expression turning serious.

If they could just withstand this wave, Dawn’s advantage would be gone, and they might even be defeated by the incoming reinforcements.

“By the way, is Frick still refusing to help?” Lin Cheng suddenly frowned, recalling something he had overlooked. “Although he’s from ‘Noah,’ right now… a near-‘Peril’ level combatant is a valuable asset.”

Frick hadn’t been “Peril” level when he arrived in Yan City, and there were no records of his promotion.

“I don’t know, I can’t reach him,” Li Ping frowned. “The Anomaly Management Bureau headquarters in the core district has been evacuated. Could he… have been left behind?”

The Bureau headquarters, located between the first and second lines of defense, had been abandoned during the retreat.

All personnel, including the Apprehension Department, had been evacuated.

But Frick had been unreachable, even through the communication channels.

Fortunately, command of the Apprehension Department teams had been temporarily transferred to Li Ping at the start of the war; otherwise, the situation would be even worse.

“I’m not counting on Frick, he’s never been fond of Yan City,” Lin Cheng said, exasperated by these political games. “Unfortunately, our younger generation is still recovering. The younger Hua girl, the Sword Saint successor… they were both seriously injured defending the first line…”

“Careful, the energy fluctuations are back.”

Li Ping’s expression turned serious.

“Their mourning is over…”

Lin Cheng looked up.

The sandstorm, which had subsided briefly, was reforming.

Terrifying energy fluctuations, even from kilometers away, felt like a powerful gale.

Behind the forming sandstorm, dozens of silent figures advanced towards Yan City’s Ember Furnace.

And behind Lin Cheng and Li Ping, more figures gathered, Yan City mobilizing all its remaining soldiers and ability users, determined to stop Dawn.

After the brief lull following Mister’s death, the war… continued.

…

Meanwhile, near the Ember Furnace.

Sun Biwu stood atop the Furnace, his eyes closed.

Not exactly meditating, just… bored, waiting for orders.

Waiting for death was said to be agonizing, sometimes even more terrifying than death itself.

But Sun Biwu didn’t feel that way. He was numb to death, even welcoming it.

If it weren’t for protecting Yan City… he would have long since wandered into the depths of the Endless Wasteland, like countless others seeking death.

Because of…

The pain, the constant torment.

…The secret technique that had allowed a mediocre “Ruin” level ability user like him to reach “Peril” level… how could it be without a cost?

The cost was his lifespan… that was true.

But the shortened lifespan was just a side effect.

The true cost was the constant, burning pain that consumed him.

The so-called secret technique transformed his spiritual energy into a distorted form, burning it to increase his power, then replenishing it with the Ember Furnace’s endless energy.

Therefore, Sun Biwu couldn’t truly be considered a full “Peril” level combatant.

Like during the “Ghost Town” incident, although a “Peril” level ability user should have intervened, Sun Biwu’s special condition had limited him to cleaning up the battlefield.

However, the burning spiritual energy brought not only power, but also unimaginable pain.

Once activated, this technique couldn’t be stopped. Sun Biwu’s spiritual energy had been burning for decades, the torment a constant companion.

This was why, when Old Man Sword learned that Sun Biwu was still alive, even he, one of humanity’s strongest, had been shocked, even comparing him to Dawn’s last Mister.

Of course, Mister’s suffering was far greater, his very soul eroded by malice, and he had endured it for much longer.

Knowing that he would soon sacrifice his life to trigger the “Ember’s” eruption, Sun Biwu felt a sense of relief…

Decades of constant pain… would finally end.

Sun Biwu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the approaching sandstorm, sighing deeply.

For him, a dying man, this was a release.

But for the living…

It was another kind of torment.

Whether the war, or his sacrifice.

“Mister Sun Biwu?”

A soft voice suddenly echoed beside him, like a gentle breeze.

“Who?!”

Sun Biwu’s pupils constricted. He reached for his weapon and looked towards the voice.

A tall figure stood at the entrance, its face hidden in the shadows of the eaves.

A woman… who was she?

This was the Ember Furnace, the most heavily guarded location in Yan City.

And Sun Biwu, a “Peril” level ability user, hadn’t sensed her approach.

Could she be an assassin from Dawn…?

He dismissed the thought immediately.

No, a Dawn assassin wouldn’t know his name…

“It’s me.”

The figure stepped forward, out of the shadows.

The moonlight illuminated a delicate face with a faint smile, a few strands of hair obscuring her eyes, but Sun Biwu still recognized her.

“So it’s Miss Qin Wen,” Sun Biwu relaxed slightly, his hand moving away from his weapon, then he frowned. “Wait, how did you get here?”

Qin Wen was a team leader in the Apprehension Department, recovering from her injuries.

But she seemed to have fully recovered now…

Why wasn’t she on the front lines?

He alone was enough to guard the Ember Furnace; the other guards were mainly for early warning and delaying tactics until he could arrive.

There was no need to station such a valuable asset like Qin Wen here…

It was a waste.

“Me?” Qin Wen’s smile didn’t falter. “I’m just here to… visit an old friend.”

She glanced towards the interior of the Ember Furnace, her nose twitching slightly.

“Mm… that familiar scent… not much different from that ‘Greed’ fellow… To achieve this much with a mere human body… I truly underestimated him back then.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sun Biwu stared at Qin Wen, confusion in his eyes.

He didn’t understand what she meant, but he instinctively felt something was wrong…

This Miss Qin Wen… was different.

Although they had only met a few times, the Qin Wen in his memory was boisterous and straightforward, not this… feminine and seductive.

“I apologize, some things from the past… are hard to forget,” Qin Wen smiled apologetically, slightly lifting the hem of her skirt. “I’ve disturbed you, Mister Sun Biwu. I’ll be going now.”

She turned to leave.

“…Strange.”

Sun Biwu watched her go, murmuring softly, then closed his eyes again.

He didn’t see the countless crimson tentacles writhing and twisting at the base of the tower, strangely entangled and unable to reach the Ember Furnace.

Mister Zero, Her Story: Interlude – Monologue

I am the Witch of Absolute Death.

Standing before me is a human named “Luo Yan.”

She looks at me, not with hatred, but with endless sorrow.

“Why…?”

I reach out and touch her cheek, coldness and death clinging to me, revealing my true nature.

Finally, she understands…

I’ve been deceiving her all along.

Deceiving her into thinking she could save the world…

When in reality, she was destroying it.

This was a conspiracy, to make her unleash the “Malice of All Worlds.”

And I… am the architect of this conspiracy, a member of the “Malice.”

Among the ten ethereal concepts and wills, I was chosen, stealing the concept of life, becoming the first Primordial Demon to descend upon this world.

Carrying the will of the “Malice,” I, along with nine God’s Chosen, defiled the rules of the gods, dragging them down from their divine realm, turning them into tangible beings.

Only then could the “Malice of All Worlds” truly touch this earth, ending this flawed cycle, leaving behind our “bitter fruit.”

It was for this purpose that I chose her, the one who sought to save the world.

I deceived her, I tempted her, I seduced her, I used every possible method… turning humanity’s only hope into the culprit who unleashed the “Malice.”

This wicked conspiracy had finally succeeded.

But why… didn’t she hate me…?

She simply looked at me with sorrow, tears in her eyes.

“Witch of Absolute Death…”

She spoke my name, the name of one of the ten concepts of the “Malice of All Worlds,” the name that represented me.

But in her voice, I heard no resentment or accusation, only disappointment and sorrow.

Behind her stood nine frightened, young God’s Chosen.

They were meant to control the rules of the gods, but in this ritual, they were twisted by the “Malice,” transformed into demonic powers.

This also meant that the gods had fallen, the “Malice of All Worlds” successfully replacing their rules in the New Era.

But…

Why…?

A wetness on my cheek.

“Are these… tears?”

“I think… I’m crying…”

What was I hesitating for…?

What I wanted to achieve, the purpose of the “Malice of All Worlds,” the complete destruction of this era of human civilization… hadn’t I already succeeded?

Luo Yan looked at me and slowly closed her eyes, her body collapsing.

To complete this ritual, she had exhausted all her strength.

And even worse, to protect the nine God’s Chosen, who should have been annihilated at the end of the ritual, she had sacrificed her own life force.

Therefore, she was dying.

In my arms…

I held her. Although she was much taller than my physical form, I could only feel her fading soul, as light as a feather.

My vision blurred, and “tears,” unique to living beings, seemed to fill my eyes.

An indescribable feeling stirred within me, an “emotion” only living beings could experience.

No… I was the Witch of Absolute Death, I was the “Malice of All Worlds,” why would I have such a flaw…?

But now, I, possessing a life, filled with emotions, shedding tears…

Was I still the Witch of Absolute Death?

Was I still the “Malice of All Worlds”?

“Why…?”

I whispered again.

I longed for an answer, from anyone…

I needed to know… why.

Just then, a pure, silver light appeared before me.

I looked up and felt a strange familiarity in this light.

This was…

The silver light seemed to be observing me curiously, then it twisted and shifted, gradually taking on a human form.

Finally, a girl, identical to me, appeared.

Her face, even her expression, was exactly the same as mine, the only difference being her long, radiant silver hair.

And I… was shrouded in the darkness of death and despair.

She looked at me, then at Luo Yan in my arms, and tilted her head slightly.

Like a child.

No, she was a child.

The rules of the gods, fallen to earth…

“I think… perhaps you can give me the answer.”

I reached out to her, and she mimicked my gesture, extending her hand.

I took her small hand.

Cold.

And my hand… held the warmth of a living being.

…

I am called the Saint.

I led the surviving humans, wandering the Endless Wasteland, searching for hope.

And finally, I found it.

The Endless Wasteland wasn’t completely lifeless. The “Calamity Tide” hadn’t only left behind the “Malice of All Worlds” and its calamities.

Miraculously, energy nodes appeared in this world, radiating energy endlessly.

I named this unknown energy phenomenon the “Ember.”

—The kindling that ignited the New Era.

Using the “Ember,” I and my followers built a mega-city in the Endless Wasteland, based on the design of “Dawn City.”

And finally… I named it “Noah,” a word from the Old Era that meant “the last hope in the apocalypse.”

I looked down at my reflection in the clear Ember.

…Not beautiful, and a bit fierce.

I smiled, using this face that had never smiled before.

Yes… I was once the “Witch of Absolute Death,” but now, I carried Luo Yan’s life and will.

As she died in my arms, driven by human emotions, I had shared my life with her.

But her weakened soul couldn’t bear the weight of life, so I let her slumber, becoming the first Slumberer.

And now… the time had finally come. With the “Ember’s” endless energy, the Slumberer would awaken.

Within this shared life were two distinct souls.

Luo Yan’s consciousness was awakening within me. She saw me, and I saw her.

“We are different, yet the same,” Luo Yan whispered, but it seemed as if I were speaking to myself.

“We are the same, yet different,” I continued, as if echoing her words.

A brilliant silver light filled the air, pure and flawless, like the embodiment of ultimate beauty and goodness.

But we both knew that this silver light was born from a wicked transgression, a mistake we had both made.

“Promise me, Luo Yan,” I whispered.

“Tell me, Absolute Death,” she replied softly.

“Let everything… return to how it was… okay?” Tears streamed down my face, just like many years ago. “This world… and she… shouldn’t have to bear this malice…”

The silver light coalesced, faintly forming the image of an innocent girl, curiously observing the world.

“So… you’re a traitor now,” Luo Yan said, her voice as cold and indifferent as I remembered, even though we shared a life.

“I’ve always been a traitor, whether to you, to the ‘Malice of All Worlds,’ or to… her.”

The small, silver figure stood silently, seemingly both oblivious and omniscient.

“But I, too, am a traitor.”

Luo Yan smiled. It was the first time I had seen her smile, although it appeared on our shared face.

“Come, let us, for her sake, so that everything can return to how it was…”

“Betray everything.”

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 70 – Wildflower’s Fragrance

The rumbling of machinery and instruments continued, the “Ember” relentlessly releasing its endless energy.

Mister’s aged yet powerful aura was connected to the Ember, the boundless energy sustaining his failing body, keeping his spiritual energy reserves full.

Before his death, his demonic power, “Greed,” would reach its peak, but his own spiritual energy wouldn’t be enough to contain and utilize such immense power.

Therefore, he had to come to the “Ember,” the source of endless energy, to unleash his final, and strongest, “Greed.”

However, he hadn’t expected to find solace in his final, lonely journey, to witness his deepest regret finally resolved.

“Thank you…”

Mister, his voice barely a whisper, looked at the small figure before him, a faint smile on his lips.

He had always known that his sister’s death wasn’t just the end of her life, but also because her consciousness could no longer control her power.

The completely uncontrolled “End” ability, even among demonic powers, was incredibly dangerous.

That’s why she had chosen to seal herself in the “Ice Coffin,” to prevent a catastrophic disaster.

But now, after centuries, her consciousness was once again controlling her body.

And the rampaging power within wasn’t out of control. There was only one explanation.

—This “Miss Luo Yan.”

Mister stared at the faint red within the icy blue. He sensed another consciousness within this body, a consciousness that wasn’t his sister’s.

It was this consciousness that had effortlessly suppressed “End’s” rampage, allowing his sister to temporarily return.

What a “miracle”…

Although Mister had witnessed countless miracles in his long life, even his own existence was a miracle…

None compared to the wonder and emotion he felt now.

He recalled his first encounter with this mysterious girl, sitting there as if she didn’t belong to this world.

A lingering silver light had enveloped her, a gentle observer on the edge of reality.

Just then, Luo Yan’s consciousness returned, the confusion in her eyes fading.

She heard Mister’s faint words of gratitude and looked up at the tall, hunched figure, her voice filled with confusion.

“How…?”

She should have been talking to One in the consciousness space…

What had One done…?

Something was surfacing in her mind, the image of a small figure rushing towards her.

Right… One had said she would give her life to her…

“Miss Luo Yan,” Mister’s raspy voice interrupted her confused thoughts. “We meet again.”

Luo Yan shook her head, her gaze focusing on the elderly figure.

She immediately recognized him.

“Ah, Nine…”

Even in her current confused state, Luo Yan could tell that something was wrong with Mister.

“I didn’t expect you to remember your promise to this old man…”

Mister tried to smile, but he couldn’t.

A thick deathly aura enveloped him, a chilling silence spreading.

His thousand-year life was nearing its end, even the world seemed to mourn for him.

Luo Yan was silent for a moment, then she raised her hand, as if trying to grasp something.

But in the end, she lowered it.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I’ll stay here with you, Nine. You can… go in peace.”

“Thank you…”

He had said those words countless times, but Mister knew that these empty words couldn’t express the gratitude he felt for this precious gift in his final moments.

So…

“I said before, I have a gift for you,” Mister whispered. “I was planning to have my juniors deliver it after my death… but now, I can give it to you myself.”

“What?”

Luo Yan tilted her head, a habitual gesture of this body, but she didn’t understand.

“The truth.”

Mister raised his hand, a faint glimmer in his grasp.

The glimmer intensified, filling the Ember Furnace, avoiding only Luo Yan.

And Mister’s dying aura reached its peak.

At that moment, the most powerful demonic power ever wielded by a human descended.

Yet, it was silent, the spiritual energy fluctuations barely noticeable.

This was…

—”Greed.”

The power that had sustained Mister’s life for a millennium, the source of his torment and endless loneliness, the culprit behind all his suffering…

Was now unleashed.

The shimmering light filling the room drew upon the “Ember’s” energy, its insatiable craving reaching towards a specific moment in history.

Piercing through the layers of mist, reaching the single, hidden truth.

The truth Mister had sought for countless years, the truth he had guarded for centuries, was now within reach.

But he couldn’t hold on any longer; his flame had been extinguished.

His eyes couldn’t see the truth; his life had reached its end.

“The flowers have withered, yet their fragrance lingers…”

Mister’s nose twitched, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening slightly.

Ripples appeared in the shimmering light, gradually forming a beautiful image.

A few resilient wildflowers stood tall in the wind, the swirling debris unable to harm them.

Several familiar figures stood beside the flowers, admiring their beauty.

It was a heartwarming scene from the Endless Wasteland, a memory etched deep within Mister’s heart.

His clouded gaze looked towards the distance, seemingly seeing those figures, squatting and standing, looking back at him.

Gazes transcending time and space, meeting in this moment.

Mister smiled faintly, his hunched figure straightening slightly, his arms opening.

“Ah… I see them… my brothers… they’ve come for me…”

The image in the shimmering light dissipated, and Mister closed his eyes slowly, his aged body turning to ash, vanishing without a trace.

In his final moments, he hadn’t chosen to see the truth for himself, but to relive a cherished memory, then finally… let go.

A meteor streaked across the vast starry sky, a howling wind rising, even the heavens and earth seemed to mourn the passing of this life, filled with age and sorrow.

“Rest well, Nine,” Luo Yan whispered, tears streaming down her face as she watched Mister vanish.

Such a scene would move anyone.

However, the shimmering light didn’t dissipate with Mister’s passing. Instead, after a moment of distortion, another image appeared.

“Absolute Death.”

An unfamiliar voice echoed, yet it stirred something deep within Luo Yan’s memory.

She looked and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure standing before her, its back to her.

“Promise me… will you?”

Another, darker figure gradually materialized.

“Yes.”

The silent figure slowly turned and approached Luo Yan.

The figure from her dreams, now walking towards her calmly, its face familiar yet strange.

In the distance, the dark-haired girl, identical to her, stood motionless, watching.

“You are my mistake…”

The figure from her dreams squatted down slightly, as if speaking to Luo Yan, but its eyes were vacant.

“I… defied the rules… caused the gods to fall… unleashed the ‘Malice of All Worlds’.”

The dark-haired girl in the distance continued,

“I… deceived all beings… allowed the demons to manifest… brought suffering to the world.”

They whispered in unison,

“It was our shared transgression… that brought about your birth…”

“To atone for our mistake… we are willing to sacrifice everything, betray everything, and be exiled with you to the endless void…”

The two figures merged into one, standing before Luo Yan.

“And if we fail… we will use our lives to bind you… ‘Malicious God,’ slumber eternally with the ‘Malice of All Worlds’…”

“This is… our final defiance.”

The shimmering light dissipated, leaving only silence within the empty Ember Furnace.

Only the still-burning “Ember” silently witnessed it all.

…

“The unusual energy fluctuation has dissipated.”

Grifres immediately sensed the end of the anomaly in Yan City’s core district, but when he looked at Rhine, he saw the large man weeping.

“Mister… has fallen…”

His voice was filled with grief and sorrow.

Rhine’s senses were sharper. Besides the dissipation of the unfamiliar energy fluctuation, he also sensed another aura.

The power of “Greed.”

Although faint, Rhine recognized it, realizing that Mister was dying.

Having followed Mister for over a hundred years, Rhine knew that his frail body couldn’t withstand another use of his ability.

This last release of his power… was his final act.

But Rhine hadn’t expected Mister to go so abruptly…

Without even saying goodbye.

Perhaps… Mister resented them, resented the current Dawn.

Rhine had always known what Mister was thinking, what he wanted.

His two older brothers knew as well.

But they had remained silent.

Because Mister’s vision was too broad, he saw too far.

He wasn’t limited to Dawn; he was humanity’s Mister.

But… Dawn was just Dawn, not all of humanity.

And the current world, having fully entered the New Era, couldn’t support a Dawn that encompassed all of humanity.

Dawn could only be Dawn. If it lost its cohesion… it would be quickly devoured by other factions, not even a banner remaining.

A massive organization composed of over eighty percent ability users was a force to be reckoned with, even the Free Federation, composed of seventy percent of the mega-cities, couldn’t ignore them.

Only by staying together could they be “Dawn,” could they maintain their place in this world.

However, when the nine Misters founded “Dawn,” when they gathered all the displaced ability users, they had only wanted to create a warm home for those who suffered, a place where they could live better lives.

They had built a home, not a powerful organization.

But once this home grew, it became a powerful force.

All the Misters, including Nine, didn’t understand this, or rather, they did understand, but they didn’t want to see Dawn become this.

So, they remained silent, until the very end.

Just like Mister had said, he was a ghost from humanity’s dark age, lingering in the present, yet helpless.

But he was still Mister, the one who had built a home called “Dawn” for the ostracized ability users in the Endless Wasteland, the one who had sheltered them through the long winter.

And for his passing, these children, now grown, wept.

Rhine didn’t hide his tears; all the Dawn members present saw them, heard his cries.

An era had ended.

Sorrow filled the air, and all Dawn members stopped.

The raging sandstorm gradually subsided, and the Dawn members, ready to attack, stood motionless, looking towards the “Ember Furnace” in the distance, seemingly nestled among the stars.

The spiritual energy fluctuations from Mister’s “Greed” faintly reached them.

“Fall in! Attention!”

Rhine’s voice, filled with suppressed grief, boomed.

The Dawn members silently formed ranks, as they always did during drills.

Tears streamed down their faces, but their grips on their weapons were firm.

“A farewell… for Mister!”

Each word was heavy with sorrow.

Rhine clenched his fist, a gale gathering around him.

All Dawn members channeled their abilities, holding them back, ready to unleash them.

The energy fluctuations from “Greed” grew weaker and weaker, until finally, they vanished completely.

This meant that Mister had finally reached his destination, the ticket in his hand finally used, boarding the train of death that carried countless souls.

“Farewell… Mister Nine,” Rhine whispered, as if not wanting to disturb his final rest.

The gale howled and dissipated into the sky, and countless esper abilities bloomed in mid-air, a final farewell to Dawn’s last elder.

Somewhere in Yan City’s District Three, a figure in white witnessed this scene, looking up at the passing meteor, and whispered,

“Dawn’s Mister Nine, passed away in the year 1326 of the New Era, may he rest in peace.”

“He lived for 1336 long years, his journey ending today, returning to nothingness.”

“Oh Saint… have you seen this…?”

Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 69 – Sister

“Are the Yan City higher-ups insane?” Rhine murmured.

He glanced down at the Yan City soldiers desperately defending the second line.

Their gazes were resolute, their conviction even stronger than Dawn’s. Even as an enemy, Rhine couldn’t help but admire their determination.

Were the Yan City leaders willing to sacrifice these soldiers, just to stop Dawn’s advance?

But based on their previous tactics, the commander should be calm and rational, not prone to such reckless decisions…

However, Rhine couldn’t gamble.

He couldn’t gamble on them not using the Eldest Mister’s remains.

Not only would it be a disgrace to the Eldest Mister, but such a reckless decision would also doom everyone.

Rhine took a deep breath and walked out of the camp.

The fighting at the front lines had subsided, Dawn regrouping after their relentless assault, and the Yan City defenders preparing for the next wave.

The heavy rain seemed to wash away the brutality of the battlefield.

But now… he had no choice.

Rhine slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist.

As he did, the torrential rain gradually weakened.

Within thirty seconds, the clouds parted, and starlight shone upon the earth once more.

The days-long downpour had finally stopped.

“Brother!” Grifres’s eyes widened. “Are you planning to…?”

“Yes, this distance… is still a bit risky, but it’s enough,” Rhine nodded, then issued a command to all Dawn members. “Everyone, assemble at the second line, concentrated breakthrough.”

“Brother, you might die,” Grifres said gravely. “This distance is close enough for Yan City to prepare a powerful ‘Ember’ eruption. Even you might not be able to withstand it.”

The “Ember’s” eruption wasn’t a conventional attack, but a saturation of energy, causing an explosion at the energy level.

The smaller the target, the greater the power.

Although Yan City’s “Ember” wasn’t particularly large, if its power was focused on a single point, even a “Destruction” level ability user would be injured.

Rhine, although close to “Destruction” level, wasn’t quite there yet.

The “Ember’s” eruption could very well kill him…

More importantly, the “Ember’s” eruption was unavoidable, its targeting based on spiritual energy signatures.

Unless Rhine didn’t use his ability, or concealed his presence…

“I might die, I know that,” Rhine slowly unclenched his fist, looking up at the starry sky. “But no matter what, I can’t give Yan City even the slightest chance to use the Eldest Mister’s remains…

“Even the possibility is unacceptable.”

The Dawn teams, composed entirely of “Ruin” level or higher ability users, moved quickly.

Within minutes of the command being issued, teams began arriving at the western front line.

And Rhine, after a brief rest, his spiritual energy surged once more.

But this time, there was no rain.

It was wind.

A gentle breeze caressed their faces, dislodging a few pebbles.

But the gentle breeze quickly turned into a violent gale, sending debris flying, wreaking havoc.

“After the rain comes the wind…”

Rhine’s ability wasn’t to control the weather, but to manipulate it.

He couldn’t create weather out of nothing; he needed pre-existing conditions.

The torrential rain had been possible because of the cumulonimbus clouds over Yan City, and this sandstorm, because the airflow around the city was unstable after the rain.

Essentially, Rhine’s ability was to harness the power of existing weather patterns.

But even so… it was terrifying.

It was a power that could engulf an entire mega-city…

“Attack, target: destroy the ‘Ember Furnace’.”

Rhine took a deep breath and unleashed the sandstorm.

Wherever the gale passed, the fortified defenses were as fragile as paper, offering no resistance.

…

“Escape… I have to… escape…”

After unleashing her sword beams, Qin Wen fled from the blood-red figure.

Terror, which she hadn’t even realized she was feeling, was evident on her usually calm face as she desperately tried to escape this nightmare.

This was the first time Qin Wen had encountered an enemy she couldn’t defeat. Although her sword beams could slow the figure down, they couldn’t injure it.

Her survival instincts, combined with the triggered “Fear” mark, made her lose all reason.

After escaping the Anomaly Management Bureau, she continued running, driven by pure instinct.

She didn’t see the blood-red mist engulfing the Bureau building.

Countless grotesque, crimson tentacles writhed within, and numerous blood-red monsters, twisted and distorted, rose like the walking dead, yet restrained by some force, unable to spread beyond the mist.

The fact that Qin Wen had survived for so long within the blood mist and managed to escape was a miracle.

However, the miracle came at a heavy price.

When Qin Wen finally regained her senses, she found herself in an unfamiliar place.

The darkness was absolute, her breathing technique only sensing a faint aura emanating from the depths.

“Where… is this…?”

Qin Wen swallowed hard, the aftereffects of the “miracle” fading as she gradually calmed down.

She touched the cold, hard wall beside her and followed the faint aura deeper inside.

The darkness was disorienting; she could only follow this single clue.

Her mind was still in turmoil, the terror of the nightmare lingering.

Just then, Qin Wen’s fingers touched something rough and uneven.

At first, she thought it was just damage to the wall, but after finding several more such spots, she realized something was amiss.

There seemed to be a pattern…

Qin Wen focused, tracing the uneven surfaces, their positions gradually forming a picture in her mind.

Finally, they formed four characters.

The script was unfamiliar, ancient, yet Qin Wen somehow recognized it, as if another voice was whispering in her mind.

“Dawn… City…?”

A sudden chill, similar to what she had felt before, washed over her.

“This… isn’t Yan City…?”

Qin Wen took a few deep breaths. Her breathing technique sensed a faint aura deeper within the passage.

With no other clues, she could only follow it.

After an unknown amount of time, seemingly both an instant and an eternity, Qin Wen finally reached the source of the aura.

Surprisingly, it was a small room.

In such a bizarre place, this ordinary-looking room seemed even stranger.

And even stranger, despite the complete darkness, Qin Wen could see everything clearly within the room.

“…It seems… I have no choice but to enter.”

Qin Wen cautiously stepped inside, scanning her surroundings.

Besides an ordinary dressing table and wardrobe, something unusual caught her attention.

A crystal bed.

No… perhaps not a bed.

Qin Wen slowly approached, her heart pounding faster and faster.

In the silent darkness, only the sound of her heartbeat echoed.

Finally, she reached the crystal bed and looked down.

Qin Wen almost gasped, her gaze fixed on the bed.

No, it wasn’t a bed…

It was… a coffin.

And inside the coffin lay someone Qin Wen knew very well.

—Miss Luo Yan.

The silver-haired girl lay peacefully within the icy coffin, her hands clasped over her chest.

She seemed content, a faint smile on her lips.

“Miss Luo Yan… what are you doing here…?”

Qin Wen’s breath hitched, her gaze fixed on the small, silver-haired figure.

But she didn’t notice that her own eyes had turned a deep crimson, malevolent black pupils radiating an evil aura.

A crimson shadow stood behind her, as if mockingly.

…

Inside the Ember Furnace.

Countless intricate machines lined the tower-like interior, their rumbling drowning out all other sounds.

A pale blue crystal, shaped like an eye, hovered above one of the devices, emanating a faint spiritual energy fluctuation.

Calling it a crystal wasn’t quite accurate; it seemed more like something otherworldly, perhaps even a spatial rift, visible but intangible.

This was the “Ember,” the source of near-limitless energy.

The surrounding machinery extracted and converted the energy flowing from the “Ember,” feeding it into the “Ember Furnace.”

And the Furnace distributed and utilized this energy, powering the massive “mega-city.”

Countless lives depended on this “burning” Ember.

An elderly figure stood beside the Ember, but his gaze wasn’t on it, but on something else.

At the entrance of the Ember Furnace, a small figure was stumbling towards the Ember.

“How…?”

Mister stared in shock at the frail, icy-blue figure, dangerous spiritual energy fluctuations radiating from its body like a scream.

An ancient power, restrained yet struggling to break free, threatening to annihilate everything around it.

But it couldn’t escape its confines.

This small body contained a terrifying, raging power, suppressed to its limit, maintaining a fragile balance.

Luo Yan opened her eyes with great difficulty, looking up at the source of the voice, trying to see clearly.

But she couldn’t.

A sea of flames seemed to surround her, engulfing everything, leaving only sorrow and grief in her heart.

Unfamiliar figures flashed before her eyes, some laughing, some crying, all looking at her.

And among them, a silent figure and a dark figure, both familiar yet not, watched her silently, their gazes filled with unspoken emotions.

Finally, at the end of this sequence, Luo Yan saw a small boy reaching out to her, his mouth opening and closing.

He was clearly calling out—

“Sister…”

Mister’s lips trembled. He had never expected to meet his sister like this.

He was nearing his end, his remaining life force, after giving a portion to Luo Yan, barely enough to sustain him.

The shadow of death loomed over him, the accumulated weariness of centuries reaching its peak, permeating the Ember Furnace.

Such a dense, malevolent aura would instantly kill any ordinary being, but the icy-blue figure seemed unaffected.

As Mister’s weak voice called out, the small, bandaged figure slowly raised its head, its one visible eye filled with confusion.

But as its gaze focused, the bandages around its throat twitched slightly, and a voice, a voice Mister hadn’t forgotten in centuries, echoed.

“Nine…”

At that moment, all of Mister’s suppressed emotions, the grief he had held back for centuries, only briefly expressed during his secret visit to the Wall of Resentment, finally overflowed.

He wept.

Mister was crying.

He had once been a crybaby, teased by his siblings, but in the centuries since their deaths, he had lived through countless lonely years, devoid of emotion.

It had been a long time since anyone had seen him cry.

But now, tears streamed down his face.

“All these years… you’ve suffered…”

A small, frail hand reached out, and the icy-blue figure stood on tiptoe, gently patting Mister’s messy white hair, just like she used to.

Luo Yan—or rather, One—a faint, stiff, yet gentle smile appeared on her withered face.

Mister smiled back, tears streaming down his face.

Just then, the girl’s pale blue eye slowly turned a faint red.

Luo Yan’s consciousness returned, the fragmented memories and images fading, along with the gentle presence.

Seeing this, Mister seemed to understand.

“Thank you… thank you,” he murmured, lowering his head slightly. “After all these years… I finally heard Sister’s voice again…”

“—Miss Luo Yan.”