Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 48 – An Unbearable Weight
It’s difficult to fully describe a person with just words.
Refugees, citizens, ability users, even Dawn’s Mister, Noah’s Twelve Saints…
Or even, “Luo Yan.”
Everyone carried different labels, but undoubtedly…
They were all “lives.”
Life should have weight.
Every life had meaning.
—Luo Yan simply believed this.
In Ghost Town, Mrs. Natalie’s desperate pursuit of “eternal happiness” was essentially an attempt to preserve life.
To preserve the townspeople who had died because of her, to preserve her daughter, Little Tini, who had been caught in the crossfire…
But because of her actions, even more lives were lost, and the suffering townspeople were denied peace.
In the end, even she herself was trapped.
It was a complete tragedy.
Luo Yan didn’t want this tragedy to repeat itself.
With this thought, she fought to protect the lives of others, and her own.
However, this was Luo Yan’s belief, her perspective.
Others didn’t see it that way…
To Devil’s minions, other lives were merely sustenance, offerings to their demons.
To the mega-cities, only their own citizens, especially the elites in the core districts, were worthy of life; the lives of refugees and criminals were expendable.
“Noah,” the leader of the Free Federation, believed that the continuation of humanity’s future was paramount.
To achieve this, “Noah” constantly encroached on the sovereignty of other mega-cities, suppressing Dawn and other dissenting factions, even at the cost of countless lives.
After the Misters lost their authority, “Dawn” became even more extreme, only valuing the lives of their own members, everyone else expendable.
They might help others during disasters out of pity, but they wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who stood in their way.
During the Ghost Town and Flower Street incidents, Grifres and Alyxsia had killed many.
Therefore, Anna knew how precious Luo Yan’s kindness was in this cruel world.
Even though… she was dying.
Anna held Luo Yan’s hand, a smile on her face.
“Come on, Lady Luo Yan, you’re finally taking a break. Let’s not talk about such depressing things!”
No one had told Anna about Luo Yan’s condition.
Not even Luo Yan herself.
But Anna could tell, because she had witnessed countless deaths.
Those born in mega-cities were fortunate.
They didn’t face a thirty percent mortality rate, harsh weather, or constantly appearing mutated monsters.
They had ample food and clean water, not having to eat ten times a day, each meal consisting of barely edible plants or rotting meat…
Even in refugee settlements, the supply of resources couldn’t compare to a mega-city with an “Ember.”
So, Anna, having grown up as a refugee, had witnessed countless deaths.
She had seen her companions starve to death, just half a day away from finding food.
She had seen her friends transform into mindless monsters due to Calamity infections.
The most fortunate way to die, perhaps, was to contract an ordinary illness and slowly fade away, without a cure.
Anna had sensed that aura many times, and it was identical to Luo Yan’s.
“Smile,” Anna gently lifted the corners of Luo Yan’s bloodless lips. “See, Lady Luo Yan looks even more beautiful when she smiles.”
Unlike her initial awe of Luo Yan’s beauty, after spending time with her, she realized she had been wrong.
Lady Luo Yan’s heart was even purer, even more beautiful, far more precious than her appearance.
No wonder everyone who knew Lady Luo Yan liked her.
Being around her, even just sitting beside her, brought a sense of peace.
Who could bear to see such a person suffer alone, without offering a helping hand?
It was with this thought, to see Lady Luo Yan smile genuinely, without that worried frown, that Anna had proposed “A Day with Lady Luo Yan.”
No matter what… Anna wanted to do something for Lady Luo Yan, even if she couldn’t solve her problems.
“Yes, I understand.”
Luo Yan nodded slightly and gently squeezed Anna’s hand.
Then, catching Anna off guard, she ruffled her hair playfully.
“Hey…” Anna quickly ducked, escaping Luo Yan’s “clutches.” “Stop it, stop it, I won’t grow taller…”
“When you ruffled my hair, didn’t you consider that I might not grow taller either?”
A mischievous smile appeared on Luo Yan’s lips.
“Because Lady Luo Yan is already tall enough!” Anna retorted. “You don’t need to grow any taller!”
“But I’m two heads shorter than Miss Qin Wen, and Hua Qiling is also taller than me.”
“We… can’t compare to them,” Anna said sheepishly. “Come on, let’s go to the café. We can’t just keep chatting in the rain. Your skirt is getting wet, Lady Luo Yan…”
“Mm.”
Luo Yan nodded.
Two small figures walked away in the rain, seemingly carrying…
The unbearable weight of life.
…
Although District Three wasn’t as prosperous as District One, the core district, its public facilities and living conditions were still quite good.
Unfortunately, almost a third of District Three had been destroyed during the Ghost Town incident and was still under reconstruction.
Because of this, there were security gaps in District Three, making it easy for Devil’s minions to infiltrate.
Otherwise, a mega-city with an “Ember” wouldn’t be so vulnerable.
But it couldn’t be helped. The “Ghost Town” incident was a “Peril” level disaster; these losses were considered minimal.
Yan City was severely understaffed, even the Apprehension Department, usually at odds with the Disaster Response Department, had been called in to help. They could only focus on the most important areas.
However, Anna and Luo Yan’s destination wasn’t in an important area.
It was a small, inconspicuous alleyway, practically a hidden corner of Construction Street Six.
Otherwise… why would the private café Anna raved about have such poor business?
Such alleyways usually housed small restaurants and grocery stores. The residents here couldn’t afford cafés, and those who could didn’t live nearby. Few people would make a special trip.
Only someone with both money and free time, like Anna, would come here.
—Actually, Anna, after taking over the Flower Shop, was wealthier than Hua Qiling, if one didn’t count the Hua family’s assets.
Having been a refugee, Anna cherished her current life.
“Let me see…”
Anna squinted, but the heavy rain made it difficult to see clearly.
And the streets were empty; there were no pedestrians to ask for directions.
…Seriously, who would be out in this weather?!
Except for these two.
Luo Yan waited patiently, not wanting to disturb Anna. She had never been to District Three before and wasn’t familiar with the area.
Just as Anna was getting lost, a familiar voice suddenly called out from behind them.
“Anna?”
The moment the voice sounded, Luo Yan focused her aura perception, but found nothing.
Completely blank…
Who was it?
“Elise!” Anna’s face lit up, and she turned around, waving. “Over here! Hee hee, I didn’t expect to see you outside!”
“It’s pouring… Did you come here specifically?”
The voice chuckled, but Luo Yan still couldn’t sense any aura.
The sound of footsteps splashing through the water was clear, and both the tone and the feeling were completely ordinary.
But in Luo Yan’s perception, the person didn’t exist.
“Because I brought a friend today!”
Anna puffed out her chest proudly and patted the wheelchair.
“This is Lady Luo Yan—Lady Luo Yan, this is Elise. She doesn’t like being called ‘Miss’ or anything, so just call her Elise.”
“Luo Yan…”
Elise paused, as if the name struck a chord.
But she quickly approached, and Luo Yan’s breathing technique finally detected her presence.
…Female, about 1.7 to 1.75 meters tall, and judging from her aura, an ordinary person.
But what about earlier…? How could she be just an ordinary person?
“Hello, Elise,” Luo Yan said softly, her eyes still closed.
She felt a scrutinizing gaze, which quickly moved away.
“Hello, Miss Luo Yan,” Elise nodded, glancing at Luo Yan, then turning to Anna. “I’ve never seen you bring a friend before. It seems this friend is special.”
“She is special,” Anna nodded vigorously. “A very good friend, yes, very close!”
“Such unrestrained youngsters,” Elise chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand. “Very good, but the Federation’s laws don’t allow for such declarations yet.”
“What… what do you mean?”
Anna was confused, scratching her head.
“Are the Federation’s laws that strict? Not even allowing close friends…?”
“Alright, alright, I’m just teasing you.” Seeing their confused expressions, Elise changed the subject. “Let’s go, it’s almost lunchtime… I just bought some groceries. I’ll let you try my cooking today. It’s just as good as my coffee, if not better!”
“Yes, yes, sounds great!”
Anna nodded excitedly and pushed Luo Yan’s wheelchair, following Elise towards the café.
“By the way, Elise, you didn’t encounter any monsters, did you? There was an incident on Construction Street Six earlier… it was quite scary!”
“Ah? I was out buying groceries early this morning, I didn’t see anything… Perhaps because I was on Construction Street Four?”
“Phew, that’s good. I was worried you might be in danger.”
“Don’t worry, hahaha, I’m very capable! Danger is afraid of me!”
The two seemed to be close, their banter leaving no room for Luo Yan to interject.
But just then, Luo Yan heard a voice in her mind, cold and sharp.
“Girl, who are you?”
It was Elise’s voice.
Luo Yan sensed Elise with her breathing technique, but detected nothing unusual.
She was still smiling, chatting casually with Anna, her expression gentle, seemingly oblivious to Luo Yan.
But Luo Yan heard her clearly, the voice speaking directly to her mind.
“I’m… Luo Yan,” she replied mentally.
“You’re not Luo Yan. She has been ‘erased’,” Elise’s voice remained cold. “So, who are you?”
“…?”
Luo Yan didn’t understand what she meant, then, after a moment of thought, she replied,
“My… name is Luo Yan?”
Elise was silent for a moment, then spoke again.
“…You don’t want to answer. Fine, I won’t pry.”
“And who are you? You blocked my perception earlier, didn’t you?” Luo Yan asked. “An ordinary barista… shouldn’t be capable of that.”
“Who I am isn’t important. I’m in Yan City simply to bid farewell to an old friend, or rather, an old… senior.”
To Luo Yan’s surprise, Elise answered directly.
“While I’m here, I will strictly adhere to the actions of ‘Elise,’ nothing more… No further comment.”
As “Elise,” Anna’s close friend, she wouldn’t pry into Luo Yan’s identity or secrets.
This mental exchange happened in a flash. After a few thoughts, Luo Yan and Elise formed a general impression of each other.
“A strange and troublesome person…”
This was Luo Yan’s first impression of Elise.
“A mysterious girl I can’t see through.”
Elise narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly, glancing away from Luo Yan.
Of the three, only Anna remained oblivious, happily chatting with Elise.
This girl truly enjoyed being around her friends.
“Oh right, I almost forgot about Lady Luo Yan!” Anna suddenly remembered Luo Yan’s quiet presence. “I’m sorry, Lady Luo Yan, Elise and I haven’t seen each other in a while…”
“It’s alright,” Luo Yan whispered, then “looked” up at Elise. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elise.”
“Likewise, Miss Luo Yan,” Elise replied with a smile.
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