You're Actually Quite Fun

At 36:00, the bell of the Ruin Realm echoed, and everyone departed from the realm. Beating the chime, the military, pushing efficiency to its absolute limit, swept the battlefield clean and hastily evacuated with the demon's corpse. "History has been inscribed; the record archived." As the fog dispersed, two cloaked, mysterious figures materialized out of thin air in a deep, deserted alleyway in the dead of night. Upon the damp brick walls, water dripped rhythmically. Swirling drafts swept up moisture, drifting toward the blurred neon of high-rises outside the alley. The cloaked figure holding a quill in both hands turned toward the companion beside them carrying a hefty tome. A gender-neutral voice spoke respectfully, yet devoid of inflection. "The incident has concluded. According to protocol, we must evacuate immediately." "Has it truly concluded...?" A voice suddenly rang out, clear and crisp as cold springwater breaking through ice, tinged with a faint note of curiosity. The Book Holder raised her head slightly, revealing silver-white hair hidden beneath the hood. "I think you should return first and see to the archiving." "And you?" the Pen Bearer asked in return. "I... am somewhat curious." The Book Holder's crystalline voice drifted through the alley's depths. Compared to the Pen Bearer's black cloak, which had only modest silver threading along the hem, the Book Holder's cloak was far more intricate. Fine silver embroidery traced constellations, giving an impression of vast, cosmic depth. Now and then, a faint glimmer rippled through the fabric in the dark, mirroring the stars above. "Pardon?" The Pen Bearer stood in place, tilting their head without making a sound, seemingly unable to grasp her meaning. "In the Reflected Ruin Realm, I caught the scent of a forbidden tome... Among those present, someone unsealed a forbidden tome and gained forbidden knowledge from within." "And the prime suspect is that Destined." Slender fingertips brushed across the heavy tome's cover. Under the hood's shadow, the silver-haired recordkeeper's gaze fell upon it. Flickering scenes seemed to drift across the surface—slash-and-burn farming, prayers for rain and clear skies, sacrificial rites and military campaigns, the roar of steam engines, electrical explosions... All manner of momentous events throughout history played out across the cover, yet upon closer inspection, there was only dark, austere leather, completely bare. "'Recording the whereabouts of every forbidden tome is also a form of history.' That is the mission of the Ashen Relic Archive." "I want to locate that person and observe them a while longer..." "A friendly reminder," the Pen Bearer stated slowly. "Under the protocol's terms, we may not interfere in an Extraordinary's life." "Yes, I know," the Book Holder nodded matter-of-factly. "I shall report this to higher authorities." The voice remained mechanical, but even as the Pen Bearer spoke, they offered the quill forward in both hands. A slender, pale hand took the quill. Now the Book Holder possessed both the book and the pen, lacking nothing. —Or rather, the Pen Bearer appeared to be nothing more than her assistant from the start. "Then, good fortune to you, Your Excellency Recordkeeper 006." With empty hands, the Pen Bearer bowed slightly. As they straightened up, darkness swallowed their silhouette, vanishing noiselessly from the spot. Only the Book Holder—or rather, Recordkeeper 006—remained behind. The intricate silver patterns on her cloak occasionally sparkled with a trace of starlight in the deep shadows. "Observation..." The recordkeeper gently drew back her soft cloth hood of black and silver. Long, silver-white hair tumbled down like a starlit galaxy, exposing an exquisitely ethereal, elf-like face to the night air. Then, she tilted her head unconsciously, brows knitting slightly as though confronted with a perplexing puzzle: —Where did that Destined go? *** In Tinghai, atop a skyscraper, Miss Crow was supporting Bai Zhou as they walked toward the edge of the rooftop. "Reality may not necessarily be better," Crow said softly, her brow furrowing slightly. "You're already a 'big shot' in Tinghai. I can guarantee your fame has spread throughout the entire city tonight." "Be that as it may, Teacher Crow, I don't really get the feeling you're proud of me," Bai Zhou could not help but grumble. Crow nodded as though it went without saying, her expression placid and her tone indifferent. "Because blowing up the Twin Towers could make anyone famous across the Western Federation, but I certainly don't want you becoming that bearded guy who got decapitated in a counterterrorism raid." "Is it really that terrifying?" Bai Zhou shrank his neck back. "I mean, sure, I seem to do a lot of demolition work, but I haven't planned on doing that lately. Besides, I consider what I did this time a good deed." "It is a good deed—which means my analogy was somewhat ill-fitting." Crow nodded, considered it for a moment, and continued, "Here's one you might relate to more: An Adventurer slays the Demon King and becomes a hero. From that moment on, all the Demon King's remnants make you their top target, while the righteous faction worries you're too strong and will disrupt the balance of power, meaning you must be constrained and weakened. "—After all, humans are creatures possessed by an excessive urge to control. When faced with a formidable being beyond their grip, they can never sleep soundly without slapping on a collar and locking it in a cage." "Is it really that serious?" Bai Zhou nearly blacked out. Now he understood. In his mind, he pictured an enormous wanted poster with a big red X over his face, while a bunch of monsters in cowboy hats drinking beer and throwing daggers cackled maliciously at his photo: *Who's gonna kill this son of a bitch?!* "You probably don't have a concrete concept of what you've done yet, and that's because you don't understand what kind of creature a demon truly is." Crow shook her head. "You don't think Extraordinaries just spend every day squabbling amongst themselves, do you? Aside from governing Extraordinaries, the greatest mission of those many official agencies is to combat anomalies and monstrosities, preventing them from harming the lives of ordinary people. "And demons are without question the pinnacle of legends among these anomalies. A true one might not appear even once in several centuries, but every time one manifests, it brings about the deaths of countless Extraordinaries. "At the end of the last century, someone successfully carried out a demon summoning on the Kola Peninsula. Even the authorities were unwittingly duped into aiding their scheme. A deep borehole opened, meant specifically for the demon's passage. A plume of smoke in the shape of a human face rose into the sky and lingered without dispersing, and Extraordinaries could distinctly hear the wails of countless tormented souls from within. "To stop the demon from crawling out, wave after wave of Extraordinaries laid down their lives. Many powerful Extraordinaries standing at the apex of the world sacrificed themselves during the incident just to successfully plug the hole! "After that, a twenty-year vacuum of Extraordinaries and a severed line of inheritance plagued that region! The lesson could not have been more painful." Speaking of that history, Crow's expression turned exceedingly grave. "Because the commotion was so massive and lasted so long, legends surrounding the incident even trickled into the mundane world. "To keep meddlers from prying, the authorities issued various debunkings and misdirections, even outright altering the location in rumors to shift attention to the freezing, godforsaken wastes of Siberia. "—It's the same this time. If that demon had truly been born into this world, it would have inevitably alarmed the highest echelons of the Eastern Federation's Extraordinary world. Even if Tinghai City managed to survive, the official agencies would have suffered devastating casualties." With that, Crow turned to look at Bai Zhou, her gaze complicated—as if looking at an alien, much like how Bai Zhou had looked at her when they had first emerged from Wancheng. "Yet who could have imagined that a near-successful demon summoning would ultimately be ruined by you? "Even an embryonic demon yet to fully descend would require someone at the level of a departmental chief across all of Tinghai City to dare claim they could completely destroy it. "Right now, some people are certainly grinding their teeth in hatred of you, but far more are undoubtedly curious. "They must have countless theories about your identity, but rack their brains as they might, they could never guess that you are merely an unremarkable wanted criminal—someone who, just a month ago, was a regular human abducted to Wancheng!" Crow let out a soft sigh. "Yet by the same token, having drawn such immense attention and standing at the crest of the storm, you must be wary of the massive tempest that follows. "—That is the necessary price." "Can't I wipe the price away...? I didn't want this either. Anyone in that situation would have had to step forward, right?" Bai Zhou argued. "I just took a gamble." Yet Crow shook her head. "Anyone else would have most likely lain down and waited to die—you are simply different from them. "On a chessboard, there's a saying about a 'pawn that crossed the river.' Right now, you are like that pawn across the river. Powerful, yes, but abruptly thrust into the most exposed position on the board. Your next move will either check the king and pin down their chariots to seize outright victory and reign as the new king of the board—or you risk being battered to death by flanking chariots and cannons!" "..." Bai Zhou blinked twice, finally understanding his situation completely. However, his current state was hardly suited for such intense scrutiny. Being a newcomer to Tinghai, he had far more enemies than neutral parties, and virtually not a single friend. The Fine Arts Society, the Blood Worship Cult, Zijing Group, that Major from the Special Control Bureau... If they found out that the "savior" who had stolen the spotlight in the Reflected Ruin Realm was Bai Zhou, what would they do? And what if everyone else discovered that Bai Zhou wasn't as powerful as he appeared—that he was actually all bluster, yet carrying immense treasures, bounties, and countless secrets? What would happen then? Thinking of this, Bai Zhou could not help but pull in his neck. "Then what should I do now?" "Tough luck." Crow showed no sign of joking, her voice cold as ice. "So heroes just deserve to be pushed around?" Bai Zhou smacked his lips. "Feels even worse than Wancheng." "No. A hero should dance and sing amid magnificent glory, obtaining everything their heart desires." Crow shook her head. "—In any story, on Blue Star or in Tinghai, that is the standard ending. "Theoretically, you are indeed a hero right now, but you need to ensure that someone is standing beside you. "The problem at present is that you clearly showed everyone you possessed advance knowledge of the demon. So... how did you know?" Crow quickly pinpointed the greatest flaw hanging over Bai Zhou. "Everyone knows you definitely know something, so you must prove who the true mastermind behind the scenes is. "You have to clear yourself of any association with the demon to keep those with ulterior motives from smearing you, all while distinguishing who your enemies are and who can become your friends. "Fame offers no tangible benefit. If revealing your identity invites vengeance from foes that far outweighs anything you could gain, then you'd better not rush to expose yourself just yet— "However..." "Not revealing yourself now doesn't mean hiding forever!" Her thick, upturned eyelashes fluttered slightly, and Crow's eyes seemed to glitter under the starlight. "What you did tonight has already laid the groundwork for the days ahead. "After all, a mysterious savior exposing the wicked deeds of Major Luo and Zijing Group sounds far better than a wanted criminal doing it." Bai Zhou blinked. "You mean...?" "Exactly. The breakthrough to unraveling all of this will, in the end, still come down to..." Crow's gaze turned perilous. "...that man named Luo! "I didn't expect him to have the audacity to tangle with demon worship—but as long as he's exposed, the Special Control Bureau alone won't let him off!" With that, Crow looked at Bai Zhou and asked gently, "Didn't you say earlier that you found clues regarding the Human Material supply chain in the Reflected Ruin Realm? "As long as you can locate that place and secure evidence to deal Luo a fatal blow—that will be the moment for the wanted criminal Bai Zhou and the savior Senior Zhou to merge into one." As she spoke, Crow's gaze drifted toward the distant, shimmering neon. The rooftop wind lifted her line of sight, carrying it toward the colossal illuminated sign in the distance: *Tinghai Welcomes You*. "When that day comes, all of Tinghai will bow their heads to listen to you and apologize to you. "Every Extraordinary in this city will learn who the person who once saved them—just who on earth he truly is!" Crow let out a dry chuckle, her eyes tinged with genuine interest. "If they find out that you merely saved them in passing without holding a grudge while on the run from being hunted down by every faction—I'm really looking forward to seeing their reactions." "You mean..." Bai Zhou's expression showed a hint of astonishment. "I'll still have a chance to reveal my identity and step into the limelight later on?" Although Bai Zhou didn't care much for fame, having the title of "savior" thrust onto his head... well, that wouldn't be half bad. "Of course!" Hearing this, Crow glanced at Bai Zhou with slight surprise. "Did you actually plan on staying incognito and being hunted for the rest of your days? Since when did you become a 'saint'? "—That won't do. The world shouldn't work like that!" Crow seemed remarkably resolute on this matter, stating in a deep voice, "The wicked should die, justice should be carried out, and heroes should receive the honor they deserve—that is how the world ought to be!" "I'm just afraid revealing my identity will attract unwanted greed." Bai Zhou scratched his head. He had already reaped plenty of practical benefits; whether he gained hollow fame genuinely didn't matter to him. Leaving aside the abilities Senior Zhou had displayed in front of everyone—to take the most direct example, a certain someone's prized possession, the Thunderous Heavenly Bow, was still in his hands. Bai Zhou could only sincerely pray from the bottom of his heart that Deputy Director Liu had already "rested in peace." That man had better not suddenly rise from the dead—that wouldn't end well for any of the three of them. Yet Crow didn't seem to think so. "There is no need to be timid, and certainly no need to renounce the glory you rightfully deserve just because of scoundrels and darkness. "As for what you will face in the future..." Crow's words trailed off. Pondering, she released her grip supporting Bai Zhou and slowly crouched down toward the ground. "Did your stomach suddenly start hurting? Or..." Seeing Crow slowly crouch down, Bai Zhou couldn't help but feel surprised. "Could thinking about my future really make you this depressed?" "..." Crow rolled her eyes, then snapped coldly at Bai Zhou, "Squat down!" "What?" Bai Zhou froze for a second, but slowly crouched down nonetheless. That simple motion made the currently frail Bai Zhou gasp sharply, his frame swaying, though Crow promptly supported him from the side. Then, following Crow's gaze, he saw a little pill bug crawling forward with all its might across the rooftop floor. "Have you ever played this game?" Crow asked abruptly. She picked up a flat red stone from the ground and drew a sharp red mark right in front of the pill bug's path with a scraping sound. Blocked ahead, the little pill bug turned right. Yet Crow scraped the stone again, barring its path once more. Thus, the little pill bug kept turning, until Crow used the red stone to completely seal off all the paths around it—trapped in that tiny square, the pill bug began spinning in circles, hesitating. "What do you think happens next?" Crow asked Bai Zhou without looking back, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the pill bug. "What happens?" "Watch." Crow raised a slender, pale finger, gesturing toward the pill bug on the ground. After hesitating for a long while, the little pill bug finally mustered its courage and crawled right over the red line in front of it. From that point on, no matter how many lines Crow drew in front of it, the little pill bug was no longer afraid of the red marks. "The world is vast. A cage capable of trapping anyone has never truly existed." Under their gazes, the little pill bug crawled farther and farther away. "Do not linger in cramped spaces, and do not fence yourself into a prison of your own making, trapping your heart in a state of distress. "No matter what obstacle blocks your path, and no matter how many monsters, fiends, and ghosts might lurk in the darkness outside the cage... "—Just step across with courage, Bai Zhou. "Cut paths through forests; bridge waters when they block your way. "You will find that the world out there is far vaster than you imagine. "Perhaps the world out there will welcome you more warmly than you think." With that, Crow turned to look at Bai Zhou, her usually calm and icy eyes carrying a touch of encouragement. "What do you say, Bai Zhou?" "You're right, but..." Bai Zhou hesitated, seeming to hold back. "But what?" Bai Zhou stared silently at the pill bug for a good while before saying honestly in a muffled voice, "The Black Robe scriptures say to spare flying bugs by shading the lantern. Teacher Crow, tormenting a bug like this earns no merit, and it might even bring bad karma." "..." "..." Crow wanted to turn and walk away, but after holding it in for a long time, she finally replied, "Those scriptures of yours don't belong to the Black Robe. They plagiarized them too." "Sigh." Bai Zhou sighed. "Still, I kind of wish karmic retribution really existed in this world." "Why?" Crow was about to roll her eyes again, but Bai Zhou's remark quickly pulled her attention back. "That way, the meat and vegetables I've eaten would come back to take revenge on me, and the people hunting me down would all be pig heads, radishes, and cabbages." "—That is surprisingly endearing." Crow fell silent for a moment before speaking up. "I've only just realized that despite being so pessimistic about the future, you always manage to face it with positivity... In truth, you're the most optimistic one here. "What I said earlier seems rather redundant." Bai Zhou scratched his head. "Not really. If anything, you're the one who always seems cold as ice, Teacher Crow." "Because there's nothing worth being happy about." "Clearly, there's just nothing worth being sad about," Bai Zhou countered, answering her with the exact same phrasing. Then he thought for a moment and suddenly asked, "Teacher Crow, have you ever chopped garlic?" "What?" "It doesn't matter if you haven't." Bai Zhou continued, "Just like how you always chew coffee beans—if you chop garlic or eat coffee beans, you'll find the smell of garlic or coffee on your hands is terribly pungent, right?" "And your point?" "So that reminds us that people are made of meat and easily seasoned. That's why we can't always drown in negative moods, otherwise..." Bai Zhou took on a solemn air and warned Teacher Crow, "Otherwise, you'll turn into a piece of unappetizing meat." "..." "—Just like you, Teacher Crow." "What?" Miss Crow lost her composure in an instant. Her brows drew together, and she could not help raising her arm, sniffing herself with suspicion. "Do I... have a smell?" This was the one question Miss Crow could not overlook! "You always smell rather bitter, Teacher Crow," Bai Zhou advised with genuine sincerity. "So I suggest you eat more sweets." As the saying went, without practice, one had no right to speak. Bai Zhou had now tasted coffee beans and knew their refreshing effects were solid, but he still thought sweets tasted better, and he wanted Crow to eat a bit more of them. "What do you..." Crow instinctively wanted to say, *What do you know?* Yet thinking back, Bai Zhou had grown up an orphan in that den of tigers known as Wancheng. After escaping Wancheng, he was pursued by packs of wolves, and he had even faced a creature like a demon... The suffering Bai Zhou carried was no less than anyone else's, rivaling even Crow's own—not that suffering needed to be compared in the first place. Bai Zhou truly had the right to say those words. "Then again..." Seeing Crow's hesitation and assuming she genuinely disliked sweets, Bai Zhou hurriedly added, "If you really don't like sweets, it's no big deal." "What now?" Crow looked at Bai Zhou. At this moment, her feelings were somewhat complicated. Then she saw Bai Zhou turn toward her and say with utter seriousness: "Because it just occurred to me: if the meat turns bitter, nothing will want to eat it—which might actually be a good thing." "..." The wind stirred the strands of hair beside Crow's cheeks. In the quiet night, the crow perched upon her shoulder suddenly tilted its head, rubbed against its feathers, and ruffled its wings with a soft rustle. The young woman was struck speechless, then blinked and curved the corners of her lips into a smile. It was like an iceberg melting under the spring sun, or a cool begonia blossom gently opening at three in the morning. "Bai Zhou." She called softly. "What?" "Has no one ever told you that?" "Told me what?" "Told you..." Crow looked at Bai Zhou's puzzled, furrowed brow and gave a soft chuckle. "You're... actually quite fun." Neon and starlight cut through the night, draping like sheer gauze over their closely leaning shoulders. The little pill bug reached the edge of the rooftop. It spread its wings to fly, but only flapped in place, before quietly crawling a great distance away. The world was vast; the cage existed only in the mind. *Caw!* The crow abruptly spread its wings and soared above their heads. A few pitch-black feathers swirled downward, their cast shadows momentarily veiling the starry sky and the neon of the steel metropolis. In the unseen depths, a grand stage seemed poised to open its curtains. The recordkeepers had quietly taken their places, the supporting cast and villains were stepping onto the stage in sequence, and the prelude was thoroughly set—a humble pawn crossing the river, clad in tattered garments, was about to make a thunderous entrance across the sky. A battered wanted fugitive was set to return under the mantle of a savior, yet who could say whether this twilight-shrouded, dark world— Was fully prepared to welcome this wildcard newcomer who excelled so brilliantly at dark humor?