I'm Not a Flame-Chaser

The usually quiet Yan Luo spoke up, her cold gaze sweeping across their faces like a freezing beam, enough to send chills down their spines.

"Kiana Kaslana, I don't care what expectations or feelings that guy has for you, so you don't need to pray that I will respect your wishes and body. The situation is currently out of my control, and I need to use the powers of the Herrscher of the Void to pinpoint that guy's location."

Kiana's heart tightened. Lin had already explained her situation to her. She took a deep breath and said with a firm look in her eyes, "Phew... It's okay."

Only she could do it—use the power that had once hurt others to help others...

Under the watchful eyes of Yan Luo and Rita, Kiana closed her eyes, restraining herself as she drew strength from her tattered, leaky body to search for Lin's presence in this unprecedented chaotic space.

After seeing Lin and Fu Hua's past, Kiana became even more determined not to let Lin leave.

She didn't want to understand any grand principles or worries.

All she knew was that since she had kissed him, she wouldn't let him go, and she wouldn't leave Lin to face his future alone.

For the sake of everyone around her, Kiana will not give up her own life. On the contrary, she will definitely find a way to master the Herrscher's power and use this evil power as a weapon to save humanity.

"Huh?" Kiana suddenly let out a soft exclamation of surprise.

"... Couldn't find it?"

"No... I found it." Kiana's expression was very strange. "But... I found more than one Lin."

The Herrscher of Binding was reborn and completely broke free from Lin's control, something Lin never expected.

Yan Luo is also in this spatial rift. Her combat power is not bad either, but Lin has no doubt that Yan Luo is powerless against the Herrscher of Binding. The Herrscher of Binding is the Herrscher that counters the Herrscher. No matter how powerful Yan Luo's abilities are, as long as she can't use them, she is no different from an ordinary person.

What terrified Lin the most was the way the Herrscher of Binding acted.

Unlike other Herrscher who lack self-awareness or doubt themselves due to existentialism, the Herrscher of Binding has no doubt or discomfort about his identity as a destroyer of civilization. He can slaughter humans at will without even needing a reason.

We absolutely cannot let him go.

Lin pulled out the Jizo Mitama. After separating from the Herrscher, he was able to control Honkai Energy again. Even without the convenient control ability of the Herrscher Core, the Honkai Energy he could use now was enough.

"Bell."

This time, Rin responded to him, and a faint white light enveloped the blade of Jizo Mitama.

The Divine Key is a weapon that uses the abilities of Herrscher for one's own use. When May first designed it, she intended to completely reproduce the Herrscher Authority for human use, and the corresponding design was "rated power".

Rated power can be roughly regarded as the degree of power release of the Divine Key. The higher the degree of release, the closer it is to the true Herrscher Authority. Correspondingly, the burden on the user and the consumption of the Divine Key are also greater.

Although Jizo Mitama is not a regular Divine Key, it can still use its rated power to unleash the power of bell.

"First rated power".

Lin plunged the black blade into the ground, and the surging purplish-black energy instantly engulfed him from underground.

The "Rebirth" of the Sky: Chapter Twenty-Six - But No One Responds

"..."

The white-haired man walked through the silent space, as calm as the first intelligent life at the beginning of time, with a curiosity about the world swirling in his mind.

Resurrection...

He had to admit that after regaining consciousness in Sky City, he had intentionally concealed himself and manipulated Lin to come here. It wasn't a big deal; he had done his share of insidious tricks in the past, such as bewitching Lin into handing over his body.

But this time, he felt like something was... not quite right.

When Lin attacked him with his fist, he should have killed Lin in return. Now that he truly has his own body, in order not to repeat the mistakes of the Eleventh Honkai War of the Previous Civilization, he should not have any expectations of Lin. He should have killed him to prevent future troubles.

But he didn't take action. He found it hard to describe how he felt at the time; it was the first time he had ever experienced the emotions of an intelligent being.

Of course, there's no need to overthink it; just kill him the next time you meet.

Is it the gap between the Imaginary Tree and the Intrinsic World?

The white-haired man frowned as he looked at the empty space, which was somewhat unexpected for him.

Within Lin's body, he could see the past of Night Owl, meaning that this space would extract and display the past of the entrant from the records of the Imaginary Tree. However, he could not see anything; he was in a space that was completely "empty".

"..."

Because he... was nothing at all? He had nothing at all?

The white-haired man paused for a long time, then raised his head. His inhuman Prismatic Eyes flickered with a hint of confusion, like impurities mixed into flawless Amber. After a long while, he continued walking forward.

Leave quickly.

Jizo Mitama's first rated power releases about 50% of its power. The Herrscher of Erosion can erode living beings and electronics, and can also use her abilities to strengthen those she erodes. Furthermore, Rin's ability to manifest outside the Key of Erosion is also unique to her. Projecting consciousness into reality is tantamount to reshaping the physical body, and she can also change her form as needed.

After the purplish-black energy dissipated, some armor-like substances adhered to Lin's body, and the purplish-black flames burned quietly, like a phantom cast from another world.

In every respect, Jizo Mitama is similar to the "demonic blades" of various legends in the Far East. Even without a user, it can move freely. However, if someone wields this blade, they will be corrupted by the energy of the Herrscher of Erosion and become a walking corpse to be manipulated.

However, since Ling has regained consciousness, she naturally cannot corrupt Lin. She can project the energy of Jizo Mitama onto Lin's body to protect him, while also controlling the attack on nearby enemies.

"Brother Lin, there are fluctuations of high concentration of Honkai Energy here."

The bell guided Lin's direction in his mind, while the scenery before him changed rapidly.

Lin didn't even glance at the non-existent phantoms around him, even though they were all his past.

In this unguided, intricate space that resembled an invisible maze, Lin moved swiftly. When he arrived at a familiar ruin, he had returned to the starting point from which he had entered.

The high concentration of Honkai Energy fluctuations that Ling mentioned was not far away, but what silenced Lin was that what appeared in front of him was not the Herrscher of Binding, but... another person.

"..."

"..."

Her gray hair was interspersed with short, gray-white strands, which, amidst the swirling sandstorm, resembled a glaring scar, floating quietly.

The man's head hung limply, as if his spine had been broken. His original prosthetic body had reverted to a human form, radiating an indescribable oppressive aura.

Even though Ling didn't say it, Lin noticed that something was wrong with Night Owl.

"... Lin, I once asked you, the memory, a question."

Night Owl slowly raised his head, the process incredibly slow, as if the surrounding space was being suppressed by some force, becoming viscous and sluggish. Bright red light flickered deep in his pupils as he looked at Lin, whose body was burning with a cold flame, and said, "If a person's only purpose is to survive, to survive no matter what, then what is the meaning of his existence?"

He opened his palm, and in the center lay a necklace as blue as the moon, serene, just like its moon-shaped design, simply radiating a gentle glow.

Whether they are owls or Raven, they live at all costs, and will do anything to survive.

But they were all under a spell, not even knowing the reason for their existence.

So they all found a reason to numb themselves: Raven for money, Owl for Anna. They all thought they had found a reason to live, and they even convinced themselves, until the world tore apart their fragile self-deception and exposed their empty hearts to them in a bloody way.

Even Lin, the memory cell, told them that they decided for themselves how they would survive.

But now, what Night Owl remembers is the pitying gaze that came from behind the cold helmet.

At that time, Night Owl couldn't understand why Lin would show pity for him.

Lin bent down and picked up a photograph from the ground. If it wasn't a phantom, then it could only belong to Night Owl.

The photo shows a girl whose face bears a striking resemblance to a night owl, her innocent smile shining brightly against the blue sky.

Now, she lay in the ruins beside him, her legs smashed into a bloody pulp, slowly losing all her life in front of Night Owl.

I watched her struggle, convulse, and like a fish out of water, ugly as she breathed her last.

"Placing your hopes on someone you've only met once." Lin's words were chilling, his dark pupils fixed on the ominous owl. "You know it's unrealistic. You just placed your expectations on her, so you never went to see her again. You just treated her... that person named Anna, as a symbol, afraid that if you saw her again, the illusions you had placed on her would be shattered."

"Hehe... Yes, fantasy is so fragile, it can't withstand the test of reality."

The owl tilted its head back, a helpless, bitter smile on its lips.

"Someone like me... is really arrogant and weak."

Anna saved him, but Anna didn't save Awen. But what does that prove? Should we blame Anna? Blame her for not helping Awen in his time of need?

"Are you here to kill me?" Night Owl lowered his arms, his face gradually becoming expressionless. "Then hurry up and do it."

"... Don't you want to live anymore?" Lin asked calmly.

"Survive?"

The veins on his forehead bulged, as if his blood vessels were about to explode, and the loneliness was instantly torn apart by the storm!

"Is there any point in living anymore? What do I have now? What am I? My family, my sister, Anna! They're all gone! What am I living for? For World Serpent's ridiculous plan to save the world? Can the hero who saves the world save my family? Can he save me?!"

He screamed hysterically until his throat was raw, his arms twisting and flailing, his eyes bloodshot and red.

"So what if I could save the world!"

"I can't even touch my sister who's right next to me! I don't even have the right to save her!"

He knelt on the ground, sobbing as he reached out to the motionless girl, but his hand passed right through her body.

Clutching his chest, raindrops streamed down his face.

"Tell me! Great hero! Is there any way to save Awen? Haven't you saved many people before?!"

"Tell me..."

A mournful wail echoed above the empty ruins.

But no one responded.

Only the painful screams remain in the silent world.

The "Rebirth" of the Sky: Chapter Twenty-Seven - The Best Time

All Lin could offer Night Owl was silence.

He couldn't answer the owl's question, nor was he the great hero who saved so many people, as the owl claimed.

He couldn't even save another Anna; back then, he was just like the current Night Owl, experiencing his own powerlessness.

He once had nothing, but gradually, some people came into his life, replacing the original spirits of the dead and quietly changing him.

Lin and Kevin initially gave completely different answers, and now they still cannot agree on the same point of view. However, the difference is that Lin now is the same as Kevin back then, and Kevin now is the same as Lin back then.

Kevin was now all alone. He had nothing left but his obsession with carrying out the Stigmata Project, just like Lin had been before.

Even heroes can't save themselves.

"... Do you really not want to live anymore? You don't have to worry about Honkai Energy corroding your body now. Even if you can't control the Herrscher's abilities yet, at least there's hope." Lin's blade wasn't pointed at Night Owl, but at the ground. He bent down to pick up the necklace that had fallen to his feet, looked at the Azure Moon in his hand that Night Owl treasured and was willing to risk his life for, and asked Night Owl, who was like a corpse.

"..."

A bone-chilling cold answered Lin in place of the owl.

"Bang!"

The azure necklace was tossed in front of Night Owl's drooping head. His unfocused pupils reflected the pillar of his heart that he had abandoned. He raised his head in confusion and looked at Lin.

He was greeted by eyes so black they were completely clear.

"This world will always give you unsatisfactory results. Sometimes, when you unscrew the cap and see 'buy one get one free' on the back, you feel like you're the protagonist. But the next bottle's 'thank you for your patronage' will bring you back to reality." Lin spoke calmly to the person in front of him. He didn't expect the other person to understand or be enlightened. Not everyone is Kiana, and not everyone is Lin, but he didn't intend to give up any hope, just as he had never given up on Kiana. "But life is like this... seeing 'thank you for your patronage' doesn't make you give up."

"Perhaps it's also my fault. The other me you know probably isn't as heartless as I am. He would only look at you with pity, instead of using sharp words to lecture you not to place all your expectations on someone you don't know."

"Of course, I'm not an educator, and I can't use more suitable metaphors and wording to rekindle your desire to live... and perhaps you don't need to. So this is my last piece of advice to you..."

Lin pointed to the necklace in Night Owl's hand, then raised the Jizo Mitama, its blade, deeper than his pupils, absorbing the light.

"If you think the world has deceived you, then go and see for yourself what the real world is like. Since Anna isn't what you imagined, then get to know her again."

A tone that is neither too loud nor too soft is conveyed in a world devoid of anything else.

"..."

"..."

"I don't..."

"Bass!"

"Clatter".

A broken hair fell into his hand. When the root touched his fingers, he belatedly trembled and broke out in a cold sweat.

The goddess of death brushed past him and blew a breath at him.

Lin Ping held up the Jizo Mitama and looked down at the stunned Night Owl and the hair he had cut off from his hand.

The silent gaze seemed to mock the night owl.

If you want to die, then why are you trembling?