Castorice's tearful breakdown over the "future" was like a sudden downpour, washing away the gloom that had weighed on her heart for days and finally tearing through the thin, almost imperceptible barrier between them.
Her 98% affection stood like a gleaming monument along Luo Li's conquest route.
Yet the system's notification carried an unprecedented gravity.
[Warning: The [Finality] Path possesses an extremely high tier of power, containing the ultimate mysteries of destruction and rebirth. Its awakening process is extraordinarily perilous, far surpassing that of the [Remembrance] Path. Please ensure that your mental state is absolutely stable and that you are in an absolutely safe environment! A further attempt is recommended only after thorough preparations!] [Ding! As the host has reached the threshold of a high-tier Path, the system recommends adjusting your development priorities: focus first on studying and stabilizing the awakened [Remembrance] Path, then use it as a foundation to cautiously explore the power of [Finality]. During this period, please maintain intimate interactions with the target, "Castorice," to prevent affection from declining due to excessive focus on power.] [Brief summary of core Path philosophies (simplified version):] [Remembrance]: Governs the past, recording and gathering all that has occurred into a river of wisdom and life. Its power lies in bearing and retracing. [Finality]: Glimpses the future, overturning prophecies and destinies certain to arrive, granting meaning to existence before the final end of nothingness. Its power lies in subversion and reconstruction.]
The past and the future...
Luo Li held Castorice as her crying gradually stopped and her breathing grew steady and deep, his heart churning.
The system's message was clear. Powerful as [Finality] was, its risks were immense. He could not attempt it rashly.
What mattered most now was laying a solid foundation in [Remembrance] while... maintaining that hard-earned 98% affection.
The remaining 2% seemed within reach, but the system had explicitly stated that completing the breakthrough would bring an "unprecedented gift."
It was plainly telling him not to rush. Things needed to happen naturally.
Moreover, the system's final addendum made Luo Li's heart skip and his ears burn-
[Note: Once the target "Castorice" breaks through 100% affection, the host may engage in any intimate act with her on the basis of absolute trust and their bond (none of these acts will cause her any aversion).]
Any... intimate act?
Luo Li's breathing quickened involuntarily, his gaze unconsciously falling on Castorice's healthy pink earlobe and slender neck, so close to him.
He quickly shook his head, banishing certain ill-timed images.
No rushing, no getting reckless! The system already said these last 2% needed to build slowly, and for now, they would only crawl upward in increments of 0.1%. One wrong move could undo everything. That would be a huge loss!
He scooped Castorice into his arms-the girl was so light she seemed to weigh nothing-and carried her back to her room, carefully tucking her in.
Looking at her sleeping profile, her brow still faintly furrowed but her expression much more peaceful, Luo Li's heart filled with tenderness and resolve.
He returned to the living room, summoned the system panel, and began seriously studying further details of the [Remembrance] Path.
In the game, the "Remembrance" Path was primarily represented through summons serving as main DPS, sub-DPS, or support. In short, it relied heavily on summons-but there had been absolutely no gameplay demonstration of the "Finality" Path. He would have to figure everything out himself.
"Remembrance is the foundation... Then I'll make that foundation solid first!"
Luo Li steadied his mind and began training [Remembrance Perception] and [Remembrance Weaving] more systematically.
He no longer limited himself to sensing objects. He began trying to perceive subtler emotional traces in his surroundings, even attempting extremely brief mental suggestions on birds flying past the window (the usual result was that the bird paused in confusion, then flew away even faster).
Life seemed to return to its previous rhythm, but its underlying warmth was entirely different.
Castorice had become noticeably more dependent on him.
She stopped writing those anxious sticky notes. In their place came more natural expressions of concern and... occasional attempts to draw close on her own.
When he streamed for too long, she would silently bring him a cup of warm water; when practicing his Path power drained too much of his mental energy and left him pale, she would gently tug his sleeve, signaling for him to rest; when they watched documentaries together at night, she would naturally lean against his side and share half her blanket.
Keeping the system's warning firmly in mind, Luo Li worked hard at studying his Path while offering Castorice just the right amount of gentleness and response.
He no longer deliberately engineered physical contact with the strong intent of "winning her over" as he had before. Instead, his more relaxed mindset and focus on his own training made him seem more natural and at ease.
This change seemed to reassure Castorice even more.
[Ding! The target "Castorice" feels reassured by the host's steady companionship and admires his focus on personal growth. Affection +0.1%. Current affection: 98.1%.]
See? The crawl upward has begun.
Luo Li was very satisfied. Slow and steady was the way to go.
That afternoon, Luo Li decided to go out to the nearby library affiliated with the Ability Users' Guild and see whether it had any old texts on training mental energy or rare abilities (the chances were slim, but it was better than staying home and fumbling around on his own).
He let Castorice know, then headed out alone.
The area around the Ability Users' Guild felt rather more "hardcore" than the ordinary residential neighborhood where Luo Li lived.
Among the people on the streets, there was a noticeably higher proportion of ability users wearing various combat uniforms and carrying weapons. Even the air seemed to carry a faint scent of gunsmoke, machine oil, and some kind of residual energy.
Walking among them in casual clothes, Luo Li looked somewhat out of place.
Following his navigation app, he found the fortress-like library, with armed personnel guarding its entrance.
Just as he was about to verify his identity and enter, a woman's voice came from beside him, tinged with surprise and uncertainty:
"Luo Li?"
Luo Li turned toward the voice.
A tall, well-proportioned young woman in a fitted gray combat uniform stood a short distance away, looking at him.
She had neat, short black hair, striking features, and eyes as sharp as an unsheathed blade. A simply designed short blade hung at her waist, and she exuded an air of competence and strength.
Luo Li paused, then recognized her and smiled. "Yuan Huan? Senior?"
Yuan Huan was a university senior two years ahead of him, as well as one of the school's prominent figures back then-the wielder of the A-rank ability [Flash Blade].
Her ability not only greatly increased the cutting power and speed of bladed weapons but also allowed short-range teleportation lunges. It was an exceptionally formidable combat ability.
After graduation, Yuan Huan had naturally joined Jiangcheng's elite patrol squad and reportedly amassed an impressive record.
"It really is you."
Yuan Huan walked over and looked Luo Li up and down, her lips curving with a hint of teasing. "What's this? Our former 'pride of the esports club' finally remembered to work on himself? Never thought I'd see you here."
Her gaze swept over Luo Li's ordinary jacket. He could not tell whether her tone was mocking or simply surprised.
Back in university, Luo Li had earned a little fame in gaming circles through his C-rank "Super-Speed Reaction," while Yuan Huan had represented the practical combat crowd. Their paths rarely crossed, but they knew each other.
"Don't tease me, Senior."
Luo Li gave a wry smile. Around elites like her, he habitually adopted a slacker attitude.
"I just had nothing to do, so I came to look around and find some... gaming inspiration."
"You came to the Ability Users' Guild library for gaming inspiration?"
Yuan Huan clearly did not believe him, but she did not press the matter. Her gaze lingered on Luo Li for a moment with a trace of scrutiny.
"Still, your energy fluctuations... seem a little different from before? They're still very weak, but they feel... a little mixed?"
Luo Li's heart jolted.
An A-rank ability user's perception really was sharp!
After awakening the [Remembrance] Path, the nature of his mental energy had changed. Although its quantity had barely increased, its "quality" was indeed different. He had not expected Yuan Huan to pick up on it, however vaguely.
"Maybe staying up late gaming lately has worn me out."
He laughed it off, trying to bluff his way through.
Yuan Huan raised an eyebrow without committing herself.
She did not seem particularly interested in why Luo Li was here and instead asked, "I heard you've been working as some kind of gaming streamer lately? How's that going? Much easier than 'playing games' face-to-face with those bloodsucking scum, right?"
Her tone held the detachment of someone who had fought life-and-death battles, along with a barely perceptible distance from those in the "rear."
"Just making a living. Nothing compared to you risking your lives on the front lines."
Luo Li maintained his cowardly demeanor.
Looking at him like this, Yuan Huan seemed to lose interest and waved a hand. "All right, I won't keep you from finding your 'inspiration.'
"I've handed in my mission report, so I'm heading off."
She paused as though remembering something, then added in an indifferent, businesslike tone.
"Things haven't been peaceful out there lately. The city's still fairly safe, but someone like you... well, you should spend less time wandering around outside.
"If something really happens, that little bit of reaction speed won't cut it."
With that, she left without lingering, turning briskly as the hem of her combat uniform traced a crisp arc.
Watching Yuan Huan walk away, Luo Li breathed a sigh of relief, though he also felt somewhat unsettled.
Being cautioned by a former schoolmate, now an elite, in that "you're too weak, so be careful" tone was hardly a pleasant experience.
Was this the natural gulf created by a difference in strength?
He took a deep breath, suppressed that subtle feeling, and turned to enter the library.
He knew Yuan Huan meant no harm. Even her warning could count as concern born of their shared university ties.
But it was precisely that casually revealed assessment, rooted in the difference in their strength, that made him more clearly aware of where he stood.
Luo Li walked among the vast rows of shelves, his fingers brushing books both new and old that held all kinds of knowledge and possibilities, his resolve growing firmer.
Not to prove anything, nor to gain anyone's approval.
Only to truly take control of his own destiny and possess enough strength to protect that warmth from another world, which had quietly found a home in his heart.
As he checked out a stack of miscellaneous books that might or might not prove useful, the system's notification sounded in his mind: [Ding! External stimulation has further strengthened the host's desire for power. Understanding of the [Remembrance] Path has increased slightly.]
Holding the books, he walked out of the library and looked toward home.
The sunset's lingering light filtered through the Blood-Erosion Clouds, staining the sky an even deeper dark red.
Castorice, wait for me.
(PS: Dear readers, please show some support! I'm begging for comments and update requests, and a rating while you're at it-please!!!)