The joy of successfully registering his "Bug-type ability" washed through Luo Li's entire body like a warm current. He practically flew home, eager to share the good news with Castorice.
"Castorice! It's done!"
Pushing open the door, Luo Li waved the electronic card that symbolized his "legal identity," unable to hide the excitement on his face.
Castorice was sitting on the sofa and looked up at his voice.
Seeing his brilliant smile, her amethyst eyes curved slightly, revealing heartfelt delight. "That's wonderful, Luo Li."
"We have to celebrate!"
Luo Li swept his hand grandly, brimming with extravagance.
"What do you want to eat tonight? My treat! Let's... eat out!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "eat out."
Since Castorice had come to this world, they had ordered takeout but never actually gone out for a meal.
Partly, he had worried about her identity before, and partly... Luo Li really had been strapped for cash.
But today was different!
To celebrate this historic step, he decided to splurge-dipping into part of the "dream fund" he had secretly saved for several weeks, originally intended for a new phone. A full eight hundred in Longxia Currency would be enough for them to enjoy a sumptuous dinner at a decent midrange restaurant in the city.
(Of course, this meant that in the days ahead, he might have to get by on his livestream income, occasional assistance from the system, and cuts to his snack budget... but for now, he chose to ignore that reality.)
Castorice showed tremendous interest in "eating out."
She carefully selected a relatively formal ivory dress Luo Li had bought her earlier and made a point of putting on her amethyst butterfly hair clip.
When she emerged from her room, Luo Li felt his breath stop for a moment.
The dress fit beautifully, outlining her slender, graceful waist. Its knee-length hem revealed her pale, straight calves.
Her long silver-purple hair fell smoothly behind her shoulders. The amethyst wings of Casti nestled in it shone with a soft luster under the lights, complementing her clear violet eyes.
She tugged at her hem a little nervously and looked at Luo Li. "Is this... all right?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
Luo Li nodded vigorously, feeling that his heartbeat sounded especially clear in the quiet living room.
"You look incredibly beautiful."
His clumsy compliment brought a blush to Castorice's cheeks. She lowered her head gently, but could not suppress the slight upward curve of her lips.
[Ding! Target 'Castorice' feels happy and valued due to the host's sincere praise and carefully prepared celebration. Mood value has increased significantly.] [(Emotional foundation continues to grow warmer. Excellent atmosphere.)]
They chose a well-reviewed fusion restaurant not too far from home.
The restaurant had an elegant atmosphere, with soft lighting, soothing music, and the enticing aroma of food in the air.
For Luo Li, who was accustomed to takeout and simple home-cooked meals, and Castorice, who could usually only learn about dining outside through a tablet, it was a novel experience.
In a rare display of generosity, Luo Li followed the recommendations on a review app and ordered several signature dishes: squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, Longjing shrimp, crab roe tofu... and a pot of refreshingly sweet rice wine.
As she looked at the exquisitely plated dishes, appealing in color, aroma, and flavor, Castorice's eyes sparkled like those of a child who had discovered treasure.
Copying Luo Li, she used her chopsticks clumsily but earnestly, sampling every dish and occasionally giving tiny exclamations of satisfaction.
"This fish has a crispy shell, but the meat inside is so tender..."
"These shrimp have the delicate fragrance of tea..."
"This tofu... is so silky..."
As she ate, she quietly shared her impressions, her violet eyes full of curiosity about these unfamiliar flavors.
Watching her, Luo Li instantly forgot the little pang over the impending "financial crisis."
Worth it! So worth it!
Seeing her smile like this, free of burdens and simply enjoying the food, was worth any amount of money.
He patiently explained the origins and characteristics of each dish, occasionally laughing at her overly "Amphoreus-style" interpretations.
The atmosphere was warm and happy.
After dinner, they strolled slowly home along the neon-lit streets.
Even beneath the Blood-Erosion Clouds, Jiangcheng at night retained its unique vitality.
Streetlights stretched their shadows long, and the occasional passing vehicle stirred up a breeze.
Castorice seemed to be lingering in the afterglow of their delicious meal. She was in such a good mood that even her steps were lighter than usual.
Luo Li watched her graceful figure walking beside him, the amethyst in her hair occasionally reflecting flecks of light beneath the streetlamps. His heart filled with an immense sense of satisfaction and... an indescribable peace.
It was a strange feeling.
As though all the turmoil outside-the threat of vampires, his own insufficient strength, the uncertainty of the future-had been temporarily shut away.
At that moment, he only wanted time to linger a little longer.
Just then, perhaps because he was so completely relaxed, perhaps because the foundation of his [Remembrance] Path had been strengthened without his realizing it, or perhaps because the atmosphere had acted as a catalyst...
An icy, vast tremor, utterly unlike the power of [Remembrance], quietly awakened in the depths of his soul without warning!
Humm-
A bell seemed to toll within Luo Li's mind, echoing from ancient times and proclaiming the end.
Wisps of ash-like black mist began spreading uncontrollably along the edges of his vision.
The street, neon lights, pedestrians... every scene of reality before him began to twist and fade, as though separated from him by a pane of slowly shattering glass.
[Warning! A special resonance has been detected between the host's state of mind and current surroundings. The power of the [Finality] Path has begun activating spontaneously!] [Forced guidance initiated! Host, please concentrate and steady your mind!]
The system's notifications carried an unprecedented urgency.
Alarmed, Luo Li tried to forcibly suppress it, but the power swept through his consciousness like a flood bursting its banks!
An extremely faint darkness, seemingly capable of swallowing all light, uncontrollably veiled his eyes.
The vision of [Finality] had activated passively!
In that instant, the world in Luo Li's eyes seemed overlaid with a blurred, fragmented filter from the "future."
He saw that the man smoking on the street corner would be hospitalized three days later because of a workplace injury;
He saw that new residents would move in a month later behind the lit window in the building across the street;
He saw that the towering office building in the distance would suffer cracks in its exterior walls during a small-scale blood beast attack in the near future...
These fragments of the future flashed past like fleeting reflections, carrying an icy sense of predetermined fate.
Luo Li felt violently dizzy and nauseated, his mental power draining like water through opened floodgates.
He forced his gaze away and, almost instinctively, looked at Castorice beside him-
He wanted to confirm whether, as he had sworn, her future would always have him by her side.
Yet the moment the vision of [Finality] focused on Castorice-
Luo Li's pupils abruptly shrank to pinpoints! The blood throughout his body seemed to freeze instantly.
The world in his eyes shook and warped violently! Countless sharp sounds like shattering glass rang in his ears.
In that fragment of the "future" he saw...
There was no dark red sky of the apocalyptic city, no cold steel and concrete.
It was a sacred city bathed in the radiance of eternal dawn-Amphoreus's "eternal holy city, Okhema."
Magnificent white buildings shimmering with a mica-like luster soared into the clouds, while strange plants emitting soft halos lined the streets.
The air seemed suffused with tranquility and peace.
And Castorice stood on a street in that holy city.
She wore a more splendid, dignified outfit befitting her identity as the Battlefield Saintess, her long silver-purple hair flowing with a serene luster in the dawn light.
Her expression was calm, even carrying a trace of... relief at "coming home" that Luo Li had never seen before.
That was not what shocked Luo Li most.
At Castorice's side, following her every step, were identical twin girls who looked about seven or eight years old.
Both had soft silver hair tinged with pale purple, arranged in cute buns, and wore exquisite little dresses.
And their faces-though still round and soft with childhood, their brows and eyes, the bridges of their noses, the shapes of their lips... every feature was a miniature version of Castorice's-as though they were replicas painstakingly sculpted by heaven, connected to her by blood!
The two little girls held Castorice's hands on either side, tilting their little faces upward. Their large eyes, like purple grapes, were full of curiosity about their surroundings and complete dependence on Castorice.
They seemed to be saying something, innocent smiles on their lips.
Castorice lowered her head slightly to look at them, an extraordinarily gentle smile appearing on her face, filled with affection and... a trace of indescribable sadness.
She reached out and gently stroked one girl's hair.
The scene was as beautiful as a painting, filled with warmth and hope.
And yet-
An invisible hand clenched Luo Li's heart so viciously that he could barely breathe.
His eyes widened as he frantically searched that fragment of the future for his own figure.
He wasn't there!
He wasn't anywhere!
In that future where Castorice returned to her homeland, accompanied by twins who looked so much like her, there was absolutely no trace of Luo Li's existence.
As though he had never appeared in her life, or... had long since been completely washed away and erased by the torrent of time.
How could... this happen?
He had clearly sworn never to forget her, to always protect her...
Could his ultimate fate truly be to disappear completely in some unknown disaster, just as she had foreseen in her nightmare?
And was this future the... home she chose after losing him?
Immense panic and an unbelievable chill engulfed Luo Li like a tide.
"Luo Li?"
Castorice's worried voice abruptly pulled him out of that terrifying vision of the future and back into reality.
The vision of [Finality] receded like the tide. The street and neon lights returned to normal, and only the severe stabbing pain in his brain and his utter mental exhaustion proved that none of it had been an illusion.
Luo Li was as pale as paper, his forehead covered in cold sweat. His breathing was rapid, and his body even swayed slightly.
"What's wrong?"
Castorice hurriedly steadied him, her violet eyes filled with concern and confusion.
"You look so pale... are you feeling unwell?"
Her hand was warm and soft, its touch real.
Looking at her face so close to his, filled with worry, then recalling that "perfect" future of hers without him, Luo Li felt an immense wave of anguish and fear rise within him, almost tearing him apart.
He squeezed his eyes shut, forcibly suppressing his churning blood and chaotic thoughts, and managed an extremely strained smile. "N-no, I'm fine... maybe I just... ate a little too much and walked a bit too fast..."
He did not dare tell her the truth.
He did not dare tell her that he had glimpsed a future that might not include him.
That future pierced all the warmth and certainty he had felt these past days like the sharpest spike of ice.
"Really?"
Still worried, Castorice studied his face carefully.
"Really..." Luo Li took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound more normal.
"Let's get home quickly. I want to... rest a little."
He needed time to process this enormous shock, needed to think, needed to... find a way to change that "finality."
"All right." Castorice nodded, supporting his arm and slowing her pace.
They were both quiet on the way home.
Luo Li was immersed in that staggering vision and icy despair, while Castorice keenly sensed that some heavy gloom seemed to have suddenly enveloped him. The joy of their celebration had vanished without a trace.
She stole a glance at his taut profile and tightly pressed lips, an almost imperceptible trace of worry flashing through her violet eyes.
What... had he seen?
[Ding! The host has passively glimpsed a 'possible future' foretold by the [Finality] Path and suffered a tremendous mental shock, developing profound anxiety and a sense of crisis regarding his own existence and relationship with the target.] [(Note: What [Finality] sees is not absolutely fixed, but one possibility extrapolated from the current threads of cause and effect. Every choice and every effort can disturb the river of fate, leading to a different shore.)]
The system's notifications rang through Luo Li's chaotic mind with a hint of reassurance.
One... possibility?
Luo Li abruptly raised his head, a faint light rekindling in his eyes.
That's right. The future could be changed!
He would never let that future without him become reality.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.
No matter how "perfect" or "reasonable" that future looked, he would do everything in his power to overturn it.
He had to become stronger, strong enough to shatter fate, strong enough to firmly carve his name into her future.
He turned to Castorice, who quietly accompanied him, his eyes once again filled with unquestionable resolve and... an almost obsessive desire to protect her.
"Castorice," he called softly.
"Hm?" Castorice raised her head and met his unusually bright eyes.
"It's nothing." Luo Li shook his head, trying to draw his lips into a gentle smile. "I just suddenly thought... it's really nice to walk with you like this."
He reached out and gently took her slightly cool hand, enclosing her little hand completely within his palm.
This time, his movement carried an unyielding firmness, as though he feared losing something.
Castorice froze briefly. Feeling the unfamiliar heat and resolve in his palm, she quietly blushed, but did not pull away. She merely squeezed his hand gently in return and said softly, "Mm... I think so too."
The streetlights stretched their close-set silhouettes long as they slowly disappeared into Jiangcheng's unchanging dark red night.
The road ahead might be strewn with thorns, and the answers to the future remained shrouded in mist.
But at least at that moment, they held each other's hands tightly.
And perhaps that was the beginning of their resistance against "finality."