The incident on the subway platform was like a pebble tossed into a lake; its ripples soon faded amid the anticipation of going to the amusement park.
But Luo Li held Castorice's hand a little tighter than before.
The boundless malice of that woman in the Lolita dress had lodged like a thorn, making him realize that he needed to let the purehearted Castorice learn something about the bizarre side of this internet age.
"Castorice..." He slowed his steps, choosing his words. "That person on the subway earlier... don't take what she said to heart."
Castorice shook her head gently, a trace of lingering confusion in her purple eyes. "I don't understand. Why would she harbor so much malice toward us when we were complete strangers?"
Luo Li sighed and explained, "In this world, especially online, plenty of people will do all kinds of things without any bottom line and say all kinds of irresponsible things just to attract attention and get so-called 'traffic.' They don't care about the truth or whether they hurt others. All they care about is whether they can become the center of attention."
He paused, looked into Castorice's clear eyes, and said frankly, "That woman earlier was a textbook example of someone brainwashed by toxic motivational platitudes online.
"They live in worlds of their own imagining, thinking everyone should revolve around them, and lash out at others whenever anything displeases them... people like that aren't the majority in society, but they aren't isolated cases either.
"If you go online or meet anyone like that in the future, stay away as much as possible. Don't believe their twisted reasoning."
Castorice listened quietly, only half understanding, but she could feel the concern and protectiveness in Luo Li's words.
She nodded gently. "Mm, I understand. I won't believe them." She tightened her grip on his hand and added, "I only believe you."
Those words instantly warmed Luo Li's heart. He smiled and put the unpleasantness behind him. "Come on, we're at the amusement park! Let's have all the fun we can today!"
The enormous "Star Rail Amusement Park" sign came into view, and cheerful music and laughter washed over them, instantly dispelling the remaining gloom.
As Castorice looked at the colorful park full of curious, whimsical buildings, her purple eyes lit up with childlike wonder.
On the carousel, she sat on a white steed, her silver hair flying and her skirt swaying as she rose and fell with the music, a pure, happy smile on her face. Luo Li stood nearby with his phone, recording the beautiful moment.
In the bumper cars, they drove their little cars all over the arena. At first, Castorice gripped the steering wheel nervously, but with Luo Li's encouragement and "cover," she gradually loosened up. Whenever she bumped into someone or was hit herself, she occasionally let out a clear, quiet cry tinged with excitement, her purple eyes sparkling.
They tackled the haunted house together. Castorice was completely unmoved by its artificial horror effects and instead studied the mechanisms with interest. Luo Li, on the other hand, jumped when a zombie suddenly sprang out and instinctively tightened his grip on her hand, drawing a faint smile from her.
They also played a shooting game, where Luo Li used Super-Speed Reaction to easily win Castorice the largest plush toy-a charmingly goofy purple star.
The sun sank in the west, dyeing the sky and the Blood-Erosion Clouds an even deeper orange-red.
Holding Castorice's hand and carrying the enormous star plush, Luo Li headed toward their final destination-the huge Ferris wheel, like a slowly revolving celestial body.
The cabin slowly ascended, and the amusement park beneath them shrank into a brilliantly lit miniature landscape.
The cabin was quiet, with only the faint sound of machinery at work.
Castorice leaned against the window, curiously watching the view outside broaden.
Luo Li watched her profile, his heartbeat quickening despite himself.
Now was the moment.
As the Ferris wheel reached its highest point and the cabin paused ever so slightly-
Outside the window, a narrow gap seemed to briefly pierce the thick Blood-Erosion Clouds. Hazy, distant stars revealed their faint yet real light against the dark-red sky, like scattered diamonds.
"Castorice, look!" Luo Li prompted softly.
Castorice looked up at the briefly appearing "starry sky," a rare sight in another world. Starlight reflected in her purple eyes as though a galaxy flowed within them.
"So beautiful..." she murmured.
Just then, Luo Li took a deep breath and stepped in front of her, dropping to one knee... er, no, he did not kneel. He simply rested both hands gently on her shoulders with the utmost solemnity, turning her to face him.
His gaze was more serious than ever, nervous yet filled with unquestionable resolve and deep affection.
"Castorice..." His voice was slightly hoarse with nerves, but every word was clear. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
Castorice seemed to sense what was coming. Her purple eyes widened slightly, a blush quickly spread across her cheeks, and her heart skipped a beat.
She did not shy away, only watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
"From the day you suddenly appeared in my life, my world became different."
Luo Li gazed into her eyes as though trying to look into the depths of her soul.
"I used to think that just slacking off, playing games, and drifting through life wasn't so bad.
"But after you appeared, I wanted to become better and stronger. I wanted to be able to protect you. I wanted... to give you a stable future."
He paused, summoned his courage, and spoke the words he had rehearsed countless times in his heart:
"I don't know what the customs are in Amphoreus, but here, when a man wants to be with a woman forever, to care for her, protect her, and cherish her... he asks her to be his girlfriend."
"So... Castorice..."
His voice trembled slightly, but it was utterly sincere.
"Would you... give me that chance? Would you... be my girlfriend?"
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
The Ferris wheel cabin hung above the city, with a hazy starry sky outside the window and brilliant lights below.
Castorice stared at him, at the undisguised affection and nervousness in his eyes, so intense they almost burned her.
She remembered how he had taken her in and clumsily cared for her when she first arrived in this world, how he had rushed about to lift her curse and resolve her identity problem, his patient guidance and every cautious attempt to draw closer, his unhesitating defense of her on the subway, and the brilliant starlight in his eyes now, with only her reflected within...
It was as though a blazing sun had been cast into the somewhat bewildered lake of her heart. All the mist vanished in an instant, leaving only incomparably clear, surging emotion.
She had always known that this person was special to her.
He was a unique warmth, unlike any existence in Amphoreus.
She wanted that warmth. She wanted to stay by his side.
Not as a stranger he had taken in, but as... someone who walked beside him.
A thin sheen of tears gradually gathered in Castorice's purple eyes, but behind it shone an incomparably bright and resolute light.
She nodded firmly, her voice slightly choked yet clear and unwavering. "I do."
Those simple words resounded through Luo Li's mind like the most beautiful music in the world.
Overwhelming joy swept through him like a tsunami, nearly making him lose his footing.
Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace, holding her tightly, so tightly.
Castorice reached out as well and hugged him back, burying her cheek in his warm chest, listening to his heart pound like a drum and feeling this real, burning happiness.
[Ding! Detected an explicit, affirmative response from target "Castorice" to the host's confession. Emotions have achieved final confirmation and union! Affection has surpassed 100%!] [Congratulations, host! Successfully conquered target "Castorice"!] [Distributing rewards...]
Here it came!
Luo Li shouted inwardly, holding the girl in his arms tightly as he anticipated the "unprecedented gift package" the system had promised.
[Detected that the host has awakened the Path of [Remembrance], made initial contact with the Path of [Finality], and maximized the bond value with the target. Special fusion conditions met!] [Beginning Path fusion... [Remembrance] + [Finality] = [Spacetime]!] [Congratulations, host, on awakening an entirely new supreme Path-[Spacetime]!] [Path philosophy: Govern the river of past and future, glimpse truth within the cracks of time, and anchor the meaning of existence. Transcends ordinary rules and holds infinite possibilities.]
The Path of [Spacetime]?!
Luo Li felt as though even his soul was trembling! The combined power of past and future? This was practically a cheat among cheats!
[Based on the Path of [Spacetime], the host automatically comprehends the following S-rank abilities:] [1. Time Retardation: Can slow or accelerate the flow of time within a small area for a short duration (at an immense cost to the user).] [2. Space Folding: Can perform short-distance spatial jumps or create temporary, small subspace barriers.] [3. Causal Tracing: Can briefly glimpse the chain of cause and effect behind an event to find key nodes.] [4. Existence Anchoring: Strengthens the user's presence, providing some resistance to conceptual attacks such as instant death and oblivion.] [5. Future Preview: Building on [Finality] previews, can actively expend large amounts of mental energy to briefly glimpse multiple possible branches of the future.]
Information on a string of S-rank abilities flooded his mind, every one astonishingly powerful! This was nothing short of a complete transformation!
[Reward: Exclusive growth-type weapon, Bloodblade Enma!]
(Note: The weapon's name references Mo Lang's weapon in Scissor Seven. Just consider it this humble author being lazy.)
[Form: Can change form according to the host's will (recommended initial form: Tang-style straight saber).] [Traits:] [1. Bloodthirsty Evolution: By absorbing blood (vampire blood is most effective), the weapon can continuously improve its sharpness, toughness, and spirituality, unlocking new forms and skills.] [2. Demon Breaking: Deals bonus damage to life-forms that are not purely material, such as vampires, undead, and energy beings.] [3. Soul Devouring: After killing an enemy, can devour part of their soul energy to replenish the host's mental energy.] [4. Owner Recognition: Bound to host Luo Li. Cannot be used by others.]
A dark-red straight saber appeared out of thin air in Luo Li's system storage, its design ancient and slender, blood-colored patterns faintly visible on its blade. It radiated a chilling murderous aura and an ominous beauty, connected to his will.
Luo Li could feel that with a single thought, this vicious blade named "Enma" would appear in his hand, eager to drink its fill of his enemies' blood-especially vampires'!
So powerful! This gift package far exceeded his expectations!
From now on, he was no longer that useless streamer who could only use Super-Speed Reaction to show off in games and needed Castorice to protect him when danger struck.
He now possessed enough power to establish himself in this dangerous apocalypse, and even... change those unwanted "futures"!
Castorice, still in his arms, seemed to sense the abrupt change in Luo Li's aura as it became profound and powerful. She lifted her head slightly, surprise and curiosity in her purple eyes. "Luo Li? You..."
Luo Li suppressed his excitement and looked at the breathtakingly beautiful face of the girl in his arms, his eyes filled with endless tenderness and the powerful confidence he had just gained.
He lowered his head and gently rested his forehead against hers, his voice carrying a smile and absolute conviction. "Mm, it's me. And... starting today, I'm going to be different."
"I'll use this new power to protect you better and safeguard our future."
"Anyone or anything that tries to hurt you or separate us-I'll use this blade to cut them to pieces!"
His words carried a trace of the swagger that came with newly acquired power and an unquestionable dominance.
Castorice watched the sharp, confident light in his eyes, like an unsheathed blade, unlike anything she had seen in them before. Feeling his reassuring aura, now deeper and more powerful, the last trace of unease in her heart over the unknown future vanished completely.
She believed in him.
No matter what he became, he was still the Luo Li who clumsily cared for her, who stood up for her, and who blushed and felt his heart race over a single word from her.
She rose gently onto her toes and took the initiative to press a soft, brief kiss to his lips.
"Mm, I believe in you."
The soft touch passed in an instant, yet it was like lighting the final fuse.
Luo Li froze briefly, then immense joy and impulse engulfed him.
He no longer hesitated. Lowering his head, he kissed her sweet lips deeply.
The Ferris wheel cabin slowly revolved at its highest point, with the hazy starry sky and the city's sea of lights outside its windows.
Inside the cabin, two lovers who had just confirmed their feelings held each other tightly and kissed with abandon, as though trying to merge each other into their very flesh and blood.
(PS: Do you all feel like this book is about to end? Actually, it isn't. If it really followed the same path as the Firefly book, it would most likely end here, and all the earlier setup would go to waste.
It looks like the platform wants me to keep writing. All I can say is that its initial popularity is on par with the Ke Lu book, which has also given me some motivation to continue.
A question for everyone: Do you find the slice-of-life sections a little awkward to read? This is one of this humble author's shortcomings. I really am not very good at writing slice of life, so please be understanding if any parts aren't written well.
Also, please allow me to take back that sentence at the very top of Chapter 1. The previous Ke Lu book wasn't popular at all. A 7.0 rating was already the highest that book could reach.
Of course, if possible, I hope this book's rating can surpass the previous one-just consider it a wish of mine.
Please leave comments, request updates, and give ratings-please lend me a little support, everyone.)