"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The scream practically shook the whole room. If Raven still had ears right now, he'd probably be frowning and trying to cover them. Unfortunately, who knew where his ears had flown off to.

Xu Weiyu lowered her head and stared at the eyeball that had landed on her chest. Her brain completely blue-screened.

That eyeball rolled a little, then floated back into the air, returning right where Raven’s head was supposed to be. All the torn flesh and tissue scattered in the air flew back to his neck and reattached themselves. At that moment, Raven lifted his hand and covered her eyes.

"If you don’t want to be too traumatized to sleep tonight, don’t look."

"I'm already not sleeping tonight, okay?!" Xu Weiyu was about to lose it.

She had never seen anything like this in her life. She didn’t say another word. Her hands clenched tightly around her skirt hem and stayed that way until Raven lowered his hand again and put his mask back on. Xu Weiyu still didn’t manage to see his face.

"You're… fine now?"

"Yeah, I’m fine."

"H-how did you even do that?"

"This is also one of my abilities."

"Your head literally exploded and you still didn’t die… then how do you even die?"

"There are actually plenty of ways to kill me. You just can’t do any of them."

"Then in this world… is there anyone who can?"

Raven hesitated. "In The Alliance’s Black Ops, there should be two people who, in the future, will be able to do it."

Xu Weiyu froze for a moment, then suddenly relaxed a lot. "I knew it. There’s no way you’re completely invincible."

"I mean when their abilities break through to Triple S Rank. Only then will they have a chance to kill me." Raven shook his head helplessly. "I’m actually really looking forward to the person who can truly kill me showing up again… I’m looking forward to that fight, even if I have to bet everything on it. I’m ready."

"Who is it?"

"Someone beyond your imagination… There’s no point talking about this." Raven’s voice quieted. He reached his hand out to her again. "Let’s continue. Try whatever you want. It’s fine."

"Then what if… I mess up your genes and you grow a third eye or four arms or something?" Xu Weiyu tested cautiously.

"It’s fine."

"Really?"

"Really."

So Xu Weiyu happily reached out and took his hand. The moment she held it, her energy seeped into his body again. This time, Raven’s arm began to change. Gradually, the flesh on his arm faded away, leaving only bone. Then the shape of the bone twisted and warped, turning into a sharp… bone blade.

"Good idea," Raven commented.

"Then how do you turn it back?"

"That’s easy… I just have to—"

He didn’t finish.

The next second, he keeled straight over.

Xu Weiyu hurriedly reached out, sensing his state with her power. Only then did she realize, in that split second just now, all his brain nerves… had died. But in the very next instant, those neurons regained activity. Raven opened his eyes again, and at that same moment, his hand returned to normal.

Xu Weiyu sharply noticed that it wasn’t just his arm. Even his energy had completely reset.

"You're a monster, aren’t you?"

"I don’t really like that word. I suggest you pick another. If you use words like that again, I might get angry." Raven stared quietly into her eyes.

"Okay, okay. Then how did you do it, really?"

"I already told you. It’s one of my abilities."

"Immortality?"

"Yes."

"There’s no limit to how many times?"

"None."

"So as long as your energy is used up, you’ll die, right?" Xu Weiyu tested, "Don’t worry, I’ll keep it a secret."

"You’re that curious?"

"Yeah. It’s amazing, don’t you think?" Xu Weiyu puffed her chest out just a little.

"If my energy runs out… I’ll just resurrect again." Raven replied blandly.

"I don’t believe you."

"You don’t again?"

"Right, I don’t… unless you prove it to me."

"Why would I prove it to you?"

"I’ll show you my bear-bear!" Xu Weiyu raised her little hand, looking surprisingly serious.

"…Not interested."

"My bear-bear is super white and super cute. You really don’t want to take just one look? Just one."

Raven gave her a strange look. The girl in front of him looked weirdly fired up, like some kind of hyper-curious gremlin. He stared into her eyes helplessly. "Fine."

As he spoke, he snapped his fingers. His lips moved slightly. Xu Weiyu didn’t notice. If she had, she might’ve guessed… what Raven’s real ability was.

The moment his snap rang out—

Raven’s gaze lifted to the clouds outside in the night sky. Xu Weiyu followed his line of sight. The next second, her pupils widened, as if she were witnessing a miracle.

It was a miracle.

Outside, in the dark sky, dazzling fireworks suddenly bloomed. They twisted and flared in all kinds of colors, each hue a different manifestation of energy. They shot high into the air and exploded without a sound, covering the night above the city. The light was so bright it almost turned night into day, like a fairy tale, like the last brilliant scenery before the end of the world.

The fireworks crackled and flickered for a full minute.

"Okay. Energy’s out," Raven said, turning around. He picked up the little fruit knife on the table, the one meant for peeling apples, and, under Xu Weiyu’s wide-eyed stare, plunged it into his own heart.

Without blood circulation, Raven quickly collapsed onto the sofa.

Xu Weiyu almost dove on him, trying to use this chance to rip off his mask for a peek. But before her fingers could grab it, Raven had already raised a hand and closed his fingers around her slender wrist.

"Bratty kids get their butts smacked."

Xu Weiyu didn’t even get a word out. Because she moved too fast, her foot slipped. Her whole body fell straight into his arms. Her body carried a faint, soft fragrance; her chest landed on his, and her face slammed into his shoulder.

"That hurts!" Xu Weiyu grumbled. She pushed against his shoulder and stood up, her wrist still trapped in his grip. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I didn’t even see anything."

Her whole face might as well have "itching for a beating" written on one cheek and "asking for it" on the other.

But Lin Ran had always been pretty forgiving with clueless little girls.

"If you pull this again next time, I really will hit you," Raven said very seriously. Xu Weiyu nodded, then plopped back into the seat opposite him, propping her face up with both hands.

"Those fireworks just now—if someone used them to propose, it’d be so romantic."

"…"

Energy that could wipe out a quarter of the city, and you’re telling me that’s romantic?

"Do you still want to show me your bear-bear?"

"No."

"You have to! You must! I said I’d show you, so I’m showing you!"

Xu Weiyu suddenly stood up, jogged into her room, and came back hugging a white teddy bear. She smiled at him. "Isn’t it super white and super cute?"

Raven just looked at her helplessly, not angry at all.

He certainly wasn’t about to tell Xu Weiyu that when she ran just now, the way her chest bounced was already pretty indecent.

He also wasn’t about to tell her that if he wanted, he could literally see through things. He could even make her clothes vanish, then put them back on a second later.

She wouldn’t notice a thing.

Raven said nothing. He only looked at her with that same helpless expression and reached his hand out to her again.

"Wait, my energy’s totally drained. I’m exhausted… I need more rest before we keep training. How about we just chat for a bit?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Like, what’s your wish? You’re this strong already. Isn’t there something you really want to do?"

"I used to have one. Then I thought about it and gave up."

"What was it?" Xu Weiyu asked, curious.

"Destroy the world," Raven said lightly, like he was talking about something trivial.

"D-destroy… the world? But this world is so nice. Why destroy it? And besides, after you destroy it, wouldn’t it be super boring?" Xu Weiyu muttered under her breath.

"That’s true. So I tried really hard to enjoy life. But there actually isn’t much time left."

"Why?"

"Even if I don’t do it, someone else will. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you… At most twenty years, then the real despair will fall."

"Tell me anyway."

"You wouldn’t get it. You keep digging into my business… what about you, Xu Weiyu?"

"Me?" Xu Weiyu pointed at her own face.

"Mm. What about you?"

"What do you want to know about me? Just ask." Xu Weiyu sounded casually carefree.

"You live alone in this tiny place. You keep a cat. You’re a normal high-schooler, but you actually work logistics for The Alliance. Your mom remarried. Your dad… died six years ago at the hands of an SS Rank criminal. You’ve lived alone all these years. So, what’s your wish?"

"You investigated me, huh." Xu Weiyu replied offhandedly.

She lowered her head and fiddled with her nails, thinking. "Me, I don’t really have any wishes. No big ambitions either. I figure someday The Alliance will catch the person who killed my dad and execute him. I mean, it’s not like I can do anything about it. As for my life right now, of course happiness comes first. For me… as long as I’m happy, it’s fine. It’s not like I don’t have friends. I just haven’t dated yet, hmph."

"And I’ve got so much money. Why wouldn’t I be happy? I can get whatever I want. I think my life right now’s pretty great. So yeah, that’s me. You already know almost everything anyway. A few simple words are enough to sum it up, aren’t they?"

"If you wrote everyone’s life experience on paper, it’d only be one line each," Raven said softly.

"But I think you still weren’t happy when you mentioned your father just now."

"The Alliance has never been able to find the guy, so there’s nothing I can do. I’m just a logistics girl."

"Do you really think it’s that The Alliance can’t find him?" Raven suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Xu Weiyu froze.

Her eyes were no longer as lazy and innocent as before. She lifted her head and stared into Raven’s eyes, urgent.

"Since you’re still resting, I’ll keep you company with a game."

"A game?"

"In one hour, you’ll understand. When the time comes… remember, you’re not allowed to act on impulse. Then, tell me your wish."

Raven finished speaking, stood up, and snapped his fingers.

The next second, he vanished from where he stood.