I am a hero of the former civilization.

Seeing Hua's smug look, Ryan rubbed his forehead. His junior sister was stubborn and stupid. If he had a smarter one, she could probably have gotten a housekeeping fee instead.

This place is no place for humans to live. Once the locals leave, who would be so bored as to come here to rent a room?

He carried the suitcase up the steps and casually asked, "Aren't you afraid of ghosts?"

"There are no ghosts in the world, but there are thieves, though I beat them all away." Hua raised his little fist, finally showing a hint of pride. "Come on, senior brother, take a look at where I live."

Inside the gate is a small courtyard, about one or two hundred square meters. Hua kept it very clean. The owner's belongings were piled up in the corner and covered with three-colored waterproof cloth. The courtyard was filled with various fitness equipment.

A homemade horizontal bar, a human-shaped wooden stake, a pile of sandbags, and some clothes hanging on it.

"Not bad, you really haven't given up practicing your boxing." Ryan nodded repeatedly with his hands behind his back. He used to teach in place of his master, so he could be considered half a master.

"I've kept your words in mind. I'm also doing very well in my studies. I got first place in the whole school in the final exam." The girl suddenly became more lively, as if she had finally reached her area of ​​expertise.

Seeing the 'praise me' look practically written all over her face, Ryan pulled a box out of his bag and tossed it to her: "Looks like I have to give you this gift. Open it and see."

Hua quickly opened it and found a tiger claw inside. He didn't know what metal it was made of, but it looked very precious.

The girl paused for a moment, then clenched her fist tightly in her palm and nodded solemnly: "I will continue to work hard."

“You’ve already tried your best. Sometimes I wish you could relax a bit and do things more like someone your age.” Ryan’s expression softened. Unlike Kevin, Hua had always treated her like a younger sister, without any ulterior motives.

"Ahem, for example, wearing some nicer clothes."

Hua turned her head blankly and saw several short skirts and panties with cartoon patterns hanging on the clothesline in the corner. Her face immediately turned red, and she quickly rushed over and put them in her arms.

"No, this was left by Carol when she came to visit a few days ago!"

The girl immediately panicked, and her previous stiff and serious demeanor vanished. Ryan, unlike when he joked with Mebius, also looked away slightly.

"I'm actually encouraging you not to see me as an old-fashioned person."

"Then... shall I try?"

"Ahem, it's always good to try more things. By the way, where do I live?" Ryan felt the atmosphere was a bit strange, so he simply changed the subject.

"Your room is ready on the first floor. I've also checked the internet connection; it won't cause any problems."

Hua led Ryan inside. The self-built house was dilapidated and had very little furniture, but it was kept very clean. All the items were arranged neatly as if someone had obsessive-compulsive disorder.

There was even a table of food on the main room, all of which were common Jiangnan home-style dishes, and none of them had been touched.

"I was worried I wouldn't have enough time, so I prepared dinner early. Why don't you go take a shower? I'll heat up the food quickly."

"It's alright, I'll just sit for a bit. Do you think I'm being too polite?"

"That's true, then you should rest first."

Hua dragged over a recliner, quickly grabbed a plate, and headed to the kitchen. Ryan had lived in her family's martial arts gym for a full six months, so there was no awkwardness between them.

Ryan sat on a deckchair, which was somewhat worn out and secured with wire at the joints. The girl had carefully wrapped the wire ends up. Above him was a mottled, yellowed ceiling.

For a moment, he didn't think about anything, only listening to the sound of spatulas in the kitchen, and his never-stopping brain completely went blank.

There was no smell of blood, no profound research, and no need to outwit or outmaneuver others. Upon returning to Canghai and meeting Hua, Ryan's strongest impression was that he was just an ordinary person.

Yes, it's like I've become an ordinary person again. Time slips away quietly amidst the trivialities of daily life, turning into dust and dissipating.

However, he didn't dislike this feeling.

'I've been thinking about how to deal with the Third Herrscher; it's time to take a break.'

Even if Canghai City is very likely to be reduced to ashes, what does that have to do with the present? The concept of destiny is actually very simple.

Look up at the stars, focus on the present, the future is built step by step, so just enjoy the moment.

Looking at the yellowish ceiling, Ryan gradually closed his eyes and soon began to snore.

"The food is ready..." Hua came out carrying a plate and saw Ryan asleep, so she instinctively tiptoed.

I was definitely tired.

She put down the plate, leaned forward slightly, and carefully examined the man. Her green eyes darted around, and it was unclear what she was thinking. After a while, she simply dragged over a stool, propped her head up, and quietly looked at him.

"My senior brother has a big secret. He used to disappear frequently, saying he was going to study in Japan, but I don't believe him."

The thought popped into Hua's head; it was a response to his intuition. He remembered that once when the other party returned to the martial arts school, although he concealed it well, he still inadvertently saw the gunshot wound.

She simply wouldn't ask if Ryan didn't tell her; she didn't care about those secrets at all.

"I must have something important to do to rush back to Canghai this time," she muttered to herself, wanting to delve into these secrets, but then swallowing her words, simply holding her hands to her chest, with only two thoughts in her mind.

The first thing that popped into my mind was the book Carroll gave me.

This is the perfect time to launch a surprise attack!

No, what am I thinking?

She quickly shook her head, regaining her composure, and muttered to herself:

"If I can help, that would be great."

"Ok?"

Even though the sound was very soft, Ryan, who was always on high alert, woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw a delicate face right in front of him, and his own reflection was in those clear emerald eyes.

He neither dodged nor went to meet me, but simply wiped his face and asked, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Soon, about ten minutes."

"You slept so soundly, it feels like you've slept for ages." Ryan stretched, and sure enough, it was strange how just a few minutes had made him so energetic. "Why are you staring at me? Hurry up and eat."

"Okay, I'll go get the rice." The girl stood up gently, and only turned around when she reached the kitchen door. She said softly, "Senior brother, I feel that sometimes you are more nervous than I am."

Ryan was lost in thought for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled to himself, "This girl's intuition is really amazing."

Soon, the dishes were served: stir-fried green vegetables, poached chicken, and sweet and sour pork tenderloin. The flavors were light, and each dish looked like it had been prepared with care.

As a family of martial arts practitioners, Hua has strict family rules, emphasizing that one should not speak while eating or sleeping. Accompanied by the faint chirping of cicadas, the only sound in the room was the clinking of chopsticks and bowls. Ryan added a second bowl of rice, finally breaking the silence.

"Just ask me anything you want to ask. I can tell you're holding it in."

"No way." The girl raised her head slightly, rolled her eyes at the man, thought for a moment, and then asked in a low voice, "I just want to ask, how long are you planning to stay this time?"

"It could be long or short, the difference is when the person I'm waiting for shows up." Ryan took a sip of his soup and then put a piece of pork tenderloin on Hua's plate. "Eat more meat, you're so thin."

Waiting for someone? What does "very long" or "very short" mean, and I'm not thin at all.

Hua was used to Ryan's mystery and secretly prayed that he would stay longer, when he heard the other party ask a question.

"Hua, when do you guys get your summer vacation?"

"The final exams are over. Let's wait for the closing ceremony. Of course, I'm not in a hurry to go back. I can work in Canghai City and keep you company while you wait for others."

The last few words were so soft they were almost inaudible, and Ryan didn't hear them either. He just kept eating and said, "Don't wait for the end-of-term ceremony. Pack your things and go back to your hometown this weekend. If possible, bring your friend along too."

Clang.

The rice bowl fell on the table. Ryan looked up and saw Hua staring at him, his displeasure written all over his face. His anger made his expression much more vivid.

"Senior brother, are you going to do something big?"

"Yes, you can't handle this. Listen to me, I don't mean to send you away, but for your safety..."

“I’m not a child anymore, and I can’t be protected by you and Father forever.”

Hua's voice suddenly rose, making Ryan blink in surprise; it was the first time he had ever seen Hua like this.

But Ryan wasn't stupid, and he understood why she was so excited. However, he couldn't explain the Herrscher or the Honkai, which gave him a headache.

Just then, I saw the girl put down her bowl, stride into the yard, and punch the sandbag.

boom--

The sack burst open, and sand and gravel rained down. The girl turned around, exuding a striking and heroic aura.

"I've been practicing boxing diligently all these years, just so that one day I could help you, right?"

Ryan held the bowl, sighed slowly, and didn't know what to say.

Is this just childish temper?

Hua is just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old child now, far from the Chi Yuan Immortal of later generations. Moreover, he has a simple-minded personality and has received the most traditional education, so he is just a child.

“I was wrong. After all, you are one of the Thirteen Heroes. How can you not have a temper?”

He muttered to himself, slowly got up, and silently walked past Hua, clenching his fist and punching the sandbag next to him.

boom--

The punch didn't shatter it, but instead blasted the sandbag away completely. The tattered cloth even flew outside the courtyard wall, and the splashed sand stung Hua's body.

The girl's eyes widened, her emerald pupils contracting. This was practically a humanoid monster; what it was throwing wasn't a punch, it was clearly a rocket launcher.

"Even if I possessed this power, I wouldn't be able to handle what would happen next. Do you understand now?"

Hua fell silent. She knew that Ryan would never lie to her; the subtext was that she would be a burden if she stayed.

A strong sense of resentment welled up inside her, causing her drooping hands to tremble slightly. After a few seconds, she suddenly raised her head.

"Senior brother, can you always protect me?"

This girl still won't give up, and who said she's dull?

The question was from an unusual angle, and Ryan didn't want to fabricate a lie that would be easily exposed, so he could only shake his head: "No, everyone will be involved in the future, and whether they live or die depends entirely on their own abilities."

"That settles it then. I'll have to face it sooner or later. With you by my side, isn't it safer?" A stubborn, even somewhat happy, expression appeared on the girl's face.

She's so stubborn. Anyway, talking is useless. Seeing is believing. I might as well find a small-scale Honkai to let her experience it.

Ryan knew Hua's personality very well; continuing like this would only make him blush and have no other effect. He didn't think it was directed at him personally, but rather deduced it from common sense:

A seventeen-year-old girl is naturally full of curiosity about the 'other world', and may even have a bit of a hero complex. She probably thinks I'm some kind of secret agent saving the world.

What I can do is try my best to prevent you from being brutally beaten by the truth.

"Get up early tomorrow, I need to check your homework."

Ryan turned and left after saying that, leaving Hua stunned in the courtyard. It took several seconds before he realized that Ryan had agreed.

I agree to her help, and I agree to her getting closer to the real world.

She looked at the tattered sandbag beside her and couldn't help but clench her fists.

Finally, this day has come!