I'm a little panicked when I cross the collapse

"?!"

"what are you up to?"

Lu Qiong was so shocked that he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Hey~"

"Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to observe you up close, Xiao Qiong?"

Alicia gave an awkward smile.

Lu Qiong thought to himself: "............Am I some kind of stupid person?"

"Then why don't you get off me right now?!"

Alicia sat up straight and said seriously, "Don't be impatient. It's not right to talk to pretty girls like that."

..................................................................

"Aili, what did you just say?" Lu Qiong asked casually as he put on his mask.

However, his inner world was not as calm as it appeared.

Just then, Alicia's pale purple eyes shifted slightly, as if she were pondering something. The next moment, something astonishing happened—

Alicia flashed and appeared behind Lu Qiong without anyone noticing!

Her movements were so swift that Lu Qiong was completely unaware of her approach.

Immediately afterwards, Alicia's slender arms, like slippery little snakes, nimbly wrapped around Lu Qiong's neck.

Lu Qiong's body stiffened abruptly. He could feel Alicia's breath gently brushing against his earlobe, bringing a ticklish sensation.

The girl whispered in the man's ear, "You're a Herrscher, aren't you?"

Her voice was as soft as a feather, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.

Lu Qiong briefly ignored the girl's jade-like arms crossed over his chest, and turned his head slightly with great "confusion" to ask, "What Herrscher? Didn't we already take care of the Third Herrscher? What are you talking about, Airi?"

Seeing that Lu Qiong's bewildered expression didn't seem to be feigned,

Alicia was puzzled. "That shouldn't be the case. Doesn't he know his own physical condition? Or... is there something different about him (the Herrscher) compared to me?"

"Then tell me, where did that power you just used come from?" Alicia frowned slightly.

"I'm not quite sure how I got this. It seems that... at a certain moment, I suddenly gained the ability to use these things that defy scientific laws and are incomprehensible to others."

Lu Qiong gave a vague explanation.

Alicia: "Ah...this."

Now that things had come to this point, the rhetoric he had learned from foreign films and was already well-versed in suddenly became stuck in his throat.

Trying to fool a seemingly naive and ignorant young boy... sorry... Alicia can't do it.

After taking a deep breath,

Ellie's tone softened even more, "So, Xiao Qiong, currently... who else knows your true situation?"

"Um........"

After thinking about it carefully for a moment, Lu Qiong answered truthfully: "There should only be one right now. It's a friend of mine who works in the Fire Moth Research Department. I came out this time to help her find some experimental materials..."

"Whoo~"

Upon hearing this, Alicia breathed a sigh of relief, then said very seriously, "Little Qiong, you must remember this: from now on, you must not tell anyone else about your physical condition, not a single person."

"why?"

Lu Qiong already had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on, but he still asked a question.

"because........"

A hint of sadness was evident in Alicia's words.

"Humans are the most complex creatures in the world. Among them, there is suspicion, betrayal, kinship, friendship, kindness...

"Although they have as many flaws as there are stars in the sky, I still like them very much."

"This is why?"

Lu Qiong's doubts and confusion deepened.

To be fair, as a human being, what Ellie said is perfectly reasonable. Moreover, reality may be even crueler than imagined, after all, human nature is unpredictable.

But Ellie still sacrificed herself for such humans. From Ellie's perspective, she should have protected herself.

"Hee hee~"

The girl's lips curled into a slight smile, revealing a relaxed and casual expression, as if she were full of confidence in what she was saying. Her voice was clear and bright, like the morning sun piercing through the clouds and shining on the earth.

"Although their flaws are as numerous as the stars in the night sky,"

The girl continued, "But when the sun rises, those stars are obscured by the dazzling light and disappear without a trace."

Her words reveal a profound understanding and insight into human nature.

In her view, everyone has their own shortcomings, as numerous and insignificant as the stars. However, when faced with a life-or-death emergency, a person's true character will be revealed.

"When faced with a life-threatening situation,"

The girl continued, “A person may panic, may be overwhelmed by fear. But when retreating would harm those who are important to them, they show a quality as radiant as the sun—unity and dedication.”

This quality is like the sun's rays, warm and powerful, capable of dispelling darkness and fear, enabling people to support each other in adversity and face challenges together.

The girl's words not only expressed praise for the beautiful aspects of humanity.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qiong's mind instantly cleared. "So that's how it is. No wonder Ai Li could become that anomaly and a true Herrscher of Man."

Lu Qiong smiled bitterly; this was an enlightenment he could never reach.

"Of course, that's not what I wanted to say. Although I like humans very much, it's undeniable that I should be considered one of those so-called crises."

"The number of lives annihilated when the Herrschers were born is already a terrifying number. The Honkai... will surely be revealed to the public someday. When that time comes, and the enraged masses learn of our identities, will they turn their swords against us?"

"If pulling the trigger could end this unprecedented disaster, would our former comrades... choose to do it?"

Alicia looked somewhat dejected.