Collapse: Black Moonlight Turns White, Popular Four-Star Character

Veritas Latio has an older brother, Seratos Latio, who is a recognized genius in the Latio clan.

"Latio, what kind of person is your brother?" The kindergarten children asked Veritas Latio curiously.

"My brother... is a genius."

"He has always taken care of me. He is gentle, considerate, and intelligent. Well, in short, my brother is the best brother in the world."

A little boy raised his small face, with a golden olive branch hair ornament pinned on his short dark purple hair, and secretly clasped his fingers together, feeling proud of his brother.

His parents had gone to work elsewhere, and the one who had spent the longest time with him since he was little was Serratus. Serratus patiently taught him, and he was always able to quickly learn all the basics. And at that time—

Seratos would then smile gently, touch his head and praise him, "Viritas is really smart."

It is a very happy thing for Latio to receive encouragement from his brother.

Because my brother is perfect.

He can cook, sing lullabies, and is proficient in knowledge of various factions... Latio held up his little face with a look of longing. If he were his brother, he would definitely be able to enter the legendary genius club.

"Latio is so smart, he will definitely become a great scholar like his brother in the future." The other children praised him sincerely.

"I'm far behind my brother."

Latio denied it verbally, but in his heart he had already set his sights on becoming a genius.

The time at school passed quietly, and soon the school bell rang. Latio packed his schoolbag and rushed out the door.

It started to drizzle, and Latio stood on tiptoe, his eyes moving back and forth among the swaying crowd.

Finally I saw my brother not far away.

The crowd was surging, and a boy of about seventeen or eighteen was holding a blue umbrella. The ends of his dark purple hair just touched his collar, and he also wore a golden olive branch hair ornament.

He wore a white shirt inside and an ordinary windbreaker outside. His deep blue eyes were gentle, and the lens of his left eye was slightly shining. A thin purple chain hung from the frame, lightly hanging to his earlobe, swaying gently with the rain.

The boy waved to Latio, and when Latio was about to step into the rain, he squatted down and took out a raincoat and umbrella from his bag.

“Don’t get wet,” Serratus whispered.

"Brother, this little bit of rain is nothing to worry about—"

Latio obediently let Seratos put on his raincoat, blinking his eyes and looking full of energy.

"No, have you forgotten what I told you?" Seratus scratched Latio's nose and smiled slightly.

"I understand. The human body is fragile."

"Therefore, I must protect my body well." Latio opened the umbrella and stretched out his little hand, indicating that he wanted to hold it.

Seratus hummed and gently held Latio's hand.

On the way home, Latio asked expectantly, "Brother, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

"These are all Latio's favorite foods."

Seratos glanced sideways, with the corners of his lips curled up, smiling as usual, but his deep blue eyes were calm and without any fluctuations, as if this was a predetermined thing and there would be no accidents.

At the appointed time that night, Seratus covered Latio with the quilt, lay beside him, and gently coaxed Latio. Latio wanted to read for a while longer and ask Seratus for advice, but Seratus shook his head with a calm expression, "Latio, don't you remember what I told you?"

拉帝奥沮丧地抱住塞拉图斯的胳膊，“我今年8岁，处于6～12 岁这个区间，因此我的最佳睡眠时间是20:30–21:00。”

"But brother, I really want to hear your story." Latio's eyes pleaded. Serato's lips curved into a faint smile. His voice was low and warm, and his expression was gentle. "Can we tell you tomorrow?"

"Just a moment, brother. Lichtenberg said - don't go to bed until you can say to yourself, 'I learned something today.'"

Latio shook his head. The desire for knowledge in his heart made him unable to sleep at all. He made more requests to Seratus and his fingertips quietly hooked the copper buttons on Seratus's windbreaker.

Because he had never seen Serratus angry, his brother was always unspeakably gentle no matter what was said.

"Latio, Wordsworth said - tired limbs and toiled minds need sleep and a light forgetfulness; forcing them to continue only makes fatigue compound."

"So, go to sleep, okay?" Seratus stroked Latio's hair and spoke softly, his fingertips sliding along the hair to the end of the eyebrow and then to the eyelashes. Soon, the noisy Latio breathed evenly and slept peacefully.

In the silence of the night, in front of the window where moonlight streamed in, Serratus walked to the table and continued to study his subject.

From the moment he woke up, in addition to taking care of his brother, he thought about one thing: what is the first cause of truth?

He doesn't need to sleep or eat. He is different from his fragile brother.

At this stage, the answer he thinks is that he knows everything. If he can enter the genius club, this problem will surely be solved.

Life was dull, and Latio had thought that he would continue to live like this with his brother, entering the supreme palace of knowledge together.

But when Latio was twelve years old, Serratus seemed to have a split personality. He was still intellectual and gentle during the day, but at night, he would scold him coldly, saying that no matter how much he learned, he would still be a waste, and criticizing everything he did as useless.

She even hurt the little pet cat they once shared right in front of him, until it started hurting him.

He wanted to call his parents, but Serratus cut off all communication.

Latio was scared and hid in a small corner of the room, waiting for the day to come.

It was another night, the moonlight shining on the books in the room. Seratos arrogantly tore up Latio's notes, his deep blue eyes glowing red as he threw the shredded paper towards Latio. "Just because you think you're worthy of being called a genius?"

"You are so ignorant and superficial. With your talent, even if you devote your entire life to it, it will still be nothing but a joke!"

"Your existence has no meaning!" Seratos' eyes were cold, and he stretched out his hand to slap Latio, as if he was just treating Latio as a little pet to please.

“No, don’t.” Latio curled up into a ball, his body covered in bruises. He was terrified to the extreme, but he still remained stubborn and glared at Latus fiercely. “I’m no joke. I will prove to you that I can do it!”

"waste--"

The slap was about to reach his eyes, and Latio closed his eyes tightly, but after a long time, he did not feel any pain.

[Name: Seratos Latio.]

[Gender: None.]

[Identity: Veritas Latio's older brother.]

[Personality: Gentle and intelligent during the day, irritable and cold at night.]

[Latio's Favorability: -345.]

[Character Experience: You woke up in the year that Veritas Ladio was born, becoming a member of this clan. Your mother gave you a golden olive branch hair ornament. You were born a genius, a genius?]

[——Still a long way off, a true genius.]

Because your parents, renowned scholars, often work away from home for extended periods, you've been tasked with caring for and educating Veritas Ladio. Within the prestigious mortal academic community, you've shared your insights and earned all the doctorates from Aletheia University in a single day, breaking numerous records.

But you are not satisfied. You crave for more, until you can answer the question: What is the first cause of truth?

The nights stretch too long, and you become a different person. You think you've learned everything, but you still can't solve this problem, which makes you angry. You despise Latio immensely, despising him for struggling like an ant in the ocean of knowledge. You despise him for wasting your time and hindering your ability to understand the truth. You were born with talent, but Latio is clearly not a genius, but a mediocre person. You are a being of a higher status than Latio. In front of you, humans seem to have no meaning. Since they cannot grow, then destroy them.

[The seeds of destruction have sprouted in my heart, and Latio is filled with fear of you.]

But during the day, you seemed to forget everything and treated Latio tenderly as usual, making breakfast for him and picking him up from school.

"I... am still alive?" Yannian opened his eyes, his blurry vision gradually became clear, and he looked at his hands.

He thought he died in the Suiyang War, but unexpectedly he survived and started a new copy.

"Is there still any meaning?"

Yannian whispers.

Maybe there is, the mask of joy has been shattered, and he will pursue the real answer.