Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo

I was truly flabbergasted.

"Sorry, I didn't understand."

"Which part did you not understand?" Mazao inquired.

"Wait a minute, just wait a minute…" I gestured with both hands, signaling for a pause.

Let's get this straight, I considered my acceptance level to be incredibly high, and I had already mentally prepared myself to unconditionally accept whatever bizarre identity or origins she might reveal.

Even if she claimed to be on the run after uncovering dark, top-secret files of a nation or a huge corporation, or being pursued by numerous assassins; or like some fantasy stories, claimed to be an Artificial Superpower User who had escaped from some mysterious research facility, I could still start by believing her perspective to approach the problem.

But time travel, the end of civilization, and the arrival of Doomsday?

Surely you've jumped too far in your narrative, haven't you? Wasn't I supposed to be reading an urban tale or crime thriller script? It's more like the sci-fi disaster movies I used to watch… Surely there won't be a villainous robot from the future coming to this era to chase her or to assassinate an important figure of this time.

And, as a transmigrator, shouldn't she be keeping her secrets, using invaluable future information to seek maximal benefits for herself? Or is it just me who thinks too much like this because I've read too many online novels, and guests from the Doomsday who haven't experienced online novel culture wouldn't think of this immediately?

Might as well let her continue to narrate. Even if she is just making up stories to amuse herself, I ought to at least let her fabricate a story entertaining enough to serve as amusement, and I'll just keep listening as if I am hearing a storyteller. As for today's classes, I'll use my phone to ask for leave from school in a moment. Classes can be attended any time, but this magical conversation is a rare opportunity.

"How many days ago did you travel to this era?" I first asked that.

"If I only slept for one night, then it was yesterday." She responded quickly, not sounding like she was making it up.

"Yesterday... Earlier you mentioned 'Doomsday,' what exactly does that entail?" I asked further, "Was there a virus that turned humans into walking dead spreading worldwide? Or did a small asteroid fall from the sky, or has a nuclear war finally broken out?"

She certainly caught my skepticism but still decided to keep the conversation going.

Compared to when she was feigning sleep and ambushed me earlier, her demeanor, for some reason, had softened.

"What caused the Doomsday, and to what extent did human civilization struggle against Doomsday... I have no idea. Ever since I became conscious, the world has already been in the Doomsday Era. For a long time, I even thought that the world was supposed to be like that…" Her emotions briefly but genuinely showed reminiscence, then she quickly composed herself and patiently continued, "Compared to the world now and the world during Doomsday, the biggest difference lies in space and time—the time and space in the Doomsday World are distorted, and survivors can encounter strange and bizarre phenomena at any moment.

"Plus, there are numerous, powerful Demons lurking around. Even though there are Blessed Monks among humans, they are still unable to reclaim lost territories, much less revive human civilization; they can only step toward decline, their way of living becoming increasingly distorted in the process."

Unexpectedly, this wasn't a sci-fi disaster tale but a magical wasteland story… As I listened, my ears caught a term I couldn't ignore.

"What is a 'Blessed Monk'?"

"In terms of this era, they would be 'supernatural power users'?" She said uncertainly.

"Are there really supernatural power users in this era too?"

"Probably, I've heard there are... but unlike in the Doomsday Era, the supernatural power users in this era seem to have an inconspicuous reputation."

"Could it be that their numbers are few in this era, and after Doomsday, they drastically increased for some reason?" I thought of many settings from online Doomsday novels.

"No... Though I can't be certain whether their numbers are few or many, I've heard they have a very substantial power in this era..." Clearly, the topic had shifted to a field she was unfamiliar with, and she became hesitant, "As for why their fame is not prominent, I'm not sure… Maybe there are some taboos and rules. When I arrived in this era yesterday, I tried to find clues about them but couldn't find anything immediately."

Finding clues immediately would have been surprising. I had visited many famous mountains and rivers to explore Immortals and ghost gods, tested many Taoists and Feng Shui Masters who feigned supernatural acts, and investigated countless urban legends circulated among the people, only to return disheartened every time.

Does this era really have a substantial power of supernatural power users? Even if there are some taboos and rules, shouldn't I have accidentally encountered them at least once?

Was she truly deceiving me?

I swallowed my inner thoughts, also noticing the conversation had veered off in a different direction, so I pulled it back on track.

"Since you are a time-space transmigrator, what was the means by which you traveled to this era?"

"You misunderstood… It wasn't that I used some method to come to this era; I don't know why I transmigrated. The last thing I did in that era was trying to escape from the Great Demon's grasp with a friend..." At this point, she showed a hint of melancholy, "But the gap in strength between me and the Great Demon was too wide, no matter where we ran, we were always caught. In the end, I attempted to use Space Transfer to struggle one last time with my friend, but somehow, I transferred myself to this era, and the whereabouts of my friend are unknown… It must all be because of me..."

"—Hmm?" I picked up on the key points, "You? Power disparity? Space Transfer?"

"Yes… I forgot to mention," she pointed to her chest, "I am the Blessed Monk I mentioned before."

"Just to clarify, you too possess superpowers?"

"Yes."

"Honestly, everything you've just told me, I can't believe a single punctuation mark. Suddenly mentioning the Doomsday Era, it all just feels so fantastical," I admitted openly.

"I thought as much," she nodded without surprise.

"But since you possess superpowers, that changes things," I said, focusing intently on her, "As long as you demonstrate your superpower in front of me just once, I'll believe you. I'll believe everything you say."

I meant it sincerely.

However, she fell into silence, as if hesitating whether or not to honestly respond.

After a moment, she answered strenuously, "I can't do it."

"Why?"

"When I was fleeing from the Great Demon, my soul was scorched. After arriving in this era, I forced myself to use the Blessing—that is, the superpower—and it further aggravated the trauma of my soul," she said gritting her teeth, "When you were talking with the police earlier, I already tried using my power in the room, but I couldn't."

It seemed she was very reluctant to admit her weakness in front of me.

"You say that, and now I can't trust you…" I said, "And after all, why would you disclose such vital information to a stranger like me?"

Initially, she was all prickles, with a domineering and aggressive tone toward me;

now, although she still maintained a blunt wariness and distance, she seemed willing to spend a great deal of effort answering every question I posed, as if she were guilelessly trying her best.

I wasn't sure what kind of mental journey she had undergone. Could it be because I had covered for her in front of the police? Or was it that my earlier pretense at being a good person and my acting were so brilliant that they even moved her suspicious and cold heart?

She answered my question again.

"It's not that complicated. Although I don't know why I came to this era, I've thought it through. If my transmigration was truly meant to carry some significant meaning, then it might be to prevent the arrival of Doomsday in this era," she asserted earnestly, "About the impending Doomsday, I must warn as many people as possible, and you were merely the first. I wanted to see how a 'person living before Doomsday' would react to my prophecy, to help me gain the trust of more people in the future."

"So now you've seen the results of your test. If you display a superpower, most people would at least half-believe you. Unfortunately, you can't do it," I prodded her a bit.

"Hmph…" Hearing that, her expression soured, and she quickly retorted, "Say whatever you want, it doesn't matter to me anymore. I'm leaving here now, I don't have time to continue this..."

While speaking, she braced herself with her knees to stand up from the bed but suddenly collapsed weakly.

Many people with low blood pressure or low blood sugar black out when they stand up too quickly after crouching; her symptoms were very similar, even more severe. I hurried forward, supporting her frail, delicate body, as she once again passed out.

She really was a troublemaker.

I laid her out on the bed, then sat down beside the desk, looking at her youthful, adorable face, pondering the Doomsday information she had disclosed to me.

Doomsday, space transfer, Blessed Monks, and supernatural power users…

In my view, Mazao didn't quite fit the image of the "cold-blooded, cruel, selfish Doomsday survivor" we stereotypically imagine. At most, she was just a mysteriously beautiful girl with exceptional skills. "Doomsday" and "space transfer" sounded like outright fantasy; I couldn't immediately believe these "settings" truly existed in reality.

But I did believe that supernatural power users truly existed in reality.

The past words of a friend came to mind:

—Since you've never actually seen real supernatural powers, why do you keep researching bizarre tales and legends?

—There must be some positive feedback… some relevant evidence or clues to keep going, right?

Yes, I had them.

I had clues and evidence that supernatural powers truly existed.

And that was my own self.

I was a supernatural power user.