I am, Flame-Chaser of Previous Era

Ryan hadn't expected a lunch to stretch into the evening; he'd drunk a pot of coffee; Elysia had consumed at least three pounds of cheesecake.

"Ugh, so full."

The streetlights were on; Elysia patted her small belly, a satisfied expression on her face. Ryan followed, muttering to himself.

"Yeah, eating that much… It's more than…"

Before he could finish, a warm finger pressed against his lips. The girl raised an eyebrow. "Stop. That's impolite."

Ryan swallowed. Elysia spun lightly, her skirt swirling like butterfly wings.

"I won't get fat. Ab—so—lute—ly!"

"Okay, I haven't thanked you for the coffee. A gentleman should pay." Ryan regained his composure; he didn't know why, but he couldn't muster any malicious thoughts.

"I invited you to lunch; I'm paying. How was your day?"

"Um…"

That morning, he'd felt the pressure of Honkai, the loneliness of separation from his friends. Around noon, he'd been pondering Fire Moth's internal conflict, then—

Then he'd spent hours chatting with this girl, unable to count how many words he'd spoken. He'd felt unproductive yet strangely unburdened.

After considering this, Ryan answered affirmatively. "At least, it was relaxing."

"Really? That's great!" The girl clapped her hands, adding nothing more.

He watched as Elysia hopped onto a L-shaped block, then her hands followed, a childish action attracting attention. People glanced back, some lustfully, some admiringly, some jealously.

But Elysia seemed oblivious, focused on the L-shaped block. Ryan said nothing, didn't even ask where she was going, silently following, watching her pink hair sway.

This was a waste of time, yet Ryan didn't mind; he even felt grateful to the netizen who'd stood him up. If not for him, he wouldn't have met Elysia.

"Ryan, what do you do for fun?"

"Train my skills, research various projects, try to understand Honkai, and occasionally resolve incidents."

"I didn't mean your job. What do you do for leisure? Drink or something else? Your roommate seems to like basketball."

Ryan paused. Basketball was too easy, too difficult; he could easily shatter a backboard without trying.

"I write."

"Novels? Where are they published? Can I read them?"

"Ah, forget it. It's nothing special." Ryan felt a blush creep up his neck; he hadn't even let Kevin see them.

Cringey self-inserts, not worth mentioning.

"Oh, you're keeping secrets from me. But… forget it. This is more interesting."

Interesting? What did she mean?

As Ryan pondered, Elysia hopped down from the L-shaped block. She leaned closer, illuminated by the streetlight, a warm smile on her face.

"That smile is genuine, less polite. This is my first date, thanks. It's nice."

"Ahem, let's avoid misunderstandings." Ryan averted his gaze.

"What misunderstanding? I like you. Don't you enjoy spending time with me?"

Sigh…

Ryan took a deep breath. He wanted to ask if Elysia was a succubus reincarnated; she was so charming, but looking into those pure violet eyes, he couldn't.

Those words were sincere. She seemed to understand everything, yet nothing at all, shifting perspectives effortlessly, even feigning a touch of vulgarity.

Elysia loved everything—the lowly and the noble, the crude and the refined. She loved humanity itself.

A true sprite of a girl.

Ryan silently recalled the term "love," about to discuss the philosophy of "love," when Elysia's phone buzzed—a children's song from a certain organization.

"Sorry, my bad. I forgot something important." Elysia quickly answered, a cold female voice following.

"Elysia, where did you go? I told you to handle the inquiries from above."

"Sorry, I was chatting with a friend. I forgot."

"Forgot? You clearly don't care about me. Forget about asking my opinion on that matter."

"No, I'll be right back."

Click.

The girl hung up, turning to run. "I have to go; otherwise, it'll be night. Fun time flies. Goodbye, Ryan."

Before Ryan could react, she was gone. This girl's thinking was too agile. After a moment, he raised his hand.

"Goodbye, Ely."

Only after saying it did he realize he'd instinctively changed the form of address. He stood there, shaking his head self-mockingly.

Elysia was terrifying.

Her interpersonal skills were extraordinary. Because of his many secrets, Ryan hadn't touched alcohol in years, cautious in his words and actions. Only a few people could receive his genuine trust, yet even those relationships were measured and transactional.

He hadn't expected to make a friend in half a day, yet looking back, it all felt natural.

'Treating everyone sincerely earns sincerity in return? Even facing betrayal and hurt, remaining capable of loving everything equally… Truly Elysia.'

After much contemplation, only admiration remained. She was truly unique, a last ray of sunshine in despair.

Love.

Ryan made a cross on his chest; his steps felt lighter.

"I'll figure things out back at the hotel. Elysia's unpredictable."

He found himself ill-equipped to handle such excessive enthusiasm. It wasn't dislike, but thinking of the outcome weighed heavily on his heart, the joy of increased power dissipating.

Surviving alone was difficult; changing others' fates, surviving together was even harder; that's why he rarely made friends.

He'd begun to understand last night; today, Elysia's words had clarified the turmoil within him:

Selfishness, resentment, fear, and a touch of self-styled heroism.

"Unconsciously, I've become so entangled with this world. Ultimately, I can't be reclusive, nor am I cruel enough to treat living people as NPCs." Ryan walked down the long street, looking at the dim moon.

He couldn't achieve perfect rationality. Looking back, even his encounter with the young Fu Hua had drawn him into a more difficult path.

"I wanted to find a big shot to cling to, to survive passively. If that fails—"

He clenched his fist, walking towards the moonlight, resolutely forward.

"Then I'll be....."