Along the way, Pardofelis kept sneaking glances at Ryan, wanting to say something but stopping herself multiple times. It wasn't until they reached the burned-out district that Ryan slowed his pace.
"Knowing too much isn't good for you, but don't worry, I don't plan on using you as cannon fodder."
"Curiosity killed the cat, huh? I get that, and I don't think I'm valuable enough to be used." Pardofelis placed her hands behind her head, walking fast.
Surviving in Sundown Alley for so many years wasn't just about luck; her mind had to be sharp, and she had a knack for avoiding danger, like a stray cat.
"So, are you scared?"
"I wasn't afraid before, and now I'm even less afraid. The stronger you are, the safer I am. Plus, seeing the other side of Boss Pellegri was quite interesting."
"Do you know we're now bound together? Pardofelis, you really are clever."
"Eh, do you think I'm stupid or something?"
Pardofelis strongly protested, then carefully pried off a brick from the wall, pulled out a can, and opened it. Soon, the alley was filled with the sounds of meowing.
Ryan squatted on the steps, watching the cats eat. He saw the orange cat being pulled aside by Pardofelis because it was fighting for food. It looked at him pitifully, making Ryan smile involuntarily.
He didn't think much about it, or rather, he had already guessed how "Dusk" would respond.
Even if he had ten lives, they wouldn't dare to show themselves in front of him.
If they were simply collaborators of the Fire Moth, he would report them upwards, but Mobius hadn't found any information on them, so normal procedures wouldn't work.
If they were from the "faith faction," they wouldn't dare to show themselves. If they still hadn't lost their memories, they should remember what they did to "Adam." If this pseudo-Herrscher regained their humanity and chose option two-five, the first ones to be dealt with would be them.
'So how would you respond, Your Excellency?' Ryan looked toward the direction of the asylum.
Before making contact, he needed to understand my identity and purpose. His identity should have been recorded by Pellegri's subordinates, and the purpose could only be deduced indirectly.
Ryan hugged his knees. He had left a "loophole." Once they confirmed that he was Adam, the enemy's primary goal would be to figure out the purpose of his arrival in Sundown Alley. If they couldn't ask directly, they would have to look for clues.
The clues were right there, and they would eventually come into contact with Kalpas. He wasn't as easy to talk to as Ryan.
"Mr. Adam, I suddenly remembered something." Pardofelis, soothing the orange cat, suddenly looked up.
"What is it?" Ryan stopped thinking, his expression unchanged. Since the Neon incident, he had gotten used to this half-relaxed, half-tense way of life.
"You're teaching me to read and write, should I call you Master?"
Master?
Ryan froze for a moment, looking at the sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. If it weren't for the Honkai, she should be wearing a big school uniform and sitting in a bright classroom at this age.
He thought for a moment and gently shook his head. "Just teaching you reading and writing, I'm not worthy of being called a Master. But if you learn other things, you need to be prepared."
"Is it difficult? Uh, what can I learn?"
"Everything you need to survive in this apocalypse, gaining the power to control your own fate."
Ryan clenched his fist, his expression taking on a bit of a preacher-like air. Pardofelis hesitated for a moment, thinking of how Pellegri, the big boss, looked like a little schoolboy. She instinctively believed him, then filled with envy.
This was the big boss, someone she used to avoid. She had never imagined that one day someone would be able to dominate Sundown Alley like this.
'And here I am, always cautious, struggling to survive in the cracks. If I want to do something good, I have to do it sneakily. Maybe one day, I'll be able to become powerful too?'
Just in a few days, Pardofelis seemed to have seen another world—the survival status of the strong, their ease and control over the future.
Pardofelis didn't think too much about it. Since she was envious, she decided to take action as long as it wasn't too dangerous or exhausting. She squinted her eyes and dragged out the word.
"Master~~~"
Hearing that, Ryan felt a sense of comfort. His desire to teach had finally found a new target. Hua had grown up, and now someone else was taking over.
"Then, for the first lesson, I'll teach you observation. Follow me."
"Are we starting now? I still want to take a nap. Fine, fine, I'll go with you. By the way, where are we going?"
Ryan paused, turned his head, and briefly explained.
"To the asylum, to keep an eye on that madman."
Pardofelis smile instantly froze, and she regretted it immediately.
Meanwhile...
Tick, tick, tick.
Blood dripped from the leather boots, continuously falling to the ground. Half of a human body was lodged into the ceiling, still tightly gripping a firearm.
The sunset shone through the windows, casting light onto the corridor, revealing walls full of bullet holes and several bodies scattered around—some elderly, some fully armed thugs. The final lucky one was being strangled by a white-haired man.
The man wore a mask, lifting the person as if picking up a chicken, his furious eyes fixed on the futile struggles. With a "crack" sound, everything became silent.
Thud.
The man casually threw the body aside, not even sparing it a glance, and turned to face the dark corridor.
"If you wanted to help, you should've come earlier, not watch from the sidelines!"
The corridor was silent, and moments later, a figure emerged from the shadows. A pair of thick, white thighs stepped into the sunset, the black short-heeled shoes stepping into the pool of blood.
In the sunlight, her high, curvaceous figure appeared, dressed in black and white nun attire, finally revealing an exquisitely beautiful face.
Her deep blue eyes were filled with allure, her chestnut hair reaching down to her waist, her exaggerated figure and pitying expression made her look full of temptation. Yet, the nun attire added a touch of sanctity to this allure.
She seemed to evoke humanity's most primal desires, wanting to desecrate that sanctity, pulling people into the extreme pain of desire and reason.
Fortunately, Kalpas fighting desire could suppress everything. His gaze didn't change, still impatient and enraged.
"Speak up, Aponia. Are you afraid of all this blood? No, your eyes are still so annoying, as if you pitied me!"
"This is concern, not pity," Aponia voice was soft, as if holding goodwill for everything. The blood-stained skirt made her seem even more sacred.
"Get away, I don't need your concern."
"No, you do. Don't let your anger cloud your mind," Aponia spoke as though she wasn't afraid of the enraged man jumping at her. Her pure blue eyes scanned the surroundings, growing somewhat puzzled.
These people rushed in to see her but were stopped by Kalpas. Naturally, they started fighting, and stray bullets killed several passing patients.
It was that simple, yet in her eyes, it wasn't so simple.
"I clearly already 'advised' them not to disturb the peace of the asylum. For all these years, they've followed my 'advice.'"
"But they still came. Without me, you'd be in a worse position." Kalpas snorted, his tone disdainful. This woman had never left the asylum because if she did, it would trigger bloodshed.
Too many men wanted to have her, wanted to tear apart her pure exterior.
"No one can force me, Kalpas, but thank you for your concern."
"I'm not concerned about you!"
"But you did help me. This wasn't part of our initial agreement. If it wasn't concern, you could have just ignored it and let them come find me," Aponia said with a gentle smile, adding, "Although I've already prepared, they won't even see me."
She had a faint feeling that something was going to happen today, and she had long since prepared for it.
Kalpas was momentarily speechless, then cursed, "Do whatever you want. Anyway, I'm no match for you when it comes to arguing. Damn it, just tell me what's going on."
He also felt something was off. He had been coming to the asylum for months. No gang members, not even thieves, had come by. He knew Aponia had a natural talent for easily convincing others.
"I don't know."
"Ha, there's something you don't know?"
"I really don't know, and you didn't leave a live one for me to ask," Aponia gazed at Kalpas.
The bloodstained corridor suddenly became quiet. An awkward tension spread, and Kalpas stood upright, his cheek twitching slightly.
It had been months since he last fought, and now that it was released, he didn't hold back. Of course, admitting mistakes was out of the question.
"Blame them for being too weak. With this kind of ability, they dared to fight me. They deserved to die."
"Heh, Kalpas, your way of arguing is kind of cute."
"You looking for death?" Kalpas took a step forward, then stopped, waving his hand dismissively, "Forget it, I won't argue with you. Just tell me what to do."
What to do? Having killed so many people, trouble would inevitably come knocking. At least the existence behind these people wouldn't let it slide. The asylum couldn't be kept safe.
Aponia didn't harbor any resentment, as though she had already expected this day. After a moment of thought, she gently parted her lips.
"Kalpas, go to the docks and get me something."
"Are you sure you want to send me away? There's a simple way: kill everyone behind you. Leave not a single blade of grass!"
"Kalpas, I don't like violence. Fate will change eventually, it's just a matter of whether it happens sooner or later."
"Then drown in your fate. I'll collect your corpse in two hours," Kalpas said, leaving with a harsh tone.
The blood-saturated corridor was still filled with a strong smell of blood, and the asylum was filled with an uneasy atmosphere. Aponia smiled, her deep blue eyes filled with a touch of confusion.
That keen sense of the future was giving no feedback, as if her eyes were covered, and she couldn't see anything.
It was a strange feeling—usually, she could predict the outcome of seeing someone or something, but at this moment...
In the heavy fog, everything seemed to become relaxed and quiet.