Epilogue

"I never expected he could go this far... Just who is he? Impossible..."

Amidst the shattered ruins, the sound of shifting rubble echoed as the monstrous school principal struggled to his feet, his crimson flesh still dissolving. From what he had witnessed, it all felt like a battle between gods—something surreal and dreamlike.

The nightmare looming over them seemed to have vanished.

"Kekeke... If they've left this world, doesn’t that mean I can rule it now?" The principal secretly sighed in relief, a surge of excitement rising in his heart. At the thought, his blood-red eyes gleamed uncontrollably.

Still, it’d be wiser to find a corner to hide in for now.

Lay low and avoid the storm.

"Pfft!" Before the monstrous principal could finish gloating, another sword thrust out from the rubble, piercing straight up from his rear.

"Wha—what?!"

"Go now!"

Two figures dashed forward, and in a single exchange, the principal’s head was severed.

"......" The principal’s fading vision settled on the two girls before him as the sky above dulled. "Cheap... shot..."

Without his sister’s enhancements, the principal was already weakened, powerless to resist.

With a final resentful cry, his body began to dissolve.

"Yay!" Tian Xiaotian and Zhang Ya high-fived, as if a heavy weight had been lifted.

At the same time, a window appeared before them.

[C: Survive 7 days ×

B: Survive 7 days and uncover the truth ×

A: Kill five monsters, uncover the truth, and survive 7 days ×

S: Defeat the final boss, the Heart-Corrupting Principal √

SS: ?

SSS: ?]

[Final boss Heart-Corrupting Principal defeated. Cleared [Silent Whisper Academy]. Rating: S]

[All rewards have been distributed. Return portal activated.]

[Your physical abilities have significantly improved. Automatically promoted to Advanced Player.]

"An S-rank rating! An S-rank clear on an S-rank difficulty dungeon—we’ve hit the jackpot, Xiaotian!" Zhang Ya still couldn’t check her inventory, but based on experience, the rewards had to be substantial.

"Definitely." Tian Xiaotian nodded, glancing toward Ye Chuan in the distance. He didn’t seem to notice them.

"I want to say goodbye to the big shot," she told Zhang Ya.

"We’ve got enough time before the portal closes. I’ll go with you," Zhang Ya said. After all, if not for Ye Chuan, both of them would’ve been goners.

"Mm!"

Tian Xiaotian and Zhang Ya jogged over to Ye Chuan. When they arrived, he and his sister were holding hands, gazing at the sunset in the distance. He turned and noticed the two—

"Oh, you’re not dead?" Ye Chuan remarked.

Tian Xiaotian, Zhang Ya: "......"

"Big shot, if I died, who’d give you the gold bars?" Tian Xiaotian muttered under her breath, her gaze tinged with a hint of resentment, like a scorned woman.

"I’m not short on money right now. Next time, bring something else," Ye Chuan said.

"Like rare items."

He could trade them for points.

"Got it." Tian Xiaotian pointed at the distant portal. "Big shot, I’m heading back now."

"Alright." Ye Chuan smiled.

"Will we meet again?" Tian Xiaotian asked, her voice tinged with reluctance.

In this cold, eerie world, only Ye Chuan had ever given her such overwhelming safety and warmth.

"I think there’s a chance." Ye Chuan figured that every time he got his hands on a "Key of the Bizarre," he’d run into Tian Xiaotian. Maybe next time would be no different.

"Okay..." His words seemed to settle her heart. "It’s a promise, then. We’ll meet again. I’ll make sure to stay alive."

"Keep it up." Ye Chuan patted her shoulder.

As if remembering something, he casually pulled out a cultivation manual from his inventory and tossed it to her. "Here, take this. Might come in handy."

"This is...?"

Ye Chuan gave a thumbs-up. "A way to get stronger."

"Huh?" Tian Xiaotian had just witnessed Ye Chuan’s godlike techniques—swords raining from the sky like special effects from a TV drama. Could she really become that strong too?

"Isn’t this... really valuable, big shot...?" Her eyes began to redden.

Having grown accustomed to the cruelty of human nature in that world, this familiar warmth shattered her emotional defenses in an instant.

"Don’t worry about it. Even though I only have one copy, you can repay me properly next time we meet." Ye Chuan spoke gently.

Then he swallowed back the words, [This is just the most basic manual], and added, "Just gather more good stuff for me."

"Got it!" Tian Xiaotian clutched the "Azure Cloud Manual" tightly and nodded.

Beside her, Zhang Ya watched with longing eyes. But since she wasn’t close to Ye Chuan—and after seeing him summon heavenly lightning like an actual deity—she didn’t dare speak up.

"You want one too?" Ye Chuan noticed and asked.

"Ehehe..." Zhang Ya scratched her head awkwardly.

"Here." Ye Chuan pulled out another low-tier manual and handed it to her. "Work hard to survive. You can repay me later."

"Wha—?" Zhang Ya was stunned to receive one too and accepted it excitedly.

Tian Xiaotian watched silently...

So she wasn’t the only special one?

No... The big shot must’ve given her the best one. Zhang Ya’s was clearly inferior—something called the "Frostflame Art."

"Big shot, I... I’m leaving now?"

"Mm."

"See you next time."

"Next time."

Tian Xiaotian kept glancing back every few steps before finally stepping into the portal with Zhang Ya, their figures fading away.

"......" Ye Chuan turned back, only to find his sister staring at him.

"What’s up?"

"Brother, are you close with them?"

"Not really. Just met a few times," Ye Chuan said.

"Brother only needs me." She intertwined her fingers with his and smiled sweetly. "Brother, I won’t leave you like they did."

Ye Chuan reached out with his other hand and ruffled her hair. She happily nuzzled into his palm.

"Speaking of which... your name."

"What’s brother’s name?"

"Ye Chuan."

"Then give me a name too."

"Me?"

"Mm!"

Ye Chuan thought for a moment. "How about... Ultraman?"

"That’s a weird name. But if brother likes it..."

"Ahem, just kidding. Let’s go with Ye Yue." He caught sight of the lingering crescent moon in the sky and smiled.

"Okay." His sister seemed pleased to share his surname.

[New Tenant Discovered: Ye Yue

????, ???, ????]

[Quality: S]

[Unique Ability (Peerless)—

Cognitive Corruption: Inflicts unlimited simultaneous debuffs (poison, paralysis, terror, hypnosis, exhaustion, slowness, hemorrhage, confusion, dizziness, armor break, silence, weakness, corrosion, blindness...) with no immunity. Effects last permanently. Upon death, target becomes her thrall, capable of infinite replication.]

Pollution Rebirth: Unlimited regeneration, granting hyper-healing abilities. Any subordinate or entity causing cognitive pollution can serve as a vessel for resurrection after death.

Devour Evolution: Consume any target to acquire all of their abilities.

Ye Chuan: "..."

I can't take this anymore.