Unfamiliar Memories..... A World of Nothingness....

Darkness. An all-encompassing darkness.

Dampness. A sticky, clinging dampness.

Qin Luo felt as though his entire body was submerged in a pitch-black vat of water.

No… this wasn’t just an illusion.

Splash!

The sound of water brought his consciousness back.

He opened his eyes, disoriented, taking in his current state…

He was floating on a vast, ink-black sea.

The water was thick as congealed ink, heavy and oppressive, every breath carrying the stench of decay.

In the distance, a faint flicker of light swayed in the darkness, like a firefly on the verge of being snuffed out by the wind.

"Where… is this?"

Qin Luo instinctively raised his hand and found his arm bound by dark chains.

The other end of the chains sank into the depths, as if shackling something below.

He tried to struggle, but his strength felt drained—even the simplest movements were sluggish.

Then, suddenly—

"Right… the young mistress!"

The final moments rushed back to him.

The skeletal shepherd’s colossal hand had torn through the sky, a beam of annihilation piercing the world.

What about Su Muwan? Was she still alive?

His heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand. Qin Luo had never been one to worry, but this time, unease coiled tightly in his chest.

No. Don’t spiral.

If I’m alive, the young mistress must be fine too.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to steady his breathing.

Clink—

He stood, the chains behind him rattling.

Then, he fixed his gaze on the distant light, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

He didn’t know where this place was, but if there was a guide, it clearly wanted him to move.

With that thought, Qin Luo took his first step.

The next instant—

Hum.

Ripples spread across the water’s surface, and a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind—

Skyscrapers crumbled. Flames devoured the streets. Humans wailed under the claws of monsters.

Qin Luo stood atop the ruins, a bloodied longsword in his grip, mountains of monster corpses at his feet.

He was the last awakened, humanity’s final line of defense.

"Captain Qin… we can’t hold on either…"

His comrades fell one by one behind him, their blood staining his vision.

"Kill them all… leave none alive!"

With a roar, his blade cleaved through the last monster’s skull.

The world fell silent.

Only he remained.

The dying creature at his feet, its black eyes gleaming with something like reverence, gasped:

"King… you will… return… in the end…"

Qin Luo froze, but before he could demand answers, the creature dissolved into smoke.

Back in the present—

Snap!

One of the chains behind him shattered.

Clutching his chest, he murmured, "Was that… my memory?"

King. That word again.

Monsters.

Could it be…?

Steeling himself, Qin Luo took a second step.

The memories surged once more—

Cloaked in black, Qin Luo stood atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

The remains of immortals lay beneath him; the heavens above were shattered.

"Demon! You conspired with monsters to slaughter the innocent—your sins are unforgivable!"

A white-haired immortal pointed at him, trembling with rage.

Qin Luo smirked, black mist swirling in his palm.

"Sins? You struck first."

With a flick of his wrist, the mist solidified into countless blades, pinning the immortal in the void.

Third step.

The memories rolled further back—

Qin Luo walked across a barren wasteland, followed by a legion of twisted shadows.

They didn’t attack him. Instead, they acted as loyal servants, clearing his path.

"My King, ahead lies ‘His’ domain…"

A wolf-like monster whispered a warning.

Qin Luo looked up.

A blood moon hung in the sky, its light casting a glow over a throne of ice.

Upon it sat a blurred figure.

The figure spoke, its voice like frozen eternity:

"You… came after all."

"Just as you once came for me," Qin Luo replied.

……

The memories grew sharper, the monsters’ reverence deepening.

They called him "King," begging for his return.

His pace quickened. Chains snapped with each step.

At last, he stood before the orb of light.

It was pure as snow, galaxies swirling within.

Qin Luo reached out—

"Are you certain you wish to touch it?"

A voice, ancient and calm, echoed around him.

The orb warped, taking the form of the Old Heavenly Master—but Qin Luo knew this wasn’t him.

This was… the Heavenly Dao.

"Touch it, and you will know everything. Your existence. Your purpose."

The voice was serene, yet brooked no argument.

Qin Luo paused, then suddenly laughed.

"My young mistress always says one thing."

"What?"

"‘Well, since we’re already here.’"

"……"

Before the words faded, his hand pressed against the orb.

Boom—!!!

In an instant, the deepest memories erupted.

The darkness peeled away. Qin Luo saw an endless void.

Within it, two orbs floated—one white as snow, radiant and gentle as a cloud; the other black as ink, its surface etched with dark veins.

The black orb nudged the white one playfully, earning a soft "Hey!"

"Mean! Stop bullying me!"

The white orb flickered indignantly, like a child sulking.

The black orb swayed smugly before brushing against it again.

"Admit it, you’d still be lost in the void if not for me. Grateful?"

"Hmph!"

"Keep huffing and I’ll nudge you again!"

"…Mean!"

And so they danced—chasing, teasing, the white orb always flustered yet never straying far.

For in that void, they were each other’s only company.

But as time passed, the white orb noticed something odd.

Black spots had begun dotting its surface.

At first, just a few. Then more, spreading like ink on paper, impossible to cleanse.

"Huh? What’s this?"

Confused, it tried to purify the spots with its light, but they remained.

The black orb, lounging nearby, went utterly still.

"Hey, why so quiet?"

The white orb drifted closer, bumping lightly against it.

The black orb recoiled, its voice uncharacteristically somber.

"…Stay away."

"Why?"

No answer. Just more distance, a deliberate gap between them.

The white orb dimmed, hurt.

"What’s gotten into you?"

Silence.

"Hey! I’m talking to you!"

With a flash, the black orb vanished into the void’s depths, leaving only a whisper—

"Don’t follow me."

The white orb hovered alone, its glow fading like a forsaken ember.

Finally, as if venting her emotions, she shouted loudly, "A cricket!! Just a measly little orb!! What the hell are you so cocky about?!"