Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 573 - 538 is an enemy of Mazao

Chapter 573: 538 is an enemy of Mazao

Should I continue to stay in the Doomsday Era, or return to the modern world? This hesitation has long been noticed by Little Bowl. She didn’t gloss over it ambiguously, but directly brought it up at this moment.

Along the way, I had already prepared for this, pondered this question repeatedly, and reached my own conclusion.

"I did have such thoughts," I said.

"Had?" Little Bowl was skeptical, "So now you’ve changed your mind and want to return to the time Sister Mazao is in, right?"

As she spoke, she paused slightly before asking, "...Is it because of Ming Zhuo’s existence?"

I hadn’t explained in detail to Little Bowl that Ming Zhuo might pose a renewed threat to Mazao, but with the information she had, it wasn’t difficult for her to deduce this.

"Yes, that’s a very important reason," I replied, "However, to say I’ve completely changed my mind isn’t quite true.

"I know lying to you won’t work, and I don’t want to lie about this issue. Regarding the Doomsday Era, I indeed have a very strong interest. This bizarre and unpredictable time and space is more attractive to me than the modern world."

After a series of explorations, my enthusiasm for the Doomsday Era isn’t as high as it was initially. Indeed, the Doomsday Era is full of dangers, with all sorts of oddities dazzling to the eyes, as if every minute could present a fatal crisis. But that’s mostly the case for ordinary Doomsday survivors, not for me.

Now I admit a fact—whether in the modern world or the Doomsday Era, I am at the pinnacle. Demon hunters, Blessed Monks, strange people, Sin Demons, modern anomalies, Doomsday anomalies...these things seem different, but to me, essentially, there’s no difference; they are not enough to threaten my life.

Even if Sin Demons and Doomsday anomalies have more bizarre and unpredictable abilities, they’re just novelties to me, incapable of bringing real danger. If the basic risk is absent, then naturally it’s hard to call it an adventure.

However, on this basis, I still believe that the Doomsday Era has a far greater attraction than the modern world. The shock I felt witnessing a wandering soul reveal its true identity after sending off Tan Xiang is something I never experienced in the modern world; the many mysteries hidden in the Doomsday Era are also reasons I cannot easily part with. To lay them all down and turn away without a glance is absolutely impossible for me.

This vast and dark land, driving the human race into a terrifying dead end, still has countless possibilities waiting for me to uncover.

Meanwhile, I also need to resolve the crisis Mazao is facing in the modern world.

I would absolutely not allow Ming Zhuo to act against Mazao in my absence.

"Since the Evangelical Institute can send Huang Quan to the modern world, it means they might hold the key to traversing between the two eras. And No. 7 also claims to know the method to return me to the modern world, which might also allow me to travel back to the Doomsday Era from the modern world," I said, "I only need to acquire it."

"In other words, Brother Zhuang Cheng, you don’t intend to make a choice, but want ’everything,’ right?" Little Bowl asked.

I heard the implication and then asked, "In your view, is that not possible?"

Little Bowl asserted without hesitation, "It’s not possible."

"Why is that? Clearly, there is a win-win direction, yet I’m forced to choose one side, isn’t that making trouble for nothing?" I retorted.

Little Bowl quietly watched me, her childish and adorable appearance contrasting with eyes that seemed more mature than mine, possessing a certain formidable penetrative power, capable of reaching into the deepest parts of my heart.

"If you purely want to master the means to travel between the two eras, to be with Sister Mazao on one hand, and venture in the Doomsday Era on the other, this might be temporarily achievable," she said, "But Brother Zhuang Cheng, you’re merely delaying the core issue."

"The core issue..." I muttered.

"The Doomsday Era, established on the basis of the Doomsday’s arrival, and your ultimate purpose with Sister Mazao, isn’t it to prevent Doomsday’s arrival?" Little Bowl said, "To choose to stand by Sister Mazao till the end, completely bidding farewell to the Doomsday Era; or to choose the Doomsday Era and stand against Sister Mazao...

"—Brother Zhuang Cheng, you can only choose one side."

Like parents telling a child in a toy store that they can only pick one item to take home, her voice was so gentle, yet so indisputable.

And I, in retrospect, realized that the biggest secret hidden in my heart had been unearthed by the little girl before me.

I am anticipating the Doomsday’s arrival...

This secret, I have never told anyone before. I haven’t told Zhu Shi, nor have I told Mazao. Although I honestly confessed to Mazao that the reason I approached her is because I longed to enter the strange world she inhabited, even Mazao probably never imagined that my desire would be as extreme as hoping for the world after Doomsday to arrive.

Likewise, although Little Bowl knows about my desire for Mazao, she does not know that I am hoping for Doomsday, because she is a survivor living in such an era, aware of the sufferings of Doomsday, she cannot imagine that someone would harbor such a desire—at least that’s what I thought before. Yet, her wisdom and observational skills have once again surpassed my expectations, presenting this contradiction to me once more.

Yes, I have realized this contradiction for a long time. Perhaps one day, I, who hope for Doomsday, will become an enemy of Mazao, who intends to prevent Doomsday. But to me, that conflict seemed too distant, so I put it off time and again, unwilling to think about this issue.

Little Bowl paused for a moment and then continued: "Not only that... Brother Zhuang Cheng, you not only have to choose between Doomsday and Sister Mazao, but on this balance... opposite Sister Mazao’s tray, there are even more weighty things.

"Although discussing this matter now is indeed too unfavorable for Sister Mazao, I figure you, Brother Zhuang Cheng, may have already realized it somewhat, so I’ll just say it outright here...

"If the price of being with Sister Mazao until the end is to completely say goodbye to the abnormal world, would you still be willing to be with Sister Mazao?"

I had to fall into silence.

Although Little Bowl’s question sounds like a pointless one, akin to "If your mother and your wife fell into the water and you could only save one, who would you choose?", as ridiculous as it is, just as she said, I too have somewhat realized it. I really know why she would ask that.

According to Little Bowl’s past observations and analyses, the reason Doomsday occurs is because the world has malfunctioned, accumulating a multitude of errors. And all abnormalities are born from such errors, or manifestations of these errors.

This implies that to stop Doomsday, one must somehow clear the malfunctions and errors in the world.

Once this work is completed, all abnormalities will lose their source. Whether they will disappear entirely on the spot or cease to produce new individuals, gradually fading away, remains unknown for now. However, the extinction of abnormalities will become an inevitable fact.

Mazao is very important to me, extremely important, but is she really important to the extent that I’d make such a decision just to stay with her?

The core that has supported my soul all the way to this day has never been romantic love. That night, when walking out of the basement on the fifteenth floor, I had a completely different mindset than I did when I entered. If it was the latter, perhaps I would make a different judgment.

I wanted to push back the question Little Bowl raised, as I did in the past, with an ambiguous attitude. But facing this girl who pierced the bubble within my heart, I ultimately didn’t want to act in such an embarrassing and inferior way, thus finally making up my mind to give the only conclusion I could offer.

"—One day, I will become an enemy of Mazao," I said.

Little Bowl showed an expression of great disappointment, yet she seemed not to be surprised by this result, then she sighed deeply and asked, "...Is there no room for any change?"

"Imagining myself opposing Mazao for my selfish desires is a very painful thing for me," I said, "but imagining myself giving up the desires I’ve held onto until now for romantic love, that’s not even a question of pain, it’s simply an impossibility from the start... I can’t form such a picture in my mind.

"Sorry, Little Bowl, for disappointing you. But that’s just who I am, you should give up hoping."

Little Bowl softly said, "That’s not the kind of apology I wanted to hear..."

Then, she was silent for a long while before continuing, "Brother Zhuang Cheng, since you said ’one day’... does that mean you don’t plan to become enemies with Sister Mazao now?"

"Since I’ve already faced my true feelings and given you this conclusion, I won’t allow myself to toy with Mazao’s emotions any longer in the future," I said, "After returning to the modern world, I will tell Mazao everything I’ve said to you here today.

"Then, if Mazao chooses to become an enemy of mine, we will become enemies immediately at that point; and if Mazao decides to give up on saving the world, choosing to collude with someone like me instead..."

Little Bowl slowly closed her eyes and said, "...Sister Mazao will never do that; she will surely stick to her stance to ’prevent Doomsday’."

For some reason, hearing her words, I actually felt a sense of joy.

Perhaps, more than twisting my creed for romantic love, I also hope even more that Mazao can make such a strong choice of ’not for preserving what’s piecemeal’.

However, Little Bowl seemed unable to let it go just like that.

Everyone has their own standard of value judgment, and she might be hoping that I would value emotions over principles. I wouldn’t say that’s wrong, just like I would never proclaim to others that my ideas are correct.

"So... in the end, what exactly does Sister Mazao mean to you, Brother Zhuang Cheng?" she asked sadly.