If one were to really trace it back, Lin Luo actually had Liu Ziwen to thank. If he hadn't suddenly intervened, conquering Railgun within a month would have been incredibly difficult... So, as a token of gratitude, Lin Luo decided to let him have a swift end.

"Railgun, let's find somewhere to hide first."

"Why?"

"Ambush!" Lin Luo stated righteously. "Last time we went to confront them head-on, we were chased away like stray dogs. Well, maybe not that badly, but it was truly a close call with death. So, reflecting on our past experiences, I think we should catch them off guard, strike where they least expect it, and finish them off directly!"

"No way!" As soon as Lin Luo finished speaking, Mikoto flatly refused. "Sneaking around... I am the dignified Railgun! How could I do something so despicable!"

Hearing the disdain in Mikoto's tone, Lin Luo felt dejected and jabbed, "Didn't you sneak into those research labs before?"

"That's completely different!" Mikoto's face flushed with anger. "The labs I attacked were conducting inhumane experiments! Whatever method is fine against those kinds of people! But this is a duel! A duel! Do you understand? How can we disregard the etiquette of a duel like that!"

Lin Luo was momentarily speechless—not because he couldn't argue, but because the situation felt incredibly awkward. Yet, considering Mikoto’s established way of doing things, it was perfectly normal.

Though Mikoto’s demeanor often appeared rough, her temper notoriously short, her possessiveness overbearing, her competitiveness arrogant, and her patience non-existent—seeming riddled with flaws—beneath this veneer of imperfections lay a set of personal principles she would never violate: not aiming to harm others, not acting out of vanity to decorate herself, not taking pride in oppressing others, and not being self-satisfied by simply taking care of herself!

She adhered to this principle absolutely, no matter the time or place. Even when facing the researchers, or Accelerator, who had slaughtered over ten thousand of her Sisters, Mikoto never considered killing them; she even contemplated sacrificing herself for the happiness of everyone else.

It was like what a certain yuri enthusiast once said: if Mikoto wished, she could solve any problem with a single coin, yet she still hoped to avoid conflict, no matter how desperate the resulting situation might become.

Although Lin Luo found Mikoto’s mindset overly naive, overly idealistic, and too impractical... wasn't that precisely what made her endearing! Powerful yet gentle, forceful but never spoiled, rough yet never lacking in basic decency.

If Mikoto took pride in her strength to recklessly oppress and kill others, or if she prioritized her own safety to coldly watch the world, then Misaka Mikoto would no longer be Misaka Mikoto, and Railgun would no longer be Railgun!

"Fine, fine, whatever you say is right." Thinking this, Lin Luo stopped insisting. After all, in Mikoto’s current state, Liu Ziwen's mind-demon manipulation wouldn't work anyway, and in terms of sheer power, Mikoto held an overwhelming advantage. No matter how one looked at it, Liu Ziwen had no chance of winning; whether they ambushed him or not suddenly seemed less important.

"But we still need to hide," Mikoto insisted, glaring. Lin Luo quickly continued, "Even if we adhere to those... certain etiquettes, the other side might not. If he launches a surprise attack, we'll be in serious trouble. Who knows what trump cards he still has up his sleeve."

"Well... that’s true. Alright, we’ll hide first then."

It seemed that while Railgun might be a little too innocent, she certainly understood the maxim: one should not harbor ill will towards others, but one must guard against the ill will of others... Sigh, actually, harboring ill will is permissible, especially towards an emo like Liu Ziwen.

...

The cruise ship docked. A man leaped off the bow. He was handsome, his complexion slightly pale, and a hint of savagery lurked in the sharpness of his brows. His eyes, filled with killing intent, swept across the small island... It was Liu Ziwen.

"Hmph! Hiding, are we?" Liu Ziwen let out a cold snort, a sharp, cold smile playing on his lips. A faint, watery-blue light flashed, and the Beast Taming Book hovered silently before him.

His gaze fixed on the book. Within its pages, a cluster of light appeared, much like a navigation marker in an online game. This halo of light was slowly moving forward.

"Trying to run? Hmph. On this island, you're already trapped, Lin Luo!" Liu Ziwen clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking audibly. His eyes burned with intense hatred and venom.

The battle seven days ago had been an embarrassing blunder for him. Despite holding a massive advantage in every aspect, he had still allowed Lin Luo and his Contractor to slip away. The mere thought drove him mad... especially considering the terrible price he had paid!

Liu Ziwen didn't know how many Heart Manuals or World Cores were involved in this Holy War, but he knew the Contract Book was the core of all Heart Manuals. Only the Contract Book allowed one to obtain a World Core and upgrade without resorting to brute force.

However, this didn't mean the owner of the Contract Book had the upper hand in the Holy War. On the contrary, the owner of the Contract Book would become the coveted "Monk's Flesh" in the eyes of all Walkers—everyone would want to seize it.

Furthermore, Heart Manuals that weren't the core possessed an ability the Contract Book lacked—Mind Demon Reclamation! This was an inherent skill specific to Heart Manuals targeting World Core Hosts. Of course, it only manifested once the Heart Manual upgraded to LV2.

Everyone possessed mental vulnerabilities to some degree, even World Core Hosts. Mind Demon Reclamation could infinitely amplify these flaws, eventually consuming the host.

But this skill had severe limitations. First, Mind Demon Reclamation could only be used on a World Core Host, and only when they were not in a contracted state. If a contract was already established, it would be useless. Second, when using Mind Demon Reclamation on a World Core Host, the Walker themselves suffered an equal backlash. While the Heart Manual offered protection against instant death, a heavy price had to be paid, and Liu Ziwen’s price this time was ten years of his lifespan. Third, above LV2, each level allowed the Mind Demon Reclamation to be used only once, and it could not be used on the same person twice.

This meant that before he could reach LV3, Liu Ziwen could no longer use Mind Demon Reclamation against the World Core Host, and he had already paid the cost of a decade of life—a devastating loss.

Of course, compared to the World Core, these costs were almost negligible.

He knew that when a World Core Host was immersed in their own mind demons, they couldn't possibly form a contract with Lin Luo. By that time, the Contractor would likely have already been devoured and killed by the mind demons. That must be why they chose to flee upon sensing him.

Although it was a wise move, still...

"Run, keep running, Lin Luo! No matter how you struggle, your fate is already sealed!"

When Liu Ziwen looked up, his face was utterly distorted.

Against Lin Luo, he possessed an enormous advantage: level suppression!

As long as two Heart Manuals made contact once, the higher-level manual could establish a coordinate lock on the lower-level one. Liu Ziwen’s Beast Taming Book was currently LV2. This meant that as long as Lin Luo’s Contract Book hadn't reached LV2, Liu Ziwen could locate him with absolute precision, no matter where he was in the world.