Six hundred years ago, before Evangeline was the true progenitor of the vampires, she was merely an ordinary girl, living a carefree human life like a princess in a medieval European castle, right up until the day of her tenth birthday… She awoke one morning to find the world utterly transformed.

Of course, the world hadn't changed; only she had. Yet, it was undeniable that her entire existence had been irrevocably altered. She was no longer human, but a vampire. She cursed everything and everyone, vowing vengeance against the man who had wrought this change upon her. Then, unable to bear the sight of herself, she fled the castle, abandoning her home.

The first decade or so was the most agonizing. Though she possessed the status of a True Progenitor from the outset, her nascent vampiric powers were terribly weak. She suffered all the typical weaknesses of a newborn vampire: fear of sunlight, silver, and the cross. However, what truly terrified her most was… humanity.

No human would accept a vampire, and no human dared harbor one. Thus, it is no exaggeration to say that for those first years, Evangeline lived like a hunted vermin, scorned by all.

Before she gained the strength necessary to survive in her vampiric form—especially during the Witch Hunts—her unchanging appearance meant she could never stay in one place for more than a few years. There were even times when mistakes led to her being captured and nearly burned alive… Though, given her immortal constitution, actual death was impossible.

If she did not wish to be killed, she had no choice but to kill. Consequently, as she slowly mastered her vampiric abilities, she entered an era where survival necessitated slaughter. Even in times when killing wasn't strictly necessary, her status and actions ensured that not only ordinary people, but even the world of mages refused to accept her, forcing her into utter isolation.

But humans—even vampires—need connection. Thus, she mastered the power of the Puppeteer, granting life and consciousness to her dolls. Chacha-Zero was her first creation. Perhaps at that time, what she truly craved wasn't a doll to aid her in combat, but a kindred spirit with whom she could communicate.

And so, she trod over countless bodies over the centuries, eventually earning a bounty of six million US dollars from the magical community, attracting yet another wave of bounty hunters… Naturally, the outcome was never in doubt. Evangeline, having fully seized the power of the Progenitor, ensured that anyone who dared approach or fight her did so with the full expectation of meeting their demise.

It was only after this that she found true peace. Titles such as the Undying Magician, the Puppeteer, the Dark Gospel, and Evangeline the Dark Overlord echoed throughout the entire underworld.

In the courtyard, Evangeline stood transfixed, speechless for a long moment. She had always believed a mage was responsible for her transformation, never suspecting it was the Creator of the magical world himself. She couldn't decide whether to thank or to hate him. Her current, unmatched strength was a gift from the Creator's hand, yet the centuries of misery she endured were likewise bestowed by him—a hatred that was unforgivable.

“You knew all along?” After a long silence, Evangeline finally calmed, turning to look at Lin Luo. Her tone was level, devoid of any emotional inflection, making it impossible to discern if she was angry or merely curious.

“Yes,” Lin Luo nodded.

“Since when?”

“From the very, very beginning.”

Evangeline wasn't entirely sure what Lin Luo meant by the very, very beginning, but one thing was certain: the moment he encountered her, he already knew.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“The timing wasn’t right. I had intended to tell you once we reached the Magical World. Are you angry?”

Evangeline remained silent. It was impossible not to be angry; such vital information had been concealed from her until this very moment. She was certainly displeased. Yet, looking at it objectively, Lin Luo’s choice was likely the correct one. Given Evangeline’s nature, if she had known this from the start, upon regaining her full strength, she would certainly have sought revenge on the Creator. But with her current power, she stood no chance of victory; if anyone in this world could kill her, it was only the Creator.

Evangeline understood this reality, yet a knot of discomfort remained in her heart.

“It’s natural for Kitty to be upset. Even if it was for her own good, keeping something so crucial hidden is a strange thing to do. A young lady’s heart is inherently contradictory, even a six-hundred-year-old one, hehe,” Al suddenly interjected with a grin.

“You—you rotten piece of trash… do you want me to kill you?!” Evangeline whipped her head around, fixing him with a murderous glare, her lips twitching, her fingers cracking audibly as she clenched them.

Although Al’s words fueled her rage, they also served to divert her attention, pulling her away from brooding over the issue. She huffed dismissively and sat down.

“You mentioned earlier that it’s not entirely the case. Then, what other reason do you have for seeking out the Creator?” she asked coolly, not looking at Lin Luo, as if the matter held little interest for her.

“Ah, that sounds like tsundere, doesn't it,” Al commented, sipping his coffee and addressing the female attendant beside him.

Evangeline felt the surge of homicidal impulse that had just subsided begin to rise again. It felt agonizing not to vent it.

“Indeed, there is another reason,” Lin Luo confirmed, nodding. “During that school trip, we encountered one of the Creator’s puppets. Although I managed to defeat it, the Creator seems to have taken notice of me. He even invited me to the Magical World.”

“What?!” Lin Luo’s tone was calm, but to Evangeline and Al, the words struck like a thunderclap, their expressions changing drastically. Only Suigintou and the attendants, unaware of the gravity of the situation, looked confused.

“What does the Creator want with you?” Evangeline asked in a low voice, a subtle trace of concern weaving through her tone.

At this point, Al stopped teasing Evangeline and spoke with sudden seriousness. “Has the Creator made his move already? But as far as I know, he shouldn’t be able to leave the Magical World. Why would he seek you out?”

“I don’t know the detailed reason, but generally, it seems the powers I possess have piqued his interest. Well, that’s not the important part. What matters is that I’ve already agreed to his invitation; the Magical World is unavoidable,” Lin Luo explained, subsequently sharing some details with the two of them.

“You haven’t changed a bit,” Evangeline shot him a look, but then a smile touched her lips. “The Creator, how interesting. Since that’s the case, I’d like to meet him myself. Old man, what about you?”

Seeing Evangeline look his way, Al offered a faint smile. “Heh, since the Creator is emerging, I have no room for hesitation either. I suppose I’ll accompany you two on a trip to the Magical World… Oh, right, I need to repair my main body first, or I’ll just end up dragging you down.”

“I wish we had more people who would drag us down like you,” Lin Luo laughed. With both of them agreeing, that left only Sakuya. Lin Luo felt confident he could persuade her. With the combined strength of these four, even if they couldn't defeat the Creator, retreating would still be manageable. Moreover, they had a certain 'bug man' waiting for them in the Magical World. If they called that guy over too, it would be five against one. Even if the Creator’s suppression capabilities were immense, he wouldn't gain much advantage… especially considering Lin Luo still had an unrevealed trump card.

The subsequent events became much simpler: focusing on repairing Al’s body.

Lin Luo’s healing magic had evolved significantly from its beginnings. Initially, restoring Mikoto’s combat ability to Level 5 required 800 points, double his entire life force pool. But due to his current level, repairs were far easier now. For instance, restoring Mikoto to her current Mid-Spirit Rank strength would only require about 1,000 points now, because he was vastly superior to her; restoring her to just Level 5 would take less than a hundred points.

Of course, for someone of Evangeline’s caliber, the difference would be monumental.

Al’s injuries were severe. Lin Luo had no idea what kind of war he had endured, and Al wouldn't elaborate. Healing him with the techniques available in this world was futile, which explained why he had hidden in Mahora Academy for ten years before daring to move openly now. Even after a decade, he had only recovered fifty percent of his strength. It had to be admitted: Al was a monster in every sense of the word.

It wasn't difficult for Lin Luo to heal him completely, but Al was on par with Evangeline, possessing 5,000 intrinsic life force points, which was still insufficient for a full cure. Furthermore, over 2,000 points had been expended training Setsuna. Thus, they had to proceed in stages. Fortunately, there was ample time in the Time Flow House, so the group was not rushed.

After the first round of treatment, Lin Luo took a short rest and left the Time House. He still needed to speak to Sakuya about the trip to the Magical World; after all, she deserved to be mentally prepared before they left.

Sakuya, as expected, was easy to reason with, at least on matters like this; she agreed immediately after Lin Luo explained the situation. Of course, even if she had disagreed, she would have gone anyway, as relying on Lin Luo was her only route back to Gensokyo. If Lin Luo were carelessly wiped out by someone, she would suffer the consequences too. Emotionally and logically, she had no reason not to accompany them.

Next, Lin Luo informed Mikoto and Konoka about the plan. Initially, Lin Luo intended to leave them, along with Suigintou, behind. Given the unpredictable danger of confronting the Creator, and knowing he would eventually return, he didn't want to drag them into the peril.

However, to Lin Luo’s surprise—or perhaps, he simply couldn't convince them—both Mikoto and Konoka insisted on going. Lin Luo could somewhat guess Mikoto’s motivation, but Konoka’s firm insistence was unexpected. And if Konoka was going, Setsuna certainly couldn't be left behind.

Ultimately, Lin Luo gave up resisting with a grand wave of his hand: everyone was coming along!