Now that Chōrin'ne understood so much and had also demonstrated her commitment through action, Lin Luo no longer kept things from her. He told her everything, including details of the Divine War, and then stated solemnly, "That’s roughly the situation. The reason those four can go is due to their special identities, which are inextricably linked to me. Moreover, I am not as omnipotent as you imagine. My world is not peaceful; it faces the danger of invasion at any moment, and it could be destroyed at any time. If you choose to go, you must do so with the proper resolve."

To Lin Luo, his relationship with Chōrin'ne hadn't reached a point where he absolutely had to take her with him. Thus, he felt it necessary to make things clear: even a tiny involvement in the Divine War could lead to utter annihilation. Whether to retreat or advance, the choice was ultimately hers.

Listening to Lin Luo’s explanation, Chōrin'ne's eyes revealed shock. Although she had suspected Lin Luo was extraordinary, she hadn't anticipated it to this degree. The legendary Divine War—something impossible to witness even in comics or movies—this was truly...

"It's too exciting!" After a pause, Chōrin'ne exclaimed suddenly, "As a scientist, how could I not be thrilled by something so breathtaking? Hearing this makes me want to go even more. Besides, since it's a Divine War, perhaps I can find the power source I'm looking for there."

"Uh..." Lin Luo was momentarily stunned. It seemed his attempt at intimidation had backfired. Of course, scientists were often reckless fanatics; anything that could advance their research, even their own lives, could be cast aside.

"Then let's start now," Chōrin'ne looked at Lin Luo, her face alight with excitement.

"Start what?"

"Of course, letting me become your Servant. Didn't you just say that even though Setsuna doesn't have a World Heart, she can go to your world because she is Mokonoka's Servant? So, I just need to become your Servant, right?"

"Well, that is essentially how it works," Lin Luo nodded. Lili was Rin’s Servant, Setsuna was Mokonoka’s Servant. Although the status and significance of the two pairs were different, the essence was the same: the vital connection was deep-rooted and unbreakable. But!

Lin Luo shook his head again. "It’s impossible for you to become my Servant because I am not a mage of this world."

Lin Luo could not form a Servant Contract with anyone because what he studied was Ancient Magic. In the ancient era, nearly seven out of ten people were mages; the Servant system simply didn't exist. Otherwise, he would have already formed a Servant Contract with Mokonoka, especially since Mokonoka had always desired cards, and her Servant items were incredibly potent.

With Tōfū Hien and Nanpū Matsuhiro, Mokonoka wouldn't even need to study healing magic; based on her Servant items alone, her healing capabilities would be nearly on par with Lin Luo's—a true pity.

"So that's how it is," Chōrin'ne instantly understood, then smiled. "Then it should be fine if I form a Servant Contract with Mokonoka, right?"

"Well, theoretically, that should be possible." With Mokonoka's immense magical power, supporting two Servants wouldn't be an issue. Furthermore, the contract she had with Setsuna was provisional, with no limit on the number of Servants. Since Setsuna could go, if Chōrin'ne formed a provisional contract with Mokonoka, she could go too.

"Then there's no problem," hearing Lin Luo confirm this, Chōrin'ne finally relaxed.

Though Chōrin'ne was excited, Lin Luo felt it necessary to warn her one more time. After all, once one steps into something like the Divine War, there’s no turning back. "Are you absolutely sure? If you stay in this world for twenty-two years, returning to the future is quite simple. But if you go with me, there's no guarantee there’s a suitable World Heart for you, and one slip-up could get you killed. At that point, you wouldn't have any chance to return to the future."

"It’s a gamble, Teacher," Chōrin'ne said without hesitation, laughing. "Scientists’ endeavors are never one hundred percent successful. As long as there is a one percent chance, it's worth a try. Moreover, if I gain power from your world, solving the wars of my era would become simple. Even..."

Saying this, Chōrin'ne leaned closer again, nestling into Lin Luo's embrace, and stated confidently, "Your world is probably lacking in defenses, too, right? You have the materials, and I have the technology. If we combine these two, I can build that world into an impregnable technological superpower. I am confident that I won't be any weaker than your Dragon Clan Guardians."

Chōrin'ne’s tone was full of self-assurance, and Lin Luo didn't have much cause for doubt; after all, she could create something as heaven-defying as a time machine... Speaking of which, she was still building something—could she build a Gundam?

If that were possible, all three hundred mechanical maids piloting Gundams and mechs, and if possible later, bringing the sisters over from the A Certain Magical Index world—a force of ten thousand Misaka Sisters in Gundams, armed with plasma cannons, reverse-time cannons, antimatter railguns, and Tengen Toppa drills...

"Teacher, you're drooling."

"Nonsense."

...

Chōrin'ne’s issues were temporarily set aside. Later, Lin Luo told her about the Senate. True to her reputation as a future genius scientist and military expert, based on the information Lin Luo provided, Chōrin'ne formulated a hypothesis with the highest degree of accuracy.

The Creator's agents had infiltrated the Senate. They planned to use this opportunity to assassinate the heads of state involved in the current conflict. Otherwise, there was no explaining why the MM Senate would deploy so many elite troops. This would make Mecarol, the superpower, the public enemy of the magic world, leading to the outbreak of the Second World War...

This was something Lin Luo and the others had already considered, but then Chōrin'ne raised a point they hadn't: since the Creator’s goal was to build a perfect world by eradicating all humans in the magic world, such a war alone might not be enough. He might intervene personally.

"Th-that’s impossible, isn't it?" Even Lin Luo found Chōrin'ne’s inference hard to believe. While it was understandable for the Creator's puppets to participate in the magic world’s civil strife, the Creator himself was the supreme being of the magic world. He could wipe out everyone with the magic of the perfect world with just one move... although that specific spell seemed rather troublesome.

"Nothing is impossible. If a phenomenon has even a possibility of existing, we shouldn't be surprised to treat it as something that will inevitably happen. Besides, I have grounds for this assumption," Chōrin'ne asserted.

"What grounds?" Lin Luo couldn't help but ask. Chōrin'ne’s words reminded him of Rin. Rin also liked to find justifications; as long as something made sense, she would consider it a possibility. The two shared certain similarities. However, Chōrin'ne was more confident, more absolute, because she lacked a degree of Rin's innocence and possessed a touch more ruthlessness.

Environment shapes the individual, so Chōrin'ne's "absoluteness" wasn't necessarily wrong; it was her combat aptitude, the mark of a commander forged and matured on the battlefield.

"My grounds are you, Teacher," Chōrin'ne said gravely, pointing at Lin Luo. "Since the Creator sought you out before, it indicates his focus is no longer solely on the perfect world. If he values you even more than the magic world, then what would he do upon learning you have arrived in this world?"

"This..." Lin Luo froze. Chōrin'ne's hypothesis was bold, and her basis seemed tenuous, but... it wasn't impossible. The Creator had approached him back in the real world. He couldn't possibly be unaware that Lin Luo was now in the magic world. If the other party were to appear early, his target could only be Lin Luo!

"This is a challenge," Chōrin'ne continued. "Teacher, if the Creator appears tomorrow, it will be a direct challenge to you."

"A challenge?"

"Yes. A challenge between histories. The era from which he originated, and the Ancient Era you carry as the successor—this is... a confrontation between two eras!"

...

Leaving Chōrin'ne’s laboratory, Lin Luo felt a weight settling on his heart. To be honest, he was not prepared. Although a battle with the Creator was inevitable, if Chōrin'ne was right, then... it was far too soon!

No matter how he looked at it, he currently stood no chance of defeating the Creator. If the decisive battle erupted tomorrow, the consequences were unforeseeable.

"No, this can't go on!"

Lin Luo frowned deeply. The Ancient Era was optional to him; what he truly bore was not that history, but the lives of those around him. Any era held far less weight for him than Misaka Mikoto, Illyasviel, and the others.

Yet, the Creator seemed determined to see him as the successor of the Ancient Era, and that the two eras could not coexist!

"Perhaps there will be unexpected trouble tomorrow..."

"What's wrong? Your expression looks grim." After walking for a while, Lin Luo suddenly heard a voice ahead. Looking up, he saw that, somehow, Evangeline already stood before him.

"Well, I heard some rather unpleasant news," Lin Luo didn't hide anything and recounted Chōrin'ne’s speculation to Evangeline. "To be honest, this time might be even more troublesome than the last Divine War."

"You lack confidence?"

"It’s not that I lack confidence, it’s just..."

As if sensing his thoughts, Evangeline sneered, "No one ever said you are responsible for our lives. Even the Creator isn't unbeatable; didn't Nazi defeat him once twenty years ago?"

"The Creator now is not comparable to the one twenty years ago."

"But his opponent now isn't the Red Wings either," it wasn't Evangeline who spoke, but Sakuya, who had suddenly appeared beside them.

Lin Luo looked at the two women and couldn't help but smile. "You're right. Perhaps it sounds a bit melodramatic, but the current opponent of the Creator is... a walker upon the Land of God!"