In a derelict warehouse, a young man struggled to his feet from the dusty floor, frowning as he gently massaged his joints. He glanced around, utterly unconcerned by his nakedness, walked over to a fallen coat rack, and retrieved a slightly damaged garment from it.

"Haha, what luck! I was reborn inside a clothing store this time... This outfit is a bit torn, but it will have to do for now. Hmm, if I can just find a pair of pants, I can get out. Haha, I’m a genius."

The man laughed like a fool while pulling the shirt over himself, rummaging frantically through boxes and cabinets on the floor. Before long, he actually managed to find a pair of wearable trousers. He held them up, checked the fit, decided they were just right, and pulled them on without caring how dirty they were.

"Knight's Tome Manifestation!" Once fully dressed, the man suddenly straightened up, raised his hand seriously, and a silver book materialized in his grip. Looking inside, he scratched his head, appearing quite troubled. "Eighteen times. What a hassle. I've actually died eighteen times in this world already..."

"But it doesn't matter. As long as my Knight Spirit remains unbroken, I will never truly die, haha!" The look of distress vanished instantly, replaced by loud laughter and unwavering confidence.

"Right, I wonder if those two girls managed to escape?" After returning the Knight's Tome to his body, the man frowned again, a flicker of worry crossing his features. "I can't stay here. Those two Hosts have such low combat power, and that bastard can control everyone in the world. In their current state, it will be hard for them to survive. I must go and help them, or my eighteen deaths will have been meaningless."

As he spoke, the man suddenly looked up, eyes closed in solemnity. "Sister, even though I’ve been dragged into this divine war that demands I become stronger by hunting others, no matter when or where I am, I will never forget your teachings: champion the weak against the strong, and strive to be an upright and kind person... Don't worry. Though I am weak right now, I will certainly find a way to grow stronger without having to kill others. I will never let this divine war tarnish my convictions. And don't worry about my safety either; as long as my Knight Spirit endures, I will never truly die, because I am—a Knight!"

With that declaration, the man opened his eyes, blazing with energy, and swiftly rushed out of the warehouse, sprinting into the distance.

...

As evening approached, Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura finally awoke with a soft stirring. When they noticed their clothes had all been changed and their bodies felt clean and fragrant, they were momentarily stunned.

"Kagura, did you bathe me and change my clothes?"

"Yomi-nee-san, did you bathe me and change my clothes?"

The words were spoken in unison, and both fell silent, frozen in place.

Three seconds later, Isayama Yomi maintained her unchanging expression, but Tsuchimiya Kagura subconsciously turned her head toward Lin Luo, who lay beside them, her face incredibly complex. Yomi followed her gaze, and a look of sheer astonishment washed over her face upon seeing Lin Luo... (For the record, Lin Luo was currently feigning sleep.)

"Oh dear, you two are awake. I apologize; I was a bit tired and drifted off for a short nap." A few seconds later, Lin Luo sat up from the floor, stretching languidly and rubbing his eyes, affecting a sleepy demeanor. "Huh? You've already changed? Just to be clear, I've been asleep the whole time. I didn't peek, I swear."

Tsuchimiya Kagura was slightly more fragile, and given that he was their savior, even if he had taken the liberty of cleaning them while they slept, she might feel shy but would most likely not get angry. Isayama Yomi, however, was a different matter—a strong ojou-sama type who, while gentle to Kagura, generally held no warm feelings for men. She was also intensely shy, perhaps even violently tsundere. If she found out he had not only looked at her entire body while she slept but touched it too, she would surely erupt. Never mind that he was their savior; a swift sword strike might be the least of his worries... Thus, Lin Luo feigned complete ignorance.

"Um... didn't you change them for us?" Tsuchimiya Kagura uttered instinctively, but the moment the words left her mouth, she lowered her head, blushing furiously; clearly, the question was a bit too "heavy" for her to handle.

Upon hearing this, a flash of cold light involuntarily sparked in Isayama Yomi’s eyes.

"How could I!" Lin Luo immediately adopted a look of righteous indignation. "I was sleeping the whole time, completely unaware of anything around me. Besides, how could I do something like that while you two were asleep?"

"But both Yomi-nee-san and I were asleep. Then who changed our clothes? And... the bath?" Tsuchimiya Kagura looked up, her face etched with confusion.

"I think you must have woken up in a daze, cleaned yourselves, changed your clothes, and then fallen back asleep from exhaustion, which is why you don't remember," Lin Luo suggested.

"Is... is that so?" Tsuchimiya Kagura asked weakly.

"Of course," Lin Luo nodded affirmatively. In truth, his explanation was riddled with holes that anyone with a moderately sharp mind could easily see through. However, Tsuchimiya Kagura wasn't particularly sharp; on the contrary, she possessed a slightly natural naivete—a naturally timid loli—so she naturally couldn't find the flaws in his story.

Isayama Yomi frowned slightly. His explanation made her deeply suspicious. She wasn't so confused as to not know whether she had bathed or changed clothes. However... she couldn't vouch for Kagura. Perhaps Kagura had done it—it wasn't impossible. Furthermore, this question wasn't what concerned her most right now.

"Kagura, who is he?" Isayama Yomi leaned in and whispered to Tsuchimiya Kagura.

"Yomi-nee-san, he’s the one who saved us earlier..." Tsuchimiya Kagura immediately recounted what had transpired. After listening, although Isayama Yomi's expression remained somewhat odd, the way she looked at Lin Luo softened considerably.

"My name is Isayama Yomi. Thank you for saving both Kagura and me." Standing up, Isayama Yomi gave Lin Luo a deep bow, her face full of sincerity. Being helped when one is in absolute despair is the easiest way to generate gratitude, and she was no exception. Though it might have been a small effort for him, for them, it was a life-saving debt.

As for the earlier questions about changing clothes and bathing, she had already dismissed them. Anyone capable of instantly killing Sanzu River could easily assault them without waiting for them to sleep, even right now. They were utterly incapable of resistance, and moreover, she detected no signs of violation.

"Um, my name is Tsuchimiya Kagura. Thank you for saving us." Seeing Yomi's action, Tsuchimiya Kagura imitated her.

"I'm Lin Luo. You don't need to be so formal," Lin Luo walked toward them with a smile. "I imagine you must be hungry. Let's eat something first to recover your strength."

Speaking of which made them realize it, and upon hearing it, both instantly felt their stomachs churning painfully, almost flat. Gurgling sounds echoed from their abdomens... This caused the two young women to blush deeply and lower their heads.

Lin Luo didn't mock them. He directly pulled a large amount of food from his storage space. These weren't things like bread or steamed buns—instant rations—but steaming hot dishes: steamed fish, braised sweet and sour chicken, Mapo tofu... A full dozen dishes were spread out on the ground, along with a large pot of rice.

Isayama Yomi and Tsuchimiya Kagura were instantly stunned. It wasn't that they had never seen such dishes before; the question was, how had Lin Luo conjured them? They could clearly sense that the food was freshly made, yet there was absolutely no sign of cooking utensils or process nearby. It was utterly miraculous.

They obviously didn't know that Lin Luo's storage space was unaffected by time and space. These meals had been prepared by his maids and stored within, thus remaining as fresh as if they were just cooked... Having grown accustomed to the exquisite cooking of his maids, Lin Luo had no intention of eating any other garbage food.

Their shock didn't last long; their attention was quickly diverted by the fragrant aroma of the food, which made them involuntarily drool.

Seeing their greedy expressions, Lin Luo smiled faintly, ladled two bowls of rice for them, and handed them over. "Come, fill your stomachs first, and then we can discuss the matters we all want to know."

At this point, neither hesitated. They immediately took the bowls of rice and began devouring the food, showing no trace of ladylike decorum, for they were desperately starving. Over the past fifteen days, let alone proper meals, even bread and buns had been desperately scarce.

Just as they finished half a bowl each, both looked up, faces alert and defensive. Simultaneously, Lin Luo’s gaze shifted to the side. Outside the fifty-meter boundary of their barrier, the landscape was teeming with the undead and malevolent spirits—countless thousands of them!

...

Back in that dimly lit room in the underworld, the same stern youth sat there, but unlike before, his face was now wreathed in a smile. "Heh heh, I recall someone once saying that Lin Luo has a defect in analyzing the world's rules. Very well, I shall target this weakness, constantly dispatching troops to harass him so he has no time to analyze the rules. Meanwhile, I will accelerate my own analysis during this period... My source of power is death. The more people who die, the faster I analyze the world's rules. Once my power recovers to one hundred percent, a mere King of the World who cannot utilize the power of rules—haha!"

Saying this, he burst into maniacal laughter, spreading his arms wide. "Come, let the power of death sweep across this entire world. Let every human become my soldier, become my strength! This world shall become Hell, and I shall march toward becoming the King of the World! What a magnificent feeling—this scent of destruction... Don't you agree, Sanzu River?"

Seeing the youth glance at him sideways, Sanzu River immediately knelt down and replied with utmost reverence, "Yes, my Master. Please bring destruction to this world."