In a private room of a luxurious restaurant, a table laden with exquisite dishes was surrounded by six young people—five women and one man. The youngest among them looked barely eleven or twelve. This, of course, was Lin Luo's party, and the small girl was Ling, whom he had captured in the ruins.

“Sister, I want to eat this… Thank you, Sister.” This little girl’s temperament seemed utterly relaxed. She had tried to kill Lin Luo moments before, yet now she was his captive, her fate held entirely in his hands, but she acted as if nothing had happened. Seeing that Lin Luo had no immediate intention of killing her, she instantly became cheerful again, eating with the others as if she harbored no concern for her own safety.

Her words were sweet, addressing everyone as "Sister" one after another. It wasn't just Fina and Rhea who adored her; even Huang Quan and Kagura doted on her, constantly piling food into her bowl.

Watching this scene, Lin Luo felt a touch of frustration. Although he hadn't planned to do anything to Ling, their treatment of her was perhaps too kind. Their demeanor towards her surpassed how they treated him. Had they forgotten she had just unleashed a killing blow on him? Even if it hadn't worked.

Lin Luo was no stranger to Ling. Though she appeared to be just a cheerful and carefree little girl, anyone who truly dismissed her as a mere brat would quickly learn the meaning of death.

Despite Ling’s small age and stature, she was no ordinary child. Indeed, having witnessed that sharp, peerless strike, even an idiot would know she was far from simple. Ling's true identity was an elite member of the Society, "Guidance of the Serpent's Body," Executor Number Fifteen—the Annihilation Angel, Ling. She was proficient in unique abilities such as manipulating puppets and controlling the surrounding environment, possessing terrifying combat power and an aptitude for learning that granted her legion-level individual combat capability. In short—a genius!

Of course, that was powerful relative to ordinary people. To Lin Luo, Ling’s combat strength was comparable to… Swish! Lin Luo plucked a toothpick from the table and casually impaled a buzzing fly nearby. Yes, Ling’s fighting level, relative to him, was about the same as that fly.

“Big Brother, why aren’t you eating? Aren’t you hungry?” Seeing Lin Luo sitting there without taking any food, Ling couldn't help but ask with curiosity.

What a forward little brat, has she completely forgotten that she just tried to kill me? Lin Luo muttered internally, but on the surface, he smiled and replied, “Just watching you eat has filled me up.”

“Loli-con!” As soon as Lin Luo uttered those words, Huang Quan couldn't resist a taunt. As for Kagura, there was no need to mention it, but even Fina and Rhea looked at him with a touch of disdain… This left Lin Luo speechless. He had merely made a casual joke; was a reaction this strong necessary?

While Huang Quan and the others understood from experience, Ling also took it as truth, looking at Lin Luo with wide-eyed excitement. “Big Brother, you like Ling?” Lin Luo rolled his eyes at her. “I detest you the most!”

A wave of disappointment washed over Ling's face, then she turned her head away, holding her chin high with the pride of a phoenix. “Hmph! Ling detests you the most too!”

As they spoke of detesting each other, there wasn't a hint of malice in their eyes. It was unclear who was being more tsundere.

After showing her pride for a while, Ling turned back to Lin Luo. “Big Brother, I was surprised that you could catch Ling’s finishing move barehanded. But Ling didn't even use her trump card. If Ling called the ‘Patil, Matil’ that my mom and dad made, even Big Brother might not be able to stop them.” Lin Luo knew that the "Mom and Dad" Ling referred to were actually massive, strategic-level humanoid weapons, whose power was terrifying. But compared to himself… Lin Luo smiled faintly. “Go ahead, call them and try.” Ling blinked briefly, then turned her head away, calling out petulantly, “Hmph, so boring.” As an elite member of the Society, Ling wasn't brainless. While her vision couldn't gauge Lin Luo's exact power level, it didn't prevent her from knowing he was absolutely beyond her ability to challenge. Just the aura released by that single palm strike in the ruins was no less imposing than that of the Society’s Alliance Leader, highlighting his terrifying nature.

As for the women beside him, although they looked harmless, she could tell they were all monstrously powerful. If she truly wanted to challenge this group, it would only be if she were so bored she wanted to commit suicide.

She felt a hidden strangeness. Where had such a powerful group come from? The Society’s influence spanned the globe; how could they have remained completely unaware of such potent beings until now? It was truly bizarre.

“Tell me, Ling, why were you in that ruin?” Just like Ling, Lin Luo also felt curious. Logically, at this point in time, Ling should have been stationed with the Society; how did she end up in such a place?

“…Hmph, Ling won’t tell you.” The little girl completely ignored Lin Luo’s presence, turning to Fina beside her with a sweet smile. “Sister, I want that ice cream.”

“Certainly.” Fina gently passed the ice cream into her hand.

Seeing she didn't want to talk, Lin Luo didn't press her. It wasn't a major issue anyway. In truth, he felt a great deal of sympathy for the little girl.

The original Ling was just an ordinary little girl who, at a young age, was abducted by an organization called "Paradise." She endured inhumane torture there… Lin Luo didn't know the specifics of what she suffered, only that every child brought to "Paradise" lost their rights as a human being, used merely as a tool or an object.

Ling’s personality consequently warped into something dark, but in exchange, she gained intelligence and mental fortitude far exceeding normal people. It wasn't until Paradise was purged by the Society that Ling, the sole survivor, was rescued, allowing her to experience a better life. Because of her unique talents, the Society recognized her and nurtured her into an Executor.

If Paradise still existed, Lin Luo would definitely take the time to utterly annihilate that grotesque organization. But since the Society had already cleaned them out, he would never get the chance.

As for the Society, while also an unorthodox organization, it was far cleaner than Paradise. Moreover, many of its members were tragic figures like Ling, driven to the dark path after losing hope in society. Although there were undeniably heinous villains among them, every world had bad people; he didn't need to save everyone he encountered.

As long as they didn't actively seek trouble with him, he saw no need to deal with them.

Saving the world was such a tedious task. If it was something he could do casually while passing by, fine. But making it his goal would be far too troublesome.

After finishing their meal, the group left the restaurant. Since the matter of the True Shikon Jewel had been resolved and the identity of the madman exposed, Lin Luo had nothing left to do in this world. Thus, the remaining time could only be dedicated purely to tourism.

Although Lin Luo hadn't killed Ling, he hadn't let her go either; he kept her with them. Of course, it wasn't as a prisoner—he wasn't so bored as to drag a captive on a tour. He didn't dislike Ling, and Huang Quan and the others were quite fond of her. Despite Ling’s special identity and impulsive nature—she could kill without batting an eye—her combat strength was negligible to them. Coupled with her sweet disposition, keeping her around felt less like holding a prisoner and more like chaperoning a mascot.

Perhaps it was because he had returned to the Bright World and restored his abilities as the King of the World that even his slightly regressed "Charm toward Lolis" had returned. After staying with them for a few days, the little girl not only became close with Huang Quan and the others but also saw her intimacy level with him rise infinitely.

Lin Luo sympathized with her background and took good care of her, but he could also see that even though the little girl seemed happy during this time, her fundamental worldview hadn't been corrected.

If there had been more time, Lin Luo was confident, but the pre-arranged one-month deadline had arrived. The time for parting was here, and this task would have to be handed over to Estelle.

“Huh? Brother, Sisters, you’re leaving?” When Ling learned that Lin Luo and the others were leaving, she seemed surprised, her disappointment completely unconcealed.

“Yes, due to certain reasons, the Sisters must depart. But if there’s a chance in the future, we will certainly come to see Ling again,” Huang Quan and the others comforted her.

“Why do you have to leave? Isn’t it nice to be with Ling?” Ling was unmoved by their reassurances, clutching the black rag doll Lin Luo had given her, and walked toward him. “Can’t you stay? Ling hopes that Brother and Sisters can stay here forever. Ling likes the days we spend together.” “I’m sorry, we must go, but I promise we will come back to find Ling in the future.” Lin Luo rubbed her head. Although Ling desired it so much, he obviously couldn't stay here, nor did he have the ability to take Ling with him. After all, this world had been thrown into chaos by Hatsune and Kasuga, two near-Heavenly rank entities. Before his intimacy level with Huang Quan and Kagura reached the necessary height, the World Gate could not be opened, and the Starlight Road was useless. Separation was inevitable.

Ling’s mouth opened, her expression on the verge of tears. A moment later, she violently shoved Lin Luo and the others aside and ran forward. “Patil! Matil!” Boom, boom, boom…

A massive humanoid weapon suddenly flew from a distance, landing beside Ling.

Ling leaped onto it and shouted toward Lin Luo and the others, “Ling hates you guys the most, the most, the most!” After saying this, the girl steered the giant humanoid weapon and flew toward the distance.

Lin Luo watched the girl’s receding figure until she was completely out of sight before withdrawing his gaze. Turning back, he saw that Huang Quan and the others wore varying degrees of sadness on their faces. He sighed inwardly, “Let’s go. There will be opportunities in the future.”

“Mm,” Huang Quan and Kagura nodded.

Although this departure was born of necessity, it was undeniable that they had disappointed Ling’s expectations. However, this was not the end. As long as they reached the Heavenly rank sooner, they could break free from the world sooner!

In every respect, they would strive harder because of this.

A moment later, the dazzling Starlight Road rose from the ground. (To be continued.)