By day, he trained the pure and unsullied maidens; by night, the charming and alluring young wives. Occasionally, he offered physiological guidance to the sisters returning from distant travels. No foolish upstart dared to cause trouble, and thus, every day in this restricted zone passed by for Lin Luo with leisurely contentment. Time slipped away little by little in this tranquil atmosphere, and then...

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

With the sound of explosive firecrackers, Academy City’s annual Daihaisei Festival finally commenced. The Daihaisei Festival was an event belonging exclusively to the students, one in which every student held both the duty and the right to participate. Even Shirai Kuroko and the others had to set aside their training to prepare for the festival. Naturally, Lin Luo no longer needed to serve as an instructor.

Though Lin Luo felt a slight regret at being liberated from such a promising profession, he didn't have time to dwell on it, for Misaka Myzero arrived at the inn where he was staying with news that commanded his attention... Five minutes prior, Misaka Misato had sent a distress signal, which then abruptly ceased, leaving no further contact possible.

The distress signal, of course, originated from the Misaka Network. Even though Myzero had grown significantly stronger, she could still access the network. While Accelerator and the others had been on their mission for nearly a month—a relatively long duration for their assignments—they had remained contactable until just recently, so there hadn't been much concern.

However, now, the Misaka Network could not reach Misaka Misato, not even the final signal connected to the terminal unit. This demanded serious attention.

"We leave immediately!" Before Lin Luo could speak, Mikoto was already on her feet.

"No need; I can go alone," Lin Luo said, stopping her with a hand, his tone grave. "There's no need for both of us to deploy. This could very well be a feint to draw the tiger from the mountain. Although, given our speed, whether we both go or not makes little difference, your time is limited, whereas I have nothing pressing. You don't need to go. Besides... haven't you lacked any breakthroughs recently? I think it might be good for you to forget everything and try experiencing ordinary life for a while—participating in the Daihaisei Festival, for example."

Mikoto froze momentarily.

Not as a Quasi-Heavenly Rank expert, but merely as a common Level 5 Esper experiencing life in this world—she had certainly considered this. In fact, it wasn't a bizarre notion at all. Everyone experiences revelations; the world appears different at different cultivation levels. To be constantly fixated on the grand environment while forgetting the small one one occupies is to easily overlook important details... She understood this.

It was just that she had set a deadline for herself, and while the motivation was there, immense pressure had also silently accumulated, preventing her from calming down immediately, compounded by the anxiety of concern.

At this moment, Lin Luo's words struck a chord, awakening her from her daze. Mikoto quickly understood and nodded. "Alright, then I'll leave this matter to you. I will attend the Daihaisei Festival as an ordinary person."

With that, Mikoto turned and left, not concerning herself with anything else.

"Then should I go with you?" Myzero asked Lin Luo as Mikoto departed.

"Unnecessary. More people will only complicate things; I can act more freely alone," Lin Luo shook his head. Seeing the subtle hint of unease on her face, he comforted her, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. No matter who it is, I will bring them back safely."

"Mhm, I believe you," Misaka Myzero nodded firmly.

Subsequently, Lin Luo left Academy City and flew toward the South Pole.

The location where Accelerator and the others were deployed was the frozen continent of Antarctica. Rumor had it that a terrifying organization existed there, manufacturing instruments of war using human bodies as materials. During the Third World War, they had collected countless corpses and displaced civilians for experimentation. Furthermore, according to some unverified reports, that organization played no small part in why the Third World War erupted so comprehensively, nearly engulfing every nation on Earth.

Accelerator and the girls’ mission was to investigate the organization's headquarters and, if circumstances allowed, to eradicate it directly.

A mere terrorist organization was of little concern to Lin Luo, so he hadn't taken their mission too seriously at first. But now, even Accelerator couldn't help but send a distress signal, suggesting this organization was far more significant than he imagined. Perhaps... Lin Luo harbored a nascent guess, but without confirmation, he didn't dwell on it.

He had once treated Misaka Misato and Last Order, establishing a faint spiritual connection with them. At his current level, with careful sensing, he could pinpoint their location. Relying on this connection, within minutes, he determined the general area where they were situated.

However, the moment he stepped onto the stark white, frozen continent, that faint connection abruptly weakened. It seemed to drift from all directions—sometimes East, sometimes West, sometimes seeming to come from the sky, sometimes from underground—completely disorienting him.

Lin Luo’s heart skipped a beat, but he remained composed. He scrutinized the area with his inner sight and slowly discerned the presence of a high-level formation. Before stepping inside, it posed no issue, but once crossed, it blocked all perception.

The only reason he retained a residual sense was due to his superior rank.

"Then there's nothing more to discuss—we'll crush it with brute force!" Saving them was paramount, and Lin Luo had no time for meticulous thought. His Destruction Black Flame materialized, transforming into billions of black shards of swords, which proactively attacked the formation.

Boom!

A moment later, a sound like a massive explosion echoed. The frozen continent suffered no damage, but the formation was clearly broken. The best indicator was that Lin Luo could now sense the correct location of Last Order and the others.

Instant Movement activated, and Lin Luo surged forward several miles in a single instant. Then, within a frozen ravine, he saw Accelerator, Misaka Misato, and Last Order. The three were trapped in the valley, surrounded by hundreds of armored soldiers clad in black, launching fierce attacks.

Lin Luo took but a glance to understand why they sent the distress signal: Accelerator's reflection ability was rendered useless; only the Black Wing could effectively counter the enemy. Misaka Misato and Last Order fared even worse, barely able to defend themselves under Accelerator's protection.

The trio was forced into a small corner, with Accelerator bearing ninety percent of the attacks, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Lin Luo charged forward without hesitation. The billions of Destruction Shard Swords were unleashed again, like a swarm of locusts or a sweeping cloud, vanishing the hundreds of armored soldiers in mere moments.

"Ah!"

"Misaka Misaka..."

Accelerator and the other two cried out in astonishment upon seeing the enemies vanish and Lin Luo standing before them, radiating an imposing aura. But before they could finish speaking, Lin Luo waved a hand, enveloping them in a white halo of light, lifting them into the air.

"Don't speak; the battle isn't over yet." Lin Luo's expression was grim as he gazed toward a specific direction nearby. Although he had only glanced momentarily, it confirmed his earlier suspicion: this incident was indeed connected to the Abyss Demons, as those armored soldiers carried the aura of the Abyss race.

What concerned him even more was that by breaking the strange formation, something big was about to emerge!

Boom!

As if to validate Lin Luo’s deduction, at that very moment, the frozen ground cracked open with a loud explosion. A figure leaped from the earth, hovering high in the sky, releasing terrifying pressure.

The figure wasn't tall, possessing the physique of an ordinary human, yet it conveyed an impression as imposing as a mountain, instilling dread in anyone who beheld it. Accelerator and the others nearly collapsed upon sight, completely stunned by the overflow of imposing might.

"I am Pao Longtao, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Race! You destroyed my World-Sucking Formation—who exactly are you?!" The man’s gaze was like lightning, fixed intensely on Lin Luo, as if he intended to devour him whole. For an ordinary person, such a stare would likely result in the soul scattering.

However, while Lin Luo didn't possess such terrifying overwhelming might, he remained entirely unfazed by the pressure, merely sighing regretfully. "I always assumed that no matter how strong they were, the Abyss Demons were merely a race of gluttons surviving on instinct. I never expected that even one at the peak of the Earth Rank could reach this level. Not only is his appearance completely similar to a human, but his intelligence is in no way inferior, and he even understands the art of stealth. If you were allowed to consume this world, you might just touch the threshold of the Heavenly Rank... Alas, it seems I must re-evaluate my understanding of the Abyss Demons."

As he spoke, Lin Luo’s form suddenly vanished from his spot, a streak of black light flashing where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already behind Pao Longtao, holding the Destruction Killing Sword.

The latter was dumbfounded, remaining motionless, his entire body showing distinct fissures.

Lin Luo retracted his sword and stated calmly, "Just like your name suggests, you are destined to be nothing more than a minor supporting character."

"You... I recognize you!" Pao Longtao struggled to turn his head, glaring fiercely at him. "You are that Walker who has repeatedly slain my kin... I was too careless. You reeked of the resentment of my people, yet I failed to recognize you at first..."

As he spoke, black blood, like burning flames, began to seep from the cracks in his body. He endured the pain and continued speaking, "But don't celebrate too soon. I am the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings, merely serving as filler. The other three Kings are the true powerhouses, along with the Three Great Guardians, Two Great Envoys, one Alliance Leader, one Queen, one Demon King, and the Supreme Ruler of my Demon Race—you..."

"Too much nonsense. Die quickly!" Lin Luo frowned, waving his hand casually. The Destruction Black Flame surged fiercely. What kind of melodramatic plotline is this? he thought.

Pao Longtao, completely engulfed by the black flames, cried out in agony. Yet, he still raised his hands high and shouted, "May my Lord Ding Dang bless the glory of the Abyss! May my King Youyu ensure the eternal prosperity of my Demon Race!"

Boom!

As soon as the words left his mouth, his body exploded.