Damn it… where did this thing even come from?
Bai Yu gripped the broom handle, piercing it straight through the Shadow Lurker’s body.
Then, she quickly stepped forward and covered Lovia’s eyes with one hand.
She couldn’t let her see what came next.
“It’s fine, Lovia, it’s fine now.”
As she spoke, Bai Yu used her other hand to pull the broom handle out and thrust it down again violently.
The Shadow Lurker, its body pierced through, let out a piercing shriek.
Bai Yu’s actions did not stop until the Lurker’s voice weakened, and its body, riddled with holes, dissolved into a puddle of foul-smelling black water.
Only then did Bai Yu stop.
If you asked whether any emotion was mixed into those actions, the answer was definitely yes.
She had gone through so much trouble to find Lovia again, and had meticulously devised a plan to deceive her.
If that plan had been ruined by this Shadow Lurker not long after it started, Bai Yu would have struggled to vent her frustration even if she stabbed it again.
Damn it… where did this bastard come from anyway?
Now, she could only hope that Lovia’s mind hadn’t been too severely stimulated, and that this wouldn’t trigger her memories.
At this moment, the girl before her was like a drowning person clutching at a life-saving straw.
She extended both hands, gripping the corner of Bai Yu’s clothes tightly, as if this alone could bring her peace of mind.
To her right now, perhaps, Bai Yu was her safest refuge.
As long as she hid behind Bai Yu, she wouldn’t be harmed.
“It’s fine, it’s fine now.”
Bai Yu released the hand holding the broom handle, placing it gently on Lovia’s shoulder.
Then, she hugged her tightly, burying the girl into her embrace.
Feeling Bai Yu’s actions, one of Lovia’s hands released Bai Yu’s clothes, moving slowly along Bai Yu’s body until finally hugging her tightly.
Bai Yu could feel the girl in her arms trembling violently; she seemed not to have recovered from the shock of facing the monster head-on.
Lovia’s reaction was bigger than expected.
Now, Bai Yu could only pray that she was just scared and hadn’t recalled any memories.
For now, she could only hold her and help stabilize her emotions.
“The monster has been taken care of, it is safe now.”
As she spoke, Bai Yu gently patted Lovia’s back.
“With me here, I won’t let you get hurt, Lovia. It’s fine now, don’t be afraid anymore.”
After a while, the trembling in her arms gradually subsided.
Bai Yu tried to loosen her grip slightly, looking down at the girl in her embrace.
The originally exquisite little face had lost all color, appearing pale white.
Within those red eyes, a lingering fear still flickered.
The girl in her arms looked absolutely terrified, seeming particularly pitiful and heartbreaking.
While Bai Yu was worried about her mental state, she was also somewhat surprised inwardly.
She never expected that the terrifying Pale Witch, upon losing her memories and having a mind as clean as a blank sheet of paper, would have such a soft, clingy side.
If Lovia ever recovered her memories and learned she had such a dark history, would she become so embarrassed and angry that she’d want to die?
Of course, if possible, it would be best if she never recovered her memories, letting Bai Yu hold onto her thigh for the rest of her life.
Seeing Lovia’s state recover slightly, Bai Yu tried to ask, “Lovia, how are you feeling now? Can you stand up?”
The girl in her arms tried to stand, but as soon as she supported her body, her legs went weak, and she collapsed back into Bai Yu’s embrace.
That was that, then.
“Then I’ll carry you. Hold on tight.”
Seeing Lovia nod, Bai Yu wrapped one arm around her slender waist and supported her legs with the other, lifting her in a princess carry.
The girl in her arms held tightly onto her clothes, as if afraid that letting go would mean losing her support, returning to a scene of facing a monster alone.
Just like that, Bai Yu carried Lovia out of the alley.
A few minutes later, Bai Yu carried Lovia into a small restaurant and sat down in a corner.
At this time, Lovia still reached out and tightly gripped the corner of Bai Yu’s clothes, remaining silent.
Unable to walk away, Bai Yu could only ask a waiter to pour a glass of warm water, then handed it to Lovia.
“Here, Lovia, take a sip of water first.”
Lovia did not refuse.
Releasing one hand, she took the paper cup, took a gentle sip, placed the cup back on the table, and immediately gripped the corner of Bai Yu’s clothes tightly again.
“About that, Lovia…”
Bai Yu was thinking about how to continue comforting her.
At this moment, Lovia suddenly raised her head, a hint of lingering fear still in her eyes.
“Bai Yu… have you been fighting monsters like that all this time, when I didn’t know?”
The girl’s voice sounded somewhat shaky.
If Lovia hadn’t seen an anomaly with her own eyes, Bai Yu would have chosen to find a way to fudge it.
But now that she knew about those things, she couldn’t keep it hidden any longer.
Since she couldn’t hide it, she could only use this opportunity to find a way to build up Lovia’s favorability again.
“Mm.”
Bai Yu nodded, responding to Lovia’s question.
Sure enough…
Lovia knew.
Bai Yu had been hiding it from her, fighting unknown dangers.
However, she never expected that those unknown dangers would be those twisted monsters.
Scenes from earlier replayed in her mind.
Those terrifying monsters—was this the danger Bai Yu had been facing all along?
Was this the truth she was working so hard to hide, not wanting her to come into contact with?
Lovia bit her lip tightly.
She wanted to know what those things actually were.
“Bai Yu… can you tell me? What on earth are those things?”
“Those monsters are called Anomalies.”
“Anomalies?”
Lovia murmured the term.
If it were the old her, she might have known the meaning of this term.
But now, it was very unfamiliar to her.
“Regarding the appearance of Anomalies, we have to go back three hundred years, to the disaster known as Starfall.”
Bai Yu spoke slowly, briefly describing the origin of the Anomalies.
“Three hundred years ago, a mysterious meteorite landed in the Far North. After this meteorite, known as the Primeval Core, fell, it emitted an energy entity called Star-Erosion.”
“This energy called Star-Erosion possessed extremely terrifying corrosive and transformative properties. It would induce mutations in living organisms it infected, ultimately leading to the birth of monsters called Anomalies.”
“In recent decades, the range of influence of Star-Erosion has expanded further, no longer restricted just to living organisms. Even stones, machinery, and some other inanimate objects can be infected by Star-Erosion, turning into monsters that only know how to kill.”
Lovia listened very carefully.
She silently recited the various keywords Bai Yu mentioned, but unfortunately, she still couldn’t remember anything.
Those terms, the concepts of Anomalies and Star-Erosion, were still so unfamiliar to her.
She couldn’t remember anything.
However, this kind of setting, which sounded like something that would happen in a doomsday novel, was actually happening in reality.
“So that’s how it is…”
Listening to Bai Yu’s explanation, Lovia felt her scalp go numb.
It turned out that behind this seemingly peaceful world, such terrifying dangers were hidden.
Without her knowing, in order to protect her, how many Anomalies had Bai Yu faced alone?
She didn’t know.
And her, when facing the appearance of Anomalies, could only hide behind Bai Yu, unable to help with anything.
She had clearly said that once her body recovered, she would help Bai Yu.
But, the current her, when facing Anomalies, could do nothing but run, could only wait for Bai Yu’s rescue.
“I’m sorry… I can do nothing…”
Someone like her, who has always sought Bai Yu’s shelter—is she truly qualified to keep enjoying protection from Bai Yu?
Seeing Lovia’s mood sink, Bai Yu extended her finger and gently flicked the girl on the forehead.