"Pat, pat."
Hiroshi patted Mark on the shoulder, his face filled with mixed emotions.
"As the new leader of this tower, you have a lot to handle," Hiroshi said. "The distinction between the "upper class" and the "ground citizens" cannot continue in the future world."
He glanced disdainfully at the lingering blood mist in the doorway. "That guy from earlier… it's a shame he died so quickly. I could have let him experience a true wilderness adventure while reforging this planet."
Shaking his head, Hiroshi added, "When I watched Ling Cage, I despised that yellow-haired guy. Now that I've seen him in person, he's truly garbage. His malice stands out, even compared to the pirates in that other world."
Hiroshi shrugged. "Well, he's dead now. Time to get to the real work."
Turning to Gabriel, he asked, "Gabriel, has your mission been completed?"
"Just finished," Gabriel replied nonchalantly. "It was a simple task."
"Good," Hiroshi nodded. "Where's Darkness? I didn't see her around."
"She's down below," Gabriel pointed casually. "That maniac ran straight for the monsters the moment she arrived. She's probably still fighting them."
Hiroshi rubbed his temples in exasperation. "That crazy knight…"
After a moment of silence, Hiroshi sighed. "Well, thanks for everything—in every possible sense."
He placed a hand on Gabriel's shoulder, scanning the area for Darkness. As his divine sense swept across the wasteland, his eyebrows furrowed in surprise.
"Found her… and more," Hiroshi murmured. "There's another human settlement on the surface."
"Impossible!" a voice cried out.
Dr. Kerry, clad in a white lab coat, stared at Hiroshi incredulously. "Humans surviving on the surface in the Mana ecosystem? That's unheard of!"
Hiroshi shrugged dismissively. "Just because you can't survive doesn't mean others can't."
He waved at Mark, gesturing toward the door. "Let's go. I'm short on time. Let's finish things here so I can move on to other tasks. How you manage this world's survival from now on is up to you."
Mark quickly followed Hiroshi, and soon, the remaining council members exchanged uneasy glances. Dr. Kerry was the first to act, chasing after Hiroshi with an intrigued expression.
The others hesitated briefly but ultimately followed. They knew Hiroshi's power—if he had ill intentions, they wouldn't have been able to resist.
On the surface, within a hidden settlement, Darkness knelt by a pool of clear, blue water. She scratched her head awkwardly as a white-haired woman, Bai Yue Kui, stared at her intently.
"Um, could you not look at me like that? It's embarrassing," Darkness mumbled. Then she added with a creepy smile, "Unless you're planning to use a different kind of gaze… that I might enjoy."
Bai Yue Kui's lips twitched as she suppressed a grimace. Earlier, she and her group had stumbled upon an abnormal scene—a mountain of squirming monsters emitting horrifying sounds. Among the chaos, they heard an enthusiastic female voice shouting bizarre things.
"As a holy knight, I will never yield to you vile beasts! Even if you crawl all over me and lick me with your disgusting tongues, I, Darkness, will not surrender! Bring it on!"
Initially believing this was some new kind of monster, Bai Yue Kui and her team prepared to fight. But upon realizing the voice belonged to a human, they reluctantly rescued the bizarre woman from the writhing mass of creatures. Bai Yue Kui couldn't shake the feeling Darkness had enjoyed herself in that perilous situation.
"Darkness," Bai Yue Kui began, "are you from the tower? And how did you protect your life essence from being drained by the monsters?"
"The tower? Life essence?" Darkness tilted her head. "Oh, no, I'm from another world. I heard about the monsters here and came to check them out."
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "They didn't disappoint! After missing out on male beastmen back in Red Magic Village, these apocalyptic monsters are a great consolation prize."
Darkness sighed wistfully. "Those creatures… their numbers, their soul-siphoning abilities… it's everything I dreamed of. Their weak attacks barely tickled, like a full-body massage… absolutely divine."
Bai Yue Kui stared at Darkness, speechless. She couldn't help but think, This woman's defenses must be absurdly high if those monsters couldn't even scratch her.
After a pause, Bai Yue Kui asked cautiously, "How did you come to our world?"
Darkness gestured upward. "Our chat group recruited a new member, Mark. When he encountered danger, the system issued a mission, and we came to help. I saw Gabriel's livestream earlier—it seems the mission is complete, and Hiroshi is here too."
Her smile turned wistful. "It looks like this apocalypse is about to end. Such a pity… I really liked those monsters."
Bai Yue Kui's eyes widened. "The apocalypse is ending?"
"Yep," Darkness replied nonchalantly. "With our group's power, it's a simple task. There aren't many humans left in this world, so a little brute force will do the trick."
Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled. Darkness looked toward the horizon, where sunlight pierced the clouds, and Hiroshi's figure stood silhouetted against the dawn.
"See? It's starting," she said casually, pointing at the rising sun.
Bai Yue Kui scrambled to her feet, realizing their settlement was now floating beside the tower. When had they been moved to the sky? Her shock only deepened as she looked at Hiroshi, preparing to reshape the world.