Chapter 5 Finding a Post-Apocalyptic Girl
I was completely stunned.
"Sorry, I didn't understand."
"Where didn't you understand?" Ma Zao asked.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute..." I gestured with my hands to indicate that we should stop.
Let me make it clear first, I believe I have a very strong capacity for acceptance, and I've prepared myself mentally to accept her unconditionally no matter how unbelievable her identity and background may seem.
Even if she claims to have spies on top-secret documents of a nation or a large corporation and is currently being hunted by countless assassins; or like in some fantasy stories, she says she is an artificial superhuman who escaped from a mysterious research institution, I could still consider the possibility of believing her.
But what about time travel, the end of civilization, and the apocalypse?
Has your narrative scope suddenly jumped too far? Did I not get a script for an urban legend or a crime thriller? Instead, it's more like a sci-fi disaster blockbuster I've seen before... Surely there won't be another terrifying villainous robot from the future that travels to the present to hunt her down, or that intends to assassinate some important person in this era.
Besides, as a time traveler, shouldn't one keep their secrets and use the invaluable information about the future to maximize their own benefits? Or is it that I've read too many online novels, which is why I think this way, and that a post-apocalyptic traveler who hasn't been exposed to online novel culture wouldn't be able to think of this immediately?
Let her continue her story. Even if she's just making up a story to amuse me, she should at least come up with something entertaining enough for me to enjoy. I'll just listen like a storyteller. As for today's class, I'll call the school to ask for leave later. I can attend class anytime, but this kind of magical conversation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"How many days ago did you travel here?" That was the first question I asked.
“If I only slept one night before, it was yesterday,” she replied, her voice sounding as if she were making it up.
"Yesterday... just now you mentioned 'doomsday,' so what kind of doomsday exactly?" I asked again. "Is it a virus that can turn humans into zombies spreading all over the world? Or is it an asteroid falling from the sky, or has a nuclear war finally broken out?"
She must have sensed my suspicion, but she also decided to continue the conversation.
Compared to when she pretended to be asleep and ambushed me at the beginning, her attitude has softened for some reason.
"What caused the apocalypse, and to what extent human civilization resisted it... I have no way of knowing. As long as I can remember, the world has been in an apocalyptic era. For a long time, I even thought that the world was always supposed to be like that..." She briefly and sincerely revealed a sense of reminiscence, then composed herself and patiently continued, "Comparing the world now and the world in the apocalypse, the biggest difference is time and space—time and space in the apocalyptic world are distorted, and survivors may encounter strange and bizarre phenomena at any time."
"In addition, there are numerous and powerful demons lurking around. Even though there are blessed cultivators among humans, they still cannot reclaim lost territory, let alone revive human civilization. They can only gradually decline and perish, and their way of life becomes more and more distorted in the process of decline."
I didn't expect it to be a sci-fi disaster movie, but a magical wasteland story... As I listened, my ears caught a word that I couldn't ignore.
What is a 'Blessed Monk'?
"In today's terms, would you say 'superpowered'?" she said uncertainly.
"So there really are people with superpowers in this day and age?"
"Probably, I've heard there are some... but unlike in the post-apocalyptic era, superpowered individuals in this era don't seem to be well-known."
"Could it be that their numbers were small in this era, but increased dramatically after the apocalypse due to some factor?" I thought of the settings in many apocalyptic novels on the internet.
“No… I can’t guarantee the exact number, but I’ve heard they wield considerable power in this era…” The conversation had clearly moved into unfamiliar territory, and she could no longer answer as fluently as before, her tone becoming hesitant. “As for why they’re not well-known, I don’t know… Perhaps there are some taboos or rules. I inquired about clues about them when I first arrived in this era yesterday, but I couldn’t find anything immediately.”
It would be strange if I could find it immediately. I have visited many famous mountains and rivers to visit immortals and ghosts, and I have also tested many fortune tellers and feng shui masters who pretend to be gods and ghosts. I have also investigated a large number of urban legends circulating in the streets countless times, but in the end, I always returned disappointed.
Does a massive force of superpowered individuals truly exist in this era? Even if there are some kind of taboos or rules, surely I would have accidentally stumbled upon them at least once, right?
Was she really lying to me?
I swallowed my thoughts and noticed that the topic had been veered off course, so I quickly brought it back on track.
"Since you are a time traveler, what methods did you use to travel to this era?"
"You misunderstand... It wasn't through some means that I came to this era, and I don't know why I transmigrated. The last thing I did in that era was to try to escape the clutches of the Great Demon with my friends..." A look of melancholy crossed her face as she spoke. "But the power gap between us and the Great Demon was too vast; no matter where we ran, we were caught. In the end, I tried to use spatial teleportation to make one last struggle with my friends, but somehow I ended up being transported to this era myself, while my friends disappeared... It must all be because of me..."
"—Hmm?" I realized the key point. "You? Power difference? Spatial teleportation?"
“Oh right… I forgot to mention.” She pointed to her chest, “I am the Blessed Monk I just mentioned.”
"So you mean you also have superpowers?"
"Yes."
"To be honest, I can't believe a single word of what you just said. Suddenly talking about an apocalyptic era just seems like pure fantasy to me," I admitted frankly.
“I think so too.” She nodded without any surprise.
“But since you have superpowers, everything is much easier.” I stared intently at her. “As long as you use your superpowers at least once in front of me, I’m willing to believe you, and I’ll believe whatever you say.”
I mean it.
However, she fell silent, seemingly hesitant about whether she should give an honest answer.
After a moment, she answered with difficulty, "I can't do it."
"Why?"
“My soul was burned when I was escaping the Great Demon, and after arriving in this era, I forced myself to use the Blessing—that is, superpowers—which aggravated the trauma to my soul.” She said through gritted teeth, “When you were talking to the police earlier, I had already tried to use the power in the room, but I just couldn’t do it.”
It seems that admitting her weakness in front of me made her very unwilling.
“If you say that, I can’t trust you anymore…” I said. “And ultimately, why would you tell me, an outsider, something so important?”
At first, she was prickly, domineering, and intimidating.
Now, although she still maintains an obvious wariness and distance from me, she has become willing to spend a lot of time and effort answering my every question as if she were completely without guile.
I don't know what kind of emotional journey she went through. Was it because I protected her in front of the police? Or was my acting and lines as a good guy really that brilliant, even touching her cold and suspicious heart?
She answered my question again.
"It's not that complicated. Although I don't know why I came to this era, I've figured it out. If my time travel really has some profound meaning, then perhaps it's to prevent the end of the world from happening in this era." She said seriously, "I must warn more people about the impending apocalypse, and you are just the first one. I want to test how you, as someone who 'lived before the end of the world,' will react to my prophecy, so that I can gain the trust of more people in the future."
"So now you've tested the waters and found out the result. As long as you use your superpowers, most people will at least believe you halfway. It's a pity you can't use them." I teased her a little.
"Hmph..." Upon hearing this, her face darkened, and she immediately retorted, "Say what you want, I'm not looking for you anymore. I'm leaving now, I don't have time to keep you company..."
As she spoke, she tried to stand up from the bed by supporting herself on her knees, but suddenly her body went limp and she fell back down.
Many people with low blood pressure and low blood sugar experience a sudden blackout when they stand up abruptly after squatting. Her symptoms were very similar, even more severe. I quickly went to support her soft, petite body, but she had already fainted again.
What a troublesome person.
I spread her out on the bed, then sat down at the desk, looking at her innocent and lovely face while pondering the doomsday information she had previously given me.
The apocalypse, time travel, blessed monks and superpowered individuals...
In my opinion, Asahi doesn't quite fit my stereotypical image of a "cold-blooded, cruel, and selfish post-apocalyptic survivor." At most, she's just a mysterious and beautiful girl with high skills and an eccentric personality. "The apocalypse" and "time travel" are even more fantastical, and I can't immediately believe that these "settings" actually exist in reality.
However, I believe that "superpowered individuals" do exist in reality.
My friend's words from the past came to mind.
—Since you've never seen any real supernatural power, why have you been investigating ghost stories and legends?
—There has to be some positive feedback...some relevant evidence or clues to keep going, don't you think?
Yes, I have it.
I have clues and evidence that supernatural forces truly exist.
That is me.
I am a superhuman.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com