My setting is above yours!

Chapter 134 Afterwards, everything vanished (8k7)

Stepping out of the cabin, Mira was noticeably more lively. Looking at Ron, shrouded in mist, she showed no fear whatsoever, even though he had just threatened her life with a hand around her neck. Instead, she asked with a grin:

"Hey, what do you think I should call you? We've become friends through a bit of a misunderstanding, so I can't be left wondering what to call you, can I?"

Ron was silent for a moment, then casually dragged out his long-lost senior brother to take the fall:

"...You can call me Kevin."

“Oh, Kevin…”

Mira repeated herself, then looked curiously at Ron's face:

"Brother Kevin, why is your face covered in so much fog? Is this one of your superpowers?"

Ron was silent for a moment, then managed to utter four words:
"No comment."

"Hey, don't be so absolute."

Mira, in a rather magnanimous manner, suddenly patted her chest and said:
"Brother Kevin, don't let my appearance fool you, I'm actually quite wealthy—my ​​secret stash is full of Sky Eye Coins!"

As she spoke, a clear longing was in her voice:
"Let's not beat around the bush. Can I learn your skills?"

"Don't worry, name your price. I'll empty my savings to learn this skill, and I promise you won't lose money!"

Ron sighed in exasperation. His long, narrow eyes, shrouded in mist, snapped open as he coldly fixed his gaze on Mira, his tone sharp and authoritative:

"Don't think about things you shouldn't... This is not a power you can covet."

"Oh."

Mira was a little disappointed, thinking to herself that Kevin was indeed no ordinary person. His abilities were so special that they probably couldn't be obtained with just a few Sky Eye Coins.

'You still need to have enough goodwill towards her...'

Thinking this to herself, Mira's tone became sweet and coquettish. She pulled out a small snack from somewhere and said:

"It's alright, Kevin. I overstepped my bounds just now. Let's not talk about that... But have you eaten today?"

As she spoke, she stuffed the snacks in her hand into Ron's hand, her tone hopeful:
"Would you like to grab a salted egg yolk pie to tide you over on the way to the FAST telescope?"

Seeing the egg yolk pie handed to him, Ron really regretted it.

He never imagined Mira would be such a nagging person... He even doubted whether his death threat to Mira had ever happened at all!

'Are you kidding me... Doesn't this person know what fear is?'

'Faced with someone who had just threatened her life, yet now possessed no information whatsoever about him, and whose strength was beyond her control… she actually chose to respond this way?'

'Even if I offered to let her go and let her take me to the Sky Eye Tower, she shouldn't have reacted like this, right?'

"Just because I asked her to take me to the Sky Eye Tower, she assumed that because I needed her help, she was no longer in any danger?"

"What a joke!"

'Could there really be such a mentally challenged genius in this world...?'

Seeing Mira's behavior, Ron seriously wondered if there was something wrong with her brain.

But it has to be said, Ron is really at a loss right now—

After all, according to Mira, she had a fairly good reputation in the Sky Eye Tower... Although Ron didn't understand why her choice of words was a bit strange, he could just assume that she had some connections in the Sky Eye Tower.

Thinking about it carefully, that makes sense. After all, given the Black Dragon Gang's track record, Mira is probably a notorious thief in a large area, considering she's a fairly capable psychic.

The fact that she can still live so comfortably under these circumstances and has never been dealt with clearly indicates that she has a protective umbrella behind her.

The entity that could act as her protector in such a place is clearly the only top-tier power in Ideal City at this moment: [Sky Eye Company].

Therefore, rationally speaking, Ron really needs to contact Ronald through Mira's channels to perhaps successfully obtain the FTL technology from him...

'Fine, let's just argue...'

Ron sighed inwardly, reluctantly accepting the egg yolk pie Mira had pulled out from who-knows-where. He casually tossed it aside, avoiding Mira's gaze, and said:
"...I accept it."

'Nice! He accepted the gift!'

Mira was immediately excited, and her smile widened even more.

She busied herself with chores again:
"Brother Kevin, it's a ten-minute walk from here to the Sky Eye Tower, so it's a bit congested and troublesome. Besides, it's almost midnight, and if we don't get there before midnight, the Sky Eye Tower will close... How about I find you a car?"

Although Ron could easily fly there using Vector Manipulation, he was unwilling to reveal too much of his abilities to Mira.

After all, it's uncertain whether this girl has any powerful backing. She herself is clearly weak and can't pose any threat to Ron at all... But who knows what kind of power the forces behind her possess?
If Ron's exposed [vector manipulation] attracts the covetous eyes of those with ulterior motives, then it would be somewhat of a loss... after all, he doesn't lack time right now.

Moreover, there is something even more important—

He simply couldn't stand Mira's incessant nagging anymore!
He could imagine that if he used [Vector Manipulation] later, Mira would inevitably exclaim "Wow!" and launch into a long, rambling monologue with Ron, all to see if she could learn his [Vector Manipulation]—

'Let's just go along with this guy. Let's hurry up and find Ronald to get the information on [FTL Technology]. I'll go straight back to Ideal City and speedrun to Lv.5 first...'

With the wonderful fantasy of becoming a Lv.5 still lingering in his mind, Ron suppressed his inner turmoil and said helplessly:

"……Can."

"Alright, Kevin!"

Mira immediately gave Ron a thumbs-up to indicate that she accepted the task, then looked around and gestured towards the surrounding crowd:
"Hmm...which one should I choose..."

She muttered to herself, then her eyes lit up when she saw a brand-new hovercar slowly drifting by in mid-air:
"You are the one!"

As she spoke, she waved her hand without hesitation, signaling the young man driving the hovercar to drive it down.

'Such a simple way to hail a ride... In this "empty era," don't people have online ride-hailing platforms? Even with the most outdated phone, shouldn't there be a ride-hailing app?'

Ron was puzzled, unaware that the same question was also on the mind of the young man driving the hovercar.

The young man driving the hovercar poked his head out of the window in confusion, pointed to himself, and only after Mira nodded affirmatively did he hesitantly drive the car out.

The young man parked the hovercar by the roadside, got out, and greeted Mira and Ron in a friendly manner:
"Hello? Did you stop my car because you need any help?"

"Can I borrow your car?"

Mira smiled and spoke, then casually conjured a semi-transparent illusory energy ball and tossed it toward the young man.

But it seemed to have been thrown too carelessly; the energy ball grazed past the young man and smashed into the deserted roadside, leaving a shallow, broken crater.

Judging from the shallow crater and the broken scorch marks, if this energy ball had really hit this young man, it would probably have blasted him into a charred corpse in an instant!

"Madman! Madman!! Murder! Murder!!!"

The young man was immediately terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat, and turned to run away in a panic. But Mira scratched her head:
"Oops, I missed."

Then, she casually tossed a semi-transparent energy ball at the back of the young man as he staggered away.

'Is this guy fucking insane?!'

Ron couldn't hold back any longer and didn't care about whether [Vector Manipulation] would be exposed. He activated [Vector Manipulation] without hesitation, creating a gust of wind to sweep the energy ball aside.

Wow! There's such an ability?!

Seeing Ron's ability to conjure a whirlwind out of thin air, Mira's eyes lit up as she looked at him:

"Brother Kevin, what kind of ability is this? Can you teach me?"

"Teach you?! Do you even know what you're doing?!"

Ron frowned, his [Vector Manipulation] already forming transparent wind blades, aimed directly at Mira's neck.

He had never imagined that Mira was such a crazy person... Although he had indeed witnessed Mira's fight with the Black Dragon Gang before, it was something he could somewhat understand.

After all, the aftermath of the battle affected the surrounding area and indirectly killed so many people. Although it was still unforgivable, it was within the scope of rational thinking—at least it was something she did to escape and for personal gain.

If we were to use a nine-square grid to categorize factions, then it would be the so-called Order Evil... Although their methods are extremely vicious, their essence is for their own benefit.

But her act of randomly calling someone over and then trying to kill them can no longer be understood from a purely self-interested perspective!
She seemed to just want to do it, so she simply did it.

Thinking of this, Ron immediately became extremely wary of Mira.

To put it bluntly, since Mira is the kind of person who acts on her own whims, and judging from her previous behavior, she's even willing to risk her life, so would she really obediently take Ron to the Sky Tower to find [Ronald]?

Who knows if this guy might suddenly do something to annoy Ron on a whim?
Ron had no desire to work with this guy who was like a ticking time bomb!
Moreover... Mira's actions have completely crossed Ron's bottom line.

To be honest, Ron doesn't consider himself a good person. For example, in the aftermath of Mira's fight with the Black Dragon Gang that resulted in the deaths of others, his ability to understand the logic behind both sides' actions is a testament to his character.

For Ron, while he would never do anything to seriously harm others for personal gain, he would not morally condemn such behavior.

But Mira went too far.

This chaotic and disorderly style, this arbitrary act of taking another's life...

Ron would rather face the possibility of being hunted down by SkyEye Corporation and the even more difficult-to-obtain FTL technology files than let Mira kill people at will!

Feeling a chill creep up her neck, Mira looked at the cold killing intent in the narrow eyes of the misty humanoid before her, and suddenly understood:

'Oh no, we're doomed.'

'Although Kevin threatened to kill me right away and acted so mysteriously and terrifyingly... he seems to be a special character who is a lawful good.'

'It seems my favorability rating has dropped into negative territory...'

Thinking of this, Mira's face showed a slightly embarrassed smile:

"Hey, is reconciliation still possible?"

"Brother Kevin, don't worry, I still have an egg yolk pie for you..."

Upon hearing this, Ron burst into laughter in anger.

Egg yolk pie? Still thinking about egg yolk pie?
Do you think this is some kind of RPG game where giving gifts increases your favorability? Do you think giving me a no-yolk egg will make us become sworn brothers?

Ron was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly, the murderous intent in his eyes vanishing, and said gently:

"Reconciliation? Of course."

'Phew, I knew it! Egg yolk pie really boosts your favorability quite a bit...'

Mira breathed a sigh of relief, but before she could fully relax, she suddenly found herself soaring into the sky, only to plummet back down to the earth.

'Eh? ’

She was stunned for a moment before realizing that her head had already flown off.

'Ah, so I'm dead.'

With that thought in mind, Mira collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"Hmph... He only has himself to blame."

Ron snorted coldly, walked to Mira's body, which had been decapitated by the wind blade, and gently bent down to listen to her last words.

Although he was forced to kill Mira, Ron was very careful when he did it, and specifically used the [Mask of Deception] setting.

This ability, obtained by killing Sequence 4 extraordinary beings known as "Masked Dancers," allows Ron to acquire the mask of life of others when he deceives them to death with lies and listens to their last words.

The Mask of Life allows Ron to use it, learn about his experiences, and, in a mystical sense, take his place.

Although Ron's deception was extremely clumsy and a temporary trick, the "Mask of Deception" setting might not have been used very well, just like when Ron used it on Chairman Elvis and the others before, failing to obtain enough information from their shattered souls...

But at least a one-time replacement for Mira's identity can be obtained.

Furthermore, thanks to the "Thousand Faces" setting, Ron could at least temporarily disguise himself as Mira and go to the Sky Eye Tower to see if he could trick "Ronald" into giving him the technical files of "FTL Technology".

Although it was a last-minute, desperate measure... at least there's still a chance.

'It's a pity this guy isn't normal, otherwise things wouldn't be so troublesome...'

Ron sighed inwardly and leaned over the corpse for a moment, but he did not hear any useful last words. Only a few scattered and chaotic sounds rang out briefly, and then a semi-transparent mask appeared.

'...Hmm, this kind of makeshift lie and clumsy method of murder is indeed not up to the standard of the [Trickery] ability, and it's difficult to perfectly trigger the power of the [Trickery Mask] setting.'

Ron sighed, put on the semi-transparent mask, used [Thousand Faces] to disguise himself, and then used [First Authority - Concealment] to completely hide Mira's corpse before pretending to be an ordinary person and heading towards the Sky Eye Tower.

Although he failed to obtain Mira's memories, he at least acquired a mask that could serve as a substitute for her identity in a mystical sense. Coupled with the disguise of "A Thousand Faces," Ron felt his impersonation of Mira had been quite successful…

'It's just an experiment anyway. If it gets exposed, I'll just use the [Unknowable Domain - Fake] to escape...'

With that thought in mind, and without Mira holding him back this time, Ron quickly arrived outside the Sky Eye Tower and saw a long table set up in the square outside the tower.

Sitting before the long table were two rather familiar, yet somehow unrecognizable figures...

'Why does this look so familiar...'

Ron frowned, a hint of doubt arising in his mind, and quickened his pace considerably.

As he got closer, Ron finally saw clearly what was sitting at the long table—

Those were the figures of two students wearing Moen University uniforms.

The boy on the left has short, messy hair, wears an exquisite, white, hoop-shaped silver ornament around his neck, and has a large silver mirror earring hanging from his earlobe, in which the five words "Prometheus" are clumsily written.

The one on the right was also a boy, with the same short, messy hair. Strange purple electricity danced on his brown hair, and his face seemed somewhat familiar to Ron.

At that moment, the boy on the left looked at Ron, who was walking slowly towards him, and smiled broadly, saying in a somewhat distorted but familiar voice:

"Oh, dear citizen, your reputation level can no longer be increased."

"But as our most important partner in the [Old Ideal City], I, Ronald the [Firebringer], and my dearest friend, Hui'an, will do our best to fulfill your request—"

"What brings you to the Heavenly Eye Tower?"

The boy with short, brown hair standing next to him also spoke, in a rather distorted voice that sounded somewhat familiar to Ron:

"Haha, dear citizens, please state your demands."

"Our Sky Eye Company is protecting Old Ideal City and will definitely meet all the demands of the citizens..."

After saying this, the two of them stared straight at Ron, their eyes empty and lifeless, like eerie corpses whose souls had been taken away.

But Ron quickly realized that the reason they looked like corpses was precisely because they weren't human to begin with—

Although the joint gaps of the doll were well hidden, they could still be clearly seen because Ron kept [Omniscient Domain - Pseudo] active due to his vigilance.

Hearing these words, looking at the two people, and recalling what Mira had said before—that Ronald would arrange for androids to accept citizens at the Sky Eye Tower—Ron suddenly realized what they really were.

"These two are androids made by Ronald... and Ronald, Megumin... that's me and Megumin!!"

'What is this ring-shaped silver ornament...? It's the [Ability Amplifier] I'm wearing. The silver mirror earrings, needless to say, although they just have the words [Prometheus] written on them like they're trying to fool idiots, clearly represent the [Prometheus] access key...'

'While Megumin's general appearance is correct, her gender is wrong, and the color of the electricity generated by her ability is also clearly incorrect. It's practically a top-tier defective product...'

Looking at the two seemingly humanoid dolls in front of him, Ron suddenly felt a strange sense of humor.

'It's as if, hundreds of years after Huihui and I died, someone who didn't know us at all created a dubious story of Ron and Anhui using only a few records and some imagined fabrications…'

'To make my doll more in line with my imagined image and more similar to the historical record of me, he even created things I would use, like silver rings and silver mirrors. However, due to the distortion of the records, he made the [Ability Amplifier] into these strange silver ornaments...'

'The access key for Prometheus works fine, but it's probably impossible to replicate it on a doll, so I just wrote a few words as a label and put it on the doll...'

'No wonder these two dolls are named Ronald and Hui An... Did the guy who made them think Ron was a nickname?'

Thinking about this, Ron really couldn't hold back anymore.

Although Ideal City is a world hundreds of years after the unification of the planet, there were still borders between countries before the giant corporation unified the world.

At that time, the language was not unified into a common language, but rather each language had its own.

Therefore, in the ideal city, you will see names from various cultural backgrounds, such as Kevin and Yuan, Linde and Anhui, whose names clearly show the influence of different languages.

Ron, coincidentally, was a nickname for the name Ronald in English before the planet's unification...

But he's not British!

Ron's name is simply a Chinese name; his surname is Luo and his given name is En, meaning gratitude or kindness...

No... now is not the time to relax.

Thinking this to himself, Ron suddenly realized something, and his expression gradually became serious.

What's the story behind the person who makes these dolls, hiding behind this facade?
Although this seems funny, upon closer examination, it turns out to be not a good thing.

[Ronald]... The being known as [Ronald], who controls the ideal city of the future, must have had a reason for creating such a doll.

Ultimately, since the doll he created was clearly meant to impersonate Ron, who can say that his own name, "Ronald," isn't an alias?
It's even quite possible... that he, like this puppet, was inexplicably impersonating Ron, and only gave himself the pseudonym "Ronald" due to errors in historical records...

'Given their unfamiliarity with me, they obviously can't be someone I know. It's even possible they existed long, long ago and have absolutely no real understanding of me…'

'But why would someone like that impersonate me? What's the point anyway?'

'No... A superpowered individual at least at level 5, who also controls the [Void Era], could not possibly have acted without a reason...'

'Is this person pretending to be me, Ronald, trying to offer him an irresistible benefit? What exactly does he want from me?'

Ron frowned thoughtfully, suddenly feeling as if he had a thorn in his side.

He finally realized a problem—although he had not exposed himself in this era, the strongest being of this era, the owner of the [Sky Eye Company], had already been eyeing him hundreds of years before his rise!

In the "Hollow Age," the person impersonating him, Ronald, is digging into the identity of "Ron" with a purpose that Ron doesn't understand. All of this is intricately connected to him, and there is definitely a crisis that could lead to his utter destruction!
After all... if that "Ronald" were to meet the real Ron, Ron doesn't think he'd immediately take to him and invite him to become sworn brothers...

Thinking of this, Ron felt a slight sense of urgency.

'No...we can't waste any more time.'

'The Void Age is not a safe place. The most powerful ruler of this age has unclear intentions towards me, and he also seems to have learned the Unknowable Domain…'

'I can't be sure that someone who possesses twelve singularity technologies, controls the Central Intelligence, and has lived for hundreds of years won't be able to detect me. If he does discover me, I might get into some trouble...'

'I should first obtain the [FTL technology] and return to Ideal City. After reaching Lv.5, I can then investigate the situation with [Ronald]. I can't put myself in such a dangerous situation again!'

Thinking this to himself, Ron suppressed the subtle aversion in his heart and forced a smile at Ronald and Hui An in front of him:

"I'm here to get a technical file on [FTL technology]..."

“Oh, my dear citizens, I am more than happy to grant your request.”

Ronald gave a lifeless smile and said in a strange tone:

“Hui An, my dear friend, go and fetch me a technical file on [FTL technology].

"It's my pleasure to do this for you, my friend."

[Hui An] responded with the same lifeless smile, then pinched a piece of white paper out of thin air between his fingers.

Upon seeing all this, Ron frowned.

He suddenly realized something...

Whether it's the thugs from the Black Dragon Gang, Mira, or the [Hui An] in front of them, they can all conjure something out of thin air.

The Black Dragon Gang's firearms look like this, Mira's casually pulled-out egg yolk pie looks like this, and [Hui An]'s [FTL Technology] technical file looks like this...

Ron hadn't paid much attention before, but now, because he was close enough and had been activating [Omniscient Domain - Pseudo] at full power out of fear of something happening, Ron finally discovered the source of this ability to conjure objects out of thin air...

'...This is actually a personal reality?'

Ron murmured to himself, a sense of apprehension creeping into his heart.

In that instant, Ron felt a fluctuation in his personal reality... [Hui An] casually distorted reality, creating a piece of paper out of thin air with the power of her personal reality!

But [Hui An] is just a doll—even if she really has an [ability model], it should be like Hui Hui's [electromagnetic rotation]...

It has to be at least an electrical engineering-related superpower, right?
But now, [Hui An] has created a piece of paper... What about the others? Did the Black Dragon Gang and Mira also create similar products by distorting their own realities out of thin air?

This wasn't created using any ability model; it was created purely through the distortion of reality!
While Ron could actually do something similar, his Lv.3 ability limit was simply to create a small flower out of thin air without using an ability model to distort reality, and then it would dissipate after a short while...

The same applies to the vast majority of superpowered individuals. There is a limit to how much they can distort reality out of thin air. Their ability to create things almost permanently is simply unimaginable.

'No wonder the announcement in the Dimensional Update Manual said that the [Etheric Field] should be used to prevent the abuse of personal reality... This level of power is too high. It seems that it can distort reality at will and construct all kinds of creations without needing an ability model at all...'

Thinking this to himself, Ron didn't show his apprehension on his face. Instead, he accepted the [FTL Technology] file with a fake smile, already prepared to go back.

'But thankfully, we've already obtained the technical files for [FTL Technology], and even got two bottles of [Psionic Awakening Potion]. We've gotten everything we needed...'

'No matter how terrible this era is, I'll still be a hero when I return to Ideal City!'

Thinking this to himself, Ron couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips into a smile as he looked at the technical file he had just received from [Hui An]—

Then he saw a blank page.

The paper contained only the title "[FTL Technology]", nothing else... completely empty!
Upon seeing the blank space on the paper, Ron's pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of his mouth that were curled up instantly froze.

What...what's going on?!

Feeling somewhat confused, he couldn't help but ask Ronald and Hui An in front of him:
Is this all the technical documentation for [FTL technology]?

"Of course, my dear citizens."

Ronald looked at Ron with empty eyes, then suddenly revealed a less stiff, playful smile:

"However, my friend... it's already 11:59 PM. Are you sure you're not leaving?"

11:59? Oh, Mira said the Sky Eye Tower closes at midnight...

Wait, something's not right... This [Ronald] doesn't seem to be a doll anymore!

Seeing the glimmer of humanity that suddenly appeared in Ronald's empty eyes, Ron immediately reacted and activated Unknowable Domain - Pseudo without hesitation.

Although he wasn't sure if this was the real Ronald, the president of Sky Eye Company... it's never a bad thing to be safe!
If he didn't get the technical files for [FTL technology] this time, there's always next time. As long as he stays hidden, there are countless opportunities. Ron doesn't want to be caught by this kind of person...

The next moment, gray mist completely enveloped Ron, and a hidden power temporarily erased him from the world. Only beings of angelic rank or higher could detect Ron's disappearance.

But Ronald chuckled softly.

"Oh...an interesting experimental variable."

"But it won't have any impact on all of this."

The ambiguous doll stood up with great interest, its gaze not falling on Ron at all, but instead looking far into the sky...

Then, a bell rang.

24: 00.

Along with the tolling of the bell, a strange shattering sound rang out.

Suddenly, cracks and gaps appeared in the vast sky... and then it shattered and exploded into countless fragments!
Ron looked up and saw a hazy, seven-colored glow covering the sky above him. Beyond the shattered celestial canopy, the blood moon, identical to that above Ideal City, shone brightly…

The enormous phantom door stood above the red moon, now completely open, revealing a figure outlined in seven colors, resembling a melting wax figure.

My gaze fell upon the wax figures within the doorway, where countless eerie scenes could be seen reflected in the melting, iridescent wax, resembling the slumbering masses of humanity...

At that moment, countless threads of sticky, oily paint surged forth from the doorway like a tidal wave, completely enveloping the enormous blood moon—

Beside that enormous blood moon, Ron saw another dark shadow.

The somber hue obscured half of the crimson moon. A frail figure, wearing a pointed hat and appearing as ordinary as anyone else, raised a wand high. Dark shadows swirled, forming countless infinity symbols that transformed into various images and fell towards the doorway—

The world crumbled, seawater overflowed, lava erupted, and dust filled the sky...

Endless calamities were inflicted upon the door, the two forces clashing and intertwining—

In the end, that ordinary, frail figure was entangled in sticky, oil-painted threads and forced to wave her wand...

A black hole opened up above the red moon.

Then... everything vanished!
Ron immediately felt an endless suction force, and his body was completely torn apart in an instant, turning into scattered dust particles on the accretion disk that had no special characteristics whatsoever...

Before his consciousness faded, he heard Ronald softly muttering:

"The 3,647,761st time..."

"That's almost enough."

(End of this chapter)