Lam Huy Trường felt dizzy as he staggered to his feet.
His head spun from the thunderous slap… and the lingering numbness of the electric shock.
"What the hell was that…?"
"It was just an accident—"
"so why did I get hit?"
He blinked.
His gaze settled on the girl in front of him.
"And… who is she?"
A mechanical voice, tinged with faint annoyance, spoke from his wrist.
"If you've forgotten, then allow me to remind you—Professor."
"That girl… is the one you rescued not long ago."
Lam Huy Trường froze.
Fragments of memory flickered through his mind, disordered for a moment—then, as if assembling themselves without effort, they began to realign.
A limp figure, slumped against the base of a tree.
Ah. Right.
His right hand moved to rub the back of his head.
His left touched his cheek—still burning.
Professor AI continued, sounding slightly irritated and helpless.
"My apologies, Professor."
"When she woke up and recognized you… she took the liberty of resting your head on her lap."
"She said… she didn't want you lying on the ground."
Lam Huy Trường glanced sideways.
The girl lowered her head, her cheeks faintly flushed. Her fingers tightened together, and she avoided his eyes.
"…you saved me again, Professor…"
"Huh?"
She shook her head, then stepped closer.
Lam Huy Trường instinctively took half a step back, worried she might slap him again.
But—
no slap came.
She simply bowed her head.
Her voice was so soft it nearly dissolved into the air.
"Thank you… Professor."
Lam Huy Trường paused, his hand still raised defensively in front of his face. Then he let out a breath.
"…It's nothing."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"More importantly—"
"who are you, and why—"
The thought suddenly stalled.
A monster had fallen from the sky.
In a situation like that, how could an ordinary person possibly dodge in time?
…she was probably just another victim.
Lam Huy Trường cleared his throat softly and decided not to press further.
The girl lifted her head.
Her eyes met his.
"I… I'm…"
"…Lyra Granger."
---
After that, Professor AI recounted everything that had happened.
From the moment he began viewing the memory… to the point he lost consciousness.
And this girl—
Lyra Granger—
was someone he had saved.
He tilted his head slightly.
A vague sense of familiarity drifted through him.
As if he had seen her somewhere before…
but he couldn't recall where.
His gaze wandered over her unconsciously—
then abruptly stopped.
"…not the time."
He turned away.
But—
the chill crawling up his spine remained.
It didn't fade.
As if something…
was still waiting for him.
Lam Huy Trường looked around.
Silence.
Not a single sound.
The whole world…
felt as though it were asleep.
Lam Huy Trường raised his left hand.
"That black mass… I mean—"
"that monster tide…"
"where did it go?"
---
"According to the data collected from my mama,"
"that organism, after devouring and destroying everything—"
"formed a gigantic cocoon."
"…as if it were waiting to hatch."
"…a cocoon?"
A display frame flickered to life from his wrist device.
A colossal black mass filled the projection.
Thump.
Thud.
Throb.
It twitched.
As if… breathing.
As if… stretching itself awake.
---
Lam Huy Trường froze.
Memories of Eva surged back without warning.
"…could it be…"
"A little girl…"
"…wearing a black crown…"
What… was that?
"Queen…?"
"…and—"
"…that girl…"
"…is she still Eva?"
His hand clenched tightly.
"…should I even be trying to save her anymore?"
---
"For what?"
"Why should I be the one to carry this burden?"
His voice trembled slightly.
"I'm just an ordinary person…"
"I only wanted to live peacefully."
"Defeat something that monstrous…?"
"…I don't want to be the protagonist."
"…I don't want this. Not even a little."
It felt as though something inside his chest had cracked.
"…and honestly…"
"…I don't want to die."
---
He let out a dry laugh.
"Right. I can just run away…"
"This world—"
"someone else will deal with it."
"The military… anti–bio-weapon forces… or someone else…"
"Right?"
---
"This world doesn't need me. It'll never come down to me."
---
His heart gave a faint beat.
Once.
"…I just need to run."
---
But—
the images he least wanted to see right now
kept drifting through his mind.
They wouldn't stop.
A crying little girl.
A face twisted in pain.
Tragedy… and the light fading from her smile.
---
He shut his eyes.
"It's fine…"
he told himself.
"It has nothing to do with me."
---
But—
it hurt.
Like a blade cutting into him.
Not because of the girl—
but because he knew he was lying to himself.
---
He opened his eyes.
"…if I run away…"
"…who's going to make that girl smile again?"
His face darkened as he let out a long sigh.
"…damn it."
"Of all people to transmigrate into…"
"…why did it have to be the professor!!"
"…the one person that girl actually trusts."
His lips pressed into a thin line.
Then—
a faint, resigned smile.
"Fine."
He whispered,
"System."
"Open the mission panel."
---
A red interface—
distorted with static—
flickered into existence.
> Eva's Evolution Progress: 65%
"…this damn world."
"No… this damn game…"
His shoulders sagged, weighed down as if by something invisible.
He raised his hand—
forming the shape of a gun.
He aimed it toward the directional arrow displayed on the mission interface.
"Eva…"
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"Early-game villain…"
"…and late-game final boss."
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"Looks like…"
"…we'll be seeing each other again."
"Little Eva."