Have We Really Made It Home?

"I was just answering your question," Li Mo said coolly. "My strange behavior scared you, but I'm not actually that kind of person. You were only afraid because I was acting in a way you didn't expect."

"But I'm not really that kind of person."

Li Mo stretched his hands out toward the fire. It was freezing, and catching a cold and developing a fever out here would be hell...

No, not hell. It would be a death sentence.

Kallen, with her Kaslana constitution, might survive, but as the frail Otto Apocalypse, he would certainly die.

Surviving three days would be a success; five would be a miracle.

Finding proper nourishment in a primeval forest was a joke, and getting medical treatment was a pipe dream. If he got a high fever, he would have to rely on his own immune system to fight it off.

If he couldn't, he'd die.

With this frail body of his, he definitely wouldn't make it. He absolutely could not get sick.

The food in the bag was better left unmentioned. If they couldn't find Francis soon, the two of them would genuinely starve to death.

Kallen ate so much, and he was so weak.

"Oh..." Kallen seemed to only half-understand.

"Otto, the book didn't give them a name. What do you think those strange people should be called?"

Li Mo thought for a moment, then casually made up a name. "Emmm... since they look like people but aren't, let's call them Impostors. Unknown creatures disguised as humans. No, you can't even call them creatures. They're some kind of extremely bizarre existence."

"But it's all just a story in a book. Maybe someone just made it up to scare people for fun."

"At least, I've never met one."

Ghosts disguised as humans were very different from the Impostors described in the book.

Even for Li Mo, who dealt with ghosts regularly, the idea of an Impostor seemed entirely fictional.

Because its very existence hinted at some unknown, bizarre quality.

Did it kill people? The book didn't say.

But was it truly harmless? The fresh carcass of the giant animal and the torchbearer's eerie smile suggested it was a significant threat.

It might not even need to kill to be dangerous.

If he had to classify it as a Bizarre Thing, Li Mo could only surmise that the Impostor possessed some kind of consciousness-transfer ability.

After triggering a certain rule, it would transfer its own consciousness to another living person.

The fact that it suddenly disappeared implied it had no physical body. Even if he still had his anomalous pistol, he wouldn't be able to suppress it.

As for what the rule was, it was likely related to not having its disguise exposed.

And it was probably an absolute rule. Even if you knew it wasn't human, if you couldn't find a legitimate flaw within a certain time frame, you would immediately trigger the rule and become the next Impostor.

But this was all just Li Mo's speculation. He didn't want to waste any more mental energy on what was likely a sci-fi novel from the Previous Era.

"Oh."

Kallen acknowledged his point, then added, "I'm hungry again."

Li Mo hesitated for a long moment before sighing, opening the bag, and taking out another portion of food for Kallen.

But now, there wasn't much food left in the bag. They would have to hunt during the day.

Otherwise, they'd go hungry tomorrow.

Kallen's eyes lit up at the sight of food, and she began to eat with relish.

Li Mo, however, leaned against the tree, planning his next move.

When had he fallen into this illusion?

Or perhaps... this wasn't an illusion at all.

Li Mo tried to recall his memories from his own world and the others he'd been to.

But he found something very strange: he felt more and more that the memories of this world were his true self.

"...Who am I?"

"Otto Apocalypse?"

"Or Li Mo?"

Li Mo fell into self-doubt. He shook his head, repeatedly reminding himself that he was Li Mo.

He had a premonition that as time went on, he would sink deeper into this identity, perhaps even coming to believe that "Li Mo" was just a false self from a dream, a fleeting illusion, not his true self.

Soon, that premonition was confirmed.

"Ugh..."

His head felt like it was splitting apart. The more he tried to affirm his identity as Li Mo, the more his head hurt.

"Kira..."

Li Mo recalled the decade he had spent with Shigure Kira in the haunted mansion, but even that couldn't stop the erosion of his self-awareness.

"MEI..."

Li Mo recalled fighting side by side with MEI, supporting each other through thick and thin, but his sense of self continued to fade.

"Kiana!"

"Hah... hah..."

Li Mo shouted Kiana's name. Finally, as the sound faded, clarity returned. He gasped for air, breathing heavily.

He had almost truly believed he was Otto.

"Otto? What are you talking about?"

"Nothing... Nothing. Are you full? If not, there's still..."

Li Mo made a move to reach for the bag but was stopped by Kallen. "No, no, we have to save it. We don't know how long it will be before we find Father."

Li Mo said, "There's no food left in the bag."

Kallen replied, "Uh... okay. I'll see if I can steal some bird eggs or pick some fruit tomorrow."

"Don't," Li Mo said. "I'm not comfortable with that. And don't pick any fruit. If you have to go, take me with you. Only take what I tell you to."

Kallen answered, "Okay, got it. By the way, Otto, what's the difference between an Impostor and a human? Is it just their weird behavior?"

Li Mo said, "The difference... You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Kallen pressed, "How will I understand if you don't tell me?"

Li Mo relented. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you."

Faced with Kallen's persistent questioning, Li Mo found he couldn't refuse such an adorable face leaning in close.

That's strange. I'm not usually a lecherous person.

It must be that Otto guy's 'pure love' attribute influencing me!

"It's their very form of existence. That's the fundamental difference between an Impostor and a human. As for anything more, I haven't done a systematic analysis, and without any test subjects, I can't draw any more accurate conclusions. Even if I had them, they'd just be theories," Li Mo answered honestly.

Kallen thought hard, for a very long time—so long that the stars in the sky had shifted.

"Then how can we identify an Impostor in a crowd?"

Kallen looked at Li Mo seriously, waiting for an answer.

Li Mo considered it. For something so completely unknown, finding a method of identification would be difficult.

But just as MEI had said, after losing his support system, he would become more cautious than before. His way of thinking would also change to some extent, becoming more comprehensive.

He couldn't just hold his anomalous pistol and think, I can try this; if I see a ghost, I'll just shoot.

That looks a bit dangerous, but it's fine, I have my anomalous pistol.

Li Mo recalled the contents of the book and spoke.

"It's simple."

"You can identify them by the reactions of animals."

"Just like in that part of the story, besides their own behavior, animals are very sensitive to Impostors."

"Over time, an Impostor's disguise will only become more and more realistic, eventually reaching a point where a real person can't tell the difference at all."

"But animals are different. They act more on instinct and have limited capacity for intelligence and reasoning. And ghosts... er, Impostors, probably also act according to some 'special' rules. Animals are far more sensitive to these rules than humans are."

"From that passage in the book, we also know that no animals came near them on the way back. That means the animals already knew—"

"An Impostor has infiltrated the group..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kallen felt a chill run down her spine. She hugged Li Mo even tighter, muttering, "Don't, don't say any more... Let's go to sleep. Yes, sleep! No more strange stories."

After speaking, Kallen burrowed into the blanket, burying her face in Li Mo's lap.

Li Mo could feel her body trembling slightly. It seemed he had genuinely scared her.

He had wanted to joke with her a bit more, but Li Mo was feeling exhausted himself.

He didn't rush to sleep. Instead, he waited until Kallen's breathing became slow and steady before relaxing his guard.

He couldn't stay up all night, but he also couldn't leave the campfire.

For now, Kallen seemed to be a normal person.

To survive in this primeval forest, it would be difficult for Li Mo to do it alone.

Setting aside the wild beasts and poisonous insects, even a single Assault-class Honkai Beast could easily kill him.

He couldn't find the way back; it was easy to get lost in a primeval forest.

Unless he got lucky and found Francis tomorrow, he'd have to prepare for... living here long-term.

His consciousness gradually faded, and Li Mo fell asleep.

When he woke up, Kallen was long gone.

Li Mo stood up, brushed the leaves off the blanket, and gazed into the distance. A thin white mist had formed in the woods.

The campfire in front of him had already burned out.

"The source of the Bizarre Thing is in this forest. For some unknown reason, I've crossed over into Otto's body, but it doesn't feel strange. I even feel like this identity is my real one."

Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming it was Zhuangzi.

Who was the real illusion?

But how could an illusion be real?

"It's a bit cold-blooded, but as Otto Apocalypse, I have the ability to command some people. Even if they're unwilling, they have to obey my orders because of my status."

"Not many, but enough."

Li Mo glanced back at the mysterious, unknown forest. It was undoubtedly full of dangers. Given his current physical condition and zero margin for error...

Triggering a rule meant death, especially a completely unknown one.

"I can't put myself in danger, but I can't just carelessly sacrifice others' lives either, unless they volunteer to die."

"What a hassle..."

Li Mo covered his eyes in frustration. He could clearly feel the change in his own mentality.

Before, even in a completely normal state, he would have only thought about self-preservation, completing the ritual with maximum efficiency, and dealing with the Bizarre Thing.

Dead people were not his concern, nor was the number of casualties.

All he cared about was whether the Bizarre Thing could be effectively dealt with and whether he could get back alive.

But living in the world of the haunted mansion as the orphanage's guardian for over a decade, the companionship of his loved one, and the experience of raising children had dulled his sharp spear and softened his hardened heart.

From a cold personality who only knew how to kill, he had become a kind, yasashii protagonist who had to think carefully to ensure no one got hurt...

Li Mo pointed at himself and asked with a puzzled frown, "Me? A yasashii protagonist? Tsk..."

Li Mo kicked a tree. He had to be ruthless.

A dull scabbard protects the sharp sword.

Use money to trade for lives.

Li Mo had already made up his mind. He'd just send whoever he didn't like here.

Suddenly, a face appeared out of nowhere, startling Li Mo so much he fell and landed on his butt.

"Ka-Kallen?"

Li Mo rubbed his bottom and quickly got to his feet.

"Yep, it's me. Otto, you must have been waiting a long time. I brought you something to eat!"

With that, Kallen walked out from behind the large tree, dragging a Knight-class Honkai Beast. A trail of purplish-white blood stretched from somewhere in the distance all the way to Li Mo's feet.

Hey, hey, hey, is that thing even edible?

Li Mo wanted to roar hysterically and force-feed the Honkai Beast carcass to Kallen.

Wait a minute...

A Knight-class Honkai Beast?

Li Mo looked up at the petite Kallen. There wasn't a single scratch on her.

Before Li Mo could ask, Kallen answered with a simple-minded smile, "Father killed it. The Kaslana family warriors are coming to take us home soon!"

After speaking, she giggled, took Li Mo's hand, and placed a piece of bloody Honkai Beast meat in his palm.

It was viscous and disgusting, dripping through his fingers onto the ground.

Li Mo's mouth twitched. Kallen might be fine eating it, but he would drop dead on the spot.

"What's wrong, Otto? Why aren't you eating? Aren't you hungry?"

Faced with Kallen's innocent and naive question, Li Mo took two steps back and waved his hands in refusal.

The two went back and forth for a while.

Before long, Li Mo saw Francis approaching, leading a warhorse.

A group of people followed behind him. Li Mo noticed that every one of them was covered in wounds, but having lost his otherworldly identity, he couldn't sense any bizarre aura from the group.

"Let's go. I'll take you home."

Francis lifted Li Mo and Kallen onto the horse and led it to the front of the column.

Li Mo was puzzled as to why Francis had brought a horse into the forest. When he asked, he got a very reasonable answer.

They were far from Vienna. During the battle, they had tied the horse to a tree. Although leading a horse through the forest was a foolish thing to do, leaving it out in the wilderness would have gotten it killed by Honkai Beasts.

Li Mo could understand. After all, he also liked to keep important teammates close. In a supernatural incident, staying with him was much safer than being anywhere else.

After returning to Vienna, Li Mo and Kallen parted ways.

Before they separated, Kallen said something strange to Li Mo: "Otto, thank you for telling me your theories about Impostors. If you figure out any other ways to expose them, you have to tell me, okay?"

Li Mo just gave a perfunctory "mhm," not thinking much of it.

What he had to face now was how those old bastards would punish him, the youngest son of the Apocalypse family.

But it didn't matter.

Otto was weak now, but that didn't mean he was soft-hearted.

When dealing with despicable people, Li Mo's methods were far more radical than anyone else's. Hang them from lampposts?

Haha, why not squeeze every last drop of value out of them first?

If you won't do the work, there are plenty of others who will!

He'd set their income tax rate to 95%. A 5% salary wouldn't even be enough to eat, so they certainly couldn't start a rebellion. And if they could, it would mean they had stolen the taxes that rightfully belonged to him. What a bunch of filthy thieves! Hang them!

Li Mo walked confidently through the gates of the Apocalypse family estate. He was met by the family head, Nicholas, whose gloomy, hawk-like eyes stared at him without a shred of emotion.

His eldest and second eldest sons were also there, along with the younger generation of the family, who gathered on both sides to watch the spectacle.

"Otto, you secretly took weapons from the family armory and fled. I will give you a chance to explain."

For violating family rules, there should have been a specific person to punish him. Li Mo hadn't expected Nicholas himself to be the one to pass judgment.

However...

It was all the same.

"A reason? What reason do I need? Aren't the weak meant to be ruthlessly humiliated by the strong?"

As soon as he spoke, a child in the crowd couldn't help but snort and burst out laughing.

The other elders also looked troubled.

Clearly, Li Mo's answer was far too arrogant, even conceited.

Nicholas remained silent. Li Mo didn't rush to elaborate either, waiting until the surroundings were completely quiet before clearing his throat.

He knew exactly what kind of answer Otto's father wanted to hear.

If the Kaslanas were the shield of the people, the guardians of justice, then the Apocalypses were greedy hyenas—weak, but skilled in pack tactics and strategy.

And on the climb to the pinnacle of power, the first thing to be discarded was morality.

"The armory contains many rare resources and extremely valuable weapons and technologies. By all rational accounts, theft should not occur there."

"I am the youngest child of the Apocalypse family. Everyone knows I've been frail and sickly since I was young, easily brought down by any hardship."

"And yet, I stole everything I wanted from that armory."

"What does that prove?"

Li Mo spun around arrogantly, casting a disdainful glance at everyone present, memorizing their faces.

"It proves that the man guarding the armory is a weakling, and I am stronger than him."

"We all know that nobles are of a higher status than commoners and can bully them at will. Why? Because commoners have no power or influence. They are weak, and in this world, it is the norm for the weak to be bullied by the strong."

"Therefore, the one who should be punished is not me, but the man who failed in his duty, the one who is weaker than me."

Li Mo's words were forceful and confident. He knew this was the image Nicholas wanted to see, the personality a true heir of the family should have.

A voice from the crowd challenged him, "Nonsense! You're clearly weaker than him. If you have the guts, why don't you fight the guard?"

Such sentiments quickly spread, becoming the main theme of the dissent.

But Li Mo calmly walked up to the person and said meaningfully, "Then why don't you go fight the commoners?"

"Perhaps you'd usually say to them: 'You poor wretch, I only have to pay a little money to beat you. But if you hit me, your parents will have to kneel on the ground and beg me.'"

"But what if he says—"

"'I want your life'?"

"Do you really think you can beat every single commoner? You idiot."

Li Mo rebuked him without mercy, kicking him hard in the knee.

The man wanted to retaliate but saw Nicholas's murderous gaze and reluctantly backed down.

"If you don't risk your life, others will play with it for you."

"The pathetic things you think up in that head of yours have doomed you to be a weakling for the rest of your life. I could break your leg right now and nothing would happen, understand?"

"That's enough. Come back," Nicholas interjected.

Li Mo nodded and stepped back. He knew Nicholas was giving him an out.