The Small Fish and the Lake

Philippines, Manila.

"Lin Wei, you should rest…"

On the bustling street, Lin Wei held a tablet, moving against the flow of people, walking slowly as if strolling. Only after hearing Yae Sakura's reminder did he look up, as if startled awake, at the sky. Thick, heavy rain clouds piled layer upon layer, churning and colliding, the rumbling of thunder echoing. A storm was brewing.

The pedestrians around him also quickened their pace, scattering in different directions, clearly intending to find shelter before the downpour.

"Ah? Oh… Okay. Let's go back."

Lin Wei replied somewhat absentmindedly, stopping in his tracks, turning around, and starting to walk back the way he came, his eyes still glued to the screen in his hand. It displayed constantly switching surveillance footage, the camera always focused on two young, beautiful girls, capturing close-ups, long shots, and various angles.

"It's good that this city has a relatively developed surveillance system. I can continue monitoring even while resting."

Two traffic lights away was the hotel where Lin Wei was temporarily staying. Of course, the check-in information was fake, created by Pandora hacking into the system – though Lin Wei still stubbornly paid the fees, because he didn't like owing anyone anything.

"…You clearly know what I meant."

Yae Sakura was a bit annoyed by Lin Wei's pretense of ignorance, but couldn't bring herself to be truly angry.

"You're using the Divine Key too frequently. Lin Wei, you need to rest."

"…"

Lin Wei smiled wryly, putting away the black feather hidden in his seemingly idle hand. As it disappeared, a subtle black glint flickered for a split second.

A young man who had just brushed past Lin Wei suddenly stopped, his expression slightly dazed. Then, as if remembering something, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Honey, how about we take the kids on a weekend getaway?"

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything wrong… and I didn't lose my job…"

"The suggestion is a bit sudden… but we haven't really enjoyed life since we got married! Let's take the kids and have some fun…"

"…"

A moment of silence, as if the other end of the line had spoken quite a bit.

"Sigh… Forget it then, you're right. The baby is still young, we shouldn't be spending money recklessly…"

"Well, let's talk about it later…"

"It's okay, no need to apologize. We'll get through this, things will get better… Yeah, I love you, see you at home."

After hanging up, the young man shook off those strange thoughts that had suddenly popped up, looked up at the increasingly gloomy sky, clutched his briefcase tighter, and quickened his pace. He still had an important client to meet, and couldn't be late.

Lin Wei, watching this scene from not far away, couldn't help but sigh.

The young man didn't know what he had just given up, just how heavy the gravity called "reality" was, pulling even shooting stars down to earth.

"The common people…"

Lin Wei smiled wryly. This was all he could do.

Some could seize the opportunity, escaping this bustling, yet dying city. More, like this young man, would be tripped up by the various obstacles of reality, and then…

…vanish into ashes in the inevitable end.

Lin Wei didn't know how many seeds he had sown along the way using "mental suggestion." Tens? Hundreds? Thousands?

In this mega-city of tens of millions, they were but a drop in the ocean.

And among them, how many could successfully sprout?

Ten? Or a hundred?

"Sakura, it's truly difficult to change anything…"

Lin Wei sighed, putting those thoughts aside. He had done what he could. If even one life could be saved, it was worth it.

The tactic of spreading rumors like in Nagazora City could only be used once. Not to mention its effectiveness, even if he avoided all the "sensitive keywords" this time, he wouldn't be able to buy himself any more time to escape.

Moreover, he couldn't leave right now, making it even more crucial to remain hidden and cautious.

But Lin Wei still couldn't suppress his impulse.

"But since I'm here, I have to do something."

No one wanted to die, and no one was born deserving death. Therefore, he would save whoever he could. Lin Wei had always held onto this belief.

So, he divided his attention and energy into two parts. One to continue monitoring and observing Anna and Yuno, the other…

"You've done enough, rest…"

Yae Sakura said in a tone both helpless and comforting.

"You need to conserve your strength, right? In case there really is danger, you won't be caught off guard."

"I know what I'm doing, Sakura."

Lin Wei withdrew the power of the Projection Divine Key, though he still maintained control of the virus he'd introduced into the city's surveillance system, comforting her in return,

"I can calculate my stamina accurately, I won't overexert myself."

Lin Wei looked down at his hands and feet, much stronger than before, and said with a smile,

"Besides, I haven't used the Stigmata's power at all! So strictly speaking, in terms of 'combat power,' I'm basically at full strength!"

"…"

Yae Sakura rolled her eyes at his shameless words, though of course, Lin Wei couldn't see it.

As they spoke, Lin Wei had quickly walked down the not-so-long street and returned to the hotel lobby. Just as he entered, he heard a loud crash behind him. Looking back, the world outside was engulfed in a torrential downpour, blurring the sky and earth.

"What a coincidence."

Lin Wei was amused. Not having to get drenched felt good.

He glanced down at the tablet. Anna and Yuno had already taken shelter in a cafe and were currently looking at the menu. His view switched to the indoor surveillance feed.

"Anna is really a hospitable host. Everything seems normal…"

Lin Wei muttered to himself, entering the elevator with a few other guests, pressing the button for his floor.

"Isn't it a good thing that everything is normal?"

Yae Sakura was puzzled. She felt there was something subtly odd in Lin Wei's tone.

"Also, in terms of 'monitoring,' aren't we too far away? If something really happens to Miss Anna, we won't be able to reach her in time."

She believed, knowing Lin Wei, that he wouldn't willingly put her in danger.

"Anna knows me too well, I can't get close! You saw what happened on the beach the other day, it's too easy to be exposed…"

Lin Wei expressed his helplessness. A girl's intuition was too sharp.

"That would only make her less safe. That Otto…"

Lin Wei sneered, leaving it at that. He raised the tablet in his hand.

"Besides, the purpose of this trip is to see what this 'Yuno' is really up to, to see if she'll reveal any flaws. So, we just need to keep them within our sight. The specific type of 'sight' doesn't matter."

The elevator doors opened, and Lin Wei stepped out, putting away the feather he'd been holding only after the doors closed again. He took a breath and continued,

"If, in the end, we confirm there's nothing wrong with Yuno, that I've been overthinking all along, then it won't be too late to meet her."

Lin Wei even thought that, at that point, he could discuss with Anna about preparing defensive measures in advance, trying to minimize the inevitable losses.

With his personal involvement, the outcome would surely be better than letting that naive and reckless girl face it alone, right?

As he thought to himself, Lin Wei swiped his keycard, opened the door, and collapsed onto the sofa, not wanting to move a muscle.

Using the Divine Key without letting the Stigmata share the burden, even if it was only at low power each time, the accumulated strain was still considerable.

Rain poured outside the window. Even though it wasn't night yet, the sky was already dim. Exhausted, Lin Wei looked at the gloomy light, feeling a wave of drowsiness wash over him. He fell into a deep sleep.

…

Lin Wei had a strange dream. He dreamt he had become a fish, from who knew where, falling into a tranquil lake.

The lake was vast and deep, teeming with life. The fish and shrimp within had built a thriving city among the rocks, illuminated at night by glowing stones, brilliantly lit. A network of roads made of seaweed connected every corner of the city. All the residents lived in this magical city, in perfect order. All the fish lived happy, fulfilling lives, as if in a utopia.

But this fish named "Lin Wei" could clearly see that, at the unfathomable depths of the lake, more and more bubbles were rising. Deeper still, there were deep conduits, filled with countless streams of scorching magma, ready to erupt…

Seeing this, Lin Wei understood instantly – this was a volcanic lake.

This pitiful city, this pitiful civilization, was about to be utterly destroyed in an instant by the raging magma. And those pitiful fish had nowhere to escape.

And he was just another small fish, able only to watch helplessly as it all unfolded, unable to do a thing.

Even if he told his newly found fish companions, it would only plunge them into despair sooner – because this was a volcano, there were no rivers to lead them to the ocean.

…

"Lin Wei?"

Lin Wei opened his eyes, seeing Yae Sakura leaning over him, gently shaking him.

"It's getting late, get up and eat something."

"…Oh, okay."

Woken directly from his dream, Lin Wei was still dazed, not entirely separated from the role of the fish. He blinked at the ceiling, caught in a detached feeling, like Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly.

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Seeing Lin Wei's strange state, Yae Sakura came over and touched his forehead.

"You're not sick."

The slightly cool touch of her small hand brought Lin Wei back to his senses. He grasped her hand, still resting on his forehead, and said softly,

"Not a nightmare, but I did have a very strange dream…"

He recounted his dream, as if telling a not-so-pleasant fairytale.

"Sakura, tell me, what am I doing all this for?"

After finishing the "story," Lin Wei gave a wry smile. He didn't need comfort. The symbolism of the dream was far too clear.

"…Lin Wei, you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Saving the world isn't your responsibility."

Yae Sakura looked at the weary man before her with a pained expression.

"You're just a visitor. Whether the fish in this lake live or die has nothing to do with you."

"Saving the world? Such a grand topic has nothing to do with me. But since I've fallen into this lake, it does have something to do with me."

Lin Wei smiled wryly, pointing at the window.

"They can't escape, so you think I can?"

"Of course you can!"

Yae Sakura stared intently at Lin Wei with her resolute blue eyes.

"You know where the ocean is, you can escape!"

"…A small fish from mere fresh water, so naive as to fall into the ocean, will only die faster."

Lin Wei sneered, waving his hand to dismiss the topic. Unless absolutely necessary, he never liked risking his life.

"Alright, those things are still far off, let's not think about them. Let's eat, and then sleep!"

He sat up from the sofa, feeling a wave of weakness. He sighed inwardly. With Yae Sakura outside his body, the frailty of his body, drained by the Divine Key, was immediately apparent.

Yae Sakura got up and left as if she hadn't noticed, but Lin Wei saw the slight curve of her lips from her profile.

"…You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

Lin Wei sighed, knowing that this was Yae Sakura's way of subtly "warning" him not to push himself too hard.

As he thought to himself, he glanced at the clock, grabbed the remote from the coffee table, and turned on the TV. The news had already started. He could still catch some information.

Lately, almost every day, he saw reports like this on the news – "Local police crack down on human trafficking ring." Every few days, a similar report would appear, from all over the world, especially Southeast Asia.

Lin Wei watched another such report, his eyes narrowing slightly, lost in thought.

…

Another corner of the city, a cafe.

"Why won't this rain stop… How are we supposed to get back?"

Anna bit her straw, looking worriedly at the downpour outside.

"Sigh, Southeast Asia is like this, it rains all the time, hot and humid… Yuno, tell me if you're not feeling well."

"I'm fine, I can adapt."

Yuno was as taciturn as ever.

"You…"

Anna sighed at her friend's quiet nature. She felt she needed to find a way to make her more lively and cheerful.

But how?

After racking her brains for a while, recalling the "tourist guide" the captain had given her, an idea suddenly struck her.

"Yuno, how about we go whitewater rafting tomorrow?"

Yuno tilted her head, her expression questioning.