Man on the ark, forced to become king

Fundamentalism explains the Golden Law using concepts of regression and causality. Regression means that all things converge toward the unchanging. Prayer built on this foundation also has similar characteristics, which manifest outwardly as the elimination of all abnormalities.

With a slight shift in perspective, this prayer can also be used for a rather useful purpose—after being forcibly injected into a living being, it can clear the 'abnormalities' from the target's body for a period of time, causing them to temporarily lose the power to control magic. This is perfect for use on a semi-out-of-control girl.

However... there seems to be a slight deviation in the usage process?

Six pairs of eyes felt like six sharp swords piercing her back. Lin Lu remained in the position of pressing her palm in prayer, feeling the soft and bouncy touch between her fingers, and her whole body went numb.

As luck would have it, due to the principle of reversion, Surtr's suppressed consciousness also awakened at this moment. Her bright purple eyes sparkled with a lively light, and then she turned slightly and saw the large hand pressing on her chest. Looking down, she could see everything clearly.

"..."

Whether Lani did it intentionally or unintentionally, the frost enveloping the girl shattered silently, turning into fluorescent light and dissipating. Freed from her restraints, Surtr performed a skill that most women would instinctively acquire in such situations—she slapped someone across the face with almost all her might.

Snapped!

The sound was crisp and clear. Lin Lu shrank back guiltily and quickly stepped back, throwing Theresa's long trench coat over.

Without the power of that sword, the girl's own strength wouldn't even be able to penetrate his facial defenses, but... she was in the wrong after all.

He saw everything he should and shouldn't have seen. Not only did he see, he even touched her directly, especially her private and sensitive areas... This slap was already quite mild; at least he didn't draw his sword and attack her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I—"

Lacking conviction and confidence, Lin Lu apologized with a forced smile, but stopped halfway through his sentence. He suddenly realized that the girl seemed a bit off.

After being slapped, she awkwardly put on her trench coat and stood there blankly. Her once bright purple eyes showed no anger or shyness; it seemed that the slap was just a physical reaction, and she didn't understand its meaning.

In her eyes, you can see a sense of bewilderment and unfamiliarity with the world, like that of a newborn baby.

"This is where?"

"Who am I...who am I?"

Looking around blankly, the girl murmured to herself, her expression shifting. Finally, her gaze fell on the greatsword half-inserted in the soil. Instinctively, she walked over and grasped the hilt.

"Leivatin?"

"I……"

"I am...I am Surtr? I am Surtr!"

"Don't you think she doesn't seem very bright?"

Watching Surtr stand there talking to himself in a crazy way, Melina couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"No... Is there any possibility, I mean, is there any possibility that Lin Lu beat her so badly that she lost her memory? She doesn't seem to remember anything."

Lani stared thoughtfully at the fiery red greatsword, then looked at Theresa: "What do you think?"

"Without further investigation, it's impossible to be certain at the moment, but her current thought processes are indeed very chaotic, much more chaotic than normal, and there's a high possibility that her memory is damaged."

"Hey! What do you mean I beat her so badly she lost her memory? I didn't!"

Upon hearing Theresa's explanation, Lin Lu shook his head frantically, indicating that he would not take the blame.

Don't let her current lack of intelligence fool you; she used to be just like that!

He strongly suspected that Surtr might have had memory loss issues before, which was why he came here in a madman and attacked the hotel in such a simple and brutal way.

Anyway, the memory loss has absolutely nothing to do with him, because Lin Lu knows very well that in the previous battle, he never directly hit Surtr, and he didn't even touch his head once. How could he possibly have 'lost his memory'?

"So what do we do now? You want to take her back to the Golden Tree, right?"

Regardless of whose fault it is, Melina knows Lin Lu all too well. She knows very well that if they are on opposing sides, Lin Lu will not hesitate to strike without any mercy, and will not waver in the slightest because of gender or other issues.

Therefore, there is only one possibility that the little girl named Surtr is still standing here—he has taken a liking to Surtr and therefore showed her mercy, which is almost obvious.

Otherwise, this little girl would never have been able to stand here unharmed.

"After she did that, I suddenly felt guilty for bullying people with disabilities."

Lin Lu scratched her hair, which was a mess from the battle, and made a decision after thinking for a moment.

We will definitely have to take the people with us.

Anyway, with Theresa, a master in the field of mental cultivation, there might be a way to solve the memory problem. Even if she can't, it doesn't matter.

A blank sheet of paper is always easier to dye than an already drawn painting. If done properly, it can help her create new memories in the Golden Tree, which is quite nice.

Besides... this can be considered a small compensation for all that I saw and touched before...

If we leave an amnesiac patient with underlying health issues here to fend for herself, she will most likely be arrested by the Ursus military police or encounter other troubles. Taking her back to the Golden Tree can actually be seen as a form of protection.

“Sultry, Levadin…”

Surtr was still muttering, her voice a little louder than before. Suddenly, she raised her head and stared straight at Lin Lu. Then, she took slightly awkward steps toward her, staring intently into her eyes without saying a word.

"……What do you want to do?"

Lin Lu was a little puzzled. He moved slightly, and the girl's gaze followed. Yet she didn't say a word, just stared blankly, which was really strange.

“I want to...follow you.”

Surtr stared intently, uttering startling words as if she weren't the one who had slapped him without hesitation earlier.

“You look familiar, but I can’t remember you. I want to follow you.”

That looks familiar, doesn't it? I just gave you a good beating!

What is this? Love born of hatred? You want to be with me just because I beat you up? That makes no sense!

While inwardly grumbling, Lin Lu forced an awkward but polite smile, took two steps back, and nudged Theresa with her elbow.

"You can't do anything about it either?"

"What can I do? I just tried, but her brain is protected by a strange force I've never seen before, and I can't do anything about it for now."

Theresa shook her head gently, indicating that she couldn't do it.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

At this moment, the Emperor's complaints grew louder as they approached, followed by a high frequency of crackling sounds.

A penguin wearing sunglasses and a hip-hop T-shirt caught up from behind, its face full of displeasure.

"Can't you guys wait a little while for someone like me with shorter legs?"

The emperor showed off his two short legs and said indignantly, "Heaven knows how much effort I put in to catch up with you! I'll have to spend at least twice as much time maintaining my webbed feet today!"

"Oh~ this is..."

While complaining, he suddenly noticed the girl staring intently at Lin Lu, or rather, at the fiery red greatsword she was holding. His round little eyes widened in disbelief.

"This is... so it was a fragment of Him?"

"Why would such a large fragment still exist in this era? It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this..."

Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Great Emperor: No one understands giant beasts better than me

"This is a bit troublesome, given her situation."

In the neon-lit square, the music of the opera swirled in the air. Lin Lu walked ahead, glancing back every now and then, looking quite helpless.

Behind him, Surtr, carrying a greatsword, followed closely, almost touching him.

She said she would follow, and she did, not intending to leave even for a moment, her expression blank, as if she were lost in thought.

It's very possible that he didn't think about anything at all?

With Theresia's confirmation, it was almost certain that she had lost her memory, and that her past memories were completely lost. Apart from the two names 'Surtur' and 'Leivatin', she couldn't remember anything else, nor did she have any common knowledge about this land. Just like Lin Lu, who had just arrived in this world, her understanding of the world was a complete blank slate.

Despite this, Miss Surtr remained unusually stubborn, insisting on following him and refusing to leave his side no matter what.

...like a puppy afraid of being abandoned by its owner.

Although she is a very pretty girl, that's the impression she gives off right now.

Fortunately, Theresa was a bit taller than her, and the oversized trench coat she had specially bought in St. Petersburg, which matched the local style, covered her completely, preventing her from being exposed.

However, there was no way to put his feet down. Nobody carries a spare pair of shoes with them, so Surtr had to walk barefoot on the cold floor...

That probably wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Her condition may continue for some time."

Ever since he saw the greatsword, which was probably called 'Leivatin', the emperor had been deep in thought, and it took him a long time to speak again. He seemed to have some understanding of the situation.

"That sword originated from a fragment of an ancient behemoth. Oh, the ancient behemoth is what you know as a god, but that's not important."

flapping his wings, the Emperor pointed to Leivadin, who was completely silent in Surtr's arms, and gave an explanation for Surtr's current situation.

"Those who possess this item have had many names throughout history: chosen ones, agents, messengers of the gods, favored ones of the gods, and so on... No matter what they are called, they are all the same in essence."

"Those people, for some special reason, can resonate with the fragments that the giant beast has broken apart. To a certain extent, they can use the power of the giant beast to control the fragmented authority and abilities, making them far more powerful than ordinary sorcerers."

"However, there are always gains and losses; using this power is not without its costs."

"To use a mortal body to bear power far beyond one's control, the so-called price should be the body collapsing under the pressure, right?"

Without the emperor needing to say more, Lin Lu already guessed what price he was going to mention.

God is God after all. Even the fragments that split off are not something ordinary people can easily come into contact with, let alone try to bear them with their own fragile bodies. If they are used frequently or overused at once, exceeding the body's limits, then the body's collapse is inevitable.

Strictly speaking, strengthening oneself in this way is also exchanging one's life for power.

"Not entirely, but more or less."