The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

Does it have any meaning?

Shouldn't we try to comfort her...?

Seeing Elizabeth's bewildered expression, Morian unconsciously slowed his pace and turned his head to look at the face hidden by the hood.

"Of course."

"Miss Elizabeth, you just said that this world is history that has already passed, right?"

"Mmm," the girl replied.

After organizing his thoughts, he changed his approach:

"Then you must have heard of the concept of parallel world lines, right?"

Elizabeth blinked without answering, but her confused gray eyes said it all.

Okay, she doesn't know.

The other party's source of knowledge may largely depend on the forces behind them... Morian sighed inwardly and patiently explained.

"To give an analogy, it's like a main river that branches into countless tributaries along its course. The main river is the main world line, and the tributaries are the altered parallel world lines."

"They cannot flow into the main channel, nor can they change the direction of the main channel, but they are still real rivers."

He smiled and continued from a different perspective:

"Even if you can't save the main timeline from destruction, you can save this current tributary and everyone who is still alive at this moment."

"Every time you clean up a source of pollution, it represents the birth of a new tributary, the emergence of a new possibility, so wouldn't you say it's meaningful?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly, as if she understood the meaning behind it.

“Morian, you’re right,” she agreed earnestly. “I’d never thought about these things before.”

The girl's confusion largely disappeared, and she regained her initial vitality.

"Now you understand," Morian said, seemingly asking a question but actually praising, "so what you're doing is truly remarkable."

Seemingly because of his approval, Elizabeth's mood improved, her steps became lighter, and she gradually moved to the front again.

The two continued onward, their feet treading on a path strewn with gravel.

Before long, the surrounding environment changed from a dark road to an open space, with the distant hillside shrouded in darkness faintly visible.

The atmosphere became noticeably more relaxed for the rest of the journey.

"By the way, what is that glowing, shiny thing of yours?"

Bathed in that soft glow, Elizabeth asked out of curiosity.

Morian paused for a moment, then realized she was referring to the church emblem.

He waved the badge in his hand and said half-jokingly:

"It's an inconspicuous little gadget, but it's quite useful in this kind of environment, isn't it?"

"Mmm, it feels so warm." Elizabeth leaned closer, staring intently at the badge, not daring to reach out and take it.

About five minutes later, the girl raised other questions.

"You said you were a traveler before, but what does a traveler do?"

"..." Morian paused for a moment, then confessed, "In fact, I am a detective."

"Hmm? What does a detective do?" Elizabeth didn't delve into the details.

"A detective is a special profession that is responsible for investigating cases and finding the truth."

She thought for a moment, then pressed on:

"How many cases have you solved in the Kingdom of Hiran? Is being a detective dangerous?"

As Morian recalled his recent commissions, he realized that he was probably the only detective in the entire city of Bet who always walked on the edge of death.

Think about what kind of commissions other companies in the industry are taking on.

They're either looking for lost items or investigating a woman's extramarital affair, prioritizing safety and stability.

"It was quite dangerous; I almost lost my life several times."

……

They chatted casually like that, and before they knew it, they had walked quite a distance.

"Oh, right." Elizabeth suddenly stopped and turned around, her expression becoming very serious. "You're the first person to talk to me this much."

"So, strictly speaking, we're friends now?" Morian joked.

Unexpectedly, the other party not only did not deny it, but their eyes lit up instantly, and they nodded in agreement:

"Yes, you are my first friend!"

"So what should I call you from now on?"

"Morian will do," he said casually. "Or Mr. Thias would be fine too, that would be more formal."

"Then I'll call you Morian."

Elizabeth immediately adopted the former, reciting it smoothly as if she had called it many times before.

"Mr. Beatrice, this name sounds much more approachable."

You called me that before you even got my permission, didn't you...? Morian smiled helplessly and didn't argue.

He decided not to dwell on the girl's peculiar way of thinking.

"So, I'll call you that from now on?"

"OK."

After nodding in satisfaction, Elizabeth turned back around.

But beneath the seemingly calm surface, a strange change has already occurred.

In the still deep darkness, a huge tombstone suddenly rose up and stood not far in front.

Upon reaching this point, Morian abruptly stopped.

Because at this moment, the "danger premonition" sent out the most severe warning!

He turned his head, intending to remind Elizabeth beside him, only to find that she was doing the same.

The girl also stopped in place, leaning slightly forward, like a predator who had spotted its prey.

Elizabeth also sensed something... that the enemy was the source of pollution in this world?

Morian cautiously surveyed his surroundings, his right hand reaching for the "Siren" hidden in the holster.

The darkness ahead began to surge violently, followed by a chilling, deathly aura that permeated every corner of the space.

A towering figure, three meters tall, was formed from condensed black mist.

This creature, covered in pale white skeletal armor, with sharp bone spikes extending from the joints of its limbs and a pair of enormous bone wings spread out from its back, exuded an eerie beauty.

Its right hand held a jet-black greatsword, pointing diagonally at the ground. It was also made of bones, but its aura was even more terrifying.

Within those empty eye sockets, two eerie green flames burned fiercely, instantly locking onto the two intruders.

Just then, a line of cold handwriting suddenly appeared in their field of vision, just like the last time in Misty Manor.

Defeat the Skeleton King and help all the dead in this place find liberation.

At the same time, the monster known as the Skeleton King suddenly moved.

It raised its hand, covered in bone spurs, and made a grasping motion toward Morian and Elizabeth.

Sizzle! Sizzle!

Countless pale bone spikes shot up from the ground, each one incredibly sharp, instantly covering the area where they were.

Morian didn't even have time to finish reading the words that appeared before the enemy's attack began.

However, his extensive combat experience caused his body to react instinctively before his conscious mind could react.

Just before the bone spurs appeared, his figure suddenly blurred and disappeared from the spot.

When it reappeared, it was already in a safer area further back.