I, the Rock King Emperor with 21 billion in power, have joined the chat group.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Whew! I'm alive again, canned food is so delicious!!

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): I don't understand what you're talking about, but I can assure you that there's no one else in this city where Chihiro and I live except for the two of us.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Hahahaha~~! There are still two robots.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): We want to get to the top floor of the city right now. The Mushroom God said that the top floor is outside their observation range and there may still be people living there.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Hahahaha~~! The chat group shop sells so many things! A can of food that can feed four people for three years only costs one point. Three years... um... how many days is that again?

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Hahaha, whatever, it doesn't matter. Anyway, I can still get one or two points by signing in every day, and I can eat as much canned food as I want. This is the first time I've been so far away from despair. I'm so happy.

Golden Fairy Cortée: Lord Chocolate, how old are you this year?

Chocolate and alcohol (Yuri): Huh? ? Hmm~~~!! ! ! Well... um... I forgot!

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): I don't know how old I am, but I'm definitely not eighteen yet. I don't know anything else, maybe Chihiro does. She likes to jot things down with a pen. I'll ask her when she wakes up. She just ate three big cans of food and then fell asleep in the tent.

Sister, you must kill me!!! (Kyosuke Kousaka): Damn it!! As expected, no matter what prefix it has, the apocalypse is the apocalypse. @Chocolate and Alcohol, if you need any help, please let me know. If you don't have enough points to buy food and necessities, you can tell me, and I will do my best to transfer points to you.

Kato Megumi: Yeah, count me in, but... I think...

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): Count me in too. I don't have many points left, but if you need them.

Megumi Kato: I just checked the chat group's shop.

100,000 Yuan Shrine Maiden (Reimu Hakurei): Count me in too. Although there are chat group restrictions on the points transferred, and you can't get more than 200 in a calendar month, at least I can guarantee that you will never go hungry or cold again.

I am Subaru Natsuki: Count me in too.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Um... thank you. But I still have enough points right now, I'll ask everyone for more when I need more.

Megumi Kato: Let me tell you something. I just found something that might be useful in the chat group's shop. @Chocolate and Alcohol, is your world really just you and your friend?

Chocolate and alcohol (Yuri): Yes~! Although I met some people during my journey, they were all good friends with despair and were too close to it.

Kato Megumi: Hmm, Miss Chocolate is really easy to understand. In that case, I have a suggestion. Miss Chocolate, would you like to go and live with your friends in other worlds inhabited by humans?

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): ? ? What does that mean?

Kato Megumi: As I just mentioned, I found an item in the chat group shop called "Permanent Residency in Another World." You can probably guess what it is from the name. It means that if you buy this item, which costs 1000 points, you can travel to other worlds to live. Of course, the prerequisite is that you can actually travel to other worlds.

Megumi Kato: I feel that this thing should be used in conjunction with the mission card.

Genuine item (Yukino Yukinoshita): Let me check the shop.

Genuine item (Yukino Yukinoshita): Yes, there is such a thing. I don't remember ever seeing it before, but it suddenly appeared like an everyday item. It seems like this is a common tactic in chat groups.

Kato Megumi: Maybe. So, @Chocolate and Alcohol, if you two don't want to stay in your world, you can just buy this. If you don't have enough points, everyone can pool theirs.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Okay! I'll ask Chihiro's opinion first.

Chocolate and Alcohol (Yuri): Hmm... I'm back. Chihiro said, "Let's go to the top floor and see if there are any other humans there, then we'll talk."

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): That's fine too, just remember there's always a way out.

Police officer (Tendo Kisara): I also took a look, and this "Permanent Residence in Another World" is indeed very tempting.

Police officer (Tendo Kisara): If I weren't... I'd probably want to migrate to a world without Gastrea.

Golden Fairy Cortori: Me too. If it weren't for their concerns, I would probably go to live in a safer world without [beasts].

Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): From the very beginning, I have kept in mind everything you have said. @Golden Fairy Cordollie, @Police Officer, @Chocolate and Alcohol. The worlds you inhabit are worlds where humanity is on the verge of extinction. If you truly cannot persevere, I will provide you with points for [Permanent Residency in Another World]. In return, you will need to give up the coordinates of your own worlds. This is the contract between us. I will remain within 24 hours of the standard time of the chat group, fulfilling the contents of this contract for the three of you.

The Promising Future True Lord (Zhongli): If you all @ me and write "agree", then our contract will be successful.

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): Are there only Cortée and the other two? It seems Homura isn't included.

Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): Although we are separated by a chat group, I can feel the power of that magical girl Xiaoyan. She is not someone who lacks points, nor is she someone who will be killed by the so-called apocalypse.

Masato (Yukino Yukinoshita): Homura...you're this strong now?

The Promising Future True Lord (Zhongli): This is just my feeling, but my feeling shouldn't be wrong.

Makoto (Yukino Yukinoshita): Homura, what exactly happened to you to gain the martial prowess that Zhongli praised, and... this change in your personality? Although she hides it well, I can sense from her conversation that she is still the same kind little girl she used to be, without any change whatsoever.

The Promising Future (Zhongli): When the time comes for something to be done, it will inevitably be done. The same applies to people, and to people's destiny.

Future is Promising True Lord (Zhongli): So, Miss Yukinoshita, don't worry, don't fret. Akane will overcome her trials—I see a divine blessing in her. The strength of this blessing is beyond my imagination.

Zhongli, the Promising Lord of the Future: Logically speaking, even I would need to rest for an hour or two to create such a blessing. Yet, Homura Akemi possesses an immense power.

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): ....Homa.

Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): Don't worry too much. Didn't she say that she would invite us to her tea party after she's ready?

Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): I think that will be the time to understand her true thoughts. After all, she is someone who was able to enter the Multiverse Chat Group for the second time.

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): Sigh...! A world where our races are doomed...

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): In a world like this, tragedies must be happening every moment.

Genuine (Yukino Yukinoshita): And among these infinite worlds, there must be infinitely many such worlds.

Genji (Yukino Yukinoshita): Even with a chat group, I am just an ordinary person who cannot be saved.

Makoto (Yukino Yukinoshita): Never mind, I'll rest for today.

Chapter Five: The True Meaning of Contract and Justice

Teyvat World, Liyue Harbor

Zhongli Residence

[Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): Well then, I won't chat any longer. If there's anything urgent, you can contact me; otherwise, please don't bother me unnecessarily.]

-----Future is Promising, True Lord Leaves Chat Group-----

With this notification, the chat group's screen gradually faded in front of Zhongli.

Zhongli wrapped one arm around her chest and placed the other hand under her chin.

His expression held a hint of contemplation.

Is this a world of racial apocalypse?

The so-called apocalypse of a race, in most cases, is the end of humanity, not the end of the planet, let alone the end of the universe and the world. Humans, who have not yet left the planet's surface, are nothing more than mites living on the planet's surface in the grand scheme of things.

However, this also means that the apocalypse for these races is relatively minor, only threatening the planet's surface. For me, resolving it wouldn't be difficult.

---But even so, why should I help them?

---What benefit would this bring me?

---The contract must be fair. The contract I made with those members of the post-apocalyptic chat group cost me thousands of points. And the other party only needed to provide the coordinates of their own world.

---If this contract had been formed when I first joined the Multiverse Chat Group, it would indeed have been considered fair. After all, back then, I needed coordinates from other worlds to access their systems and improve my abilities. But now, I've essentially achieved my goal and no longer need coordinates from other worlds. Even if I obtained them, they wouldn't be of any use to me, nor would they provide me with any additional experience.

---The coordinates of these worlds are like a chicken rib, useless but a pity to discard.

---So how can fairness be guaranteed when such a contract is concluded?

---Have I violated my principles of thousands of years simply because I was swayed by compassion?

---No, it shouldn't be like that.

Zhongli's mind was plunged into a long-forgotten struggle of thought.

However, he didn't dwell on this thought for long. As a demon god who had lived for thousands of years, his control over his own thoughts was extremely accurate, allowing him to easily handle any era or idea.

Moreover, over a long period of time, he has also fallen into a moral dilemma similar to what he is experiencing today.

He had wondered why he still protected the Liyue people after Qingli's death; he had also wondered why the gods of Sky Island were disgusting and the earthly ruling system was repulsive, so he wanted to destroy Sky Island and destroy the earthly ruling system.

But in the end, time prevailed. After putting these thoughts aside for a decade or two, the chaos in his mind gradually subsided.

This time will probably be the same.

Thinking this way.

He opened his private chat history with Fu Hua.

I don't know why I typed two words.

[Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): Are you there?]

It took a few seconds.

Fu Hua's response came just in time.

[Red Iris Immortal: Huh? ?]

Zhongli paused for a moment before replying.

[Zhongli, the Promising Lord: We need to discuss something.]

[Red Iris Immortal: What is it?]

Zhongli paused again, carefully considering his words before continuing his response.

[Zhongli, the Promising Lord: What are your thoughts on the apocalypse that has occurred in this world involving four races?]

[Red Iris Immortal: Hmm... I've also been wanting to ask you about this, and you just happened to message me. We can discuss it together.]

[Red Iris Immortal: Let me start by sharing my thoughts. Well, my first feeling is one of relief.]

[Zhongli, the Promising Lord: What makes you say that?]

[Red Iris Immortal: Because if it weren't for Zhongli's help, this world I live in would probably also face its end in the near future. And it would be a cataclysmic apocalypse where no human could survive; the entire planet would be plunged into the most devastating kind of death. The power of Honkai is an insurmountable and hopeless enemy for our world. Only by grasping at the slivers of hope, making decisions that bring even the smallest glimmer of hope, and accumulating strength step by step, can we save the world.]

[Red Iris Immortal: However, it's clear that humans cannot make such beautiful, correct decisions. Good and evil coexist within the human heart; there are both brilliant and great people, and there are also cruel and cold-blooded ones. This means we cannot always make the right decisions.]

[Red Iris Immortal: Therefore, I can almost assert that without Zhongli's help, my world would have been absolutely destroyed by the power of the Honkai.]

[Red Iris Immortal: So, I want to thank you again, Zhongli. You saved this world, and you saved me too.]

Fu Hua's words left Zhong Li silent for a long time, which manifested in his conversation as he remained silent for almost a minute.

[Zhongli, the True Lord with a Promising Future: .....]

[Future Promising True Lord (Zhongli): Besides that? Besides the relief that your world hasn't turned into the end of the world, what else is there?]

[Red Iris Immortal: It's sadness, isn't it? I experienced the pain of the world about to be destroyed. Although I wasn't fighting to save the world from the bottom of my heart at the time, once I truly stepped into it, I couldn't let go of it in my heart.]

[Red Iris Immortal: Even now, in this peaceful environment, I often recall the vanished civilization I was born into. One after another, people died; one after another, people sacrificed themselves. Flames, thunder, wails—these occupy most of my memories.]

[Red Iris Immortal: I deeply miss both Carol and the Captain. I always think that if my world hadn't been born on the Imaginary Tree and didn't have to suffer the effects of the Honkai, perhaps they wouldn't have died.]