The post-apocalyptic arc of the hugely popular comic Light of Eden is about to begin in grand fashion. Riding the wave of its predecessor's success, it's already thrilling readers and looking set for a bright future. And as everyone knows, comics like this can easily give rise, for all sorts of reasons, to mysterious characters entrusted with important missions.
Eli raised an eyebrow, suddenly understanding, and pointed at himself. "Me!"
System Xiaojiu cried out with boundless energy, "That's right, Boss! You've been chosen! Come on, let's join hands and save this world on the brink of collapse!"
Eli, who had read widely and could even compete unfairly without batting an eye for the chance to get here, readily accepted. But, as everyone also knew, he had two things to tell the System.
The bad news was that Eli had finally raised his hands from the shadows. Amid the clanking of heavy chains, Eli, the mastermind and ultimate villain of the original comic, was now being kept under close guard by the protagonist. They were inseparable, with the protagonist even waiting outside the bathroom as if afraid Eli might drown in there.
As System Xiaojiu's expression turned increasingly blank and flustered...
Eli curved his lips into a faint smile.
And the good news was that, although they'd once been locked in a battle to the death, the relationship between the ultimate villain and the protagonist was now "pretty good"~
System Xiaojiu: Huh? Is this right?
The comic Light of Eden was about to begin its next arc, "The Wasteland," and readers were wildly excited.
At the end of the Eden arc, Light, the protagonist nicknamed Xiao Guang, pulled off a desperate maneuver and finally killed Eli, the ultimate villain who had kept him under constant pressure. At the same time, he realized that Tingzhou, the city where they'd lived, was only the most insignificant corner of the wasteland.
The sequel meant a grander world, more varied settings, more villains, and even more twists and turns!
Of course, as the central figure of the original series, what would become of the ultimate villain Eli was a long-awaited question for readers.
The answer soon arrived.
[Huh? Wait, what happened? Was that even a whole chapter? Eli escaped right at the start?]
[I knew it! I knew being captured was all part of Boss Lai's plan! He was just going easy on them, hehehe! Wasteland, tremble beneath Boss Lai's shoes!]
[Ha. Compared with Tingzhou, that frail little body of Eli's won't last a day in the wasteland. He'd better be careful not to die out there! This isn't the land of goodness and beauty that Tingzhou was!]
[The question that had people tearing each other apart on the forums has finally been answered. Boss Lai is still Boss Lai. No wonder he's a villain: a villain in Tingzhou, and an even bigger villain in the wasteland.]
[Damn it, how did those stupid base leaders ever trust Eli? We kept telling them he's a villain! He's dangerous!]
[Don't worry about how they trusted him! Anyway, if not for my Eli, the wasteland would have known nothing but endless night!]
[No way! Is it just me, or are Xiao Guang and Boss Lai about to divide up the whole wasteland between them? Is this right?]
[It does look that way! They've nearly split the wasteland in half. If one of them gets killed someday, won't the other end up ruling the whole place? Is that for real?]
[What are you talking about? Our protagonist has it rough too. Anyone who's survived at Boss Lai's hands knows just how impressive that is!]
[Now that's what I call evenly matched archenemies!]
[I have a daring idea :D]
[Are they evenly matched archenemies, or evenly matched something else? I'll be the judge of that!]
After reading all this while surfing the web, System Xiaojiu slowly typed a question mark too, then asked its boss, "Yeah, is this right?"
Eli casually gathered up a handful of hate mail from his "archenemy" and carefully put it in a drawer. Then he answered seriously, "Why wouldn't it be right? It all makes perfect sense! Just look at whether the world was saved. They should even be thanking us!"
Eli stood up and smiled as he warmly shook hands with the people who had joined his side.
The little villain who had just escaped from Light was overwhelmed with gratitude. Weeping, he cried, "It's all thanks to you, Mr. Eli! Your place is the only refuge we have in the whole world! Thank you, Mr. Eli!"
Eli gave a slight shake of his head. "I should be thanking you for your support."
Sigh... hadn't he already told everyone that he was a dangerous person?
Oh, right. He'd also said that he and his "archenemy" had a pretty good relationship. Why would no one believe him?
Watching this scene, Ed, the employee who had secretly helped deliver the "gift," burst out laughing again. But a moment later, the working man's face fell. Eli had insisted that the "taunting letter" be delivered to the light of humanity, his archrival, and Ed could only laugh bitterly.
How many lifetimes of bad luck did he have to suffer to end up working in a shop run by a couple?
Reader's Guide:
1. The second installment of Goodness and Beauty, the Wasteland arc. I've finally come up with a framework for it =v=
2. It should still be plot-driven.
3. Ascetic, sickly, extremely controlling older villain X outwardly warm, inwardly cold, stubborn, passionate college-student protagonist
4. First draft of the blurb
Theme: Life needs goodness and beauty.
