A turmoil that could rightly be called a disaster was unfolding in Andrey.

However, not all Pretenders reveled in it; the Liches of Andrey were emotionless monsters, and amongst these monsters, there were always a few not controlled by their appetites.

In the midst of disaster, there are always those who seek to profit from the chaos.

In a hollow, dimly lit corridor, an Impostor, its body covered in flesh and blood, stood silently in front of a shimmering door.

That place was the Astrology Association, a group of people observing celestial bodies. The sworn enemies of the Advanced Magic Research Society, they worshipped the freely rotating celestial bodies and despised those who considered the macrocosm as the be-all and end-all.

A group of bastards playing with their own beliefs—this probably equated to the rage one felt when their own goddess was desecrated by others.

The Impostor stood in front of the Astrology Association’s door, looking at the enormous Magic Prohibition in front of it.

He swayed slightly on the spot, like a zombie without a soul.

Before long, a mindless Impostor Lich that had lost all reason but had no food staggered over. Perhaps driven by instincts lingering in their brain, it performed the same actions as the first Impostor. It stopped next to him, facing the great door of the Astrology Association and stood still.

Like a magnet, unsuspectingly, there were already more than twenty Pretenders standing in front of the Astrology Association.

It’s about time.

The first Impostor extended an arm, pointed at the great door of the Astrology Society, and flung a chunk of flesh that he had hidden earlier onto the door.

The flesh smacked against the door with a wet sound, catching the attention of all the Pretenders.

They were like war machines with their engines restarted, their eyeballs turning blood-red as they focused on the chunk of flesh.

"Food."

Roar!!!

The previously silent group of Pretenders went berserk, frantically assaulting the door of the Astrology Association. Amid the intense firelight of flesh and magic colliding, and with a violent explosion, the door collapsed thunderously.

The Pretenders flooded into the association like a pack of jackals.

In the darkness, that one special Pretender walked slowly amongst the pack of beasts.

"Magic Prohibition, such an antiquated thing. As expected, compared to the Advanced Magic Research, you are outdated."

"Ah, what am I talking about? You’re all doomed anyway."

Chattering to himself like someone possessed, Mr. Nameless stepped over the threshold of the Astrologers.

"This can’t be considered breaking into other associations uninvited. I was just happening to wander outside alone and happened to find that piece of food—yes, terrible as it is, I am now dominated by hunger. Then the door was smashed open by other frenzied companions, and in the spirit of the Liches doctrine of Andrey, I had to make sure that the precious materials of my Lich friends were not coveted by those with intent, so I came in."

"I, not responsible."

Looking at the interior of the society, now unrecognizable after being ravaged by Pretenders, Mr. Nameless struggled to squeeze out a few crocodile tears.

"Heavens above, to what extent have my friends suffered damage, look at their department, too terrible. I remember they seemed to keep a precious Starstone. Let me look for it, such a treasure should not be desecrated, I will keep it safe for them for now."

"I, not responsible."

Mr. Nameless eventually found that piece of Starstone in the throat of an Impostor, and as a price, his right hand was reduced to bone.

Looking at the stone in his hand, with its dim light dust, hoisted into the air, those light particles slowly revolved around the center of the stone, like a miniature nebula.

Mr. Nameless’s cold lips curled into a slight smile.

"Such a beautiful Starstone, and your owner is not with you, such a sad tale. Don’t worry, I will take good care of you until your possessor arrives."

Click, a bony hand grasped Mr. Nameless’s ankle.

Mr. Nameless looked at the skull struggling to lift itself from under the rubble, its soul-fire flickering like a candle in the wind.

After the explosion of the Magic Field and the destruction from the stomping of Pretender beasts, there was still one survivor.

"Great, I finally found a fellow I can communicate with. I request you contact the Executive Committee at once; our association has been attacked by crazy companions, and the losses are severe. Wait, why are you holding our Astrology Society’s Starstone?"

Mr. Nameless looked at the fortunate one. He pointed a finger at his own flesh-covered face.

"Do you recognize me?"

"I don’t know you, your face is covered in flesh and blood; I can hardly see clearly."

"Fine, then let me take off the disguise."

With that, Mr. Nameless tore off a chunk of flesh from his cheek, revealing densely packed teeth beneath the skin, arranged in a terrifying grin that seemed to split to the root of the ear.

Splat. He threw the piece of flesh onto the skull of the Astrology Society member.

"Food."

Roar!!!!!!

Several Pretenders rushed over, shredding the Lich into pieces amidst screams of terror.

Mr. Nameless walked out the door.

"Such a pity, the owner was not found."

"I recall there are a few more associations that also need my ’irresponsible’ care..."

Advanced Magic Research Society.

Mr. Gravity came to the experiment table of Mr. Nameless with an experiment report in hand, an hour after he returned to the Advanced Magic Research Society.

Nameless was fiddling with some trinkets on the experiment table.

"Nameless, what are you doing?"

At his mentor’s inquiry, Nameless stopped his work.

"As you see, some preparation for experimental equipment."

"What I mean is, those items on your desk, I’ve seen them on the equipment request form you submitted. I remember they were rejected because those precious materials were in the possession of some other societies." Mr. Gravity looked at Nameless’s fleshly shell, his face devoid of any blood, also expressionless.

"Can you tell me, how did you find these things?"

Nameless blinked innocently.

"I found them, in the corridors of Andrey. As you know, Andrey is currently experiencing a Liches plague, there are always some accidents."

Mr. Gravity sighed, "Well, that’s not important." He raised the report in his hand, "Let’s talk about your problem, your experience report."

"Is there a problem? I completed it truthfully and with care."

"I remember that this should be a report on the experience with Hungry Flesh. Listen to what you’ve written."

[After the Liches of Andrey equipped themselves with Hungry Flesh disguises, their behavioral patterns underwent some changes. I tentatively call them Impostors, to indicate their difference from the Liches.]

[The Hungry disguise is a very great research.]

[Our companions, the Impostors, displayed some behaviors of brainless zombies. I believe that hunger has lowered their intelligence but enhanced their mobility.]

[This is very beneficial for our living environment, as it’s well known, fools are easy to use.]

[Using chunks of meat as a lure is the most effective method of domestication; a Lich can control up to twenty-seven Impostors—beyond this number, the efficiency of control diminishes.]

[The destructive power of Impostors is moderate because they only attack physically like wild beasts, usually by gnawing and tearing. Therefore, it is not recommended to domesticate Liches with three locks or more into Impostors, as it will decrease their destructive power and also threaten their own safety.]

As he reached this point, Mr. Gravity looked at Nameless in disbelief.

"I remember you were there to participate in the experience gathering of Hungry Flesh, not some kind of observation gathering for degenerative human-like apes. Where are the sensory experiences and the effects of eating? My student, did you attend a costume ball?"

"Regarding the sensation of hunger," Nameless pinched his chin, digging into his memory carefully. "It seems no different from that of humans."

"No difference at all?! You mention such an important thing in passing! This is about Liches eating like humans, and you don’t bother to put it on paper!" Mr. Gravity looked at Nameless’s indifferent face, "Look at your expression, not a hint of excitement about regaining the sensation of hunger! By the stars above, are you truly a Liche? Where are your desires?"

Nameless furrowed his brows, "Mentor, personally, I don’t think the sensation of hunger is anything to be praised. Seeking desires that disturb oneself is simply a waste of time. The Liches have already forgotten everything, so why return to the past, to move backwards in history? Teacher, why are you so determined to trouble me?"

Gravity looked at his student and sighed.

"The Liches are merely remnants. My student, obsession is the only thing we cling to in our hands. But you are exceptionally indifferent to it all, even the most indifferent Liches will have something they want. We have declined invitations to academic gatherings because we are drawn to the secrets hidden in the universe—such thirst for knowledge is our obsession. We are like embers beneath the flames; only by burning can we resist the winds that seek to scatter us. I don’t know what you want, my student, but I don’t want to see you exist confusedly like a puppet, nor vanish in confusion without knowing when."

"Nameless, you need an obsession to ignite your passion for life. You need to like something and strive to obtain it, that’s what I want to see,"

Under Mr. Gravity’s earnest words, Nameless closed his eyes.

"Mentor. In my lifetime, I was the Saint Heir of the Silver Sage sect, a primitive worship organization devoted to the all-knowing and almighty God of Silver. At the age of twenty, all of us sacrificed our lives to our lord. We prayed for a glimpse of His divine countenance above the starry skies."

"In the final moment of my life, I truly saw Him, His majestic body one with the starry sea, those eyes forged from silver, like a grand gate unfolding before me."

"The ineffable Lord, changed me."

"I can see, lines," Nameless raised his own palm.

"Born with everything, linking time and progeny, transcending dimensions and death itself—threads of fate. They stretch, tangle, snap, and mend. Mentor, you cannot imagine the vista, but now, they are entwined in my world."

"I cannot see their source; threads from all things weave a grand net that transcends the world."

"But I can see their end. The tips of the lines, all strands wrapped into one, entering their finality."

"This is the ultimate truth, the end of all things. Mentor, everything is meaningless, our world will wither away, and no one is spared, no one can escape."

"Everything will die, even death itself."

"No matter the process, the outcome is predetermined. Mentor, tell me, in such a hopeless situation, what should I like?"

Gravity looked at his student, his bony palm patting the latter’s shoulder.

"Silly boy, the process, that is what we cling to. Even if everything is meaningless, even if the scattering threads must come to an end, we refuse to become that single, uniform hemp rope."

"That is Andrey’s choice, Nameless, we want to weave the most beautiful flower on the tapestry of fate, even if it ultimately withers, it is still hundreds, thousands of times stronger than being buried in the dirt from the start."

Gravity stepped back, watching his student fall silent. He did not know how much his words had affected Nameless, he was just fulfilling the duty of a mentor, a friend, and hoping for something wonderful to happen.

Nameless, opened his jaws.

"Mentor, you’re better off sticking to research, you should probably stop trying to enlighten others."

Nameless moved his arms, leaving his experimentation table.

"Although I haven’t discovered what I like, I’ve become a bit curious about that kind of mentality. I want to relive hunger."

Gravity’s soul flame rose gently.

"Go on, Nameless, do what you want to do."

"Alright, Teacher, then I’m going to find Mr. Death Star II, I’m a bit interested in tasting black holes."

"F**k! Wait! Kid! You can start with something that tastes a bit nicer!"