Duolou: Reborn with reality Pen

Xiao Wu raised her hand, pouting. "Eren, you're not going to eat with us again? I wanted to put all my bills in your pocket!"

In response, a sharp karate chop landed on her head.

"Oww!" Xiao Wu clutched her head, making a face full of injustice. "Why are you always hitting me?"

Eren gave her a flat look. "Be an obedient rabbit and stop making trouble everywhere. Otherwise, I'll roast rabbit in front of you and feed the entire academy."

Without waiting for her reply, he walked away without so much as a glance.

"Come back before midnight," Xīrán called after him calmly.

Eren raised his hand in acknowledgment and disappeared from their sight. He found a quiet corner, changed into his new Black Lotus uniform, designed exclusively for the leader, and activated the Phantom Mark. In an instant, he vanished without leaving a trace.

---

Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well

Dugu Bo sat on a rock, roasting meat over a fire, his thoughts tangled. His lips curled into a wistful sigh. "I miss that soy and garlic sauce… Maybe I should've accepted that invitation yesterday."

The memory of yesterday's roasted meat lingered on his tongue, making him lick his lips unconsciously. Drool almost escaped the corner of his mouth.

"Sigh… My poor soy and garlic sauce. I wonder how it's doing without me," he muttered dramatically.

"Should I take that as a yes?"

The sudden voice startled him. Dugu Bo jumped to his feet, retreating four steps instantly. His sharp eyes scanned the mist before landing on the source, and froze.

What the hell is going on? Does everyone think my garden is some kind of amusement park now?!

The intruder was a boy, six or seven at most, wearing a bamboo hat that cast a shadow over his piercing blue eyes. A grey robe clung to his small frame, its fabric marked with a large crimson lotus pattern that glowed faintly in the dim light. The boy sat atop a boulder with an almost regal stillness in Uchiha madara sitting posture, exuding an aura far too calm for his age.

Dugu Bo's jaw tightened. "Who are you, kid? And how did you get in here?"

If this were yesterday, he would've already seized the brat and questioned him. But after what happened last night, he didn't dare act rashly. What if this one turned into a flock of crows or something worse?

Eren tilted his head slightly, his tone calm yet commanding.

"Me? First, I want your answer. Only then are you qualified to know who I am."

Dugu Bo frowned. "Answer?"

His gaze narrowed as he examined the boy's attire, the distinctive robe, the bamboo hat, the crimson lotus insignia. His lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Black Lotus… So that brat really wasn't joking. Didn't think your organization accepted kids, hah!"

The laughter died abruptly when the boy's expression shifted. It wasn't anger, just the faintest trace of displeasure, and then he vanished.

Dugu Bo stiffened.' What—?'

A chill ran down his spine as he felt something directly in front of him. His eyes dropped, and there the boy stood, calm and silent as if he had always been there. The Title Douluo's heart thumped once, hard. He hadn't seen how the child moved, hadn't even sensed it.

'What speed is this?!'

Eren didn't speak. Instead, he raised his fist slowly, black sparks crackling faintly across his knuckles as he whispered—

"Black Flash."

The world seemed to warp for an instant before the blow landed.

"BAM!"

The impact detonated like thunder. A black spark flared outward as the force slammed into Dugu Bo's abdomen, crushing the breath from his lungs. Agony exploded through his body as he was launched like a cannonball, smashing through rocks and trees until his body skidded to a halt, leaving a deep trench across the ground.

"Cough—!" Blood spilled from his mouth as he clutched his stomach, eyes wide in disbelief.

What… what is this power?! Am I a punching bag now? First yesterday, now this?!

Slow, deliberate footsteps reached his ears.

"Step… step…"

He looked up and froze. The boy walked toward him unhurriedly, his presence as calm and suffocating as a silent storm. Each step seemed to pound against Dugu Bo's chest like falling boulders.

Eren stopped just before him, expression blank, eyes cold as steel. He crouched slightly, locking gazes with the stunned Title Douluo.

"Remember this name," Eren said in a voice as frigid as death itself. "Carve it into your very core and never forget."

He straightened slowly, turning his back with the same measured composure as before.

"My name is Eren," he said softly, his tone shifting into a whisper that slithered into Dugu Bo's bones. "Leader of Black Lotus."

He walked toward the campfire without looking back.

"And I came here for your answer."