After returning to the room, Carl was dragged onto the bed by Di Wan.
"Now no one has to worry about anything anymore—you can finish the story."
That's right—Carl was basically forced into telling the story, though not entirely. He had brought it up himself in the first place.
As for why?
Di Wan still hadn't adjusted to the time difference and couldn't sleep at all. On top of that, Carl had suggested dancing with her earlier, which annoyed her.
Just kidding—Carl would never do something that embarrassing.
After being firmly rejected, Di Wu threw a fit—not an ordinary one. She leaned close to Carl's ear and whispered:
"You won't even keep me company… other girls get treated so well by their boyfriends, they get whatever they want. I'm only asking you to dance, not something crazy. There's no one here, I'll dance with you… do you really think it's embarrassing…?"
It was a long string of messy, nonstop complaints—so chaotic that Carl had no choice but to start telling a story to calm her down.
Only then did Di Wan settle down, sitting on the bed as she listened, occasionally sharing her reactions.
It was supposed to help her fall asleep.
Instead, the more she listened, the more excited she became—constantly asking what happened next or what would happen afterward.
You couldn't imagine how terrifying a woman who became increasingly mentally invested could be—but Carl managed to stay sane.
He had thought she'd fall asleep after Di Wu went out earlier.
But nothing had changed.
She was completely immersed in the story—just like girls who binge dramas late into the night.
Seeing her excitement, Carl felt helpless. He had to calm her down, or she'd end up sleeping all day again.
"Go to sleep early. I'll finish the story another time."
Di Wan refused immediately. "Don't try to brush me off. If you don't finish it today, don't even think about stopping!"
Carl paused, then said:
"Once upon a time, there was a mountain. On the mountain lived a little girl. She was very naughty, and her father forbade her from going down the mountain. But she secretly ran off one day and discovered that the world below was completely different… Guess what happened to her in the end?"
It was such a lazy story that even a three-year-old wouldn't want to hear it.
"I don't know—tell me!"
Di Wan looked genuinely curious.
Carl covered his face and sighed. "She died."
"Because there were too many stories down the mountain, she ended up listening herself to death. The moral is: always listen to adults, or the consequences will be terrible. So, good girl—it's time to sleep."
"Whose dad are you supposed to be?"
Di Wan narrowed her eyes at him.
"Oh right—I have something for you. Keep it on you at all times. Don't lose it."
Carl suddenly remembered the Black Crow Stone—the one he had taken from the demon blade for Di Wu.
With a flip of his hand, a small stone appeared in his palm. He placed it in front of her.
Di Wan rolled her eyes. "That's the stiffest topic change I've ever seen."
Still, she picked it up.
It was a white stone, with something like drops of black ink inside.
"What does this do?" she asked curiously.
Anything Carl treated seriously couldn't be ordinary.
Carl looked at it and said slowly:
"This is the Black Crow Stone, also known as the Black God Stone. It grants the wearer unlimited potential. I once had one myself. As long as you keep wearing it, once it completely turns black, you'll grow stronger even while sleeping—and you won't be able to die, even if you wanted to."
"Black Crow Stone…" Di Wan squeezed it. It didn't feel like stone at all.
Carl raised his hand again, and a necklace appeared.
He took the stone and set it into the pendant, then helped her put it on.
"When did you learn to create things out of thin air?" she asked, amazed.
That ability wasn't something Carl had shown before—not even back when he had Superman-like powers.
"I met someone familiar today. It made me remember a few things. These abilities were always mine—I just forgot them before."
Di Wan touched the stone resting against her chest.
It felt strange.
The moment she put it on, she could feel her mental strength growing—and even her body becoming stronger.
"A familiar person?" she asked. "How much have you remembered?"
"Nothing too important. Just some memories related to this… and a few abilities I developed early on."
She tucked the pendant under her pajamas.
Then she looked at him again.
"So… what happens next in the story?"
Carl's expression darkened.
How could he possibly still remember the story? Shouldn't she be more concerned about the stone?!
He collapsed weakly onto the bed, covering his face. "I'm sleepy. Let's rest."
She shoved him twice. "I asked you to tell a story—why are you acting like this?!"
Carl didn't respond. He lay still, pretending to sleep.
Di Wu gave up and lay down as well, gently touching the stone on her chest.
"Do your abilities come from this?"
Carl opened his eyes and glanced at her. "Not entirely. It just gives me unlimited potential—letting me maximize my own strengths."
"What does that even mean?" she asked.
"…It's hard to explain. This kind of thing is extremely rare. I've only seen two so far—and I used one."
Even Carl wasn't sure how to properly explain it.
Di Wan suddenly sat up and smacked his face with a pillow—again and again—before tossing it aside.
"You only ever tell half the truth, and your stories make no sense. What's wrong with you?!"
Carl didn't mind. It didn't hurt—in fact, it felt kind of comfortable.
Still, he explained:
"I've looked into the origin of the Black Crow Stone before. There are several theories, but none are reliable. Do you want to hear them?"
"Yes. At least then I'll understand something. Right now I don't even know what this thing is."
She lay on top of him, eyes full of curiosity.
Carl wrapped his arms around her.
"The Black Crow Stone is extremely rare. Very few people even know it exists, so tracing its origin is difficult. But after thinking about it for a long time, I came to a conclusion. As for which theory is true—you'll have to decide yourself."
She nodded eagerly.
"First theory: the stone was created by a true god and scattered across Earth to find destined individuals."
He glanced at her. She immediately urged him to continue.
"Second: it's the condensed essence left behind after the destruction of a great universe. Those who believe this think it's the origin of everything."
"And the third…" Carl paused. "It's said to be the core of all worlds. Honestly, I think that one is the most ridiculous."
Di Wan frowned. "Why do you think that's ridiculous? What if it's true?"
"Impossible," Carl said firmly.
"You know something, don't you?" she pressed.
Carl nodded. "Because the first stone I ever saw… was at the moment it was born."
Di Wan stared at him. "And now you stop again? Are you making this up?!"
Carl smiled helplessly. "I can't help it. I searched for a long time and never got a clear answer. All of these are probably wrong—but each contains a bit of truth."
She suddenly remembered something.
"By the way—when did you get your first stone?"
"I don't remember. You'd have to calculate based on the era."
"Era?" she said, shocked. "How old are you? I'm not ready for this! That's something for old man–young wife situations!"
Carl closed his eyes in exhaustion.
Suddenly—
Smack!
She slapped his chest repeatedly. "What are you doing?! You're my boyfriend—how dare you act like this?! Did I say anything wrong?!"
"Do you really want to hear it?" Carl said, trying to steady her hands.
What kind of girlfriend is this… she's learned nothing useful, but her hitting skills keep improving.
"I don't care about anything else—I just want to know your age!"
She grabbed his cheeks and pulled hard.
Carl flipped over, pinning her down briefly before rolling aside.
"Then go to sleep. Before discussing someone's age, you should consider their feelings."
She turned her head, looking at him with wide, watery eyes—adorable, if not for the fierce expression on her face.
"I want to know my boyfriend's age. Whose feelings do I need to consider?"
Carl met her gaze. "Is that really the point right now? You were just asking about the stone."
"..."
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Her temper had been getting harder to control lately—it wasn't a good sign.
Then suddenly—
She smiled sweetly.
"You're right."
Carl felt a chill. That smile definitely hid something.
"What did you say?"
Her smile grew even sweeter, eyes nearly closed as she trembled slightly.
"Really?"
Carl quickly said, "You should ask properly—you can't just demand answers out of nowhere."
She suppressed the urge to hit him again and said slowly:
"Fine. Then start by telling me… how you got your first stone."
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