"All I’ve ever wanted is for my grandson to live well..."

His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he looked down at the boy, who pinched his grandfather’s fingers gently, as if he could feel the emotion swelling in him.

"I... This..." Kisha faltered, unsure what to say. It wasn’t that she wasn’t good with children; after all, she had spent so much time taking care of Keith when they were young, but the hesitation came from the weight of the responsibility.

Taking in this boy and letting him follow her wasn’t a simple matter; with his abilities and potential, he was like the child version of the villains in the novels she had read. She feared that if she wasn’t careful, she might fail him, and that failure could set him on a path from which there was no return.

"I believe in your character, City Lord," the old man said with a soft chuckle. "If my grandson follows you, he’ll learn what power truly means, how it can protect the people, but also how it can harm them."

"I’ve seen how you care for this base and its residents. You don’t make grand promises, yet your actions have shown that all you want is for this place to thrive, to become a sanctuary for survivors like us. Someone like you would never mislead a young boy."

He paused, his eyes shining with anticipation and heartfelt appreciation. "I can hardly contain my excitement imagining how my boy will grow under your guidance, witnessing your greatness with his own eyes."

The old man knew he hadn’t failed in raising his grandson. Still, as his only family, how could he not wish for the best possible future for him when such a choice existed? Entrusting the boy to Kisha didn’t mean losing him forever; they lived in the same base. Whenever he wished, whether every day, every break, or every week, he could still visit his grandson and watch him grow.

Before Kisha could respond, it was as if even the heavens were conspiring to shove this responsibility squarely onto her shoulders. A familiar notification rang out in her mind.

...

Ding!

[New Mission Available!]

[Sudden Hidden Mission — Class SS: Raise the Young Future Villain into a Dedicated Warrior]

[Description: Edison Flyod is a young boy with mild autism, his only family an aging grandfather. In the original trajectory of the future, his grandfather was meant to die at the hands of the Colton family while trying to save Edison from being kidnapped, taken as a "gift" for the Coltons’ Young Master, reduced to nothing more than a plaything, just like the others before him.

After all, despite his condition, Edison possessed a delicate, tender appearance, with smooth, jade-like skin and an innocent face the Young Master Colton would surely covet.

However, due to unforeseen circumstances, this future has been altered. The old man did not die. Instead, he awakened an ability and survived. As a result, Edison lost the critical trigger that would have driven him to grow stronger.

Now, even if Edison awakens his own ability in the future, there is a high probability that he will amount to little, or worse, be kidnapped again by another power. His destiny has already diverged from its original path.

Rather than allowing a villain to be born, guiding this child to become a new ray of hope for humanity would better serve the world.

Mission Objective:Assist Young Edison Flyod in awakening his ability and becoming stronger.Become the driving force behind his resolve to grow.

Mission Rewards:Authority +10

World Tree Seed ×1

Mission Failure:A world-destroying calamity will be born, leading to Earth’s destruction

Automatic failure of the following missions:

– S-Class Mission: Commander of a Thousand II

– Sudden Mission (Class A): Whack-A-Mole

– Chain Mission (Class A): Whack-A-Mole II

Failure to meet mission requirements will result in death.]

...

As Kisha read the description, her heart jolted the moment her eyes landed on the words "unforeseen circumstances."

She suddenly understood, if she hadn’t taken down the Coltons early this time, she might never have saved this boy and his grandfather from unimaginable suffering. That suffering would have been the seed of a dark, twisted future, one that could have shaped Edison into a villain.

And now, those "unforeseen circumstances" were her.

It was because of her that their fates had changed. Because of her interference, the tragedy that should have hardened the boy never happened. For some reason she couldn’t quite explain, the weight of it settled heavily on her chest. Edison felt like her responsibility now. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The realization made her thoughts spiral. She had never heard of a villain named Edison before. Did that mean he truly became the world’s destroyer? Or had she died too early in her previous life to ever witness his rise?

And where had this child been when Duke finally wiped out the Coltons? She had never seen Edison in City B’s base before. Had he escaped? Survived somewhere unseen, grown up in the shadows, only to return later for revenge?

The questions tangled in her mind, each more unsettling than the last.

One thing was certain now, though, even the system regarded Edison’s future as pivotal. That alone spoke volumes about how much his strength could one day shape the world. And if the system itself predicted that he might become a villain, then his grandfather’s request suddenly made sense.

As they say, a parent knows their child best. Although the old man had no concrete reason to believe his grandson would ever walk a path of no return, he still wanted to make absolutely sure that such a future would never come to pass. That was why he wanted Edison to follow her.

By following Kisha, perhaps the boy would learn what true leadership meant, how to protect others, how to save lives, and how it felt to be met with genuine gratitude instead of fear. Or perhaps the grandfather’s wish was simpler than all that: he just wanted Edison to be safe, guided by someone he trusted.

Either way, Kisha no longer had any reason to refuse.

Besides, if Edison were to awaken in the future and grow truly powerful, he would become a force to be reckoned with, one that could prove invaluable to Kisha’s squad when they faced the final stage of the world’s end.

"All right," Kisha finally said. "Let’s ask Edison what he wants."

She lowered herself so she was at eye level with him, her posture relaxed and unthreatening.

"Little Eddie," she said softly, "your grandpa wants you to follow me and learn with us. You’ll see many amazing things and meet many people, some your age, maybe a little older. If you feel scared about talking to them, that’s okay. You don’t have to speak. You can just watch and listen until you’re ready."

She paused, giving him time. "What do you think?"

In truth, Kisha had never interacted with someone on the autism spectrum before, and she wasn’t sure if she was doing this right. All she could do was speak honestly, gently, and with as much care as she could muster. Still, her nerves betrayed her, her heart pounding as if she were standing before a panel of strict interviewers, every word and gesture under scrutiny.

Edison didn’t answer. Instead, he looked up at her, his expression blank, his eyes deep and bottomless, like a silent pit. For a brief moment, Kisha felt as if he could see straight through her, as though he were reading her thoughts or sensing the nervous tension coiled beneath her calm exterior. The feeling made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to ignore it, maintaining a gentle smile.

"Can you do magic?" Edison suddenly asked.

The question stunned her. She hadn’t expected it at all.

"Huh?" Kisha stared at him, momentarily dumbfounded.

"Can you do magic?" Edison repeated.

This time, even his grandfather froze, baffled by what his grandson was getting at.

Although Kisha didn’t quite understand what Edison was looking for or why he had asked, she still raised her hand and summoned a small wisp of Spiritual Silver Flame into her palm. The silvery fire danced softly, illuminating her fingers before she slowly closed her hand, snuffing it out.

Then she gently took Edison’s hand, smiled, and gestured for him to open his palm.

The moment he did, the Spiritual Silver Flame bloomed there once more, resting quietly in the center of his hand. It didn’t burn. Instead, a faint, cool sensation spread across his skin, like a playful tickle.

Edison blinked... then giggled.

At that sound, his grandfather froze. It was the first time he had heard his grandson laugh since the zombie apocalypse began. Turning away, the old man silently wiped his tears, forcing himself to stay calm so Edison wouldn’t notice. He feared that if the boy sensed that he was crying or feeling melancholic, he might retreat back into his small, guarded world like he so often did.