Translator: CinderTL
The rain poured down in torrents, blood mingling with the water as it streamed from his body and dripped onto the ground.
Looking back, he saw that he was the only human warrior still standing. The rest lay fallen in pools of blood.
The domain creatures hadn't attacked him. After smashing his statue, they breached the Iron City Wall and continued their relentless eastward advance.
The outcome of this battle had been predetermined.
He was merely a participant and witness, powerless to alter the course of events.
Having lost his Blood Source Ability, he couldn't even kill a single domain creature, his entire struggle proving futile.
These domain creatures seem to be controlled. The entity behind them has likely issued an order forbidding them from attacking each other, or you would have been killed long ago!
Hearing the Narrator's analysis, he didn't respond.
He had already noticed this during the battle—the different domain creatures never attacked each other.
He had intended to die fighting alongside the warriors, but these manipulated domain creatures completely ignored him, as if controlled by some form of mental manipulation.
They only advanced in the direction of the expanding Domain Field.
Turning to look toward Star City Shelter, he saw that all the survivors had already retreated underground, now safe.
The massive domain creatures crashed through the Iron City Wall, destroying all the structures within before continuing their eastward advance.
Standing his ground, he pondered a question.
If the shelter's resources could sustain its residents with a stable population, why had it been completely empty in his previous trips to the future, with not even the remains of deceased survivors to be found?
He then recalled the Scarlet Research Institute's shelter.
The situation was strikingly similar: the residents had mysteriously vanished one day, leaving no trace of the reason for their disappearance.
It was as if the shelter's inhabitants had collectively evaporated from existence.
Turning westward, he saw the dense mist sweeping in with the expanding Domain Field.
Faint whispers, capable of corrupting the mind, echoed in his ears.
Suddenly, the mist accelerated its spread, and blurry human faces materialized within it. One of them stared at Feng Qi with astonishment, as if surprised that he hadn't fallen under its control.
A consciousness pierced Feng Qi's mind, and a raspy voice echoed in his mental realm:
"Do you possess wisdom?"
Feng Qi didn't answer. He picked up a battle axe from the ground and strode toward the mist.
"Fuck you!"
No matter how formidable his opponent, he had no intention of retreating. At this moment, he only wanted to die fighting here.
"Are you human? A human transformed into a domain creature? No... a fascinating life form."
Feng Qi remained silent, gripping the battle axe as he advanced into the mist.
Suddenly, a colossal hand emerged from the mist and seized him. The hand split into chains that coiled around him, immobilizing him completely and silencing his voice.
He struggled fiercely, but his strength was utterly futile against the mist's power.
Just as he was about to be dragged into the mist, a silver spear pierced the sky and slammed into the ground before the mist, halting its advance.
The raspy whispers in his ears ceased abruptly. The mist coalesced into two massive hands that slammed down on the silver spear.
The spear shimmered with radiant light, trembling violently as it shattered the gray mist.
Before the mist could launch another attack, a figure materialized before the spear, and with a flick of the wrist, the spear flew into their hand.
It was Mu Yao, clad in silver battle armor, her spear pointing toward the mist.
"You're going to die!"
"Then you'll have to find my true form first. Besides, you're in no position to talk—the eastern spatial node is about to form! Hahaha!"
"You think you've won?"
"I haven't won, but humanity has already lost. No one will survive."
"As long as I stand, humanity endures!"
"That's just what you believe. Now, watch the show I've been preparing for this day."
As the voice from the black mist faded, Feng Qi suddenly heard urgent whispers in his ear.
It was like a demonic melody piercing his mind, the sound spreading and echoing endlessly.
The whispers seemed to reverberate throughout the world, a haunting, demonic refrain.
Under the incredulous gaze of Feng Qi and Mu Yao, human figures began to emerge from the ruined city, one by one.
They were all voluntarily leaving their shelters.
Their eyes were vacant, as if controlled by some unseen force.
"Watch closely."
As the voice from the black mist spoke, green flames erupted from the survivors' bodies, instantly incinerating them.
In the blink of an eye, the residents of the shelters transformed into living dead, their bodies animated but soulless.
Blood Mist Clusters erupted from their skin, coalescing into crimson clouds that surged rapidly into the mist.
"Die!"
Seeing this, Mu Yao thrust her spear violently into the mist. A gale-force wind erupted, driving the mist back relentlessly as silver light, like a scorching sun, corroded the swirling darkness.
A raspy voice echoed from within the mist:
"Mu Yao, now you understand why you've lost. I planted the seeds of destruction within Human Civilization long ago. Now that they've absorbed enough nourishment, humanity's time has come to end."
Blood Mist Clusters surged from all directions, merging into the mist.
"Whether it's tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, or even billions—I can annihilate them all with a flick of my finger. I've prepared for this moment for over a thousand years. The seeds have already been sown, and humanity's future is firmly within my grasp."
Just as Mu Yao was about to charge into the mist, starlight flickered across the eastern sky.
"Hurry, the spatial node is about to form. You might still have time," a raspy laugh echoed from within the mist.
Hearing this, Mu Yao turned toward the east, her expression shifting.
She glared back at the mist and said coldly, "Wang Jinsheng, wait for me to kill you!"
With that, she shot into the sky, transforming into a streak of light that vanished over the horizon.
When Feng Qi heard Mu Yao call the entity within the mist "Wang Jinsheng," his ears began to ring.
"Impossible!"
At that moment, the raspy voice spoke again from the mist:
"Now it's your turn. Become one of my treasures."
As the words faded, the mist burrowed into Feng Qi's body, coursing through him and swiftly extinguishing his Flame of Life.
He opened his eyes and found himself back in reality.
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. It's just a coincidence in names," he kept telling himself, trying to reassure himself.
He knew Old Wang of history class better than anyone else. He believed that anyone could betray humanity, but Old Wang never would. In fact, he always felt that Old Wang was more suited to be the savior than he was. If it were Old Wang, he would have done a better job.
After six years of living together day and night, Old Wang had become the guiding light of his life. He had shaped Feng Qi's values and instilled in him an indomitable spirit. It was Old Wang who taught him to believe in the future, and it was Old Wang who told him that humanity would prevail.
So how could he possibly be a domain creature?
"It must just be a coincidence in names."
Feng Qi, remember what Wei Wei said? All the rising geniuses of the new generation were assassinated, except for Old Wang, who rose smoothly to become a historical figure. It was all too convenient, too suspicious.
"Shut up! It's impossible!"
The faith in his heart wavered. He refused to believe that the Wang Jinsheng Mu Yao spoke of was the same Old Wang of history class.
Feng Qi, I didn't say he was definitely the Old Wang of history class. You're the one who started doubting him.
"I didn't!"
The seeds of calamity were sown over a thousand years ago. Only someone universally trusted by humanity could have achieved this. Wang Jinsheng, revered as a historical hero, is highly suspicious. Perhaps some of his ideas subtly influenced humanity, like implanting a bloodline-inherited switch. The moment it's activated, the implanted lifeforms would instantly be controlled, becoming his sustenance.
Hearing the Narrator's response, Feng Qi's emotions surged violently.
He had stubbornly risen from every fall, but this time, the weight was almost unbearable.
When he first learned of Human Civilization's impending destruction, he remembered Old Wang's classroom lectures and felt compelled to shoulder the era's responsibility, to fight against the current.
No matter how brutal the enemy or how arduous the path ahead, he had vowed never to yield or abandon hope.
But now, the very ideals at the core of his being were beginning to crumble.
If even the most steadfast believer in humanity's ultimate victory could betray them, what remained worth believing in?
"No, no, no," he muttered repeatedly to himself.
He shoved open the dormitory door and bolted outside.
Rain poured down as he ran alone through the storm, his emotions teetering on the brink of collapse.
Feng Qi, calm down...
The Narrator's pleas went unheard. He stumbled in the rain, picked himself up, and continued walking in a daze.
Tears mingled with raindrops as they streamed down his face.
At heart, Feng Qi was still just a seventeen-year-old boy, and the pent-up grievances and suppressed emotions within him finally erupted.
Unconsciously, he found himself at the school gate.
Seeing Feng Qi, the gatekeeper asked curiously, "Teacher Feng, why aren't you using an umbrella in this downpour? I have one here..."
Feng Qi ignored him and strode out of the gate.
His mind was now consumed by confusion, his faith on the verge of shattering.
He would rather remain ignorant, continuing to struggle forward through failure, than confront such a cruel truth.
Just then, a taxi pulled up in front of him. The driver, an older man, called out as the door swung open:
"Young man, why aren't you using an umbrella in this rain? Get in quickly!"
Feng Qi didn't reply, numbly climbing into the car.
"Where to?"
"Anywhere... just drop me off somewhere."
The driver paused, startled by the response, before steering the car forward.
"What's wrong, young man?"
"I've lost my dream," Feng Qi replied blankly, tears streaming down his face.
Hearing this, the driver immediately said:
"Young man, I've been through this before..."
Feng Qi didn't hear him. He stared at the raindrops battering the car window, his heart shrouded in confusion.
Like a sky obscured by dark clouds, devoid of light.
He knew there were many suspicious points about Wang Jinsheng.
But he had always dismissed them as mere coincidences, unwilling to doubt Old Wang.
Despite Wei Wei's numerous suspicions about Old Wang, Feng Qi dismissed them all.
In his heart, Old Wang was his savior, incapable of betraying humanity.
As he pondered, Feng Qi's inner turmoil intensified. He realized that even his unwavering conviction had begun to waver.
At that moment, he felt utterly exhausted, longing for rest.
The car meandered aimlessly for over an hour before finally coming to a stop.
"Get out," the driver said.
Feng Qi reached for his phone to pay, but then noticed the car had stopped at the entrance of Star City Academy.
The driver spoke again:
"Young man, you can always find a new dream if you lose one. Take a break if you're tired, but never abandon your dreams."
Feng Qi froze, stunned by these words.
He turned to look at the driver and realized it was the same man who had driven him to Star City Academy before.
"Why are you staring at me like that, kid?" the driver chuckled. "My salary from Star City High School is enough to support my family, but my wife keeps a tight rein on the finances. I have to hand over every penny, so I come out here to earn some pocket money."
Seeing Feng Qi's shocked expression, the driver grinned.
"This ride's on the house. Every ending is a new beginning, and every finish line is also a starting point. I'm dropping you back at the beginning now... Start over."
Every ending is a new beginning?
Hearing these words, Feng Qi thought of his countless efforts, his colleagues at the Scarlet Research Institute, and the future versions of himself who had sacrificed themselves to secure his future.
Each ending had indeed been a new beginning.
Each failure had paved the way for a brand-new future.
The nearly extinguished flame in his heart rekindled.
The driver pressed a button on the steering wheel, and the car door slowly opened.
"Don't mess with my side hustle. Get out of here. Students from Star City High School can't afford to be this pathetic. Go back and keep trying."
Feng Qi nodded vigorously and stepped out of the car.
"Young man, enjoy your youth while you can. Remember what I told you earlier—even at your worst, you can't let your record be zero. That's all. Goodbye."
As the driver finished speaking, the car doors automatically closed.
The driver, who had been driving slowly just moments ago, now revealed his true nature, choosing a slingshot start and tearing down the road.
During the ride, they nearly collided with another vehicle. Feng Qi could hear the driver's furious curses through the open window from a distance.
This driver is actually pretty cool!
"Mm-hmm," Feng Qi nodded.
Feng Qi, don't give up. This is just speculation. I don't believe Old Wang would betray humanity. There must be more to the story.
"I know. I'll investigate. I was just feeling down earlier. Venting a bit helped me recover."
Feeling down requires bawling your eyes out? I screenshotted that scene. You'll have to call me "Dad" several times to get it deleted.
"I wasn't crying."
Still denying it? He~tui!
"Counter!"
Counter your counter!
"Counter invalid."
You childish, brainless living dead.
"Asshole System..."
(End of the Chapter)
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