Realizing he was standing on the brink of life and death, Feng Qi forced himself to stay calm and analyze the situation.
One thing was certain: he would be killed within roughly thirteen minutes of returning to reality after his venture into the future dreamscape. The reason for his impending assassination was undoubtedly tied to the detailed suggestion post he had published on the gaming forum just days ago.
[It's probably because your post was so detailed. Maybe that alone wouldn't have raised suspicion, but other domain forces lurking within human society—like the Crimson Research Institute—can access authenticated user information on the internet. Once they discovered you were the rising star and super-genius of the moment, those behind-the-scenes forces couldn't sit still.]
"That sounds about right," Feng Qi nodded, his expression grim.
He hadn't expected his casual inquiry to internet users to spark such a massive ripple effect. Now, his priority was to figure out how to survive the assassination attempt awaiting him upon his return to reality.
With only thirteen minutes to act, he wasn't doomed to die the moment he opened his eyes. His previous dreamscape experiments had proven that time in the real world remained frozen while he was in the dreamscape. This gave him a window of opportunity to prepare—or even counterattack.
After all, his dreamscape self still retained all of his abilities, including the narrator's help and his talents, while the version of him on the sacrifice line had lost everything. It was entirely possible that the assassin targeting him would be weaker than him in his fully capable state.
But this assumption was uncertain. The assassin could very well surpass him in power.
[Schrödinger's assassin—its strength exists in a superposition of being weaker and stronger than you until you actually encounter it. The suspense is killing me, Chess Boy!]
Ignoring the narrator's playful commentary, Feng Qi refocused his analysis.
In this dreamscape iteration, he couldn't rely on external resources for help. The sacrifice line's timeline was too short-lived; within ten minutes, his counterpart had already died, leaving no hidden clues or contingencies to exploit.
This limitation meant he wouldn't even be able to infiltrate the Crimson Research Institute's secret base. His counterpart's early demise meant he had never interacted with Wei Wei or any of the institute's higher-ups, leaving that avenue entirely unavailable.
Similarly, Lin Ran wouldn't be of any help. Under normal historical circumstances, this timeline would see Lin Ran practicing a technique to shield his consciousness, eventually using it to counter-parasite the Black Mist Lord and gain its power. But with the sacrifice line cut so short, this future was also unreachable.
Even Old Wang wouldn't deviate from his historical trajectory of joining the Tiger Soul Research Institute. In this iteration, the Mist Lord's parasite would likely end up being Old Wang instead of Lin Ran, making him a non-factor in the dreamscape.
[Stop gathering intel already. You need to grind for levels. The only way to increase your chances of surviving the real world is by getting stronger before Little Black kills you.]
The narrator's blunt advice struck a chord. Feng Qi nodded in agreement.
This timeline had no useful information to offer; all he could do was grow stronger. But before he left, there was one last thing he needed to confirm.
He turned to the data console and began searching for records. He wanted to uncover the exact cause of death for his sacrifice-line self. Understanding the assassin's attack style could help him identify their abilities and devise a targeted counter-strategy.
The database contained numerous images of his sacrifice-line corpse, but none offered detailed clues. The body had been shrouded in white sheets, leaving no visible evidence of the fatal injuries.
Feng Qi then searched for the official autopsy report, only to find that access was restricted.
[It's unlikely to be the Institute of Technological Research. Their methods are well-documented—they favor stealth kills that leave no visible marks, making the deaths look like natural causes. This assassination has been labeled as such, which makes it more likely to involve the Tiger Soul Research Institute.]
[That said, whether it's the Institute of Technological Research or Tiger Soul, the transcendent domain creatures backing them tend to specialize in mental attacks. Your best bet is to find a magic-immunity talent before heading back—like that stone statue domain creature we ran into on the plains ages ago.]
The narrator's words triggered a memory. Feng Qi recalled encountering the stone statue on the plains, a creature noted for its partial immunity to magical attacks.
Back then, the narrator had advised him to take note of the statue. Its abilities were highly compatible with his close-combat style, and the narrator had suggested returning to hunt it down when he was stronger.
Given his current predicament, acquiring the stone statue's abilities could significantly enhance his odds of survival upon returning to reality.
With a clear goal in mind, Feng Qi turned and headed toward the metallic corridors leading out of the shelter.
This sacrifice line offered no intel or alliances. His only choice now was to become stronger.
Feng Qi left the underground shelter and headed east.
This time, his target was the plains further east beyond the abandoned city area, where he intended to hunt the magic-immune stone statue.
[Friendly reminder: You might not be a match for the magic-immune stone statue. It's better to first hunt some domain creatures in the abandoned city area to level up… Wait! I just thought of something—you could use the Goat-Headed Demon to gang up on the stone statue, increasing your chances of winning significantly.]
"Good idea!" Feng Qi agreed without hesitation, deciding to follow the narrator's suggestion to locate the Goat-Headed Demon first.
Transforming into his combat form, he felt the blood energy tracing lines on his skeleton as runes etched into his body. With this transformation, his running speed surged dramatically.
Death loomed over him like a shadow, and every second in the dreamscape was precious for growing stronger.
Defeating the stone statue wasn't inherently complicated. All he needed to do was find Suction Cup, toss it at the statue, and let Suction Cup's overwhelming strength handle the rest. The statue's formidable defense wouldn't withstand a single punch from Suction Cup.
The problem was, Suction Cup's kill speed was too fast. Feng Qi wouldn't even get the chance to deliver the finishing blow and claim the power boost.
Carrying Suction Cup with him made leveling up impossible. Any danger he encountered would be eliminated by Suction Cup in the blink of an eye—except for Little Black, of course.
Thus, his plan was to first hunt the Goat-Headed Demon in the ruins, boost his own strength, and then approach Suction Cup when Little Black was about to arrive. Once Suction Cup was busy fighting Little Black, he would head to the plains to hunt the stone statue.
With his plan clear, Feng Qi turned toward the hazy blood moon and picked up his pace.
After hours of running, he arrived at the abandoned city area.
The sight before him was nearly identical to his first visit here. Back then, he had encountered "Nightmare" near this very entrance, gaining the Nightmare talent in the process.
This time, however, there was no sign of Nightmare.
This absence reinforced his previous theory: domain creatures that had been stripped of their abilities were erased from the timeline.
He briefly considered whether Lin Ran could potentially reverse-parasite the Black Mist Lord. If Lin Ran succeeded, he wondered if Lin Ran could kill the Black Mist Lord and absorb its talent. However, given this phenomenon, Lin Ran might also be wiped from existence if he succeeded.
Deciding it wasn't worth the risk, Feng Qi dismissed the idea.
Walking along streets littered with rubble and ruined buildings, he scanned his surroundings for huntable domain creatures.
"Narrator, help me find a target!"
[Nine o'clock, inside that building—go get it!]
Without hesitation, Feng Qi rushed into the crumbling structure. Following the narrator's guidance, he found a domain creature deep inside.
It was small and cat-like, its fur a pale blue. Its body was slender, and it had three fluffy tails.
The moment it spotted Feng Qi, the creature leaped onto the wall, bared its sharp teeth, and let out a low, warning growl.
Feng Qi didn't waste time. His telekinetic power surged outward, attempting to restrain the creature. However, in his combat form, the effectiveness of his telekinesis was limited. The restraint lasted barely a second before the creature broke free.
His punch landed on the wall instead.
Boom!
The wall collapsed with a deafening crash, sending debris cascading down from above.
The sheer force of the blow caused the entire building to tremble under the strain.
But Feng Qi didn't care. His eyes locked onto the cat-like domain creature as he closed in again. Each swing of his iron fist was accompanied by another pulse of telekinetic energy, attempting to pin the creature down.
To his surprise, the creature's eyes glowed a vivid purple, dispelling the telekinetic energy enveloping it. It nimbly dodged his punch again.
Boom!
Frustrated but determined, Feng Qi continued his pursuit.
The creature was exceedingly agile and seemed to possess an innate ability to neutralize telekinesis. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't get close enough to land a blow.
Rubble flew in all directions as his relentless punches further destabilized the building. Chunks of the ceiling collapsed around him, but he paid them no mind.
After a few more attempts, he decided to abandon the chase.
This domain creature wasn't particularly powerful, but its ability to evade made it one of the most elusive opponents he had ever encountered. Unless he reverted to his human form to fully exploit his telekinesis, he had no chance of catching it.
But switching to human form would leave him far more vulnerable, increasing the risk to his safety.
Weighing his options, Feng Qi concluded it wasn't worth the effort. There were plenty of other domain creatures to hunt, and he didn't need to waste time on this one.
Clearing away the rubble, he returned to the ruined street outside.
To his surprise, the cat-like domain creature trailed him from a distance, keeping just out of reach.
Feng Qi noticed that whenever he turned around to check, the cat-like domain creature would lift its head, wagging its three bushy tails provocatively, as if mocking him. Its expression was unbearably smug.
When he resumed his journey, the creature leaped onto nearby ruins, swishing its tail at him mockingly from the sides. Sometimes, it even blocked his path, standing directly in front of him, its tails swinging like pendulums. Yet, the moment Feng Qi tried to approach, the creature would effortlessly leap away, maintaining a safe distance.
This behavior left Feng Qi feeling helpless.
This was the first time he had encountered a beast-shaped, intelligent domain creature in the dreamscape.
Choosing to ignore the creature, Feng Qi pressed on, continuing his search for huntable domain creatures while heading toward the location of the Goat-Headed Demons.
The Goat-Headed Demons would be critical allies in his battle against the magic-immune stone statue.
As for Suction Cup, he decided to set it aside for now.
Following the narrator's guidance, he scoured the abandoned city and eventually found the building where the Goat-Headed Demons were located.
The structure was covered in writhing blood-red moss that had merged seamlessly with the damaged architecture. The moss had filled in gaps and reinforced the building, preventing it from collapsing entirely.
At the center of the building's middle floor lay a massive fleshy cavern. It pulsated rhythmically, expanding and contracting as if it were alive.
This was the very cavern where Feng Qi had once destroyed the idol and obtained the "Blood Source" ability.
Standing below the building, Feng Qi leaped upward, grabbing onto the moss and beginning his ascent.
As he climbed, the moss extended tiny, blood-colored tendrils that tried to wrap around his body, attempting to pull him into the structure and fuse him with it. However, this force was far too weak to hinder his progress.
Within moments, he stood at the entrance of the pulsating cavern.
The interior passageways looked organic, constantly writhing and shifting, making it feel as though he was stepping into the bowels of a living creature. The eerie sensation didn't faze him.
Approaching the Goat-Headed Demons' lair, Feng Qi felt entirely at ease. Previous dreamscape explorations had proven that these demons considered him harmless, even mistaking him for their "faith." He had no reason to fear them.
Turning right at the end of the fleshy corridor, a large chamber the size of a basketball court came into view.
Within the chamber, a group of Goat-Headed Demons knelt, bowing in reverence to a fleshy idol.
The idol resembled the one Feng Qi had seen before, except its forehead lacked the embedded rune crystal, giving it a less eerie appearance.
[I ran a perception check. This idol is lifeless, confirming our earlier hypothesis: when you stripped the power from the idol, all iterations across the timelines lost their life force.]
Hearing this analysis, Feng Qi nodded in agreement and jumped down from the corridor.
As his feet hit the ground with a heavy thud, the sound startled the Goat-Headed Demons. They turned their heads sharply toward him.
At first, their expressions were wary, but they quickly shifted to astonishment.
From Feng Qi, they sensed a familiar aura—a sacred energy they revered as divine.
As he locked eyes with them, the Goat-Headed Demons began to approach. Moments later, they knelt before him, worshipping him devoutly while murmuring prayers in a language he couldn't understand.
He counted them: twenty-eight in total.
"My loyal servants, follow me!" Feng Qi said with a wide grin before turning and climbing back up the fleshy passageway.
As he had hoped, the Goat-Headed Demons followed without hesitation, resembling a gang of loyal henchmen.
When he reached the exit of the passageway, he saw the three-tailed creature waiting at the entrance.
The moment it spotted him, the creature puffed up its fluffy tails and lifted its head arrogantly.
[Taunt stance activated: "Come fight me, you slow-moving bag of bones!"] The narrator chimed in mockingly.
Feng Qi, amused and annoyed, lunged at the creature.
With an effortless backward flip, the three-tailed creature descended gracefully, twirling midair before landing elegantly. It lifted its head again, wagging its tails provocatively.
Ignoring the creature's antics, Feng Qi leaped from the passageway's exit.
Behind him, the Goat-Headed Demons followed suit, jumping down like a shower of boulders.
The already-cracked street below was further devastated by their landing, leaving a chaotic mess of debris and shattered stone.
With his newfound entourage, Feng Qi decided to scour the abandoned city for domain creatures to hunt, maximizing his gains until Little Black's arrival.