Translator: CinderTL
Gazing at the smiling monk, Feng Qi, strapped to the Spirit Execution Chair, couldn't help but burst into laughter.
He had never imagined the monk was a member of the Human Hidden Forces.
The monk had always struck him as unreliable.
He never studied seriously, constantly complained about being tired, and always backed down in the face of trouble—the perfect model of a problem student.
If it weren't for his background with the Prajna Domain Combat Team, his attitude toward learning would have gotten him expelled from Star City Academy long ago.
More importantly, Feng Qi clearly remembered the physical examination results from their early days: the monk's combat strength certification was "Unranked."
But judging by the present situation, the monk had clearly used some method to conceal his true strength.
From a historical perspective, the monk was highly regarded.
When Feng Qi had reviewed the monk's personal file, the online discussions below speculated that his transformation was closely linked to his death.
But now, it was clear that wasn't the case.
The monk had always been a member of the Human Hidden Forces, secretly plotting against the Domain Force.
The Future People regarded the monk as a "spiritual mentor" who dedicated his life to spreading spiritual heritage.
From this perspective, it might also be a strategic move against the Domain Force.
Watching more and more Human Hidden Forces step forward, Feng Qi felt a surge of satisfaction.
Just days ago, the black shadow had told him in the Water Prison that his actions had had no impact on the outside world.
He had thought his plan had completely failed.
But now, it was clear that his plan had succeeded.
The emergence of the Prajna Domain Combat Team led by the monk, along with other Human Hidden Forces, proved that humanity had not completely fallen. Many hidden forces were still plotting for the future.
He was not alone on the path to salvation.
Just then, a black shadow suddenly appeared beside him.
"Do you think you've won?"
As Feng Qi turned to face the shadow, the switch on the Spirit Execution Chair was pressed.
Intense pain surged through his body, causing his muscles to convulse and his eyes to fill with bloodshot veins.
Compared to the physical pain, the mental agony was far more intense.
His consciousness began to fade, but he could still hear the monk's calls echoing in his ears, followed by a cacophony of other voices.
At that moment, Feng Qi could clearly hear his own heavy breathing.
His consciousness seemed to be slowly separating from his physical body.
No way... I'm going to die at a critical moment... I still wanted to see how they would defeat the Technology Research Institute...
A fierce battle seemed to be erupting outside...
Damn it... Black Shadow, I curse your ancestors...
His vision was completely consumed by darkness. Slumped in the execution chair, his body hung limply.
Feng Qi's death was like a clarion call, signaling the start of the confrontation against the Technology Research Institute.
Thus, the curtain rose on a grand, history-defying tide...
When Feng Qi opened his eyes, he found himself leaning against a metal circular table.
On the table sat a familiar metal container, inside which a large brain was slowly pulsating.
The aftereffects of reading the memories left him dazed for a moment before he could fully regain his senses.
Two sets of memories now overlapped in his mind, blurring his experiences before reading the container brain's memories. He couldn't recall what had happened earlier.
Just then, a voice echoed in his mind:
[Feng Qi, it's been a long time! Did you miss me?]
"Narrator, it's been a long time!" Feng Qi replied, a smile spreading across his face at the familiar voice.
[You're still recovering from the memory overlap. Take it easy for now. Feel free to ask me any questions you have.]
Feng Qi nodded immediately and asked, "Narrator, has this timeline been altered?"
[Congratulations! You've successfully changed this timeline. The future world you're in now is on the brink of collapse but hasn't completely collapsed yet. There's a human city on the Star City Shelter.]
After hearing the Narrator's answer, he fell silent for a long moment before asking again:
"Did we defeat the Technology Research Institute?"
[Yes, but before the Scarlet Research Institute could defeat the Technology Research Institute, they had already retreated to an underground Secret Base amidst the chaotic situation.]
He wasn't surprised by the Narrator's response.
The Scarlet Research Institute's early retreat to the Secret Base had been planned long ago with the Scarlet leadership.
Under no circumstances would the Scarlet Research Institute join the fight against the Technology Research Institute.
The Scarlet Research Institute was his crucial source of information.
If the Scarlet Research Institute were to be compromised, he would lose access to vital data, including the Brain in a Vat's memory reading, Spirit Energy Technology, and memory implantation.
Therefore, the Scarlet Research Institute had to prioritize stability.
Preserving critical information was its core objective.
"Since we've already defeated the Technology Research Institute in this Future Line, has little black disappeared?"
Feng Qi seized the moment to ask the question that weighed most heavily on his mind.
If little black disappeared, it would be as if he had removed the death warrant hanging over him in the Future Dream Realm.
Every action he took from then on would have ample time for preparation.
[I regret to inform you that this is not the case.]
[You just reviewed the relevant data left behind by the Scarlet Research Institute. Wei Wei's message mentioned that little black still appeared even after the Domain Force behind the Technology Research Institute was destroyed!]
"Damn it, why?" Feng Qi couldn't help but widen his eyes in disbelief.
[Perhaps it's related to "Mo," the Technology Research Institute's most core secret. Although the Domain Force behind the institute was uprooted, it wasn't completely eradicated. Before retreating, they took the mysterious Mo with them. We have reason to suspect that little black was ultimately born in Mo's hands.]
"Is little black currently on its way to hunt me down?"
[I don't know. It hasn't entered my sensory range yet. Perhaps the little black of this timeline has abandoned its pursuit of you... But don't get your hopes up. It could just be that the journey is long, and it's still making its way here, traversing mountains and rivers.]
"Still haunting me, huh?"
[Heartbroken. This Future Line didn't show us Little Cripple doing the splits. Missing it already on the first day.]
Ignoring the Narrator's lament, he reached out and pressed the black switch on the metal container.
Immediately, a black liquid began to flow from within.
Upon contact with the liquid, the pulsating brain gradually lost its vitality.
"Rest now."
He closed the lid of the metal container and placed it in the central recess of the metal round table, then sealed the lid.
Looking down, he saw the suction cup still clinging to his chest.
History had changed, but the suction cup remained.
Next, he decided to head to the Star City Shelter to contact the Future People and learn more about the historical situation.
Taking the elevator to the first floor of the Scarlet Secret Base, he walked directly toward the exit.
The changes in history hadn't significantly altered this Secret Base, which had been built ahead of schedule.
After a quick survey, he abandoned the idea of exploring the place.
Following a metal corridor, he emerged from the abandoned hospital.
Looking up, he saw the sun hanging high in the sky.
But its light was dim and offered no warmth.
The nearby buildings remained dilapidated, surrounded by overgrown weeds—clear evidence that this place had been deserted for a long time.
Feng Qi wasn't surprised.
Fifteen hundred years later, even though the world hadn't yet been devoured by the Domain Field, the residents had clearly already retreated to the Star City Shelter in advance.
After all, with so many Domain-Transcending Creatures roaming outside, staying in the city would be suicide.
He looked west, where a Blood Moon hung high, squeezing out the sun's space.
The human world and the domain world were clearly distinct.
At the boundary between the two worlds, a twisted black line slowly devoured the human world's space.
Seeing this familiar scene, Feng Qi's heart sank.
He knew this world was destined to face the apocalypse.
With that thought, he immediately shifted into his Battle Body Form and sprinted toward the Star City Shelter.
As time passed, the overlapping memories gradually merged.
During this process, important information he had gleaned from the Scarlet Sanctuary database surfaced in his mind, and snippets of game code occasionally flashed through his thoughts.
This memory data clearly proved that Wei Wei had ultimately succeeded in researching knowledge implantation technology.
The Scarlet Research Institute had left him with a wealth of crucial information.
After his death, his body was taken away by a battle group affiliated with the Scarlet Research Institute, which had been strategically positioned in advance.
Immediately after leaving the execution plaza, they extracted his brain and placed it in a special container filled with active nutrient solution, thus preserving it.
However, their escape from Future City was fraught with peril.
The Domain Force behind the Technology Research Institute abandoned its covert operations after his death, choosing instead to launch a full-scale offensive to seize control of the entire city as quickly as possible.
This sparked a brutal war.
The Domain Force backing the Technology Research Institute deployed thousands of domain creatures, the weakest of which possessed Silver Tier strength, while the strongest were Gold Tier.
All factions involved in the conflict suffered heavy casualties as they engaged in a fierce, protracted war within Future City against this formidable Domain Force.
During this time, the Scarlet Research Institute's domain combat team was also attacked by battle groups that had defected to the Technology Research Institute's Domain Force.
After losing a third of their members, they finally managed to evacuate Future City, carrying the container holding his brain back to the Scarlet Research Institute.
The situation in Future City plunged into turmoil.
In the final battle, the monk perished, and the Prajna Domain Combat Team lost nearly half its forces.
The Future Research Institute was almost completely wiped out, with Li Xingchen's successor, Jia Hui, also dying heroically in the war against the Domain Force.
Other forces, including the Victory Research Institute, the White Skull Domain Battle Group, and the Awakened Domain Battle Group, joined the battle to eliminate the Domain Force behind the Technology Research Institute.
This campaign lasted for half a year, with Human Hidden Forces arriving in waves. Only then did they finally crush the Domain Force behind the Technology Research Institute.
Fortunately, they ultimately achieved victory.
Afterward, the Technology Research Institute was returned to human control.
All traitors who had sided with the Domain Force were purged and sent to the gallows.
His story was revealed to the world after the victory.
Thus, he transformed from a human traitor into a human hero.
Now, a list of Human Hidden Forces filled his mind—the forces that had declared war on the Technology Research Institute during the campaign.
This list was the most crucial gain from this Future Line.
A smile spread across his face as he realized how many hidden forces were secretly supporting humanity.
[Feng Qi, don't celebrate too early. Take a closer look at the names on the list. Don't you see a problem? Have you forgotten the warning from the Scarlet Research Institute?]
"What warning?" Feng Qi asked, startled.
The effects of memory overlap were still present, so he hadn't fully retained much of the information he'd obtained from the Scarlet Database.
[The Scarlet Research Institute warned you not to trust this list completely.]
"Why?"
[How can I explain it to you? Look closely at the list in your memory and find anything that seems out of place!]
He immediately began reviewing the list in his memory, following the Narrator's prompt.
In his recollection, he saw a familiar name: the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
To ensure stability, the plan for this Future Line had avoided any actions against the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
It was the Future Line that confronted the Technology Research Institute that had caused the world of 1500 years later to change.
But adding the Tiger Soul Research Institute would introduce even more uncertainty into the future.
That's why, when planning the future, he had...
To meet the Future People, he abandoned his plans to confront the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
The problem was now obvious.
The list in his mind contained the Human Hidden Forces that had stood up against the Technology Research Institute.
But the Tiger Soul Research Institute's name had appeared on this list.
"Well, well, the Tiger Soul Research Institute is also confronting the Technology Research Institute?"
[That's where the problem lies. When the Domain Force behind the Technology Research Institute was fully exposed, everyone came to kick it while it was down, including the Tiger Soul Research Institute. They sent their subordinate battle groups to participate in the encirclement and annihilation operation... More importantly, the Tiger Soul Research Institute's slogan was "Eliminate the Domain Force." Isn't that infuriating?]
Feng Qi: ...
From the memory information and the Narrator's description, he realized where the problem lay.
When the Technology Research Institute was on the brink of destruction, many forces had come to kick it while it was down, including other Domain Forces.
The Tiger Soul Research Institute was the prime example.
"So... the Human Hidden Forces on this list, aside from the few who arrived first, aren't necessarily trustworthy."
[That's right. Many of the forces that joined the battle later only showed up after seeing the Technology Research Institute's inevitable defeat.]
"Those bastards are truly devious."
[Fortunately, it wasn't a complete loss. At least the few Human Hidden Forces who stood up first during your execution are absolutely reliable.]
"Mm, after integrating the information from the next timeline, I'll try to make contact with them," he nodded immediately.
After hours of running, he left the abandoned city.
On the horizon, a human city was tightly enclosed by metal walls.
The Star City Shelter was located within this city.
He had seen this city before in his previous Dream Realm visions, where he, still in his living dead form, had nearly been mistaken for an enemy and killed.
But this time, with his human form, he might be able to make contact with the Future People.
Thinking this, he immediately quickened his pace.
(End of the Chapter)
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