The scene before Feng Qi caught him completely off guard.
The world of this future dream was unlike any he had encountered before.
While the blood moon loomed in the sky, the sun had not yet set.
"Has the apocalypse been delayed?"
[This timeline, you chose to fight against the Institute of Technological Research. Perhaps, under your leadership, the institute suffered a major blow or was even eliminated. As a result, human civilization must have improved, slowing the progression of domain invasions... but it seems the ultimate outcome hasn't changed.]
Hearing the narrator's analysis, Feng Qi looked up at the blood moon, which was slowly shifting eastward, and the distorted patterns flickering at the boundary between two worlds.
As the narrator said, reality had not escaped the crisis; the domain world was still slowly consuming it.
However, the world had clearly changed. Feng Qi felt that humanity might still survive for now.
Looking around, the area he stood in had yet to become a graveyard. There were no undead roaming about, nor was there the familiar Little Cripple splitting its legs to greet him.
In his memory, the direction of Star City Shelter was now tightly surrounded by steel walls. At the gate stood a statue, and he could make out figures patrolling the top of the walls.
Overcome with excitement, Feng Qi immediately ran toward the shelter.
The road he traveled on was cracked and marked with the tracks of heavy machinery.
On either side of the road grew vibrant orange daylilies, and the air was filled with a faint, sweet fragrance. Compared to the previous dreamscapes, this world felt like paradise.
As he approached the steel walls, he got a better view of the statue standing by the gate.
As he studied it, Feng Qi's expression turned to one of shock.
The statue depicted none other than himself.
[Holy crap, bro, you're a big deal! They built a statue for you... Wait a second, why don't I have one?!]
Ignoring the narrator's outburst, Feng Qi moved closer to examine the statue.
The statue, over ten meters tall, depicted him with a resolute expression. In his left hand, he held a book, while his right hand pointed westward with a sword. Below the statue were several engraved lines:
Statue of the Great Feng Qi
This statue was forged using energy extracted from rune crystals found within slain domain creatures. It weighs 1,800 tons.
With book and sword in hand, those who violate our homeland shall face retribution, no matter how distant.
[Wow, they really made it this fancy? Where's my statue? Didn't I help save the world too? This is unfair!]
Ignoring the narrator's complaints, a warmth spread through Feng Qi's heart.
It seemed that his efforts in this timeline had finally been recognized.
Judging from this, he must have made remarkable achievements in his battle against the Institute of Technological Research.
Perhaps he had even eradicated the institute entirely, leading humanity toward a brighter future.
"Maybe this version of me lived for hundreds of years."
[Ha! Really? I don't buy it.]
"I'll prove it to you." Determined, Feng Qi stepped forward toward the steel city walls.
Just then, a sharp sound cut through the air. Sensing danger, Feng Qi instinctively stepped back.
A long, black spear shot down from above, embedding itself deep into the ground where he had been standing. The spear's shaft continued to tremble from the impact.
Looking up, he saw a man in a Star City Defense Force uniform standing atop the steel walls, his cold gaze fixed on him.
Feng Qi opened his mouth to explain but then remembered something important.
He was still in the form of an undead. To the soldiers, he must look like a domain creature. It was no wonder they attacked him on sight.
As he deliberated, three figures leapt down from the wall, led by the man who had thrown the spear.
"How did a domain derivative creature make it here?" The man, who appeared to be the leader, looked puzzled. He then turned to a towering companion, who was over two meters tall, and ordered, "Xiao Man, kill it and bring the corpse back to the shelter for the researchers!"
The burly man called Xiao Man nodded and began walking toward Feng Qi.
Feng Qi: ...
Realizing he was being mistaken for a domain creature, Feng Qi quickly called out: "Wait!"
"A domain transcender?"
Hearing Feng Qi speak, the three soldiers froze, their expressions shifting to shock. They had clearly mistaken him for a sentient domain creature.
Their surprise quickly turned to caution as they stepped forward in unison, clearly preparing to attack.
"Don't attack. Let me explain."
"What do you want to say?" the leader demanded coldly.
Faced with the question, Feng Qi felt a surge of frustration.
How could he possibly explain? Should he point to the statue and declare, That's me, Feng Qi!?
Who would believe him?
[You should try it. You never know—they might just buy it.]
Feng Qi: ...
Taking a deep breath, he stepped back to maintain some distance from the three soldiers. Speaking in a calm tone, he said, "What if I told you I'm human, and this appearance is the result of an accident? Would you believe me?"
The leader scrutinized Feng Qi, who now appeared as a skeletal figure with withered and decayed organs visible inside.
After a moment, the leader's expression turned cold. "Do you think humans are fools?"
Standing beside him, the burly Xiao Man sneered. "Even if I believed you, tell me your resident ID number so I can verify it on the spot."
As he spoke, Xiao Man raised his right hand and tapped the metallic band on his wrist, projecting a holographic interface for inputting numbers.
Caught off guard by the demand, Feng Qi froze.
Coming from 1,500 years in the past, he obviously didn't have a Star City Shelter resident ID.
Feeling helpless, he gritted his teeth and tried to explain, "Listen to me. I'm from 1,500 years ago. I traveled here through time. You have to believe me. Let me into the shelter, and I'll prove to you that I'm really human."
"You're saying you're from 1,500 years ago? That's hard to believe. If you claimed to be from 1,500 years in the future, maybe we'd believe you—at least then you could say they invented a time machine."
"The domain transcender creatures these days are getting more creative in trying to infiltrate the shelter. And now you claim to be from 1,500 years ago? Why not just say you're Feng Qi from back then, here to lead us against the domain invasion!" The lead soldier sneered with disdain.
Feng Qi: ...
After a moment of silence, he nodded seriously. "To be honest, I am Feng Qi from 1,500 years ago."
"Insulting a great man? Die for your audacity!"
At his response, the lead soldier's eyes glinted coldly as he reached for the black spear embedded in the ground.
With a sharp whistle, the spear shot toward Feng Qi like a bolt of lightning.
[Hahaha! The "How to Prove You're Yourself" plan has failed. Honestly, from my perspective, you're just an undead sack of bones. What's this got to do with Feng Qi?]
The narrator's mocking tone made Feng Qi inwardly groan in frustration.
As the spear hurtled toward him, he swiftly activated his telekinesis, forming multiple invisible barriers in front of him.
But to his shock, the spear's momentum only slowed slightly. It easily pierced through the barriers and continued its trajectory toward him.
Realizing he was outmatched, Feng Qi turned and bolted.
Since reasoning with them clearly wasn't an option, survival became his priority. Escape was the only choice.
As Feng Qi fled, two of the guards leapt high into the air, chasing after him. The burly soldier, Xiao Man, wielded a massive energy axe, which he brought down with a force that seemed capable of splitting mountains.
Faced with imminent death, Feng Qi activated his Blood Source ability.
His heart rate skyrocketed as his qi and blood reserves surged, enveloping him in an intense crimson aura.
Under this energy's influence, his body quickly grew larger and bulkier, transforming him into a towering figure over two meters tall with bulging muscles.
Enveloping his right fist with telekinetic force, he turned and delivered a devastating punch toward the descending energy axe.
Bang!
The ground beneath him cracked as his legs were driven knee-deep into the soil.
The overwhelming force from the axe nearly made him collapse, making it clear he was no match for Xiao Man in raw power.
Summoning all his strength, he pushed the axe aside and leapt backward, narrowly dodging the black spear that came hurtling at him once more.
Landing on the ground, Feng Qi wasted no time. Without looking back, he sprinted away as fast as he could.
His remaining telekinetic energy fully unleashed, propelling him forward with incredible speed. Each step sent him soaring over 20 meters, as if gravity had momentarily loosened its grip on him.
Despite his efforts, the three soldiers from the shelter showed no signs of giving up their pursuit.
Glancing back, Feng Qi cursed inwardly as he saw them gaining ground.
He had always anticipated various ways he might die in the future dreamscapes—killed by Little Black, devoured by domain creatures—but never did he imagine he'd be hunted down by humans.
With the soldiers closing in, Feng Qi clenched his teeth and pushed himself harder.
In the distance, he heard the lead soldier shout, "Xiao Man, call for reinforcements from the shelter! Don't let this domain transcender escape—it'll cause endless trouble if it gets away!"
[Hahaha! Look at this mess: the so-called savior of humanity is being chased by his own kind. Care to explain yourself? This is hilarious!]
"Shut up! How can you laugh at a time like this?" Feng Qi snarled.
[What's wrong? Isn't this a good thing? You're getting an early retirement! You should be happy about this early dismissal!]
"He~tui!" Feng Qi spat angrily.
As he ran, the domain field shrouded by the blood moon loomed closer and closer.
Behind him, the three soldiers continued their relentless pursuit. Worse yet, the sky above them was soon filled with several unmanned combat drones armed with missiles, rapidly closing in on his position.
[Heads up! Combat drones have locked onto you. Those missiles are probably just waiting to send you off early! Get ready for your retirement ceremony!]
"Shut up!"
With a roar, Feng Qi gathered the last of his telekinetic energy, using it to launch himself into the air and toward the blood-moon-covered domain.
Just as he entered the domain's edge, three missiles streaked toward him, trailing fiery exhaust.
Boom!
The explosions rocked the air as flames engulfed Feng Qi, the shockwave sending him tumbling through the sky. He crashed heavily into a barren tree, snapping it in half before hitting the ground.
Lying there, he felt a searing pain all over his body.
The qi and blood that formed his enhanced body began to dissipate rapidly under the heat of the flames, dispersing into a faint crimson mist.
The blast had nearly cost him his life.
Not only had his Blood Source state dissolved, but his bones were now riddled with cracks, leaving him unable to stand.
[Crisis averted! The drones didn't enter the domain field. Perhaps the domain's rules don't permit technological devices to function here... though that's just my guess.]
Hearing the narrator's analysis, Feng Qi felt a pang of bitterness.
[You know, maybe you should work on looking more human first. Even being disabled is fine, as long as you look like a person. Otherwise, there's no way the Star City Shelter will let you in.]
[Alternatively, you could just give up on this timeline. Go back, abandon the Institute of Technological Research plan, and figure out a way to regain your humanity in the apocalyptic world.]
"If I gather 1,000 bloodline evolution points, can I turn back into a human?"
[Maybe… but no guarantees.]
Hearing the narrator's reply, Feng Qi made up his mind. First, he needed to recover. Then, he'd hunt domain creatures to collect enough bloodline evolution points for a transformation.
At that moment, his Cellular Regeneration ability and the recovery boost granted by his "Very Strong" prefix began to take effect.
The cracks in his bones slowly started to mend.
For now, though, all he could do was lie there, staring up at the blood moon, stewing in frustration as the narrator continued to mock him.