Life is so unpredictable with its ups and downs.

Just a moment ago, Huai Shi was basking in the joy of a fruitful harvest, but he had not anticipated that Beelzebub would plunge his heart into an abyss with his next words.

What Gold? What Dawn?

How come, during a Fine Association gathering, those lunatics showed up?

He had always prided himself on having weathered great storms, yet now, when a real wave hit, he felt somewhat overwhelmed.

Incredible.

"Wait a minute, you know about Golden Dawn?"

"Joking aside, if it weren’t for those Second fifths fighting a civil war in Utopia, how could the Heavenly Kingdom have been bombed...?" Beelzebub urged. "Run! I might be just a broken book and not afraid to die, but buddy, you’re holding the Book of Fate. If those Second fifths see you, you’re dead for sure! Run, run, run!"

BOOM!

With the booming sound coming from afar, the shrill alarm suddenly blared from within Group Star.

Beelzebub’s frantic spamming came to an abrupt halt.

"What happened?"

Huai Shi was taken aback. "Why have you stopped talking?"

"Too late, we can’t run. Buddy, let’s go eat something nice..."

"Can’t you say something positive for once!"

Huai Shi rolled his eyes and finally felt the rising sense of Death Perception deep within him—hovering around him, suffocating him.

Especially since that black-hearted woman, Raven, had gone off gallivanting who knows where.

Leaving him alone—weak, isolated, and helpless—to face this mess. A feeling of unease crept over him. Luckily, he had called for reinforcements; otherwise, he really wouldn’t even know how he had died this time...

At this moment, Huai Shi found himself yearning for Power more than ever.

"Time is of the essence, so let’s skip the chit-chat today," he said to Beelzebub, hurriedly asking, "Are you of any use?"

"Can’t you tell?"

A string of ellipses, full of speechlessness, flashed on the cover of the Steel Arts, expressing its disdain for Huai Shi’s shortsightedness before proudly declaring its Superpowers in bold, enlarged font.

"—I can speak!"

"..."

Huai Shi took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his smile from twisting. "Besides that?"

"Besides that, I can also perform over three hundred segments of stand-up comedy, crosstalk, and selections of storytelling!" Beelzebub boasted with pride in Huai Shi’s consciousness. "If you don’t believe me, I can deliver a segment from ’Tong Lin Legends’ right now. Auden used to love this when driving!"

"Maybe I should just drop you off to see Auden then."

Smiling, Huai Shi reached over, rolled down the car window, and grabbed the Steel book, intending to throw it out.

"Hold on, buddy, I was just kidding!" Beelzebub immediately panicked. "Be careful, careful, look outside!"

As he spoke, the distant seascape shuddered with a thunderous tremor.

Columns of sharp crystals broke through the sea amidst the thundering roar, leaving Huai Shi dumbfounded. It was only after the subsequent eruption of massive booming that he realized he had once again stumbled onto a battlefield where gods clashed.

This is fucking ridiculous!

Huai Shi wanted to flip the table.

They wouldn’t even need the Golden Dawn; any one of those powers could simply lift a leg and stomp, and we’d all be done for, right?

"Mr. Fan, are you there?"

Huai Shi looked at the Bracelet assigned to him and began to skillfully seek help. "What’s going on?"

"The driver’s cabin has been attacked, currently suspected to be Morando, High Priest of the Fine Association. Miss Ai Qing is safe. Andrea is en route to support, but Amadin is injured and has fallen into the Rotting Dream."

Yan Shi reported succinctly, "I’ve temporarily taken command. Emergency measures have been deployed. Please immediately head to the shelter to maintain order. You’ll be included in the first evacuation batch. Also—your friend seems to be in some trouble."

In the projected images, Yuan Zhao, amidst the crowd, slowly opened his eyes. They were bloodshot, and his arms were beginning to mutate inch by inch.

Damn it, little brother, why are you so unlucky!

Huai Shi was stunned. No longer hesitating, he dashed off, following the directions.

In the corridors, a squad of Casting Iron Army soldiers were already in position, surrounding him as they sprinted towards No. 7 Shelter. Utilizing the transference tracks and launch devices, within seconds, they landed on the bottom floor of Group Star.

No. 7 Shelter also served as the emergency launch evacuation center. Inside, chaos reigned.

Hundreds of passengers, catalyzed by Morando, had instantly transformed into Erosion species, starting their wanton hunting and fighting amongst the people. Even with many Sublimators present, the situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

Until Huai Shi, with the Crystal Grid Squad in tow, burst open the doors of the shelter.

He pulled out the Axe, cleaving in two an Erosion species that had pounced on a child, and left the child in the pool of blood, with no time to worry if it would cause any psychological trauma. His Spear of Compassion appeared in his hand, sweeping through the crowd.

The fragrance of the Iris flower spread, making those shoving at the front, trying to rush out, go weak at the knees.

Subsequently, Huai Shi pulled out his pistol and fired directly at the ceiling.

"Astronomical Society to the rescue! Nobody move!"

Amidst the booming noise, the tumultuous crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, the Casting Iron Army soldiers who had filed in behind Huai Shi knelt, aimed their firearms forward, and pulled the triggers at the Erosion species.

A round of crisp gunfire took care of more than forty Erosion species.

With almost cruel efficacy, he kicked the obstructing passengers to the side and began a stern suppression. Any who had transformed into Erosion species were executed on the spot. If the transformation was incomplete and there was still a chance of rescue, he’d break their legs and arms, hit them with a tranquilizer shot, and have them dragged to the back.

In just a few minutes, the thousands inside the shelter quieted down. Not another sound stirred, except for Yuan Zhao’s piercing screams from a corner and a repetitive, dull thumping, like a heavy ball bouncing.

In Yuan Yuan’s hands, the Mountain Monarch’s broadsword swept across.

The wide back of the sword brutally smacked against Yuan Zhao’s forehead, slamming him into the wall and creating a deep indentation. Just as Yuan Zhao struggled to get up, wanting to lunge forward again, Yuan Yuan lifted her hand and smacked him down once more!

No matter how Yuan Zhao moved, how he resisted, or what strategy he employed, he could not stop Yuan Yuan’s simple and brutal attack.

A masterful sweep, forged through a thousand trials! Almost flawlessly executed.

Huai Shi, watching from the side, almost wanted to applaud Yuan Yuan.

Well done!

However, Huai Shi’s arrival caused Yuan Yuan to hesitate for a moment. Her hand faltered, and the crazed Yuan Zhao seized the opportunity, thrusting his Trident swiftly.

The Spear of Compassion thrust out.

CRACK! With a sharp sound, Yuan Zhao’s motion came to an abrupt halt.

Immediately after, Huai Shi shook the shaft of his spear. The Drummer’s force transmitted through the Spear of Compassion, violently prying open Yuan Zhao’s ten fingers clasping his weapon.

After falling into a frenzy, he had forgotten all his techniques and experience, no different from a wild beast. He possessed only the speed and strength of a Second Stage Sublimator...

Huai Shi withdrew the Spear of Compassion, stepped forward with a light stride, nonchalantly turned, and The Hammer of Sorrow swept across.

BOOM!

Yuan Zhao was hammered into the wall again. This time, he couldn’t be pried out.

When Huai Shi came to his senses, he sighed in relief. It wasn’t that the victory was too close, but that I fought too smoothly. I almost decapitated Yuan Zhao... This little brother is too miserable, not only Cursed but also nearly beheaded.

Life is tough.

After dealing with Yuan Zhao, Huai Shi cast out The Sorrow of Index, then turned back to Yuan Yuan. "Are you all right?"

Yuan Yuan still nodded with her usual grace and reserve, but her gaze seemed a bit unfocused.

Behind her, the Lin family’s Little Nineteen expressed his gratitude quite eagerly. However, Wang Xu and the child beside him couldn’t help but shrink back a little. Only Feng Chu remained utterly clueless and shocked, still reeling from the revelation that his goddess had suddenly turned into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, wielding a sword and thrashing her cousin for fifteen minutes. He hadn’t yet returned to reality.

"It’s good that you’re okay. Leave the rest to me."

Huai Shi casually reached out and ruffled Yuan Yuan’s hair. Only after he finished did he realize his action was a bit inappropriate; he quickly retracted his hand with embarrassment.

"Ah, sorry..."

"It’s okay."

Yuan Yuan just took a step back and lowered her head in calm gratitude. "Please take care of Ah Zhao for me."

"Sure, don’t worry."

Huai Shi paused for a moment and then smiled. "I do this all the time."

Although he was more often a Second fifth or a beheader. But treating Yuan Zhao was no problem.

He approached Yuan Zhao, looked down at the "little brother," and couldn’t help but inhale sharply.

Damn, he’s almost stone-cold. How am I supposed to save him?!

Local organ mutation, blood-red eyes indicating Source Substance contamination—apart from his Soul that was still intact and resisting the nightmare, he was close to transforming into an Erosion species.

Thanks to the Mountain Monarch’s broadsword’s killing power against Alien Species Source Substance, Yuan Zhao, now beaten to a pulp by his own cousin, had narrowly avoided full mutation.

Being eroded to this extent... In the end, it’s because society hasn’t beaten him up enough...

Huai Shi took a deep breath, and a blaze of green fire burst forth from his body as he raised his hand and smacked Yuan Zhao hard on both sides of his face.

Apocalypse, heart poison, Border influenza, Abyss red-eye disease—I’ll flood him with all of it at once!

Fighting poison with poison!

He was slick with this approach.

After two slaps, Yuan Zhao started to convulse, quickly developing a fever. However, the Erosion infection on his arm had reduced by half.

The red light in his eyes gradually dimmed, but he had not yet awakened, still tangled in the nightmare.

Huai Shi paused. The stimulus I provided still isn’t enough? No, Yuan Zhao has been dragged too deep into the nightmare.

He reached out, sensing Yuan Zhao’s Soul struggling to function, and couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration. To be dragged this deep, he can probably see the Rotten Dream Queen directly by now, right? And he still hasn’t gone mad? This guy’s mental fortitude might be even stronger than I imagined. It seems I’ll have to give him an even more severe stimulus to wake him up...

Huai Shi hesitated for a moment, bent down, and picked up a Source Substance figurine from a crushed box. He took the scantily clad anime doll and placed it in front of Yuan Zhao.

In an instant, the crazed Yuan Zhao was drawn to the figurine. His eyes filled with longing and greed, drool spilling from the corners of his mouth as he muttered delirious words about ’wife’ and ’favorite.’

Huai Shi shook his head with a sigh of resignation and, right in front of Yuan Zhao, decisively broke off one leg of the figurine!

SNAP.

Yuan Zhao stiffened, letting out a desperate scream.

It’s working!

Huai Shi was overjoyed. He picked up the figurine, brought it to his mouth, licked it, and managed a lecherous grin. "Your wife is fantastic."

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Yuan Zhao screamed, struggling furiously. The red light in his eyes quickly faded as tears streamed down his face. He cried out in grief and indignation, "Cousin, save me!!!!!"

He was awake.