Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Hiss~ Thank You, Protagonist’s Halo, for Saving My Dog’s Life

"An interesting piece of technology, but a mere external object in the end." Chunyu Hu had caught up.

The closer he got, the more chaotic the smart brain’s local time data became.

Fortunately, thanks to the quantum dynamic architecture chip, the smart brain’s reaction speed was still very fast.

Without hesitation, it pushed the Divine Purification Force Field into an overloaded state.

From seven meters away, the field instantly surged toward him.

Chunyu Hu’s heart leaped. He suddenly sensed danger—a deathly premonition burst forth.

"Slow!"

He activated his ability. The force field, which should have enveloped him in an instant, now crept forward at a snail’s pace.

He didn’t even have to dodge; he could avoid it with a leisurely stroll.

However, the smart brain’s goal wasn’t to instantly kill Chunyu Hu with the Divine Purification Force Field, but to construct a protective layer to prevent a direct close-quarters attack.

"A special force field designed specifically against the Umbral Virus." Chunyu Hu retreated to a safe distance and made no further moves.

It was true he was a man from a thousand years ago, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t learn and progress. The Divine Spirit Container Technology was his own invention.

Besides this technology, the Divine Prayer Association naturally possessed a great deal of other tech, the vast majority of which were his creations.

In terms of knowledge and insight, he was far superior to the Chunyu Hu clone from the Watchman Morning Company, and leagues ahead of Qi Suian.

The real Chunyu Hu wasn’t just a schemer; he was a researcher. This was unlike the clone, who was more of a businessman and politician.

"Time... con... trol..."

Qi Suian spoke through the Tai Sui God, his voice a slow, mechanical drone.

The flow of time in the surroundings slowed drastically. His own movements were undoubtedly sluggish; even his thought processes were stretched out by the temporal deceleration.

The smart brain was no exception, though its reaction was faster.

It tried to force an escape from the area using the Wind Master flight system.

Chunyu Hu’s time ability could likely do more than just accelerate and decelerate, but it wasn’t invincible. It was limited to a ten-cubic-meter spatial domain.

As long as one could escape this spatial domain, one could break free from his control.

Calling it "time control" wasn’t entirely accurate. It was more like a limited-range Time Domain that could move with him.

Otherwise, if he could truly control the flow of time for the entire world, he wouldn’t be wary of the Divine Purification Force Field.

With curiosity in his eyes, Chunyu Hu didn’t stop the smart brain’s actions, allowing it to successfully escape the Time Domain and return to normal.

"An amateur scientist... can really achieve something like this?" Chunyu Hu didn’t think Qi Suian was part of the Watchman Morning Company.

The Watchman Morning Company was holed up on Ring Island, not daring to leave.

If they left, what good end could traitors like them expect?

The Divine Prayer Association hadn’t had the energy to deal with them before, but now that its hands were free, they surely wouldn’t dare to act up.

"Of course. As long as one is hardworking and talented enough," Qi Suian replied, deliberately not mentioning his reliance on luck.

Knowing that his opponent’s target was most likely the Ancient Dian Kingdom Jade Seal, why would he go looking for trouble?

"Tell me, why did you try to flee the moment you saw me?" Chunyu Hu asked.

"You’re a zombie, and a powerful one at that. Of course I had to run." The reason Qi Suian gave was indeed quite reasonable.

Chunyu Hu didn’t question it, as it was sound logic.

Instead, he sized Qi Suian up and down, wondering whether he should recruit him.

The man was just an amateur, which was a bit of a letdown, but that suit of armor was certainly extraordinary. Its flight speed alone far surpassed his own when he wasn’t using his ability.

As for suspecting Qi Suian was some random survivor who’d appeared out of nowhere?

That didn’t seem likely. The reason was simple: those survivors were too weak. Even with external aids, they couldn’t reach Qi Suian’s level.

It was as if they were constrained by some invisible force.

"I’ll give you a chance. Join us," Chunyu Hu said without a second thought.

"And become a zombie?" Qi Suian asked.

But Chunyu Hu just laughed. "Wishful thinking. You want to enjoy our most advanced technology the moment you join?"

"Of course, you surely wouldn’t be willing to become a zombie right now. But if you provide sufficient results, I can grant you a spot in the future."

"You will come to understand just how coveted this benefit is."

Chunyu Hu spoke bluntly, already assuming Qi Suian would join his Divine Prayer Association.

The alternative to joining was simple, too: he’d just kill Qi Suian.

The mysterious force field surrounding the man was indeed powerful, but it wasn’t as if he couldn’t kill him without getting close.

With his strength, he could just throw a rock, and the force would be more than enough to kill him outright.

A gap in power was not something that could be bridged by a mere force field.

"I can agree, but I want to retain my autonomy," Qi Suian said.

Chunyu Hu gave a mocking smile but didn’t refute him. "Of course, no problem. But within one year, you must produce a result that satisfies me."

"Otherwise, you know the consequences."

Naturally, he wasn’t going to let the man off that easily. He used his time ability to place a brand on Qi Suian.

It would serve for tracking and locating him.

"Do you know the location of the Ancient Dian Kingdom’s capital ruins?" Chunyu Hu asked directly after he was finished.

"I don’t know much. Only that before the zombie crisis, the Watchman Morning Company seemed to be funding an archaeologist’s excavation and development project," Qi Suian answered truthfully.

With his opponent’s power, he would be able to detect a lie.

So he told the truth, but with some artistic embellishment that didn’t stray from the facts.

He really didn’t know much, after all; the Ancient Dian Kingdom held too many secrets.

As for the person being funded being him... well, his role could loosely be considered that of an archaeologist.

A vicious glint flashed in Chunyu Hu’s eyes, but he didn’t doubt Qi Suian’s words.

The reason was simple: it was exactly the kind of thing those traitorous clones would do.

"I see," Chunyu Hu said calmly. Then, using his time ability, he sketched a map within the Time Domain.

"This is the Divine Prayer Association’s headquarters. Report there within seven days."

"Otherwise, if I have to come get you, I’m afraid that sickly body of yours won’t survive it." After saying this, Chunyu Hu left immediately.

He departed in the direction of Ring Island.

’Whew... Thank the protagonist’s halo for saving my hide!’ Qi Suian let out a huge sigh of relief internally.

He didn’t really believe it was his own eloquence or Chunyu Hu’s appreciation for talent that saved him. It had to be the protagonist’s halo.

’Time to go. I should see if I can pick up some scraps.’ Qi Suian knew that the original Zombie Chunyu Hu was heading off to fight the knock-off clone Chunyu Hu.

With strength like that, Ring Island was doomed.