A river of blood spread, reaching the feet of the group.
The sound of footsteps echoed in the underground passage, not stopping at the door of the room but pacing back and forth continuously, as if deliberately tormenting them.
"Tap, tap, tap—"
The footsteps suddenly quickened, as if someone was running in the passage.
Tong Yang tightened her grip on the dagger, ignoring the commotion outside the door. To her, Xue Wei, with his unclear identity and motives, was more dangerous.
The other two were like her, watching Xue Wei warily, turning a blind eye to the noises outside.
Xue Wei's eyes narrowed slightly. Even with the blade pressed against his throat, he remained composed and said, "Is this how I taught you?"
Tong Yang said, "Speak properly. If you die here, no one will ever know why."
Xue Wei sighed, "This place is different from the Third World. After entering the Second World, their actions are not bound by rules."
Tong Yang narrowed her eyes, "So you really do know my identity."
Xue Wei said, "Yes, I know."
"Who else knows besides you?"
"For now, only I know."
Tong Yang frowned and let go, "How did you know?"
Xue Wei had known her identity all along but had never exposed her, nor had he told others. He had even repeatedly provided her with opportunities. At least from the current situation, he harbored no ill intent.
Xue Wei shrugged, "Now's not the time to talk about this. Let's find a way out first."
"Bang!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a giant axe split the door plank. Through the crack, a burly man stared at them.
Mi Qi crouched and moved behind the door, his hands moving deftly as he wrested the axe away, then turned and swung it down at the man.
A section of the man's wrist was chopped off, blood splattering across Mi Qi's face. He kicked the man away forcefully and discovered many more people standing in the passage. A grin spread across his face, "Been so bored lately, finally something to do."
With that, he plunged headlong into the crowd. Soon, the sound of tearing flesh came from outside the door.
Xue Wei clicked his tongue, "Are kids from the Third World always this brutal?"
Tong Yang said, "No, most are quite docile. He's the exception."
"Hey! What are you standing around for? Let's go!" Mi Qi shouted.
Unfazed by the situation, the three of them calmly stepped into the passage.
The walls were stained with blood, corpses littered the ground, and a river of blood flowed. Mi Qi swung the axe, carving a gory path.
"Follow me."
The three followed him out of the underground passage.
It was daytime. A thick fog filled the air, making everything beyond two meters completely invisible. The surrounding buildings were shrouded in smoke, making it impossible to discern direction.
A rustling sound arose, as if someone was moving through the dense fog. In this pitch-black place where you couldn't see your own hand, the situation was highly unfavorable for them.
"How do we get back?" Tong Yang asked.
Having entered from the First World, the actions of people in this parallel world weren't restricted. Most likely, the methods for leaving and entering this parallel world were different from those in the real world.
Xue Wei said, "Let's find a safe place first."
Before they could hesitate, people from the underground passage had already chased them out.
Mi Qi scanned the thick fog and faced one direction, saying, "This way."
"Go!"
Mi Qi, axe in hand, led the way. Tong Yang and Xue Wei walked in the middle, with Bai Sining bringing up the rear.
"Thud—"
Mi Qi, with his keen sense of smell, detected someone approaching and swung his axe.
Tong Yang gripped her dagger tightly, vigilantly scanning the surroundings. Those who had chased them from the underground passage were eliminated one by one by Bai Sining.
Xue Wei was unarmed, observing the disturbances in the thick fog caused by people passing by.
They kept moving forward, dealing with everyone they encountered along the way. Soon, they stopped in front of a house. Several metal arrows pierced through the void with a "zing," embedding themselves in the wall.
"Get inside first, assess the surroundings."
The four pushed open a window and climbed in, immediately locking it behind them.
The interior of the house was furnished with old, worn items, showing no signs of recent habitation. Large patches of brown liquid covered the floor, emitting a strong odor of decay.
The four found the staircase and went upstairs, looking down from a window.
The fog reached about two stories high. Some other buildings were visible around, but from their appearance, they were completely abandoned, exuding an aura of age and decay.
"Seems they didn't follow us up," Mi Qi said, standing by the window and glancing down a few times.
Tong Yang said, "Since no rules can restrict their actions, why aren't they trying to wipe us out completely?"
Xue Wei said, "I don't know."
Tong Yang shot him a glance, "This matter has nothing to do with you?"
"No, why would I create trouble for myself?"
Hearing this, Tong Yang frowned.
Xue Wei had a point. If it were related to him, he had simpler ways to deal with Tong Yang, especially since she was right under his nose.
Had she already been discovered by others?
But there had been many opportunities before. Entering the parallel world didn't require a specific location. Why was she discovered only after meeting with Bai Sining and the others?
Mi Qi said, "It's not necessarily that you were discovered."
Xue Wei and Tong Yang looked at him simultaneously, their expressions stunned.
If Tong Yang's identity wasn't discovered, there was another possibility for why they were attacked after meeting Bai Sining.
"The parallel world deliberately brought us here. Their goal isn't necessarily to kill us, but to deepen the conflict between you and the United Government?" Tong Yang said.
Xue Wei frowned, "Then that's bad."
The old man's corpse, which Xue Wei had used as a shield, would return to the First World. Others seeing his body and the disappearance of Tong Yang and the others might think the negotiations failed and a conflict erupted, resulting in the old man's death at the hands of Bai Sining and Mi Qi.
The United Government would eventually learn about the failed negotiations and the old man's death. Coupled with their disappearance, the two sides were highly likely to erupt into conflict, allowing the parallel world to reap the benefits without lifting a finger.
"The nature of failed negotiations is different from killing someone after failed negotiations. We must find a way back to prevent them from clashing with the United Government."
The parallel world hadn't seen through Tong Yang's identity. Otherwise, they would have acted during Tong Yang's first solo negotiation attempt. But they waited until the second time when the old man and Xue Wei came together. Their goal was likely to deepen the conflict between the two sides.
Then, whether the parallel world wanted to target Bai Sining's group or the United Government, it would be effortless.
They probably never imagined that, through a twist of fate, they had dragged in Tong Yang, the temporal anchor point.
"How do we leave this place?" Tong Yang turned to Xue Wei and asked.
Xue Wei said, "Although there are no rule restrictions in the Second World, for those who enter the Second World through non-standard channels, we need to fulfill certain conditions to return."
Seeing their puzzled looks, Xue Wei explained, "They are rules established by the United Government and the Second World to prevent people from shuttling freely between the two worlds."
"What are the conditions?"
Xue Wei shook his head, "I don't know. There should be an energy terminal nearby. Finding it will reveal the conditions."
Mi Qi said, "The longer they keep us here, the more likely conflict with the United Government becomes. The energy terminal probably won't be easy to find."
"Aside from that, is there any other way?" Tong Yang asked.
Before coming, Tong Yang and Xue Wei had left all their belongings in the aircraft, so there was no way to contact others. Furthermore, the slums had no satellite signal coverage, and Bai Sining and the others had no communication devices, making it impossible to send messages to either side via electronic means.
Although the United Government had not taken action against Bai Sining and the others before this, that was based on the condition that there were no casualties on either side. Now, the elder who was negotiating had died on Bai Sining's turf. How long could the United Government tolerate such a blatant provocation?
Xue Wei said with difficulty, "I've never left the First World. I don't know if there are other methods."
"Then the only option is to find the energy terminal."
"The Parallel World hasn't continued their attack on us. If we search for the energy terminal, they definitely won't just sit back and do nothing."
Tong Yang pondered for a moment and said, "I have an idea."
The other three focused their gazes on her, asking in confusion, "What idea?"
Tong Yang said, "Although I don't know how to enter the First World, I do know how to return to the Real World from the Parallel World."
Mi Qi's eyes widened. "You mean..."
"Since we can't go directly to the First World, we'll return to the Real World first."
Then, Yan Qing from the Parallel World would send them into the First World.
At this point, Tong Yang looked at Xue Wei, who widened his eyes in disbelief. "You're not planning to leave me here alone, are you?"
Tong Yang said, "I don't understand your motives. If I rashly take you into the Real World, who knows what you might do."
Of course, Tong Yang didn't believe he could actually accomplish much in the Real World; she just wanted to use the opportunity to pry some information from him.
Xue Wei said helplessly, "What could I, an unarmed person, possibly do to you?"
He glanced at Mi Qi. "I'm no match for this little one."
Mi Qi, shouldering her axe, chuckled. "You flatter me."
Though young, Mi Qi, as a member of "The Spiders," possessed genuine skills.
Tong Yang gave Xue Wei a deep look, knowing she wouldn't get any information out of him for the time being. She didn't press further and said casually, "Why are you afraid I'll leave you behind? Is there no way for the First World to enter the Real World?"
Xue Wei smiled. "There is, but it can only be implemented from within the First World."
Xue Wei's gaze shifted among the three of them. "However, I'm curious. You all should be from the Third World, right? How will you take us to the Third World?"
"I naturally have my methods." Tong Yang didn't answer directly. From this, it seemed the First World truly knew very little about her, unaware that she had replaced human tissue from the Parallel World.
Tong Yang thought for a moment and said, "The three of us are from the Real World and aren't bound by the energy cycle restrictions."
Each energy cycle only allows five people from the Parallel World to enter the Real World.
"If five people are already in the Real World during this energy cycle, you won't be able to enter."
Xue Wei said, "You don't need to worry about that. After learning you entered the First World, the Second World has focused its attention entirely on the First World."
Tong Yang said nothing more, feeling somewhat irritated. This guy Xue Wei was too much like Wu Pingxue—chatty about trivial matters but tight-lipped about any crucial information. Equally annoying.
Mi Qi looked around at their surroundings and said, "Sister Tong Yang, is there enough space here?"
Tong Yang said, "It should be sufficient."
"Then let's hurry and leave..."
Before she could finish, a soft, derisive snort suddenly came from the room.
The sudden sound instantly put all four on high alert. They looked up towards the source of the noise.
On the open railing of the fourth-floor balcony, a figure had appeared at some unknown time.
The person was dressed in black leather, the heel of her short boot lightly resting against the railing. Her hands braced on the railing, body leaning back slightly, head tilted up, yet her eyes looked down at them.
Seeing the person's face clearly, Tong Yang's pupils constricted sharply. Beside her, Mi Qi and Xue Wei also wore expressions of facing a formidable enemy.
Bai Sining was utterly astonished, his eyes shifting between Tong Yang and the newcomer.
They hadn't heard any movement, completely unaware of when she had appeared or how long she had been watching them.
"Don't be nervous. I'm just bored and wanted to come find you to play." The woman narrowed her eyes teasingly, staring at Tong Yang. "Long time no see, darling."
Tong Yang felt a chill. The person who appeared was none other than the "Forerunner" Tong Yang she had encountered once on Harker Island—that is, the Tong Yang from the First World.
Cold sweat slid down Tong Yang's temple. She hadn't expected the First World's Tong Yang to appear here. If she wanted to take action, Tong Yang and the other three would be no match for her.
The First World's Tong Yang released her grip on the railing and leaped down, landing lightly in front of the group with almost no sound. Even the air currents around her remained undisturbed, as if she were a ghost.
Even though the other party had done nothing, the four were already drenched in cold sweat.
Xue Wei feigned composure and said, "Yang Le, no wonder I always felt you seemed familiar. So you are her from the Third World."
The First World's Tong Yang gave a mocking laugh, crossing her arms. "Yang Le? Your new name?"
Tong Yang pressed her lips together, discreetly preparing her defenses. The power level of the First World's Tong Yang was simply not in their league. If she wanted to act, they would have no time to react.
The First World's Tong Yang said with feigned helplessness, "Aren't you on good terms with the 'us' from the Second World? Being so guarded against me hurts my feelings."
Tong Yang asked, "What do you want?"
"Didn't I say? Bored. Came to try my luck, and didn't expect my luck to be this good."
The First World's Tong Yang must have learned that the person behind Bai Sining and the others was Tong Yang. Combined with the Parallel World's scheme to sow discord, she had come to join the commotion. By sheer coincidence, she had run into Tong Yang herself.
She thought her luck was good. Tong Yang felt her own luck was rotten to the core.
"Which world are you actually working for?" Tong Yang asked.
The First World's Tong Yang leaned her back against the wall and smiled. "What do you think?"
Tong Yang said, "You're so capricious, I can't guess."
The First World's Tong Yang smiled without answering. "I originally came to watch the show, but unfortunately, you're too good at finding loopholes. Letting you return to the Third World would be far too boring."
"So, what do you intend to do?"
Speaking of which, even if others didn't know the identity and appearance of the Time Anchor, the First World's Tong Yang absolutely knew. With her presence, both the First World and the Parallel World could locate her immediately.
However, most people who had seen Tong Yang were dead. The remaining few basically maintained a cooperative relationship with her. Most people who had seen the First World's Tong Yang were also dead. Those still alive only cared about the coordinates and hadn't seen Tong Yang.
If the First World's Tong Yang intended to expose her, she only needed to tell those people that the Tong Yang from the Real World was the Time Anchor, and the search scope for her would shrink dramatically. Yet, until now, she hadn't done so.
The First World's Tong Yang said, "I guess you're wondering why your identity hasn't been exposed."
Tong Yang neither confirmed nor denied it, saying, "Are you willing to explain it to me?"
"It's an honor." The First World's Tong Yang gave a faint smile. "The First World indeed knows very little about you, nothing beyond your coordinates."
"The Second World at least knows your name besides your coordinates. It's just a pity that our parallel world selves have no intention of getting involved in these conflicts, and I long ago abandoned that name. Apart from a few people close to me, no one knows it."
Tong Yang nodded. "I see."
No wonder Wu Pingxue had told her that shielding her coordinates and changing her name would prevent her identity from being easily exposed.
"After saying all that, you still haven't stated your purpose," Tong Yang said.
The First World's Tong Yang lowered her gaze, her long lashes casting a shadow on her cheeks.
"These worlds are boring," the First World's Tong Yang said with a sigh. "So boring that I don't really care what happens."
Tong Yang stared at her fixedly, then after a moment asked, "What about Tong Le?"
The First World's Tong Yang let out a muffled laugh. "The place I used to live was in the slums."
"Dead?"
"Yes. A few days before I passed the test to enter the commoners' district."
Tong Yang understood. "Your parents?"
"I killed them."
Tong Yang fell silent. The social structure of the First World offered little difference for those at the bottom. Tong Yang had to admit she was luckier than the other two Tong Yangs, living in a timeline with a completely different social structure where a Tong Le suffering from a high fever could receive medical treatment.
If Tong Le had died back then, Tong Yang would have died on May 28th, 2024, and would never have become a temporal anchor or a temporal dislocation.
Different causes yield different results.
Tong Yang was just a bit luckier than them. Back then, she had chosen Tong Le over her parents.
Too much time had passed. Tong Yang could barely recall the true events of that day now.
Carrying the unconscious Tong Le on her back, and her parents in the twisted, mangled car, coughing up blood and begging her for help.
Tong Yang didn't know why they were begging her for help. She could do nothing. She could only take advantage of the truck driver calling the police to climb into the car and take the wallet from her mother's body.
Without money, she could do nothing. She couldn't save Tong Le.
She took Tong Le to the hospital. The doctor said if she had been a few minutes later, he couldn't have been saved.
At that time, Tong Yang felt profoundly grateful.
By the time she went to identify the bodies, two days had passed.
According to the police handling the incident, there were no surveillance cameras on that road. Footage from other sections showed her parents were driving under the influence and going the wrong way, bearing full responsibility for the accident.
Tong Yang had never felt any guilt over what happened that night. It was exactly what those garbage parents deserved.
If she had hesitated that night, if she had stayed at the crash scene, Tong Le would most likely have died too.
Whenever she thought about it, all Tong Yang felt was relief.
Tong Yang looked up and met her gaze. In that instant, she saw something in the First World Tong Yang's eyes that was identical to her own.
The significance of Tong Le was entirely different for them.
That tiny child was the only person in the world who loved them.
"I didn't mean to tell you all this. It's meaningless," the First World's Tong Yang said.
Tong Yang pressed her lips together. "If you have nothing else, don't waste our time."
"I enjoy wasting time, especially the time of people like you who race against the clock. I quite like seeing you people get flustered, angry, and hysterical."
Tong Yang said, "It seems you're not planning on becoming friends with me."
"Of course not. I don't need to be friends with you."
The other three watched their strange standoff, unable to interject.
"I heard you're afraid of rats. Why?" Tong Yang asked.
The parallel world Tong Yang had told her that.
Tong Yang couldn't understand. What was there to fear about something so fragile she could crush it with one hand?
The First World's Tong Yang narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth turning down, the air around her seeming to freeze.
"You really want to know?" the First World's Tong Yang said calmly.
"If I want to know, you'll tell me?"
"Of course."
Tong Yang asked, "Why?"
The First World's Tong Yang lowered her head, her hair falling over her chest, the line of her profile tense.
"After that, I could never find Tong Le's body."
"I spent a long time and finally found him in a garbage dump."
Tong Yang guessed what was coming, her face stiffening, her breath catching.
The First World's Tong Yang let out a hollow laugh. "I heard 'squeaking' noises coming from the trash pile and searched through the overwhelming stench of decay."
"Then, I discovered the source of the decay was Tong Le's corpse, and the source of the 'squeaking' was the rats eating his body."
Tong Yang lowered her eyes and said softly, "I'm sorry."
The First World's Tong Yang scoffed. "Why apologize? It wasn't your fault."
The First World's Tong Yang gradually shifted her gaze to the other three.
"You're from the United Government?" she said, looking at Xue Wei.
Xue Wei said, "Hello, I'm Xue Wei."
The First World's Tong Yang said lazily, "So, you plan to cultivate another version of me to replace me?"
Tong Yang frowned slightly, looking at Xue Wei.
"I wouldn't dare," Xue Wei said.
The First World's Tong Yang looked back at Tong Yang. "I've always looked forward to your growth."
"And so?"
"Let's play a game," the First World's Tong Yang said.
"What game?" Tong Yang asked, her expression unchanged.
"A fun game. I originally wanted to play it with our Second World self, but unfortunately, she refused."
Tong Yang was silent for a moment, remembering what the parallel world Tong Yang had said. "You want me to become a 'Forerunner'?"
"The United Government wants a compliant weapon. So they want me dead, but also want me alive until they find a replacement weapon."
"Go on," Tong Yang said.
"The temporal dislocation on you will probably disappear around 2027. I can give you two years. You must become someone capable of replacing me, kill me, or die by my hand. Before that, I will clear all obstacles for you."
Tong Yang's eyes darkened. "Why?"
"So it won't be boring anymore."
"You should know, even if you gave me ten years, I wouldn't be your match," Tong Yang said.
The First World's Tong Yang smiled. "I know. But aren't you clever? Think of another way. Or die by my hand in two years, and the Third World will be completely overrun."
Tong Yang said, "If I win, what's in it for me?"
"Your goal is probably the magnetic field energy. I'll pave the way for you. If you can win, everything will be resolved. Do you want to play?"
Tong Yang chuckled wryly. "It seems this isn't just a contest between you and me, but between the First World and the real world."
The First World's Tong Yang said, "If I win, the Third World falls. If you win, the Third World achieves its goal."
"For you, this is a hard-won shortcut."
