Jin Yuanxun stretched his limbs and looked past Li Xiangling to Chu Tianqiu standing behind her.
Their eyes met, and Chu Tianqiu smiled. “I won’t give up. Be careful—she’s tougher than you think.”
Jin Yuanxun pondered for a moment, glanced at Chen Junan’s corpse on the ground, then looked up and asked, “Brother… even if I die, you’ll save me, right?”
Chu Tianqiu fell silent for a long while before grinning. “Jin Yuanxun, you can’t rely on me for everything. You have to depend on yourself.”
Jin Yuanxun’s expression darkened slightly before he nodded. “Got it, Brother.”
Just as he was about to step forward, Old Lv couldn’t take it anymore.
“W-Wait a sec…” Old Lv scratched his chubby nape and asked, “What the hell are you two doing? Two grown men ganging up on a little girl?”
“Get lost,” Jin Yuanxun said. “Brother Chu wants her to stay.”
“W-What do you mean ‘get lost’?” Old Lv bristled, clearly annoyed. “You look like you’re barely fifteen or sixteen. That how you talk to your elders?”
Auntie Tong, who had been listening quietly, whispered, “Old Lv, maybe we shouldn’t interfere…”
“No way!” Old Lv declared righteously. “I may not look like much, but I know right from wrong when it counts!”
“Sir, I appreciate the concern,” Li Xiangling said, her eyes locked on Jin Yuanxun. “But his ability is dangerous. Stay back—you might get hurt.”
“Kid, don’t play the hero!” Old Lv rolled up his sleeves and stomped forward. Despite his bluster, his voice trembled. “Let’s see if this punk can actually kill all of us!”
Jin Yuanxun smirked, then shut his eyes—and vanished.
The next second, he appeared atop a table beside Old Lv and kicked him square in the head.
The overweight man couldn’t dodge in time. With a yelp, he crashed to the ground.
But the momentary distraction gave Li Xiangling an opening.
She reacted instantly, spinning into a whip-like side kick that shattered the table. Jin Yuanxun leaped into the air, disappearing mid-jump before reappearing on another table.
Li Xiangling abandoned defense, pressing the attack.
Human legs are naturally stronger than arms, and Jin Yuanxun knew Li Xiangling was no pushover, so he kept her at bay with kicks.
Yet she was far more agile than expected. Instead of blocking, she dodged each strike and countered by kicking the tables beneath him.
Indoor fights rarely involve high jumps—losing footing is too risky. But Jin Yuanxun didn’t care, vanishing just before each table collapsed.
Three minutes into the fight, Li Xiangling was panting, while Jin Yuanxun, who’d been effortlessly teleporting, showed no fatigue.
“Enough,” Chu Tianqiu murmured. “Take her down.”
Jin Yuanxun flashed to the nearest table, poised to kick Li Xiangling mid-breath—when the table leg suddenly snapped beneath him.
He shut his eyes, reappearing on another table—only for that one to collapse too.
This time, he couldn’t avoid it. With a thud, he crashed to the floor.
Silence filled the room, save for Li Xiangling’s ragged breaths. She frowned—how had the teleporting menace just tripped over broken furniture?
Chu Tianqiu’s brow furrowed. Scanning the room, he muttered, “There’s a hidden expert…?”
Jin Yuanxun slowly stood, warily eyeing the crowd before shooting Chu Tianqiu a questioning look.
Two tables breaking in a row? Too coincidental—unless it was an 「Echo」.
Chu Tianqiu mentally cataloged the known 「Echoes」 in the room, narrowing it down to two suspects:
Xu Qian. Dr. Zhao.
The first girl was unfamiliar—had she concealed some bizarre ability? But if she was that strong, why had Chen Junan died so brutally?
So then…
His gaze shifted to Dr. Zhao.
Ah. How interesting.
In all his intel, he’d never uncovered the doctor’s 「Echo」. He’d assumed the man was just an 「Unlucky One」.
Dr. Zhao glanced up, accidentally meeting Chu Tianqiu’s eyes before hastily looking away.
Chu Tianqiu grinned, standing to approach him. “Fascinating… hiding this long?”
Dr. Zhao swallowed hard, his gaze darting nervously. Han Yimo, sensing the tension, subtly scooted aside.
Knowing he couldn’t evade, Dr. Zhao forced a weak smile. “What are you talking about?”
“Doctor,” Chu Tianqiu leaned down, locking eyes, “your day job is ‘repairing,’ but your side gig is ‘sabotage’?”
“I—I don’t understand…”
“No need.” Chu Tianqiu chuckled. “But have you noticed the room’s dwindling numbers? How many of Qi Xia’s people are left?”
Dr. Zhao stiffened. He hadn’t realized—
Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Li Shangwu left with the 「Cat」. Lin Qin, Zhang Chenze, Su Shan, and Qin Dingdong went to a game. Chen Junan died minutes ago.
Soon, Tian Tian would leave with Yun Yao. The only ones left were himself and…
Han Yimo?
“W-What are you implying?” Dr. Zhao stammered. “They’ll be back tonight.”
“Really?” Chu Tianqiu rested a hand on his shoulder. “It’s nearly dusk. Ask yourself—who’s actually returning?”
Dr. Zhao paused.
He was right.
No one.
Each had their own goals—none would willingly stay.
“You’re isolated. Qi Xia abandoned you. Don’t you see?”
The words visibly shook both men.
“Not that I blame him. Cutting dead weight is just survival here.” Chu Tianqiu studied Dr. Zhao’s face, satisfied. “But 「Paradise」 welcomes all 「Echo」 users.”
Before Dr. Zhao could respond, Han Yimo stood abruptly, his expression unraveling.
“What the hell did you say?!” Han Yimo’s pupils trembled, his voice hoarse. “Qi Xia… abandoned me?!”
A distant bell tolled, echoing through the room.
Chu Tianqiu frowned, turning to him.
“Without Qi Xia… what do we do?!” Han Yimo’s lips quivered. “What happens when we die?!”
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