“But there are no useless ‘Echoes’ in this land, are there?” Zhang Shan asked.
“Of course not. I’ve only just realized that now,” Chu Tianqiu laughed. “Perhaps my ‘Echo’ isn’t the most useless… but the most useful. It could make me a ‘god’ here.”
After pondering for a long while, the bespectacled man spoke up with some reluctance, “But Mr. Chu… forgive me for saying so, you seem… quite mad. Can you really reach that point?”
“My ‘Echo’ destined me to be a madman,” Chu Tianqiu grinned. “If I had accepted this role sooner, I might have already become a deity.”
After saying this, he swept his gaze over the group and asked softly, “Will you join me?”
Old Lü rubbed his face and said, “But kid… is ‘Paradise Port’ even still around? I feel like this place is already finished…”
“It doesn’t matter,” Chu Tianqiu replied. “‘Paradise Port’ was never truly mine—consider it returned. Besides, as long as I’m here, allies will gather. The question is… have you all made your decision?”
Hearing this, everyone fell into silent contemplation.
Chu Tianqiu had proposed an incredibly bizarre path.
Ahead lay an abyss, behind was a fog.
None of those present knew what had happened in the past, nor could they foresee what was to come. They only knew that refusing meant continuing to live here, while accepting could mean complete annihilation.
Upon careful consideration, it became clear just how absurd Chu Tianqiu’s suggestion was.
“Zhang Shan,” Chu Tianqiu turned to him when no one answered, “what do you say?”
“I…” Zhang Shan knew he had already pledged his loyalty to Chu Tianqiu and had no reason to back out now. Yet a question gnawed at him. “Can you… tell me about Nie Bei?”
“Ah, of course,” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Nie Bei likely came from the year 2040, serving in the ‘Southwest Falcon’ special forces of the Chengdu Military Region. His combat skills were exceptional—strategic, tactical, and also the leader of ‘Vortex City.'”
“You mean… he ruled an entire city?” Zhang Shan asked.
“Exactly. It may sound impossible to you, but that’s the reality. Every city outside of ours had a clear leader guiding its people forward.” Chu Tianqiu sighed faintly. “But as I said, he too was ‘ephemeral.'”
“You mean… he reached that pinnacle?”
“No…” Chu Tianqiu shook his head. “How should I put this…”
He lowered his head in thought before speaking again. “Years ago, Nie Bei and I met and devised a plan. We started from the same point, but our paths diverged. For one, he was far more suited to leadership than I—quickly rallying nearly ten thousand people. I couldn’t do that. And secondly… he took that path to its end.”
“What path?”
“‘Gambling with the Zodiacs,'” Chu Tianqiu answered gravely. “He was a man worthy of respect. I heard that when ‘Vortex City’ fell, the stationed ‘Zodiacs’ celebrated as if reborn.”
“This…”
The group exchanged stunned glances. The bespectacled man spoke slowly, “Mr. Chu… are you saying this Nie Bei led thousands to gamble their lives against the ‘Zodiacs’?”
“Yes,” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Would anyone else here have that kind of courage? To him… this was war.”
“But he failed,” Zhang Shan said. “Even if ten thousand people gambled against a hundred ‘Zodiacs,’ they couldn’t win. What can a handful of us do?”
“He did fail,” Chu Tianqiu admitted. “But he also revealed something to us… even the ‘Zodiacs’ can feel fear—even the ‘Earth-level’ ones. And…”
Chu Tianqiu’s eyes locked onto Zhang Shan. “I realized one more thing.”
“What?”
“‘Troop deployment,'” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “It’s a strange feeling—discovering a dead man’s strategy over a year later. That strategy helped me understand even more.”
Just then, Chu Tianqiu sensed something unusual behind him.
He turned slowly to see a lean figure approaching from the school gates.
Even from a hundred meters away, the figure’s presence was unmistakable.
No one spoke as they watched the silhouette stride toward them.
Han Yimo, who had been silent until now, swallowed hard. “Chu Tianqiu… do we keep killing?”
“Kill…?” Chu Tianqiu turned back, amused. “With your ‘Seven Black Swords’?”
Han Yimo nodded. “It’s all I have left.”
“Your swords only judge the wicked,” Chu Tianqiu chuckled. “If I’m not mistaken… they won’t even scratch him.”
“What?” Han Yimo stared in disbelief at the distant figure. “You’re saying that person is… without sin?”
“Go ahead and try if you don’t believe me,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Only you and the bespectacled one will die here. The rest are safe.”
“But who is that?” Han Yimo asked.
“He…” Chu Tianqiu murmured, “is another ‘ephemeral one.'”
Qi Xia, seeing the group on the playground, paused briefly before resuming his steps. Then, an eerie smile crept onto his face.
Chen Junnan, Qiao Jiajin, Tian Tian, Zheng Yingxiong, and Qin Dingdong had followed Qi Xia at a distance to ‘Paradise Port.’ Just as they saw him enter the school gates, they spotted another figure darting from the side and stopping at the entrance.
All five turned to look—only to see Qiao Jiajin sneaking toward them.
Chen Junnan and Tian Tian glanced at the Qiao Jiajin beside them. The atmosphere grew uncomfortably strange.
Before anyone could react, the figure shifted into Chu Tianqiu in the blink of an eye.
This ‘Chu Tianqiu’ stood facing the group on the playground, silent and still, though his chaotic thoughts were evident—he seemed unable to control his ‘Echo.’
Another blink, and he transformed again, this time into a young woman.
“Seriously? You’re just gonna shapeshift right in front of us?” Chen Junnan muttered as he stepped forward. “Sister Xu, showing off?”
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