Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

“I suspect that our jump here was part of the Central Continent team’s plan. Since they were able to track our location when we jumped to a starship, it’s not impossible that they could detect our location when we jumped to a planet. In the worst case, the expeditionary fleet in the universe is now advancing towards this planet, and it may not be long before they arrive here and destroy us along with this planet with orbital bombardment.”

He muttered to himself, "Damn it... If it weren't for the fact that the power of 'space' was overloaded due to our overuse, we could have given them a good beating this time. Although the power bestowed upon us by the Lord is 'infinite,' we don't have the ability to use it infinitely..."

“Just tell me what to do, Nijabin,” Rost said in a deep voice.

“It’s simple, we just need to hide underground.” The psychic replied without turning his head, “Even if an orbital bombardment could destroy a planet, it wouldn’t be able to reduce the entire planet to dust. As long as we hide underground, and then use my shielding protection to delay time until the 'space' on me and the 'power' on you are restored to a usable state. And by then…”

He chuckled softly.

"Even if the Central Continent team truly possesses an item or arrangement capable of touching the edge of the Lord's great power, they will inevitably expose their weaknesses under our unexpected counterattack. And it would be even better if they used that item directly on us. In that case, the Lord would probably be satisfied with the achievements we have made."

“You make a good point, Nijabin,” Rost nodded in agreement. “Then we should act immediately and dive underground. Then, wait for the right opportunity—we must speed things up.”

“Don’t rush, Rost. I’ll get started now. You have to trust my stealth abilities; not even a mosquito could detect us.” Nijabin chuckled, lightly stomping his foot on the ground. Soon, the wasteland beneath his feet seemed to writhe as if alive. The two were quickly and completely covered by the living earth, leaving no trace whatsoever.

then……

A swarm of insects, following the trail of the storm caused by Nijabin's uncontrollable mental state upon landing, arrived. While searching the surroundings, they dug into the ground and bumped into the insects underground.

The scene became extremely awkward.

Enraged, Nijabin used his mental power to crush the swarm of insects into pieces. Unfortunately, there happened to be another brain worm in the vicinity...

Thus, firepower was deployed.

The insectoids' plasma cannons bombarded the area, blasting away thirty meters of the sheer thickness of the wasteland. Left with no other option, Rost had to unleash the Victory Sword to clear the area and cover the escape of the two who had lost their teleportation ability. This was like stirring up a hornet's nest; roughly an entire legion of Arachnids was mobilized, attempting to annihilate them with sheer numbers.

There aren't many insects in a legion.

It was nothing more than a few hundred thousand warrior insects mixed with a large swarm of tank insects and fire-breathing insects. If Rost and Nigaabin went all out to kill them... well, they could at least rack up points, if not kill them all. However, just as they were about to make their move, an extremely rare sandstorm suddenly swept across the insect planet. The slightly obscured visibility wasn't the problem; the extraterrestrial fleet that had warped in could see the entire legion of insects clearly. And the ensuing orbital bombardment completely wiped out the insects on the ground and the two members of the Senzhou team.

There's no way to get more points now.

When the orbital artillery unleashed its barrage, cutting through the earth's crust, all the two could do was curse their bad luck and run for their lives. However, no matter how they ran, there were always Zerglings that would suddenly appear in their escape route, obstructing their path. Killing these Zerglings didn't take much time, but it was enough for the orbital artillery to catch up.

Wherever they ran, the shells bombed.

The physical burden could not be reduced, and the mental and energy depletion continued to intensify.

During their escape, they unknowingly drew ever closer and closer to a large void on the planet.

They were completely unaware of this.

………………

So two sections

Chapter 56: The Butterfly in the Net

They were completely unaware of this.

Logan descended gently from a tower, as silent as a night owl, and glided into a spacious and magnificent courtyard on a gentle night breeze.

This is the capital city, and the owner of this courtyard is Ernest, the most powerful minister in the empire.

It was nighttime, but the minister's residence remained heavily guarded.

—After all, he was a powerful minister, and many people wanted him dead. So it was only natural to deploy a large number of guards. And not just ordinary guards, Minister Ernest even kept many powerful warriors with unique skills, retired veterans, and even unknown Imperial Arms users as his bodyguards to ensure that he wouldn't be shot dead on the toilet by a crossbow bolt when he was unlucky.

He was very well prepared, extremely well prepared.

However, this is meaningless.

With a 'crack,' the neck of a lone guard was swiftly twisted in two. He quickly placed the dead guard's body in a clump of grass and hid it. And with a faint yellow light, his form quietly transformed into the shape of the dead guard.

This was the power he had acquired, and the source of this power was a fortuitous encounter he had after arriving in the capital. He quickly adjusted his attire and gait, and then, as he looked into the unseeing eyes of the dead guard, some rudimentary information entered his mind.

Name, code name, password, patrol route—the four essential elements for a guard were clearly reflected in his mind. With this, he easily blended into the ranks of the other guards without being detected.

He took a soft breath.

"Exx, did I slip up?" he asked himself inwardly.

Then a calm female voice resounded from the depths of his heart—[You did a great job; they didn't notice you at all. Now you just need to continue moving along the line, and then leave the line at the appropriate time to go to a more central area.]

【Understood.】

A sense of satisfaction and recognition welled up in Luo Gandao's heart, but he quickly suppressed this emotional fluctuation and continued to discreetly advance deeper into the heart of the courtyard along the patrol line. As he infiltrated, some old memories from a few days ago quietly surfaced in his mind.

He met Ex five days ago.

He was cold and hungry at the time, and the food he managed to find was expired, which caused him diarrhea. Just when he was suffering from illness and his life was hanging by a thread, Ex found him.

Ex is a consciousness from another world, without a physical body, but possessing immense power. When she arrived in this world, she discovered that she couldn't find a suitable vessel to accommodate her power, and just when she was at her wit's end, Logandao appeared in her field of vision.

"You are an outsider, a transmigrator from Earth." — When Ex's will descended upon his body, the first words she uttered made Logandao's heart pound wildly. The second sentence, however, calmed his racing heart.

"Don't worry, I'm a time traveler too. My goal isn't to kill you, and we can even cooperate." — Ex said, and then her third sentence filled Logan with joy.

"I know how to leave this world, and I know how to bring you back to Earth. On this point, our goals are aligned: I need to break through this world to reach another realm, and you, having gained my power, can also return smoothly to your homeland." — She said.

By the time she uttered her third sentence, Luo Gandao completely believed her story. Even though there were many flaws in it, he forced himself to believe what she said. A being that could speak in his mind and grant him power would likely crush him without much difficulty. And if he were to try and profit from her, his fate would probably not be pleasant.

He then expressed his complete agreement, carefully gave his name, and asked for the other person's name.

I have no name. If you insist on using a code name to refer to me, then you can use 'X' as my first name. In your Chinese phonetic equivalent, it would be 'Aix'.

Ex.

Luo Gandao liked the name very much.

It's not that the name possesses any wondrous beauty. Rather, exchanging names inherently signifies a certain trust... or a transactional relationship. It means that one is useful, at least for the time being, and doesn't need to worry about their life.

He was overjoyed, and the power and training that Exus bestowed upon him in the following period made him even happier. The ability to instantly access someone's shallow memories and transform into their image after killing them was what Exus called the 'soul.' The price he paid for it was the reward of killing a thousand innocent and ignorant people during a training session arranged by Exus.

Logan didn't care how many people he had killed, nor whether the power called 'soul' truly belonged to him. He only knew that he could become stronger by consuming the souls of others, and this strength would be in the form of more solid muscles, faster reflexes, and sharper recovery and perception, rather than some 'qi' or 'energy' that could be drained away at any moment. His rapid growth even slightly surprised Ex.

I... seem to possess some kind of extraordinary talent for combat. And if I were to shift my focus to mobility and stealth, then this talent would be considered top-tier among the best.

For example, he could have secretly slipped away from the previous patrol and moved to a more intimate area, and then punched a captain-level soldier in the throat before the latter even noticed him.

There must be no blood; if there is any blood here, it will be discovered.

The body cannot be left behind; the hunting dogs here have exceptionally sensitive noses.

He quickly transformed into the appearance of the dead captain, and other information he should know also appeared in his mind.

"[Exx, would killing the minister truly benefit us in escaping this world?]"—He adjusted his pace and demeanor as he posed this question to the unknown entity within his mind. "[You said... I might be some minor character in this world?]"

"Yes, you possess a fortune favored by the world. Not much, but enough to ensure you won't die anytime soon. I haven't found the source of your fortune, which means you've become a supporting character chosen by this world. Of course, not a very important one." — Ex replied, her serene contralto voice as always.

This world is very small; its edge is less than ten million kilometers above the ground. Rather than a world, it's more like an independent alternate dimension. While possessing consciousness, it is ignorant and unaware, simply allowing its chosen villains and protagonists to rigidly follow a predetermined script, even after selecting them to dictate its destiny.

Ex explained that, according to her, she possessed power far exceeding the limits of this world's capacity, but it was precisely for this reason that she could not allow her true form to descend—a forced descent would only trigger a dimensional storm that could potentially destroy even her immortal body. Yet, she had no choice but to come, because this world led to a place she desired to reach.

[This world is essentially a door. I came from one end, wanting to go to the other. Logan, you should have passed through the doorway and appeared inside. Currently, the door remains closed due to the slumber of the world's consciousness. Whether it's you or me, to leave this world, we must open this door. And the best way to open it is to change the fate of this world, to destroy all the protagonists and antagonists who drive history.]

"So I must kill the minister?"—Rogando asked, silently moving deeper into the courtyard. A muscular, bald, bearded man with a fierce face came into view without Rogando not noticing.

He is Zhu Tian, ​​one of the "Four Demons of Imperial Fist". It is said that he and three other monks from the Imperial Fist Temple possess power equivalent to that of ordinary Imperial Arms Users, and can freely control their bodies to fight. They are incredibly strong and are loyal bodyguards of Minister Ernest.

Then, Luo Gandao silently approached the master from behind, ignoring all the mysterious and impressive things like "a sudden impulse" and "martial arts perception." Then, with a burst of power from behind, he unleashed thirteen punches in half a second, shattering all of the master's ribs and the heart and lungs they contained before the master could make any resistance.

he died.

He died silently.

When Luo Gandao threw his first punch, he skillfully cut off Zhu Tian's airway, preventing him from immediately spitting out blood and foam. After Zhu Tian died, Luo Gandao turned and covered his mouth and nose. A pre-prepared sealed bag was then used to seal Zhu Tian's head, along with the blood and foam that was about to spurt out, inside the bag.

He then transformed into Zhu Tian's appearance.

"That's right, killing the minister will inevitably affect the fate of this world," Ex continued, answering his question. "Protagonists are too hard to find, but villains are easy. As long as you kill all the most powerful and influential people, the villains or important supporting characters in a world will inevitably die. And the more important characters who die, the greater the chance of awakening the world's consciousness."

[And once it awakens and I track its movements, I can open that door and go to the place I need—and you can also return to your homeland with this power.]

Luo Gandao nodded, indicating that he understood.

He adopted Zhu Tian's appearance and followed a route he had learned from his memories. He soon encountered the remaining three members of the Four Demons of the Imperial Fist: Matou, Suzuka, and Thorn. He executed the same method he had used to kill Zhu Tian, ​​easily dispatching the three remaining monks.

The Four Demons of the Imperial Fist were thus erased from the annals of history. They all died, their deaths utterly silent.

[Killing them doesn't seem too difficult.] Logan thought to himself, clenching his fist lightly. He clearly sensed the power he possessed, the increased strength in his body after killing the Four Demon Kings, and he knew that as long as he could return to Earth, this power would be enough to make him stand at the top of the world.

But that's not enough.

[Exx, after I return to Earth, will the ability to devour souls to strengthen myself still exist?]

"Yes, but it will be greatly weakened." — Ex answered without hesitation: "The power you possess is a seed I bestowed upon you. When you leave, I will reclaim my seed of power. Perhaps a small remnant will remain, but it will be like a tree without roots."

[What a pity.] A touch of melancholy crept into Luo Gandao's heart. But it also brought him a sense of relief. Since the other party had made it clear that they would reclaim the power, the chances of him being casually destroyed after losing his usefulness were greatly reduced. And perhaps because he felt at ease, he then asked a question in his mind that he would never have asked before.

"Are you reclaiming your power to fight an enemy?"—He immediately regretted asking the question.

However, Exus did not seem to be hiding his intentions in this regard.

"Yes, I do have some enemies." — She made no attempt to hide this.

[But they are weak—perhaps some of them have good potential, but they are still weak right now.]

I have no interest in them, nor do I intend to waste my time on them. Before coming here, I sent my servants to deal with them. It shouldn't be long before we have the results.

"Your enemies are truly pathetic," Logand thought to himself. "You don't even intend to know their names or what they look like."

[Don't worry, you're not my enemy. I've already checked your memories; although you have some time-traveling amnesia, that's normal. So you don't need to worry about your personal safety.]

"Uh... could you not be so blunt?" Logan said, slightly embarrassed. Just then, an alarm suddenly sounded from outside the courtyard. Amidst the commotion, Logan, who had arrived at the door of his target room, clearly saw a huge figure moving behind the door.

Undoubtedly, the patrolling soldiers on their changing shift should have already noticed the missing men in the ranks. The bodies should then be quickly discovered by the hunting dogs and the gifted individuals. This was all intentional on Luo Gandao's part, because the minister had nowhere to escape, and he not only wanted to kill him, but also to make him die in full view of everyone.

Killing a person is not enough; it's not enough to just kill their body.

To truly kill him, we must also destroy his social status.

He stared at the gate, and soon, the neatly dressed minister flung it open. His large face scanned the surroundings, and his gaze sharpened when he saw Luo Gandao revealing his true identity.

"Who are you!" he shouted, his voice sharp and menacing. "Where have the Four Demons of the Royal Fist gone!"

"They are dead, and you are next," Roger said calmly, watching as the obese minister suddenly unleashed a tremendous burst of power. His bulging muscles lashed out with a vicious blow aimed at Roger's chest. However, Roger easily blocked it with his hand, and with a whip kick, slammed the minister into the large house.

power.

Its own power surged even further as it devoured souls.

He took a sudden step forward and delivered a powerful punch that sent the struggling minister Ernest flying through his body. However, as he struck, he sensed something was amiss. He suddenly noticed the oily solution and intricate tubing inside the minister's body.

"A double?" Logan asked instinctively.