Chapter 1895: Another Kind of Sacrifice

Ah!!..! Ah ah ah!!.. 」

"Don't come over..!! Don't! Don't kill me ah ah!..!!"

The voice twisted and deformed.

When most people are terrified to the extreme, the only remaining instinct is survival.

Except for an extremely small number of people, who can unleash unprecedented potential in the face of death, even fighting desperately like beasts.

But it's obvious that Tang Tian is not, and is even more cowardly.

His whole body went limp, fear reaching its peak, he didn't even have the strength to stand up.

A foul urine smell came from beneath him.

Seeing Tang Mother lifted by Lin An with a kick to his face, Tang Tian felt no anger at all, only flailing his arms, screaming and kicking wildly.

In the frantic kicking, he even kicked that lump of meat away.

"No more! Lin An! I don't want anything anymore..!! Please don't kill me..! Sis..! Sis! Save me! Save me..!!"

"You can't let him kill me ah..! I don't want to die!!"

He wept bitterly.

One thought heaven, one thought hell.

Tang Tian didn't know why Lin An wanted to kill Tang Mother.

Obviously he considers himself Lin An's brother-in-law; even if they had unpleasantness before the Apocalypse broke out, that's normal, right? Who knew the Apocalypse would erupt, who knew you Lin An would come to this point?

Hasn't he apologized? Isn't he trying to reconcile?

The huge gap between reality and fantasy, like an axe, shattered all of Tang Tian's beautiful dreams.

Just minutes ago, he was still basking in the adoration of various countries' high officials, fantasizing that, relying on Lin An's name, he would become a "god" of some nation. All those lofty Awakened Ones and leaders would have to fawn over him.

He had even set his sights on a very attractive Fourth Stage individual, preparing to have them serve him.

However, just a few short minutes later, he was dragged into hell!

He still clearly didn't want anything! Tang Mother was just venting her suffering! What did they say wrong!? Their being captured—wasn't that Lin An's fault?

If it weren't for Lin An, Tang Tian might have become an Awakened One instead of a waste! Not giving compensation, not feeling guilty toward them would be bad enough—why go so insane as to kill him!!

"Lin An! We don't want anything anymore! We don't want anything! Don't kill Tang Tian! We're leaving now!"

Amidst successive huge changes, Tang Wan stumbled toward Tang Tian, grabbing her little brother who was about to be scared insane.

She endured fear and anger, only wanting to bring Tang Tian to escape this place.

Demon, butcher, monster!

She likewise didn't know why Lin An suddenly turned ruthless; she only thought Lin An still held a grudge against them!

Like a petty person who repays flaws, once gaining power, they want to humiliate everyone in front of them!

"Leave?"

"You haven't been looking for me all along?"

Lin An gave a light chuckle and walked over slowly.

To be frank, the Tang Wan family now means nothing to him.

Even if Tang Tian and the others foolishly tried to leech off his name, attempting to cling to him like bloodsuckers, he didn't need to waste any time on this bunch of trash.

But.

Can't forget...

Just like the Second Will's deep-seated hatred for those researchers, a hatred so intense they'd rather destroy everything!

Just like Long An's unwillingness—even if dismembered, even if the soul vanished, it would still linger in flesh and blood, an eternal rage in every drop of blood!

Only by killing could Lin An's mind become clear, only then could he console the desperate self standing before the door.

Forgiveness, pardon, letting go of hatred—that would be a betrayal of oneself!

Lin An had no doubt; if he were just a little "kind," he could imagine with his toes what Tang Tian and the others would do in his name.

Seeing that Lin An would never let them go, Tang Wan, face full of despair, could only desperately try to rescue the people around her.

"Save us! Quickly stop Lin An, you said you'd protect me!? He's killing people! This demon wants to kill people!!"

"Is Huang Long like that!? You're also an Awakened One, right!? You said you wanted to form a federation!?"

"He broke the law! He killed so many people, hurry and arrest him!!"

Incoherent, on the verge of collapse, Tang Wan clutched little brother Tang Tian, questioning the various countries' high officials around her like a madwoman.

However, no matter how loudly she shouted, even reaching out to grab the people,

At this moment, every national representative was frightened and hastily dodged, not daring to breathe!

Hearing Tang Wan even shout for police to come arrest Lin An,

Only then did they realize that these three, seized by the fugitives, the so-called family related to Lin An, still hadn't realized it's the Apocalypse now!

In the crowd, Huang Long, whose name Tang Wan shouted, had his legs go weak; if looks could kill, he would have already slain that crazy woman to shut her up!

He hated himself for foolishly rushing over early to curry favor, actually believing this woman had something to do with Lin An!

Morality? Law?! Damn it! Now Lin An is heaven! He is god!

"Shouted enough?"

Walking up to Tang Tian, Lin An removed his mask, lowered his head to look at Tang Wan, whose face was full of resentment yet still clung tightly to her little brother.

Just like in the past life, I have to say, Tang Wan indeed cares about her brother.

But that's what makes it interesting.

"Tang Tian, you don't want to live, do you?"

Smiling, Lin An paused a moment, a white light flashed in his hand, and an ordinary short dagger appeared in his grip.

"Perhaps only one of you two can survive."

What do you think, who will it be?

A dagger was handed over.

Tang Wan looked at the dagger before her, her face instantly turning pale, and she immediately realized what Lin An intended to do!

Devil! You inhuman beast! Little brother! Little brother, let's die together—he won't let us go!

Trembling all over, in Tang Wan's eyes Lin An was a devil wearing human skin! If she had known this would happen, she would have done anything to cripple Lin An before the Apocalypse broke out!

Lin An! Even as a ghost I won't spare you! I tell you, I never had any interest in you! You're just lucky after the Apocalypse!

Who do you think you are?! You're just a petty man who's gotten ahead! You're just a poor security guard!

You just hate that you can't have me and want revenge, right?! Without this Apocalypse, even if I slept with those bosses, I wouldn't let you touch me at all!

Hearing her own most vicious insults, Tang Wan felt it was all utterly unreal! She still couldn't connect the Lin An before her with the Lin An in her memory!

However, before Tang Wan could say anything else, the next second Tang Tian, whom she was protecting in her arms, suddenly snatched the dagger and plunged it into her chest without hesitation.

Sis! I don't want to die!! Go die! Don't let me die!!

If you want to die, don't drag me down! If you're doing this for my own good, just let me live!

One stab after another.

As if gone mad.

Driven to the brink of madness by Lin An, Tang Tian wailed bitterly over and over, while stabbing Tang Wan's chest fiercely as if facing his father's killer.

As if fearing Tang Wan wouldn't die, weakened all over, he even thought of begging Lin An for a gun to simply shoot Tang Wan dead!

For some reason, like self-brainwashing, in his extreme collapse Tang Tian's mind conjured an extremely twisted thought.

Perhaps to convince himself, or perhaps to make his strike even more ruthless!

Kill Tang Wan, and Lin An's anger will be appeased—then he can survive!

If he lives, Lin An might even be pleased with his actions and let him enjoy wealth and honor!

Exactly! That's it!

His hands covered in blood, he dared not meet Tang Wan's despairing, disbelieving eyes.

Tang Tian fell to his knees before Lin An with a thump, wailing loudly.

Lin An! Brother Lin! Great Lin Emperor!

I killed that bitch! What she did has nothing to do with me! These two contemptible women—one dared threaten you, the other insulted you! They deserved to die! But I'm not like that—I don't want to die!

Watching Tang Tian sobbing, kneeling before him and desperately kowtowing, Lin An couldn't help but be surprised at how wildly Tang Tian was acting just to survive.

He ignored Tang Tian's hopeful pleas for mercy.

Lin An turned his head to look at the fallen Tang Wan, and in a voice only the two could hear, he asked softly:

What does it feel like to be betrayed?

It's utterly hopeless, isn't it? This feeling of being betrayed by those close to you is more painful than death, right?

Shaking his head, a red light flashed in Lin An's right hand, and in an instant he reversed his grip on Cain's Blade.

You might not know... I suffered even more than this before my death...

As his words fell, Tang Wan lay on her back, blood continually seeping from her mouth, and instantly lost consciousness—as if she had understood what Lin An was saying, her pupils dilated sharply!

On her despairing face, terror instantly appeared.

Pfft!

The next second.

Lin An then calmly looked into her eyes, and before her, he drove his sword straight through Tang Tian's head.

The sharp sword tip instantly pierced Tang Tian's skull, the blood-colored blade like a skewer, pinning him alive to the ground.

In those eyes that had just lost their light, there was only bewilderment and endless regret.

The long sword was pulled out.

After settling Tang Tian with one sword, for some reason, at this very moment Lin An felt that Tang Wan's gaze was somehow off.

It was as if Tang Wan 'understood' his last words.

But before he could think further,

In an instant, countless memory fragments suddenly surfaced before Lin An's eyes.

Ding, absorption successful!

The sacrifice effect has been activated! Targeting irregular spiritual energy, it automatically draws from other sources!

What is this?!

It felt as if reality had been cut off.

Lin An's whole body stiffened, and a flood of memory fragments flashed rapidly before his eyes.

All unfamiliar, these third‑person scenes merged into his memory like a video.

No one knows how long it lasted—perhaps a minute, perhaps a second.

As the image finally froze on a third‑person view looking out the window from inside the room, Lin An finally regained his ability to think, staring blankly at the memory fragment before him.

In that third‑person memory, the time seemed to be an afternoon before the Apocalypse broke out.

In the scene, he was walking alone through the residential complex, a duffel bag from his discharge slung over his shoulder.

With short hair and a silent gait, he occasionally lifted his gaze, blankly scanning the surrounding crowd.

That was...!?

How quick the reaction was.

In an instant, Lin An realized this memory was someone from the residential complex who had unintentionally seen him just after his discharge.

And that perspective was Tang Tian's!

Residential complex... discharge... summer...

After piecing together the clues, Lin An instantly determined the exact time of this memory.

One year before the Apocalypse erupted, after his memory had been wiped, he was near the pharmaceutical company—preparing to rent a place in the residential area where Tang Wan lived!

"I actually forgot this memory? Was it burned away?"

Before Lin An could even feel surprised at having no trace of memory, he even had to infer it from the clues.

The next second, Lin An's pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had seen an absolutely impossible sight!

In this third-person memory, just as 'Tang Tian' was withdrawing his gaze and about to turn around,

In his peripheral vision, a young man wearing glasses suddenly appeared behind 'Lin An'.

Then, the bespectacled young man, whose build was like a soldier's, suddenly quickened his pace and directly collided with the area behind 'Lin An'.

After the collision, 'Lin An' paused in confusion and instinctively turned to look behind him.

At the same time, Lin An outside the memory instantly saw clearly that face in the memory!

"Chu An... that is..."

"Chu An!?"

"Buzz!"

Double memories alternated.

As Lin An stared in disbelief at Chu An, who absolutely should not have appeared at this time, a fragment from his memory suddenly flashed again.

(Sorry, I bumped into you..)

(It's fine..)

(You look like you just returned from military discharge, what a coincidence—I used to work in the military too.)

(You... what's up?)

(Oh, it's nothing, I just happen to like people from our unit; I see you just got discharged and are looking for a place to live here? You probably aren't used to it yet—outside has changed a lot.)

(Hmm... feels like a lot of things have changed. If there's nothing else...)

(Just coming back from discharge is like this—it's hard to adjust to the outside. How about this: I'll introduce you to a job nearby? You can also live in this residential area.)

(This company also works with the military, and I happen to know their supervisor. You could be in charge of escort duty when the time comes.)

(Then... thank you.)

(I'll consider it.)

The image zoomed in, Lin An stared fixedly at the final image in his hand within the picture.

That was a business card.

【Linjiang Special Pharmaceutical Medicine Co., Ltd.】

In a deathly silence, Lin An could barely hear his own violently beating heart.

He completely doesn't remember this.

If he remembered this, he would absolutely not forget that he had met Chu An before the Apocalypse! Moreover, his job after discharge was also arranged by Chu An!

Even if memories were burned, this segment could not be burned away!

Otherwise, none of his memories would make logical sense!

He could only have forgotten this memory before the Apocalypse!

"Chu An, even when I first returned to Linjiang, you intentionally made contact with me..."

"So...!?"

Scene after scene and clues seemed to link together at this moment, finally splicing into a film strip.

Lin An seemed to realize something, and suddenly lowered his head to look at the corpse at his feet.

In an instant, a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar aura surged, instantly confirming his suspicion!

"Amoeba worm original fluid! The initial half of the amoeba worm original fluid!"

Tang Tian had been injected with the original fluid.

"Cain's Blade" automatically triggered its sacrifice effect, extracting this memory!

And he, Lin An, also, stimulated by this memory, "recalled" that earlier fragment!