Chapter 261: Gathering

Federal Weird Investigation Bureau, Command Center.

Wei Gong's hand holding the teacup remained perfectly still.

In the telephone handset, Liang Wen's voice was hoarse as if sanded with sandpaper, each word heavy with fatigue.

"...... We were completely annihilated."

"Nie Yang and L, and all the Special Forces that later came to assist, are dead."

"Ouyang Feng's incarnation, the 'Bone City', will swallow an entire city, then the whole Z Province, and finally......"

Liang Wen coughed violently, spitting not phlegm but scalding froth of blood.

"That's not something we can counter with conventional weapons; any attack would only become its nourishment, making it stronger."

"I've Rewinded once before; this is the second time."

On the other end of the phone, a prolonged silence settled.

In the silence, only Liang Wen's heavy, painful gasps echoed, each one striking Wei Gong's nerves.

Wei Gong offered no doubt, asked no why, and showed not the slightest surprise.

He simply listened quietly.

He understood the Weird that Liang Wen wielded better than anyone.

Codename 【Abyss Walker】.

A man walking within the Abyss can rewind time and alter the future.

The price is the burning of one's life.

Each Rewind consumes his own lifespan to grant everyone a chance to start over.

Liang Wen's current weakness is the clearest proof.

"I need the Highest Command Authority."

Liang Wen's voice rose again, this time, despite his weakness, carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Three hours: we must locate him and seize control before Ouyang Feng uses that Weird Object."

"Or......"

"Kill him."

The final three words were cold and bone‑chilling.

Wei Gong slowly set the teacup down; its base met the table with a faint, muffled thud.

He closed his eyes.

In his mind rose Ouyang Feng's aloof, sharp face that never accepted defeat.

That was the ace he had personally promoted, the Federation's sharpest blade.

And now, that blade is about to point at the Federation's heart.

"Permission granted."

Wei Gong opened his eyes; his cloudy old eyes held no hesitation, only steel‑cold ruthlessness and decision.

"From now on, you are the On-site Temporary Commander for this operation."

"Jiang Yuan is on the border; it's too late."

Wei Gong's voice traveled through encrypted channels, reaching every relevant person's ear clearly.

"Send me the Red Command, urgently summon the 'Mei' Action Group currently detaining the strange tale in the province, equipped with the Tail-Head Snake and Balance systems, and arrive at the target coordinates within two hours."

"Order the Space-Air Integrated Combat Force into Condition One combat readiness."

Wei Gong paused; his hoarse voice carried the oppressive weight of an impending mountain rain.

"Tell Qin Zhixia."

"If suppression fails, authorize on‑site execution."

"No need to request approval."

Meanwhile.

Inside an abandoned factory hundreds of kilometers away.

The air was filled with a strange, cloying sweetness mingled with dust and blood.

Kneeling on one knee, Qin Zhixia meticulously wiped the slime off her exoskeleton armor with a specially made cleaning cloth.

Her high ponytail was slightly disheveled, and her combat suit was stained with grime, clearly after a fierce battle.

"Captain, the strange tale 'Sweet Home' has been fully contained, no casualties, and the site is being sealed off."

A report crackled through the earpiece.

"Received."

Qin Zhixia replied coldly, preparing to stand.

At that moment, a rapid, shrill alarm blared in her earpiece without warning.

It was the highest‑level Red Command.

It meant a city‑annihilating disaster was unfolding.

"Command issued: 'Mei' Action Group, wrap up the current mission quickly and relocate immediately."

"Target coordinates: Z Province, Happiness Community."

Wei Gong's emotionless voice cut straight onto the channel.

"Mission target: Federal Weird Investigation Bureau Core Captain, Ouyang Feng."

"Mission level: S."

"Mission objective: suppress, or...... eliminate."

Qin Zhixia's wiping motion froze abruptly.

Ouyang Feng?

That man, aloof to the bone, who valued his sidearm more than his life?

That comrade who, in countless missions, used his back to block deadly attacks for them?

How could he become the mission target?

The shock lasted less than a second.

Qin Zhixia's gaze returned to absolute calm.

She did not ask why.

The Investigation Bureau's iron law is obedience.

"Mei Operation Group, received."

She stood up, re-holstered the 'Tail-Head Snake' pistol at her waist, and her originally weary gaze turned sharp as a blade.

"All personnel board the aircraft; within five minutes, I want to see the transport plane take off."

Investigation Bureau Dormitory Building, rooftop.

Liang Wen shoved open the heavy iron door and stumbled out.

The night wind howled, making his windcoat flap loudly.

The side effects on his body grew increasingly severe.

His vision began to double, the rooftop beneath him spun, and the distant city lights blurred into a hazy patch.

He felt he was about to go blind.

"Damn..."

Liang Wen muttered a curse, leaning against the wall, his body trembling like chaff in a sieve, cold sweat soaking his back.

He knew that, in his current condition, not to mention fighting, even standing steadily was difficult.

But time waits for no one.

He had to ensure he had enough combat power to face that madman on the verge of becoming a god.

Liang Wen trembled as he pulled a metal syringe from his pocket.

Inside was an amber-colored liquid.

High-purity adrenaline, capable of squeezing out the body's full potential in a short time.

The cost is that, afterward, for at least a week, he will become a wreck unable to even twist open a bottle cap.

He might even suffer permanent nerve damage.

He hesitated not at all.

He rolled up his sleeve and viciously drove the icy needle into his arm vein.

As the fluid was forcefully injected,

A violent surge of heat instantly swept through his whole body!

Liang Wen's pupils contracted suddenly into a dangerous pinpoint, his vessels bulged all over, and beneath his skin it felt as if countless tiny snakes were writhing.

That enfeeblement near death was forcibly suppressed by a savage frenzy.

The world became clear again.

The roar of a helicopter in the distance grew nearer.

He lifted his head; those peach-blossom eyes, usually wearing a chuuni smile, now held only icy resolve.

Tongzi Lou, outside Room 502.

Ouyang Feng stood in the center of the dim corridor.

He had just crushed the signal recorder he carried, then flipped the switch on the wide-area signal jammer.

Now, this place had become an island of information.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward, forming a cold, weird arc.

A new god is about to be born.