Chapter 265: Another Option

Outside the window, the city's neon lights reflected on Ouyang Feng's face, which had completely lost any human emotion.

He spread his arms as if to embrace this flourishing world that was about to become a sacrificial offering for his evolution.

However, he did not immediately begin his "feast".

He slowly turned his head, his sickly gaze sweeping over the three barely surviving "remnants of the old era" in the room.

Qin Zhixia's limbs throbbed with excruciating pain, making even her breath foam with blood, yet her Crimson Phoenix Eyes still stared at him deadlocked, like a trapped mother leopard.

The arm‑less Liang Wen curled up in the corner; from massive blood loss, the face that always wore an indecent grin was now as pale as a sheet of paper.

And Nie Yang.

The ever‑smiling, seemingly all‑controlling old fox had his limbs twisted into weird angles, collapsed on the ground, and the writhing flesh wall had already spread to his feet.

"Goo‑gee......"

A sticky sound echoed.

The flesh wall, like a greedy mouth, began to encircle Nie Yang's ankle.

"No, wake up......" Qin Zhixia forced out broken syllables from her throat.

Nie Yang gave no response.

The flesh wall's devouring speed suddenly accelerated!

In the blink of an eye it engulfed his calf, waist, and chest......

Finally, the face that always wore a warm smile was completely covered by dark‑red flesh.

Not even a single scream could be uttered.

The man who wielded iron‑blooded deeds behind a gentle face became, in the most humiliating and silent manner, the first nourishment for this living building.

Qin Zhixia watched helplessly as the spot where Nie Yang was devoured bulged; a thicker, more ferocious, ghastly white Bone Spike pierced the ground, and at its tip even hung Nie Yang's weapon.

Anger and despair flooded her like a tide.

Ouyang Feng enjoyed this moment.

He liked watching these old‑era ants, in the face of absolute power, reveal their most fragile, most wretched side.

"Did you see? This is the New World." his voice echoed through the animated building, bearing a god‑like indifference, "and I am the … god of the New World."

The Bone Sea began to expand wildly outward, centered on this building!

Countless Bone Spikes pierced neighboring structures, and the wails, cries, and the sounds of collapsing buildings merged into a doomsday symphony.

Everything was over.

Liang Wen clutched his bleeding severed shoulder, leaning against the cold wall corner, watching the hellish scene before him; his gaze shifted from initial terror and anger to emptiness, and finally settled into a dead‑silent calm.

His brain was operating at a speed beyond its limits.

Review.

Review wildly.

Qin Zhixia, equipped with an Exoskeleton, activated Overload Mode, and was killed in a single strike.

He himself, possessing a weapon that suppresses regeneration, lost an arm at the first encounter.

Nie Yang, senior Captain, didn't even get a chance to act before becoming the building's fertilizer.

The conclusion is clear.

At this point in time and place, facing Ouyang Feng who had already made a wish on the Wish Bottle—or even Ouyang Feng who hadn't— they were like primitive men brandishing wooden sticks, attempting to challenge a Gundam.

Their combat power exhibited an insurmountable dimensional gap.

What to do?

Even if he warned Wei Gong in advance and mobilized all the forces of the Investigation Bureau, what then?

Conventional weapons were ineffective against Ouyang Feng.

Even Jiang Yuan... that fellow monster, now far on the border, couldn't arrive in time.

The means were insufficient, manpower lacking, intelligence scarce.

This is a deadlock.

A deadlock that, no matter how many times it is replayed, if one follows conventional logic to resist, is destined to be annihilated.

Unless......

Liang Wen's pupils snapped shut.

A mad thought, like lightning slashing the night, cleaved the chaos in his mind.

He recalled the files classified as top secret.

He remembered the Symbiosis Lin Fan, who single‑handedly caused the elite squad of the Ninth Division to be shattered and is still on the run.

He recalled the Shadow Lord Jiang Yuan, who, atop the Zhijiage Feixu, commanded ten thousand Shadow Ghosts like a demon god's descent.

He remembered the Demon Eye Chen Shao, who dared to confront the Investigation Bureau head‑on and ultimately drifted away.

Why could they survive?

Why could they oppose the state machine?

There is only one answer.

Because they themselves are monsters!

Using order to fight chaos?

Using humans to protect humans?

Bullshit!

In this dark age, the only truth is—

Only monsters can defeat monsters!

Liang Wen's breathing suddenly grew rapid.

He needs more "monsters"!

He needs to raise the anomalous power he can use in his hand to a level sufficient to contend with "Bone City" Ouyang Feng!

"Huh?"

It seemed he had noticed Liang Wen's change; Ouyang Feng, who was about to enjoy the city's wails, turned his head back with interest.

He saw that the man who should have been waiting to die in the corner was actually struggling, leaning against the wall, slowly rising to his feet.

Liang Wen's face was as pale as paper; the blood from his severed left shoulder had soaked half his body, making him look miserable.

But on his face, he suddenly broke into a wide grin.

In that smile there was no fear, no despair, only hysterical madness and... mockery.

He used his only remaining right hand, slowly raising a middle finger toward the near-invincible Ouyang Feng of this timeline.

An extremely standard gesture, full of international friendly spirit.

"Hey."

Liang Wen spoke, his voice hoarse from weakness, yet each word was crystal clear.

"Scum... we'll meet again later."

He finished speaking.

Under Ouyang Feng's slightly furrowed brow gaze.

Liang Wen, with the hand still raising his middle finger, lightning-fast reached into his bosom, pulled out a high-explosive grenade, and pulled the pin.

"Boom——!!!!"

The violent explosion's firelight instantly devoured everything.

The face bearing a mocking smile was torn apart in the firelight.

The shockwave blasted the writhing flesh walls and ferocious bone spikes to pieces, also utterly drowning out Qin Zhixia's shocked gaze.

His vision fell into endless darkness.

The darkness dissipated.

"Whoosh——!"

Liang Wen sprang up from the bed in the Investigation Bureau dormitory, his heart pounding like a drum, gasping for air.

The room was silent.

The electronic clock by the bed once again showed its scarlet numbers—

【6:00 PM】

He had returned again.

"Drip."

A drop of warm liquid fell from his nostrils, splattering onto the white sheet and blooming into a small blood flower.

Then came the second drop, the third...

The nosebleed, heavier than last time, quickly stained half the pillow red.

This was the price of forcing a rewind, overdraining his life force.

He merely slowly, slowly lifted his head to look at the opposite dressing mirror.

In the mirror, a man with disheveled hair, deathly pale face, and blood-covered visage stared fixedly at him.

In those eyes, there was no longer the usual frivolity and chuunibyou.

Only one thing remained: an almost maddening calm.

Only one thing remained, a calm bordering on madness.