Jiang Yu froze, her breath catching for just a moment. In this new era of Awakening, few things could truly shock her anymore. Yet this… this was one of them.
A Talent Panel—especially one's innate talent—was the deepest secret of any Awakened. Even the government's registry didn't have the authority to demand it. For someone to voluntarily display theirs… that was sincerity beyond question.
A faint ripple of light shimmered in front of the brooding man, forming a translucent screen visible to them both. The glowing text floated in the air like the will of the system itself.
Talent: Time Traverse (SSS)
Effect One: Attribute Amplification (SSS-tier. All attributes enhanced beyond normal limits.)
Effect Two: Time Rewind (Upon death, time rewinds to a safe checkpoint. The greater the crisis, the further the rewind.)
Effect Three: Outside Time (Your true self exists partially detached from time. All damage, buffs, or debuffs directed at you are significantly diminished.)
Jiang Yu's eyes locked on the display, unable to tear away. "As expected of an SSS-tier talent," she muttered under her breath, a flicker of awe escaping despite herself. "I thought my Absolute Edict was strong, but this… this is on another level."
An ability that rewound time upon death? That wasn't just survival—it was defiance of fate itself.
But the man only gave a weary look, his tone carrying no pride. "It's not as invincible as you think. The rewinds aren't unlimited. Especially now, at zero tier, my capabilities are… restricted." His voice hardened slightly. "But I've shown my sincerity. Is that enough for you?"
Jiang Yu crossed her arms, scrutinizing him. "Your willingness to show this does say a lot. But your claim of being a 'reborn one'—does that mean in your timeline, a catastrophe so great happened that your talent activated and rewound time to the present?"
He gave a humorless laugh. "Time Rewind has limits. What dragged me this far back was my sixth-tier evolution, when my talent reached its fourth hidden effect: true Time Traverse."
Jiang Yu nodded slightly, committing that detail to memory. "I understand. Then, Lin Ming, why did you return? What is the purpose of this rebirth?"
At last, his true name spoken aloud, Lin Ming leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a humorless smile. "Purpose? You already know the first thing I did upon returning, don't you?"
Her expression tightened. "If you're referring to Tony…" she hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Our investigation shows that a student from New Haven University is exemplary. No criminal record, no questionable behavior. In fact, on the very night of Awakening, he killed three demonic beasts on campus and saved dozens of lives. Right now, there's no indication he would ever commit the kind of evil you imply."
She leaned forward, her voice low but firm. "If in your future, you and he had some personal vendetta… I hope you understand, at this time, he hasn't done anything wrong."
For Great Xian, if Lin Ming's claims were real, his knowledge of future disasters was invaluable. But Tony… Tony was the rising star of humanity, first to clear multiple trial dungeons, to conquer an Ascension dungeon, and to become a Tier One Awakened. He was the people's hero right now, their hope.
The higher-ups would want reconciliation, not enmity.
She had hoped reason would prevail—but instead, her words lit a fuse.
Lin Ming shot to his feet, fists slamming the table with a resounding crack that made the air vibrate. His voice rose like a whip-crack of thunder.
"You think this is about me? You think this is a petty feud?!"
The force of his fury shook the room. His face twisted with anguish and wrath, his voice raw as he roared, "Do you have any idea what it cost to send me back here? Do you know how many people chose to die, how many burned their lives to ash, just for a chance—just one desperate, fleeting chance—to change what's coming?!"
He pounded the table again, eyes blazing. "We sacrificed everything to stop a tragedy from repeating itself! To cut off despair at the root! To stop a nightmare future where no one—no one—has hope of survival!"
He leaned forward, staring into Jiang Yu's eyes with the weight of countless ghosts behind his gaze. "You… you don't know anything."
Jiang Yu inhaled slowly, refusing to flinch. The shock of his first outburst had prepared her. She met his fury with a steady gaze. "Then tell me," she said quietly, "what kind of man does Tony become in your future?"
Lin Ming's breathing slowed, his anger condensing into something heavier, colder. A shadow flickered in his eyes—part hatred, part fear, part grief.
"He becomes the ultimate evil," Lin Ming whispered, voice rough as broken glass. "A Demon King who shrouds Blue Star in fear. Immortal and undying. Omnipotent. Even with my SSS talent, I could never touch his true self. He stood at heights we couldn't even fathom."
His lips curled, bitterness lacing every syllable. "I won't deny that he saved humanity countless times. No calamity could stand before him. Disasters that should have annihilated us all, he erased with a flick of his wrist."
Lin Ming's expression darkened to a mask of horror. "But something changed—or maybe it was always his nature. His moods shifted like storms. Once, in a fit of rage, he erased an entire city from existence. Millions dead in an instant. He called meteors from orbit, unleashed tsunamis… just to watch people struggle. To laugh as they died. And that was just a fraction of his sins."
His voice dropped to a rasp. "As long as he lives, Blue Star has no future. Even death would be kinder than his rule."
Jiang Yu sat in silence, the weight of his words sinking into her bones. One thought repeated in her mind: One step from godhood, one step from demonhood.
That was the Tony of the future—a savior who became a tyrant, an apex predator of humanity itself. With such power, morality ceased to exist. He was no longer a man, but a law of nature, merciless and untouchable.
Finally, Jiang Yu spoke, her tone solemn. "So your first act was to hunt him down. You failed. And now you're here, revealing everything, hoping to earn our trust and use our strength to kill him before he becomes that monster. Am I wrong?"
She knew the Bureau wouldn't authorize a strike on Tony based on prophecy alone. The man was humanity's current champion. To move against him would spark chaos.
But Lin Ming just shook his head, voice cutting like steel. "No. You're wrong."
He met her gaze, conviction blazing. "I revealed my secret, showed my sincerity, not to beg for your help to kill him. I want you to use everything you have… every ounce of power… to protect Tony."
Jiang Yu blinked, stunned. "Protect…? Did I hear that right? You want us to protect the man you just called the Demon King of the future?"
"Yes." His answer was calm, absolute.
She stared at him, caught between disbelief and confusion. The hatred in his eyes for Tony was real, burning bright as any vengeance she had ever seen. Yet his words… his plea… contradicted every ounce of it.
For the first time since Awakening began, Jiang Yu wondered if reality had already started slipping beyond her comprehension.
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