I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

Reading the last message in the mailbox, Feng Qi felt a chill run down his spine.

He hadn't anticipated that his organization would ultimately collapse from within. It made sense now why his future self had always been puzzled about one question—how the mysterious organization managed to access the same intelligence as his group.

The truth was, this shadowy organization had been siphoning information from his group all along.

But the real mystery was, why was this organization targeting him?

From the information gathered, this mysterious organization seemed to align with humanity's interests.

They had used his organization's intelligence to destroy several external bases of the Crimson Research Institute and also held the list of human geniuses, actively working to protect them in secret.

These actions suggested that this mysterious organization shared the same goals as Feng Qi.

But the evidence told a different story. When the mysterious organization realized that it was being investigated, it acted swiftly and ruthlessly to send him to the guillotine.

Previously, Feng Qi had thought that his group's downfall and the baseless charges of treason against him were orchestrated by the Crimson Research Institute. However, the mailbox entries revealed that all of this was tied to the unseen actions of the mysterious organization.

So, what grudge did this organization hold against him?

As this thought lingered, a terrifying hypothesis surfaced in his mind, causing him to shudder.

What if the Crimson Research Institute was actually the organization protecting humanity's geniuses, while the other mysterious group was the one hunting them down?

This would explain why the Crimson Research Institute had access to the list of geniuses and why Mu Qing, despite betraying humanity, never targeted the Crimson Research Institute.

Reversing his reasoning, the true villain might not be the Crimson Research Institute but the mysterious organization he had tried to investigate.

They had acquired accurate information about the Crimson Research Institute through their planted mole, then launched a series of attacks against the institute's facilities.

And upon realizing that Feng Qi's future self was beginning to investigate their activities, they promptly decided to discard him as a pawn they had been manipulating all along.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Qi tried to calm himself down.

If this hypothesis were true, then he had been wrong from the start.

But even this line of reasoning had flaws, such as how to account for the presence of domain-transcending creatures within the Crimson Research Institute.

That was something that simply couldn't be justified.

Humans and domain creatures were mortal enemies; the two could never coexist.

Either the world would be entirely covered by domain fields, or all domain fields would be dispersed, restoring peace to the world. There was no middle ground.

The very nature of their existence made it impossible for domain-transcending creatures and humans to coexist.

Every hypothesis seemed plausible, yet every hypothesis also contained logical gaps that left unanswered questions.

Perhaps both the Crimson Research Institute and the mysterious organization were potential enemies—just enemies standing on different sides, opposing each other for their own reasons.

After all, domain creatures weren't a unified force.

Every domain field was expanding, and the only way to cover the entire world wasn't just to defeat humanity—it also required defeating the creatures from other domain fields.

As Feng Qi grappled with these thoughts, the narrator's voice suddenly interrupted:

[Ding! Dear host, the enemy forces will arrive at the battlefield in 30 minutes. Please be aware of your situation and prepare to retreat.]

Feng Qi: …

Realizing that Little Black was on its way, Feng Qi wasted no time. He immediately turned and headed toward the metal corridor.

The answers he sought would have to wait. For now, survival took precedence.

He resolved to continue entering the future dream realm. Someday, he would uncover the truth.

If one attempt wasn't enough, he would try ten times. If ten weren't enough, then a hundred…

The methods of investigation could always change.

If conventional investigations didn't work, he could survive until the moment Mu Qing's path diverged. Or perhaps, he could go all-in—betray humanity and infiltrate the enemy organization to investigate from within.

No matter the cost, he was determined to find the truth.

As long as he could keep entering the future dream realm, there was no problem he couldn't solve.

Staying alive meant endless possibilities.

Leaving the metal corridor, Feng Qi stepped into the outside world, deciding that it was time to grow stronger.

Sometimes, strength could indeed solve all problems. A solid punch was often the best answer.

Walking through the heaps of skeletal remains, he relentlessly punched undead creatures and kicked writhing death worms.

With every violent advance, he accumulated blood energy points. The muscle patterns on his body became more defined, and nerve fibers began to grow—a sign that he was one step closer to regaining full humanity.

Grabbing a death worm with one hand, Feng Qi slammed it heavily onto the ground. Breathing heavily, he muttered, "Narrator, give me an idea. How can I maximize my survival time when I can't take down Little Black?"

[I think you should go retrieve your Fang Tian Halberd.]

"Fang Tian Halberd?" Feng Qi looked confused.

[Oh, that's my new name for Suction Cup. It's your weapon, right? Calling it Suction Cup just makes it sound weak, but Fang Tian Halberd? Now that's imposing. Imagine shouting, 'Bring me my Fang Tian Halberd!' before a fight. So majestic!]

Feng Qi: …

"You've got way too much time on your hands."

[Life's all about finding joy and laughing through the pain. After all, if I had to see your idiotic self every day without a shred of optimism, I'd have had a mental breakdown ages ago.]

"Come on out and fight me, then!" Feng Qi roared, veins bulging on his forehead.

When the narrator fell silent, Feng Qi, still seething, picked up a death worm at his feet and flung it at a nearby dazed undead creature, knocking it over. Not satisfied, he marched over and gave it a few more kicks.

After venting his frustration, he continued eastward, heading toward where his weapon—Suction Cup—was stored.

As he approached the city ruins, he became increasingly cautious. The deeper he went, the higher the chances of encountering domain creatures.

At this point, the idea of hunting domain creatures to gain strength crossed his mind. However, remembering that he still had one remaining opportunity to consult cultivation techniques, he hesitated to take any unnecessary risks.

Until he used up all his available permissions, survival was paramount—he couldn't afford to die recklessly.

Stepping into the ruined city, Feng Qi moved quickly toward the direction of an abandoned residential area he remembered. Along the way, he constantly scanned his surroundings, wary of any sudden danger.

After about an hour and a half of walking, he finally spotted the overgrown ruins of the residential area in the distance.

Entering the area, Feng Qi headed toward the staircase of a dilapidated building, but he abruptly stopped. Lying at the stairwell was a blue, leopard-like domain creature. Its body seemed to be made entirely of energy, radiating an eerie, bluish glow.

At that moment, the creature opened its eyes, its icy blue pupils locking onto him.

Their gazes met, and Feng Qi's mouth opened slightly before he turned and sprinted away, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Suction Cup, save me!"

Startled by Feng Qi's sudden outburst, the domain creature flinched but quickly regained its composure. Leaping to its feet, it charged at him with incredible speed.

Its claws slashed through the air, striking Feng Qi square in the back and sending him crashing to the ground.

Just as he thought his life was about to end, a small figure descended from above, delivering a thunderous punch to the domain creature's head.

The leopard-like creature's head slammed into the ground with immense force, creating spiderweb-like cracks that radiated outward from the point of impact.

Turning his head, Feng Qi watched as the creature's once-icy blue pupils rolled back, turning completely white.

Boom!

The ground trembled violently. At the same time, the narrator's voice echoed in his mind:

[With a resounding crash, the Auto-Protective Adsorptive Weapon "Violent Suction Cup" makes its dazzling debut!]

Feng Qi: …