PGVCW 23

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 23: A Blade's Descent and the Labyrinth of Time

When the Famine Tide Titan turned tail and fled, everyone present was utterly dumbfounded—

—with the sole exception of Xia Wang'an.

Displaying zero shock and supreme operational familiarity, she hoisted her massive blade and pursued the entity directly.

A single blade strike— A secondary strike— — Followed by another strike.

She operated like an ascetic practitioner who had stacked a hyper-aggressive berserk buff, her ocular focus locked exclusively upon her target.

Despite possessing a physical stature shorter than the 2.8-meter weapon she wielded, every single slash radiated terrifying kinetic authority, striking home with supernatural precision while executing actions at an astonishing velocity.

Under the stunned gazes of the assembled spectators, the fifteen- or sixteen-year-old maiden leaped weightlessly through the void, delivering a decisive decapitation strike that severed the giant's head.

The Famine Tide Titan absorbed the impact, its entire corporeal form freezing rigidly in place.

Yet the agricultural debris that had just cascaded to the earth miraculously regenerated the very next second, reintegrating seamlessly back into its primary somatic framework.

"Curiously anomalous. Wang'an has completely severed these biological crops, yet how did physical restoration occur within a single second?"

Yuanning activated his optical terminal, initiating rapid diagnostic telemetry upon the botanical specimens:

"Temporal fluctuations detected!"

He roared instantly toward Xia Wang'an: "Wang'an, it is [Time]! It possesses the capability to manipulate temporal vectors!"

Linke already surged forward like a localized gale.

Flanking his movement, two translucent blades of wind materialized instantly.

The wind blades hissed outward, slicing away a significant fraction of the newly restored botanical mass.

Yet the following microsecond, those severed units flowed backward, re-anchoring themselves into the colossal physique.

Xia Wang'an came to a halt, resting her massive long-blade horizontally across her grasp while narrowing her eyes slightly at the colossal entity before her.

The titan appeared to register its temporary invulnerability; its retreating body slowly rotated through a bizarre, jerky geometric arc.

Yet a microsecond later, it reverted to its fleeing posture, only to abruptly spin back toward them before completing a single stride.

The behavioral sequence mirrored an internal psychological fracture between competing personalities—simultaneously desiring frantic escape and aggressive martial retaliation.

Linke observed the anomaly with profound bewilderment: "What is its operational objective? Did it ingest sustenance incorrectly?"

Yuanning closed the distance from the rear, broadcasting the newly computed wave telemetry to his companions:

"Every half-second, its corporeal form exhibits a distinct temporal fluctuation, functionally mirroring a time-reversal capability."

"Irrespective of the magnitude of physical trauma inflicted, within half a second it reverts completely to its uninjured baseline state."

This fundamentally explained why preceding ordinance platforms failed to register lethal metrics against the Famine Tide Titan.

To frame it colloquially: this entity was exploiting a system exploit.

Maintained by this continuous half-second temporal rollback loop, its combat profile achieved absolute invulnerability.

Linke encountered this specific phenomenon for the initial time, scratching his crown: "Does sustained combat remain viable?"

"Secure a ten-minute computational window for my operations."

While verbalizing the directive, Yuanning's fingers executed high-velocity manipulation across virtual interface inputs:

"I can formulate a mathematical formula to isolate the optimal temporal vulnerability window, but raw processing demands time—ten minutes, can your combat metrics sustain this duration?"

Linke: "I calculate that auxiliary intervention is entirely redundant; the entity has autonomously locked itself into a continuous loop. What precisely is its objective?"

Yuanning diverted his optical focus momentarily while maintaining computational processing: "...Are you actively consuming nourishment?"

Linke engaged in rhythmic mastication of a fried twisted dough crisp (crackle, crackle): "I desire to capitalize upon its operational stutter to consume nutritional provisions and replenish metabolic energy reserves."

"Yield custody of a crisp."

Xia Wang'an intercepted a twisted crisp from his inventory, initiating consumption:

"They are engaging in verbal dispute."

Linke's ocular receptors widened sharply: "Pardon? An autonomous internal dispute?"

He registered profound shock, layered with subtle admiration as he stared toward the titan, which continued its cyclical micro-rotations of retreating and pivoting:

"Extraordinary capability."

"Not an autonomous internal split; Polluters never operate as isolated agents. This somatic vessel houses a minimum of two distinct consciousness matrices."

Yuanning interjected: "Correct. A secondary energetic signature aligns with structural combination parameters—indicating a dyad: one entity constructs the physical titan, while the secondary consciousness controls temporal manipulation."

"Merely a dyad."

Xia Wang'an masticated her crisp while maintaining tactical visual lock upon the Famine Tide Titan; under her unwavering scrutiny, the entity's frantic retreat patterns visibly escalated in frequency.

"For what purpose does it attempt flight?"

Linke alternated his gaze between the titan and the maiden: "It radiates apparent terror directed toward your person. Have your paths intersected previously?"

Xia Wang'an executed intensive cognitive retrieval, abandoning the effort almost instantly:

"Memory retrieval fails."

Too many historical iterations had been lost to her.

"Corroborating data regarding Polluters emerged within my active consciousness exclusively upon direct visual confirmation."

Linke offered an affirmative nod: "Shall we pose direct inquiries? Though verifying their communicative willingness remains uncertain."

The black-haired maiden's cheeks inflated slightly due to mastication, imparting an added layer of juvenile innocence. She swallowed her food, expressing vocal alignment:

"Non-issue."

"Shattering their upper and lower extremities invariably encourages transparent verbal disclosure."

Up ahead, deep within the somatic core of the Famine Tide Titan, two distinct acoustic frequencies were actively clashing—

—"C73, what are you executing?! Return!"

"Negative, negative, we must execute tactical withdrawal!" C73's vocal register vibrated with unadulterated terror.

It shrieked in absolute panic: "I observed it—that blade! That precise blade shall execute my life termination across future temporal coordinates!"

"E5690, we must vacate this spatial coordinate; she shall terminate us!"

The Polluter designated E5690 rejected the assessment:

"The local [Insects] were long since purged; even should she possess transcendent martial power, she remains a mere adolescent female. Fusing our respective capabilities guarantees she lacks the mechanical capacity to achieve our termination."

C73 maintained its frantic panic: "I witnessed the terminal timeline; I shall perish beneath that jet-black blade."

"That merely constitutes a potential temporal divergence; stabilize your cognitive baseline. Should you persist in flight behavior, you actively materialize the exact probability of our demise."

E5690 projected profound frustration:

"You hold the [C]-class mandate capable of stealing temporal increments; within a primitive terrestrial realm, what classification of entity possesses the capacity to terminate your existence?"

"Should an authentic timeline featuring your termination manifest, simply execute spatial transit to an alternative temporal coordinate."

C73's vocal timbre trembled violently: "Temporal increments can be expropriated, yet temporal destiny resists mutation."

"I witnessed the terminal equilibrium."

Clearly, E5690 refused to entertain philosophical deliberations regarding temporal mechanics with its partner:

"I recognize exclusively that your capacity controls the half-second temporal theft protocol, yet you cower before an adolescent female."

Yielding to exhaustion, it forcibly seized control of the shared motor apparatus, executing a violent rotational pivot:

"You possess C-class clearance; you retain authorization to abandon this operational directive, but this objective constitutes my official ascension trial—I refuse to permit your obstruction."

The Famine Tide Titan terminated its micro-stutter, swinging its colossal arm—composed entirely of dense agricultural mass—to confront the approaching combatants.

She is merely a child.

Regardless of their anomalous abilities, confronting a titan governed by 'combination' and 'temporal theft'—maintaining permanent invulnerability metrics—what functional counter-measures could these mortals deploy?

The titan targeted Xia Wang'an, who stood positioned as the primary vanguard.

Coincidentally, the maiden locked her ocular focus directly onto the entity.

Their visual trajectories intersected, inducing an involuntary surge of visceral dread within E5690's consciousness.

An instinctual terror typically reserved for confronting apex predatory beasts.

A conceptual realization flashed across its internal cognitive network: Perhaps C37's assessment possessed absolute validity.

Yet at this terminal microsecond, executing tactical withdrawal was no longer an available parameter.

"Dispute concluded..."

The smile across Xia Wang'an's facial topography expanded exponentially: "How uncivilized to interrupt active combat engagement to conduct internal debates."

The maiden elevated her massive black blade, her pupils condensing into absolute frost:

"Truly, an egregious lack of fundamental etiquette."

The following instant, E5690 registered the absolute severance of its right upper appendage: "C37! Execute restoration!"

Though paralyzed by a desire to flee, C37 recognized the active combat engagement mandated immediate execution, forcibly extracting a half-second temporal increment to reconstruct the severed limb.

The Famine Tide Titan elevated its upper appendages, exposing myriad fanged botanical jaws gaping menacingly toward the maiden.

"Wind Blades!"

The dual wind blades materialized mid-trajectory, multiplying into five distinct kinetic vectors that orbited Xia Wang'an's perimeter to intercept incoming strike payloads.

Xia Wang'an maintained complete indifference toward incoming offensive vectors, executing unbridled, hyper-velocity execution strokes utilizing her massive blade.

"Restore!" "Restore!" "Restore!"

E5690 approached vocal hysterics; offensive execution had become structurally impossible because the instant somatic restoration completed, Xia Wang'an's blade severed the tissue anew prior to secondary operational commands.

While the Famine Tide Titan maintained infinite regenerative capacity, it was mechanically trapped within a perpetual loop of fractional restoration—completely immobilized.

Xia Wang'an's facial topography was spattered with crimson and emerald fluids—exotic biological secretions derived from mutated flora.

She maintained zero cognitive distinction regarding whether the fluids originated from her own physiological vessel or her adversaries; she prioritized relentless, vertical kinetic cleaving.

With every successive stroke her kinetic authority amplified; with every stroke her psychological gratification intensified.

The Famine Tide Titan stared downward at the black-haired maiden executing manic, smiling descents with her blade, finally suffering total psychological collapse:

"Restore! Restore! Restore... does this biological entity experience zero metabolic fatigue??"

Sustaining this continuous cleavage rate would force their collective capabilities into total depletion, locking them in place until energetic exhaustion materialized.

"Observe! Observe!" C37's vocal timber radiated unbridled terror: "I articulated the prediction explicitly—our termination shall manifest beneath that specific blade! Initiate immediate transit!"

Execution window closed—

"Wang'an!"

Yuanning broadcasted from the rear: "Structural vulnerability coordinate transmitted!"

A holographic coordinate matrix flashed across Xia Wang'an's field of vision; executing zero temporal lag, she pivoted her mass, suspended herself in the upper atmosphere utilizing Linke's wind vectors, and delivered a definitive overhead cleaving stroke.

—BOOM!

The agricultural titan disintegrated into absolute particulate, blanketing the landscape in cooked provisions.

"Victory achieved!! Victory achieved!!"

The populace enclosed within Wangtian City erupted into thunderous, liberated cheers.

Aboard the elevated Flying Vessel, the Wheat-Excision Sect disciples dissolved into open emotional weeping.

"Wangtian City... is preserved."

[Ding! Host Faith Power +5,000] [Ding! Host Faith Power 14,590]

Xia Wang'an stretched luxuriously: "Without question, armed combat remains the optimal productivity vector."

An individual shrouded in dense dark mist collapsed heavily upon the earth; gazing at the blanket of scattered provisions, he expectorated a stream of arterial blood.

Observing the maiden descending gracefully from the firmament, gripping a drip-saturated blade as she advanced toward his position, E5690's ocular receptors mirrored acute existential terror.

Instinct compelled him to scramble backward before he locked his jaw in desperate resolve:

"Assemble!"

"C37! Restore!"

Zero operational response—

E5690 widened his eyes in absolute disbelief, registering that the surrounding space was entirely devoid of C37's presence.

His partner had abandoned him to execute independent flight.

"Pardon?"

Xia Wang'an, possessing superior sensory detection metrics, had already executed a high-velocity lateral cleave toward a specific vector, slicing away merely a localized fragment of tissue.

She expelled a breath of acute irritation:

"A secondary target escaped."

Yuanning, operating his holographic interface, verified telemetry: "Temporal fluctuations isolated."

"Transited to an alternative temporal coordinate?"

Failing to secure fifty percent of the target cohort left Xia Wang'an mildly displeased.

Linke maintained cognitive opacity: "Shall we pursue?"

"My contemporary combat metrics remain substandard; cross-temporal pursuit is unviable."

Articulating her contemporary operational deficit triggered visible aggravation within the black-haired maiden.

Fortunately, an accessible vent for her surplus energy remained stationary.

She positioned her 2.8-meter long-blade horizontally across the captive's throat: "You—specifically your person."

"Which of you secured victory in the preceding verbal dispute?"

E5690 had monitored the preceding dialogue sequence, recognizing that C37's tactical evasion had achieved verified success, plunging his psychological baseline into absolute ashes:

"C37! You absolute absolute traitor!!"

Xia Wang'an blinked: "C-what designation?"

Linke offered an immediate diagnostic hypothesis: "Wang'an, is he expressing verbal hostility? The Institute Director frequently utilizes analogous nomenclature when addressing the Deputy Director."

Yuanning initiated inventory extraction from his internal storage array:

"Cordage, structural shackles, manacles—do these artifacts register efficacy against Polluters?"

Xia Wang'an shook her head: "Ineffective. My retained impressions indicate Polluters possess absolute resistance to conventional capture."

Linke gestured toward the mist-shrouded male: "Then what operational objective does he fulfill presently?"

The dark-mist operative registered an ash-white facial pallor, shrieking in utter desperation: "Terminate me not! Terminate me not..."

Linke displayed unadulterated confusion: "What parameters is he articulating? Termination protocols remain unconfirmed—"

—Beep, beep, beep.

The cervical collar mounted around the operative's neck flashed a sudden crimson luminescence, emitting a sharp auditory warning.

—BOOM!!

The subsequent microsecond, the operative fragmented into an expansive mist of arterial blood.

Xia Wang'an raised a protective umbrella, flawlessly shielding her companions from the biological debris.

She lowered the canopy slowly: "Ah... I recall. Cervical monitoring arrays execute immediate detonation protocols should telemetry register any cognitive intent to compromise organizational security."

"Upon detecting defection markers, operational termination initiates autonomously."

Yuanning stared at the residual blood-mist lingering within the atmosphere, experiencing a visceral drop in core body temperature that compelled him to instinctively grasp Xia Wang'an's blade-holding hand.

"Wang'an..."

Observing the black-haired maiden's neutral ocular orientation, he articulated through a perceptible vocal tremor:

"Across that entire decadal span, did your operational reality involve continuous engagement against pathological organizations of this magnitude?"

Xia Wang'an processed the inquiry, formulating an uncertain estimate:

"Affirmative... presumptively?"

Though complete autobiographical clarity remained absent, her foundational memory banks verified extended operational engagement against the organization.

The fingers Yuanning utilized to secure her hand registered a profound, icy chill; he possessed zero imaginative bandwidth to reconstruct the extreme environmental pressures Xia Wang'an had navigated across those ten operational years.

An institutional apparatus engineered to execute internal personnel liquidation without hesitation—by what mechanical means had she sustained survival against such entities?

Her historical trajectory must have involved... extreme structural trauma.

"Wang'an."

Yuanning executed a direct physical embrace, wrapping his arms around Xia Wang'an. The gesture mirrored their juvenile interactions—when Xia Wang'an suffered physical trauma and wept during childhood, Yuanning, senior by a mere two rotational years, had historically sprinted forward to enclose her within a protective embrace.

"Hereafter, you shall never confront these vectors in absolute solitude."

Linke, who had extracted an auxiliary twisted crisp to initiate a secondary consumption cycle, paused mid-motion, observing the tableau. Following a brief internal deliberation, he stowed the crisp.

Advancing toward the grouping, he executed an auxiliary physical enclosure.

The physical geometry materialized as a multi-person kinetic embrace.

Enclosed at the focal point, Xia Wang'an utilized her unoccupied hand to systematically extract the crisp from Linke's pocket, resuming mastication.

"Unfortunate that a singular entity effected tactical escape."

Her vocal register conveyed genuine tactical dissatisfaction: "How proficient at spatial translation—what precise coordinate did he target?"

Translational transit, execute continuous trajectory—

Despite acute somatic trauma, C37 lacked the psychological bandwidth to decelerate, accelerating its trajectory across the flowing river of time with desperate velocity.

It remained profoundly ignorant of Xia Wang'an's precise historical pedigree, nor could it comprehend how a temporal coordinate previously cleansed of active [Insects] could generate such insurmountable systemic resistance.

Yet the visual telemetry intercepted through the temporal rift had thoroughly paralyzed its cognitive baseline.

C37 possessed the highly specialized [Time Thief] designation, granting advanced mastery over temporal manipulation; simultaneously, it maintained the unwavering conviction that temporal termination vectors resisted ultimate alteration.

—Provided spatial distance from that specific blade achieves sufficient magnitude, survival remains probable?

While the terminal equilibrium of time featured that jet-black long-blade, by executing extreme spatial displacement across temporal vectors, the physical blade possessed zero capacity to bridge temporal boundaries in pursuit.

C37 propelled its mass forward, deliberately bypassing familiar chronological timelines, driving its trajectory retrograde into deep historical antiquity.

The target adolescent female registered an apparent chronological age approximating sixteen years; executing retrograde transit toward deeper historical epochs represented a statistically sound operational vector.

Sustaining continuous transit until physical exhaustion mandated collapse, C37 finally terminated its forward momentum.

The localized temporal void materialized into absolute tangible reality; it selected an arbitrary chronological coordinate to establish a temporary resting bivouac.

Failing to compute its exact transit duration, C37 maintained the axiomatic assumption that this temporal magnitude provided absolute immunity against the maiden's pursuit parameters.

C37 collapsed in physical relief upon the underlying terrain.

Respiration echoing in ragged gasps, as it prepared to initiate physical recuperation, the upper extremity it utilized for ground support encountered a sharp surface incision, prompting an involuntary hiss of pain.

Lifting its appendage for visual verification, C37 registered absolute cognitive shock: the localized plane was entirely devoid of terrestrial topsoil—instead resting upon an infinite expanse composed of aggregated cranial skeletal remains.

Atmospheric composition was saturated with an unyielding, permanent olfactory signature of fresh arterial blood superimposed across ancestral decay layers—an endless, cumulative concentration gradient.

C37 elevated its visual focus upward, confronting a firmament characterized by absolute black-red chromatic integration.

Rising to a vertical posture, it executed a comprehensive visual scan: structural desolation dominated the horizon.

Skeletal remains of mutant fauna, human mortal populations, and even the catastrophic Heaven-Slaying Mutant Beasts populated the landscape.

What geographical coordinate constituted this domain?

Despite navigating myriad dimensions, observing or directly authoring the systemic liquidation of diverse civilizations, it had never encountered a theater of comparable horror.

This spatial expanse represented... the absolute, unadulterated apocalypse.

A vocal acoustic manifestation drifted into perception from an indeterminate vector directly ahead.

Paralyzed by existential terror, C37 abandoned all intellectual curiosity regarding the acoustic source, prioritizing absolute physical flight—the baseline instinct responsible for preserving its C-class operational longevity.

While cognitive operational directives commanded retreat, its physical lower extremities executed forward kinetic compliance driven by auditory tracking.

Severe psychiatric contamination—

An absolute high-hazard psychological contamination entity occupied this domain—

Having infiltrated an alien cognitive domain, spatial extraction protocols were permanently locked.

Internal panic surged; lamenting its extreme negative probability metrics that selected a localized deployment zone governed by an elite psychological contamination master, C37 mobilized internal mechanisms to articulate structural supplication.

Simultaneously, its physical lower extremities—abrasively grinding against skeletal fragments until dermal layers ruptured—continued executing forced forward displacement.

"Little rabbit be good, open the barrier wide..."

A soft, feminine vocal cadence hummed a gentle, maternal lullaby.

"Execute immediate ingress, for I require entry..."

C37 recognized the structural framework of the vocalization, identifying it as a common nursery rhyme originating from a localized lower-tier dimension.

Yet executing nursery rhymes across a geological expanse paved entirely in skeletal remains amplified the psychological horror exponentially.

"Negative, negative, I decline ingress; maternal authority remains absent, access is denied under all operational vectors..."

Following the soft auditory track, C37 located the acoustic source: an elevated seating construct assembled entirely from skeletal remains.

A solitary silhouette draped in an obsidian mourning robe was seated upon the throne, presenting a complete dorsal profile as though concentrating upon localized manual manipulation.

The vocalization persisted in gentle cadence:

"Access denied..." "Denied..."

The vocal manifestation terminated abruptly; the obsidian-robed silhouette executed an abrupt rotational pivot:

"Does my acoustic performance register acceptable execution?"

C37 experienced an involuntary somatic convulsion, attempting vocal articulation while discovering its oral apparatus locked in total motor paralysis.

The following instant, the obsidian silhouette engaged in autonomous self-dialogue: "Acceptable execution; Host, your vocal performance possesses innate artistic genius, securing absolute primary ranking."

"Affirmative? Then let us initiate a competitive metric! The failing entity fulfills a designated conditional constraint."

"Competition is redundant, Host; have you suffered cognitive lapse regarding my absolute tonal deficiency? Victory defaults to your execution."

C37 observed the autonomous dissociation in real-time, its somatic tremors intensifying into structural failure.

Catastrophic mental pathology confirmed.

Executing conventional supplication protocols offered zero probability of functional preservation.

The obsidian-robed silhouette paused momentarily, executing a measured physiological inhalation before broadcasting a tone characterized by joyful anticipation mixed with suppressed emotional desperation:

"Consequently, securing victory authorizes my operational condition constraint."

"My designated condition dictates: 007, execute operational return! I have successfully liquidated the biological entities responsible for your disappearance; your repatriation is mathematically guaranteed, is it not?"

"Your presence within my cognitive architecture lacks absolute safety margins; operational control degradation risks triggering secondary displacement. Consider an alternative architecture: upon your repatriation, we shall synthesize an independent physical vessel for your core."

"Are you familiar with the Nezha oceanic subversion methodology? Historic validation confirms operational viability."

"Initial operational parameters require acquiring specialized lotus root material..."

Following an extended phase of absolute atmospheric stasis—

"Understood... I retain core memory parameters, registering your historical termination... Non-issue, I shall execute localized data erasure. Repatriation is guaranteed, and our synchronized homecoming remains absolute..."

"Little rabbit be good..."

Concluding its autonomous internal dialogue, the obsidian silhouette resumed gentle acoustic humming, gradually rotating its physical form 180 degrees to confront the observer.

C37 widened its ocular receptors in sheer, unadulterated horror.

This facial topology precisely mirrored the adolescent female encountered within the mutated flora dimension.

Mathematical impossibility—

The Time Thief operated exclusively within historical retrograde vectors; by what mechanism did the historical timeline contain active deployment of this specific adversary?!

The black-haired maiden—bearing a familiar facial topography—cradled a mutated cranial skeletal fragment within her palms, tilting her head toward C37 with eerie familiarity:

"Oh?"

Displaying profound delightful surprise: "Observe the nature of my discovery."

The maiden discarded the cranial fragment, systematically stripping away her obsidian hood.

Exhibiting a facial structure marginally more mature than observed previously, though retaining absolute youthful definition, her features unfolded into a slow, terrifying facial contortion:

"Observe, an additional specimen materializes."

Her laughter radiated absolute psychological chaos, while her vocal timbre remained whisper-soft:

"Your localized organizational apparatus..."

"Maintains constrained operational scale, yet exhibits an exceptionally redundant population demographic."

C37 collapsed onto the earth, its manual grip contacting a disembodied human cranium. Processing the entity's rhetoric alongside the endless expanse of skeletal remains, absolute cognitive synchronization occurred.

Incalculable—these structural remains derived entirely from...

Yet its transit vector explicitly mapped to past historical epochs.

"Permit formal introduction; my biological identifier is Xia Wang'an."

The black-haired maiden initiated a slow, measured tactical advance: "Xia denoting the sovereign dynasty, Wang'an signifying the aspiration toward perpetual tranquility."

"Heh-heh, heh-heh-heh, heh-heh-heh-heh~"

Her manic laughter accompanied slender fingers descending slowly toward the entity's cranial crown:

"Reassurance is authorized; physiological discomfort remains minimal. A singular localized impact ensures terminal detachment of your cranium—"

A psychiatric anomaly—

A terrifying, chaos-saturated manifestation of pure homicidal intent.

Regaining basic vocal output, C37 vibrated violently, executing uncoordinated retrograde crawling motions:

"Execute clemency, grant absolute clemency; my operational execution involved fundamental error, I shall never replicate this vector..."

"Grant clemency? Affirmative!"

The obsidian-robed maiden lowered her visage, her dual pitch-black ocular spheres reflecting absolute crimson saturation.

Her grip released smoothly.

Exhibiting the exact behavioral mechanics of an apex predator releasing a captured rodent to initiate secondary pursuit metrics:

"Execute flight; maintaining secondary interaction parameters, my clemency threshold shall not manifest a third iteration."

• Absolute executive clemency granted?!*

Experiencing instantaneous psychological salvation, C37—its somatic stability compromised—utilized raw crawling mechanics to escape the regional coordinates.

Return was mandatory; returning to upper command structures to articulate the absolute operational impossibility of engaging this adolescent entity designated Xia Wang'an across future or past timelines.

Such an absolute psychological aberration defied tactical engagement!

Vigilance demanded total operational withdrawal, tactical evasion, and systematic investigation into why temporal anchoring registered active deployment across historical antiquity—

—Thud.

A localized skeletal fragment impacted the terrain directly before C37's crawling trajectory, arresting its motor functions instantly and forcing a rigid upward rotation of its cervical axis.

Up ahead, the black-haired maiden initiated a cheerful, rhythmic vocal cadence:

"This constitutes..."

"Our secondary interaction sequence~"

"Achoo!!"

Xia Wang'an, securely swathed within a thermal blanket, ingested a volume of ginger broth directed by Yuanning's manual assistance, subsequently accepting secondary nutritional snacks distributed by Linke to execute energetic mastication (crackle, crackle).

"Excessive metabolic exhaustion, compromised immunological baseline, facilitating direct viral penetration." The medical practitioner furrowed his brow, projecting absolute clinical gravity.

The auxiliary recording personnel inquired with palpable anxiety:

"Medical Officer, what constitutes the formal diagnosis? Wang'an has executed five distinct sneezing iterations across a five-minute interval; does this indicate systemic degradation?"

Medical Officer: "The diagnostic evaluation indicates... an acute upper respiratory infection."

"Achoo!"

Xia Wang'an maintained a completely expressionless countenance: "Absurd. By what biological mechanism could I contract an upper respiratory infection?"

"Unquestionably, that surviving Polluter is actively executing clandestine astral curses targeting my person. It is strongly recommended that operational parameters prioritize its immediate liquidation."

007 delivered an internal critique: [The operational reality centers upon the Host executing intensive combat operations, followed by an irrational midnight immersion in freezing aquatic parameters while experiencing extreme neuro-energetic euphoria!]

Xia Wang'an: [Acoustic input ignored; the localized Polluter remains the sole causative variable.]

"Wang'an, suspend internal cognitive processing regarding those vectors; consume this nutritional egg-tortilla, thermally processed moments prior—exercise caution regarding thermal energy transfer."

An operational recording specialist materialized carrying the fresh egg-tortilla, flanked by auxiliary personnel transporting supplementary culinary inventory directly from primary thermal ovens.

Secondary personnel breached the spatial perimeter bearing substantial stacks of institutional assessment documents: "Wang'an, your requested contemporary diagnostic test modules—specifically commissioned from primary academic instructors."

"Wang'an!!"

Caicai materialized with her characteristic acoustic projection preceding physical arrival:

"Operational presence established! Auditory reception confirmed your biological deterioration! Utterly tragic; forced operational exhaustion manifests precise consequences! Yuanning, by what functional logic did you manage primary guardianship protocols?!"

Qiu Zhuang manifested massive pulmonary displacement through heavy respiratory cycles, tracking closely behind her:

"Negative—by what logical framework does the procurement of diagnostic tribute items mandate my physical lifting infrastructure?!"

"Does your physiological classification not integrate within Wang'an's primary companionship matrix?! Utilizing your carrying capacity represents formal validation of our interpersonal alignment!"

"Hah, hah! You remain entirely non-essential for allocating redundant transport mass..."

Xia Wang'an surveyed the spatial matrix with curious ocular rotation: "What constitutes the inventory?"

"Gaming hardware! To prevent therapeutic boredom during convalescence, our collective cohort shall execute synchronized digital simulation protocols!"

Caicai adjusted her luminescent emerald hair, systematically resting her palm against Xia Wang'an's cranial crown.

"Thermal elevation is absent; favorable parameters, though continuous behavioral vigilance remains mandatory."

Xia Wang'an executed a dismissing hand gesture: "Infections remain trivial; I attribute contemporary physiological distress to external malediction vectors, verifying historical precedent that auditory resonance correlates directly with remote vocal disparagement."

"Pardon? Explaining what parameters?"

"An anomalous Polluter entity demonstrating extreme spatial displacement velocities; its contemporary spatial coordinate remains unverified, though absolute physical capture constitutes a mandatory long-term operational objective."

Thud—

C37 executed a heavy terminal impact upon the underlying terrain.

The visual plane reflected the unhurried, measured approach cadence of the black-haired maiden.

She articulated verbal dissociation mixed with manic commentary.

"Host, we shall execute repatriation."

"Affirmative, 007, our synchronization remains absolute."

"Has the Host formulated post-repatriation operational priorities?"

"Constructed explicitly: academic assessment execution. The cognitive stimulation derived from standardized testing exceeds conventional comprehension."

C37 attempted systemic supplication, replicating historical parameters executed across fallen civilizations—

—Vocal output remained completely locked.

Terminal optical verification—

C37 intercepted visual data featuring a jet-black, 2.8-meter tactical long-blade.

Translator's Note:

Hey guys! Siofra here. What an absolute wild ride this chapter was—from Xia Wang'an literally bullying a 5-meter Polluter titan into taking a time-traveling field trip to past-Wang'an casually harvesting Polluter skulls like Pokémon cards 😭💀. (Also, yes, 007's little backstory bit hurt my soul, don't even talk to me about it).

If you're enjoying this crazy, hilarious, and low-key terrifying xianxia/apocalypse journey, please consider leaving a rating or review over on Novelupdates! Every single review helps more readers discover our favorite egg-obsessed, 2.8-meter-saber-wielding protagonist.

Thanks for reading, and see you guys in the next chapter!

— Siofra