“Yu Hua!” You Zhengping was instantly burning with anxiety. 

Reasonably speaking, the most ideal choice would have been to continue retreating, because the initial item was still active in the sky. If Huan Zixu used the initial item to continue snatching the Protectors’ things or abilities, or used this opportunity to brainwash them, then the loss would outweigh the gain. 

If this had been a reasoning test, then the most correct answer would have been—abandon Yu Hua, guard Luo Huai, retreat strategically. 

But in this moment, even the most rational Lian Yufan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Yu Hua being wrapped in layer after layer of chains by the mechanical skeleton. He watched his face being covered bit by bit by the alloy chains until at last only the tip of his nose remained. 

Time slowed. The passing of each millisecond seemed sluggish. 

To Lian Yufan, Yu Hua was a detestable colleague. He was petty, bought environmentally unfriendly decorating materials, deliberately deducted employees’ wages, and used loopholes in Employment Law to exploit workers. He was You Zhengping’s husband, doomed to break up with him and leave him. He was a man obsessed with a pair of pants, an ordinary person, a perfectly ordinary person of the sort the Protectors had to protect, a member of the general public that they had learned about countless times when studying political materials, one of 1.4 billion. 

“Ordinary person” = “someone to protect” >>> hateful colleague. 

With his heels as a pivot, Lian Yufan turned 180 degrees, going from having his back to the Destroyers to facing them. His sprinting motion didn’t change, but his direction instantly altered. 

Cen Xiao and Luo Huai moved at the same time he did. In the same millisecond, the three of them turned without prior agreement, heading towards the Destroyers. 

Protection was the true reasoning for the Protectors. 

But even faster than the three of them was You Zhengping. 

The moment he saw that Yu Hua had fallen into the mechanical skeleton’s hand, You Zhengping stared at his looted second space. He noticed that only one of the two parts of the space had been snatched. The other half was still in his control. 

Was there some way to get to Yu Hua at the greatest speed? 

Why had the second space, which could only hold humans, split into two when it had upgraded last time? It was enough for the space’s holding capacity to increase. Why did it also need to split into two? And what was the natural law power that the long-haired Destroyer had been talking about? Natural law…classical physics…quantum physics…space…

Countless concepts and pieces of information flashed through You Zhengping’s mind. By some miracle, he didn’t charge towards Yu Hua. Instead, he turned and walked into the half of his second space that he still controlled. 

If he had guessed right, then his so-called spatial power wasn’t only limited to holding things!

When Lian Yufan and the other two began to turn, You Zhengping stepped into the half of the second space. When the three of them had completed their 180 degree turns, You Zhengping, wielding a sharp ceramic knife he had taken from his own stockpile in the first space, walked out of the other half of the space that had been snatched by Huan Zixu. He held the hilt of the knife with both hands. Before the two Destroyers could react, the long knife sliced downward. The chains holding Yu Hua and the ceramic knife simultaneously fractured! 

Why would the second space split in two after upgrading in power? What kind of spatial ability was a power conferred by the world law? 

There was only one answer. It was a door. A door that linked and tore space. 

You Zhengping had walked into the half space next to him and passed through the limits of the space. When he appeared again, it was from the space that Huan Zixu had snatched! 

The two halves of his space had contorted distance, turning into a door that took no notice of distance. 

When the long knife came down, time began to move once more. When the sound of metal fracturing came to the ears of the three sprinting Protectors, You Zhengping was already landing on the ground, holding Yu Hua, who was so well wrapped up in chains that only his nose showed. 

Huan Zixu, who had been calm and unhurried all along, at last displayed surprise. Even Destroyers couldn’t dream of equipping a “dimension door” without a high number of points, and even if they did equip it, it was a one-time use item. But the Protector in front of him could control this awful power. Though he only had a preliminary understanding of it, it was still very frightening. 

“Change of target, first we need to brainwash that…spatial ability user,” Huan Zixu said seriously. 

Hearing Huan Zixu’s order, Feng Kui didn’t hesitate for a moment. He grabbed You Zhengping, who was next to him. His silver-white alloy body shot out countless steel nails. He was going to nail You Zhengping to himself, even though that would cause You Zhengping serious injury! 

If the spatial ability user’s blow with the knife hadn’t been for the sake of rescuing Yu Hua but had instead been an attack on Huan Zixu, in that unpredictable moment, Huan Zixu may very well have died from a single blow. 

Such a frightening power…had to be subdued, by hook or by crook. 

Certainly conscience took up 70% of his storage, but protecting Huan Zixu took priority! 

Lian Yufan noticed Feng Kui’s intention. He wanted to step in, but it was obviously already too late. 

You Zhengping, having just taught himself the “dimension door” ability, had used this completely unfamiliar power for the first time. Combined with the blow with the ceramic knife that he had put all his force into, his strength had all been used up. Right now, You Zhengping had no way to block Feng Kui’s attack. 

In this desperate moment, an ice-cold hand reached out from somewhere and lightly touched Feng Kui’s shoulder. 

Time and space instantly seemed to congeal. The nails withdrew back into the mechanical skeleton. Feng Kui couldn’t control his body. His combat abilities were constantly degenerating. Soon he had returned to his human form, flesh on the outside and bone on the inside. 

This was an irresistible power, so strong that if you were too weak, you might not even be able to imagine how strong it was. It was just like a frog living in a well had no way to revere the vastness of the sky. If you weren’t strong enough, then in front of this power, you wouldn’t even be in a position to feel dread. 

Lian Yufan and the others stopped in their tracks. It was the black-cloaked man. 

Each time they operated and faced Destroyers in battle, they would encounter the black-cloaked man at some time and place. 

After the last time on the roof, the young Protectors had formed a faint notion—perhaps the black-cloaked man was on their side. 

The older Protectors, who had experienced the brutal era, wouldn’t have thought this. They would have thought this was a sugar-coated bullet. But the young people, especially the ones who had been rescued by the black-cloaked man, like Lian Yufan, were rather grateful and trusting towards him. 

Having casually made Feng Kui return to his human form and lose his combat abilities, the black-cloaked man put an arm around You Zhengping’s narrow waist. He raised his leg and, like kicking away garbage, kicked the chain-wrapped “Yu Hua” into the nearby open warehouse as if concerned that he would be in the way. 

The Protectors swallowed simultaneously. The black-cloaked man’s movement had looked very light, Yu Hua…probably hadn’t been injured. It was for the better that he had landed in the warehouse. At least there was a structure to protect him. 

The black-cloaked man had kicked You Zhengping’s “spouse” away. Holding You Zhengping, he floated down from about two meters in the air. He had been flying in the air mostly because the mechanical skeleton was too tall. Without flying, it would have been hard to touch his shoulder. 

You Zhengping, well-known among the Protectors for being wildly devoted to protecting his husband, didn’t charge towards the warehouse after seeing his “husband” kicked aside. Instead, he stared blankly at the black-cloaked man. His gaze seemed to want to penetrate that silver mask. 

When they landed on the ground, the black-cloaked man didn’t let go of You Zhengping’s waist. You Zhengping stared at him and whispered, “This is my third time seeing you.” 

The black-cloaked man was just about to speak when Huan Zixu nervously said, “You’re the mission target? The only clearer?” 

Cen Xiao quickly walked over and snatched the exhausted You Zhengping out of the black-cloaked man’s arms. 

Cen Xiao had been worried that the black-cloaked man wouldn’t let go. He had used a great deal of strength. He hadn’t expected that the black-cloaked man wasn’t using any strength at all. His hand had only been lightly placed on You Zhengping’s waist, and You Zhengping hadn’t been resisting!  

When You Zhengping was snatched away, the black-cloaked man looked deeply at Cen Xiao’s Plain Face Number 1, as though engraving this face into his brain. 

Faced with this gaze, Cen Xiao subconsciously wanted to shield his face. He felt he was being seen through. 

“What did you do to him?” Huan Zixu investigated Feng Kui’s body and found that Feng Kui’s powers had vanished! 

Huan Zixu pressed his ear to Feng Kui’s chest. Thump, thump. He heard the sound of a strong heartbeat. This was the beat of a heart forged from flesh and blood. It couldn’t be imitated with a mechanical heart. 

Shaking, Huan Zixu grasped Feng Kui’s hand and sliced gently, cutting open Feng Kui’s skin. A few drops of bright red blood flowed out of the wound. 

“He’s bleeding…” Huan Zixu didn’t know whether to be glad or sad. Holding Feng Kui’s arm, he temporarily forgot to be wary of the black-cloaked man, forgot that he was still in a battle with the Protectors, and let out a wild laugh that was nearly a sob. 

“I removed the energy of his System and returned his condition to what it was during his first world,” the black-cloaked man said in his cold voice. “His initial item has merged entirely with his bones. Removing the initial item would kill him, so I’ve left it behind.” 

The initial item…

Other peoples’ initial items were ones with powerful special abilities. Feng Kui’s initial item was his mechanical skeleton. 

In their first world, in order to save a dying Huan Zixu, Feng Kui had forced his initial item to merge with his body and raised his power; this way, he had attained a power that far exceeded newbies of the same level in his first world. 

Each time Feng Kui upgraded, his item and his ability upgraded together. Since he had first chosen this path, the only end he could go towards was the artificial intelligence path. It had been irreversible. 

All of Huan Zixu’s dreams were about returning to that first world. If he had the chance to go back, even if it meant killing himself, he would stop Feng Kui. 

The black-cloaked man reached out a hand towards Huan Zixu. Huan Zixu didn’t stop him. He quietly said, “I can’t defeat you, but I have a piece of intelligence to exchange for Feng Kui’s life.” 

From just one meeting, just one action from the black-cloaked man, Huan Zixu knew that their powers meant nothing before the black-cloaked man. Faced with this sort of power, their greatest exertions would have been nothing but a mantis trying to obstruct a chariot. 

“Do you have any intelligence worth listening to?” the black-cloaked man said carelessly. 

“I do, I’ve just thought of it, but I can’t say it as long as the System is present. It’s very important to you,” Huan Zixu said firmly. 

“Then there’s no harm in listening.” The black-cloaked man reached out his hand towards Huan Zixu and waved it, removing the energy of Huan Zixu’s System. The energy turned into an energy ball the size of a basketball, which he held in his palm. 

Cen Xiao, Lian Yufan, and Luo Huai looked at each other helplessly. They had barely managed a draw with the two Destroyers by risking their lives, but the black-cloaked man had defeated them in a single move. This made the Protectors begin to suspect that their fight had been meaningless. 

“Save him, don’t save me.” Feng Kui raised his large arms and held Huan Zixu, looking obstinately at the black-cloaked man. 

“Shut up, listen to my orders!” Huan Zixu said angrily. 

“I won’t,” Feng Kui insisted. 

Watching the two of them going back and forth, the black-cloaked man sighed almost inaudibly. “I never said I was going to kill you two.” 

The two of them stopped their dispute and looked at the black-cloaked man in disbelief. The losers were always in the wrong. They had lost. Could they really survive? 

The black-cloaked man held the energy ball in his hand. “You lives aren’t in my hands. They’re in…” 

He looked at You Zhengping. 

“You want to surrender them to us?” You Zhengping pointed to himself. 

The black-cloaked man nodded gently. He flicked the energy ball distastefully. A point of light the size of a pill flew out of the basketball-sized energy ball and entered Lian Yufan’s injured body. Lian Yufan’s broken arm and the scorching from being electrocuted healed. 

His plain faced nanotech mask had been knocked off by the electric shock during the battle. The face with the teardrop mole was revealed. 

But Lian Yufan didn’t panic. His family was long gone. He was on his own, and he was a spy in Zhen Li’s studio. He had been prepared to be revealed, and Huan Zixu had already guessed that he was a Protector. 

“Thank you. This is the second time you’ve saved me.” Lian Yufan nodded to the black-cloaked man. 

The black-cloaked man didn’t even glance at him. After throwing off the healing power, he said to Huan Zixu, “I know roughly what intelligence you plan to tell me. Why don’t you give it to the Protection Organization in exchange for a chance to live?” 

Then the black-cloaked man looked deeply at You Zhengping and floated away. 

---

Author's Note

Yu Hua: I have to hurry up and kick away that substitute body to avoid being revealed. 

Yu Hua: (hugging Xiao You, unwilling to let go) 

Cen Xiao rescues You Zhengping, who has been rendered unable to move by the black-cloaked man. 

Yu Hua: …Cen Xiao, you really are loyal!