Translator: CinderTL
The historical records about Mu Qing in the database left Feng Qi in disbelief.
But the evidence was undeniable, forcing him to accept the truth.
The future he had witnessed in his dreams was inextricably linked to reality—a fact that had already been proven.
The Dawn Rebel Army, rune augments, innocent victims... Countless pieces of information swirled in Feng Qi's mind until he finally regained his composure.
In that moment, a thought surged through his mind: to eliminate Mu Qing before she could become a threat.
If she died, there would be no Dawn Rebel Army, and the dark period of over thirty years recorded in history would never come to pass.
Yet doubts immediately arose in Feng Qi's heart.
As a human, why would Mu Qing betray her own kind? What could have driven her to make such a decision?
Just then, the Narrator's voice echoed in his mind.
Every action has its cause. You sense that the truth behind this matter is far more complex than it appears, and you resolve to investigate further!
"What do you mean? Narrator, are you implying there's a hidden reason behind Mu Qing's betrayal of all humanity?" Feng Qi demanded urgently.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Feng Qi: ...
Though the Narrator was often irritating, the hints he provided often seemed to guide Feng Qi. This made Feng Qi suspect his theory might be correct: there could be undiscovered secrets behind Mu Qing's betrayal of humanity.
With this in mind, he began searching the database's historical records, hoping to uncover the specific reasons for Mu Qing's betrayal.
As a visitor, he had only three chances to access historical information, so he immediately skipped over entries with unreliable titles.
During his search, he discovered that the Star City database primarily documented Mu Qing's experiences and actions after her betrayal of humanity.
Records from before her betrayal were scarce, mostly detailing her time at Star City Academy.
These records consistently mentioned that Mu Qing had been ostracized by her classmates throughout her time at the academy, with no one willing to befriend her.
When domain combat teams were formed before graduation, no internship team would accept her as a member.
This led him to suspect that Mu Qing's experiences at the academy might have fostered her hatred for humanity, ultimately driving her to become its enemy.
Unable to confirm this theory, he continued reviewing Mu Qing's records after graduation.
The subsequent data revealed that while Mu Qing had no friends, her combat prowess was exceptional. The rune crystal fused with her body granted her a unique ability: to absorb strength from food.
Her stomach had also undergone a special transformation due to the rune crystal's influence, boasting a digestive capacity thirty times that of an ordinary person. Normal food entering her stomach would be rapidly digested and absorbed, its nutrients converting into a faint stream of qi and blood that surged through Mu Qing's limbs and organs, reinforcing her physical strength.
Leveraging her unique physique and outstanding performance during domain internships, Mu Qing was recruited into the A-Class Domain Combat Team "Black Reef" upon graduation. After completing her probationary period, she swiftly rose to become a key combatant in Black Reef Combat Team Group A.
Mu Qing's subsequent performance was consistently remarkable. She participated in numerous Domain Field clearing operations, earning numerous combat merits.
Based on these records, Feng Qi couldn't reconcile Mu Qing's past with her current image as an Apocalyptic Fiend.
She had fought valiantly on the front lines against domain creatures, facing life-threatening situations multiple times without wavering. She had even led the charge to cover her team's retreat, sustaining severe injuries that nearly cost her life.
Skipping past these details, Feng Qi found the final mission that triggered Mu Qing's transformation.
Mission ID: 321529
Mission Issuer: Scarlet Research Institute Headquarters
Assigned Combat Team: Black Reef (A-Class Domain Combat Team)
Mission Details:
On April 23, 2031, at 3:00 PM, an underground laboratory located on the outskirts of Twilight City suddenly lost contact with our headquarters. It is suspected to have been attacked by a Domain Transcender. We are seeking assistance from all combat teams to investigate the situation in detail.
Risk Level: Unknown
Mission Rewards: 3,000 Specialized Spirit Stones, 3 sets of B-Class Specialized Alloy Battle Armor, 10 Level 3 Spirit Plants, 50 million credits, 3 C-Class Rune Augments: Death Calamity (remains)
It was during this mission that Mu Qing's personality underwent a drastic transformation. She personally killed the commander who had recruited her into the Black Reef Combat Team, and after leaving, she recruited a large number of scavengers to establish the Dawn Rebel Army, declaring war on all of humanity.
This made Feng Qi curious about the underground laboratory of the Scarlet Research Institute's branch.
Had Mu Qing been hiding her true nature all along, or had the laboratory influenced her?
To find answers, Feng Qi began searching for information about the Scarlet Research Institute.
To his disappointment, he lacked the authority to access the relevant data in the database.
After closing the search page, Feng Qi fell into deep thought.
Now that he knew Mu Qing would betray humanity in the future, he couldn't simply stand by and do nothing. He faced two choices:
Kill Mu Qing!
Change Mu Qing!
After careful consideration, he decided to try contacting Mu Qing in the real world first before making a final decision.
Next, Feng Qi opened the list of martial arts techniques and resumed studying the general principles of the Fierce Tiger Fist.
Previously, he had only grasped the basic principles of the Fierce Tiger Fist, learning about a third of the content. The rest of the material remained incomplete due to the arrival of "little black."
With time running out, Feng Qi decided to finish learning the advanced techniques of the Fierce Tiger Fist.
He opened the instructional video, and a man in military uniform appeared on the screen. Feng Qi followed the man's movements, practicing the fist techniques while listening attentively to the explanations.
Mastering the Fierce Tiger Fist itself wasn't particularly important to him. His growth primarily relied on killing monsters in his dreams to obtain bloodline evolution points. The core value lay in understanding the teaching principles behind the Fierce Tiger Fist.
Time ticked away. After watching the video several times, Feng Qi had roughly memorized the entire Fierce Tiger Fist curriculum.
Glancing at the clock in the upper right corner of the screen, he realized he didn't have time for another review.
In approximately two minutes and thirty seconds, little black would appear in the underground laboratory.
He had considered closing the metal tunnel door, but he couldn't find the switch, and the database contained no relevant information.
As he waited, just as he had predicted, a dark shadow emerged from the metal tunnel and entered the underground shelter.
A swirling black mist enveloped the creature's entire body, obscuring its exact form. However, Feng Qi could clearly see the dark red rune crystal embedded in the creature's forehead.
When will you return from this journey? Do not linger on your way back. At the ends of the earth and the corners of the sky, half of our dear friends have scattered. Joyful reunions are rare in life, while farewells are all too common.
The Narrator interjected at the opportune moment to bid Feng Qi farewell.
Feng Qi: ...
As the dark shadow approached, he wondered what prefix title he would gain upon defeating it, and what special abilities it would grant him.
But he knew this was just wishful thinking. At his current level, he stood no chance against little black.
The shadow drew closer. Feng Qi grabbed the "leg bone" from the console and strode toward it, radiating the air of a hero embarking on a final, irreversible mission.
Yet no miracle occurred this time. The moment they made contact, Feng Qi was enveloped in black mist, and the familiar crunching sound echoed in his ears.
As darkness consumed his vision, he expected to return to reality. Instead, a message flashed in his mind:
Initial energy depleted. Energy replenishment required. Current energy: 0%.
Energy depleted. Automatically activating reality feedback panel.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (HTT) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c108. [+2]
🔑Read upto Ch58 for FREE visit 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦!
💥Translated (7) Series, (5.3K+) Chapters, (7.7M+) Words.