Translator: CinderTL
Winterfrost City, northern district.
Heavy snow fell, blanketing the landscape in a silvery-white expanse.
Deep within the snow-covered forest to the north, Feng Qi discovered that the Lord of the Mist had lost all signs of life. He froze in shock.
In his planned Sacrifice Line, he needed the Lord of the Mist as a stepping stone to investigate intelligence from the Domain Force's perspective. He intended to accompany the Lord of the Mist's growth and witness the future firsthand.
If this plan succeeded, he could obtain a wealth of invaluable information, including the reasons behind the Domain Force's infiltration of Human Civilization, the true nature of miracle items, and answers to many other critical questions.
Staring at the motionless Lord of the Mist, the smile on Feng Qi's face completely froze.
According to historical records, Mu Qing had merely shattered the Silent Domain Field, not killed the Lord of the Mist. Otherwise, the subsequent events—the Lord of the Mist's theft of the bloodstone, his control of the Tiger Soul Research Institute, and his research into the Flesh and Blood Sacrifice—would never have occurred.
This made Feng Qi suspect that his own presence had altered this historical timeline.
Yet, upon reflection, this Sacrifice Line mirrored the previous one. In both scenarios, knowing the consequences of becoming a Sacrifice Line, he had decisively joined the Scarlet Research Institute, secluded himself for three years, and emerged with minimal impact on the outside world.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that he might be the cause of this deviation.
After all, even minor changes in the past could have profound consequences for the future.
For example, his refusal of Mu Qing's invitation to become vice-commander at the graduation banquet.
Perhaps this decision indirectly influenced Mu Qing to target the Lord of the Mist even more aggressively...
After a flurry of wild speculation, Feng Qi couldn't pinpoint the reason and sighed in frustration.
Glancing at the Lord of the Mist, whose body was half-buried in the heavy snow, he decided to leave and re-plan his future.
With no signs of life remaining, the Lord of the Mist couldn't possibly resurrect.
But just as Feng Qi turned to leave, he suddenly heard a faint heartbeat.
He immediately returned to the Lord of the Mist and re-examined his condition.
To his surprise, the Lord of the Mist's body had begun functioning again.
Good grief, he really did revive on the spot?
What kind of protagonist template is this?!
The Lord of the Mist's resurrection from death reminded Feng Qi of the Dream Realm, where Lin Ran had shattered his consciousness, only for it to reassemble later.
This ability to repeatedly resurrect from death made him think of protagonists in novels, anime, and games.
In contrast, his own fate seemed rather bleak.
Every Sacrifice Line inevitably ended in death.
As he sensed the Lord of the Mist gradually recovering from death, Feng Qi began preparing in advance.
Opening his backpack, he retrieved a small medical kit.
Feng Qi began emergency resuscitation efforts on the Lord of the Mist.
The effectiveness of his efforts didn't matter; what mattered was that the Lord of the Mist would see his efforts upon awakening.
But Feng Qi soon realized the situation was slipping out of his control.
The Lord of the Mist's bodily functions were recovering at an alarming rate. If this continued, he might regain full mobility upon awakening, significantly weakening Feng Qi's bargaining position.
All his efforts might be met with indifference from the Lord of the Mist.
What he needed was a severely wounded, immobile Lord of the Mist who would require his care. Only under such dire circumstances, when Feng Qi could offer a lifeline in the snow, would he have a chance to earn the Lord of the Mist's trust, perhaps even be treated as a "brother."
With this in mind, Feng Qi channeled his mental energy into the Lord of the Mist's body, deliberately sabotaging his recovery.
After his manipulations, he withdrew his mental energy with satisfaction.
Next, Feng Qi opened the medical kit and retrieved various emergency supplies: special bandages, healing potions, blood clot removal ointment, and more. He began administering urgent care to the Lord of the Mist.
After half an hour of meticulous work, he applied the ointment to the Lord of the Mist's wounds and completed the bandaging.
The following hours were spent waiting for the Lord of the Mist to awaken.
Five hours passed.
In the pitch-black night, Feng Qi compacted the snow to build an ice wall, shielding them from the wind and snow.
He then used tools from his backpack to start a fire.
Turning to look at the Lord of the Mist, he saw the creature still unconscious, showing no signs of awakening.
Feng Qi wasn't worried.
As long as the Lord of the Mist survived, he didn't mind waiting a few more days.
Another half-day passed.
The Lord of the Mist's body trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze fell upon a handsome man smiling down at him.
"Awake?"
The moment the Lord of the Mist saw the stranger, he tried to sit up and create distance.