The air seemed to freeze solid.

As Ji Jue’s words echoed through the room, every bloodshot, fanatical gaze turned toward Lian Cheng, fiery hot, suffocating him. Those stares felt like nooses for the soul, tightening around his neck one after another. Gradually, they closed in. In the creeping chill, there was nowhere left to escape.

The very aberrant creatures he had once manipulated at will, treating them like puppets to be deceived and controlled, had now become blades hanging over his head under Ji Jue’s guidance. This sudden turn of events felt like Lian Cheng had fallen straight into hell.

He still remembered how just days ago, when his plan first began, the entire Time Ruin had been filled with vitality and chaotic momentum. Everything was flourishing. How had it all turned into his grave?

Lian Cheng was drenched in cold sweat as he stared fixedly at Ji Jue across the table, breathing heavily. He almost wished he could transform into one of the aberrant beasts on the second floor, tear this damned brat apart, chew his bones, devour his flesh, and make him scream in agony for days without end.

But now, if he hesitated even a moment longer, the one shattered to pieces would be himself. He no longer had a choice.

“Alright.” He forced the word out through clenched teeth, struggling to maintain a smile. But without a mirror, he had no way of knowing how distorted and strained that smile truly looked.

Ji Jue, seated across the table from him, slowly raised his hands and applauded with great enthusiasm. The aberrant creatures in the room followed his example until the eerie meeting room was filled with thunderous applause and loud cheers. The director...