Chapter 253 - 248: Ancient Village

[Unstable Space Travel]: A rare Silver-rank skill possessing the magical power to break the confines of space and freely traverse different dimensions. The user can move to an unknown, random location after a ten-second delay. (Cooldown: Once per 24 hours)Ps: When the silver light shines, a new journey begins for the traveler, defying the laws of space.

[The night sky was filled with twinkling stars. You wanted to leave immediately, but the thought of your other self in a different world forced you to compromise. You decided to endure for a few more days.]

[For the next two days, you acted perfectly normal, and the drinks you prepared for the guests were also normal. You meticulously replicated your previous operations, fearing that the slightest change would alter the outcome.]

[Whether it was hosting the banquet, freeing the prisoners, preparing supplies, or commandeering a vehicle to head to the bank, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. However, you were not relaxed, as you had a premonition that this time, the process would not go as smoothly as expected.]

[Just as everything was progressing smoothly, you walked out the door with your followers and weapons. However, the imagined scene of Brain-eating Worms feasting on brains did not occur. More surprisingly, there wasn't a single trace of a worm in the entire bank lobby.]

[You realized something was amiss when a Goliath Beetle emerged from the ground. Instead of attacking you on sight, it seemed to panic and try to escape. You deduced that due to your title, these terrifying giant Corpse Worms had begun to actively avoid your location.]

[Unable to fulfill your plan of capturing the Brain-eating Worm, you had no reason to stay any longer. You and your followers began to retreat toward the outskirts of the city. All the giant Corpse Worms that saw you parted to make way, making your departure exceptionally smooth.]

[You initially thought the evacuation would continue this smoothly, but when you reached the outer city wall of Hantan City, you were met with exceptionally fierce resistance. The battle lasted for a day and a night. Only after tens of thousands of giant Corpse Worms had fallen did the Insect Race's assault begin to wane, allowing you to finally leave Hantan City successfully.]

HUFF... HUFF... HUFF...

Chen Pingchuan was doing one-finger push-ups. Perhaps it was due to his growing energy and strength, but he had come to enjoy the feeling of exercising in his spare time. Although the progress from such workouts wasn't as significant as killing an ability user, the exertion produced a magical substance—endorphins.

As he exercised, Chen Pingchuan contemplated the simulation's implications.

Indeed, if the timeline changes even slightly, the course of events will also shift. Now that I have a new title, its suppressive effect on the Insect Race makes them instinctively avoid me. As their leader, the Brain-eating Worm would certainly not risk a direct confrontation. We only faced resistance when we were about to leave Hantan City. Perhaps they felt threatened, which is why the Insect Race didn't use its usual swarm tactics against me.

Well, it's about time I left this place anyway. Besides, the threat of the nuclear crisis still exists. So, let's see where this random destination takes me!

[Having left Hantan City, you did not feel joy, as an omnipresent sense of great terror shrouded you. Not only that, but you also sensed several 'things' in the sky staring at you.]

[Since there was nothing left to hold you here, you directly summoned the Space Gate and stepped through it with your new followers.]

[You all arrived in an ancient village where the people were very strange. Their gazes held greed, joy, and malice—everything but humanity.]

[DING!]

[Your life's trajectory is facing a directional change. Please make your decision carefully.]

[Option A: I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me. For those who harbor malice, the only answer is to kill, kill, kill!!!]

[Option B: Killing is never the only way to solve problems. To explore the deeper secrets of this village and find the mastermind hiding in the shadows, you decide to enter the simulation and experience it firsthand.]

Chen Pingchuan pushed off the ground with his fingers, using the opposing force to launch himself to his feet. He walked over to the table and sat down, his brows furrowed as his mind raced.

Why is there a directional change here, too?

Based on the simulator's typical behavior, Chen Pingchuan had noticed a pattern. A directional change like this always concealed a massive problem. It wasn't just about the life and death of a few individuals—it could involve an entire city, a province, or, without exaggeration, the entire world. What secret could this small village possibly hold to warrant such a simulation option?

Forget it. If I can't figure it out, I won't dwell on it. I can always just simulate it again. For me, life is eternal!

With more experience, Chen Pingchuan's confidence began to swell. It was no longer the previous arrogance he felt, stemming from the superior knowledge and experience of someone from another world. This was an unmatched self-confidence—a sense of 'My fate is my own, not for the heavens to decide. I *am* the heavens!' This, too, was a prerequisite on the path to divinity.

"Choose to enter the simulation in person!"

[DING! Initiating the Cause of the Apocalypse instance. Consuming 10,000 simulation points.]

[Friendly Reminder: An equivalent exchange is often the fairest choice. You need not worry about the reward being disproportionate to your effort.]

[Personalized Translation: Brave one, wield your blade, sever the cause of the apocalypse, and the world will be grateful for your efforts.]

The next second, after a familiar flash of darkness then light, the scene before Chen Pingchuan's eyes instantly switched from his room to an ancient, earth-toned village.

It was hard to believe. Although Chen Pingchuan hadn't been in this world for long and his knowledge of it was limited, this was the first time he had ever encountered a place that looked so ancient. It created a jarring sense of dissonance with the modern, urban style he was used to.

Chen Pingchuan and his group of six stood under a large locust tree not far from the village entrance. The great locust tree had a twisted trunk with gnarled branches and cracked bark, yet the green buds sprouting from it conveyed a sense of infinite vitality.

Outside the village, a dirt road led to a small path paved with stone slabs. Houses were arranged in an orderly, if rustic, fashion. Their greenish-gray tiles and earthy-yellow mud-brick walls were covered in creeping green vines.

Chen Pingchuan stepped forward. His new followers, though they found the spatial travel novel, simply accepted it as a matter of course given his identity as the Divine Envoy. They followed silently behind him. The rıghtful source is ????????????????????•????????????????•????????????

The moment they set foot inside the village, a strange atmosphere washed over them.

The previously quiet village was now filled with a crowd of ruddy-faced villagers. Their eyes were like those of hungry wolves staring at prey—greedy and blatant.

"Boss, I don't like their eyes. Can I kill them?" the Great Fierce Bear asked. He trusted his new boss more and more, so after feeling the offensive stares, he made sure to ask for Chen Pingchuan's opinion first.