Everyone stared up at the falling meteor, utterly dumbfounded.

In their eyes, the meteor was growing larger and larger. Its pockmarked surface and deep fissures became clearer with every second. It was like an unstoppable titan of destruction—so massive that it crushed even the idea of resistance.

The elite Para-Hunters across the city were all stunned. If that thing lands, never mind humans—even a paranormal entity would shut down for months!

Inside a certain skyscraper, a man in blue broke into a cold sweat. Above his head, a stopwatch slowly began to materialize.

“Captain! We’re running out of time!” a woman nearby cried out, eyes fixed on the falling rock.

“Almost there! Almost—damn that idiot of a doctor!! I told them that kid from Lan City isn’t to be messed with, and they still had HQ drag him in! Absolute dumbasses!!!” The man cursed with rising fury.

Moments later, the stopwatch above him finally solidified.

He pressed his hands together and whispered: “Time Flow.”

Gong—

A tolling bell rang in everyone’s ears.

Tick…tick…tick—

The stopwatch began to tick backwards. Then—an incredible sight unfolded.

Everything in Longbei City began to reverse in time. Collapsed skyscrapers slowly lifted themselves back into place. Even the massive meteor that had threatened to obliterate the city was gradually retracted, drifting back up toward the heavens.

The hunters across the city let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Captain Li made his move!”

“We’re alive!!! Thank god for Captain Li!”

…

Back in the newly ‘open-concept’ HQ rooftop, Luo Yimeng stood frozen, pen in hand, staring blankly at the crumbling city.

Her grip loosened. The pen dropped to the ground.

W-Why… how did this happen…? 

She only wanted to run a basic test. She didn’t mean to level Longbei—let alone threaten the whole world!

This was supposed to be a routine Awakening test that everyone goes through!!

Bai Wan looked just as aggrieved.

This isn’t my fault, okay?! YOU were the ones who wanted to test it!!

He hesitated, then carefully asked, “Um… so this was an accident, right? I don’t have to pay damages, do I? You guys have insurance, right?”

Luo Yimeng wanted to cry.

Pay damages, my ass!! The whole city nearly got wiped out and this guy is asking about insurance?!

Then—just as despair settled in—they heard the bell.

And the ticking. Tick… tick…tick—

They looked up and saw HQ’s missing roof slowly return to place.

Luo Yimeng’s eyes lit up with hope. “It’s Captain Li Shoushi! He’s making his move!”

“Li Shoushi? That ‘God of Time’ Li Shoushi?” Bai Wan asked. He had seen the name plenty on the forums.

Rumor had it that from childhood to adulthood—from school to work—Li Shoushi had never once been late for anything involving time. Over time, he somehow gained dominion over the concept of time itself and awakened powers around it through the Paranormal Game. Forum dweebs even called him “The Time God” or “The Chrono Archmage.”

Luo Yimeng nodded, excited. “Yes! One of HQ’s four top captains! He’s the only one who can turn back time like this!”

Bai Wan’s eyes lit up too.

That’s so overpowered… Looks like the city’s safe after all!

They locked eyes with mutual joy. For a moment, all the panic faded away.

“No wonder they call him the God of Ti—”

Creak….

Just as time rewound to the moment Bai Wan triggered his bugged Awakened Skill, the stopwatch glitched.

It stalled. Then it began ticking forward again.

“…ime?”

BOOM!!

The rebuilt HQ shattered all over again—instantly reverting back to the exposed rooftop!

Bai Wan: “???”

Luo Yimeng: “???”

In another building, Li Shoushi’s face paled in disbelief. He stared at his golden, glowing stopwatch—now lying limply in his palm. It looked like any normal timepiece… ticking forward like nothing had happened.

“…The hell?!”

Did my stopwatch just bug out?? Is that even possible?!

Li Shoushi couldn’t believe it.

The Awakening Crystal could only sustain three seconds of active power—after that, it crumbled to dust. Moreover, HQ was equipped with suppression systems for both paranormal entities and Awakened Skills—arguably one of the safest places in the world.

But even with all that, that brat’s skill still broke through everything?  Three seconds… and the entire system was compromised?

“Wang Ye!! I can’t hold it! Get over here, NOW!!” Li Shoushi roared.

“Don’t panic, I’m coming~” A suited man strolled up leisurely, sipping a glass of red wine.

“Not now, dammit!! This isn’t the time to be showing off!!” Black lines formed across Li Shoushi’s forehead.

“No rush. Skill activation takes time anyway. I already started buffering earlier.” Wang Ye gave a calm smile.

He placed a hand on Li Shoushi’s shoulder. 

In the next second, Li Shoushi’s stopwatch floated back into the air, radiating a brilliant glow.

Wang Ye chuckled. “Let’s see… how about we triple your output? Today’s lucky number is three!”

Tick…tick…tick—The previously glitched stopwatch resumed its reverse flow.

Whoosh! Whoosh! 

With the combined effort of two captains, the city slowly began to return to normal.

After the deed was done, Li Shoushi collapsed flat on the ground, utterly exhausted. Then he groaned, “Wang Ye… tell that damned doctor this is the last time I’m helping him! I’m a Timekeeper—not a save point! Not a freaking save point!!”

Wang Ye laughed lightly. “Got it, got it. All noted. Thanks for your hard work. Still, I do wonder what the good doctor was thinking… wasting so many resources on this. What the hell was he planning?”

…

Back at HQ, Luo Yimeng and Zhao Jie were soaked with sweat—clothes clinging to their skin.

“We… we survived?” 

When even Captain Li’s Timekeeper failed, they truly thought Longbei City was finished. Yet somehow, they lived.

Bai Wan let out a relieved breath.

My goal is to break the Paranormal Game… not break the real world! Otherwise, wouldn’t that be going off script? I have no desire to become the first male lead who breaks the whole planet.

Whew…

“Phew, all good. Bit of a rocky ride, but overall, still under control. Nothing too crazy happened.” Bai Wan smiled with satisfaction.

Luo Yimeng and Zhao Jie both went completely silent.

That… that was “nothing too crazy”?

Now they were both desperately curious—what did count as “crazy” in Bai Wan’s eyes? Or perhaps more frighteningly—what kind of world had this guy been living in until now?!

Luo Yimeng suddenly thought of those wanted criminals like “I’mTheOneeSan.” She had originally pitied Bai Wan. Now she felt like pitying the bad guys.

May their bodies at least remain in one piece—no vaporization by falling meteors, no surprise KOs courtesy of Ultraman.

Zhao Jie’s expression was equally shaken.

The one called “Family”… was just too absurd! 

He had once thought himself a promising rookie—after all, he’d been transferred to HQ ahead of others. He’d even entertained the thought of comparing himself to Bai Wan.

But now… he realized how naïve he had been. They weren’t even in the same dimension. Just the image of that giant meteor dropping from the sky… It made him feel helpless beyond words.

No—even without the Awakened Skill, Bai Wan’s toolkit of bugged powers was already leagues beyond him.

If nothing goes wrong, this guy’s guaranteed to make S-Rank Captain… Maybe even go further—rise to the level of the mysterious Chief Commander himself.

“Big sis… how do we even grade this?” Zhao Jie was completely at a loss.

Luo Yimeng hesitated as well. 

Yes… how were they supposed to grade him?

Write it honestly? Like: Candidate Bai Wan demonstrated exceptional performance. Preliminary assessment suggests outstanding potential for world destruction. (Recommendation: proceed with incarceration for further cultivation.) End.

That definitely didn’t feel appropriate. Then how should they write it?

Head pounding, Luo Yimeng finally said, “How about this—Bai Wan, you go back and wait for the results. I’ll consult with leadership and let them make the decision.”

Her rank clearly wasn’t enough to pass judgment here. Better to leave it to the Doctor.

“Alright.” Bai Wan nodded.

“Mhm. Well… if there’s nothing else, we’ll have… mm, we’ll have the train take you back,” Luo Yimeng said, quickly changing her words mid-sentence.

Bai Wan blinked. “Ah… the train’s taking me back?”

“Y-yeah…”

She had originally meant to say they’d escort him back personally, but after remembering everything that had just happened, she chickened out.

Better let him take the train. Safer.

Thinking back, they were honestly lucky nothing worse had happened. At last, she understood why this ‘Family’ refused to take planes. 

His powers are just too abstract.

Bai Wan felt a pang of bitterness. He didn’t know why, but he always seemed to be shunned. It was the same back when he was in school.

As he boarded the train, he sighed helplessly.

Maybe I’m just too handsome. Makes people jealous.

I’m so envious of Liu Tong.

…

He took the train back to Lan City. 

Longbei might be bigger, but in the end, nothing could beat the comfort of home.

By the time Bai Wan returned, it was almost 8 p.m. The sky was already dark. His little sister came prancing out of the painting, energetic as ever, proudly showing off her latest haul.

“Bro! Look!” Bai Xi handed him a shoe.

The moment the stench hit him, Bai Wan scrambled back, face twisted in disgust. But when he read the description, he froze.

[Shoe Tainted by Paranormal Energy]

Category: Paranormal Item

Quality: Common

Ability: Activate to cast the “Shoe Curse.” Consumes 20 Paranormal Coins per second.

Bai Wan stared at it for a long time.

Good lord… a shoe curse? Is it meant to stink the entities to death?

Ridiculous. This thing actually counted as a paranormal item?

Still… she really had lucked out. Come to think of it, no wonder that old man refused to leave the village. This must’ve been his secret weapon.

With a stench this powerful, even the Painter probably had to keep his distance.

Watching his sister dancing around in glee, Bai Wan couldn’t help but smile. Her ability was genuinely useful. Once her level got higher, it would definitely shine.

He had planned to spend the evening idling and catching up on novels, but just then Liu Tong messaged him with an invite to go camping.

Bai Wan: [This late?]

Liu Tong: [That’s when the atmosphere hits best. We’ve stocked up on food these past few days. We’ve been waiting to celebrate once you get back. Hurry! Sending you the location.]

Bai Wan’s stomach rumbled a little.

Bai Wan: [On my way.]

…

He hailed a ride to the forest. Beside the woods was a gently flowing river—truly a picturesque camping spot.

When he arrived, Captain Zhou Lu was grilling skewers, Su Yuening was washing vegetables, and Liu Tong sat on a mat reading a book, highlighting and taking notes like she was really studying. How diligent.

Wang Meng was off to the side doing push-ups, body already bulging with muscle, seemingly striving to become a Super Saiyan.

Li Yintian, meanwhile, lounged in the tent chuckling “hehehe” at his phone—clearly watching something suspicious.

When Bai Wan walked over, Captain Zhou greeted him warmly. “There you are! You’ve worked hard. Clearing an unsolvable dungeon isn’t easy. Relax and enjoy yourself.”

Bai Wan let out a tired sigh. “Barely made it through. Honestly, I never want to touch another unsolvable dungeon again.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t. There’re only two unsolvable dungeons for rookies.” Zhou Lu chuckled while tending the grill.

But Bai Wan’s heart skipped a beat. He weakly asked, “Didn’t you say… the other one was called ‘Stay Behind’?”

Zhou Lu nodded, his expression growing a little serious. “Yeah. But that one’s different. It’s shrouded in even more mystery. Normally, even unsolvable dungeons will still give a game-end settlement—usually just a total party wipe. But ‘Stay Behind’ is something else entirely. No one has ever cleared it. There’s no settlement screen. Nothing.”

“Everyone who’s gone in… just disappears. No word if they’re dead or alive. No signal. No clue what happened. That’s why people say it’s the most cursed dungeon there is. Once you enter, you never come back. No one knows what they saw in there.”

A chill ran down Bai Wan’s spine. There’s a dungeon like that too?

Then Zhou Lu added reassuringly, “But don’t worry. You were already chosen by ‘The Letter’. You’re unlikely to be selected for ‘Stay Behind’ now.”

Bai Wan: “……”

Captain, can you stop jinxing me, please?

Zhou Lu burst into laughter at Bai Wan’s face and said, “Kidding, I’m just kidding. ‘Stay Behind’ is a rare limited-run dungeon. It’s already been sealed. No players can enter it anymore.”

Hearing that, Bai Wan finally relaxed.

Zhou Lu grinned. “C’mon, don’t be so tense. Sit down and enjoy some barbecue. Skewers will be ready soon. Let me show you my grilling skills!”

“Need me to help with anything?” Bai Wan asked.

Zhou Lu flinched like he’d been electrocuted. “No no! You just… do your thing, I’ll…”

Before he could finish, the grill flared up.

Fwoosh!

Not only did the skewers burn to a crisp, but Zhou Lu’s hair also caught fire.

“AAHHH!! WATER!!” He frantically poured water over his head. Thankfully, the damage was minor.

Looking at the pile of charred skewers, Zhou Lu nearly cried. 

Then he turned to Su Yuening. “The setting is nice. Why don’t you take Little Wan on a walk?”

Su Yuening gave Bai Wan a look of mild exasperation. “…Let’s wait until the skewers are ready. We’ll just go for a walk in the forest first.”

She grabbed Bai Wan and dragged him off. Far away. Far, far away. 

Let’s at least try to salvage what’s left of the food.

Bai Wan looked embarrassed. “Should we really go for a walk while the Captain's doing all the work? Shouldn’t we help out?”

“No need. You walking through the forest is already the biggest help. Thank you.” Su Yuening said hastily, twitching at the corners of her mouth.

Bai Wan shrugged helplessly, regretful.

Aw. I wanted to try grilling at least once…

The two of them strolled casually through the woods. And truly, it was lovely. The forest air was crisp and cool. A soft breeze brushed past, lifting the mood with every step.

This wasn’t the Paranormal Game. There was no need to worry about any sudden horrors jumping out.

Crickets chirped, the river babbled softly. It all calmed Bai Wan’s nerves.

Su Yuening spread her arms out, letting the wind brush over her.

The sight was beautiful. Her long white hair glowing under the moonlight and her fair skin almost radiant in the dark, she wore a pale blue short dress that shimmered in the light. She looked like a delicate storybook princess.

Bai Wan stared for a moment, dazed. He’d never noticed before how long and lovely her hair was.

Then… a thought occurred to him.

If Su Yuening fell into the river… would a golden and silver version appear too? Her white hair’s really long. That’d be worth even more, right?

Bai Wan felt like he’d stumbled on a business opportunity.

Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?

He began seriously weighing the feasibility of shoving Su Yuening into the river… and exchanging the results for cash.

But just then, Su Yuening turned and asked: “Hey, Bai Wan… can I ask you something?”

Bai Wan blinked, suddenly nervous.

Wait—what’s she about to ask?! I have no experience with this kind of thing! Is she gonna…

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