Lin Qin and Han Yimo hid behind a pile of overturned tables and chairs in the corridor.

Their path had been blocked.

“Hey, hey, hey! Come out!” the man in the black windbreaker shouted from the distance. “Come out and let me see if you’re the people we’re looking for.”

After hearing this, Lin Qin’s expression became extremely grim. She slowly poked her head out to see who the other party was, but in the next second, she caught sight of a small black object flying toward her, scaring her into quickly ducking back.

Boom!!

An explosion, neither large nor small, erupted on the tables and chairs, instantly shaking the two people until they swayed unsteadily.

“What is this thing?” Han Yimo covered his head in shock. “How can this be happening?”

A flaming stone slowly rolled to Lin Qin’s eyes.

She picked up the small stone and touched it—it felt scorching hot.

“This brought the explosion…?” Lin Qin suddenly thought of something and quickly called out loudly, “Excuse me, are you ‘Cat’?”

The people in the distance indeed stopped their attack. The leading man thought for a moment and also called out loudly, “Who’s there? State your name.”

Lin Qin hid behind cover and slowly raised both hands so the other party could see her palms.

“Long live Extreme Path,” Lin Qin said.

This statement stunned Han Yimo beside her.

“Pleasure to meet you,” the leading man said indifferently. “‘Extreme Path’ is also one of our major clients. Report your ‘Echo’ as well. If you’re an acquaintance, we won’t entangle with you today.”

After hearing this, Lin Qin slowly nodded and activated the massive bell sound in the distance.

“I am ‘Activation,'” Lin Qin said. “Does anyone present recognize me?”

Once the words “Activation” came out, the expressions of the people in the distance changed.

“Lin Qin of Extreme Path?” the leader asked tentatively.

“Yes.”

“My apologies, we offended you just now.” The leading man waved his hand, having the people beside him put away their weapons. “I’m Song Qi from ‘Cat.’ We’ve met once before.”

Lin Qin nodded and slowly stood up. “Pleasure to meet you…”

After confirming Lin Qin’s appearance, Song Qi also put the stone in his hand back into his pocket. “Lin Qin, our mission tonight is to ‘bloodily wash Heaven’s Mouth.’ You’ve shown me kindness, so to avoid violating regulations, I’ll give you thirty seconds to escape. After thirty seconds, everyone will be treated the same.”

After hearing this, Lin Qin furrowed her brows slightly and said, “How much did the other party pay? I’m willing to pay more.”

“Lin Qin, the price this time is too high. In the entire ‘Land of the End,’ only he can afford it.” Song Qi shook his head. “Twenty-five seconds left.”

“There’s a very crucial person here who cannot die,” Lin Qin refused to give up and continued persuading. “At least not now! He has the potential to destroy this place!”

Song Qi blinked, finding it somewhat laughable. “Lin Qin, I remember you’re clearly with ‘Extreme Path,’ so why are you now helping outsiders destroy this place?”

“I…” Lin Qin kept thinking of countermeasures, feeling there was probably no hope this time. “Song Qi, I want to get out.”

After hearing this, Song Qi helplessly shook his head. “Five seconds left.”

Lin Qin’s eyes also slowly dimmed as she said, “Song Qi, we cannot lose hope. Everyone here cannot…”

“Three.”

“I’m begging you… That person really…”

“One. Sorry.”

As soon as the words fell, Song Qi pulled a small piece of stone from his pocket and flicked it over. When the stone touched Lin Qin’s cheek, it suddenly erupted in a violent explosion.

Before there was even time to hear a scream, Lin Qin’s head was blown apart. Her body slowly collapsed and fell right before Han Yimo’s eyes.

Looking at this unrecognizable corpse, Han Yimo’s eyes slowly widened.

What the hell was going on?!

“One after another, you’re either saviors or have hidden identities… when I’m clearly the protagonist…” He trembled all over, unable to comprehend his current predicament no matter what.

With the protagonist being completely ignorant of everything, how could he face such great danger?

Shouldn’t the plot unfold gradually?!

Where were those seniors who should come to save him?!

Where were those fortuitous encounters?!

“Hey… Lin Qin… get up quickly, don’t you have a hidden identity…?” Han Yimo called out in some terror. “How could someone with a hidden identity suddenly just die? Aren’t you supposed to save me…?”

But Lin Qin had clearly lost all signs of life and couldn’t possibly stand up again.

“The one in the back, come out yourself. No one’s leaving tonight,” Song Qi continued calling out.

How could Han Yimo possibly go out?

Even knowing he couldn’t survive, he didn’t want to go to his death.

But that person’s ability was too bizarre—it seemed that no matter what he threw, it could trigger an explosion…

“Explosion…?” Under such tense circumstances, Han Yimo’s mind actually wandered.

He suddenly thought of a character in his book who also triggered a violent explosion when dying, perishing together with the enemy.

He began to worry that he would similarly trigger an explosion when he died.

“Not coming out, huh?” Song Qi was somewhat wary of Han Yimo. After all, he didn’t know the other party’s ability, so he could only stand in the distance and throw another small stone.

His intention was to blow up the tables and chairs that Han Yimo was hiding behind, but unexpectedly, the small stone this time happened to pass through various gaps in the tables and chairs by coincidence, landing right beside Han Yimo.

“Huh?” Han Yimo turned his head to look—beside him was a small stone emitting heat. He was immediately shocked and terrified.

But before he could run far, his thigh was blown to a bloody mess.

“Ahhh!!!!!!”

A heart-wrenching scream rang out. Han Yimo’s thigh was pitch black, and even his blood emitted thick smoke.

“This isn’t right!!” Han Yimo screamed heart-wrenchingly. “This isn’t right!! Who can save me?! My savior… Qi Xia… Qi Xia!!”

But no one responded to him at all.

“So noisy…” Song Qi shook his head. “This state… could it be you don’t have an ‘Echo’?”

He turned back and beckoned to the people behind him. “Kill him.”

Several men in black clothing walked up and cleanly and efficiently stabbed Han Yimo to death with their weapons.

…

Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Li Xiangling hid in the teachers’ office on the second floor, feeling extremely uneasy.

The turmoil before them didn’t seem fake—it seemed real.

Just a few seconds ago, the three people had heard someone shouting “Qi Xia” heart-wrenchingly.

“What exactly is happening…” Qi Xia furrowed his brows and kept looking out through the door crack. “Was that Han Yimo just now…?”

“Liar Boy…” After thinking for a long time, Qiao Jiajin finally stood up. “What do you think are our chances of surviving if we hide here?”

“Less than one percent,” Qi Xia answered.

He knew those people would find this room sooner or later.

“So I’m planning to join the battlefield.” Qiao Jiajin took off his shirt and casually tossed it on the ground.

Li Xiangling was stunned. “Qiao Ge… you…”

“When all the people of ‘Heaven’s Mouth’ are dead, we won’t have a chance to resist even if we want to.” Qiao Jiajin said. “Joining the battlefield now gives us a chance at survival.”

Qi Xia knew he couldn’t stop Qiao Jiajin, so he could only nod.

But at this moment, Li Xiangling reached out and grabbed Qiao Jiajin’s arm. “Qiao Ge… don’t go…”

“Hm?” Qiao Jiajin turned back to look at her. “Kung Fu Girl, don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

“I have an ominous premonition…” Li Xiangling said with tears. “Can you stay here?”

“No…” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “There are still many people waiting for me to protect them.”

He pushed open the door, looked around left and right, then said in a low voice before closing the door, “Liar Boy, Kung Fu Girl, unless I come knock on the door, neither of you can come out, understand?”