Chapter Twenty-Four: Lifting the Domain

"Clang!"

The sound of clashing metal rang out with startling clarity in the mist, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

Pei Siying squinted, trying to get a clear look at the intruder.

Li Luyan stood before Yu Yue, holding nothing more than a common paring knife.

"Li Luyan, what is the meaning of this?" Pei Siying frowned. She could not comprehend how Li Luyan had managed to block her ice blades with such an ordinary tool.

Li Luyan tilted her head, letting her dark hair fall against her cheeks. "You were bothering me."

A faint, enigmatic smile played on her lips as her fingers lazily spun the paring knife.

Zhang Min furrowed her brows, a flash of annoyance crossing her eyes. "Li Luyan, what are you doing?" she demanded. "Don't forget who exhausted their abilities to save you. And to risk everyone's life for an ordinary person?" She glanced at the viscous liquid that had already reached their waists. "Is it worth it?"

Is it worth it? A profound question, indeed.

But Li Luyan did not like to owe anyone favors. In the gymnasium, Yu Yue had saved her without hesitation when faced with a high-level monster.

"It means," she sighed lightly, "that I don't want this ordinary person to die."

"Then you're looking for death!"

No sooner had she spoken than three ice blades were launched simultaneously from Pei Siying’s hands, aimed directly at Li Luyan’s face.

She did not dodge.

The ice cones stopped abruptly, less than ten centimeters from her eyes, and then—they vanished. They simply disappeared into thin air.

Pei Siying’s eyes widened. She stared at Li Luyan, her expression darkening. "You hid your ability? Is your other ability 'Devour'... or something else?"

"Could it be... that you are a regressor, too?"

It was Zhang Min who asked this, a complicated look flickering in her eyes as she attempted to play the emotional card. "We have all returned from the past; why must we make things difficult for each other? Li Luyan, she is just an ordinary person. You must know about the massive cataclysm in three years; ordinary people won't survive it."

Li Luyan raised an eyebrow, remaining silent.

Seeing the slime creeping up to their chests, Zhang Min’s tone grew urgent, her voice rising in pitch. "Li Luyan, we are on the same side!"

Li Luyan’s lips finally moved, her smile deepening. "On the same side? I’m afraid not... I am not a regressor." She drew out the words deliberately, watching with amusement as Zhang Min’s pupils contracted, much like a cat toying with a mouse. "I am not like you people who returned with memories of a past life to cheat the system."

Zhang Min’s expression shifted violently, though it was a pity her ability lacked offensive power.

At that moment, Pei Siying, seeing that Li Luyan’s attention was on Zhang Min, raised her hand and launched a massive ice blade in a sneak attack. "Go to hell!" she hissed.

Li Luyan, as if prepared, didn't even glance at the blade; it vanished just like the others.

Pei Siying’s face turned deathly pale, her voice filled with disbelief. "No... impossible. Even a Level 5 'Devour' ability couldn't absorb such a large ice construct so easily... especially not at the very beginning of the apocalypse! Who exactly are you?"

Li Luyan let out a soft laugh, spinning the paring knife nonchalantly. "Who said this was a 'Devour' ability?"

As she finished speaking, she flicked her wrist, and the paring knife flew out like a sword, aiming straight for Pei Siying’s throat. It stopped perfectly at her neck; one inch deeper would have drawn blood.

"You—" Pei Siying’s pupils constricted. The cold tip of the blade pressed against her skin, a chilling reminder that the woman before her was not to be trifled with.

*It’s a pity Zhang Min only has a support-type ability,* Pei Siying thought, *otherwise, if we worked together, I wouldn’t believe we couldn’t take this woman down.*

Li Luyan laughed—a beautiful, reckless sound. "What’s going through your head right now? Thinking of teaming up with Zhang Min to deal with me? Too bad... Zhang Min is a support type."

Pei Siying’s eyes widened in confusion. "Wait... your psychic ability, you’ve reached Level 2?! How is that possible?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Li Luyan’s voice was soft, yet it carried immense pressure to Pei Siying. "By eating the crystal cores. You know that, don't you?"

Back at the gymnasium, Li Luyan had discovered that when she consumed the crystal cores within her spatial storage, she gained double the benefits. It was, quite simply, a god-given bug in this world.

Pei Siying gritted her teeth and let out a cold laugh. "Li Luyan, what’s the point of saving her? If you save her, you’ll die too, and she won’t survive anyway."

"Who said we have to feed her to the fog monster?" Li Luyan replied, looking toward Zhang Min. "Can't you use the bead you have?"

Zhang Min was shocked for a moment before returning to her usual composure. "What bead?"

"Don't play dumb. That bead can dispel the domains of Level 3 monsters and below. You think I don't know?" She narrowed her eyes at the pocket of Zhang Min’s trench coat, where an amber-colored glass marble was tucked away.

As for how she knew... she looked up at Zhang Min. "Take it out."

"No... this won't do. It’s too wasteful. We could just sacrifice an ordinary person instead of using such an item. Li Luyan, it’s just an ordinary person; the item is more important."

Li Luyan’s smile turned icy. Her fingertips flickered, and the paring knife hovering at Pei Siying’s throat instantly shifted, pressing against Zhang Min’s neck with lightning speed.

Zhang Min’s breath hitched. She could feel the cold bite of the blade and a slight, sharp prick.

"Li Luyan!" Pei Siying barked. "What are you doing? All for the sake of an ordinary person?"

"Shut up!" Li Luyan cut her off without looking back, her eyes locked firmly onto Zhang Min’s face. "Take it out." Her tone was cold and absolute, as if she would end Zhang Min right there if she didn't comply.

A flicker of struggle crossed Zhang Min’s eyes.

Just then, the viscous liquid began to climb slowly up her shoulders. With a grit of her teeth, she finally pulled the amber glass bead from her pocket. The bead was coated in sticky residue, but it did nothing to dim its beautiful luster.

"Throw it here," Li Luyan commanded coldly.

Zhang Min hesitated, but realizing that survival was paramount, she tossed the marble over. It traced a perfect arc through the air before landing securely in Li Luyan’s palm.

"How do I dispel the domain?" she asked, though the tone was a command.

Pei Siying’s face looked wretched. She couldn't help but cry out, "No! Do you have any idea how precious that bead is? Using it on a fog monster is a complete waste! We could have just sacrificed an ordinary person—"

"I said," Li Luyan repeated, enunciating every word, "dispel. The. Domain."

The air seemed to freeze for an instant.

The tip of her knife pushed forward, piercing Zhang Min’s delicate skin, and a thin, winding line of blood began to trickle out.