Star City Shelter.
Listening to the teacher's interpretation of his legacy from outside the classroom, Feng Qi couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
From a historical nobody, to a reviled traitor, and now to a celebrated hero of humanity—each sacrifice across multiple timelines had finally earned him the respect of the people in the future.
However, Feng Qi couldn't entirely agree with how the teacher depicted him.
At least in his own eyes, his personality wasn't as exaggerated as the teacher described.
He was human, after all, not a saint.
"What does Victory City think of Feng Qi?"
A bespectacled researcher standing beside him asked curiously.
Feng Qi gave a faint smile. "Your version of history differs from ours. In the history I know, Feng Qi faced doubt and despair. He once questioned himself but eventually overcame his fears, embracing the hopelessness and choosing to challenge the future head-on, like an ant shaking a tree."
"You must have read the wrong history," the researcher retorted firmly. "In true history, Feng Qi never hesitated. All the elders from the Breaking Dawn Organization said so."
Feng Qi: …
[Haha! I agree with him. You, Qi-ge, must have read a fake history. You need to face the real history.]
Though exasperated, Feng Qi found himself admitting the researcher wasn't entirely wrong.
His moments of struggle and confusion had indeed occurred—but not on this timeline.
On this future line, his heart had been unwavering, never faltering.
This was because his doubts and despair had already been conquered across other timelines.
His resolve had been hardened by repeated failures.
As the soul of the Breaking Dawn Organization, Feng Qi had no choice but to project absolute conviction to inspire the other members.
Under the researcher's guidance, Feng Qi continued to explore the publicly accessible areas of the shelter.
The shelter had established a remarkably comprehensive internal ecosystem.
Farming, cultivation, resource management, technological development, and research—all were carried out in perfect coordination.
Every resident over the age of 15 had their role, contributing to the survival of the community.
After wandering through much of the shelter, Feng Qi stopped in front of a closed iron door.
The door bore an emblem that felt intensely familiar—a black background with a crimson gemstone at its center.
It was the insignia of the Crimson Research Institute.
Seeing the symbol, Feng Qi suddenly recalled something important.
This time, the Mist Lord had yet to snap his fingers, which meant the descendants of the Crimson Research Institute should still be around.
Why, then, was the Crimson Secret Base devoid of people?
His memory, still affected by the aftereffects of overlapping timelines, refused to supply the explanation he had previously read in the database.
Feng Qi asked inwardly, "Narrator, why is the Crimson Base empty this time, even though the Mist Lord hasn't acted yet?"
[They left you a message, but you simply haven't remembered it yet. As you observed, they moved to Star City Shelter 278 years ago. They didn't stay in the Crimson Base.]
"Why?"
[Haven't you noticed? With each of your trips through the timeline, the tasks of the Crimson Research Institute grow heavier. From the initial brain-in-a-vat development to preserving energy resources, and now to the increasingly complex memory implantation technology. There's also Old Wang's Flesh Sacrifice research—another massive drain on resources.]
[In simple terms, the Crimson Secret Base couldn't sustain itself any longer. Cultivating combat-ready personnel to gather resources required training materials they no longer had. Even living frugally, they couldn't make ends meet. They resorted to surviving on toothpaste-flavored nutrient paste for 365 days just to preserve the knowledge they needed to leave for you.]
[When they finally couldn't hold out, they moved to Star City Shelter for assistance. On this timeline, the Crimson Research Institute wasn't aligned with the traitor factions, so they had no reason to fear persecution.]
[Another critical point is that before leaving, they used Wei Wei's memory implantation technology to delete all information about you and the knowledge they left for you from their minds. This was a safety measure, as they suspected that Star City Shelter might have infiltrators from other domain forces. The information in their heads was too risky.]
[If the Crimson Base had been discovered by domain forces, all their preparations for you would have been for nothing.]
Hearing the explanation, Feng Qi finally understood.
The reality was just as the Narrator described—the Crimson Base's resource collection capabilities had stagnated while its consumption demands had soared.
In the early timelines, the Crimson Base had even managed to save enough resources to create a talent enhancement box for him.
But now, those talent boxes had been entirely abandoned.
Wei Wei had mentioned this in her recorded messages, explaining that the base's resources were simply too tight.
Research, she said, was a bottomless pit. Raising even a single domain creature was an unaffordable burden.
"It seems that once I return to reality, I'll need to figure out how to help the Crimson Research Institute establish a stable resource pipeline. Otherwise, their research won't be able to continue."
As Feng Qi walked through the shelter, the narrator's suggestion lingered in his mind:
[Your mind now contains the complete code for a super virtual game. Once you return to reality, you can begin development. Using the Crimson Research Institute's influence to release the game, the profits can fund resource acquisition, ensuring their operations can sustain in the early stages.]
He nodded in agreement.
In one of the sacrifice timelines, he had a conversation with the Shadow.
The Shadow had assumed he was a proxy for a certain domain force, claiming that if Feng Qi had not interfered with the Institute of Technological Research, they would have let him continue his future plans—including the super virtual game project.
From that perspective, launching the super virtual game in the reality timeline seemed relatively safe.
After all, the reality timeline's focus was stability. There was no intention to provoke the Institute of Technological Research directly.
Releasing the game as soon as possible would also accelerate human civilization's development by hundreds of years, saving massive resources typically consumed during research and training.
As for technical issues like game servers, he could always seek help from the Crimson Research Institute or the Future Research Institute after returning to reality.
Now, with reliable allies, Feng Qi no longer needed to do everything himself.
A voice interrupted his thoughts. The researcher accompanying him pointed to a closed iron door and explained, "This is the Crimson Research Institute's exclusive laboratory. It's not open to the public. Let's move on."
Feng Qi nodded without objection.
The researcher led him further along the shelter's pathways.
Every now and then, the researcher would glance at the Suction Cup resting on Feng Qi's chest before eagerly introducing the shelter's layout and functionality.
Through the introductions, Feng Qi gained a clearer understanding of the shelter.
Star City Shelter had 218 rooms in total, with four main sections in the cardinal directions connected to the third underground level, which served as the residential area for the shelter's inhabitants.
The remaining rooms on the ground floor had specialized purposes, including manufacturing weapons, storing food, conducting research, and cultivating plants.
Time passed quickly as they wandered, and soon three hours had elapsed. The researcher received a communication from Director Lu, notifying him that the examination results were ready.
The report confirmed Feng Qi's human bloodline.
Director Lu had already forwarded the results to the base commander.
Feng Qi was to meet the commander next.
While curious about the base's commander, Feng Qi remained cautious.
It was still unclear whether Star City Shelter was truly under human control or if domain forces had infiltrated it. The current intelligence provided no definitive answers.
Following the researcher's lead, Feng Qi arrived at a room on the northern end of the underground plaza.
After explaining their purpose to the guards, the iron door opened, revealing a long corridor inside.
The researcher gestured for Feng Qi to proceed alone before turning to leave.
Feng Qi stepped into the corridor, and the overhead lights flickered on, illuminating his path.
As he walked, he noticed portraits lining the walls.
One in particular caught his eye, prompting him to stop.
The subject of the painting was none other than himself.
The painting depicted Feng Qi at the execution ground in Future City. He was wearing a prisoner's uniform, his face pale as he sat in the execution chair.
Above him hung a radiant sun.
The artist had meticulously captured his expression as he faced death—calm, yet filled with hope for the future.
The slight smirk on his lips seemed to mock the domain forces hidden within human society.
In the bottom left corner of the painting, a line of text read:
"Someone must step forward to change the world. Why can't that person be me?"
At the end of the corridor, he reached a room. Pushing the door open, Feng Qi was greeted by a space brimming with advanced technology.
The room's decor featured black and white tones. Directly ahead stood a massive curved screen, over three meters tall and ten meters wide, where three men monitored live drone feeds of external activity.
To the right was another iron door labeled "Commander."
Without hesitation, Feng Qi approached the door and knocked.
It slid open and recessed into the wall, granting him entry.
The room was modestly furnished, dominated by a black metallic desk that gleamed under the lighting. Behind it stood a bookshelf.
Seated at the desk was a man in his forties or fifties, his temples streaked with gray. Despite his simple appearance, he exuded an undeniable aura of authority.
The man's gaze rested on Feng Qi, occasionally shifting to the sleeping Suction Cup on his chest.
"Take a seat," the man said.
Feng Qi complied, settling into the chair opposite the desk.
"I should introduce myself first. I am the current commander of Star City Shelter. My name is Xia Qian."
Feng Qi nodded immediately.
"My name is Feng Qi, and I'm from Victory City."
"Oh, the same name as the great historical figure?" Xia Qian said with a hint of surprise.
"Yes, that's exactly why my parents chose this name for me."
Hearing this, Xia Qian smiled warmly. "Feng Qi is someone I admire deeply. He ushered in a new era of humanity's resistance from within. Without him, perhaps human civilization would no longer exist."
The mention of Feng Qi brought an unmistakable enthusiasm to Xia Qian's demeanor.
He began recounting historical stories about Feng Qi from his perspective.
Listening to someone else's version of himself felt strange to Feng Qi. Still, he endured the conversation, occasionally joining in and even throwing in compliments about himself, earning no shortage of sarcastic jabs from the narrator.
However, Xia Qian's words revealed something intriguing.
Xia Qian's ancestor was Xia Long, one of the three brothers who had helped Feng Qi establish the Breaking Dawn organization.
Learning that Xia Qian was a descendant of an old ally, Feng Qi felt a wave of emotion.
He had never expected Xia Long's lineage to rise to prominence, with his descendants leading Star City's human population 1,500 years later.
The conversation gradually became less formal.
At that moment, Xia Qian's gaze shifted to the Suction Cup resting on Feng Qi's chest.
"Can you tell me why White-Eyed Girl is so attached to you?" Xia Qian asked curiously.
Feng Qi shook his head and said, "I'm not sure either. Ever since we met, she's been clinging to me and refuses to leave."
To demonstrate, he grabbed the Suction Cup and flung her toward a distant corner.
The previously sleeping Suction Cup opened her eyes midair. She quickly adjusted her posture, landed gracefully, and leapt back toward Feng Qi, settling onto his chest before closing her eyes again.
Witnessing this, Xia Qian was visibly astonished.
He picked up the report on his desk and scanned it once more, marveling, "It's unprecedented for White-Eyed Girl to actively approach anyone. Your medical report shows nothing out of the ordinary, and we can't identify the reason."
After a brief pause, Xia Qian added, "Allowing you into the shelter without testing you first was largely thanks to White-Eyed Girl. Her behavior around you is enough proof that you're not a domain creature."
"Why?" Feng Qi asked while rubbing Suction Cup's tiny head.
"White-Eyed Girl never attacks humans, but her attitude toward domain creatures is entirely different. When the Silver Moon Domain Field suddenly expanded, it was White-Eyed Girl's protection that allowed Star City to survive. During the shelter's construction, her repeated interventions ensured the project's completion."
"In short, White-Eyed Girl is the guardian deity of Star City," Xia Qian explained.
Hearing this, Feng Qi finally understood.
He had read that Suction Cup was considered both a mascot and a guardian deity of Star City, but he hadn't grasped the depth of the people's reverence for her.
It was now clear that he had been allowed into the city ahead of testing largely thanks to Suction Cup.
"Commander, since it's been confirmed that I'm human, could I be granted resident privileges? I'm particularly interested in accessing Star City's database to learn more about its history and development," Feng Qi requested.
"Given White-Eyed Girl's approval, you're naturally welcome to become a member of our shelter. Once you've completed registration and received your identification code, you'll have unrestricted access to the database," Xia Qian replied with a smile.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.
Xia Qian glanced at the monitor on his desk and pressed a button to open the door.
A man dressed in a white uniform entered, carrying a file. He placed it on the desk and addressed Xia Qian respectfully.
"Commander, this is today's patrol report. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Thank you," Xia Qian replied with a nod.
The man nodded back and turned to leave but paused to glance at Feng Qi before exiting.
That glance was enough to trigger an incident.
Suction Cup, who had been peacefully sleeping, suddenly opened her eyes.
Before Feng Qi could react, she wriggled free from his embrace, her tiny form shimmering with a jade-colored glow as stars sparkled in her eyes.
With her fist clenched tightly, she launched herself at the departing man.
Boom!
The man, along with the iron door, was sent flying, crashing through the wall and reducing it to rubble.
The three observers outside the command room were startled, pulling off their headsets and staring in shock at the destruction.
As alarms blared throughout the shelter, Feng Qi looked down at the Suction Cup perched on his leg, her tiny fist still raised.
He then looked at the demolished wall and the bloodied remains of the man now embedded in the opposite wall, before shifting his gaze to the utterly dumbfounded Xia Qian.
Feng Qi: …
The narrator's teasing voice echoed in his mind:
[Xia family descendant, listen to your ancestor! Let me explain what just happened. Whatever you do, don't act rashly!]