Greed and Covetousness: Who Was the Hunter? Who Was the Prey?

As the indescribable mist spread, the area shrouded in it underwent a rapid and bizarre transformation.

In that instant, time and space seemed to be completely distorted; the dazzling sunlight turned into a strange blackish-red, and everything in the world seemed to be tinged with an unsettling aura.

"This--is...@#~*$" [Holy Light]'s intended words were distorted by the environment, turning into a bunch of noise.

At this moment, the world lost its color, all five senses were in chaos, and the scene in one's vision became bizarre and surreal.

Although there are not many living people left in Ruihe City, the buildings, birds, green plants, and stray cats and dogs are still there.

They were affected as well; small animals rummaging through trash cans for food suddenly bled from all seven orifices, broke their bones, and bit off their lips and tongues in a frenzied roar.

Birds flutter their wings aimlessly, occasionally crashing into walls or glass, their brains splattering and causing them to die.

Insects and Rats surged out of the ground, scurrying about as if lost, before swarming away and dying in droves.

The plants in the green belt withered and died, their branches and leaves fell off, and signs of decay and rot appeared on their surfaces.

They were all dead, but the corpses of these living creatures were given a new, cold, and lifeless "life," and they came back to life, exuding a chilling sense of horror.

Even the buildings are mutating; the hard walls are cracking, revealing human facial features that are constantly growing and haphazardly piling up and combining inside.

The eyes in these facial features dart around randomly, and the mouths open and close, emitting sounds that are difficult to decipher.

They are all ghosts, newly born ghosts!

Everything within the fog's influence turned into a ghost!

The original Special Operations Department building in the city center was now illuminated by a soft white light forming a hemisphere, blocking out the fog outside.

[Holy Light] stood atop the building, transforming it into a temporary shelter. Then, she soared into the sky, becoming a bright beam of light, and flew towards the densest part of the mist.

Aside from this building being protected by the [Holy Light], the Holy Light did not provide such protection to other places. Therefore, some people who were still alive in the city also experienced a resurrection and became Fierce Ghosts.

The newly born Fierce Ghost are all serving their masters.

Moreover, some organizations or individuals who were secretly observing the disaster in Ruihe City were also affected, turning into demons and indiscriminately attacking all living things around them.

This is the power of a super strong being; without even showing their true form, they caused heavy losses to everyone.

On the outskirts of Ruihe City, right in the center of the mist, stood a dark figure—it was Hu Jiu.

He looked up at the Upside-Down-Growing Peach Tree in the sky, then glanced in the direction of [Heaven’s Retribution] and [Holy Light], a hint of greed and covetousness in his eyes.

It's all fatty meat that's supposed to be very nutritious...

I don't know how much I'll get to eat after I finish.

Thinking this, Hu Jiu stretched out his finger and started drawing in the air.

A bright beam of light shone from afar, but it couldn't get close to Hu Jiu; it was dispersed halfway by a strange force.

The shattered beam of light broke into countless particles, causing buildings within hundreds of meters to collapse instantly.

"Is this the level of the higher-ups at the Time Management Bureau?" Hu Jiu mocked sarcastically.

"This level is enough to kill you," [Holy Light] said coldly as he returned to human form.

Hu Jiu's lips curled up slightly. He had delayed his move for so long because he had done thorough preparation.

He knew the Time Management Bureau was a behemoth, so he naturally had to be careful and have several backup plans.

He even had a plan for dealing with the "what if" scenario where he was resurrected after failing and being killed.

The fight between [Holy Light] and Hu Jiu was extremely fierce. Neither of them could control their destructive power, and everything in their path was destroyed. Buildings in the city collapsed, leaving behind one large crater after another filled with Supernatural power.

[Holy Light] Every move it makes emits Purification Light; ultimate purification is ultimate destruction, and purifying everything is utterly annihilating everything.

Hu Jiu, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of her. Every move he made was filled with an extremely yin and evil aura. Ordinary people would die instantly if they got close to him, and even the [Holy Light] dared not take it lightly.

[Holy Light] is very powerful and not to be underestimated. Her abilities are natural counters to all kinds of Supernatural pollution and curses.

The battles on the ground were thrilling, and the battles in the sky were equally intense.

[Heaven’s Retribution] manipulated lightning to continuously strike the Beauty Goddess's true form Upside-Down-Growing Peach Tree, and the two fought back and forth.

Compared to Hu Jiu, a well-rounded individual, the Beauty Goddess is a typical student who specializes in only one area, with almost all her abilities focused on survival, charm, and mind control.

[Heaven’s Retribution] cannot kill the Beauty Goddess and must also resist her mental corruption from time to time, but conversely, the Beauty Goddess can't do anything about [Heaven’s Retribution].

The battle between the two reached a stalemate. In fact, with the Beauty Goddess's abilities, he could hold off both [Heaven’s Retribution] and [Holy Light] at the same time, thus creating a situation where he could neither kill the other nor escape the battle.

Beauty Goddess couldn't understand why Hu Jiu made a move at this time, but based on his understanding of Hu Jiu, he was certain that the other party had ill intentions.

Just as he was thinking this, a faint Supernatural fluctuation suddenly wafted through the Beauty Goddess's body and sent a signal to his consciousness.

It was Hu Jiu who invited him to a private chat.

The Beauty Goddess accepted the invitation, and part of her consciousness sank into the dream following that Supernatural power.

The dream world Hu Jiu created was bathed in the bright sunshine of spring, but he himself was shrouded in black mist, looking up at the towering tree in front of him.

Even the Beauty Goddess no longer possesses a human form of self-awareness, but rather that of a tree.

Countless peach petals danced in the air, like pink clouds, and a melodious sound emanated from the tree, "What do you want from me?"

Hu Jiu didn't waste any words and went straight to the point. "It seems you can't beat that guy who keeps casting lightning. I can offer you help."

"Huh?" The Beauty Goddess's voice was full of doubt. "You would be so kind?"

Hu Jiu nodded sincerely. "We used to work together when we were human. Although we're not human anymore, you should trust my character."

If the Beauty Goddess had eyes, she would roll her eyes in mockery, believing that trusting Hu Jiu's character is less reliable than believing a sow can drive across a bridge.

Actually, Hu Jiu made a mistake. The Beauty Goddess was not his former colleague Yue. The real Yue was cursed to death remotely, and the Fierce Ghost revived on his corpse.

However, since most of the ghosts he controlled were consciousness-based, by a twist of fate, the resurrected Fierce Ghost inherited his memories and gradually awakened its own intelligence.

In a sense, the Beauty Goddess is a very successful example of a low-probability event— the Ghost-Controlled Human.

Hu Jiu didn't mind the Beauty Goddess's attitude. He raised his hand, and a jet-black Feather Pen appeared in his palm.

With a gentle flick of the wrist, the Feather Pen floated towards the Beauty Goddess, and countless peach blossoms rushed forward, lifting the Feather Pen aloft.

Hu Jiu said, "This pen possesses some of the characteristics of Omnipotence. Its main function is to write specific rules or draw within a defined area, turning the abstract objects in the drawing into reality."

"Wow, this is a nice gift! You're so generous?" The Beauty Goddess was puzzled. He trusted Hu Jiu's character too much, so he didn't dare accept Hu Jiu's gift at all.

Hu Jiu looked at the Beauty Goddess with a calm expression. "During this special period, the Administration is really pushing us too hard, trying to wipe us out. There's no other way; we must join forces to eliminate our common enemy before we can talk about anything else."

"Enemies? Haha..." The Beauty Goddess suddenly laughed, "You can fool others with that, but don't fool yourself here. 'Being suppressed by a powerful force and then rising up in retaliation'—that kind of script doesn't suit you."

On the surface, this incident was the Time Management Bureau's attempt to suppress Hu Jiu Beauty Goddess, because the two of them were too powerful and had no morals, posing a constant threat to the world.

But what is the reality?

When Hu Jiu Beauty Goddess learned of the existence of the Time Management Bureau, did they feel even the slightest tension, anxiety, or a desire to eliminate the Administration?

No.

The first emotion that arose in their minds was—an insatiable desire!

They're eyeing the behemoth that is the Time Management Bureau!

Whether it's Hu Jiu or the Beauty Goddess, their strength has already reached its peak, and it's extremely difficult for them to go any further. Simply relying on sheer numbers to control more Fierce Ghost is meaningless; they need high-quality Supernatural!

The Time Management Bureau is a super treasure trove for them, a place where danger and opportunity coexist!

So they used themselves as bait, tirelessly maneuvering with the Time Management Bureau, all in an attempt to lure out more and more valuable Old Deng.

The Beauty Goddess desires Fierce Ghost with the ability to manipulate time, and is also drawn to the ferocious offensive power of [Heaven’s Retribution].

But Hu Jiu seemed even more greedy than him, wanting to obtain even more.

Just then, Hu Jiu said, "You can borrow that Feather Pen for now; it's up to you whether you use it or not. I'll get it back after this is all over."

After saying that, Hu Jiu disappeared on the spot, and the dream collapsed.

The Feather Pen, having come from the dream into reality, hung on the branch of the Upside-Down-Growing Peach Tree. The Beauty Goddess felt the surging power emanating from the Feather Pen, but simply thought Hu Jiu was talking nonsense.

You want to take away the meat you've already eaten?

Stop kidding!

What's this about lending or not? If the item is in his hands, it's his.

Moreover, he always believed that Hu Jiu had ill intentions, and the right thing to do when dealing with someone with ill intentions is to take advantage of them completely.

A win-win situation is impossible; you have to win twice to truly succeed.

The Beauty Goddess used the power of her Feather Pen, and the situation changed in an instant. [Heaven’s Retribution], who was originally locked in a stalemate with her, was suddenly at a disadvantage.

However, [Heaven’s Retribution] was not to be trifled with. His Supernatural aura suddenly became violent, thick dark clouds gathered in the sky, lightning flashed in the clouds, and countless thick, purplish-black arcs of electricity, like mad snakes dancing wildly, struck the Upside-Down-Growing Peach Tree.

Countless branches were charred black, and the battlefield was a mess, but [Heaven’s Retribution] was still at a disadvantage.

Forced into a corner, [Heaven’s Retribution] also used his ability to manipulate time. He rarely uses time-based Fierce Ghost because the side effects are too severe.

But in this situation, it's absolutely necessary.

Then, [Heaven’s Retribution] unleashed another bolt of purple lightning, followed by an Hourglass in his hand with the word "Entropy" engraved on Hourglass.

Unfortunately, before he could even use the Hourglass's power, a blood-stained white cloth suddenly fell from the sky, rolled up the Hourglass, and disappeared.

[Heaven’s Retribution]'s expression changed, and in that instant of distraction, a peach tree branch pierced his shoulder.

The injury wasn't serious, but Heaven’s Retribution's condition was steadily declining, and he was starting to lose his composure. Most importantly, he lost the Hourglass!

He controlled the Hourglass called "Entropy," and theoretically, he could sense it even if Hourglass left his hand. But this time was different. The Hourglass that was rolled up by the white cloth seemed to have completely lost contact with him; he and the Hourglass were disconnected.

This blow is too great; [Heaven’s Retribution] is considering whether to snatch a time-based Fierce Ghost from the other Executor.

However, time-based Fierce Ghost are extremely difficult to control, and it's impossible to control them successfully in a short time. What if he hasn't been able to control a new Time-Type Fierce Ghost before the time Rollback...?

"You dared to lose focus while fighting me? Aren't you being too careless?" The Beauty Goddess's sinister voice suddenly rang in [Heaven’s Retribution]'s ears.

Then countless peach branches pierced through [Heaven’s Retribution]'s chest, and peach blossoms bloomed, gradually changing from pink to crimson.

Sensing the passing of life, [Heaven’s Retribution] merely frowned; after a long while, he began to panic.

In the endless cycle of reincarnation, the Executor have long lost their reverence for life and become numb to death. But now, [Heaven’s Retribution] has lost the Time-Type Fierce Ghost, and when the Rollback again, who knows what it will become.

The unknown is the most terrifying thing; perhaps he really will die.

Taking advantage of [Heaven’s Retribution]'s distracted state, a fragrant scent lingered in the air, and [Heaven’s Retribution]'s mind gradually became hazy. The gnarled branches writhed wildly on his body like rotting intestines, and peach blossoms bloomed from his wounds.

Occasionally, the sound of flesh being torn apart could be heard, and sharp thorns from the ends of branches had pierced [Heaven’s Retribution]'s collarbone, pinning him in mid-air like a specimen.

The entire Upside-Down-Growing Peach Tree in the sky was twitching, faintly emitting swallowing sounds.

[Heaven’s Retribution]'s body was gradually enveloped and devoured. This process was very short, but [Heaven’s Retribution] lost its will to resist and embraced the peach tree as if it were embracing a lover it had been separated from for a long time.

[Heaven’s Retribution] is gone.

[Holy Light], who was engaged in a fierce battle with Hu Jiu, witnessed this scene but remained unmoved.

Her expression changed when Hu Jiu suddenly pulled out an Hourglass.

Hu Jiu turned the Hourglass upside down. Within a hundred-meter radius of the Hourglass, the passage of time seemed to materialize into a movie playing. Hu Jiu could see the flow of time with his naked eye, just like the progress bar of a movie in progress.

The person holding the Hourglass is unaffected and appears to be able to drag its progress bar.

Hu Jiu tried it out and found that it was extremely taxing. Moreover, he was unable to directly change the scene in the flow of time. It seemed that he had only detached himself from reality, jumped out of the river of time, and become an observer who could not interfere with reality.

"What's the point of this thing?"