Time to Wake Up

Kevin returned to the Moth to the Flame headquarters and saw Cosmo and the others around.

Kevin: "How did you guys know I was here?"

Elysia: "Not too long ago, someone was in a pretty sorry state, they fell right over."

Kevin looked at Cosmo. Cosmo felt Kevin's gaze and awkwardly turned his head away.

Mobius, however, picked up on something. "Do you guys know how this transmission happened, or how he was teleported so precisely here? There are no markings on the ground."

Mobius meticulously examined the floor, trying to find any clues.

Kevin didn't answer Mobius's question for the moment, instead asking the others if they had received the prior message.

Qian Jie answered first: "We got it. I don't know how long it'll be before he weakens though."

"Might as well just rush him. Kill whatever we encounter."

Kevin: "Don't rush. Before I came over, I already asked Angela. His (Huang Hao's) power will dissipate soon. We can go now, but we still need to prepare."

Qian Jie: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

With that, Qian Jie jumped out the window and suddenly teleported (if he's teleporting, why jump out the window?) towards Huang Hao's location.

"Hey, wait." Kevin looked at the fleeing Qian Jie with exasperation, but unable to stop him, he turned back to the remaining people. "What are you guys planning to do?"

Elysia: "What else can we do? Let's just follow along." With that, she also went out the window that Qian Jie had just flown through.

"...Isn't there a door here?" Cosmo looked at the shattered window and let out a sigh, then opened the Gate of Opening and went out.

Seeing the three people leave, Kevin rubbed his forehead. "So, no one is planning to prepare?"

"No, I plan to prepare. After all, as a researcher, I've never been to the battlefield." Mobius, who had found nothing after searching for a long time, stood up and answered Kevin's previous question.

Kevin: "Forget it, I'll go too."

After speaking, he intended to jump out the window like them, but seeing the Gate of Opening Cosmo had opened, he chose to walk out through the door instead.

Over at the sea, Qian Jie had already arrived. Seeing Huang Hao, who was fighting an unknown opponent, he went straight in with a kick.

In reality, Huang Hao was acting purely on instinct. As Qian Jie approached, Huang Hao sensed him and quickly dodged, evading the attack.

Qian Jie brushed past Huang Hao. Seeing that he had missed, he immediately stopped, turned around, and began wrestling with Huang Hao.

At first, they both dodged each other's skills, but after a while, they just started fighting head-on, trading punches. However, Huang Hao's power was only just beginning to weaken, and Qian Jie was not yet his match. What seemed like a back-and-forth brawl was actually a one-sided beatdown.

At this moment, Elysia arrived second and timely rescued Qian Jie.

Qian Jie: "Damn it, don't stop me, I'll kill him right now."

Elysia: "Wait, look at his current power. We're not a match for him yet. Let's wait until they get here."

So, Elysia quickly pulled Qian Jie away, and Huang Hao did not pursue them.

On the way back, they encountered Kevin and Cosmo and explained the current situation.

Kevin: "Originally, he was just stronger than me. If we wait a little longer, we should be able to defeat him."

The four returned to Huang Hao's previous location. Huang Hao was still there, doing nothing.

The four looked at Huang Hao, unsure of what to do, just watching awkwardly.

This scene was broken by a message from Mobius: "His energy is no longer dissipating. I've tested it. His current state... the report is done. We can make a move now."

Upon receiving the message, the group no longer hesitated and launched their attack on Huang Hao.

Although Huang Hao's power had significantly waned, he was still very strong. The group fought for a long time without being able to suppress him. Finally, it was their "good brother" Qian Jie who delivered a "Leo Kick" that finally suppressed him.

Qian Jie looked at the defeated Huang Hao, picked him up, and slapped him a few times, saying, "Hey, wake up. Look who I am."

Huang Hao: "..."

Qian Jie: "Are you mute?"

Seeing Huang Hao's current state, Cosmo asked Kevin: "Kevin, did Angela tell you how to solve this before you came out?"

Kevin shook his head without saying anything.

Elysia pulled Qian Jie back to prevent further harm to Huang Hao, but Qian Jie continued to curse at him.

Just then, Kevin felt something. "Wait, why is his energy increasing again?"

While he was wondering, Angela appeared out of thin air and came to Kevin's side.

Elysia saw Angela first and immediately greeted her. "Oh, Angela, why are you here? Perfect timing, come take a look at your father."

Angela: "Could you all please wake my father up? He's starting to absorb space again, and I'm having trouble suppressing it. Just waking his consciousness is enough."

Qian Jie: "What's going on? Why is he getting stronger again?"

Angela said tearfully: "I don't know, but I only sense very strong emotional fluctuations from Father, as if he was scolded."

All three looked at Qian Jie. Qian Jie wore a mask, so his condition was unclear, but he didn't say anything.

Cosmo: "Then how do we enter his consciousness now?"

Angela: "My energy and Father's are the same, so I can try to bring you in, but I can only bring one person."

"I'll do it." Elysia spoke up first.

Kevin: "Forget it, I'll do it. Elysia, you've only met him a few times. I know him a bit better. I'll try to wake him up."

As the two were deliberating, Qian Jie directly picked up Angela. "Let me in, quickly."

After Qian Jie finished speaking, Angela transferred her consciousness into him.

Kevin, Elysia: "?"

Angela said aggrievedly, "Father once said that Brother Qian Jie has a life-or-death friendship with him. I think his success rate might be higher."

Over there, Qian Jie also arrived at this place and saw Huang Hao playing chess with another him at first glance.

Qian Jie: "What the hell, how are there two?"

When Huang Hao saw Qian Jie arrive, his head throbbed, and he finally remembered what happened before. "Qian Jie, why are you here? What's the situation outside?"

Although Huang Hao remembered, he still calmly played chess.

Qian Jie: "It seems you're really him. Hurry up and get out."

The other "Huang Hao" said, "Not now. He still has a few problems to solve."

Qian Jie looked at the "Huang Hao" suspiciously. "Who are you? Why are you interfering with us?"

"Huang Hao": "You can leave, but you must finish this game of chess first and solve the problems."

Huang Hao also wanted to get up, but he couldn't leave the chessboard.

Seeing that his struggles were useless, Huang Hao asked the person, "What exactly is going on?"

"Huang Hao": "As I said, I am your true heart. If the problems aren't solved and the game isn't finished, your heart will be in great pain. This will prevent you from leaving, and you won't want to leave. You need to think through all of this."

Qian Jie wanted to get closer to them but couldn't step further in. He could only shout from outside, "Hey, what are you thinking about? Do whatever you want, do whatever you want, and stop playing this damn chess game here!"

Just as Qian Jie was about to continue cursing, he was teleported out and woke up on Elysia's back.

Qian Jie: "What happened?"

Angela: "Sorry... I don't have enough energy..."

Huang Hao watched Qian Jie leave and could only turn back to the chessboard helplessly.

"Huang Hao": "That's right. Keep thinking. All of this must have an answer."

Huang Hao was indeed thinking, but he was thinking about Qian Jie's words: "Do you think what Qian Jie just said was right?"

"I think it's very right."

Huang Hao directly flipped the chessboard, smashing it onto the other "Huang Hao," and successfully broke free from the control to stand up.

After being knocked down, "Huang Hao" was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Huang Hao: "Are you sick? You're happy even after being hit?"

"Huang Hao": "I'm not happy because I was hit. By doing this, you must have found your answer, right? That problem from before, have you figured it out?"

Huang Hao: "...I haven't figured it out, but I just want to do what I want to do."

"This is one answer, but it's not the only one."

"However, you've finished the game, so you can leave. But, you still don't have the answer in your heart. Still, you've done what you should have done."

After saying that, he dissipated.