Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 48: Successful Cataclysm Awakening

Chapter 48: Successful Cataclysm Awakening

With just one glance, Qiu Tu found himself deeply attracted to the two bottles of deep blue potion.

It felt as if an invisible force was pulling his spirit into the gem-like liquid, making it impossible for him to look away.

The scent of the sea filled his nostrils again; the sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed in his ears, and before his eyes, a vast, rolling ocean appeared.

Fortunately, this time he was prepared. Unlike before, he managed to snap out of the illusion quickly.

Shen Lingshuang was surprised at how quickly he emerged from the trance on his second attempt. She exclaimed, “Qiu Tu, you might actually have the talent to become a Cataclysm Awakened.”

“I remember going through similar illusions over a dozen times, each time needing my father to wake me.”

She looked down at the two bottles of Cataclysm Potion she had brewed and sighed, “Although I don’t know what happened during this process, I feel like these potions are different from any I’ve made before.”

Tilting her head, she continued with a thoughtful look in her eyes, “These potions seem particularly potent. Even I fall into an illusion whenever I gaze at them. I’ve never encountered this phenomenon before.”

Qiu Tu had a guess: perhaps, due to perfect timing, conditions, and materials, the success rate of these Cataclysm Potions had reached a particularly high level, resulting in this unusual phenomenon.

With this thought, he took one bottle from Shen Lingshuang and glanced at the top left corner of his vision.

Two small treasure chests glowed there, and no new crisis countdown had appeared.

‘It seems there’s no danger to my life,’ he thought, making up his mind.

He shook the bottle gently.

“Qiu Tu!” As he did so, the illusion began to form again, but Shen Lingshuang’s voice brought him back.

He stopped and looked at her.

She placed her hand on his and, with worried eyes, asked, “Are you sure you want to drink this potion?”

Noticing her anxiety, Qiu Tu joked, “Why? Did you spit in it?”

Shen Lingshuang blushed and retorted, “What nonsense are you saying?”

Qiu Tu patted her head and reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“I’ve also made proper arrangements for all of you.”

He smiled warmly, full of confidence, “If I don’t survive, Eagle will take you away from New Realm City and get you home safely.”

“I’ve prepared two goldfish and 200 silver coins for you. That should cover the travel expenses to the Third Shelter.”

Hearing his words, Shen Lingshuang’s face turned pale. She gripped his hand tightly, “I’m not worried about myself. I’m worried about you.”

“But I have a bad feeling…”

But before she could finish speaking, Qiu Tu’s hand, which had been gently patting her head, suddenly turned into a hand blade and swiftly struck the back of her neck.

The next second, the girl, with a look of disbelief on her face, collapsed softly into Qiu Tu’s arms.

Carefully, Qiu Tu took the second bottle of the Cataclysm Potion, placed both bottles temporarily on the table, and then picked her up in his arms, carrying her out the door.

As he opened his apartment door, the door to the neighboring apartment also opened from the inside.

Eagle stepped out.

He nodded at Qiu Tu and then moved aside to let him through.

Carrying Shen Lingshuang, Qiu Tu walked into the neighboring apartment, where a woman in her thirties was already waiting.

Seeing Qiu Tu enter, she quickly stepped aside. Qiu Tu gently placed Shen Lingshuang on the bed and then instructed the woman, “Sister Xin, please take care of this girl from now on.”

Sister Xin quickly rubbed her hands together and responded, “Don’t worry, A Tu. You’ve taken such good care of us over the years, and we are all grateful. I will take good care of her. Even if she wakes up, I’ll keep her calm.”

Qiu Tu nodded and then left the room.

At the door, he turned to Eagle and softly instructed, “Stand guard at my apartment door. If anything seems off, don’t hesitate. Take Sister Xin and Shen Lingshuang and leave immediately.”

Eagle responded with a calm “Hmm.”

Qiu Tu handed him his communicator and continued, “If Fourth Master Qin calls before I come out, respond as I taught you this afternoon. The most crucial thing is to ensure he takes Qin Shuman away from the Qin family. Military personnel will be waiting at the designated location to receive them.”

Eagle responded with another “Hmm.”

Qiu Tu added, “I’ve gathered over a thousand silver dollars from the Investigation Department and the Qin family, all stored in the black car Qin Zhengguang sent today. If something happens to me, take the money and drive to Eastern City in the south. The Investigation Department head there doesn’t get along with Yan Chen, so you won’t be hunted. You can establish yourselves there or use it as a transit point.”

Perhaps feeling a bit uneasy with Qiu Tu's arrangements, Eagle remained silent for a moment before finally speaking, “Do you really have to take this gamble?”

Hearing this, Qiu Tu smiled, patted Eagle’s shoulder, and spoke with a mix of resilience and optimism, “If you want to make a name for yourself, how can you not take risks? We’re lucky to even have the chance to take this gamble. Many people want to, but don’t even get the opportunity.”

With that, Qiu Tu turned and went back to his room, closing the door behind him.

He meticulously arranged everything because he wasn’t sure what would happen after drinking the Cataclysm Potion. Although it might not be life-threatening, the dangers of the Cataclysm Potion included mutation, corruption, and transformation.

That’s why he made sure to take care of everything around him before embarking on this unknown path. Arranging Shen Lingshuang’s return, securing Qin Shuman’s freedom, and ensuring A Tai and Eagle’s future lives were his ways of tying up loose ends.

Deep down, there was a sliver of kindness within him.

With these thoughts, Qiu Tu looked up, taking one last deep look at the dark, serene sky outside the window. Then he picked up one bottle of the Cataclysm Potion, removed the cork, and decisively drank it down.

‘After all, I’ve been given a second chance at life and slept with a beauty like Qin Shuman. No regrets!’

As the potion went down his throat, Qiu Tu immediately felt a cool sensation spreading from his throat to his chest, then quickly extending to every corner of his body.

In the next instant, he seemed to be once again submerged in a clear, blue ocean.

But unlike the previous times, this time he directly dove to the bottom of the sea, or rather, he became the ocean itself.

His thoughts gradually scattered, drifting away like raindrops in the wind, merging into rivers, lakes, and seas. It was as if he had transformed into drops of water, morning dew, and storms in the Cataclysm World.

He navigated through the storms, swimming across every inch of land under the shelter’s control.

It was an indescribable, profound sensation that enveloped him completely.

However, the good times didn't last long. As he delved deeper, the mist around him grew increasingly sticky and filthy, as if the pristine, clear water had turned into foul, viscous tar.

His entire body felt wrapped up, becoming stiff and sluggish, even making it hard to breathe. The darkness thickened, with the air filled with a sense of danger, a haze of fear, and flames of anger swirling in his heart.

On the brink of collapse, the cool force within Qiu Tu finally burst forth, acting as a last fortress, protecting his final shred of consciousness and helping him break free from the constraints.

Qiu Tu stirred up the storm once more, carrying the pervasive mist as he fled the sticky, foul abyss.

After what felt like an eternity, Qiu Tu finally escaped that suffocating region. As he looked back, his perception seemed to pierce through layers of space, revealing a new world — what he once thought was a vast ocean was merely a small pond, while the majority of the world was enveloped in a tar-like, muddy darkness.

In that moment, a profound sorrow surged within him, as if he were mourning for the entire world. The next second, he lost consciousness completely.

He didn’t know how much time had passed — maybe just ten minutes, maybe an hour. When Qiu Tu woke from the darkness, he found that his body had undergone many changes, and his mind was filled with new information.

It was a code engraved in the very foundation of the world, revealing the secrets of the extraordinary powers of the universe. Every awakened being received this mysterious gift during their first awakening.

Closing his eyes, Qiu Tu quietly organized the information in his mind. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, his once dark eyes transformed into a clear, deep blue. Simultaneously, his vision blurred, as if covered by frosted glass. The material world around him began to fade, replaced by a gray, dreamlike mist spreading out quietly.

Looking around, what he saw were no longer solid, tangible objects, but various nearly transparent lines, almost disappearing. His vision penetrated the illusory walls, clearly seeing into the next room where a bright flame lay quietly, and another dim flame sat beside it.

He looked towards the door, where a flame paced back and forth. Beyond that flame, several kilometers away, a giant shadow standing dozens of meters tall loomed quietly, imposing and dignified.

“Cataclysm Era, Boundless Heart Sea,” he thought, slowly withdrawing from the spiritual vision, his gaze complex.

The information from the world’s essence had finally filled in the secrets of this world for him.

Author's Note

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