Xu Fang had perfect recall now, but Number 2’s message made him read it again anyway.

Every hint was a startling conclusion.

He woke from the dream.

Xu Fang lay on the surface of the moon, raising his slender hand to block half the sunlight. The starry sky was reflected in his deep-set pupils.

Why hadn’t Number 2 made the hints easier to understand? Were these really just hints? Could this letter be trusted?

He didn’t need to breathe, yet Xu Fang still felt suffocated and oppressed. It was as if he stood in some unfathomably strange realm.

He looked at Earth again. It was still a man-eating mass of pixels.

Organization K, outsiders, the All-Seeing Eye, authors scheming against one another, narrators from higher layers… And all kinds of incomprehensible things piled up there like viruses.

Should he stay here in comfort, or risk returning to Earth?

Thinking back on everything he’d been through—the Destruction Association’s contact with him, the dangers of the World of Immortality… Someone had been pulling the strings behind every single thing. He’d been used as a tool, sent in to take the hits. All his desperate attempts to survive had only made him more convenient for the people using him.

If he went back to Earth, he might really get played to death.

Faced with the threat of imminent death, something stirred in Xu Fang’s heart, silent for so long.

He was going back. He’d overcome every obstacle, create a safe place, and keep his promise to her—Luo Xiaoming was still waiting for him in another world.

Xu Fang gazed at Earth and finally made up his mind.

…

Xu Fang tore the elevator, along with the thrusters beneath it, out of its rails.

If he couldn’t return to Earth through multidimensional space, then he’d have to consider the most conventional method.

The little demon’s body didn’t need to breathe and could survive in the vacuum of space at temperatures below minus two hundred degrees. So a simple cargo rocket without a deceleration system would meet Xu Fang’s needs. As long as it could get him into Earth’s atmosphere, that would count as a success. His body could handle a hard landing.

Xu Fang did some quick calculations. The moon’s escape velocity was 2.38 km/s, and correcting his trajectory for Earth reentry would add another 0.5 km/s. Reaching 3 km/s would be enough. Using the moon’s gravity, he estimated that the elevator and thrusters together weighed close to 550 kg. Overcoming the difference in gravitational potential energy inside the moon would take about 900 MJ of work, and each thruster contained around 50 kg of fuel… After calculating carefully, Xu Fang realized that the thrusters had an astonishing propulsion efficiency of 60%. The two fuels were also at different temperatures, and their mixture ratio was close to 1:8. He deduced that they were liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen.

Once he knew the fuel types, the specific impulse was clear. By the rocket equation, three thrusters would be enough, with one more for steering or as a backup. After subtracting Xu Fang’s own 30 kg from the remaining payload capacity, he could use 120 kg of structural frame to secure the thrusters.

Xu Fang dismantled the aluminum-titanium alloy parts of the elevator. Using his own energy, he melted the metal into long strips, then welded them together with heat and pressure. The four thrusters were firmly secured in a 2+1+1 configuration. After leaving the moon, Xu Fang would detach the two bottom rockets to reduce weight. The other two would keep accelerating and help provide thrust and adjust the direction.

Before long, Xu Fang had finished building the rocket. It looked crude enough to fall apart the moment it hit Earth’s atmosphere, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was making it to Earth.

As for the route, Xu Fang planned to take a hyperbolic trajectory and make a direct, high-speed approach to Earth’s orbit, using the extra velocity to shorten the journey. It would take about 24 to 36 hours to reach his destination. The route had three stages: escaping the moon, accelerating in orbit, and entering the atmosphere.

“…So, based on all that, can I land safely on Earth?” Xu Fang asked the consultation center.

【This question cannot be answered with “yes” or “no.”】

“Then let me put it another way. What are the odds I’ll land safely on Earth?”

【50%】

Only 50%? Xu Fang thought. That was an awfully ambiguous probability.

“What are the odds I’ll reach Earth’s atmosphere safely?”

【98.59%】

It seemed the most dangerous part of reaching Earth was the stage between entering the atmosphere and reaching the ground. Based on Xu Fang’s experience with hard landings, there was hardly any risk in getting from the atmosphere to the ground. But the consultation center had initially given him only a 50% chance. So… the only explanation was human interference.

In other words, when he reached Earth, someone—or something—would attack him for reasons unknown?

Xu Fang opened his novel and wrote a chapter in a few minutes. Then, in the setting field below, he wrote:

“Author Xu Fang will safely travel from the moon to Earth’s surface.”

Then he published the new chapter.

Two hours later, it passed review. When Xu Fang asked again, “What are the odds I’ll land safely on Earth?” customer service gave him a different answer.

【99.99%】

Still one chance in ten thousand? Xu Fang let out a breath that didn’t exist.

That was good enough.

The thrusters ignited. Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen mixed and burned fiercely, blasting out a huge cloud of vapor. The force slowly lifted the rocket into the sky and accelerated it. Before long, it passed escape velocity and headed for Earth. Against the star-speckled night sky, its exhaust flame looked like a flickering ember, ready to go out at any moment.

The unpredictable man returned to that planet, carrying his will with him.

The Chinese Embassy in Thailand.

Several buses and ambulances were parked at the entrance, drawing curious looks from the locals.

Several border guards jumped out of the drivers’ seats. One brushed the dust off his sleeve and said to his companion:

“They should be here soon, right? I wonder if the information we got is reliable.”

“Better safe than sorry. We’re talking about hundreds of victims, after all.”

“Those bastards at the compound finally got what was coming to them. Feels great. Maybe we can have something good to eat tonight.” A young man grinned.

After receiving Gussy’s call, the Chinese authorities immediately put together a “compound rescue team” and sent them here to meet the victims. They’d heard there were many injured people, too, so medical staff had come along.

The rescue team wasn’t sure what to believe about what had happened at the compound. They couldn’t quite believe that such a dangerous place had been destroyed overnight.

Once they met the refugees from the compound, the truth would become clear.

…

Bai Yong leaned against the bus window, watching the civilized settlements draw closer. It felt as if he’d returned from hell to the human world.

He’d thought he’d never get out of the compound. He’d never imagined he’d be this lucky.

Little by little, he made out the embassy’s distinctive building. It meant he was getting closer to home. The tension in his heart eased, and Bai Yong felt a trace of peace.

He’d never planned to stay alive. And yet the “Flame Sovereign” really had liberated the compound and rescued its victims.

Who would choose to die like that if they weren’t driven to the brink? Remembering the “Flame Sovereign” in action, Bai Yong felt hope for survival flare up again.

He vowed that once his injuries healed, he’d live a good life. And when he had money, he’d find a way to repay the superpowered girl who called herself the “Flame Sovereign.”

Suddenly, Bai Yong heard a bang. A hot liquid splattered across his face.

He reached up and touched it. His hand came away red with blood.

Blood? Bai Yong stared blankly at his hand.

Then the commotion and screams inside the bus snapped Bai Yong back to his senses. People were panicking. Some ignored the moving bus and jumped through the windows; some huddled under their seats; others sat frozen in place, still unable to understand what was happening.

“Hahahaha! You poor fools. Did you think you could escape?”

Two tall men stood up from the back seats. Their faces were twisted, their eyes wild and vicious.

They yanked open their zippers, revealing explosives strapped to their bodies. Then they drew pistols from their waists and fired at the passengers without a care.

“Stop the bus!”

“Aaaah! I want to get off!”

“Driver?!”

The driver turned around, his eyes filled with the same hair-raising madness. “We’re all going to die together.”

Then the bus suddenly accelerated and charged toward the embassy.

What was going on? What had happened?

Bai Yong bent down, watching in horror as the passengers beside him were shot one by one. Chaos and screams erupted throughout the bus.

…

“Something’s wrong with those buses. Why are they speeding up?” a border guard at the embassy entrance shouted.

“Why aren’t they slowing down?” someone else said, realizing something was wrong.

“No good! They’re going to hit us! Get out of the way!”

The buses slammed into the convoy. Then a violent explosion erupted from within and engulfed most of the people there.

That day, a terrorist attack took place near the embassy, killing nearly a hundred people.

When news of the attack spread, people across China were shocked and furious.

The spacious apartment was packed with people and furnished in extravagant luxury.

A closer look revealed that everyone present was either rich or powerful. On one side of the conference table sat the compound’s major shareholders, led by Yin Ya. On the other sat the warlords of the coup faction. Any one of them could throw their weight around outside—but now every face was cautious and deferential. That was because the person seated in the middle was someone no one dared cross: Taqiao, the Asia-Pacific governor of Organization K.

Organization K was notorious around the world. The big shots present owed much of their success in the black-market business to its support. And if Organization K wanted to replace someone, all it had to do was say the word.

With their lives in the hands of this man, the bosses had no choice but to show him respect.

Taqiao looked to be around forty. His left eye was normal, while his right was a blue-glowing electronic eye. He wasn’t tall, and his frame was lean, but no one thought him weak. Sitting there, Taqiao looked like a coiled venomous snake. Ten fully armed soldiers in armor stood in a neat line behind him, radiating such a killing aura that just looking at them made one’s scalp prickle.

Taqiao looked around at the cautious warlords and shareholders. A trace of mockery flickered in his left eye. “You’ve agreed to my terms?”

A potbellied man with a long braid and a gold chain rubbed his hands together and smiled ingratiatingly. “Lord Taqiao, we’re willing to agree to your terms. On top of that, we’ll give you another ten billion dollars. We only ask that you act as soon as possible.”

Taqiao’s lips twitched into a smile. “It’s not too late to mend the fence after the sheep are lost. Since you’ve been so sensible, Organization K will take care of this.”

The potbellied man warned him, “My men were slaughtered in minutes. You’ll have to be careful…”

“Show the footage.”

The circular display on the conference table lit up. It showed footage shot remotely by a drone, though the image wasn’t very clear.

The video showed everything that had happened after they encountered the evil creature.

After being ambushed, the creature struck back with extreme brutality. It shot into the crowd at incredible speed, and the soldiers and genetic mutants around it burst into clouds of blood. It moved so fast that its figure was almost impossible to catch at normal speed. Only when the footage was slowed to one-tenth speed could they make out its movements. The monster swung an iron chain, and everyone it hit—soldiers and mutants alike—ended up with shattered bones and torn muscles.

Everyone present turned pale at the bloody scene. Against a monster like that, even escaping seemed like wishful thinking.

‘It really has become intelligent.’ Taqiao looked grave, but soon the corner of his mouth lifted. He already had a plan.

Taqiao said calmly, “I know this kind of creature. Don’t treat it like an ordinary monster. We’ll take care of it.”

A bearded man asked anxiously, “What about China? What if they use this opportunity to cause trouble…?”

Taqiao glanced at him. “I’ve had the escapees from the compound killed. China will think the people were killed by demons, and they won’t interfere with us for a while. Once we’ve dealt with the demon, Organization K will settle some other scores with China. Heh. Those cowards won’t dare do anything.”

Hearing Taqiao’s answer, the others felt reassured. They knew things were under control.

“Thank you, thank you. That’s a relief.”

“We’ll be counting on your help. We’ll reward you handsomely afterward.”

“If you ever need anything, Lord Taqiao, just give the word.”

Thus, the higher-ups of Organization K reached an agreement with the warlord shareholders of the compound.