The racetrack. Thirteen watched helplessly as Lin Jie pointed to a horse on the field.

"This is your 'sure win'? You really want me betting beside you?"

"Of course. See Horse No. 12? That’s my pick."

"You’re betting on *that* one? It’s always dead last."

"It looks like a mule—bound to be fast. Plus, it has the highest odds."

"Then I’ll stand far away from you."

"Don’t worry. I’ve placed small bets on every other horse too." Lin Jie grinned. "As long as you’re near me, those horses can’t win. I had Xiao Zhan bet all my remaining cash on the mule-horse outside."

"Oh, I get it. You bought the others as decoys. With me around, they’ll lose for sure. Then Xiao Zhan cleans up on the real winner." Thirteen sighed. "Clever... but you’re still naive."

"Naive?" Lin Jie frowned.

Just as the race began, a colossal demon crashed onto the track. The entire racetrack flattened instantly. A giant flame monster rose from the crater.

"Face Judgment, humans!" it roared.

Panic erupted. Spectators scattered.

Lin Jie stood frozen, jaw slack.

Fireballs and meteors rained down. The racetrack became ruins.

"Thirteen," Lin Jie whispered, "I’m not asking to win back my money. Can I even get my stake returned?"

Thirteen glanced at the smoldering ashes where the organizers’ booth had been. "What do you think?"

Lin Jie stared mournfully at the ashes.

"Told you. My curse brings misfortune to anyone near me. You can’t profit from it." Thirteen patted his shoulder. "Though honestly, you’re the first person who’s survived this long beside me."

"*Survived* my ass!" Tears streamed down Lin Jie’s face. "I invested my *entire savings* here!"

He snatched his spike mace and charged the roaring flame giant.

"Foolish human! You dare challenge me, Ifrit—" The demon’s words choked off as Lin Jie closed in. One swing of the mace extinguished the flames below its waist with a gust of wind.

"What?!" The giant staggered. "You think this hurts me? I am *immortal*!" Flames reignited around its legs.

"*Immortal* my sister! I’ll grind you to dust for my money!" Lin Jie leapt, slamming the mace down. The demon crashed to the ground. *Thud-thud-thud-thud*—twenty strikes per second hammered the monster.

Five minutes later, a massive crater scarred the earth. Only a fist-sized, flaming stone remained. Lin Jie crushed its last ember underfoot.

"*Bastard!* My money!" he howled.

"Ah... I just remembered something urgent. Bye!" Thirteen called from the crater’s edge.

Lin Jie nodded silently. He stomped the stone three more times before trudging away from the ruins.

...

Unseen by Lin Jie, a tiny flame flickered back to life on the stone.

Inside a shadowy castle, a girl watched through a mirror, sipping red wine.

"Humans have changed since my slumber. How... intriguing." She smiled. "Agus, return. The human realm isn’t as fragile as you thought."

"Yes, Miss." The scorched stone materialized beside her.

"Reduced to this?" She tilted her head at the stone sprouting tiny limbs. "Though this form is cuter than before."

"That human... When our army awakens, I’ll make him suffer!" raged the stone—Ifrit Agus.

"We didn’t test human strength," the girl mused, "but your surveillance eye revealed something fascinating. This makes it more fun."

"About humans?" Agus asked.

"Human civilization thrives. Stronger than before." Her eyes gleamed. "Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"I shouldn’t expect wisdom from you. Baphomet would’ve understood first."

"I loathe that goat-headed fool. What *is* it?"

"The Gods’ prophecies." Her words silenced him. "Someone shattered *all* divine prophecies."

"*Impossible!*"

"The Apocalypse never came. The Dharma Decline Cataclysm didn’t trigger humanity’s final doom. Pandora’s Box opened long ago—yet humans flourish."

"That doesn’t prove—"

"Multiple disasters began *before* my sleep. Only one explanation exists: someone broke every prophecy, forcing Fate’s Wheel onto a new path."

"No mortal could do that."

"What if a *Deity* did?"

"No Deity escapes Fate."

"Some can, Agus."

"You mean—" Agus shuddered.

"*Defying Heaven to Change Fate*." Her voice was calm. "The Eastern Immortal Path did it thrice millennia ago. Who’s to say they won’t do it a fourth time? Many ascended from mortals by shattering destiny. Now that the Dharma Decline Cataclysm has passed, their power will resurge."

"You think they intervened?"

"No. They were prophecy-makers too—they’d never contradict themselves. But such a vibrant world? They won’t stay idle. Remember the Primordial Chaos wars? Our Gods hadn’t even been born then."

"Will they interfere?"

"Not yet. But we must seize the human realm *fast*."

"When your servants awaken, we’ll march."

"Delay the plan." She swirled her wine. "We lack intelligence. Remember the man who crushed you?"

"He’s strong, Miss. I couldn’t fight back. His weapon... it harmed my magic-constituted body."

"Yet he holds no status among humans. Either he hides his power—or strength like his is *common* there. I believe the latter."

"Many strong humans exist?" Agus gasped.

"How else did they survive so many disasters? Until we fully gauge human strength, we wait. Or we’ll be crushed."

"But our numbers—"

"Send scouts after full awakening. And I’ll visit the human realm myself."

"But this place—"

"The other Demons will guide you when they rise."

...

Lin Jie had no idea his rampage made a powerful being vastly overestimate humanity—and postponed a cataclysm infinitely.

"*Hello?*" Lin Jie answered his phone outside the ruins.

"Bro, bring Xiao Zhan to the lab. Doudou’s training succeeded—he learns anything instantly now." Lin Wan’s voice chirped.

"On our way." Lin Jie hesitated. "Sis... can we discuss my allowance?"

"Didn’t I just give you some?"

"Well... the racetrack got attacked today—"

"What’s that got to do with you? Did you gamble it all away?!"

"I was *guaranteed* to win! Then monsters—"

"*Good!* Serves you right for betting!" *Click.*

"Tch. The world’s so cold." He dialed Xiao Zhan.

"Lost your life savings, huh?" Xiao Zhan cackled.

"Shut up. Come get your husky at the lab."

"*That* dumb dog?"

"My sister says he’s smart now."

"Meet at the institute. We’ll test the new training room after."

"Deal." Lin Jie headed toward Doctor Qin’s lab.