Legend of the chosen ones: Beyond Destiny

"It's all set," Tian Yuan said.

In the afternoon, Lu Feng, who had been missing all day, finally returned with a grin on his face. Just as Ji Jue finished washing his hands, he carelessly let Lu Feng lie down on his hospital bed and start picking at his feet without any reservation.

"Mom took Erniu and the others back to the village to stay for a few days. Shut down the repair shop for now; we'll get it back up and running once things are sorted out.

I also went to your place and fixed the door, but the fridge is completely broken. You can bring the one from the shop back to tide you over.

And little Sheep offered you a spot in the hospital's parking lot; just fetch it when you're discharged."

With that, he pulled out the car keys from his pocket and placed them on the table.

Using those same fingers that had just been picking at his feet...

Ji Jue's eye twitched uncontrollably, wanting to speak but then hesitating: Can I get new keys instead? I don't want these anymore.

But then he thought about his pink little Sheep which Lu Feng had sold to him half-price after exchanging it for a tricycle—barely used by a girl and almost brand new. For all he knew, Lu Feng might have picked at his seats countless times already...

Is it still timely to hang it up in the seafood market?

After the usual distaste, Ji Jue still shared half an apple with Lu Feng, who didn't even wash his hands and just gobbled it down, "underwear, underwear" style. Ji Jue couldn't help but praise his digestive system, which had been toughened up in Central Earth.

But physical constitutions were truly different.

Apart from getting a shock, Ji Jue just scaled a few barriers with some rolls and only had a few bruises to show for it, yet he still could only shuffle when walking. In contrast, Lu Feng, that dog, had gone toe-to-toe with those Ghoul things, got shot at the end, and despite numerous injuries, was bouncing around after just one sleep.

"Jealous, little bro?"

Lu Feng flexed his biceps with a wide grin, "Told you to exercise, but you didn't, couldn't even run a kilometer without panting like a dog. Regretting it now, huh?"

Ji Jue rolled his eyes and ignored him.

Seeing Lu Feng lively and kicking, he couldn't deny feeling a bit envious, but he was more concerned about whether his cousin had undergone any changes. Unfortunately, there was indeed a slight change.

Aside from happily extracting Mutated Spirit material and resetting the progress bar to 99, the golden-covered digit [0] on the dial finally showed some change.

If it had originally been 80 percent covered, now it was closer to 99 percent, with just a tiny spot left uncovered.

What a pity, it still hadn't made the monumental leap from 0 to 1.

Stuck on the progress bar.

No matter how anxious Ji Jue was, it didn't budge, leaving that small section incomplete, frustrating him so much that his OCD was almost triggered—he felt like tearing the dial off and filling in the spot himself.

All he could do was pray inwardly, hoping his cousin hadn't picked up the bad habits of certain shopping websites before the Mutated Era, where after 99 came another 99 with no end in sight.

Otherwise, he feared he'd remain a 0 for life.

"Also, take this for now."

Lu Feng took something wrapped in two layers of black plastic bags from the cloth bag beside him and stuffed it under Ji Jue's pillow. When Ji Jue recognized the outline of the object, he couldn't help but inhale sharply.

A gun!

His face turned white with fear.

"Bro, this is a hospital, why do I need this thing?!"

He asked in a low voice, then halfway through seemed to realize something and looked at Lu Feng with suspicion: "You're not getting drafted by the Security Bureau, are you?"

"Am I crazy? I've just crawled out of the military's mud pit, and you think I'd dive into the Security Bureau's hole? Without a conscription letter from the military, no one can touch my personnel records within the Federation, they're dreaming."

Lu Feng waved his hand dismissively, hiding his awkwardness: "I'm just going to lie low for a bit, need to hide for a while... If a woman with a scar on her neck comes looking for you to ask about me in the next couple of days, don't spill the beans!"

"What have you done now?" Ji Jue eyed him with suspicion.

"You think getting all those things didn't cost money?"

Lu Feng rolled his eyes and said quietly, "Even the cheapest handgun with twelve bullets costs 28,000, and there's price gouging by middlemen.

Damn it, I've nearly had to sell my ass to get this stuff. If I don't run fast, I'll end up having to pay off debts with my essence and get caught to become a star hustler!"

Ji Jue fell silent.

He stared at him for a long time before slowly patting his shoulder, offering comfort, "Feng, don't overthink it; people need qualifications and looks to be a duck."

You Motherf***...

Caught off guard by that sudden verbal jab, Lu Feng's defenses were shattered.

"If it's about qualifications and looks, then why don't you do it? After all, it's for the family!"

Lu Feng spoke then suddenly brightened up,

Right, why hadn't he thought of it?

"Isn't that how they do it in those melodramas?"

Lu Feng solemnly advised, "Big brother racked up huge gambling debts, parents fell ill, little brother and sister can't afford schooling, and Erniu finally got into Tianmen University. As a big brother, don't you think you should show some support? You've got to buy her a computer or a phone at least, right?

It's not much good for a boy to study; just loosen your belt and the family will have everything!"

"Get lost, get lost, get lost!"

Ji Jue had no more patience and kicked him off his bed. Seeing Lu Feng stagger out, his tension eased a little.

At least he was still able to joke around; the situation couldn't be that bad, or at least not too bad. Once comrades, always comrades, huh? Probably just like those comrades in the artillery battalion who frequently "exchanged techniques."

"The bond between the two brothers is really strong, huh."

On the bed next to him, a gaunt old man with his leg in a cast sighed and muttered, "Ah, my brother and I... haven't communicated with each other for so many years. The two boys at home are always at odds, fighting every day."

"Kids will be kids, always so hyper; they'll understand when they grow up."

Another woman on a different bed offered comfort, "My second and third sons used to fight too, but as they got older, they understood how hard life can be, and they realized family is the most dependable. I visited them a few days ago, they were getting along so well they were even sleeping in the same bed. The eldest sometimes goes to stay with them too."

"The harmony in the family brings prosperity to everything; you're really blessed, elder sister," the old man remarked with a sigh.

Only Ji Jue at his side appeared dumbstruck, repeatedly opening and closing his mouth as if caught between speaking and holding back.

Ultimately, he didn't dare say a word.

He lay back on the bed, dreaming of quickly turning his situation from nothing to something, and gradually fell asleep.

Twilight was beginning to fall outside the window.

From a distance, the sound of an explosion carried on the wind.

A plume of smoke slowly rose from the base of the mountains on the other side of Cliff City.

"What's going on?"

In the violently shaken office filled with smoke, in the courtyard outside the window, employee after employee screamed shrilly as they turned into unhuman monsters, attacking the intruders.

Only the newly branded CEO's office remained eerily silent.

An old man crouching behind the window was frozen in shock.

He frantically dialed the number on his phone, over and over, until at last, it connected through the busy line, and he could no longer contain his fury, "What's going on? Lawrence, what the hell are you doing?!"

Lu Wending was on the verge of fainting, trembling with fear and panic, "Didn't you say it was foolproof?!"

"The experiment was indeed foolproof."

On the other end of the line, a calm and gentle voice replied, "Please rest assured, your sacrifice will not be in vain."

"What do you mean?"

Lu Wending felt a chill go through him and screamed, "Don't forget who pulled you out of that mess; if it weren't for me..."

"Wouldn't the 16 patents generating enough profits to multiply your company's valuation several times over suffice?"

Lawrence began to laugh, "Besides, I have indeed put all my effort into creating ten standard Longevity Medicines for you, without any side effects, along with the Mutated Relief Agent to ensure your rise to power.

As for the little trouble it caused, it was just an inevitable side effect. As a pharmaceutical CEO, don't you ever read the instruction manual?

Our contract is now over, Mr. Lu, I thank you for your continuous support and contributions. In my future papers, I will express my deep gratitude towards you.

This will be a glorious achievement etched in the annals of medical history!"

"Bloody hell!"

Amidst the approaching boom, Lu Wending bellowed into the phone, "Don't forget, without me, who would have helped you find the qualified test subjects. For such a long time, all you managed to breed were useless rejects, and the only one that showed some promise died.

Hold on, I still can…"

Snap!

Before he could finish, a clear sound rang out.

A golden chain materialized out of thin air, then broke apart.

The Heavenly Origin Contract was shattered.

"Now, please make your final sacrifice for our grand endeavor."

In that moment, Lu Wending stiffened, gasping heavily, as blood spurted from his mouth, a crimson tide spreading from the corners, veins bulging as his hands swiftly grew into sharp claws.

Then, another twisted head emerged from his shoulder.

His body expanded, growing larger and larger!

In just a few moments, he burst through the confines of the walls, tumbling out like a mass of flesh, eyes filled with nothing but animalistic hunger and frenzy.

Amidst the falling dust of the ruined office, the voice still came through from the phone.

"By the way, I forgot to mention, don't worry, the experiment will certainly yield results."

Lawrence spoke with a smile, his tone pleasant, "I've found a better 'Fetus,' no, a genuine 'Vessel of Calamity!'"

But Lu Wending could no longer hear.

The Mutant Ghoul, weighing dozens of tons, stretched out limbs and arms from its body like mountains, and a gargantuan mouth across its torso opened to spit out venom and acid.

Its mere writhing cast a vast shadow.

It turned its head slowly, fixing its gaze upon the intruders who did not belong, lunged forward with its jaws wide!

Then, it was flung back in the same manner, crashing into the factory, falling into the production workshop, pinned to the ground by a crystalline pillar that had appeared out of nowhere.

Wen Wen didn't even notice what she had casually flung, not paying attention to what it was.

At that moment, amidst the onslaught of Ghouls, her brow furrowed, as she listened irritably to the call she'd just connected, "Can you speak like a human being, please?"