Chosen: Beyond Fate

Silence filled the air. In the office of the inpatient building, apart from the wails coming from outside the door, there was nothing but that suffocating silence.

There, Lian Cheng stood frozen in place, drenched in cold sweat. A few minutes earlier, the radio had suddenly connected. His subordinate sounded like he had seen a ghost, anxiously reporting, “High Priest, something terrible has happened, there is—”

Then, the signal abruptly cut off. Immediately after that came a terrifying explosion and rumble that seemed to shake the entire Time Ruin.

Looking out the window, the entire side wing of the outpatient building had split open with cracks, and the office where his trusted subordinate had been was now billowing with thick smoke and strewn with corpses.

What the hell? What the hell was that? You said something terrible happened, but you didn’t say what! Are they all dead? What on earth happened, why did it suddenly...?

No matter what he screamed through the radio, no one responded anymore. He could no longer move as sweat soaked his body. A ridiculous, unbelievable conclusion surfaced in his mind.

Could it be that the Security Bureau has attacked? They made their move so soon? How did they break through the Time Ruin’s boundary membrane and get in? That doesn’t make sense at all! How did they have the guts to do so? How could they take the risk of forcibly opening the Time Ruin from the outside, right in the center of Cliff City, knowing it might trigger a catastrophic rupture inside the Time Ruin?

Besides, he hadn’t seen any Transcendence Realm powerhouses from Haizhou appear. The moment he realized this, he wanted to stand up and rush to the scene, but he immediately halted his movements.

No. If this was the doing of the Security Bureau, then the office over there was a trap designed to lure him straight into their hands.

Fortunately, the inpatient building was under contamination lockdown. Without proper authorization, no outsiders could enter. At this moment, it was his greatest protection and the only thing he could rely on. On top of that, he still held the great authority granted by the Lord. He was not necessarily a fish waiting helplessly on the chopping block[1].

After a great deal of effort, Lian Cheng finally regained his composure. He sat back down and glanced up at the massive, fleshy tumor hanging in the hall, covered with countless human faces twisted in eternal agony. The sight steadied his nerves.

A moment later, the backup radio crackled to life again. This time, the voice on the other end was choked with tears. One of his subordinates had survived by hiding in the morgue, where he had been processing the Chosen Ones’ blood and souls to make tools.

“High Priest, High Priest, something’s wrong! They’re all dead, everyone’s dead except for me.”

“Get to the point!” Lian Cheng yelled. “Who did it? How did they do it? How many people?”

“It... it was an outsider who sneaked up on us. He...”

“Only one?” Lian Cheng asked, raising his voice. “You’re sure? Only one person?!”

“Yes, just one! Mr. Kong led people to deal with him, but somehow they all got killed. The dude even stuffed a bomb into Mr. Kong’s stomach...” The subordinate, his mind in complete disarray, stammered, “No, wait, there’s also a guy named Xie, they might—”

“Enough. I get it!” Lian Cheng cut him off impatiently, no longer wanting to listen.

One person? Putting aside how Kong Yebai and the other two had somehow been killed by a single outsider, are you seriously telling me that one bomb was enough to wipe out my entire core team? That all those subordinates of mine were taken out just like that? Are you kidding me? What kind of bomb was it? A military-grade combustive bomb? Or was it packed with aberration toxin? Was it radioactive or something?! Useless trash! Every last one of you is fucking useless!!!

Now that Lian Cheng finally understood the sequence of events, the small relief he felt from the Security Bureau not having arrived yet was completely drowned out by rage.

Those worthless idiots. Those piles of garbage that couldn’t accomplish a damn thing. They had been wiped out to the last man by a single bomb?

And to think he had placed such high hopes on them. Every one of them used to pound their chests and swear they would offer their hearts to the cult. Back then, he hadn’t believed a word of it.

Apparently, they weren’t lying.

The moment a bomb’s fuse was lit, you really did offer up your hearts, didn’t you? Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Being ordinary believers is one thing, but surely you useless bastards didn’t also believe that dying for the cult would send you straight to heaven to enjoy eternal bliss? What a joke. A completely absurd joke.

Rage, humiliation, lingering fear, and panic all twisted on his face. Lian Cheng’s facial muscles spasmed, giving him an increasingly feral look.

“Enough. No point saying anything more,” he said coldly. “Get ready. Tonight, release the beasts of doom on the second floor.”

Since the outpatient building was already unsafe, he’d just get rid of everything that was getting in the way. The plan was about to succeed.

The Lord’s power was about to descend into the Time Ruin, take root, and grow. Soon it would spread across Cliff City and Haizhou. At such a critical moment, he could not afford to allow even the slightest mistake to happen.

“But... b-but...” the voice on the other end trembled.

“What is it?” Lian Cheng asked indifferently. “Are you planning to defy my orders?”

“I wouldn’t dare! Absolutely not!” the subordinate replied in a panic. “We’ll do it, we’ll do it right away!”

The communication cut off. Silence once again filled the room. Only the sound of harsh, ragged breathing remained.

Lian Cheng stared coldly at the buildings outside the window as his mind raced.

One person? No, there’s definitely more than just one. That so-called outsider Xie must also be coordinating and involved behind the scenes. That motherfucker...

If he really intended to stir up trouble, things could become even more complicated. But for now, there was no need to worry. Unless he had completely lost his mind, he would never dare approach the Undying Disease.

Among the Nine Abominations, White Hall’s favor toward Vortex-type Chosen Ones was well known. Once one glimpsed the shadow of White Hall, all Chosen Ones who craved the essence of life and eternal existence would eventually step into the Hall of Endless Bliss without exception.

Having finally made up his mind, Lian Cheng felt some of the weight on his shoulders ease. He took a deep breath and composed himself.

Shattering the eerie atmosphere filled with wails was a clear knock at the door. The sound was so sharp that it felt like steel needles piercing into his mind, sending a chill down his spine.

Drawing ‌a slow breath, he stepped forward and opened the door. There he saw the hospital director, swollen and rotting like a drowned corpse. On that face covered in pus, a grotesque smile spread as it looked at him.

Lian Cheng forced out a smile. “What is it, sir?”

“There’s been a bit of trouble. Everyone, let’s have a meeting,” the director said.

He clapped his hands. Behind him, one strange figure after another emerged from the darkness. Their faces were covered in scars and mutations, yet each of them wore the same kind of enthusiastic, unrestrained smile.

Under the flickering lights, the shifting shadows danced between those smiles, outlining grotesque curves in the dimness. The last person to step out was a young man wearing a smile, one that Lian Cheng had never expected to see.

Unlike the others, that man’s smile was warm and approachable, radiating kindness and gentleness. It was the sort of smile that naturally inspired trust and admiration.

The young man gave Lian Cheng a small nod.

1. 刀下鱼肉 (“fish under the knife”) originates from the idiom “人为刀俎，我为鱼肉” which literally means, “They hold the butcher’s knife and chopping board, while I am the fish and meat.”

It is used to describe a situation where someone else holds the power of life and death, while you are completely at their mercy and unable to resist.

The phrase originates from the historical events surrounding the Hongmen Banquet during the struggle between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang.

At the time, Xiang Yu had stationed an army of 400,000 troops at Hongmen and, following the advice of his strategist Fan Zeng, planned to eliminate Liu Bang. Liu Bang attended the banquet as agreed. During the feast, Fan Zeng had Xiang Zhuang perform a sword dance, intending to use the opportunity to assassinate Liu Bang.

Realizing the danger, Zhang Liang summoned Fan Kuai for help. Taking advantage of a pretense of going to the latrine, Liu Bang discussed how to escape. Fan Kuai replied, “Now they hold the knife and chopping board, while we are the fish and meat. Why bother making excuses?” ☜