The Unforeseen Reversal

Deep within the bustling bar, a private room stood, shielded from all its gaudy extravagance and clamor.

Uncle Long swirled the liquor in his glass, asking casually, “Godfather, you seemed certain from the very beginning that Investigator Liao would pass the Goblin Awakening Potion’s trial, didn’t you?”

“Precisely.”

“Why?”

“Theoretically, humans tend to transform into goblins when facing desperation, severe injury, or intense emotional fluctuations… though I prefer to call it an ‘awakening.'”

“However, Investigator Liao has always been emotionally stable. With our assistance, his financial situation improved, and the power he gained makes it almost impossible for him to fall into what one might call ‘desperation.'”

A knowing smile played on Li Qiuyu’s lips. “These very traits are precisely why I chose him. From every perspective, he was quite likely to resist the potion’s corruption and truly become one of us.”

Yet, was Investigator Liao truly emotionally stable at this very moment?

“You scoundrels! Release my daughter at once!!!”

“If you have any guts, come at me! What kind of filth uses a woman as a hostage?! Fight me one-on-one! If I win, you release her!”

Investigator Liao’s face was contorted with rage, and he roared frantically, his crimson eyes fixed on the two figures before him, as if he could flay them alive with his gaze.

“Very well.”

Liuxia nodded.

Her answer was so swift and decisive that Investigator Liao momentarily wondered if he had misheard.

He had assumed they would never agree; it was merely a childish demand, blurted out in a fit of extreme rage.

‘When would vicious bandits ever abide by the rules of a knight’s duel?’

“…What?”

“I said, very well.” Liuxia repeated, her voice betraying not a hint of emotion.

“Why?”

“After all, I’m not some kind of demon.”

“Good! Then let’s…!”

“However, there’s a condition.”

The hope that had just ignited in Investigator Liao was instantly doused. “What condition?”

“From what I understand, you possess an Authority Artifact capable of tracking me, don’t you?”

“Hand that over to me, and I’ll agree to your duel.”

“Really?” Investigator Liao was momentarily stunned.

“Indeed.”

“Fine!” He agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

To him, now that Liuxia’s true identity was known, the tracker had lost its original purpose.

He had no idea that the item’s most precious function was to act as an ‘anchor,’ allowing him to move freely within Liuxia’s Authority domain.

To exchange a useless gadget for a chance to personally punish these two scoundrels—Investigator Liao couldn’t have asked for more.

He pulled the compass-like tracker from his tactical pouch and flung it over with force.

“Catch this, you fake woman!”

Liuxia caught the tracker steadily, yet her hands trembled uncontrollably.

[The final obstacle has vanished.]

[Now, he is nothing more than fish on a chopping block to us.]

[So… so act quickly, Liuxia!]

[Don’t falter here!]

“Hey! Are you going to fight or not?” Seeing Liuxia frozen in place, Investigator Liao urged impatiently.

Li Chunsheng, witnessing the girl’s inner turmoil, stepped forward reluctantly.

“Senior, perhaps… I could take this fight…”

“No! Absolutely not!” Liuxia fiercely cut him off. “You’re no match for him right now!”

“I’ll go first!” The young girl stepped forward resolutely, calmly facing Investigator Liao.

“You?”

“Yes, me.” Liuxia looked at him, a trace of an apologetic smile gracing her features.

‘She silently recited the phrase she had learned from the clay tablets, a phrase capable of turning the tide:’

[World… revert.]

In an instant, the Authority that reversed causality truly activated.

The girl looked at Li Chunsheng beside her, forcing a resolute expression onto her face. “Chunsheng, don’t move! We agreed on a one-on-one. Let me personally kill this scoundrel.”

‘Kill this man!’

[As long as there’s enough time, even with my current power, I can kill him while he’s unable to resist!]

Li Chunsheng’s face showed reluctance, and he was about to turn away when he heard Liuxia let out a shriek of horror. “No! What’s happening?!”

“The time… the rewind time has shortened!”

“It’s too short… only thirty seconds!”

“Quick! Chunsheng! Attack with all your might! Otherwise, when time runs out, he’ll kill us!”

Upon hearing this, Li Chunsheng reacted before he could even think. He manifested sharp blades and charged forward, striking critical points on the unsuspecting Investigator Liao with every blow.

Though a Bronze-tier body was robust, after enduring several heavy blows while completely unprepared, Investigator Liao’s body was a bloody mess.

However, just as Li Chunsheng brought down another blade, the time reversal ceased.

Pffft—!

Investigator Liao violently spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with incredulous horror as he stared fixedly at Li Chunsheng.

“You clearly said… I’d duel that woman one-on-one… You… you dared to ambush me?”

The new timeline overwrote reality, and the world ‘rationalized’ this absurd outcome. A brand new memory was forcibly implanted into everyone’s minds.

“I… I ambushed him?” Li Chunsheng’s face was ashen as he gazed at his blood-stained hands.

‘[I ambushed him… No, how could I have ambushed him?]’

Liuxia, too, was deathly pale. As the Authority user, she instantly understood what had transpired.

‘[It wasn’t Chunsheng… it was me, I instructed him to do it…]’

‘[After all, I am the… despicable woman.]’

‘[But why? I could have done it myself, couldn’t I? Chunsheng didn’t need to act… Could it be?]’

“Hahaha… I hate this so much…”

Investigator Liao collapsed weakly to the ground, blood tears streaming from his eyes.

“I, Liao Leyi, have always considered myself upright and honorable my entire life, and in the end… I die by the ambush of despicable cowards like you!”

“It’s over… everything’s over… How could I have been so naive as to believe you’d keep your word and spare my daughter…”

“I had just seized an opportunity… I was just thinking about spending more time with my wife and children in the future…!!!”

“Aaaahhh—I hate you! I curse you all!”

In the throes of extreme rage, regret, and despair, Investigator Liao’s emotions completely shattered. His skin turned scorching red, blood seeped from his seven orifices, his muscles swelled and spasmed uncontrollably, and his eyes were consumed by a frenzied, bloody hue.

[Goblinization]

“He… he’s turning into a goblin!” Li Chunsheng’s face was deathly pale, and he repeated himself incoherently, as if on the verge of collapse. “Is it my fault?”

His Senior becoming a goblin was the deepest pain in his Senior’s heart. Out of love and empathy, he also viewed such a degradation as the cruelest and most sorrowful thing in the world.

And now, because of his ‘despicable ambush,’ another human was treading the same path. What had he truly done? What right did he have to stand by his Senior’s side now?

“Hahaha… So in the end… I’ve become the same kind of trash as you?” Investigator Liao stared wildly at Liuxia, laughing manically.

But his laughter gradually devolved into broken sobs.

“I won’t accept this… I won’t accept it… Why must my life end this way…”

“There were so many things I still wanted to do… I…”

Gradually, this iron-willed man cried like a helpless child.

Li Chunsheng also sank weakly to the ground, his eyes vacant.

Liuxia stared blankly at the scene, feeling as though an invisible hand was squeezing her heart, making it impossible to breathe from the pain.

[No, Chunsheng isn’t wrong. Everything… is my responsibility.]

[I must take responsibility… and change all of this.]

The girl’s trembling lips finally parted to speak. “Chunsheng, please stand up… This isn’t your fault.”

She turned her head, looking at the body twisting in agony, currently undergoing dehumanization.

“Mr. Liao, you… don’t want to become a goblin right now, do you?”

“Nonsense! You scoundrel!” Investigator Liao cursed and wept simultaneously.

“Very well then…” Liuxia walked over to Li Chunsheng and helped him up from the ground.

“Chunsheng, I need to tell you something.” Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.

“We… can fix all of this.”

“So, Chunsheng… please, give him your blood.”