Chen Pingchuan slowly lowered his head. For a moment, their gazes met, and the air around them seemed to freeze, leaving only a deathly silence.

He knew in his heart that his desire to leave wasn't because of what happened at the bar. Although he had been taken advantage of, he was by no means so petty as to abandon his stable life over such a trivial matter. The true reason was that when the girl claimed to be the third daughter of Hantan City's Mayor, a flash of inspiration had struck him, and he instantly understood what had been troubling him for so long. This matter was like a seed buried deep in his heart, breaking through the soil at that very moment.

Ever since obtaining the simulator, his life had become turbulent, with none of the usual smooth sailing in sight. It was as if he had stepped into a whirlpool of bad luck. Chen Pingchuan knew there had to be some critical factor he had overlooked.

And now, he finally understood.

If his deduction was correct, the prime instigator of all this was the planetary will. As a former bookworm, Chen Pingchuan naturally understood the concept of a planetary will. From the day he got the simulator, he had become a thorn in its side. He was like a computer virus that had suddenly broken in, while the world's will served as the antivirus software guarding this realm. From then on, the two were locked in an endless chase. If the simulator hadn't been secretly shielding him, he likely would have perished amid the crises, his body and soul erased from this world.

Looking at Wei Xi's grief-stricken face, Chen Pingchuan felt a pang of unbearable pity. However, no matter how much it pained him, he knew he couldn't stay any longer.

That dreadful speculation echoed in his mind. If his deduction was correct, then the people around him would also be targeted by the planetary will. Unlike him, they didn't have a simulator for a cheat. Once caught in this invisible crossfire, they would inevitably be cornered with no way out.

"I'm sorry, but I can't take you with me," Chen Pingchuan uttered with difficulty, his voice tinged with helplessness and bitterness.

Wei Xi's face turned as pale as paper. Her lips trembled, as if even speaking was an impossible effort, but she still forced herself to ask, "Wh-why?"

The quavering in her voice, filled with confusion and despair, pierced straight into Chen Pingchuan's heart.

Looking at the girl with whom he had spent several wonderful days, a powerful throb shook his heart—it was the sound of heartache, like a dull drumbeat pounding against his very soul.

He could have chosen to fabricate a lie, letting Wei Xi live on with resentment while he alone bore the weight of the secret. After all, in the many novels he'd read, white lies were often used to conceal cruel truths. Yet, he also knew that for Wei Xi, being kept in the dark would be the greatest injustice of all.

After a long moment of contemplation, Chen Pingchuan carefully chose his words, crafting a plausible concept designed to minimize the harm.

"I am a member of the clan of Ancient Demon Gods," he began slowly, his eyes filled with a look of helplessness and desolation. "For generations, we have been plagued by a terrible curse.

"The appearance of the Mayor's third daughter today is a sign that the curse is about to descend. That's why I must leave, and I cannot take you with me to face this unknown danger."

Wei Xi's mouth fell open in shock. Her eyes were fixed on Chen Pingchuan, finding his explanation utterly unbelievable; after all, such an absurd claim was incredibly difficult to accept.

Feeling her doubt, Chen Pingchuan had to continue, his mind racing. "By my generation, I am the only one left; all my other clansmen have died because of the curse. My previous actions toward you were also influenced by it.

"Furthermore, while those who are cursed may gain certain abilities ordinary people lack, they are also hounded by misfortune and endless trouble until the day they die.

"When I find a way to break the curse for good, I will return for you."

Chen Pingchuan's story was a mix of truth and lies. By weaving falsehoods into real events, he made his tale more believable and harder to debunk.

Wei Xi recalled the first time she met Chen Pingchuan. He had been in rags from head to toe, his clothes tattered into strips, his overall condition miserable. Later, his strange behavior toward her—and those blood-red eyes—truly didn't seem to have been of his own volition.

These past few days, Wei Xi had been living a life she had never experienced before. Though she still went to work every day, the pressure on her seemed to have vanished overnight, and her overall mental state had improved. She no longer had to worry about making ends meet; work was now simply something to keep her occupied. She had already deposited the Money Mountain in batches into various savings accounts. Those Federation Coins were enough to last her a lifetime, even with a little extravagance.

Thinking of this, Wei Xi buried her head in Chen Pingchuan's chest, her arms wrapped tightly around him as she whispered, "Can I leave with you?"

"No. I've already told you why."

"Oh!"

Wei Xi bit her lower lip hard, trying to hold back the tears swirling in her eyes. Her shoulders trembled slightly, a subtle manifestation of the sorrow she was trying so desperately to suppress, not wanting to appear too fragile in front of him.

"Go on," she said, her voice strained. "Don't worry about me. I'll be all right. I'll wait for you to come back."

Looking at Wei Xi pretending to be strong, Chen Pingchuan's heart ached, but he had no choice. He had to leave.

He had rediscovered his conviction to grow stronger. The day he became a god would be the day of his return. By then...

Chen Pingchuan cut his thoughts short.

"You should probably move to a different city, too."

"Why?" Wei Xi asked, slightly puzzled as she tilted her head up to look at him.

Chen Pingchuan pondered for a moment before deciding to tell her about the side effects of the drink.

When Wei Xi heard that it would subject the drinker to an eternity of nightmares, she felt her worldview collapsing. Yet, she didn't doubt the truth of his words for a second.

"Is there... is there..."

Chen Pingchuan cut her off. "There's no way. Perhaps if it had been within two hours of drinking, there might have been a chance, but that time has long passed.

"Their lives have already been marked by the nightmares, which also means their lives are no longer their own."

Wei Xi's mouth gaped open, her eyes filled with horror. "Doesn't that mean they will... they will..."

"They will all die," Chen Pingchuan answered unequivocally.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.