The middle-aged man he had killed had indeed intended to take his life in order to extract the Apocalyptic Shard from his body. But looking at it from another perspective, was that truly just for the sake of trading the shard for a fortune? Perhaps, more than anything, his relentless killings were simply another way of protecting himself. In essence, such an extreme survival strategy was not much different from the low-profile avoidance tactics that Xu Mo himself had been using.
An antelope runs to survive; a lion runs to hunt—but ultimately, both run for survival. It is an instinct ingrained in all living beings.
Against such primal instincts, all moral constraints imposed by society appear meaningless.
The reality was already laid bare—if one wished to survive in this ability-wielding world where the strong preyed on the weak, they had to either become a lion, skilled in hunting, or an antelope, adept at fleeing. Yet, no matter how swift an antelope was, it would eventually fall prey one day. Only a mighty lion could ignore the threats posed by any predator.
Xu Mo had never sought to deprive others of their right to live without reason. But at the same time, he would never allow others to take his own right to live without reason either!
"It seems that no matter which world you live in, life is never truly within your control..."
Murmuring to himself, Xu Mo sat up and pulled open the curtains, gazing at the deep, starry night sky. He understood that this was the moment when he had to make a decision.
There were only two paths before him.
The first option was to follow the plan Du Chang and the others once considered—selling off all the Apocalyptic Shards he possessed, exchanging them for a massive sum of Huaxia currency, and then living out the rest of his days in comfort.
The second option was to remain in this world fraught with ever-present dangers and crises, constantly seeking ways to strengthen himself in order to fulfill the most basic biological imperative: survival.
Choosing the first path meant choosing mediocrity, but it would allow him to live a stable, carefree life like the one he had once envied HeShang, a second-generation heir, for having—idly lounging at home, waiting for his next meal, with no worries. This, perhaps, was the ideal lifestyle pursued by the vast majority of people.
The second path, however, was shrouded in uncertainty. No one could foresee what lay ahead—perhaps cliffs, perhaps raging torrents. Even if there was a visible road, it was bound to be treacherous and full of thorns. Why would anyone willingly choose such a life without a clear future?
Indeed, after experiencing the overwhelming power granted by the Apocalyptic Shards, Xu Mo had become reluctant to let go of his extraordinary abilities. The intoxicating sensation was akin to addiction, almost as if he had been drawn into a world from which there was no escape.
But now, after realizing that this power was not absolute—and that it constantly put his life at risk—anyone, no matter how enamored with it, would inevitably have to weigh the value of power against the value of life itself.
People say, "Give me liberty, or give me death," but when faced with reality, how many would truly be willing to gamble their precious lives on something so intangible?
Xu Mo found himself trapped in an extreme internal conflict. He no longer wanted to return to the dull, meaningless life he once led, yet, having grown accustomed to the peaceful existence under a lawful society, he also could not bear to live in constant fear of death. But there was no way to have it both ways.
"To be or not to be—that is the question..."
Back when Xu Mo first read this famous soliloquy from Hamlet, he always felt there was an element of pretentiousness in it. But now, for the first time, he truly grasped the depth of those words.
His head felt like it was going to explode from overthinking, so he decided to simply stop. Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair and muttered, "Damn it! Enough of this! I'm not some philosopher! I'll just take things one step at a time! If the day ever comes when I really can't hold on anymore, I can still sell the shards and live off the money... Now, sleep!"
Yet, some things couldn't simply be forgotten at will.
Even as Xu Mo pulled the blanket over himself, trying to force himself to sleep, his mind was still filled with chaotic images of the Apocalyptic Shards. Among them, the figures of Black Wolf and others he hadn't seen in a long time appeared again. Eventually, those terrifying shadows all began to morph into his own image—naked, stripped of everything, lying motionless on a barren wasteland. Surrounding him, countless shards of various colors shimmered, stretching into the horizon.
Tossing and turning through the night in the grip of this eerie nightmare, Xu Mo finally woke up to bright daylight. A glance at the clock on the wall showed that it was already 9:35 AM, two and a half hours later than his usual wake-up time.
The house was unusually quiet. His father, Xu Nanshan, had long since left for work, and his mother, Liu Shuxian, seemed to have gone out as well, leaving behind a plate of still-warm pan-fried dumplings on the dining table.
Xu Mo quickly washed up, grabbed the morning newspaper and a stack of random flyers from the mailbox, and tossed them onto the coffee table in the living room. Then, he took a carton of milk from the fridge and carried his breakfast back to his bedroom.
As he ate, he habitually powered on his phone, which had automatically shut off the night before. He had only intended to check if anyone had contacted him, but to his surprise, he found three unread messages and a missed call.
The first message, sent at 7:30 AM, was from HeShang:
"Turn on the TV and watch the Shang Shan City news—quick!"
The missed call was also from HeShang, likely to confirm whether Xu Mo had seen the message. The second text included a blog link, where HeShang claimed he had uploaded a video of the news for Xu Mo to watch later.
The third message came from an unrecognized number, though it looked familiar. After a moment of thought, Xu Mo realized it was Lin Yijing's number from the night before.
"Sorry for bothering you so late last night. Do you have time today? I'd like to treat you to lunch. —Lin Yijing"
Another invitation? Why was the campus beauty being so persistent?
Scratching his head in confusion, Xu Mo quickly dismissed any unrealistic notions. If he were in her shoes, he'd also be eager to repay a debt of gratitude. Particularly for someone like Lin Yijing, a girl, it was probably even more unsettling to owe a favor to a guy.
As for the idea that she might have developed feelings for him after being "saved like a damsel in distress"—that was just ridiculous.
Since he had already turned her down once the day before, refusing her again would seem a bit rude. He sent her a reply, setting a time and promising to call her when the time came.
Speaking of "saving a damsel," Xu Mo suddenly thought of Xu Bilin. After last night's terrifying ordeal, she probably hadn't slept well either. He wanted to call and check on her, but for some reason, when his finger hovered over her contact name, he found himself unable to press the button. In the end, he simply sent her a brief text.
Within seconds, he received a reply:
"I'm at the hospital with Ouyang Ning. Thanks for your concern."
A dull pain clenched at Xu Mo's heart. Now he understood why he had hesitated.
Xu Bilin was still the same Xu Bilin. But the person by her side would never be him again.