Chapter Ninety-Six: The Domain of Spatial Powers

Early the next morning, Qin Yu slowly awoke under the beckoning of sunlight. She rubbed her brow, feeling as though something important had happened the previous night, yet she could not recall it. Or rather, she only had a vague sense that something had occurred, but in truth, she had not experienced anything herself.

Qin Yu sighed inwardly, thinking herself increasingly neurotic. Since her rebirth, not only had she lost her memory, but she had also encountered all manner of people and things she had not met in her previous life. Sometimes, she wondered if this second chance was truly a gift from the heavens to start anew.

Whenever she found herself lost in fruitless contemplation, she could only let it go. Now, upon waking, she dismissed the lingering sense of discomfort and swiftly tidied herself before leaving her room.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Zhao Meng and Xia Cheng in the kitchen, entwined in their morning affection. Qin Yu thought to herself that being fed a dose of public romance first thing in the morning was truly a “wonderful” experience.

“Xiaoyu, you’re up! Breakfast will be ready soon!” Zhao Meng called to her in delight, giving Xia Cheng a playful nudge to tell him to wait his turn.

Xia Cheng just shrugged and nodded at Qin Yu, still refusing to let go of Zhao Meng. Zhao Meng could only resign herself to his embrace.

Qin Yu turned and stepped outside the house, where she noticed Tao and Nangong Yao sitting in silence, facing each other. It seemed they had been awake for some time.

Qin Yu stroked her chin, sensing something odd in the air between the two. She walked over and sat beside Tao, gently ruffling her hair. “You’re up so early? Why not sleep a bit longer? We’ll have to hurry back to the base soon, and there might not be much time to rest along the way. Do you think you can handle it?”

Tao said silently to herself that it wasn’t that she woke early, but rather that she hadn’t slept at all. She glanced at Qin Yu and replied in a slightly hoarse voice, “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

Hearing this, Qin Yu gave her head another gentle rub and said no more.

Nearby, Nangong Yao watched the scene with a glimmer of sharpness in his eyes, before quietly turning his gaze to the sky.

Thus, the three of them sat in silence before the house, staring up at the vast expanse above. It was not until Zhao Meng’s voice called out that they slowly made their way indoors to begin breakfast.

The group quickly finished their meal, and it was time to set out on their journey once more.

Lacking a vehicle, they could only travel on foot. Fortunately, with the talisman Nangong Yao had given them, their pace was not slow.

After little more than half a day, Qin Yu’s group arrived at a spot three kilometers from the base. Under the scorching sun, sweat soaked through their clothes.

Qin Yu wiped her brow and rubbed her twitching eyelid. “The base isn’t far now. Let’s push on a bit more. Once we’re back, we can finally relax.”

Everyone nodded, taking a short rest before preparing to set off again—only to be stopped. Or rather, they were ambushed.

Before the apocalypse, He Yu had been a low-level office worker, drifting aimlessly through life. After the world changed, he was lucky enough to awaken a spatial ability. Unlike other spatial users, his power could not store objects, but instead created a domain of its own.

No matter how powerful others might be, once he activated his domain, they were at his mercy. At first, he kept his abilities well hidden, wary of the possibility that someone in this world might be able to break his domain. What’s more, if anyone discovered his unique gift and handed him over to those crazed national scientists, he would never see the light of day again.

Such was his life until he met that woman. She promised him status and power, and most importantly, guaranteed that he would never end up dissected in a laboratory. All he had to do was open his domain now and then to help her with certain tasks. To him, it was almost laughably simple.

He lived comfortably, indulging himself—until a week ago, when the woman ordered him to kill Qin Yu.

He had been lurking near the base for over a week, and had planned to return as usual today. Who could have guessed that Qin Yu and her group would appear right before him?

As for whether he could kill Qin Yu, He Yu was certain that in his domain, killing someone was all too easy. Of course, this confidence would prove to be his downfall.

Qin Yu deflected the bullets hurtling toward her with a dagger, her face still wreathed in a faint smile, though beneath it a hidden peril lurked.

Nangong Yao carefully assessed their surroundings and suddenly realized they were inside an independent space. Perhaps the practitioner maintaining it had not fully mastered the art, as the space was unstable in places. Target those weak points, and the domain would collapse naturally.

Although he thought this, he did not speak up to Qin Yu. If she could not overcome such a challenge herself, how could she ever hope to achieve her ultimate goal?

At that moment, the attendant’s eyes surged with emotion as she gazed around at the emptiness, then called out, “Why don’t you come out and show yourself?”

He Yu heard Qin Yu’s words. In the past, he would never have revealed himself, but now, too confident in his own ability, he stepped forward.

Qin Yu scrutinized He Yu, certain she had never met him before. She fixed him with a steady gaze until he began to squirm under her eyes.

He Yu cursed inwardly, then burst out laughing. “Qin Yu, today, all of you are going to die! Ha! Isn’t it wonderful to have so many join you in the grave?”

Qin Yu watched his raucous display, her heart filling with doubt. To her, He Yu’s body was soft and unthreatening, hardly the sort for direct combat. He must have some kind of supernatural power—what kind, though, could make him so confident that he could kill them all?

He Yu, unconcerned by her thoughts, focused his will, and within his domain, the trees suddenly lunged at Qin Yu. At the same time, the ground beneath her feet began to sink.

Qin Yu quickly dodged, watching the trees fly toward her. Was this a plant ability? No, it didn’t seem so. Then what was this man’s power?

As she continued to evade He Yu’s attacks, she finally sensed something amiss. It was as though this entire space was under his control.

The moment the thought struck, Qin Yu was stunned. A domain! The kind of domain that only existed in anime and films! She pressed down her astonishment and closed her eyes, focusing her mind and breath. She knew that everything had a flaw, and her task was to find that flaw and strike with deadly precision.

Nangong Yao watched Qin Yu, eyes flickering with admiration. As expected from the one who had caught his eye—she had discovered the anomaly so quickly!

He Yu, on seeing this, sneered, convinced she was only putting on a show. His attacks grew even more ferocious.