The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

The atmosphere inside the grocery store was somewhat tense.

Chi Zhengyang nodded to Zhou Jian beside him, signaling him to leave.

Zhou Jian didn't ask a single question. He gave Chi Zhengyang a standard military salute, nodded to Lin Mo, and then turned and walked out of the general store.

The heavy door was gently closed with a soft "click," completely isolating the outside world.

Only Lin Mo and Chi Zhengyang remained in the store.

Once he confirmed that Zhou Jian had left, Chi Zhengyang turned his attention entirely to Lin Mo.

He straightened his collar and spoke in an extremely solemn tone.

"Comrade Lin Mo, I sent someone to the address you provided, based on the address and information you gave me."

Hearing this, Lin Mo's heart also jumped.

He was waiting for an outcome, an outcome he had longed for.

However, Chi Zhengyang's next words made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

Chi Zhengyang frowned slightly, a hint of inexplicable confusion appearing on his usually composed face.

"But...we haven't found you, or your family."

Not found?

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, his mind blank for a brief instant.

He almost thought he had misheard.

"How is that possible? How could it not be there?"

His question slipped out, revealing an urgency he himself was unaware of.

Chi Zhengyang looked at him, seemingly having anticipated his reaction.

He continued his analysis in a steady tone, "Is it possible that the address you provided is incorrect?"

"In the real world, we are currently in the five years before the apocalypse you predicted. Are you sure you've got the timeline wrong?"

This sounds reasonable and is the most likely explanation.

In fact, there's no need to ask this question.

In addition to sending people to find him at the address, he also used his highest authority to conduct a nationwide facial recognition comparison of Lin Mo.

Even more surprisingly, Chi Zhengyang sent people to visit nearby residents, but they all said they didn't recognize him.

The results are all the same.

No such person found.

Not only Lin Mo, but even his family members seemed to have vanished into thin air.

In that world, there was no trace of its existence.

It was as if they had never existed.

The result was so bizarre that Chi Zhengyang checked it several times after learning about it.

Lin Mo immediately dismissed this possibility.

"Absolutely impossible!"

He had lived at that address for over twenty years, and every corner of it was etched in his memory.

Something's definitely not right here!

Lin Mo's mind was in complete turmoil.

"System! What's going on?!"

"Where did I go?! Where did my old self go?!"

The system, which had been standing in the corner of the counter, pretending to be an ordinary sparrow, tilted its head.

"Haven't you been here the whole time?"

"I'm talking about me from the past! In the real world, me fifty-five years ago!"

The system seemed to understand what he meant and nodded.

[That's the you from before.]

"..."

Lin Mo: "I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"What exactly do you mean? What do you mean by 'the old me'? Explain yourself!"

"If I didn't have the person I used to be, what would I be now?"

He was really being driven crazy by this brainless system.

He recognized every single word it spoke, but when put together, he couldn't understand it at all.

The system was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing its thoughts.

This time, it finally gave a relatively complete answer.

In any given time and space, it's impossible for two identical versions of you to exist.

These are the rules, and no one can change them.

From the moment you were chosen to be bound to me, all traces of you in your original timeline were sealed away.

Seal away?

What does this mean?

What does "sealed" mean?

[Literal meaning.]

The system's response remained concise.

Unless you can change the ending and go back to the past, there will be no trace of you in that time and space.

Upon receiving a clear answer from the system, Lin Mo became calmer.

"So..." Lin Mo's voice was a little hoarse, but extremely clear: "From the very beginning, I had no way out."

"Yeah?"

This is not a question.

This is confirmed.

The system met his gaze and slowly nodded.

"Concern leads to confusion."

Chi Zhengyang's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

"Since there's a possibility of going back, let's not panic first."

"Once we've changed the outcome, we'll go back together, back with our heads held high!"

Lin Mo took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed those negative emotions.

He looked up and gazed at the leisurely sparrow in the corner of the counter.

"Can I go back to the past?"

His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, filled with a last glimmer of hope.

The sparrow tilted its head and preened the feathers on its wings, seemingly pondering this not-so-complicated question.

Theoretically, yes.

Lin Mo's heart jumped.

And it's not difficult either.

[Simply control the power over time.]

Authority of Time?

"What is that?"

"How can I get it?"

"Does it have to be under my personal control?"

Anyone can help, but only if they are willing to.

"Then...can you do it?"

【I can......】

However, while Lin Mo was having a conversation with the system, Chi Zhengyang, who was standing to the side, didn't pay any attention to their conversation at all.

A sudden flash of inspiration set his brain into a frenzied, high-speed operation.

"In any given time and space, there cannot be two identical you."

"From the moment you were chosen to be bound to me, all traces of you in your original timeline were sealed away."

Sealed off...

Chi Zhengyang chewed on the word repeatedly.

In any given time and space, two people cannot exist in the same place...

So, if...

We're saying that if...

If Zhang Heng were given a spot to enter "Wasteland Era," would he be able to replace Ainz Ooal Gown...?

According to the rules.

What will happen?

Was it the living Zhang Heng who was sealed away?

still......

The Bone King, who has become an immortal monarch, will be... replaced by the living Bone King?!

This thought was like a nuclear bomb dropped into a calm lake, stirring up a tidal wave in his mind!

Chi Zhengyang's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

His palms were slightly sweaty.

If... if it really were possible...

What kind of assistance will they receive?

A top-tier combatant who controls the undead scourge and whose strength is unfathomable!

One of them is Ainz Ooal Gown, who is one of their own!

This temptation is too big.

So much so that even the usually calm and composed Chi Zhengyang felt his heart race uncontrollably.

Do not!

Not yet!

Before giving him a spot, we must make him firmly stand on our side!