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

Kill Zhang Heng to solve the problem at its root.

The idea itself is fatally tempting.

Since Ainz Ooal Gown is an unpredictable and enormous threat, and this threat has a fragile entity in the real world.

Therefore, eliminating this entity at its source would undoubtedly be the simplest and most direct solution.

They killed Zhang Heng directly.

One hundred.

But the sparrow on his shoulder clearly didn't think so.

Even without Ainz Ooal Gown, there's still Fire King, Ice King, Rock King...

A cold, emotionless voice echoed through the grocery store.

Lin Mo's expression tightened slightly.

Chi Zhengyang's straightened back visibly slumped a little.

The sparrow ignored their reaction; its small, beady eyes held only indifference.

How can you be so sure that changing the ending won't result in something even worse?

This sentence is like an invisible thorn.

The sparrows' chirping continued, giving no one a chance to catch their breath.

There's one more point, and it's the most important one.

As I said before, you can't change time.

My data, however, leans more towards the conclusion that the current Ainz Ooal Gown is a product of Zhang Heng's death.

Sparrow understands the rules better than the two people in the room.

His words carry more weight on this matter.

After a long silence, Chi Zhengyang nodded.

He understood what the sparrow was thinking.

If Ainz Ooal Gown, this "fruit," is forcibly removed by him using brute force, what new and even more twisted things will the "tree" called "Apocalypse" bear?

Or rather, what he was preparing to change was actually what would have happened anyway.

Ainz Ooal Gown was actually created by them.

Silence fell in the room once again.

A deathly silence so oppressive it was suffocating.

Chi Zhengyang opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness that climbed up his spine and froze his limbs and bones.

"Was everything I did simply following a predetermined path?"

"Then what's the difference between me and a puppet on a string?"

In this solemn atmosphere, the sparrow spoke again.

[Also, how can you be so sure that Ainz Ooal Gown is Zhang Heng?]

This problem is more deadly than all the previous warnings combined.

He directly attacked the very core premise of the entire plan.

If the goal was wrong from the start, wouldn't all their efforts and plans have become a complete joke?

"us......"

Chi Zhengyang finally spoke, and this time, his speech slowed down noticeably.

A few seconds later, his voice regained its composure.

He organized his thoughts before calmly giving his reply.

"I identified him based on some key information that Ainz Ooal Gown himself revealed in Wasteland Era, and then we investigated and compared massive amounts of data."

"The information comes from Ainz Ooal Gown himself; his physical characteristics and personal information all match up perfectly."

At this point, Chi Zhengyang's eyes sharpened as he stared at the sparrow and added, word by word.

"We are almost 100% certain about this."

Lin Mo's heart also jumped into his throat.

That's the real key.

All speculation and planning must be based on the reliability of intelligence sources.

The sparrow tilted its head.

Those emotionless, black bean-like eyes darted back and forth between Lin Mo and Chi Zhengyang, as if scanning and analyzing.

The air inside the grocery store seemed to have stopped moving.

A few seconds later, he nodded slightly.

If the information is reliable, Zhang Heng is the Bone King.

He paused.

This brief pause caused both Lin Mo and Chi Zhengyang to catch their breath.

[Then your plan to take your place might actually be feasible.]

"Isn't what you're saying contradictory?"

Lin Mo grasped the crux of the problem almost immediately and blurted out, "You just said that unless you control the power of time, you can't influence time?"

Chi Zhengyang also suddenly raised his head, staring intently at the sparrow, which was also his biggest question.

Sparrow turned to Lin Mo, her voice still flat and straightforward.

It's not about changing the rules, but about following them. The two may seem similar, but they are actually vastly different.

He explained very patiently, or rather, he was simply stating a given fact.

If you want to eliminate the existence of the Bone King by killing Zhang Heng, then you're trying to change the future.

Deluding oneself to change the future is doomed to failure.

The sparrow paused, seemingly giving them time to process what was happening.

The substitution was done by taking advantage of the grocery store's rules.

You don't have the authority over time, but the general store does, so this loophole can be exploited.

His words, like a ray of light, pierced the fog in their minds.

"So..." Chi Zhengyang's voice trembled slightly.

So, the key isn't changing the rules, it's following the rules?

Sparrow nodded, looking like a promising student.

[There are loopholes in the rules of grocery stores that can be exploited, and according to my calculations, your method does indeed have a considerable success rate.]

Even if I can't completely replace Ainz Ooal Gown, I can become his second personality, subtly exerting a huge influence on him.

[Especially when Zhang Heng first appeared, and the two souls were vying for control of the body.]

That was the time when Ainz Ooal Gown was at his most powerless to resist.

It earned the sparrow's approval.

Chi Zhengyang and Lin Mo's tense nerves finally relaxed.

The two looked at each other and saw a relieved smile on each other's faces.

The gloom that had been hanging over my heart was dispelled, and the heavy pressure also dissipated.

Changing the future is difficult, but not impossible!

What I fear most is having no hope.

As long as there is hope, it is worth doing.

"Elder Chi, I hope you won't reveal Zhang Heng's card for the time being." Lin Mo's smile faded, and his expression turned serious again.

Chi Zhengyang immediately understood his intention, and his brows twitched slightly.

"You mean, the end-of-month evaluation?"

Lin Mo had already mentioned the end-of-month assessment to him before.

Chi Zhengyang naturally remembered the important things clearly.

Lin Mo nodded, confirming his guess.

"That's right."

"It's the end-of-month assessment. When the assessment begins, the absolute security protection mechanism of the safe zone will temporarily disappear."

"If Ainz Ooal Gown really wants to attack me, he will definitely not let this opportunity pass him by."

After pondering for a moment, Chi Zhengyang understood the implications.

"I see."

This is a risky move, but also a golden opportunity.

Lin Mo continued, "Elder Chi, there's one more thing."

Chi Zhengyang raised his hand, signaling him to continue.

"Go ahead and speak."

"The contents of this conversation must absolutely not be told to anyone."

Lin Mo's expression was very solemn.

"And most importantly, from now until the end of the month's assessment, you must not step outside the safe zone!"