Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

When he "returned" to his body, his superpower information had been updated.

[SS-level Time Field - Tier 5]

Effect: It can form and absolutely control a "time field" within a spherical area with a radius of 450 meters centered on itself.

Currently, the time flow rate in this area can be precisely controlled, with an adjustment range of ±450 times the normal flow rate.

The precision of independent time manipulation of single or multiple targets within the field is greatly improved.

Lin Chen remained motionless, sensing the information, completely ignoring the slight stinging pain emanating from his muscles and mind.

Three full breaths.

"this……"

His voice was a little dry.

From fourth to fifth order, the radius and the multiplier still increase by a factor of three!

It wasn't twice what he originally knew about his A-level abilities. It wasn't the linear increase he expected. It was three times.

It is a leap in geometric progression.

"S-rank...SS-rank..." he murmured, his voice trembling slightly, a tremor he himself didn't even realize. "Is this the difference?"

He finally understood.

Why were those organizations that possessed S-rank seventh-tier powerhouses in my previous life so prestigious that no one dared to challenge their dominance?

Because it's not a difference between "stronger" and "stronger".

That's the difference between mortals and gods.

It's the difference between a mound and a giant peak.

It's the difference between fireflies and the blazing sun.

He should be happy.

He was indeed happy.

But before this joy could reach its peak, it was suppressed by something heavier and colder.

—At this rate of growth, how powerful would those seventh-tier S-class powerhouses from my previous life be?

The answer was so cruel that it stung his body.

A moving natural disaster.

A god in human form.

End of the apocalypse?

No, the answer is even more brutal.

Even with their divine power, they were still unable to end it.

They possessed power that Lin Chen could not yet imagine, had seen scenery that Lin Chen could not yet glimpse, and stood at heights that Lin Chen could not yet reach.

But did they fail, or have they still not found the reason, or are they... unwilling?

So...

What exactly is hidden behind this apocalypse?

Not a monster. Not a zombie. Not any enemy he had ever seen, heard of, or even imagined.

It was something that even the "gods" were powerless against.

Lin Chen lowered his eyes, his thoughts in turmoil, and remained silent for a long time.

The wind and snow outside the window had stopped sometime earlier. The night was thick and dark, swallowing the entire city so completely that its outlines were no longer visible. He sat alone in this silence, the lingering warmth of the receding power of creation still present in his palm.

a long time.

He chuckled softly.

The sound was very soft, so soft that it was almost swallowed up by the night.

"really……"

He paused.

"The more you know, the more questions you have."

He didn't say anything more.

He simply tucked that heavy emotion deep into the back of his heart, into a door reserved for things he "didn't need to face yet." He closed that door, locked it, and turned away.

After completing the upgrade, Lin Chen did not stay in the room any longer.

The power that had just entered his body was still surging through his veins, like a river that had not yet found its way to the sea, urgent and restless.

He needs crowds, sounds, and the warmth of everyday life to numb this overly sharp and lucid awareness.

He got up, left the bedroom, and returned to the cafeteria.

The voices of people rushed towards me like a tidal wave.

Long queues formed at the service windows, and the shouts of the waitresses, the clatter of plates, and the laughter of the girls filled the air.

Lin Chen stood at the door, momentarily dazed—at the beginning, there were only five cooks in the cafeteria, but now there are already two hundred window staff alone.

Most of them were ordinary people without awakened superpowers, their faces showing fatigue, but also a rare joy of being alive in the apocalypse.

Lin Chen looked at them without saying a word.

He recalled the question he had asked himself in the room earlier—

"Is it possible to become a god?"

Now, ordinary people in the cafeteria walk past him with their trays, nodding to him and calling him "Brother Lin".

They didn't know what a god was. All they knew was that this handsome young man and his men had saved them, provided them with a hot meal, and would help them awaken their supernatural abilities, allowing them to live a better life!

Lin Chen lowered his eyes, his lips twitched, but he didn't smile.

Li Ya was the first to discover him.

"What's wrong?" She put down her chopsticks, her gaze meeting yours with the keen insight only those close to you possess. "Have you completed your advancement?"

Lin Chen nodded and sat down in the empty seat next to her.

"Hmm." He paused, as if confirming his own voice, before saying, "Fourth tier."

Fourth order.

These two words fell into the air like pebbles thrown into a pond.

Li Ya's eyes lit up for a moment.

She didn't ask any more questions, but simply pushed the untouched plate of braised pork towards him.

"Then it needs to be replenished."

Lin Chen chuckled.

But he knew Li Ya was happy. The stronger Lin Chen was, the safer they would be. She understood this better than anyone.

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching everyone at the table.

"Fourth tier!" Su Yun said in a low voice, unable to contain her excitement. "Doesn't that put us in a much stronger position?"

She was very glad she made that choice when she was in the mall; it turned out that she was able to survive better by following Lin Chen and the others.

"It's all settled, it's all settled," Duan Rong echoed, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

Only Jiang Yingyue didn't care about whether it was stable or not.

She leaned closer, resting her elbow on the table, her chin propped up on her hand, her face showing a mixture of innocent and earnest curiosity:

"So, Brother Lin, just how strong are you now?"

Lin Chen turned his head to look at her.

The girl's eyes were clear; she genuinely wanted to know. But Lin Chen didn't intend to answer seriously.

How can he describe something like this without a testing machine? Is he going to say, "I can slow down the flow of time within a 450-meter radius around you by 450 times, so that you can't move a single finger for a full three seconds"?

She couldn't understand.

And she doesn't need to understand it.

So he rolled his eyes, his tone casual, but carrying a hint that only she could understand:

You'll find out tonight.

He paused.

"I hope you won't kneel down and beg for mercy."

Jiang Yingyue's face flushed red.

But she didn't flinch. Instead, she stubbornly glared back at him, her neck stiff, like a kitten whose fur had been pricked up by provocation.

"impossible!"

Doesn't Jiang Yingyue have any pride?

They actually said she would beg for mercy?

"I absolutely will not beg for mercy!" she said, enunciating each word as if making a vow.

Lin Chen looked at her.

He didn't say anything, but the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile—the kind of smile that Jiang Yingyue wanted to tickle every time she saw it, a smile that was annoying and confident.

Then he looked away and focused on finishing the braised pork in front of him.

I'm too lazy to argue with a weakling.

Anyway, she'll figure it out herself tonight.

Beside her, Jiang Yingxue quietly sipped her soup, her lowered eyelashes concealing her gloating smile.

She didn't say anything, but silently moved her sister's untouched beef to Lin Chen's side.

Yes, eat more.

It takes a lot of energy at night.