On the way back, Lu Ye, Chen Mo, and Lin Lan passed through a magnetic fault zone on the southern edge of the ruins. Lin Lan was just about to recalibrate her perception frequency— when the air turned heavy.
It wasn't magnetic interference. It wasn't mutant disruption. It was time— stopped.
Zhao Yang's blood mist detection cut out instantly. He Xuan's disc lost all feedback from the house. Lin Lan's sensory circuit froze. Lu Ye's Eye of the World lost focus.
Only Chen Mo could still move— but his motions were sluggish, like wading through molasses.
He gritted his teeth and surged forward. His Shattered-Time Fist tore through the temporal layer, punching open a breach.
Lu Ye used the opening to regain movement, and with Lin Lan's residual feedback, they constructed a logical bypass.
They didn't break time. They sidestepped it.
At the center of the ruins stood a lone figure. Black military command uniform. Calm expression. Eyes like still water.
He didn't announce himself. He didn't radiate hostility. He simply spoke, voice soft:
"You were too loud." "I just… made time quiet for a moment."
His ability wasn't to freeze the world— but to make the world obey his rhythm, driven by sheer mental force.
Chen Mo kept punching. Lu Ye kept maneuvering. Lin Lan regained her perception.
Together, they gradually broke free. Time resumed its flow.
The man watched them, voice still calm:
"You can move now." "Impressive." "But not enough."
He didn't press further. He simply turned and walked away. His steps were steady— as if time still parted for him.
Back at the house, Zhao Yang and He Xuan had regained their senses. As soon as the trio stepped inside, Zhao Yang noticed something off.
"Your sense of time… it's not normal."
Lin Lan nodded.
"We were briefly suppressed."
He Xuan frowned.
"Military made a move?"
Lu Ye shook his head.
"Not the field squad. Someone above them." "A man with time-stopping ability. Driven by mental force—not tech."
Chen Mo sat down, took a sip of water.
"I tore open a breach." "Lu Ye and Lin Lan bypassed the control logic." "That's how we got moving again."
Zhao Yang was quiet for a moment.
"Is he an enemy?"
Lu Ye looked out the window.
"No." "But he's not a friend either."
Chen Mo leaned back, eyes on the ceiling.
"He treats his own people well." "But with us…"
Zhao Yang smirked.
"Classic high command."
He Xuan spoke softly.
"He can be used."
Lin Lan opened her notebook, jotting down key terms:
"Time stop. Mental drive. Logic bypass." "We need to build a response model."
Lu Ye nodded.
"But we don't engage him yet." "We're not ready."
Chen Mo stood, walked to the window.
"When we are— he won't be the master of time anymore."