"It's… it's better than dying…" Liu Yang whispered. His voice shook, but he forced it out, like he was trying to act tough even though he wasn't.
Then his eyes started blinking too fast, like he couldn't stop. His chest kept going up and down, fast, rough, like he was out of air. And then—bam—something hit him in the head, like a thought that stabbed straight into his brain.
"But… wait… wait… why? Why is it so long already? Why haven't the soldiers… why haven't they reached me yet? Why am I still lying here… here on the damn grass?"
He turned his head left. Empty. He turned right. Still empty. Nothing. No boots, no shouts, no clash of swords. Only the wind. Just the stupid wind brushing the grass like nothing's wrong.
His heart skipped so hard it hurt. His eyes almost burst out. "Wait… what the hell… what the hell's going on…?"
Then glowing words came out in front of his yes. Smooth. Smug. Like they were grinning at him.
[What do you think of me?]
[It's called Temporal Freeze Skill.]
[I stopped the time around you.]
[So, we can chat.]
His lips twitched. They curled back weird, stuck between a fake smile and fear. His chest jumped like it wanted to explode, his eyes round like plates.
"You… you… you stopped time?!"
The words didn't stop. They just rolled out, calm, like they didn't even care.
[And don't get your hopes up.]
[You cannot get this skill. Not yet.]
"So… so you're flexing?! You're just showing off now?!"
[Host Approval Acquired…]
[Starting the Time…]
Liu Yang's eyes blinked too fast, his throat locked up, his chest pounding like a drum about to break.
"Wait—wait—wait! When did I say yes?! I didn't say yes!"
The words glowed again, calm as ever.
[You said, and I quote, "It's… better than dying…"]
[Which means, "Yes."]
His mouth fell open so wide it almost cracked. No words came at first, just his lips flapping like a fish.
Then his voice stumbled out. "That's not—that's not the same! I didn't mean it like that! That was just me talking to myself, okay?! Not a contract! Not yes! Not approval! Nothing like that!"
He threw his arms around, waving them crazy. His face red like it was on fire.
His head shaking left and right so fast it was like he wanted to throw it off his shoulders. He looked like a kid being forced to eat vegetables, or worse, bitter medicine.
But the glowing words didn't care. They floated there, smug, laughing without sound.
And then—
The air twitched. Then it moved. Like someone pressed play.
The silence cracked apart. Sounds leaked back in, piece by piece. The grass bent again, the wind pushing it like it always had, like nothing had happened.
The world wasn't frozen anymore. It was alive again.
The soldiers, the ones who had been frozen mid-step on the hill, suddenly ran again. Their shouts ripped the air.
"A demon! Kill the demon!"
Liu Yang's eyes went so wide they looked like they'd fall out. His jaw hung loose. His legs shook like jelly that someone kept poking.
"No, no, no, no, no! I wasn't ready yet! System! You tricked me! You scammed me! You mother—"
His voice broke halfway. It shot high, cracked, then died in his throat. Like someone grabbed it and cut it in half.
The soldiers stomped down the hill. Each boot slammed the grass flat, leaving it broken under their steps. Dust flew up around them. Their armor clanked, heavy metal crashing against itself with every move.
Their helmets hid their faces, only the eyes peeking out from the slit.
Every soldier carried a sword. Some raised them up, some dragged them low, but all of them had one. Not a single empty hand.
And Liu Yang… he was still lying flat. His back pressed to the grass. His mouth stretched into a weird, twitchy grin. Lips shaking, whispering "he…he…he…" like he was forcing a laugh that wouldn't come.
The smile stuck. It wouldn't go away. Even though his heart screamed inside, his face stayed broken, like it forgot how to show fear, stuck halfway between crying and laughing.
The soldiers slowed down. Then they stopped.
They circled around him, swords pointing down, tips shining above his chest.
Their helmets turned. Eyes stared at him through the slit.
One soldier leaned closer. "Oi… is he… sleeping?"
Another snorted. "Sleeping? Look at that smile. Nah, he's waiting for a princess kiss."
"Ha! Too bad he got us instead!" another shouted, banging his sword against his armor.
Then more laughed. One. Two. Then all of them.
Their voices came out heavy, banging inside their helmets before spilling into the air.
It didn't sound like soldiers ready to kill. No. It sounded like drunk men in the city, watching a cheap clown on the street, laughing so hard they almost fell over.
And Liu Yang… he was that clown. The one lying there, waiting for his death to arrive.