Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 28: The Dangers of Awakening

For a moment, Shen Lingshuang looked at Qiu Tu with firm determination and said, "Don't worry! I will ensure you successfully undergo the Cataclysm Awakening!"

With that, she seemed to switch into work mode, waving her hand, "Bring me paper and pen. I need to write down the additional ingredients for the potion."

"Although they aren't rare or expensive materials, gathering them will still take some time."

Qiu Tu glanced at the countdown in the upper left corner: [46:35:17], and asked, "Is a day and a half enough?"

Shen Lingshuang thought for a moment, "It should be fine."

Reassured, Qiu Tu brought paper and pen, and Shen Lingshuang quickly listed the ingredients and equipment needed for the Cataclysm Potion. Qiu Tu carefully folded the note and put it in his pocket, ready to contact Eagle and A Kun to handle the task.

However, seeing him put away the note, Shen Lingshuang hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Qiu Tu."

Qiu Tu looked up at her.

Qiu Tu had always seen Shen Lingshuang as carefree and fearless, so her sudden seriousness made him realize that what she was about to say was crucial.

As expected, she continued slowly, "It's been eight years since the first Cataclysm Potion and the first Cataclysm Awakened."

"The shelters have continuously researched the potion and the awakened individuals."

"But the more they research, the more they discover significant problems with the Cataclysm Awakening."

She paused, then asked, "Do you remember the six paths I mentioned?"

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Qiu Tu nodded, "I remember. Destruction, Life, Mystery, Immortality, Order, and Chaos."

Shen Lingshuang nodded and explained, "Yes. But do you know why these paths are named as such?"

Qiu Tu shook his head.

"Because these names represent the paths you must follow and their inherent issues," she said.

To make her point clear, she gave an example, "If you follow the Path of Destruction, all your actions must align with 'destruction.'"

"The more you destroy, the faster you progress in power."

"Of course, what you destroy is up to you."

"Some choose to destroy 'life,' others 'food,' and some 'peace.'"

"These correspond to branches like 'Slaughter,' 'Gluttony,' and 'War.'"

"If this were the only issue, it might not matter much. But there is a terrifying rule about the Cataclysm Paths."

"That is—you only gain strength by following your path. If you stray or stop, your power will rapidly decline."

Shen Lingshuang's eyes filled with deep concern, "Under such pressure, many Cataclysm Awakened become increasingly extreme, often losing their sanity and turning into complete madmen."

"Many now believe the problem lies with the potion itself or that humans must awaken naturally rather than stealing the power of other beings."

"So... most high-ranking members of the shelters haven’t undergone Cataclysm Awakening. They're just ordinary people."

Qiu Tu was silent for a moment, then asked, "What about the leaders of the shelters themselves?"

Shen Lingshuang's eyes were filled with deep sorrow, "They have no choice."

"In the face of the Great Cataclysm, for the survival of our species, some must bear this burden."

Qiu Tu remained silent.

Shen Lingshuang looked at him and said, "So I hope you reconsider."

Hearing her, Qiu Tu took a few deep breaths, rubbed his face, then smiled, "There's no need to reconsider. I will definitely walk this path."

Shen Lingshuang looked puzzled, "Why?"

"If you were unaware of the dangers, I could understand your choice."

"But you know how dangerous this path is. Why continue?"

She added, "You know about the debate in the shelters over human Cataclysm Awakening, right?"

"Since the development of the Cataclysm Potion, the faction advocating for 'stealing mysterious powers from other beings' has been dominant."

"But with more and more people losing control after using the potion, the faction advocating for 'naturally evolving new humans through generations' is gaining support."

"You don’t have to..."

Qiu Tu interrupted her with a smile, "Even if new humans are born in the future, it won’t be me or you, right?"

"Now is a dog-eat-dog world. If you're not at the table, you're on the menu."

"I've seen the qualifications to be at the table. I won’t give up because of cowardice and become a lamb to the slaughter."

"I’d rather live a brilliant but short life."

He paused, then added softly, "Moreover, although I don’t know what danger humanity faces that requires the leaders of the shelters to become Cataclysm Awakened and bear the burden..."

"But if they can sacrifice for the future of our race, so can I. I want... to walk with them."

With that, Qiu Tu got up and left the courtyard, leaving behind a resolute and determined figure.

Shen Lingshuang stared blankly at his retreating figure, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

[45:02:01 (Deadline to make the Cataclysm Potion)]

Leaving the courtyard, Qiu Tu gave some instructions to the guards and the maid at the entrance, asking them to meet Shen Lingshuang's reasonable requests while watching over her.

In these two days of interacting with her, Qiu Tu confirmed the Crisis Sense's assessment of her as "kind-hearted."

Like a cactus growing wildly in the apocalypse, she was prickly but maintained a pure heart inside.

So, within his power, Qiu Tu hoped to make her life a bit better.

Of course, this had nothing to do with her being the daughter of Vice Speaker Shen Yuzhou of the Supreme Council.

Today’s conversation revealed too much insider information only known to high-ranking members of the shelters.

Even if she wasn’t the daughter of the highest-ranking official in the Third Shelter, her background was undoubtedly significant.

With these thoughts, Qiu Tu left the courtyard and headed towards his own.

Halfway there, he received a communication from Fang Ming.

The message was brief, only stating that the reinforcements Qiu Tu requested in the afternoon had arrived.

Author's Note