This Spiritual Energy is Lethal!
Chapter 467: When the Countdown Reaches 0

Chapter 467: Chapter 467: When the Countdown Reaches 0

Chen Ke also was startled, his whole body shuddering, when he saw a girl charge out from the left side and tackle him to the floor.

Lucina pressed her left hand against Chen Ke’s gun-wielding right hand, with her right elbow bearing down on Chen Ke’s neck, desperately trying to wrestle the gun away.

"Get... off..." Chen Ke felt Lucina’s full weight pressing down on him.

Unlike the slender-armed and legged internet celebrities, Lucina’s muscles were the real deal. Chen Ke estimated that Lucina must weigh around 130 pounds.

Lucina’s physique was not as exaggerated as a muscle Barbie doll, indistinguishable from an ordinary girl when she was clothed. However, her body fat was very low, accumulated precisely where it should be, curving her body delightfully.

Stripped of her clothes, standing at 170 centimeters, with beautiful muscular contours and healthy bronze skin, she was a sight that one couldn’t look away from, making it hard to control one’s urges, not to mention that her seductive Latin accent was unforgettable.

"What are you trying to do, Chen Ke?!" Lucina glared at Chen Ke, her grip on his right hand firm as she questioned him.

"Just get off me first..." Chen Ke said, patting Lucina’s shoulder with his left hand.

In reality, he had ninety-nine ways to flip Lucina over and throw her off, but Chen Ke didn’t want to do that.

Besides, this girl was incredibly strong.

A few minutes later...

Chen Ke had put on his pants and was sitting on the bed with Lucina, explaining to her a bit about what he was preparing to do.

Of course, Chen Ke didn’t disclose the fact about the life countdown. He merely told her that something might happen to him after the next 16 hours.

Lucina didn’t understand, and neither did Chen Ke know what would happen, leading both to a deadlock.

"Will you disappear forever?" Lucina was only concerned about this.

Chen Ke didn’t know how to answer; first of all, he was certain he wouldn’t just vanish.

After all, he was the Foundation’s last chance to reboot the world. If the countdown went to zero and he ceased to exist, then Lin Yan wouldn’t have put it that way.

But what if he were to travel to another version of 2009? Then for Lucina in this version of 2009, he would indeed be gone forever.

"I don’t know what will happen, but I have to try," Chen Ke shook his head.

"Is it that important?" Lucina asked with concern.

"Very important," Chen Ke said.

Chen Ke caressed her shoulder. Ever since his time travel began, this life countdown had always been a mystery he couldn’t solve, and now, the answer was before him, he had to figure it out.

"Things aren’t as bad as they seem. Just keep it a secret for me, alright? No matter what you see after 16 hours, don’t tell anyone else," Chen Ke said.

"So, in the worst-case scenario, I have only 16 hours left?" Lucina asked.

"Things won’t be that bad. But if there’s something you want to do with me... then we should do it in these 16 hours," Chen Ke reassured her once again.

"Then let’s do what lovers should do," Lucina said.

Chen Ke laughed. He understood what Lucina meant.

For the next 16 hours, they went out together, strolling down Raffi Road as any ordinary couple would, shopping and exploring malls and clothing stores.

As night fell, they casually picked a movie at the cinema, sat in the back row kissing, and shared a steak dinner at a steakhouse.

It wasn’t until 11 p.m. that they returned to the safe house, but Lucina still didn’t feel sleepy. They spent a wild night together, their passionate love nearly potent enough to ignite the ammunition stored in the room.

At 4 a.m., Lucina lay on Chen Ke, sound asleep, her gentle breaths mixing with light perspiration, her slightly curled long hair sticking to her back.

With only 30 minutes left on the countdown in the corner of Chen Ke’s eye, he gently woke Lucina. In the darkness, those eyes just quietly looked at him.

"Wish me luck," Chen Ke said.

"When you come back, we’ll continue. I still have the energy," Lucina playfully smirked.

Chen Ke gently moved Lucina aside and got out of bed to get dressed. As he was putting on his shoes, Lucina hugged him from behind, sniffing the nape of his neck.

"You better keep some distance from me; I don’t know what will happen when the time comes," Chen Ke warned.

He moved a chair over to sit and watch the countdown quietly, awaiting fate’s arrival.

Chen Ke’s right hand materialized a fragment of a tormented soul; he had prepared a backup plan, should he feel something was amiss before the countdown hit zero, he would immediately pinch it to extend his life.

Lucina, however, was kneeling on the bed, covering her body with a cup, anxiously watching Chen Ke.

Twelve minutes remained...

"You better record it with your phone... that way I can see it when I come back," Chen Ke suggested.

Lucina wrapped herself in the blanket as she got out of bed and picked up her phone from the table.

"Remember to switch it to airplane mode, and don’t accidentally post it on Facebook," Chen Ke reminded.

"I’m not as dumb as you," Lucina retorted as she opened the camera app and aimed it at Chen Ke.

Five minutes left...

Chen Ke sat on the stool, his leg trembling with nervousness. If he were paying attention, his heartbeat would surely be racing.

"The final moments... let me witness..." Chen Ke muttered, watching the seconds tick away in the corner of his eye.

"Chen Ke... although I have no idea what you’re doing right now, I still think you should give up... I’ve never seen you so anxious," Lucina said, feeling tense herself.

"It’s okay... It’s okay... It’s not like I haven’t died before..." Chen Ke shook his head, clutching the soul in his hand, trying hard to control his fingers from squeezing it prematurely.

Last 60 seconds...

Chen Ke held his breath as memories of life after the transport flashed before his eyes like a carousel lantern.

Encountering Parker in the building... Black Box Space and the contract demon... the postman’s bank heist... Fan Hede’s adventure... the world of 2006... encounters at sea... the research institute’s black stone... the rich second-generation Li Moyang and the two foundations... Ms. Harlowin trapped in a camera... 19th century Langdon... the base reality...

Any one of the events Chen Ke experienced in these past few months would have been a major incident to boast about for a lifetime before the transport.

The last 10 seconds...

Chen Ke put the soul away, ready to face his fate.

His tense mood infected Lucina, who, forgetting the blanket slipping from her body, clasped her phone tightly, recording Chen Ke’s condition, even more nervous than him because she didn’t know what was happening to him.

3...

2...

1...

Chen Ke watched as the countdown turned red.

0...

"It hit zero..." Chen Ke said to himself.

"What hit zero?" Lucina asked anxiously.

The small print at the corner of his eye changed.

"Your life span has reached zero..."

What will happen now? I’m not dead, am I?... Chen Ke was still sitting on the stool, time continued to pass, but nothing happened.

"Heh... Maybe I’m overthinking this?" Chen Ke said with a half-smile, unsure of what expression to use when facing Lucina, feeling a surge of joy. It turns out he didn’t need to be so exhausted after all.

He looked at Lucina and said with a smile, "See, I told you it wouldn’t be so bad, right?"

"Chen Ke..." Lucina’s expression remained unchanged, still tense.

"What’s wrong?" Chen Ke read an ominous air on Lucina’s face.

"You’re becoming transparent..." Lucina said with horror.

Chen Ke was startled and looked at his hands. No, it wasn’t him becoming transparent; it was the surrounding scene, along with Lucina, that was turning transparent.

The line of small text in the corner of his eye changed again, with the red font turning blue and the message altering.

"Returning to Illusion Dream Center."

What? What is this...

Lucina dropped her phone and immediately rushed over to try to hug Chen Ke, but she only grasped air, her hands passing through him, only able to grab onto the chair.

"Chen Ke! Chen Ke!" Lucina called out.

"Don’t panic! Lucina, I’m not dead, I’m just going to another place... I’ll find a way to come back, trust me," Chen Ke assured.

Chen Ke’s surrounding world gradually became transparent, darkness slowly engulfing him, and Lucina could barely see his outline.

"Listen, Lucina, I’ll find a way to come back! Don’t tell anyone about this," Chen Ke shouted, only seeing Lucina nod in response.

"You have to come back, Chen Ke!" Lucina yelled towards Chen Ke’s outline; as the shadow completely vanished, there was nothing left on the chair.

Lucina, gasping for breath, allowed the immense fear and sadness to turn into tears running down her face. Clenching her fists, she suddenly stood up, kicked the punching bag fiercely, and screamed at the ceiling, "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"