I Hijacked the Timeline (IHT)

Feng Qi still didn't know just how strong Little Black was.

But from their previous encounters, the results were always the same—he was instantly killed without the slightest chance to resist.

So when he saw Little Black swiftly approaching from the Bone Pile Zone, he immediately decided to run.

Back then, fighting Little Black head-on didn't matter since death had no cost. But now, his life had become far too valuable. Playing it safe was the only option.

Weaving through the city ruins, Feng Qi remained cautious, scanning his surroundings.

The last time he ventured into these ruins, he had encountered a powerful domain creature with blood-red eyes—he had almost lost his life.

Although the future had begun changing due to his actions, he couldn't be certain that the blood-red creature was gone.

Better to stay cautious.

Following streets filled with debris and crumbling buildings, Feng Qi headed east. Occasionally, collapsed structures blocked his path, forcing him to detour. He had no idea how long he'd been walking.

As for how close Little Black was to him now, he couldn't be sure.

Stopping, he decided to confirm Little Black's location.

His gaze settled on a leaning skyscraper.

After some effort, he climbed to the top. From there, he scanned the westward horizon.

In the distance, he spotted a black dot moving rapidly toward him.

Just as he expected, Little Black hadn't given up—still pursuing him relentlessly. It was already nearing the city ruins.

"This is endless… I don't even know why it's chasing me," Feng Qi muttered angrily.

[If you need a reason, it's probably because you're too ugly to look at. Even you can't stand yourself—imagine Little Black's feelings. If I weren't stuck here, I'd chase you too.]

Feng Qi: ...

Glancing at his body, Feng Qi noted that while he had developed some muscle, he still looked horrifying.

"Well, I'm slowly returning to normal," he said, embarrassed.

[Maybe you're just destined to become a huge, terrifying monster. Who knows?]

"Shut up!"

[Alright, future muscular monster!]

Feng Qi: ...

After confirming Little Black's position once more, he quickly climbed down the building and sprinted along the streets.

Where was he going? He had no idea.

The one thing he knew was that he couldn't let Little Black catch him. If he failed this "game of hide-and-seek," it would cost him a million—a price he couldn't afford.

Even if death was inevitable, he needed to use up all his opportunities to read cultivation techniques. Otherwise, dying would be meaningless.

After running for another ten minutes, Feng Qi suddenly stopped.

His eyes narrowed at the corner ahead—a massive creature resembling a rhino was lying across the path.

Its single horn glimmered with a rune crystal, reflecting the blood-red glow of the moon. Its eyes were closed, as if it were sleeping.

Stepping back carefully, Feng Qi turned to leave, his steps silent.

But at that moment, the creature's nose twitched, and it opened its massive blood-red eyes, locking onto him.

[That's the price of not taking a bath—your stench is unbearable.]

"Shut up!"

With a shout, Feng Qi turned and bolted.

The rhino-like domain creature roared, its deafening sound shaking the ground as it stood and charged toward him.

The earth trembled violently under its weight.

Feng Qi's initial plan was to use the terrain to run in circles and exhaust the beast. But he hadn't expected the creature to smash through buildings with ease. A collapsing wall almost buried him alive.

Fighting it was out of the question, and running wasn't working either. He felt like death was closing in on him once more.

Suddenly, Feng Qi thought of the blood-red creature he encountered last time.

Back then, Little Black's arrival had saved him, forcing the blood-red creature to retreat and giving him the chance to escape back to Star City Shelter.

Recalling this, Feng Qi, narrowly dodging the rhino's charge, changed direction and sprinted toward where Little Black was.

"If I'm going to die, I might as well gamble on this!"

With the domain creature hot on his heels, its mouth opened wide, and its sharp teeth were barely half a meter from his head.

But thanks to its massive size, the creature was clumsy when turning. This bought Feng Qi precious seconds to maneuver.

Still, this wasn't a sustainable plan. If it hit him even once, he'd be finished.

His muscles screamed with exhaustion as he ran, and his pace began to slow.

Just when he thought he couldn't hold on any longer, he saw a figure cloaked in black mist ahead.

Little Black.

The rhino-like domain creature noticed Little Black's arrival as well. It immediately stopped its charge, though its momentum carried it forward several meters, leaving deep grooves in the ground.

"Roar!"

The horned domain creature seemed deeply wary of Little Black, letting out a menacing roar to intimidate it. Its attention was now entirely focused on Little Black.

Despite the creature's provocation, Little Black remained as cold and unfeeling as ever, slowly advancing toward Feng Qi at an unhurried pace.

Seeing this, the horned domain creature roared again, seemingly agitated, scraping its front hooves against the ground before charging forward.

Realizing something was wrong, Feng Qi dove to the right without hesitation.

Fortunately, the horned domain creature wasn't targeting him in the first place, so he narrowly avoided being trampled.

Rolling to steady himself after hitting the ground, Feng Qi turned to look back. The horned domain creature had already reached Little Black, its rune-encrusted horn slamming ferociously into Little Black's body.

Boom!

A deafening crash echoed, and Little Black was sent flying.

But just as Feng Qi thought Little Black would be thrown far away, something unexpected happened.

Little Black's body, shrouded in black mist, suddenly dispersed into a black cloud, absorbing the force of the impact. A moment later, it reformed in its original position, standing tall and unscathed.

"Damn, that's cool!"

Seeing that physical damage was useless against Little Black, Feng Qi's eyes widened in amazement. Without hesitation, he turned and ran.

Now was the perfect time to leave. If he waited until Little Black defeated the horned domain creature, he would be next.

Sprinting down the street, Feng Qi planned to make a direct run for Star City Shelter.

But when he arrived, he found the path ahead completely blocked by twisting, writhing purple vines, which looked like a massive web. The vines seemed alive, with clear liquid visibly flowing inside them.

Feng Qi's sudden appearance disrupted the eerie calm. The vines twitched and began slowly moving toward him, as if drawn by his presence.

"Not again," he cursed under his breath. With no choice, he turned and sprinted further east.

The further east he traveled, the more domain creatures he encountered.

He had barely escaped the pursuit of the vines when a three-meter-tall demonic hound ambushed him.

With the hound hot on his heels, Feng Qi dove into a decrepit residential complex.

The area was covered in moss and bristling thorny weeds, resembling a primeval forest more than an apartment complex.

Panting heavily, he climbed to the third floor and kicked open the door to a hallway apartment, slipping inside.

To be safe, he decided to hide there for a while, waiting for things outside to calm down before moving again.

Scanning the room, he saw that it was coated in dust and cobwebs. The cracked wooden floor bore dark red stains, and the rusty metal furniture was in disrepair. The fridge's contents had long rotted, crumbling into dust at the slightest touch.

After a quick search, Feng Qi found only one usable item—a pen made from some unknown material.

With nothing else to do, Feng Qi sat down by the window.

This was the longest he'd survived in the Dream Realm. He couldn't help but feel uneasy, wondering how much longer he could last.

Outside, the weather suddenly turned.

Dark clouds shrouded the blood moon, casting the world into shadow.

The wind howled, rain poured down in torrents, and thunder rolled across the skies.

Not knowing whether the demonic hound had left, Feng Qi huddled in the corner of the room, listening carefully for any sounds outside.

Suddenly, a purple flash of lightning split the sky. The thunderclap that followed shook the entire building.

For a moment, the room was illuminated.

In that instant, Feng Qi saw something that made his blood run cold—a small, thin figure sitting to his left.

Before he could see it clearly, the room was plunged back into darkness.

"What the hell was that?!"

[Maybe just a really big rat?]

Feng Qi: ???

In the pitch black, he felt the thin figure move closer to him. A moment later, it wrapped its small arms around his left arm. An icy chill seeped into his bones, making him shiver uncontrollably.

"I… I'm scared…" a childish voice whispered.

Hearing the familiar words in human language, Feng Qi froze. His voice trembled as he turned to the side.

"Kid… I'm more scared than you. I'm pretty sure I was alone in this room!"

[Oh no, what if it's a ghost? Are there ghosts among domain creatures? That would be truly terrifying!]

Feng Qi: ...

The narrator's comments only made him more nervous. Gritting his teeth, he barked:

"Shut up! I'm not scared!"