Chapter 0120

Friendly reminder: make sure to read these chapters carefully.

"You... you... why does it seem like I can hear your thoughts?"

"Meow—" Xiao Hei's inner voice came through again.

[Xiao Hei: "Because I wanted you to hear it, Lin Ran. Aren’t you curious about why you were able to be reborn?"]

Lin Ran’s eyes widened as he stared at Xiao Hei in disbelief.

This time, he was certain—he really could hear Xiao Hei’s thoughts. His entire worldview crumbled in that moment.

Even being reborn hadn’t shocked him this much.

And Xiao Hei knew he was a reincarnator? What the—?

"Just who are you?"

[Xiao Hei: "You can think of me as the cat who created this world."]

Lin Ran fell silent.

"So... you’re the author of a novel?"

"Meow—"

[Xiao Hei: "Don’t talk nonsense. This isn’t a fictional world—it’s a real one. I can’t tell you the reason yet, but one thing’s for sure: I was the one who gave you the chance to be reborn."]

Lin Ran didn’t understand.

[Xiao Hei: "Let me ask you—do you love Luo Yao?"]

"Of course I do. Even if I didn’t love you, I’d still love her."

Xiao Hei was force-fed a mouthful of dog food.

[“Fine. Since you’re willing to stay with Luo Yao, I’ll reluctantly grant you three wishes—but only if they’re related to time.”]

Lin Ran: "Like what?"

[“For example, you could plant a seed, and I’d make it grow instantly.”]

"So... is this a world of cultivation or superpowers?"

Xiao Hei looked utterly exasperated.

[“No, do you think this is some kind of novel? Cultivation? Why don’t you just fly to the heavens while you’re at it? There’s no cultivation, no superpowers, no high-level martial arts in this world. I’m the only one with some abilities related to time. The rest of the billions of people on this planet are all ordinary. You’d better start thinking about your wishes!”]

Lin Ran felt even more confused.

"Alright then, my wish is to get a system—one that rewards me for loving my wife."

[Xiao Hei: "You motherf— That’s way too much to ask from a cat! That kind of thing doesn’t even exist. Remember, the wishes have to be related to ‘time.’"]

Lin Ran thought to himself, What kind of wish would I even need you for?

Right now, he had food, drink, a beautiful wife... Wait, hadn’t he always wanted to understand Luo Yao better?

"If it’s about time... can you reverse it?"

[“Of course. Did you really think you were a reincarnator?”]

Lin Ran was stunned.

What did that mean? Had he not actually been reborn?

Had Xiao Hei just reversed time to this point?

[Xiao Hei: “Exactly. But performing such a major reversal drained most of my power, so I can’t stay in other timelines for long anymore. If you want to reverse time, the most I can do is let you stay in that timeline for 12 hours. After that, we have to come back—or we’ll both die.”]

Lin Ran was shocked. He never imagined something so fantastical could be real.

"One last question—why do I still have my memories?"

[Xiao Hei: “You’re asking too much. I’ll answer this one last time—because I didn’t reverse the cells in your brain.”]

Lin Ran: "Didn’t expect you to be so scientific."

[“So, which point in time do you want to go back to?”]

Lin Ran: "I want to see Luo Yao’s childhood—take me to when she was a kid."

He desperately wanted to understand why Luo Yao had grown into the person she was now. He’d never had the chance before, but now he wanted to see for himself.

[“Fine. Get ready—we’re leaving soon.”]

So soon?

[Xiao Hei: “What, you want to drag it out? Hurry up, you’re acting like a damn woman.”]

"Then... let’s go."

It was late autumn, and the temperature in the Great Xing’an Mountains was bitterly cold.

Though there was no snow, Lin Ran shivered uncontrollably as he stood before a towering forest of pine trees, scanning his surroundings.

"Meow!"

"Xiao Hei, you’re here too?"

[“Duh. Who else is gonna take you back?”]

Xiao Hei meowed, but Lin Ran could understand its thoughts.

"Where’s Luo Yao?"

[“If you think a cute little kitty like me can answer that, you’re sorely mistaken.”]

Lin Ran’s face darkened.

"Aren’t you supposed to be the creator? You can’t even answer something that simple?"

[“Just because I’m the creator doesn’t mean I know everything. Tell me—do you know what every single bacterium on your body is doing right now?”]

Lin Ran had no retort. He realized he might have overestimated Xiao Hei.

"So what do we do now?"

[“If you think I’m some kind of genius cat, think again. How the hell should I know?”]

Lin Ran felt like vomiting blood. He wanted to curse—at the cat.

"For that answer, I’ll give you an 8.5 out of 10—because I’m speechless."

Lin Ran figured that even if this journey led nowhere, at least he’d experienced something extraordinary.

He searched around, but this place was clearly deep in the wilderness—the kind where you could walk for days without finding civilization.

A faint sound of scolding reached his ears. Lin Ran froze, then followed the noise until he spotted a scene below a cliff, hidden by tall grass.

A stern-faced man stood with a whip in hand, berating a group of children—boys and girls alike, all dressed in tattered clothes.

Was Luo Yao among them?

"Remember—most of you will die within the next decade. Only one will survive to become the family’s guardian."

"So if you want to live, there’s only one rule: grow stronger, learn relentlessly, and kill without hesitation. Here, there are no relatives, no friends, no emotions..."

Lin Ran shuddered at the icy words of the instructor-like man.

He couldn’t comprehend why such inhumane training existed—these were just children.

"Now, it’s time for this month’s test. Everyone will draw lots and pair up for combat—to the death. Only the victors earn the right to live. I’ll mark a fighting zone for each pair—once you’re inside, you cannot leave until it’s over."

Lin Ran sucked in a sharp breath.

Those kids looked no older than a few years!

Some could barely walk steadily, yet they were forced into this brutal training, fighting for survival. What kind of monster would do something so insane?

Even after being reborn, Lin Ran had grown resilient—but this chilled him to the bone.

He spotted a frail, grimy little boy who had the misfortune of being paired with a brawny kid at least three or four years older. The difference was obvious.

Lin Ran’s heart ached for the boy, but he couldn’t intervene.

He only had twelve hours here—he needed to find Luo Yao.

But after watching for a long time, Lin Ran didn’t see any sign of her among the children.

By the time the group below the cliff dispersed, Lin Ran quietly slipped away.

Twelve hours in, and there’s no counting on Xiao Hei anymore—now it’s all about luck.

This place is in the middle of nowhere, with no chance of getting out anytime soon.

"Are you sure Luo Yao is around here?"

[Xiao Hei: "If you doubt me, we can turn back right now."]

"Damn, why are you so touchy?"

Xiao Hei: "Because I’m a cat who can’t stand even a hint of injustice."