Genius Playground

Jiang Ran picked it up and looked. It was a top-of-the-hour alert, and the time displayed—

September 17, 2045, 11:00 AM

"One more hour, and the Magician will be beheaded."

The Assassin stood behind Jiang Ran and glanced at the digital clock. His gaze returned to the distant execution grounds.

"The world’s number one criminal, a global public enemy, is about to face humanity’s judgment."

Jiang Ran turned his head.

"Do you guys hate him that much?"

The Assassin pursed his lips and shook his head.

"I don’t feel anything, really. I have no idea what he’s done."

"I was locked up over a decade ago. There was no Magician back then... or rather, the Magician hadn’t been caught yet."

"I was serving time in another prison. This one was specially retrofitted to hold the Magician, and I was transferred here later."

"As you can see, this place is in the middle of nowhere, completely cut off from the world. The only way to get information is through rumors."

"So... I’m not really clear on what’s happened over the last decade or so. Naturally, I don’t have any hatred for the Magician."

...

Jiang Ran listened in silence, his gaze fixed on the distance.

His view was blocked, so he couldn’t see the execution grounds or the scaffold. All that met his eyes was a massive, frenzied crowd.

He truly couldn’t imagine what kind of crime someone would have to commit to be hated this much by the entire world.

The scene reminded him of the opening of the manga *One Piece*, when Navy Headquarters executed Pirate King Roger.

Back then, Roger’s words—"You want my treasure? Then go to the Grand Line!"—had kicked off the Great Pirate Era.

But now, the Magician, Qin Feng, also on the brink of execution, seemed to lack that kind of power.

And yet...

’If the heinous criminal Qin Feng were given one last chance to speak, what would he say before he died?’

Jiang Ran was very curious.

At the same time, he also felt a pang of sadness.

Even if this place was a bizarre world where he couldn’t tell reality from illusion, a friend of many years was about to lose his head. He couldn’t help the heavy feeling in his heart.

Qin Feng had indeed deceived him and done him wrong.

The memory of Cheng Mengxue’s tragedy in World Line 1, of the broken Positron Cannon that couldn’t be fixed, filled him with rage.

’But... it’s not a crime punishable by death, is it?’

He would rather have Qin Feng see the error of his ways, work with him to fix the Positron Cannon, and save Cheng Mengxue.

"Hey! Over here!"

Sang Biao yelled, waving everyone over.

"There’s a pipe here, we can—"

BANG!

With a sickening CRACK, Sang Biao, who was leaning over the building’s edge, had his head explode like a watermelon, spraying blood into the air.

"Sang Biao!"

The stupid young man gasped.

"Get down!"

BANG!

It was too late. The stupid young man’s head became the second watermelon, and he collapsed in a spray of blood and brain matter.

"Sniper!"

The Assassin reacted in a flash, tackling Jiang Ran back into cover.

BANG! BANG!

He was a step too slow. As the Bookworm’s head burst open, a bloom of blood also blossomed on the Assassin’s arm.

Jiang Ran felt blood splash across his face.

He wiped his eyes and saw the Assassin’s right arm was nearly shot clean off! It was just hanging from his shoulder by a few strands of flesh, swaying limply.

Blood gushed from the ruptured artery like an open faucet, and the Assassin’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.

"Assassin!"

Jiang Ran couldn’t help but scream.

’The second time...’

’This is the second time the Assassin has been hurt protecting me.’

’I really don’t get it!’

’Why is this man so intent on protecting me?!’

WHIRR...

WHIRR...

WHIRR...

The whirring of an approaching drone came from the distance. They were exposed! The snipers must have had them in their sights all along, just waiting for the right moment!

"Get... inside..."

The Assassin gritted his teeth, using his last bit of strength to try and push Jiang Ran away.

"The drone can’t follow... you have to... get inside..."

Jiang Ran gritted his teeth.

A surge of adrenaline hit him. He used all his strength to hoist the Assassin up and sprinted toward the iron door of the stairwell.

PING! PING! PING!

Sparks flew as bullets struck the ground around them. Jiang Ran didn’t have time to wonder if he’d been hit. He charged straight into the stairwell with the Assassin and immediately bolted the door.

Drawing on the first-aid knowledge he’d learned in college, he applied pressure to the artery in the Assassin’s upper arm to slow the bleeding.

"It’s no use..." the Assassin said, forcing the words through the pain.

"You should go..."

"Go where?!"

Jiang Ran focused all his strength on stopping the bleeding.

"There’s nowhere to run! The drone can’t get in here, but it’s only a matter of time before the guards come up. We’re dead either way!"

He panted heavily, watching the light fade from the Assassin’s eyes in the darkness.

"Now, can you finally tell me?"

"What..."

"Why did you call me your *luck*? Why do you trust me so much?"

Jiang Ran focused all his strength into his thumb, his eyes locked on the Assassin.

"You’re not planning on taking the answer to your grave, are you? We’re about to die anyway, just tell me!"

The Assassin slowly raised his head.

He met Jiang Ran’s gaze, his breathing heavy. Finally... he let out a sigh of relief.

"*You’re a... Time Traveler, aren’t you?*"

SQUIRT!

For a split second, Jiang Ran’s thumb lost its pressure, and blood immediately sprayed out!

"You..."

Jiang Ran scrambled to reapply pressure.

But the look he gave the Assassin was one of utter shock.

"I..."

He had no idea how to explain.

The Assassin’s words struck him like a hand around his throat, leaving him speechless.

He truly had no explanation.

"Heh..."

The Assassin bit his lip, drawing blood, and managed a weak, "I-knew-it" smile.

"Looks like the rumors were true... The *Time Travel Machine*... it really exists..."

"What are you talking about?" Jiang Ran was completely baffled.

"No wonder... I was imprisoned here..."

The Assassin seemed to have lost all sense of pain. His laugh was light, almost relieved.

"Hey!"

Jiang Ran yelled.

"What the hell are you talking about! What is the *Time Travel Machine*?!"

"The *Time Travel Machine*... is a machine... that lets people... travel through time... go back to the past..."

The Assassin’s pupils lost focus and began to dilate. He’d clearly lost too much blood; it was irreversible.

He used the last of his strength to lift his head, his hazy gaze fixed on Jiang Ran.

"*Can you... go back... one more time?*"

"I don’t know!"

Jiang Ran couldn’t follow the Assassin’s train of thought at all.

"The Time Travel Machine? Where is the Time Travel Machine?!"

"I don’t know..."

The Assassin’s voice grew fainter.

"There’s just always been a rumor that..."

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!!!!

An uncountable barrage of gunfire erupted from outside the iron door, instantly turning the thick metal into Swiss cheese.

The drone was opening fire!

Unseen bullets sparked and ricocheted wildly around the stairwell.

Jiang Ran scrambled to his feet, shielding the Assassin with his own body! He pressed his ear to the Assassin’s lips!

’I have to know this information!’

’If the *Time Travel Machine* really exists... if it can really send people back to the past... it could completely replace the Positron Cannon! It would be another way to save Cheng Mengxue!’

"What’s the rumor?!"

Jiang Ran gritted his teeth. He could already feel bullets tearing into his body, blood pouring from the wounds.

"The rumor is... the person who invented the Time Travel Machine... is at..."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

He was shot in the head. His vision went red, and his body went rigid.

He fought to stay conscious, keeping his ear pressed to the Assassin’s mouth.

"Is at..."

His voice was as faint as a thread as he spoke the last three words:

"East Sea University..."