I really can't control myself.

Chapter 4099 Persuasion
Upon hearing "53 hours," Shimizu Ritsu fell silent for a moment. She wasn't sure if that was a long or short period.

Considering it might be the last time they remain in the world, it's naturally short. If possible, he would certainly hope it would be as long as possible.

The problem is that, including yesterday, Linton gave them more than three days to discover it. To be honest, he even thought they were quite lucky.

However, although such thoughts had crossed his mind, when he actually learned about this final time, Shimizu Ritsu still didn't know what to say.

He was clearly feeling lost, wondering if what he had done was the right thing to do.

This wasn't because he doubted his choice; after all, as an experiment, he clearly had no loyalty to Linton. The only reason he obeyed Linton's orders was out of fear.

He just doubted whether they could actually do it, because now that he knew the timeline, he felt the chances were slim.

Because they didn't know the exact time beforehand, they always felt there was still time, there was still time. Even though he could sense that the time wouldn't be long, it was still unknown, and no clear path had been drawn.

But now that he knows there are only 50-odd hours left, putting aside the question of whether that's a long time or not, his first reaction is, is 50-odd hours really enough for them to create a cultivation technique? That's right, it makes him doubt the feasibility of this project.

Seeing Shimizu Ritsu's rapidly changing expression, Takaoka Yusuke also panicked a little.

Having been tortured for quite some time, Takaoka Yuzuri is now somewhat afraid of Shimizu Ritsu. Judging from his current expression, he might go crazy from fear upon hearing the time, or he'd be in serious danger. After all, he's still tied to the chair and hasn't escaped yet.

Just as I feared, Shimizu Ritsu finally made a move. He walked directly to the control panel on the chair next to him and began adjusting the buttons.

Seeing this familiar movement, Takaoka Yūnori truly panicked. After all, he had seen this many times in the simulation.

The other party wasn't trying to electrocute him with high voltage by adjusting the button; they wanted to lower the voltage and interrogate him. Takaoka Yuzuru was genuinely afraid of this; he'd already been electrocuted several times in the simulation, and he didn't want to be electrocuted again in reality.

"No, no, no, stop, stop! What do you want to know?" Takaoka Yūnori shouted quickly.

"I just wanted to verify whether what you said was true or not," Shimizu Ritsu said. This clearly meant he wasn't entirely sure if Takaoka Yūnori's account of 53 hours was true, so he was just using some torture to test it out and see if it was genuine.

“Of course it’s true, it really was only 53 hours,” Takaoka Yūnori quickly said. “What good would it do me to lie to you? We’re in this together now.”

"In the same boat? How come I didn't know about this?" Shimizu Ritsu said with a smile.

Strictly speaking, Takaoka Yūnori and the others weren't really on the same page, since Shimizu Ritsu didn't know exactly what future Takaoka Yūnori had seen. If Linton had come, he would definitely have killed them all, but from Shimizu Ritsu's perspective, Takaoka Yūnori should obviously have survived.

"Hey, hey, hey, stop!" Seeing that Shimizu Ritsu was clearly about to press the button, Takaoka Yuzuru became even more anxious, and started shouting incoherently, "What's the use of doing this to me? Do you think you can survive by torturing me? Impossible! Don't you want to know the future? I'm telling you clearly, your plan has failed, you can't survive, you, your sister, and those two high school students, none of you can survive!" Hearing this, Shimizu Ritsu's movements stopped abruptly.

Indeed, since Takaoka Yūnori foresaw that Linton would arrive in 53 hours, he naturally also foresaw the "final result" of their efforts.

So the result is that it doesn't work, right?

In fact, Shimizu Ritsu largely believed Takaoka Yūnori's account of the timeline. After all, he was experienced in interrogation and his judgment on whether the person being interrogated was telling the truth or fabricating was generally correct. Given Takaoka Yūnori's current state, it was highly unlikely he would lie.

But fundamentally speaking, this time is extremely important to them. He wants a very definite result, that's his reasoning.

That's right, the reality is that he's currently feeling lost, panicked, and extremely agitated. It wouldn't be wrong to say he just wants to vent, he's just finding a reason to do so.

Suddenly learning that he only had 50-odd hours left to live, coupled with growing doubts about their plans, would drive anyone to madness. But he had to maintain his composure, at least not in front of his sister.

If he himself is panicking, then his sister will be even more panicked.

Shimizu Mai isn't here now; she's accompanied He Xinchangping on a mission. His idea is to take some time to adjust himself before she returns, and of course, there are many ways to do that.

However, after hearing Takaoka Yūnori suddenly reveal their future, Shimizu Ritsu suddenly felt like she had lost her composure. Now she only felt an overwhelming pressure.

"You can't change this future on your own," Takaoka Yūnori suddenly said. "You simply don't have that ability. You still need my abilities, don't you?"

"Rely on you?" Shimizu Ritsu frowned, feeling somewhat puzzled by Takaoka Yūnori's words.

“I know how you feel right now, because I’ve been through something similar,” Takaoka Yūnori said directly. “What I went through back then was much tougher than what you’re going through now. You have more than 50 hours, but I only had 3 hours. I just had to rely on my own abilities to get through it.”

Upon hearing this, Shimizu Ritsu thought about it carefully. What Takaoka Yūnori said might be true. After all, this wasn't the first time Linton had hunted down system holders; Takaoka Yūnori had survived the last one. While his system ability was somewhat unique, did Linton really need it?

At least in Shimizu Ritsu's view, neither Linton nor Aizen seemed to value prophetic abilities too much. Therefore, how Takaoka Yūnori survived the last wave of hunts is indeed a question worth considering.

“From my own experience, I know that only by knowing the future can we change it,” Takaoka Yūnori continued. “You’re looking for an expert who can create cultivation techniques, and I’m more like an expert in changing the future. You must really need my power right now, so if you need my help, shouldn’t you stop treating me like this?”

(End of this chapter)