# 1942
Chapter 1934: Key to the Gate
Island.
Grey mist shrouded the entire island, a massive portal's silhouette standing firm above the fog. The once-battered wreckage had largely been restored, wisps of mist flowing endlessly from the gaps in the door.
The Island that had been visible under clear skies was now entirely transformed into a world of mist.
A solitary black-clad figure sat in the center of this realm. The ancient and mysterious portal hung above like a shackle around its head, confining him within this cramped space.
An Qingyu closed the livestream image, setting his phone on the ground. Pale beads of sweat trickled from his temples...
A faint crackle of static came from the walkie-talkie beside him, followed by a voice asking with concern:
"Qingyu, are you alright?"
An Qingyu furrowed his brow, his grey eyes filled with pain. As the breeze brushed past his black coat, one arm—completely petrified—was exposed to the grey mist. The mysterious grey crept from his shoulder onto his torso, consuming fully half of his body.
"The gate is almost repaired... One corner of His consciousness can already pass through that door, crossing the river of time, briefly invading my body..."
"【Key to the Gate】? What should we do... Is there anything I can do?" Jiang Er's voice was full of anxiety.
An Qingyu lowered his eyes to look at his own body, his breathing somewhat labored. After a moment of silence, his remaining functional hand picked up the walkie-talkie and said firmly:
"...Stay away from me, hide yourself... No matter what I do, don't come to me willingly... Understand?"
Before Jiang Er could say anything, An Qingyu hurled the walkie-talkie in his hand toward the factory with all his strength!
A dark shadow cut through the mist and vanished from his sight.
Such a simple action left An Qingyu's back soaked with sweat. He sat alone in the蒙蒙 grey mist, raised his eyes to look at the standing portal in the sky, his brow tightly knit, lost in thought.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked forward.
"Oh~ My good friend, I can already smell you..."
【Chaos】's form walked over from the distance. On that coal-black face, those eyes fixed on An Qingyu, speaking with the warmth of an old friend reuniting, "You're right here, aren't you? The stench of truth emanating from you is still so pungent!"
An Qingyu stared at him coldly, saying nothing.
"Have you already seen that wonderful performance?" 【Chaos】 glanced at the phone on the ground, eyebrows rising,
"How was it? Vishnu sacrificed himself, enabling Great Xia's faith to coalesce. I've already seen a scorching sun rising gradually from the East! So sacred, tenacious, brimming with killing intent...
Only such beautiful things are worth being trampled and torn apart with the cruelest methods, wouldn't you say?"
"You madman..." An Qingyu said darkly, "Vishnu was a Cthulhu Faction ally I brought in. You sent him to his death just to create an even more powerful enemy for us?"
【Chaos】 narrowed his eyes slightly. He stared fixedly into An Qingyu's eyes, his smile gradually fading.
"Did I... ask you?"
In the next moment, 【Chaos】's palm, dark as night, passed through nothingness and slammed violently onto An Qingyu's forehead. A jarring force struck his mind. He felt his vision go black and collapsed unconscious on the spot.
An Qingyu fell backward onto the ground. Crimson blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, tracing a line down his pale cheek and soaking into the earth...
A moment later, those scattered grey eyes suddenly contracted. His body rose rigidly from the ground as if pulled by strings, and an ancient, mysterious aura suddenly descended!
The hazy grey mist churned violently. An Qingyu's lowered head slowly lifted.
"You're too heavy-handed, Nyarlathotep." A magnetic voice echoed through the air.
An Qingyu's grey eyes had become as thin as needle holes, the whites of his eyes filling the sockets. He looked eerily unsettling as he gazed at 【Chaos】. Though his lips did not part, the voice sounded again,
"After all, this is my chosen vessel. Until now, his performance has been satisfactory... If you've injured him, my body won't be perfect anymore."
【Chaos】 shrugged indifferently, "I just missed you so much, old friend."
"Drop that hypocritical facade. It makes me sick."
"Yes, yes, great Master of Time and Space, incarnation of the Gate of Truth, Mr. Yogsothoth, the 【Key to the Gate】..." 【Chaos】 spoke mockingly, "So, when can you fully recover?"
Ignoring the mockery in 【Chaos】's words, An Qingyu spoke calmly:
"At this world's rate of time flow, probably another seven or eight days... However, my will can already briefly possess this body and act. What? Do you need my help?"
"No need. I was having plenty of fun without you." 【Chaos】 rubbed his chin with one hand, as if seriously considering, "Should I kill this body right now, completely erasing the medium of your awakening? That way, you wouldn't come out and interfere with my entertainment."
"Even if you kill him, I can reconstruct him in any past moment of time... On any timeline, his existence is indestructible. No one can stop me."
An Qingyu spoke as if he had long predicted such an idea, his voice unruffled.
【Chaos】 sighed with disappointment.
"So, you called me out here just to admire your masterpiece?"
"What? Isn't this masterpiece exciting enough?"
"... " An Qingyu's pale eyes gazed at him for a moment, seemingly too tired to continue this conversation with him.
"By the way... before I go, there's something interesting you might want to know."
"What?" Upon hearing the word "interesting," 【Chaos】 immediately perked up.
A magnetic voice emerged from within An Qingyu. After a moment, 【Chaos】's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he couldn't help but clap and cheer!
"Wonderful... As expected of him, this development is interesting..."
"The gate isn't fully repaired yet. My will cannot pass through for too long. No need to call me for such trivial matters in the future."
With those words, An Qingyu's body trembled slightly. The needlehole-like grey eyes gradually returned to normal, and the mysterious aura around him dissipated completely... The 【Key to the Gate】 that had possessed him had returned inside the Gate of Truth.
An Qingyu woke from his unconsciousness. He braced his swaying body and looked at 【Chaos】 with an extremely unpleasant expression.
And 【Chaos】 merely glanced at him indifferently before turning and vanishing into the mist.