Deep in the void lies the Sea of Rules.
Once again, the Sea of Rules churned with wave upon wave of turbulence. Occasionally, black whirlpools would abruptly emerge, sometimes ferociously as if to upend the entire Sea of Rules, and other times causing only slight ripples of disturbance.
The demigods stationed outside the Sea of Rules, tasked with observing its changes, had long grown numb to the chaos.
Since the Sea of Rules began exhibiting unusual changes, they had been summoned by the Temporal Palace Master to guard and monitor the area. Their purpose was to prevent any unexpected incidents from affecting the myriad realms of existence.
Little did they know, surprises were a frequent occurrence. Each new disturbance startled them anew, and after so many instances, they had grown desensitized.
Though concerned about the changes, the constant fluctuations wore down even their resilience.
Some of the more hot-tempered demigods even expressed a desire to storm the Dark Hall and shake its master violently, demanding he put an end to the incessant disturbances.
The volatile demigods were restrained by their companions. “Do you think you can enter the Dark Hall just because you want to? That place is impenetrable without the master’s permission. If you force your way in, you’ll be torn apart by the Void Blades, reduced to nothing but minced flesh and dissipated soul. Such a death is hardly worth it.”
Having painstakingly ascended from mortal bodies to demigod status, freeing themselves from the shackles of mortality, who would willingly throw their lives away?
“But this is getting unbearable!” the hot-headed demigod complained.
Their companion sighed, once again feeling the powerlessness that came with being a demigod.
As mortals, they had dreamed of ascending to the legendary status of gods.
They believed that attaining a demigod body—with its formidable strength and near-immortal lifespan—was the pinnacle of existence. However, they soon discovered that above demigods was the Sea of Rules, born from an even greater entity: a mysterious boss. This being carried the gods’ destructive legacy and could obliterate the myriad realms in an instant, like the scythe of death hanging perpetually above all living beings.
It was said that the myriad realms once had several supreme gods, but those gods had since fallen.
The mortals who ascended to demigods barely had time to celebrate before realizing that the fallen gods had left behind a deadly weapon—a constant, looming threat above their heads.
In the following two days, the turbulence in the Sea of Rules intensified dramatically.
The void waves, formed from endless rules, churned relentlessly. It seemed as though they would spill out of the Sea of Rules, spreading outward to engulf the universe and its countless realms.
The demigods were stunned by the chaos. Those closest to the Sea of Rules were flung into the air by the sudden surge of its power. If not for the quick reactions of other demigods, they might have been hurled into some desolate corner of the void by the unbridled force.
Even so, those affected suffered severe injuries.
The injured demigods were pale-faced and weak as they were sent back to remote areas to recover.
The remaining demigods gazed grimly at the ever-changing Sea of Rules.
Some couldn’t help but feel that the Dark Hall’s master had finally succumbed to the destructive power left by the gods, deciding to destroy the Sea of Rules and the myriad realms along with it.
Two days later, the Sea of Rules gradually calmed.
The demigods stationed there finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, their reprieve was short-lived as the occasional ripples and surges from the Sea of Rules returned, leaving them helpless and numb once more.
“What exactly is happening with that one? Why is the Sea of Rules so turbulent?” someone muttered under their breath.
The Temporal Palace Master stared intently at the Sea of Rules, silent and expressionless.
“Look at this,” someone said, breaking the silence. “Doesn’t this resemble what Alcides mentioned? The Dark Hall’s master seems to be becoming more human. The fluctuations in the Sea of Rules reflect emotional changes. Perhaps something unpleasant happened to him in the past few days, leading to this near-catastrophic turbulence.”
The others turned to the speaker.
She had long, ankle-length hair as dark as seaweed, cascading down her figure. Her jet-black eyebrows and eyes contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin and sensuous crimson lips. Her entire being exuded an almost otherworldly allure, like a witch emerging from the depths of the abyss.
This was Hela, the Abyssal Witch—a figure equal in stature to the Temporal Palace Master and Alcides.
Having recently emerged from seclusion after hearing about the changes in the Sea of Rules, she had come in haste and witnessed the turmoil over the past two days.
The red-haired Alcides lit up with excitement. “Hela, do you also agree with my theory?”
Hela nodded, her smile brimming with enchantment. “Indeed. I cannot think of any other explanation for why a cold and emotionless machine would exhibit such intense emotional fluctuations. I suspect something intriguing has prompted him to begin learning to be human, rather than remaining a god devoid of emotions, which might explain his inclination toward self-destruction.”
The Temporal Palace Master turned to her. “Do you think this is a good or a bad development?”
“Both,” Hela replied, gazing at the Sea of Rules. “On the one hand, it’s good that he’s becoming more human. Emotional fluctuations mean weaknesses, which could allow us to better understand his actions. On the other hand, if something displeases him, the myriad realms could be dragged into his self-destruction.”
Someone asked nervously, “Then… what should we do?”
All eyes turned to the Temporal Palace Master, Alcides, and Hela, hoping these three would provide guidance.
The Temporal Palace Master spoke in a measured tone. “Over the past two months, I’ve noticed strange anomalies in several lower-level worlds. Fragments of gray rules have been cast into the Sea of Rules. You all know who is capable of such a thing. I personally entered those worlds using my consciousness and found them unnaturally pristine. I believe you understand what that implies.”
The others nodded.
How could they not understand? It indicated those lower-level worlds had experienced problems, prompting the main system to dispatch players to complete missions. Normally, the worlds would recover slowly through the rules’ self-repair mechanisms. However, the extent of the changes in these cases revealed external interference.
Such interference bore clear traces of deliberate action.
To achieve this, one would need the power of a demigod.
But demigods wouldn’t bother with lower-level worlds; it was thankless and wasteful. Who would willingly expend their own power for such a trivial pursuit?
This left only one possibility.
“The Dark Hall’s master is the embodiment of the Sea of Rules. He alone can manipulate the Sea of Rules and place rule fragments into it—this much is undeniable. Moreover, he can freely enter any minor world, easily taking away the mutated forces in those worlds,” Alcides analyzed. “But what puzzles me is, what exactly is he trying to achieve?”
That was indeed the crux of the problem.
Without understanding the Dark Hall’s master’s ultimate goal, they had no way to devise an appropriate response.
Someone suggested, “Why don’t we send players into the game worlds to investigate any potential traces of the Dark Hall’s master? They could uncover his purpose. What do you think?”
This proposal seemed practical. Though time-consuming and resource-intensive, it wasn’t a major issue for the demigods.
After all, with so many players residing in the Boundless City, every demigod had capable subordinates. Assigning such tasks to players would naturally lead to countless volunteers to execute the plan.
Lancer was puzzled when he received the order from above.
“Sang Feiyin, what do you think this means? Could it be that Lord Alcides suspects the Dark Hall’s master has gone to the game worlds?”
Sang Feiyin replied, “That’s exactly what it means! Lancer, it seems we’re going to have to venture into an S-level world to investigate.”
Lancer frowned. “Do you think he would be in an S-level world? But from what they’ve said, only the lower-level worlds are showing anomalies right now. There haven’t been any issues reported in the S-level worlds.”
“Just because there aren’t any now doesn’t mean there won’t be.” Sang Feiyin reasoned, “With his strength, if he were in an S-level world, what do you think he would do?”
“Destroy the world? Become the most terrifying villainous boss?”
“Both are possible.”
After some discussion, the two decided to cut their vacation short and enter an S-level world to complete missions while investigating the possible presence of the Fallen Lord.
Meanwhile, across other star districts in Boundless City, all players who had received the assignments issued from Star Zone 0 began to take action.
—
The warm sunlight poured in through the partially drawn curtains.
The bright light filtered through her eyelids, and Gu Jiu slowly woke up, raising a hand to shield her eyes.
Once her vision adjusted to the brightness, she turned her head and saw a man sitting at the edge of the bed. He was staring at her, cold and aloof.
His features were exquisitely refined, with a delicate beauty that bordered on ethereal. His pale skin added a sickly, fragile charm that evoked both admiration and pity. Jet-black hair, brows, and eyes contrasted starkly with his pallor, like bold ink strokes on white paper. His taut facial expression was icy, as if he were a robot devoid of emotion.
He was dressed in black casual wear, the fitted clothing emphasizing his broad shoulders and slim waist. Though he appeared slightly slender, he wasn’t frail. The straight lines of his trousers hugged his long legs, and the contours of his thighs hinted at underlying strength, a stark contrast to his sickly demeanor.
He fixed his gaze on her, his thin lips pressed tightly together before he finally spoke in a low voice. “Ah Jiu…”
Gu Jiu didn’t rush to get out of bed but instead calmly observed the man bathed in sunlight.
The golden rays illuminated the room, yet they seemed unable to penetrate the darkness that clung to him, as though he were about to be consumed by shadows.
His lips were pale, except for a faintly deeper red at the center, as if he had bitten them.
Gu Jiu studied him carefully from head to toe without saying a word.
The longer she remained silent, the more nervous the man before her became. Yet his tension only deepened the cold, stoic expression on his face, making him seem even more distant and unapproachable—almost as if he were angry.
Finally, Gu Jiu reached out her hand. “Ah Ji, help me up.”
Before her words had fully landed, a slightly cool hand extended toward her, gripping hers tightly.
The man leaned forward, one hand holding hers and the other gently supporting her waist as he helped her sit up. It was as if he were terrified of causing her discomfort, his tension so palpable he barely seemed to breathe.
Gu Jiu allowed herself to lean against him.
Resting one hand on his shoulder, she used both hands to lightly feel his form. Then, with a smile, she said, “You’re taller now than when you were pretending to be a girl. You’re also a lot sturdier.”
Lu Ji replied honestly, “Being too tall as a girl would attract attention.”
Gu Jiu responded with a faint “Oh.” Having known him for so long, she was well aware of his reserved nature in the game worlds. Unlike her, he never sought attention and always preferred to act discreetly, so his answer didn’t surprise her.
After examining his upper body, her hand moved to rest on his waist.
His waist was slender and flexible, but in reality, it held surprising strength.
“Not bad last night,” Gu Jiu remarked, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder. “But you were too quick.”
Lu Ji’s face turned bright red, and he nearly stumbled backward.
Stammering, he protested, “We… we… didn’t do anything…”
“Exactly, because you were too quick,” Gu Jiu teased. “I hadn’t even hugged you enough before you shoved me into bed.”
Flustered, Lu Ji tried to explain, “You were drunk last night, so…”
She had indeed drunk a lot, appearing calm and composed on the surface, but in truth, she had been utterly tipsy, almost driving him mad.
She’d demanded he strip, dragged him into the bathroom, and subjected him to all kinds of teasing—her hands roaming freely. It had been both sweet and tormenting. Those moments alone were already overwhelming, leaving him incapable of taking things further.
Besides, they had just started dating. Wouldn’t it be too fast?
Lu Ji clung tightly to his understanding of human relationships, believing he shouldn’t rush things. That would be disrespectful to her. He had resolved to keep his composure, feeling content simply by holding her in his arms.
Gu Jiu raised her head and planted a kiss on his chin. Seeing his shy and awkward reaction made her heart swell with affection.
As a young lady of privilege, she didn’t feel the least bit guilty for her playful behavior. She loved seeing his expressions shift, loved watching his face twist with restraint, and loved witnessing his yearning mixed with hesitation.
This was her boyfriend. If she didn’t tease him, who else would she tease?
Though she had indeed been drunk last night, she never lost her memory when intoxicated. On the contrary, she had been incredibly clear-headed, vividly recalling how the boy under the lights gradually transformed into a strong, handsome man. He had looked utterly delectable.
The more she thought about it, the more tempted she became. With a slight tug, the young lady pulled him onto the bed.