"I could have managed without you, you know."
The grayish substance swirled and transformed in Lacy's hands, further condensing.
"You must have met Zhuang Wugou by now, with his unparalleled combat abilities."
Lacy brought up a name familiar to Ning Yu.
"That's right. Did you design that perfect combat AI program of his?"
"And was it also your intention to stop targeting the Ark Base?"
Ning Yu fired off two questions in quick succession.
"Correct," Lacy replied with a faint smile, though her gaze soon turned profound.
"I could have relied on my own strength to enhance that system further, and the truth I’ve been researching would have surfaced."
"If applied to me, it would grant me an unstoppable power. I would become the ultimate weapon, invincible."
"But the gods are watching me."
Lacy pointed inexplicably toward the sky.
"The problem I need to solve has become a purely mathematical one."
"Yet, every time I attempt to solve it, I get a different answer. Every single time. I’ve run trillions of simulations, expended countless computational resources."
"And every single time, the answer is different!"
"It’s as if God is rolling dice."
Her eyes sharpened with a hint of frustration.
"Do you know why?"
"Suppression," Ning Yu answered.
"Exactly. No one can obtain true knowledge or reach the so-called root by any means."
"The gods love humanity, but that love is nothing more than treating us as playthings."
"You and I are merely toys for the gods."
Lacy chuckled self-deprecatingly.
"But the most ironic part is that the gods aren’t individual entities. There’s no specific being to hate or resent."
"They are the collective unconscious of humanity, the will of the planet, an indescribable existence."
"Heaven and earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs."
"This doesn’t mean heaven and earth look down on us mortals."
"It means the workings of the universe are beyond human comprehension. They treat us equally—this is both merciful and ruthless."
Ning Yu fell into deep thought as she listened to Lacy’s explanation.
She suddenly wondered: If William’s Utopia Project succeeded, and humans achieved immortality, allowing them infinite time to pursue wisdom, would that also constitute a form of blasphemy or trespass against 'true knowledge'?
If so, did that mean Leon, in some way, was the suppression force acting upon William?
No one knew the answer to this question, and Ning Yu certainly wouldn’t share this possibility with Lacy. She simply felt an inexplicable sadness.
If the pursuit of true knowledge is humanity’s rebellion, and the object of that rebellion doesn’t even exist—or worse, is fundamentally opposed to humanity’s survival—then is such a struggle even meaningful?
"From the moment the disaster began, and you, the key, disappeared, I knew the suppression force had started to take effect."
"That’s why I envy you. Only you can kill him and stop him with your own hands."
Lacy spoke softly, her hands finally coming to a complete stop. All the cybernetically enhanced mutated zombies around her had vanished, replaced by a handful of sparkling soul gems floating gently in her palm, emitting an alluring glow.
"You want me to kill Leon for you?"
Ning Yu understood her meaning.
But even if Lacy hadn’t asked, Ning Yu would have likely done it anyway.
First, if Leon activated the world-ending magic, the entire human world would cease to exist, and Shen Yiyue, whom she cherished, would disappear. She couldn’t allow that.
Second, the Moon Princess had said this was an inescapable fate for her.
Still, she couldn’t help but ask Lacy.
"That’s right. If you agree, these soul gems are yours."
Lacy waved her hand gently, arranging the soul gems in a row before Ning Yu.
Ning Yu stared at them, calculating that absorbing these gems would significantly advance her Akashic Force mission, possibly even completing it.
But her expression remained calm as she replied,
"Even if I don’t agree, you’ll have to give them to me, won’t you?"
Lacy smiled serenely.
"And you’ll have to agree, won’t you?"
"So, what about Chen Xing? If her life is in Leon’s hands, why would she dare to come after me? Why would she want to kill me?"
Ning Yu still didn’t directly agree, instead shifting the topic to Chen Xing.
"Her?"
Lacy appeared to reminisce before answering.
"She’s a high-level mutated zombie who has developed human emotions."
"She’s also developed a desire to perpetuate her kind, to ensure zombies exist forever rather than being burned as fuel by Leon."
"She probably thought killing you would stop Leon’s ritual, so she was willing to take the risk."
Ning Yu understood Lacy’s explanation and followed up with another question.
"So, is she right? If I die, will Leon really be unable to complete his ritual?"
Ning Yu pointed at herself.
"Xiao Yu, don’t you dare!"
Shen Yiyue, who had been silent until now, couldn’t hold back any longer. She suddenly felt unsure of Ning Yu’s intentions.
Ning Yu tapped her on the head.
"I’m just asking. What are you thinking?"
Shen Yiyue pouted, rubbing her head, but still looked worried.
"How envious I am of the two of you," Lacy said, her gaze lingering on Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue with an inexplicable expression.
"So, is it true?"
Ning Yu pressed further.
"I don’t know," Lacy shrugged, offering no definitive answer. Perhaps only Leon himself knew.
Ning Yu glanced at Shen Yiyue. She knew that if she were to die, this fool would undoubtedly start an endless cycle of reincarnation, searching for her again.
"Deal. I’ll take the mission."
She accepted the soul gems from Lacy’s satisfied gaze as if accepting payment for a contract killing.
"May our cooperation be fruitful."
Lacy’s smile remained as enigmatic as ever, revealing nothing of her true feelings.
"I can also offer you cybernetic enhancements, more thorough and powerful than your sister’s. What do you think—"
"No, thank you."
Ning Yu cut her off before she could finish.
The golden vortex mark on her forehead began to glow brightly as she floated into the air, her silver hair billowing as if caught in an invisible energy field.
The soul gems began to orbit around her, spinning faster and faster.
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
