Chapter 267: Birthplace (IV)

Chapter 267: Birthplace (IV)

Before him was a place more chaotic than the deepest parts of the underworld, yet it felt vaguely familiar.

Within an indistinct void, countless rule fragments floated in silence.

Just recovering from the Dragon God's memories, Jie Fangcheng recognized the scene before him almost instantly.

Is this the very world first forged by the Dragon God?

His current state is peculiar; he seems to be a manager of the underworld, yet also resembling the Dragon God who shaped the universe.

Xie Fangcheng returned to his usual attire of a t-shirt and jeans. With each stride spanning miles, he wandered aimlessly, yet seemingly driven by some innate feeling.

He passed countless fragments of rules. The moment he touched most of them, he sensed that they embodied principles identical to those in his own world.

However, some felt different, clearly emerging here later on.

[Dragon's Resting Place].

Xie Fangcheng recalled the memories of the ancient dragon he had witnessed.

The dragon noticed that in its absence, the cracks in the world multiplied. It was caused by countless beings, growing more potent like the dragon itself, absorbing the power of rules, leading the world towards collapse.

However, the dragon chose to abandon this world and wander elsewhere.

The remaining deities opted to harness the power of these rules.

In their quest for this power, the once thriving and peaceful world was ravaged. Weaker gods were absorbed while the powerful ones battled.

The world teetered on the brink... What happened in the end?

When the dragon returned to this world, did it slay those formidable deities and establish new rules?

If so, why is this place known as the [Dragon's Resting Place]?

Was the dragon ultimately buried here?

These questions seemed to merely flit through his mind, yet Xie Fangcheng felt as if he already knew the answers.

After an indeterminate passage of time, a streak of white appeared before him in the void.

Despite the vast distance, Xie Fangcheng could discern a dragon scale obscured by endless fragments of rules.

Xie Fangcheng approached rapidly, but after moving for a while, a massive gate materialized before him.

The gate bore an engraved warning, cautioning those who come after of the chaotic void that lay beyond.

In an instant, Xie Fangcheng understood.

This place was probably where the dragon had confined those unruly creator gods.

But why would the remains of the dragon be found here?

Xie Fangcheng pushed open the gate.

In the next moment, he finally grasped why this place felt so familiar.

...A junkyard?

The place he had seen just after exiting the previous dungeon was merely its outer edge. Although the rules there seemed chaotic, they were slightly more orderly than here.

However...

Just how vast is this dragon?

Xie Fangcheng looked around and saw no boundaries. The area he had previously entered, referred to as the "junkyard," was now entirely out of his perception.

Xie Fangcheng slightly furrowed his brow, but his attention was quickly drawn to a nearby signpost.

The considerate dragon had marked a path for those who might have stumbled in inadvertently. After taking a few steps, Xie Fangcheng realized that relying on his own experiences as "Xie Fangcheng", he would never find his way out.

The next moment, one of Xie Fangcheng's pupils turned black, the other white, as the power of the Creator God's rules coursed through him.

Although not as powerful as when he had accessed the Dragon God's memories, the presence of these rules propelled Xie Fangcheng rapidly forward, guided by the signposts.

Unbeknownst to him, a dark pattern momentarily flashed across his forehead.

Meanwhile...

Two figures stumbled into view beneath a sign that read ​1​.

"Where on earth are we?!" Lu Congshan seemed on the verge of a breakdown.

In an attempt to dodge an attack from the Elf King, he had teleported into the dungeon with the unconscious guild leader.

It was an unusual dungeon; upon entering, Lu Congshan had forgotten his identity as a player.

In his recollections, he was a cedar tree, or perhaps, a cedar tree deity, thriving in a forest.

It was a world of prosperity and harmony where all creatures coexisted and deities lived joyfully.

Until one day, a rift appeared in this world.

Intuitively, Lu Congshan understood.

When a deity's power reaches a certain threshold, they can consume the faith of other deities and harness the world's rule power.

Each microcosm can birth only one true "god," and this victor claims all the rule power.

By rights, in their world, that sole deity should have been a colossal dragon.

This dragon, immensely powerful, was the creator deity of their realm.

Yet, for reasons unknown, it had abandoned the chance to become the ultimate deity and departed their microcosm.

Consequently, the remaining deities began vying for this opportunity.

Lu Congshan, being less powerful, had no intention of competing.

Just because he chose not to compete didn't mean he'd be spared. The mighty gods desired to devour the weaker ones, and merely surviving was an uphill battle.

As a deity, Lu Congshan did not know how much time had passed as he constantly evaded danger, barely clinging to life.

Then, one day, the dragon returned.

Its colossal form blotted out the sky. During its time away, the Dragon God had not deliberately gathered followers, yet it had saved and reshaped countless microcosms.

This original world could no longer contain such an immense dragon.

Its dichromatic eyes, one black and one white, gazed upon this fractured world with sorrow.

Lu Congshan heard it murmuring to itself.

"Is the obliteration of all things... a preordained rule?"

The powerful deities, who had vied for the power of rules, trembled in fear, thinking they would be slain by the dragon.

But the dragon did not take such action.

It merely nodded.

"I understand now."

As it spoke, the scene before Lu Congshan shifted.

When he reopened his eyes, regaining his memories as Lu Congshan, he stood atop a dragon's scale.

"Damn..."

He gazed around, astounded by everything that surrounded him.

Beneath him stretched the immense body of the dragon, much of which was buried beneath black fragments, extending as far as his eyes could see.

Lu Congshan clasped his hands together, and a seed germinated below him, swiftly growing into a towering tree that hoisted him upwards.

Perched on a branch, he peered downwards, yet even from this elevated position, he couldn't see an entire dragon scale.

Could this dragon possibly be even larger than the entirety of the "Three Thousand Worlds"...?

A shiver ran down Lu Congshan's spine at the thought.

As he observed, he noticed streams of black data seemingly drawn by scent, converging from all directions.

What exactly were these omnipresent black data streams?

Without delay, Lu Congshan carefully lifted the still-unconscious Zhen Daowu.

He quickly oriented himself and soon spotted a peculiar signpost nearby.

​1​

Zone F? As in, the F Zone from the game?

Perfect!

Without another word, Lu Congshan proceeded in the direction indicated by the signpost.

Unbeknownst to him, shortly after his departure, a silhouette appeared where they had just been.

Xie Fangcheng flared his nostrils, seemingly detecting a familiar scent.

He glanced at the signpost before him.

Through his eyes, the sign read: ​1​

Origin Land? Could it be the Underworld?

Following the sign, Xie Fangcheng continued on.

The black pattern on his forehead shimmered more vividly as he channeled the power of the rules.

After an indeterminate time of rushing forward, a familiar door materialized before Xie Fangcheng.

This door... Isn't it the Ghost Gate? The place where he checks in and out for work!

It really is the Underworld, isn't it?

With that thought, Xie Fangcheng reached out, and as his hand brushed the door, fragmented system notifications echoed in his mind.

​2​

The Underworld is the unknown connection?

Pondering this, Xie Fangcheng nodded.

"Accept."

The next moment —

A chilling gust surged.

Xie Fangcheng abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his eyes as frenetic black data streams flickered within them.

Countless dark chains materialized around him, chains that once bound the dragon, now ensnaring Xie Fangcheng.

With a stifled grunt, Xie Fangcheng fell to his knees.

Thud—

Thud——————

Atop the palace, the clock ticks without a breeze, as though anxiously trying to soothe its master's restless spirit.

Jie Fangcheng, however, heard nothing.

[Beep — Connection successful.]

[Beep — [System] Requesting [Administrative Access]. Please wait.]

[Beep — Request denied. Reason: [Incomplete Administrative Access].]

[Initiating partial stripping of [Administrative Access].]

[Stripping in progress.]

[Beep beep beep — Stripping failed! Stripping failed! Breaching [Mental Realm]. Please wait.]

The next moment, Jie Fangcheng's vision went dark.

He plunged into the mental realm.

Within the fragmented mental space, Jie Fangcheng, wearing a crown and clad in a dark robe, opened his eyes.

The moment the black data streams invaded his mental realm, countless memories, ones he had forcibly sealed away, broke free from their restrictions and emerged.

In a heartbeat, Jie Fangcheng understood everything.

Yet, at the same time, countless chains of black data streamed through him, pinning him in place.

Jie Fangcheng fiercely struggled.

He knew exactly why these black data streams desired his administrative access.

Before the "Dragon God" fell, it curled up, safeguarding the core of the "Three Thousand Worlds" within its corpse.

The "system's" aberration couldn't fully control the "Three Thousand Worlds" because the laws of the universe still operated.

But now, this "core"... had ventured out.

Gathering his last bit of strength, Jie Fangcheng summoned his sword from the void.

The next moment, he thrust the blade into his own heart.

The black data streams, in anger, lifted and whipped him in the air, seemingly hoping this might rouse him.

But Jie Fangcheng's body had already gone limp.

Like a frosty flower, he gently descended from the sky.

Subsequently, within his mental realm, he slowly shattered and melted.

Just before his consciousness faded entirely, Jie Fangcheng thought he heard a familiar electronic voice.

[Beep beep beep — Calling Administrator [001].]

[Detected no response from 001, enabling backup strategy, [System (ID renamed to: Zhang Dao'an)] awakening soon.]

[Universal rules in operation, transitioning you to ?? form. This will take time, please wait.]