met free Chapter 58 Strange Dungeon
Chapter 58 Strange Dungeon
In the training grounds of the Main God Space, where time flows at thirty times the normal speed, three thousand days and nights of honing and tempering have come to an end. When the portal to the next unknown world opened silently, standing before it was a formidable force, a team as formidable as battle-hardened warriors.
Without a word, the group exchanged glances and tacitly stepped into the portal. A familiar half-awake, half-asleep sensation washed over them; amidst the dizziness of the spatial displacement, the cold, brief notification from the Supreme God echoed in everyone's minds:
[Entering the World: Ten Rats' Difficulties (Rules Erosion, Fairy Tale Aberration)]
[Main Mission: Survive until the current "rat infestation" is completely resolved, or uncover the truth behind the "rat infestation" mutation and obtain at least one "Source of Mutation" token. Mission success: Each survivor receives one B-rank side quest and 7000 reward points. Mission failure: Elimination.]
[Side Quest (Optional): Reach at least one non-hostile agreement with an "Intelligent Entity," or completely purify/expel the "Source of Aberration." Upon successful completion, each participant will receive one A-rank side quest and 10000 reward points.]
[Warning: This world exhibits localized distortions in its underlying rules; some physical constants, biological behaviors, and logical causality may show atypical mutations. Please assess the situation carefully and respond flexibly.]
[Hint: The key figure, the "Wizard," may be an important source of information and a variable. The ability to communicate with animals may have unexpected value in this world.]
The light faded, and everyone found themselves on solid ground.
Before them stretched a slightly worn-out residential building corridor, the air thick with the faint smell of cooking oil and disinfectant. They seemed to have appeared directly at the door of an apartment, the door number marked "504". The door was ajar, and from inside came a faint rustling sound, as if something was being dragged, and an unsettling feeling of being watched.
"Location: Inside a residential building. Energy reading: Within normal range, but there are extremely weak, atypical residual mental fluctuations, scattered and with unclear direction. Environmental rule scan: Basic physical rules are stable, but a trace amount of 'concept distortion' force field was detected, similar to the prototype of the 'happiness law' in the early stages of Cinderella World, but more subtle and primitive, and seems to have a weak binding with concepts such as 'rats,' 'wisdom,' and 'communication.'" Chu Xuan's voice rang out in the mental matrix immediately, and the data stream calmly swept across.
"Directly teleported to the location related to the event?" Zheng Zha frowned, clenched his fist, and felt the surging, qualitatively changed power within his body. This kind of start, where the main god directly throws you to the "scene," often means that time is of the essence.
"Let's go in and take a look." Wang Lin's mental matrix, like the most sophisticated radar, silently covered the space inside the door. At the same time, his S-level enhanced [High-Dimensional Energy Synchronization Body] and [Light of the Mind] were operating at full power, sensing every abnormal energy flow and mental ripple in the air. "There's no strong life-threatening reaction inside, but there are... several faint nodes of consciousness, filled with vigilance and chaotic thoughts, not human. And one... relatively clear consciousness, but filled with fatigue, loneliness, and a strong desire to communicate."
Zhang Jie stood at the front side of the group, his aura at its most calm and restrained, yet a faint golden light of order occasionally flickered deep within his eyes, which had regained their human color. He tilted his head slightly, as if "listening" to something, and whispered, "There are rats inside. More than one. And... their 'thoughts' are much clearer and more complex than those of ordinary animals. One of them is particularly... 'bright'."
Possessing the talent of "Heart of Order," he has an extremely keen perception of "chaos" and "order." The innate bestial instincts, forcibly elevated intelligence, and the resulting contradictions and pain within these rats' consciousnesses form an "inner chaos" that he perceives as fireflies in the dark. And the one that shines the brightest is undoubtedly the individual with the highest intelligence and the most intense inner conflict.
"It matches the script description. The intelligent rat, a leader who craves communication," Chu Xuan summarized. "Direct contact. Wang Lin, attempt mental communication. Zhang Jie, be wary of potential mental contamination and sudden attacks. Everyone else, be on guard."
Wang Lin nodded, stepped forward, and gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.
Inside the door was a typical living room for a family of three, somewhat messy but not dirty. However, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the scene in the center of the living room.
Five or six large rats, slightly larger than ordinary house mice, with gray-black fur and eyes that gleamed with an eerie light, were lined up in a loose semi-circle, subtly guarding the center. In the middle of them, a rat, noticeably larger, with darker fur and an air of composure in its crouching posture, was looking up, its eyes filled with complex emotions—warning, curiosity, weariness, and a hint of barely concealed longing—quietly watching the uninvited guest.
Beside these rats lay several pieces of cut, unusual-looking hemp rope, and an ordinary fruit knife with slight stains.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
The rats seemed shocked by the sudden appearance of the Central Continent Team, especially by the undisguised, terrifying aura emanating from them, like that of a prehistoric beast (although the team had tried their best to conceal it). This caused their muscles to tense instantly, their sharp teeth to bar, and their hissing threateningly. However, they did not pounce on them immediately, but instead turned their gaze to the large rat in the center.
The large rat—the "Rat"—was even more wary, but it forcefully suppressed the restlessness of its pack, its gaze slowly sweeping over the members of the Central Continent Team. When its gaze passed over Wang Lin, and especially Zhang Jie, it paused noticeably, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashing in its eyes. It sensed a strange aura of "order" and "purification" emanating from Zhang Jie, an aura that instinctively made it feel close and at ease. This aura was vaguely similar to a certain quality it had sensed from the "Wizard," yet it was purer and gentler.
The unique spiritual energy emanating from Wang Lin, which seemed to connect him with everything, attracted it inexplicably.
"Who...are you?" A clear, hoarse voice echoed directly in everyone's minds, filled with wariness. It was "The Rat"! It did indeed possess the ability to communicate directly through consciousness, and it was even more fluent and stable than described in the script.
Wang Lin took a half step forward, revealing a smile that was as kind as possible (although it seemed somewhat eerie in this context). At the same time, he adjusted the fluctuations of his spiritual light to the gentlest and most open "connection" frequency, and through the mental matrix, clearly transmitted this fluctuation, which contained the ideas of "harmlessness," "communication," and "understanding," to the rat.
"We are travelers passing through this place," Wang Lin responded with his consciousness, his voice calm. "We sensed unusual fluctuations of 'wisdom' here, and... some unease. We mean no harm; we are simply curious about the changes that have occurred to you, and about the 'wizard' who bestowed these changes upon you."
"Travelers?" The rat's eyes were filled with disbelief. It looked at the group's obviously unusual clothing and demeanor, especially the faint murderous aura emanating from Zheng Zha and the others, even when concealed. "The 'scent' on you doesn't seem like that of ordinary travelers. And... among you, some of you have a 'scent' that feels very... special to me." Its gaze drifted back to Zhang Jie.
Zhang Jie calmly returned its gaze, not communicating through consciousness, but speaking slowly, his voice carrying a peculiar, calming steadiness: "Your feeling is correct. We are indeed not ordinary people. But we harbor no hostility towards you or your people. On the contrary, we might understand your current... situation."
As he spoke, his [Heart of Order] talent subtly shifted, and a faint, yet warm and pure, golden-white radiance of order quietly spread out from him. This light was not aggressive, but acted like the best tranquilizer; wherever it passed, the restless, snarling rats instantly quieted down, their ferocity fading, replaced by a sense of bewilderment and comfort. Even the rats' tense nerves seemed to relax slightly.
"This is..." The rat stared at Zhang Jie in shock, then felt the chaos and pain within its body—the conflict between its heightened intelligence and its animalistic instincts—that had tormented it for years, now finding some relief under the warm light! "You...you also have the power of a 'wizard'?"
"Similar, but different." Zhang Jie didn't elaborate. "We sensed the distortion of the rules, the abnormal bestowal of intelligence, and the resulting suffering. Tell us, what happened? Where is that 'wizard'?"
The rat remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing its options. The group before it was mysterious and powerful, but they didn't seem to intend to attack immediately. Moreover, the gentle-looking man (Zhang Jie) could even alleviate its pain. More importantly, the deep-seated, agonizing loneliness within it, the inability to truly communicate with any being, and the uncertainty about its future, were now overwhelming its reason like a burst dam.
Finally, it took a deep breath (the mouse's deep breath) and slowly said in its mind, "It all started that night..."
It begins to recount experiences similar to those of Bu Lu in the script, but in greater detail, filled with the perspective and feelings of the "rat" involved—the fear and resentment of being hunted for so long, the ecstasy and immense loneliness that come with gaining intelligence, the impulse to take revenge on humans and the rational restraint, the battle of wits with his sister Zhang Ming, until Bu Lu (Zhang Ming) reveals his true inner desires, leading him to decide to seek out the wizard again...
"We followed what Zhang Ming said and tried to find the wizard, hoping to beg him to let us stay with him, or at least give the two rats a choice." The rat's voice was weary. "But we searched almost every possible place nearby, and we couldn't find that wooden house again. The wizard... seems to not want to see us anymore."
"Until last night, we suddenly 'sense' the presence of that cabin again, in that old forest on the outskirts of the city. We rushed over, and the cabin was still there, but no one was inside, only this..."
It pointed with its paw at the severed special hemp ropes and fruit knife on the ground. "These things were on the table, along with a note written in a language we couldn't understand. We thought it was a clue left for us by the wizard, or... a test? So we brought it back. But before we could figure anything out, you arrived."
A stream of data flashed in Chu Xuan's eyes as the miniature detector silently scanned the ropes and fruit knives. "The ropes are of ordinary material, but their internal weave contains extremely faint rule runes with characteristics of 'conceptual binding' and 'mental shockwave,' similar to the 'happiness law' imprint from the Cinderella world, but more rudimentary and targeted (to rodents). The fruit knives are normal, ordinary industrial products. Analysis of the note text… not in any known language, the structure resembles a combination of pictographs and ideographs, initially judged to be some kind of custom 'ciphertext' or 'ritual language.'"
"The wizard left clues, but his whereabouts are unknown. These items might be the next 'key,' or a trap," Wang Lin analyzed. "Rat, you take us to that cabin. Also, regarding 'Zhang Ming' and 'Sister,' do you know where they are now?"
The rat shook its head: "We haven't seen Zhang Ming since that conversation. His sister... seems to have left early this morning, I don't know where she went. This house is empty now."
The clues seem to point to the wooden hut left behind by the wizard, but the original characters "Zhang Ming" and "Sister" have disappeared. This is clearly a "rewrite" and "upgrade" of the script by the main god, placing the Central Continent Team directly at the heart of the incident.
"To the cabin," Chu Xuan decided. "That's the clearest point of anomaly. Rat, lead the way. In exchange, we can try to help you stabilize your situation, and even... help you and your pack find a real way out."
That last sentence clearly moved the rat. It looked at the rats behind it, who had quieted down but whose eyes were still blank, and then at the unfathomable yet seemingly true-to-life members of the Central Continent Team, especially Zhang Jie with his gentle gaze. Finally, it nodded heavily.
"Alright, I'll take you there. But... please keep your promise."
Led by the rat, the group quietly left the residential building without attracting the attention of any ordinary people (thanks to Chu Xuan's disguise field). They traveled along the edge of the city, heading towards the "old forest" on the outskirts of the city, where wooden houses were said to have appeared.
Along the way, Wang Lin, through a spiritual connection, engaged in deeper communication with the rats, understanding their specific feelings after gaining intelligence, changes in abilities, and various communication and survival methods they had tried, constantly enriching his understanding of this "rule distortion" event. Zhang Jie, meanwhile, continuously radiated a faint glow of order, not only soothing the rats but also constantly purifying and healing the rule-related trauma caused by the conflict between "intelligence enhancement" and "residual bestiality" within them. He sensed a certain similarity between the rats' state and the structural chaos he himself had experienced as a "semi-guide," both belonging to "existential damage" caused by the incompatibility between "unnatural elevation" and "original foundation." His [Heart of Order] power seemed to have a unique effect on soothing such trauma. Under his care, the rats' state became visibly stable and peaceful, the chaos and pain in their eyes greatly diminished, and their trust in Zhang Jie grew daily.
Soon, they arrived at the old forest on the outskirts of the city, a forest that wasn't very dense but had a somewhat gloomy atmosphere. Following the rat's directions, they came to a clearing in the forest.
The open space was completely empty.
"This is it! The cabin was right here last night!" The rat paced anxiously in circles, emphasizing its presence.
"Spatial residual scan... detected faint, unstable spatial folds and traces of dimensional superposition. Energy readings indicate that approximately twelve hours ago, there was a brief burst of high-concentration 'concept distortion' force field here, consistent with the description of the wizard's cabin. The force field has now dissipated, but the residual spatial structure remains in a slightly 'activated' state, potentially responding to external stimuli of 'concepts' or 'energy' at specific frequencies." Chu Xuan quickly analyzed the data, his gaze falling on Wang Lin and Zhang Jie. "Try using your 'connection' and 'order' powers to stimulate this space. Target frequency, refer to the 'binding' runes on the rope and the 'wizard's mark' remaining in the rat's consciousness."
Wang Lin and Zhang Jie exchanged a glance and nodded.
Wang Lin stepped forward, his Mind Light operating at full power, adjusting himself to the most acute state of "connection" and "perception." At the same time, he guided a wisp of spiritual power, simulating the faint energy fluctuation frequency captured from the rat's consciousness—a frequency belonging to a wizard and mixed with the qualities of "granting," "distortion," and "mystery"—and slowly injected it into the empty air in front of him.
Zhang Jie stood to his side and slightly behind him, the [Heart of Order] glowing faintly, a warm, stable, and pure golden-white power of order spreading out. It was not an attack, but rather, like the most precise "stabilizer" and "resonator," it constrained, purified, and amplified the simulated wave released by Wang Lin, and made it resonate with the most subtle resonance with the unstable "concept distortion" force field remaining in the surrounding space.
At first, there was no response.
But a few seconds later, the air seemed to ripple like water. These ripples were initially extremely faint, but under Wang Lin's continuous infusion of mental energy and Zhang Jie's stable resonance of order, they began to become clearer and more intense!
buzzing-
A low, trembling sound echoed through the space. The view above the open space began to distort and blur, as if viewed through a swaying frosted glass. Then, before everyone's eyes, a crooked little wooden house, almost identical to the one described in the script, with a style reminiscent of 1970s or 80s cartoons, slowly emerged from the water, solidifying from its illusory appearance until it finally appeared completely in the open space!
The door to the wooden house was also ajar.
"That's it!" the rat exclaimed excitedly.
"Spatial concealment and phase shift technology... no, it's closer to a combination of 'concept realization' and 'reality anchoring.' This 'wizard's' understanding and application of the rules far surpasses that of the 'Fairy Godmother' in the 'Cinderella' world; it's more... essential and ingenious." Data on Chu Xuan's glasses surged, clearly showing his extreme interest in the way the wooden house appeared.
"Let's go in and take a look." Zheng Zha took the lead and pushed open the half-closed wooden door.
Inside, the scene was consistent with the style of the "Tom and Jerry cartoon treehouse" described in the script, but it was more... spacious and filled with an indescribable, long-forgotten silence.
The scattered bat specimens, animal skulls, and strange plants were gone from the ground. In their place lay a thick layer of dust, and on the dust, several lines of clear, distorted, and hastily written characters, drawn by some sharp object. The script used was the same as that on the previous slip of paper—a peculiar combination of pictographs and ideographs.
In the innermost corner of the cabin, beneath the stairs leading to the next floor, a figure was huddled up.
It was a person dressed in a tattered black robe, hunched over and thin, with his back to the door. He stood motionless, like a frozen sculpture. But with the perception of the Zhongzhou team members, they could clearly "hear" the faint, almost inaudible, slow and labored heartbeat and breathing coming from that figure.
More importantly, an extremely dense yet chaotic "concept distortion" force field permeated the air around this figure! This force field was filled with various complex rules and characteristics such as "granting," "connecting," "transformation," and "contract," but all these characteristics were intertwined, like a tangled mess, and were constantly, slowly... disintegrating and dissipating. This disintegrating force even subtly affected the spatial stability of the wooden house itself, causing the surrounding scenery to occasionally sway as if seeing double images.
"He is... a wizard?" Zhan Lan whispered. She could feel the spiritual power emanating from that figure, like a candle flickering in the wind, yet incredibly vast and complex, filled with countless fragmented thoughts, knowledge, and... pain.
"The situation is extremely bad. It is in the process of existential collapse. It is deeply bound to the surrounding rule field, and the collapse process is irreversible, which will accelerate the disintegration of the wooden house space and even the real structure of the surrounding area." Chu Xuan gave a cold judgment. "The estimated time for complete collapse is no more than 24 hours. The rule turbulence released during the collapse is enough to completely turn this wooden house and its surrounding 100 meters into a 'dead zone' full of chaotic concepts."
At that moment, the hunched figure with its back to the crowd seemed to sense their arrival and moved with extreme slowness and difficulty.
Then, a dry, hoarse sound, like two pieces of rusty iron rubbing together, filled with endless weariness and pain, like the murmur of a dying man, echoed intermittently in the silent wooden cabin:
"Traders..."
"Witnesses to..."
"Or...the...liquidator?"
"Never mind... it's all... the same..."
"The key... is... on the table..."
"The contract...is...in my heart..."
"The choice... lies with... you..."
"My...time..."
"No... much... left..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the figure fell into dead silence again. Only the chaotic and collapsing force field of rules around him proved that he still "existed".
All eyes turned to the crooked wooden table in the center of the cabin. The table was empty.
No, it's not completely empty.
In the thick layer of dust, a blurry, circular indentation can be vaguely seen. In the center of the indentation, something seemed to have once been placed, but it is now gone.
The key... is missing?
And what does "the contract is in my heart" mean?
Just as everyone was wondering, the rat, which had been quietly following Zhang Jie's feet and feeling the nourishment of the power of order, suddenly trembled, and its eyes burst forth with an unprecedentedly bright light! As if out of control, it took a few steps forward, raised its paw, pointed at the huddled wizard figure in the corner of the cabin, then at Zhang Jie, and finally at its own head, uttering a sharp and enlightened cry through its consciousness:
"The contract! I sense it! The 'thread' of the contract! It connects me... connects him (the wizard)... and... connects you!"
It stared intently at Zhang Jie, its mind filled with shock and disbelief:
"You... carry the 'scent' of the same 'contract' and 'order' as him! Though faint and different, the essence... is very similar! Who... who are you?! What is your relationship with the wizard?!"
Zhang Jie frowned slightly. He could indeed sense that, with the rat's cries, the "Fragment of the Golden Sun Scripture" deep within his soul, which had already perfectly merged with him, and his [Heart of Order] talent, seemed to be subtly resonating with the faint "contract" and "granting" rule characteristics emanating from the wizard in front of him—a resonance that was on the verge of complete collapse. This resonance wasn't attraction; it was more like...a sense of kindred spirits, and a faint...sorrow, as if witnessing a fellow human heading towards its end.
On Chu Xuan's glasses, the data stream instantly surged to its limit. He looked sharply at Zhang Jie, then at the dying wizard, and a startling hypothesis instantly formed in his extraordinary quantum brain:
"Zhang Jie, your 'Fragment of the Golden Sun Sutra' comes from a creation of the supreme order of the world of Gods and Demons."
"This wizard has mastered the rules of 'contracts,' 'granting,' and 'distorting concepts.'"
"The two share a high-level commonality at the level of 'order' and 'definition'."
"And the 'contract' that enabled the rats to acquire intelligence originated from this wizard."
"The wizard is currently in a state of 'existential collapse,' and its core rules are disintegrating."
"The rat said, 'The thread of the contract connects the wizard, itself, and...you.'"
Chu Xuan's voice suddenly became incredibly sharp:
I have an assumption—
"This wizard is not a native existence of this world. He may be a high-level contractor or rule traveler who travels through endless planes, conducting various 'concept transactions' and 'rule experiments'."
"He fell into an irreversible state of disintegration for some reason (experimental failure, backlash, punishment from a higher being)."
"Before his collapse, his last 'transaction' or 'experiment' was to endow these rats with intelligence. And the 'contract' or 'rule carrier' of this transaction/experiment, because of its orderly attributes, created a kind of extremely faint resonance of fate or rule attraction with the 'sun fragment' and 'heart of order' in your (Zhang Jie's) soul, which belong to the supreme order!"
"This resonance, combined with the rat's strong will and localization as the 'contract receptor,' and the arrangement of the supreme deity, has led us to this world, to this wooden house, and to this wizard who is about to completely vanish!"
"And that 'key'..."
Chu Xuan's gaze, like the sharpest scalpel, swept across the empty table, over the huddled wizard, and finally settled on Zhang Jie.
"It may not be a specific object at all."
"The so-called 'key' might refer to..."
"The one capable of 'inheriting,' 'stabilizing,' or 'ending' this collapsing 'contract' and 'rule experiment'..."
""people"!"
"And you, Zhang Jie—"
"Because of the shared order within our souls, because of the initial trust and connection established with the 'contract recipient' (the rat)..."
"You might very well be the most suitable... 'living key'!"
Chu Xuan's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the wooden house!
Inheritance? Stability? End? A forbidden contract/experiment involving "granting intelligence" initiated by a high-level rule traveler, on the verge of collapse?
The key lies in Zhang Jie, who has just escaped his own existential crisis and been reborn.
All eyes were focused on Zhang Jie's face.
Zhang Jie remained silent, watching the unfamiliar fellow creature (at the level of rules) slowly disintegrating in the corner, feeling the faint, mournful resonance emanating from the fragment deep within his soul, and then looking at the rat at his feet, its head tilted back, its eyes filled with bewilderment, expectation, and a hint of fear.
He knew that Chu Xuan's speculation was very likely the truth.
The Supreme God sent them here not only to solve a "rat infestation," but also to deal with this "rule mess" left behind by their "colleagues" that was about to explode.
And he, by a twist of fate, became the key to handling this mess...
Is it to turn around and leave, letting the wizard disintegrate, the contract collapse, and the chaotic flow of rules erupt, turning this area into a wasteland, and then leave after completing the main quest (finding out the truth)?
Or... step forward, make contact with that crumbling entity, and try to use yourself as a "key" and "stabilizer" to "inherit" or "end" that dangerous contract, save these rats who have gained intelligence because of the contract but are also suffering because of it, and perhaps gain unimaginable opportunities from it, or... be doomed to ruin?
Zhang Jie slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over his teammates. Zheng Zha nodded heavily to him, his fist clenched, meaning, "Whatever you choose, I'll support you, brother." Wang Lin's eyes were calm and full of trust. Zhan Lan, Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, Ling Dian, Ming Yanwei, Zhao Yingkong... every gaze was filled with support.
He finally looked at Chu Xuan. Chu Xuan adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses as calm as ice: "Based on the existing data model, the success rate of attempting to contact and stabilize the contract is estimated to be between 8% and 15%, depending on the complexity of the contract and your own control over your sense of order. Consequences of failure: at best, you will suffer severe injuries from the backlash of the rules; at worst, you will be contaminated and assimilated by the collapsing contract, or trigger an uncontrollable chain reaction. Recommendation: Be cautious."
8%-15%... another success rate so low it's despairing.
But this time, a calm, even somewhat relieved, smile slowly appeared on Zhang Jie's lips.
He recalled the desperate resolve he had shown in the consciousness space of A Nightmare on Elm Street, facing Freddy Krueger and the crisis of his own disintegration. He remembered the immense sacrifices and unwavering trust that Wang Lin and his teammates had placed in him to pull him back from his "half" state.
"Heart of Order"... This talent, this power, is not just for fighting and purification.
Perhaps its true meaning lies in establishing order, in calming chaos, in... maintaining "existence" itself on the verge of collapse.
The dying wizard before us, the contract on the verge of collapse, and these lives suffering and confused because of the contract... isn't this a chaotic picture that desperately needs "order" to depict?
He took a deep breath, and the restrained, gentle, yet incredibly firm golden-white radiance of order slowly emanated from his body, brighter, purer, and more solid than ever before.
He looked at the rat and said calmly, "Stay here. No matter what happens, don't come any closer."
Then, he took a step and walked steadily toward the figure of the wizard huddled in the corner of the cabin, exuding an aura of chaos and collapse.
As he approached, the chaotic force field in the air seemed to be stimulated, beginning to fluctuate and distort more violently, emitting a silent shriek. The space inside the cabin also began to shake unstablely, and the wooden planks on the walls groaned under the strain.
But the aura of order surrounding Zhang Jie acted like a stabilizing force, smoothing out the chaos and suppressing the fluctuations wherever he went. He was like a rock walking on a raging storm, steady, firm, and unshakable.
Finally, he walked up to the huddled figure and slowly squatted down.
He could see the withered, brittle fingers peeking out from beneath the tattered black robe, and the head bowed, shrouded in the shadow of the hood. He could also clearly feel the immense, despairing aura of collapse emanating from this body, like the end of the universe, and deep within that aura, a faint yet tenacious pulse, as if waiting for something… the rhythm of the core of the contract.
Zhang Jie stretched out his hand, and a rich, golden-white light of order condensed on his palm, radiating a warm yet majestic aura. Without hesitation, he gently placed his hand on the dying wizard's chest.
In an instant—
boom!!!!
An indescribable torrent of information at the purely rule-based level, contract runes, fragments of concepts, and knowledge and memories accumulated over countless years, like a bursting dam, surged wildly into Zhang Jie's mind along the point of contact, impacting his consciousness, his soul, the "sun fragment" deep within his soul, and the newly awakened [Heart of Order]!
Fragmented images flashed through his mind:
•
In the endless void, a figure clad in black robes traverses between different worlds, forging bizarre contracts with all things, bestowing them with intelligence, distorting concepts, collecting desires, and conducting "experiments" that no one can understand...
•
In a whispered world filled with mad ramblings, a forbidden pact involving the "stealing of divinity" backfires, corrupting and tearing apart the core rules...
•
The figure in black robes, heavily wounded and tainted, fled hastily into this relatively "peaceful" world, attempting to use its last strength to conduct an experiment of "purification" to repair itself. Its target was the most lowly, yet most determined—the rat…
•
The experiment was initially successful, but the contamination had penetrated deep into the core; repairs failed, and disintegration began...
•
In his final moments of lucidity before utterly succumbing to despair, he sensed a pure, shared resonance with the same source of "order" (from Zhang Jie's soul). He then exhausted his last strength, distorting space to project the clues of the wooden house and the "key" near that point of resonance, leaving behind his final murmurs…
•
He waits, waiting for that "key" to make the final "choice"—to inherit this broken contract and knowledge, to bear this cause and effect and pollution, and to try to forge a new path? Or... to use the pure power of order to completely "end" and "purify" this collapsing chaos, along with his final existence?
"Inheritance... or... the end..."
The wizard's last faint consciousness, like a candle flickering in the wind, lingered in Zhang Jie's mind, filled with endless weariness, a longing for liberation, and a faint... hopeful expectation of "possibility".
The overwhelming influx of information, the chaotic pollution of rules, the broken contractual structure, and the suffocating weight of the "choice"... all weighed down on Zhang Jie's newly stabilized soul like a mountain.
He felt his consciousness swaying in the storm of information, his sense of order vibrating under the impact of pollution, and his soul feeling as if it were about to be torn apart by this endless chaos and weight.
"Zhang Jie!" came the anxious shouts of his teammates from outside, but they were blocked by the violent turbulent currents of the rules and could not get close.
Just then—
Deep within Zhang Jie's soul, the "Fragment of the Golden Sun Sutra" suddenly erupted with unprecedented brilliance! Warm, majestic, pure, and supreme power of order burst forth, like an eternal sun rising in the dark universe, enveloping, suppressing, and sorting out all the chaotic information, polluted fragments, and broken contract structures that had flooded in!
At the same time, his [Heart of Order] talent was operating at full power, not only for external purification and stabilization, but also for the ultimate "definition" and "reinforcement" of his own soul structure! With unwavering will, and with all his knowledge and emotions as the being of "Zhang Jie" as the core, he built the strongest soul barrier to resist the chaotic impact from the outside world, and began to actively and methodically "understand," "analyze," and "filter" the flood of information and contractual structures!
He wasn't passively enduring it; he was actively "digesting" it!
Using the supreme order of the "Fragments of the Sun" as a furnace, the absolute definition of the "Heart of Order" as a framework, and the personality and will of "Zhang Jie" as a flame, to forge, purify, and reshape this vast and chaotic legacy from the dying wizard!
What he was going to do was neither a simple "inheritance" (which would mean bearing the risk of pollution and collapse) nor a brutal "end" (which would mean wasting potential opportunities and knowledge).
He wants to take the third path—
I am the master, and I will forge all laws!
Extract the beneficial and pure rules, contract principles, and concepts, absorb and digest them, and make them your own!
The chaotic, polluted, and collapsing parts are thoroughly purified, dismantled, and transformed into the most basic and harmless rule energy by the power of "sun fragments" and "heart of order," or used to strengthen themselves!
As for the "core contract" that endowed the rats with intelligence, it underwent a thorough "purification and reconstruction"—stripping away the wizard's personal imprint and contamination, retaining the rule framework of "endowing intelligence," but anchoring and modifying it, transforming it into a more stable and sustainable "new contract" based on "order" and "balance"!
This process was extremely dangerous, a final test of his soul's strength, willpower, and control over the rules. The slightest mistake would result in his soul being scattered or being corrupted and assimilated.
Outside the wooden house, Zheng Zha and the others could sense that, centered on Zhang Jie, an indescribable, terrifying storm was forming, a mixture of violent energy fluctuations, distorted rules, and screams of souls! The space inside the wooden house was shaking more and more violently, as if it would collapse completely at any moment!
"Zhang Jie! Hang in there!" Zheng Zha's eyes were bloodshot, and his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.
Wang Lin was doing his best to maintain the mental matrix, trying to provide Zhang Jie with a sliver of mental support, while nervously sensing the violently fluctuating soul fire at the eye of the storm.
Time passed by, second by second, feeling as long as an eternity.
Just as real cracks began to appear in the walls of the cabin, and the space warped to the point of almost tearing the interior apart—
At the eye of the storm, the chaotic, violent, and disintegrating fluctuations suddenly stopped!
Immediately afterwards, a brand new, gentle, stable, profound, and vibrant golden light, full of vitality and a pure sense of order, burst forth from the palm of Zhang Jie's hand that was pressed against the wizard's chest, like the rising sun at dawn, and instantly swept across the entire wooden house!
Wherever the golden light passed, the shaking of the space quickly subsided, the cracks on the wall healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the suffocating chaotic force field and disintegrating aura in the air melted and purified rapidly, like ice and snow under the scorching sun!
The wooden house became stable again. No, it became even more stable than before, as if it had been coated with an invisible, resilient shell of order.
In the center of the wooden house, Zhang Jie slowly withdrew his hand and straightened his body.
A faint, warm golden glow enveloped him, and deep within his eyes, countless runes of order seemed to rise and fall, making his aura even more unfathomable and as heavy as a mountain. In his palm floated a fingernail-sized, slowly rotating, intricately crafted three-dimensional contract mark composed of pure golden-white runes of order. At the center of the mark, the faint silhouette of a rat lay dormant.
Before him, the huddled wizard's figure, after the burst of golden light, had transformed into countless tiny, starlight-shimmering dust particles, slowly drifting away and finally disappearing completely without a trace. Only a faint, liberating ripple of consciousness remained in the air, proving that he had once existed.
The disintegration was stopped. No, it was transformed and absorbed.
"It...it's a success?" The Overlord's eyes widened.
Zhang Jie turned around, a hint of fatigue on his face, but his eyes were bright and calm. He looked at his feet at the rat that stood frozen in shock and confusion, its eyes filled with the dramatic change in the contract connection.
"The contract, I have purified and reconstructed it." Zhang Jie's voice rang out, calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. The golden contract mark on his palm glowed slightly. "The new contract is based on 'order' and 'balance.' The wisdom you have gained will be preserved and made more stable, no longer at risk of collapse or contamination. However, this wisdom must be used to establish order, not to create chaos. You can choose to accept this new contract, to become followers and witnesses of 'order,' following me to witness more worlds and rules. Or you can choose to refuse, and I will gently strip away the part of the contract concerning 'the bestowal of wisdom,' allowing you to return to the life of ordinary mice, but retaining some of your spirituality so that you can survive more peacefully."
He paused, then looked at the rats: "The choice is yours. I have taken on the karma of the 'Wizard.' His path is severed. But your path can begin anew now."
The rat stared blankly at Zhang Jie, at his calm eyes that seemed to contain an endless starry sky and order, and felt a new connection deep within its soul—a connection so different from before, warm, stable, and full of power. The agonizing loneliness, the chaotic pain, and the uncertainty about the future, all vanished like morning mist under the illumination of this new connection.
It slowly stood up on its own two feet, and then, with its front paws, bowed deeply to Zhang Jie in a very human-like manner.
In my consciousness, its voice was no longer hoarse and painful, but filled with unprecedented clarity, firmness, and...gratitude:
"The servants of order...and witnesses..."
"The Rat (please allow me to keep this name) represents myself, and all those willing to follow..."
"I wish to sign this contract with you."
"From then on, wisdom returned to order, and claws shone for balance."
"Please... show us the way, sir."
As the rat responded, the golden contract mark on Zhang Jie's palm shone brightly, sending out a thin wisp of golden light that entered the rat's forehead. The rat's body trembled slightly, a flash of golden light appeared in its eyes, and its aura became more refined and agile. Even its gray-black fur faintly shimmered with a very faint golden luster.
At the same time, the Supreme God's notification sounded in everyone's minds:
[Complete the side quest (optional): Reach a non-hostile agreement with the "Intelligent Entity".]
[Rewards: One A-level side quest and 10000 reward points for each participant.]
[Detection indicates that reincarnator Zhang Jie has successfully purified and reconstructed the "Abnormal Concept Contract," absorbed and integrated some high-level rule knowledge, and his [Heart of Order] talent has been sublimated, advancing him to [Order Walker (Beginner)].]
[Bonus Rewards: One S-rank side quest, 15000 reward points.]
[Main Quest "Find the Truth" Completion Update...]
The source of the "rat infestation" mutation (the Disintegrating Wizard) has been dealt with, the remaining contracts have been purified and reconstructed, and the course of events has changed.
[Main quest "Survive until the end of the event" is in progress...]
[Approved.]
[Received: One Rank B side quest for each survivor, 7000 reward points.]
[This world mission is complete. Forced return in 30 seconds.]
The notification of the reward being credited to his account no longer caused much of a stir. Everyone's attention was focused on Zhang Jie and the "rat" at his feet, whose temperament had completely changed and seemed to have been reborn.
Zhang Jie not only resolved the world's crisis and completed an almost impossible "rule surgery," but also gained a special "fellowship" and another major sublimation of his own power.
【The Order Walker】... This new title seems to indicate that he has embarked on a path that is completely different from all other reincarnators and is closer to the essence of the rules.
"Well done, Lao Zhang!" Zheng Zha punched Zhang Jie hard on the shoulder. This time, Zhang Jie's body did not move at all. Instead, the impact made Zheng Zha's fist go numb, leaving him speechless.
"We'll talk about it when we get back." Zhang Jie smiled, putting away the contract mark on his palm. His imposing aura subsided, and he regained his usual composure. He looked at the rat, "Come with us and leave this place first."
The rat nodded and made a few short squeaks. From the shadows of the cabin, nine other rats with bright, alert eyes silently emerged, lined up, and quietly followed behind the rat. Their eyes, though still wild, held a clearer intelligence and sense of order.
Thirty seconds passed in the blink of an eye.
A pure white beam of light descended, enveloping the members of the Central Continent Team, along with the ten newly joined "Ordered Rats," and carrying them away from this world that had just regained its peace.