HAGLTP Chapter 69

The rapidly spinning images before him gradually faded away.

Xiao Lu found himself enveloped in a mist that was a deep green, almost black, where he could see neither sky nor ground, and nothing else was visible in his line of sight.

There was not a sound.

Even when Xiao Lu looked down, he could not see his own body; it was as if he had become an invisible, formless specter, drifting alone in this space.

A strange and somewhat mysterious atmosphere.

Yet he felt extremely… comfortable.

It was as if he had entered a realm where vigilance was unnecessary; he instinctively felt that everything here was safe for him.

He moved forward in a random direction, needing no prompts; he knew that something awaited him ahead.

A tall shadow appeared in the green mist. The shadow stood there, like an ancient, unchanging mountain.

As he approached, Xiao Lu discovered that it was a temple, ancient in design, entirely black, with mist-like patterns continuously swirling on its surface, making it impossible to discern what material it was made of.

The temple was so high that it was impossible to see the top. It required no exaggerated decorations or fearsome guards; its own oppressive presence made those standing below instinctively feel awe and fear.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he stepped onto the long staircase that seemed endless, walking step by step toward the entrance of the temple.

Inside the temple, the thick mist lingered, deepening the mysterious and solemn atmosphere.

He continued toward the end of the temple, and with each step forward, the feelings in his heart became clearer.

Finally, he reached the “end” of the temple.

This was not the end in a physical sense; here, the walls and columns of the temple had completely vanished, and the concept of space became blurred.

Only the mist, denser than before, swallowed all of the visitor’s senses.

This was his destination.

His true self.

In the moment he was engulfed by the mist, those long-forgotten memories came alive again.

·

He was an ancient deity born with this world.

Born at the dawn of time, coexisting with the stars.

In the beginning, this world was merely a vague halo, and time seemed nonexistent.

Gradually, this world began to establish rules, initiating a cycle of creation and destruction, with characters belonging to this world appearing one by one, and the events they formed gradually taking shape.

Sometimes, events that had once occurred would be erased, only to reappear in a newer, more captivating form, or be replaced by other events.

Time continued to push forward.

He vaguely knew that this world seemed to be created and guided by some unknown force.

More often than not, he simply observed, watching the evolution of the world, from desolation to vibrancy. Sometimes he would be propelled by the force that created the world, participating in human stories; other times, those people would merely embark on their journeys under his name.

At some moment, the force that created this world ceased to control its changes.

The world seemed to grow from a stumbling infant into an adult capable of independent adventures. The world underwent freer transformations, and time continued to advance.

He remained a spectator of this world.

Humans always had many desires and wishes.

As the oldest and most primitive god, he did not share the obsession of his younger counterparts with responding to human wishes or gaining human faith.

Yet, over the long passage of time, he would occasionally feel a sudden curiosity, responding to those wishes that lingered in the void.

Some wishes were inherently interesting; he wanted to observe the subsequent developments, so he would respond to those wishes.

Sometimes the wishes were dull, but the wishers always found different ways to please him, thus their wishes were fulfilled.

However, more often than not, the ugliness and ignorance displayed by the wishers left him perplexed.

Why did these foolish ants think he would be interested in worldly treasures and food?

Why did they sacrifice their young, beautiful kin, or defeated enemies to him?

Why did they speak grandiose lies when they clearly desired wealth and power?

Why did they establish rules that he had never set?

Why did they wage wars in his name?

Why were there so many meaningless words when making wishes?

…

The deity had no human desires, was uninterested in consuming people, disliked being revered and worshipped, and did not enjoy watching ants slaughter one another. All lies and disguises before him were as fragile as bubbles.

He simply wanted to see interesting wishes.

For those lambs who disappointed his expectations, he would give them small punishments. Just like their lies, he would allow them a tiny glimmer of hope, which would then stimulate the dishonest lambs, inflating their desires until they ultimately consumed themselves.

Sometimes, watching people fall was also a form of amusement.

However, he still preferred those interesting wishes; it would be even better if the wishers were intriguing individuals.

He remembered a girl with the Eye of Truth who once prayed to him, willing to exchange her fated gift of sight for a mundane, weak oasis.

This was an unequal exchange.

The reason young children are fearless is that they have never seen the world’s cruelty. He was curious whether the girl would regret it as she grew up, so he kept observing her life.

He watched as the girl grew into a young woman, then into a youth, into middle age, and finally aged, decaying into a skeleton in the desert.

Even after losing her eyes, the owner of the Eye of Truth remained a wise embodiment. She guided her people, enlightened lost travelers, and reformed fierce bandits, earning the respect of countless people, while also evoking more lament for her lost eyes.

But she never regretted it.

She even considered him a benevolent and generous god, writing texts in his honor, and even unreservedly sharing her methods of wishing, although her ability to receive responses from the deity was not due to those rituals.

The sacrificial blade she left behind changed hands repeatedly in the years that followed, bringing him many interesting wishes.

The rituals she created were likely indeed effective; those foolish, greedy, and cowardly people would not choose such a painful and grueling way to make wishes. Those who wished through such rituals were much more interesting.

One day.

A black-haired youth appeared before him, holding a sacrificial blade, calling upon him with an ancient ritual.

The youth introduced himself as Mo Yi, claiming to come from another world, tasked with seizing the core of the world he inhabited.

It sounded like madness, but over the long years, the god had heard too many boring tales; even nonsensical ramblings were far more interesting than lengthy praises.

“Continue.”

Mo Yi, covered in mottled blood, knelt on the cold stone altar, looking up at the swirling green mist above:

“From what I know, the main system comes from a quick-transmigration novel. Once the world rules are complete, as the pillar of the world, it gains the right to freely choose its host.”

“But it is unwilling to operate solely within its own world. So it utilizes the characteristics of quick-transmigration worlds to throw actors into other worlds, altering plots, seizing world cores, and stealing the power of rules within.”

“The worlds drained of power by it will gradually collapse, and the inhabitants will become new actors, helping it conquer other worlds.”

At this point, the youth paused, seemingly waiting for the deity’s reaction.

A wisp of mist quietly approached the youth, wrapping around his pale ankle, which had lost blood.

The youth’s body trembled; he felt that the mist’s touch was not limited to his skin but reached deeper, touching his soul.

That sensation was extremely strange; without the barrier of flesh, his soul became acutely sensitive, and even the slightest touch could create enormous ripples.

Mo Yi gritted his teeth, enduring the light yet itchy touch that traversed his entire body, which he could not ignore.

“The power of rules not belonging to this world, indeed.”

Mo Yi sighed in relief; good, the other party did not regard him as a madman and possessed the ability to recognize the power of rules. This was a good start; perhaps he could truly gain the most powerful assistance.

But the deity’s next words made his heart race.

“You spoke the truth, but cleverly concealed part of it.”

“I do not like lying lambs; perhaps you know how I will treat someone like you…”

Mo Yi fell silent; he indeed had concealed the truth, but he worried that revealing it would cause him to lose the other’s trust.

“You are interesting, so I can give you another chance, the last one.” The deity’s ultimatum came.

Mo Yi took a deep breath, making his kneeling posture more humble: “I am the protagonist of that quick-transmigration world, and under the main system’s drive… I have seized many world cores.”

The deity did not explode in anger as he had imagined in the worst-case scenario; instead, he seemed more intrigued: “Tell me your wish.”

Surprise spread in his heart; Mo Yi maintained his outward calm: “I hope… to completely eliminate the main system.”

“Oh… what a reckless and greedy wish.” The deity commented.

A mere pawn, wanting to contend with the player.

“Yes.” Mo Yi quietly clenched his fingers.

“Then, what are you willing to pay?”

“Everything of mine. My blood, my flesh, my bones, my soul, all my joys and sorrows… everything can be offered to you; I am willing to become your most loyal servant.”

“Everything of yours? Compared to your wish, they are insignificant.” The deity seemed to mock his overestimation of himself.

Why should he align with the wish of an interesting lamb against another world?

Mo Yi raised his head, his eyes sparkling like stars: “I know I am small, but my presence in your world, do you not find it curious?”

“You and the main system are both pillars of the world, the most primal forces of a world’s birth. It has already been peering into your world; my appearance is its probing, wanting to devour everything that belongs to you.”

“Hehe…”

For the first time, he heard the god’s laughter, but it was not joyful; instead, it felt chilling.

“Wanting to devour my world is not an easy task. Before you, there have been several probes, none of whom left alive.”

“You are truly interesting; you want me to feel a sense of crisis, to be angered, and then help you fulfill your wish.”

“You are trying to control me; even a god dares to scheme, a truly presumptuous lamb. Shouldn’t I punish you for your arrogance…”

After a moment of silence.

Mo Yi took a deep breath, his tone firm: “I apologize for my overstepping; I am willing to accept your punishment, whatever it may be.”

“Very well.”

As soon as the words fell, Mo Yi found himself thrown into an endless deep sea.

The feeling of oppression, suffocation, and lack of support engulfed him.

He tried to swim toward the surface, but the light above was already a dim blue; he was too deep, and with human strength, he could not reach the surface.

No matter how hard he tried, that glimmer remained out of reach.

Gradually, he began to sink, his limbs feeling as if they had melted, unable to exert any force.

As his consciousness neared collapse, he returned once more to the cold altar.

“Cough cough cough…” Mo Yi coughed violently, air suddenly rushing in, as if millions of needles pierced his lungs, tearing painfully.

It seemed a strange power infused him; his body recovered quickly, and when his limbs warmed slightly, he was thrown back into the deep sea, feeling the pain of near death.

This repeated over and over.

Mo Yi found himself in the water, looking at the distant glimmer above, unable to help but smile bitterly; what a cruel god.

Analyzing the other’s preferences from legends and data proved to be insufficiently accurate. Perhaps he should have chosen a more tactful way to communicate, but unfortunately, he could not turn back time and could only choose to endure the consequences.

The long punishment continued for a long time.

Once again returning to the surface, the youth was soaked, the color drained from his lips, making him look like a cold doll lost at the bottom of the sea for a long time.

“Cough cough cough… cough cough…”

Mo Yi used all his strength to cough, and after coughing, the pale lips finally regained some color, and a healthy flush returned to his face.

Mo Yi closed his eyes, waiting for the next wave of water to strike.

The cruel god had been coldly observing his struggles, but at this moment, spoke: “Rephrase your wish.”

This stubborn, fragile, yet cunning lamb intrigued him, so he generously granted the other a new opportunity to wish.

For instance, to escape from that main system and live in his world.

Such an untroublesome small wish, he was quite willing to fulfill. Consider it another response to that annoying main system.

“My wish… remains unchanged…” Mo Yi’s voice was hoarse and broken, as if it had been damaged in the repeated tearing of water and coughing.

Yet his eyes remained as bright as ever, far brighter than the jewels once offered before the deity.

The cruel god suddenly changed his mind.

He wanted to know why this interesting lamb was willing to give everything to confront an unbeatable opponent, all for a future he might never see again.

After all, he had already sold his soul to the god of another world; even if the original world was no longer under the control of the main system, he could not return.

Mo Yi lay weakly on the cold ground, waiting for judgment, when he suddenly saw a figure appear before him, with skin so pale it seemed inhuman, green eyes, and lips as red as blood.

It should have been a youth, yet his aloof, overlooking demeanor made him seem excessively lacking in humanity.

Moreover, this youth was only human-shaped from the waist up; the rest was a dense mist that could not disperse, and no one would think he was human.

This was a non-human entity, even far beyond humanity.

The youth leaned down, his long fingers with sharp black nails touching Mo Yi’s still damp forehead.

Cold, colder than the deep sea.

A mark resembling a raven’s feather appeared on Mo Yi’s forehead, then vanished in an instant.

“Then as you wish, my loyal servant.”