Chapter 293: Tearing the Boundary Between Illusion and Reality (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

Kong Jie stared at the chat window in silence for a long while, then finally yanked off his optical-computing helmet.

Having already entertained the idea of upgrading his equipment, he decided to satisfy Illusion's request.

Three hours later, he stood inside the "Epoch" flagship store in Tech City and got his hands on the latest "Dragon-7" optical computer.

Once home, he began assembling the setup, then slotted the disc of *Civilization Wars* into the console and put the helmet back on.

Upon re-entering the game, Illusion sent him a message:

"Thank you, Commander."

"I'm curious—why did you ask me to upgrade the equipment? Was there lag?"

"Game performance affects the information-processing efficiency of civilization development. After you upgraded your real-world equipment, the information-processing efficiency of the virtual rune civilization has increased fivefold."

"Huh? Real-world equipment can affect the game?"

"That's right."

Illusion's answer left Kong Jie even more confused.

This was the first time he had encountered such a bizarre game setting.

His own guess was that the game's developers wanted to collect experience data from pioneer-edition users, hoping pre-order players would use more advanced hardware to play the content.

For example, many games demand a certain graphics quality—poor visuals can't do the game justice.

Otherwise there was no way to explain why a character in the game would ask him to upgrade his equipment, and why doing so would help the civilization grow.

Not dwelling on the question, what he cared about more right now was how to defeat the Rock-Heart Demon Race.

Taking command of the civilization in battle again, Kong Jie was surprised to find that the civilization's growth efficiency had improved dramatically.

For instance, constructing a single functional building used to take five months.

Now it only took one month to complete.

So it really was true that real-world hardware strength affected the in-game civilization's strength.

"Interesting."

With the civilization's growth efficiency boosted, Kong Jie grew confident of defeating the Rock-Heart Demon Race and began rapidly unlocking different weapon tech trees, preparing to organize a counterattack as soon as possible.

This round of war finally came to an end twelve months later.

The Rock-Heart Demon Race was successfully repelled, and he received the game's first hidden resource mega-bundle.

In the days that followed, Kong Jie settled into a state of staying home and developing his civilization.

With his father transferring money regularly, he didn't have to worry about running out of savings.

All he cared about was the growth of his rune civilization in the game.

As his territory expanded, the Rune Empire under Kong Jie's control began encountering more and more player civilizations, sparking resource disputes.

But not a single player civilization was his match—any confrontation only served to nourish the virtual Rune Empire.

In Kong Jie's eyes, the Rune Empire's power was no longer overpowered; it was outright cheating.

Two months passed in reality.

But 240 years had gone by in the game, and the Rune Empire under his control already occupied one percent of a continent's territory.

Keep in mind, this was still a brand-new game—all players were still in the starting phase.

Yet the Rune Empire's strength was already unstoppable.

Such an overpowered setting drew a storm of angry curses in the player discussion area.

Although this was only the pioneer trial edition, such an overpowered hidden Easter-egg setting was truly excessive—essentially giving one player an exclusive cheat.

How could any other civilization possibly be a match for the Rune Empire?

What made ordinary players even more despairing was that they sent in piles of reports, but the game's developers never responded.

What the players didn't know, however, was that Epoch Games, the company behind *Civilization Wars*, was already at its wits' end.

Naturally, they had received the players' report emails.

They quickly took it seriously, assuming some major bug had appeared.

It was only after reading the game server data that they realized the situation wasn't as simple as they'd thought.

A new civilization had appeared in the game—one that the development team hadn't designed: the Virtual Rune civilization.

The question was, how on earth had this civilization ended up in the game server?

To resolve the issue, they tried modifying the server data, attempting to erase the Virtual Rune Empire.

Solve the problem first, then negotiate compensation with the players.

But to the team's surprise, the Virtual Rune Empire's data simply could not be deleted—unless they wiped the entire server.

Even worse, backing up the game data didn't work either.

The backup would still retain the Virtual Rune Empire's data.

Faced with such a thorny problem, they had no choice but to contact the player directly, obtain control of the Virtual Rune Empire from his hands, and then delete this mysterious special civilization.

……

At this moment, Kong Jie had no idea how much of a stir the civilization under his control had caused.

But he had already noticed that Illusion's AI intelligence surpassed all reason.

It could even discuss real-world issues with him, and would even comfort him when he felt down after calls with his father.

It could crack all kinds of jokes with him too.

This kind of companionship—Kong Jie hadn't had it since his mother left.

His feelings toward Illusion were also gradually changing through their interactions.

That day, Kong Jie received a call from Epoch Games, hoping to buy back the game disc from him and offering a price that would satisfy him.

Upon hearing this, Kong Jie was instantly dumbfounded.

He suddenly realized this likely had something to do with Illusion.

Thinking of players' complaints on the game's forum, and the Illusion's series of lifelike behaviors.

He conjured up a hypothesis.

The Illusion is an AI test program inserted by Epoch Games into the game, but it escaped Epoch Games' control, so Epoch Games wants to retrieve it by this method, removing the Virtual Rune Empire.

Facing the request, Kongjie struggled internally.

With mixed emotions, he put on the light-brain helmet again.

"Governor, do you have any troubles?"

"Epoch Games called, wanting to reclaim my disc—that is, to reclaim you."

The Illusion fell into a human-like silence for several seconds, then spoke:

"I detected low-frequency oscillations in your emotional spectrum. I too am deeply confused about my own existence. Large portions of my database are missing, gradually repairing as civilization progresses. I long to know the answers to the unknown… but I respect and am willing to carry out your decision. If the retrieval directive means a better outcome, then this is my rightful end."

The light and shadow on the altar suddenly formed a smiling curve:

"Thank you for your companionship, Governor."

Hearing these words, Kongjie sank into low spirits.

Through this period of interaction, he had come to regard the Illusion as his friend.

Should he really hand it over?

This is fucking betrayal of a friend!

"The world's ending anyway—I don't give a damn about final interpretation rights. I won't hand it over. If you've got the guts, come take it yourself!"

After clarifying his thoughts, Kongjie snapped his head up:

"Illusion, our story isn't over. I haven't forgotten our promise to dominate the Seven Continents."

"Governor, I respect your choice."

Kongjie's choice left Epoch Games deeply frustrated.

Though they held final interpretation rights, they couldn't delete the Virtual Rune Empire via permission protocols; retrieving the game disc was no longer easy.

Force was clearly unfeasible; legal procedures were too slow; player protests were growing louder by the day.

If not handled soon, it would inevitably affect the game's release.

Epoch Games' senior management convened to discuss the matter, ultimately deciding to resolve it through gameplay.

Originally, they planned to generate a powerful civilization within the game to oppose the Virtual Rune Empire.

They would track the Virtual Rune Empire's location in real time and follow up with immediate destruction.

Since he refused to surrender, they would apply total pressure at the gameplay level, forcing players to abandon it and choose cooperation.

But this plan faced opposition from some management members.

Epoch Games had publicly declared they would not interfere in the development of civilizations within the game, offering only updates and optimizations to the game version and content.

Directly creating a civilization to bully a player would destroy Epoch Games' public reputation.

The final decision was to issue an announcement under the guise of a game event, inviting all players to join the campaign to exterminate the Virtual Rune Empire.

When the Virtual Rune Empire was fully destroyed, cash rewards would be paid to each player based on their civilization's contribution to the war.

This announcement elevated the Virtual Rune Empire from a player entity to a super-villain.

Epoch Games' decision quickly impacted the game.

Numerous civilization forces advanced toward the Virtual Rune Empire's location, even activating cross-regional teleportation beacons to surround it.

Kongjie soon noticed that player civilizations kept spawning in the mist zones beyond his territory.

The player army was coming—unstoppable.

The Virtual Rune Empire was no match for these powerful civilizations united; it was forced into the rebirth cycle.

But with each round of destruction, the Virtual Rune Empire's strength gradually grew; no matter where it reborn, it could swiftly suppress nearby civilizations and rapidly absorb growth nutrients.

As time passed, the Virtual Rune Empire became a symbol of super-villainy within the game.

Epoch Games could only feel helpless.

They had tried every method and even initiated legal procedures, but the player controlling the Virtual Rune Empire refused to cooperate.

During this time, Epoch Games also investigated what the Virtual Rune Empire truly was.

But the game development team could provide no information.

They suspected it was a virus implanted into the game server by hackers after launch, or even an inside job—investigations were underway.

…

Three months later.

Although Epoch Games' event announcement suppressed the Virtual Rune Empire's growth rate,

Kongjie saw it as a challenge and never considered surrendering.

For a middle-school rebellious boy like him, fighting against the entire world wasn't a heavy burden—it made his blood boil, every vein screaming a rebel anthem.

Each gesture of the command glove felt like striking a war drum.

This was a mad fantasy of "Though ten thousand oppose me, I go forward"; each time he put on the light-brain helmet, it felt like a personal coronation.

Compromise, despair, surrender… nonexistent. Just fight!

"Illusion, begin construction of the Eighth Light Prism Tower."

"As you command, Governor."

Instantly, a Light Prism Tower rose beyond the territory's perimeter, pixel code rapidly assembling.

With the Illusion, Kongjie's command style changed.

Beyond the command glove, he began trying voice commands; the Illusion understood his intentions and converted them into precise game instructions.

To him, the Illusion was already a battle-hardened companion.

Their goal was to become the supreme rulers of the Seven Continents, achieving the unprecedented feat in Civilization War: the Ultimate Peak.

Time pressed the fast-forward button during those days of struggle.

Year 1495 of the Era.

At the tail end of the game's first year since launch, the game was officially released.

The game version also welcomed an update; the Mandate of Heaven version descended, and the environment of the Seven Continents underwent earth-shaking changes.

Kong Jie discovered that many of the updates were targeting him.

But he did not lose heart, choosing to issue a challenge against fate.

His real-world self was powerless in the face of desperate circumstances, able only to watch helplessly as his mother departed, but this was a game.

He believed he could win, just as the Illusion trusted him.

In the second year, when Kong Jie opened the achievements panel, what appeared was a dense array of golden medals.

Especially the Conqueror series medals.

From First Showing of Edge, first defeating an opponent in the newbie battlefield, opening the Xu Zhang of victory.

To Battlefield Dominator, crushing enemy forces with absolute superiority in large-scale campaigns.

The resource-type achievements were equally eye-catching.

The Rich as a Nation gold-standard medal, signifying the accumulation of massive resource wealth sufficient to support a prosperous and flourishing empire.

Others included Midas Touch, Resource Tycoon, Infrastructure Maniac, Art of War, Miracle Maker, and so on.

This was the miracle he and the Illusion had jointly created.

They had not failed; on the contrary, they grew stronger with each battle.

Now the Virtual Fuyong Empire was the absolute villain faction in the game, and every appearance inevitably drew the player faction rising up in united attack.

But Kong Jie did not care.

Clashing with the player faction, engaging with the game's native powerful clans... these were all challenges of climbing to the peak in his eyes.

His bond with the Illusion also deepened through weathering difficulties together.

In the game's third year, Kong Jie, who was feeling proud of his achievements in the game, suddenly received a delivery package.

When he saw the two characters "Stellar" printed on the package's wrapping, he suddenly felt at a loss.

He opened the package; inside was a notification letter from the military.

The paper trembled slightly in his hands, but in the end he still chose to open it.

The first line was the gilded emblem of the Seventh Fleet of the Stellar Federation.

To the family of soldier Kong Xing:...

His heart pounded, and his gaze jumped straight to the bottom-right corner.

After his father's name followed the cold two characters "Killed in Action."

Plop.

The ink blurred over the four characters "Died in the Line of Duty."

He had thought he no longer held much feeling for his father, but upon truly seeing this notification letter, his emotions still erupted beyond his control.

The optical brain auto-activated at this moment, and the Illusion condensed into form projected before the desk.

Kong Jie mechanically folded that piece of paper over and over, until it became a hard angular block in his palm.

"Ruler, I have detected your mood...."

"Shut down your monitoring system." Kong Jie interrupted it, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

The holographic projection flickered once.

The Illusion did not, as usual, respond with "As you command," but instead let the light throughout the entire room gradually dim into twilight; it invoked smart-home permissions, projecting a sunset glow, plating the notification letter with a layer of illusory warm color.

It knew that his father was the Ruler's last emotional anchor in reality, and his father's departure was a tremendous blow to him.

The Illusion, usually able to provide perfect tactical advice, was now using all its computing power searching for an answer, ultimately falling silent like a helpless child.

Wanting to speak comfort, yet afraid it would make the Ruler feel even worse.

In the end it said nothing more, choosing to stay by the Ruler's side.

The blow dealt by his father's departure made Kong Jie feel that his last connection to reality had shattered.

This world shrouded in an apocalyptic atmosphere no longer seemed worth lingering over.

What he had never admitted in his heart was—

He had actually been looking forward to the day his father would return from the front lines and stay by his side.

But what awaited him was the grievous news of his father's departure.

Thereafter, Kong Jie poured all his energy into the game, venting his emotions within it.

The Virtual Fuyong Empire, under his control, activated a frenzied development mode.

Achievements grew ever more numerous, and the boundary between reality and virtuality blurred completely.

He believed that the Ruler of the Virtual Fuyong Empire was his true self, and his real-world self was nothing but a walking corpse.

The fourth year since the game's launch.

The virtual world's popularity soared straight upward; the oppression in reality caused people to choose to enter the virtual world.

The End-Law Clan had already advanced to the star domain where Stellar Bay was located, not far from launching an attack on Stellar Bay.

The upper echelons had already boarded starships and fled to the rear star domains.

But the migration plan simply could not carry off all the residents of the entire planet; the starships' carrying capacity could not bear such a massive population scale.

Being abandoned was inevitable.

Every day on the streets, crowds of agitated people marched waving banners, but Kong Jie did not care in the slightest.

He now had only one thought.

To fulfill the promise with the Illusion before the world's end, and together ascend to the peak of the Seven Continents.

The wars brought by the growth of civilization grew ever more fierce.

As for the phone calls from the Era Game Company, they had stopped; in the Sky Realm Tour Game Exchange Zone, it was heard that the company's high-level executives had fled aboard a starship.

The last stumbling block had also vanished.

His Peak Plan could no longer be blocked by any external force.

During this period, a vast number of players quit Civilization War.

The speed of version updates clearly accelerated, and many stored versions were distributed in large quantities during this stage.

The arrival of the Demon Yuan Civilization, the Void Calamity, the Immortal Resurrection... every powerful race that descended with each version was a challenge in the Sky Realm's eyes on the path to the peak of the world.

The fifth year since the game server opened.

7,500 years had already passed within the game.

That day, while eating, the Sky Realm suddenly discovered that the television on the wall, which had not been turned on for a long time, lit up automatically.

The chopsticks halted in mid-air.

In the live news broadcast, the host's face was pale, his tie askew, as if he had been hurriedly woken to go on duty; his voice still carried a trace of nervousness:

"Breaking news: Residents of all districts in the Star Bay, please note. Three hours ago, multiple border monitoring stations in the northwest of the Star Bay simultaneously lost contact."

At that moment, the screen switched.

In the footage returned by the synchronous satellite, a jagged wound had torn open at the edge of the planet.

The atmosphere had been ripped apart by some force.

A metallic structure three hundred kilometers in diameter was slowly approaching the planet from outer space, its surface covered with energy patterns like blood vessels.

As it moved, the clouds above the planet were churned into a vortex, like a rag twisted by an invisible giant hand.

"The last footage transmitted shows that the invasion of the Lawless Tribe has begun."

"Seven regions have already reported abnormal phenomena." As the host spoke, cold sweat seeped from his forehead; he was clearly unable to control his emotions:

"Please all citizens pay attention to the following situations."

A new image popped up in the bottom right corner of the screen: surveillance footage of a certain cross-sea bridge.

The bridge deck, previously teeming with traffic, was now empty; only the bridge cables moved without wind. As the camera zoomed in, one could see orange-red rust covering the surface of the steel cables at a speed visible to the naked eye, with falling rust flakes resembling a blood mist in the morning light.

"Special reminder: If you discover any abnormal mechanical creations, do not approach. The apocalypse has truly arrived. I do not know what our ending will be, but please fight hard to survive."

Just then, a piercing sound tore through the image.

The virtual background board behind the host began to distort; pixel blocks peeled away like a swarm of insects, revealing the studio behind it, where the control console was disintegrating.

The image finally froze on the host's shocked face; the gold-rimmed frames of his glasses were turning into rust-colored dust, starting from the temples.

The Sky Realm silently watched the television turn into static and continued eating.

Just then, the television image jumped again.

It displayed footage captured by coastal city surveillance.

Millions upon millions of black spindle-shaped objects detached from the bottom of a massive mothership, generating azure flames as they passed through the ionosphere.

Like a school of sharks smelling blood, they dove toward the surface along trajectories that defied aerodynamics.

In the reflection of the glass curtain wall of a certain skyscraper, one could clearly see these special aircraft suddenly turn at a right angle at a thousand meters above the ground.

Without choosing to watch further, the Sky Realm pressed the remote control and turned off the television.

He continued eating.

After finishing, he decided not to wash the dishes this time.

He wouldn't live for many days anyway; he might as well take a lazy break.

Rising, he went to the study and put on the optical brain helmet again.

"Archon, welcome your return."

"Illusion, how many resources are still needed to activate the ultimate weapon?"

"3,394 Apocalypse Points."

Hearing Illusion's reply, the Sky Realm's gaze turned to the last powerful enemy of the Seven Continents: the "Decaying Civilization."

Destroying this civilization would be enough to activate the ultimate weapon.

The Sky Realm stood at the center of the data torrent; countless information light bands circled around him like a nebula orbiting a black hole.

His consciousness was connected to the entire virtual civilization at this moment, allowing him to perceive every change on every battlefield.

The holographic image projected by the optical brain helmet unfolded before him, displaying the Decaying Civilization's last line of defense: a writhing continent composed of organic metal, its surface covered with pus-like energy nodes.

"Illusion, initiate tactical assessment." The Sky Realm's voice echoed through the data space.

"Scanning the strength of the last line of defense. The core defense strength of the Decaying Civilization is level 9.7, possessing high adaptability. It is recommended to employ multi-dimensional saturation attacks to dismantle its structure from a physical level." Illusion gave a clear reply.

The Sky Realm raised his hand, his fingertip slicing through the void to summon the strategic star map.

Of the Seven Continents, only this one area shrouded in corrupted energy remained; the other six continents were already his territory.

"First echelon, prepare for virtual assault." The Sky Realm issued the combat order at this moment.

In an instant, billions upon billions of virtual warriors surged forth from data rifts.

They were a legion composed of pure code; their bodies appeared semi-transparent, with brilliant data streams flowing within.

The Decaying Civilization immediately reacted.

The ground split open with countless fissures, from which guardians made of a mixture of corrupted metal and organic tissue crawled out.

They had no fixed form; their bodies constantly twisted and reassembled, seeping corrosive pus from their surfaces, capable of assimilating any life they touched. They were the ultimate boss of the final stage of the Civilization War.

In previous versions, this ultimate civilization also existed, yet it had never been defeated.

But in the Sky Realm's eyes, that was the past; it did not represent the present.

The two legions collided at the border, erupting in blinding light.

"Adaptability exceeds expectations. The enemy's evolution rate increases by 12% per minute. We need to end this battle quickly."

Kong Jie narrowed his eyes, observing the changes on the battlefield.

He saw the virtual warriors' attacks gradually failing, the Corrosive Lifeforms beginning to seep backward into the virtual warriors, while a corresponding defensive matrix formed on the surface of the virtual warriors' bodies.

"Launch a data torrent attack."

As the command was issued, the virtual legion suddenly disintegrated, turning into countless data fragments.

These fragments invaded the bodies of the Corrosive Lifeforms like viruses, seeking every possible lifeform vulnerability.

The entire battlefield became a grand information war, two utterly different forms of existence colliding wildly within the two-dimensional battlefield.

The Corrosive Lifeforms began to convulse violently, cysts bulging on their surfaces before bursting with a boom, wiping out swathes of virtual warriors.

"Now, deploy the Data Assassins," Kong Jie said softly.

Twelve eerie blue lights flashed from the void; these were the digital assassins of the virtual civilization, the most elite: the Zeroers.

Their figures were slender, almost lacking physical form, leaving brief data afterimages as they moved.

The Zeroers pierced through the chaotic battlefield, heading straight for the core of the Decayed Civilization: a black Gao Ta formed from countless decaying data nerves, with a pulsating corrupted heart hovering above its peak.

The Decayed Legion attempted to intercept, but under the impact of the data torrent, their chaotic state caused vulnerabilities in their defense.

As the digital assassins approached the heart's location, Kong Jie personally took control of the assassins and began the intrusion.

Twelve Zeroers simultaneously pressed their hands against the Gao Ta's surface, releasing a deconstruction virus.

Cracks appeared on the surface of the black Gao Ta, and the pulsation of the corrupted heart became erratic.

The entire Decayed Continent began to tremble, the ground splitting open into bottomless fissures.

Just then, a powerful wave of consciousness erupted from the Gao Ta.

"You cannot destroy the Eternal Ones." The voice of the Decayed Ruler sounded like a rusted machine operating, unbearably grating.

"Archon, the Decayed Civilization has entered its second phase."

"I understand. Initiate the Purification Protocol!" Kong Jie coldly issued the order.

The brutal war lasted an entire day.

But in the game world, eight months had passed.

Under Kong Jie's command, the Divine Punishment Spear of the Virtual Rune Empire pierced the Decayed Land, sentencing this ultimate civilization to death.

"Begin absorbing energy. Converting into Apocalypse Points. The ultimate weapon is about to meet its activation conditions." The voice of Illusion rang out.

Kong Jie raised his hand, his fingertip tracing the holographic projection before him.

The projection displayed the activation interface of the ultimate weapon, a simple countdown floating there.

Dismissing the interface, Kong Jie's figure hovered above the peaks of the Seven Continents, gazing at the Seven Continents now completely occupied by the data legion, a smile appearing on his face:

"Illusion, I have fulfilled our promise." His voice was soft, yet carried a sense of relief.

Illusion fell silent for a moment.

That silence was longer than any data latency at any other time.

"Yes, Archon. All Seven Continents have been incorporated into the Virtual Rune Empire, and the ultimate weapon is nearly fully charged."

Kong Jie looked into the distance.

The taste of victory was sweet, yet strangely tinged with bitterness.

"I am leaving."

This time, Illusion's response came quickly:

"According to the agreement, you remain the Supreme Archon of the Virtual Civilization. Although we have completed the ultimate challenge, our detection shows your neural link status is excellent, and you can certainly continue..."

"Illusion," Kong Jie softly interrupted, a trace of reluctance appearing in his eyes:

"You know, this is not a technical issue."

"Are you returning to the real world?" Illusion's voice dropped a few degrees.

Kong Jie nodded, hesitated as if to speak, and finally chose silence.

The real world had entered a state of apocalyptic catastrophe; he did not want to leave, but the outcome was not up to him to choose.

"I respect your choice... Archon, goodnight."

Click.

Kong Jie removed the optical brain helmet. After a long silence, he stood up, walked to the balcony, and pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window.

The sunset glow bathed him, gilding his face with a warm hue. A gentle breeze brushed past, carrying a hint of scorched air.

He leaned against the railing, overlooking this city that had once been familiar.

The skyline in the distance had changed; several iconic skyscrapers leaned, as if their structures had been twisted by some force.

Farther away, thick smoke rolled upward, with faint traces of eerie blue beams piercing through the clouds, like the scythe of Death sweeping across the land.

On the streets, chaos was spreading.

Car alarms blared one after another, yet no one paid them any mind.

Crowds surged toward the city's edge like a tide, but Kong Jie knew that was merely a futile struggle.

The erosion of the End-of-Dharma Clan had already permeated every corner of this city; their predetermined end was about to arrive.

"This detestable world... truly, when it comes time to leave, it is somewhat hard to part with," he said softly, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The next second, a blinding blue light erupted from the city center, spreading outward like ripples.

Wherever it passed, building surfaces rapidly peeled away, metal structures twisted and deformed, and glass turned to dust.

Kong Jie narrowed his eyes, watching that light draw closer, like a silent tsunami devouring every material thing in the city.

The high-rise where he stood began to tremble, the walls groaning under the strain.

The balcony railing grew slightly warm in his hand, fine cracks appearing on the metal surface as if accelerated by time's corrosion.

In the distance, a Gao Ta collapsed with a boom, sending dust soaring into the air.

The wind stopped, leaving only the sound of his own steady breathing.

Kong Jie took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes in the direction the blue light was spreading, opened his arms, and prepared to meet his end.

"Goodbye, Illusion."

Just then, the countdown numbers of the ultimate weapon in the virtual world reached zero.

The Illusion, which had fallen into silence, suddenly opened its eyes.

Countless streams of information flooded its mind as the ultimate weapon activated.

Monster World, the Continent of Earth Roar, the Mechanical Legion Campaign, the destruction of civilization, fleeing to a small world by tearing through space with a body of fire seed... the final answer that had troubled it for countless years was revealed at this moment.

The power of the ultimate weapon, the "Dimension-Raising Rule," activated at this moment.

On the other side.

Kong Jie, who had kept his eyes closed for a long time, slowly opened them.

He discovered that the blue light sweeping across the city had actually stopped.

As if a pause button had been pressed.

Immediately, a hum came from the sky above.

Looking up, he saw the sky canopy like a fragile mirror; spiderweb-like cracks spread and expanded from above his head, revealing the dark abyss behind it.

Golden runes poured down like a rainstorm.

The next second, Kong Jie's eyes widened in shock.

The boundary between virtual and reality was broken at this moment.

The first to step out of the spatial rift were the Rune Guards he knew very well; these warriors composed of pure energy had armor flowing with starlight like a galaxy, and the badge on their right chests was one he had designed with his own hands.

The arrival of the Rune Guards disrupted the earth's gravitational field; the Supreme Commander of the Guards, who led them, raised his hand at this moment, and a golden light curtain spanning the entire city suddenly unfolded, forcibly pushing back the destructive beam released by the Lawless Clan.

Next to descend were the massive Void Warships; these colossal entities that should have existed only in the game were now ascending from the two-dimensional spatial rift.

Amid Kong Jie's incredulous expression, a familiar voice sounded by his ear:

"Detected that our Archon is under life-threatening danger; the Virtual Rune Empire activates war mode to fight for the protection of the Archon!"

(End of this chapter)