Chapter 981

In reality.

"Sssss—"

As if just pulled from drowning, Fang Yue suddenly shot upright from the bed, his upper body jerking off the mattress like a corpse.

"Who am I?"

"Where am I?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

The most philosophical three questions of existence left Fang Yue's mind dazed and blank.

But the next instant, a jolt shot through him—his foggy mind snapped crystal clear!

At the same time, a voice sounded directly in his heart.

【!!!】

【Fang Yue!!!】

【Great! Great! You bastard are still alive! Hahaha! I did it, I did it! I'm such a genius! A genius!!】

Parchment?

You… saved me?

Fang Yue had remembered what had happened before.

Previously, he had killed the Fifth Prince, but the side effect of using the Parchment had ultimately turned his entire body to paper, robbing him of consciousness entirely.

In that situation, Fang Yue himself had thought he was dead for sure.

Yet… he was still alive now?

And this place… wasn't the game—it was reality!

How did I log out of the game? And also…

【Aaaah! Right, right! Now isn't the time to get excited—the crisis isn't over yet!】

【Fang Yue, while you still can! While my paperization power hasn't yet taken hold of you, use Time Rewind immediately!】

【Right now, there's still a chance! Use my power to suppress my own power!】

Everything experienced in the game will synchronize to reality.

But this process has a time lag!

The Parchment seized precisely on this subtle delay!

This was the Parchment's final desperate measure.

"Use your 【Time Rewind】 in reality to counteract the paperization side effect in the game? Use magic to defeat magic? Is this even possible…"

As Fang Yue spoke these words, his pupils suddenly contracted—a sharp pain lanced through his chest.

The familiar sensation made his face turn pale.

The game character's condition was manifesting in reality at this speed?!

Had the interaction efficiency between the two worlds increased?

Whether it was due to the surge in Weirdness Line or some other reason, Fang Yue no longer knew.

Because that familiar sensation was about to spread.

【Fang Yue?!】

"Time Rewind! Parchment, activate Time Rewind immediately! I'm paperizing!"

Fang Yue no longer cared whether it was feasible or not—his life had already been yanked back from the brink by the Parchment. He would follow the Parchment's plan. Whether he lived or died, it was fate's call!

【What?! So fast… Fine, we start now… Time Rewind!】

Almost the instant the Parchment finished speaking, Fang Yue's lifespan ignited wildly.

As his lifespan burned, the speed at which his shriveled, paperized chest spread across his body slowed, then halted—and began to reverse!

Fang Yue pulled up his shirt, exposing his chest.

The area of his chest that had already partially turned to paper was receding visibly, gradually restoring its natural flesh tone.

Simultaneously, the already rapidly burning lifespan surged in consumption!

Lifespan that had previously burned one year at a time now burned ten, then dozens of years at once!

The moment his body fully shed its paperization and returned to flesh, his lifespan had burned away over two hundred years.

Remember, Fang Yue had only had three hundred years of lifespan to begin with.

It nearly drained him dry—he turned pale with shock.

Why was the consumption so enormous?!

In panic, Fang Yue halted 【Time Rewind】 the moment his body recovered.

At this point, only his previously fully paperized right palm remained paperized; all other parts of his body had returned to normal human form.

"Then the crisis is over, right…"

【Probably… Aww! Don't ask such complicated questions of the great and noble Parchment! You're still alive, aren't you? Figure out the rest yourself!】

The logic holds, but your attitude clearly means you have no idea what comes next.

Regardless, for now, he'd managed to salvage his life.

The rest? One step at a time.

"By the way, how did I log out of the game?"

Hearing Fang Yue ask this, the Parchment perked up immediately.

The adorable girl in his mind closed her eyes, proudly puffed out her small chest, and sniffed twice.

【Of course, just like before—repeat what the Moon Master of the Black Moon Organization said inside your mind, and the system will detect it.】

Fang Yue: …

Fang Yue:???

That actually works?!

Are you bug-exploiting here??

"Then won't I be locked out of the game again?"

【Account's probably glitched… maybe? Just give it a try.】

Fang Yue thought for a moment, then said: "Don't rush. Let me ask you—what exactly did the Dark Moon organization's Moon Lord Gui say, and why do I get my account banned every time his words come up?"

【Huh? Didn't I tell you many times already? Were you not listening?】

"Never mind all that, just say it again."

【Fine…】

Actually, to be precise, Fang Yue hadn't been ignoring her—he simply couldn't hear her.

Fang Yue remembered that at the time, the system had directly censored the key information inside the game, so he couldn't hear the parchment's words at all.

And in reality, he'd been focused entirely on getting back into the game—after all, every second counted back then, life and death hung in the balance, so of course the sooner he logged on, the better.

But now things were different.

The Fifth Prince had just been dealt with by him, and his in-game body should have recovered its health through Time Rewind. With Captain Wu's protection, unless another Rain-class anomaly popped up, he should be safe for the time being.

So, he planned to ask the parchment a few things properly first.

The parchment in his mind cleared her throat at this moment. Now that Fang Yue was out of danger, she had relaxed too, slipping back into her usual manner—like some award-winning orator, she spoke with great feeling.

【The Moon Lord said that the greatest secret they guard for Wanfa Xianren is the "Lock of Heaven."】

【Every exile is a link in the "Lock of Heaven." The Lock of Heaven connects all exiles; from the moment an exile is born, there is a chain on them, connected to the Lock of Heaven.】

【The Lock of Heaven is the key to transcending everything. Only by breaking free of their shackles can the exiles achieve transcendence! Otherwise, they will remain slaves forever!】

【Soul returns to Youquan, spirit enters Jiu Yuan, consciousness ascends to Tianhai, thought embraces Wanyun.】

【Soul is yang, spirit is yin, consciousness is attachment, thought is emptiness.】

【The Four Spirits reach the extreme—break the lock, shatter the heavens, transcend!】

【This is the exiles' only path to saving themselves!】

"Lock of Heaven? Exiles? Four Spirits reaching the extreme? Transcending the mundane?"

Fang Yue's expression was somewhat blank.

"What does that mean?"

The cute girl in his mind stared back at him, wide-eyed.

【You're asking me? Asking this incomparably adorable Zhi Zhi such a profound question?】

"…Sorry, my bad. You're right—whatever made me think to ask you something like that? My fault."

Parchment:???

I feel insulted, but I have no proof!

(End of chapter)