Chapter Two: The Rules

Chapter Two: The Rules

Liu Ling smiled faintly and took a step back.

A colorful ribbon drifted down from her sleeve, then suddenly seemed to come alive in midair, twisting and curling.

“Heh!”

With a coy exclamation from Liu Ling, the ribbon instantly transformed.

A crossbow, as tall as the young woman herself, appeared before her.

“What’s this?”

“I found it in the enhancement options within the Main God’s space,” Liu Ling said with a smile as she planted the crossbow on the ground. “I analyzed the members of our current team.”

“Qi Xiaoxiao was already a legendary national martial arts expert before entering the Reincarnation Space. After her physical enhancement, she achieved a breakthrough. From now on, our squad’s close combat will rely on her and Liu Mengchao,” Liu Ling explained as she hoisted the crossbow, its bolts gleaming menacingly. “But our squad still lacks ranged firepower. Even Liu Mengchao’s dual pistols are used mostly in close quarters.”

“So?”

Liu Mengchao frowned, looking at Liu Ling on the screen.

“So, I enhanced Senior Sister Tomoe Mami’s abilities from the magical girl series ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica.’ She can transform her softened ribbons into single-use flintlock guns. But since I’m completely powerless with firearms...” Liu Ling squinted one eye, carefully holding the crossbow, “the crossbow is more suitable for beginners and easier to hit targets at a distance.”

Before Liu Ling could finish, Liu Mengchao heard a muffled twang.

A silver flash shot from Liu Ling’s crossbow and embedded itself into the wall.

“Everyone’s... getting stronger,” Liu Mengchao muttered, twitching the corner of his mouth. It seemed that those who had passed through a reincarnation world grew in strength rapidly. No wonder there was a need for a Main God’s space representative like himself to supervise and suppress them; otherwise, a rebellion within the Main God’s space was inevitable.

“And what about you?”

Liu Mengchao turned to the figure on the screen—Misaki Mei.

The girl’s mismatched eyes—one red, one green—sparkled with amusement.

“I have the most basic Direct Death Eye,” Misaki Mei said, pointing to her red eye. “Originally, my left eye could see the death aura of impending demise. Now, I’ve exchanged the power of my right eye to maximize my ability to identify a person’s fatal weakness.”

“This ability complements my ranged crossbow attacks well since neither of us is strong in close combat. We can’t charge headlong into battle like you,” Liu Ling explained.

Liu Mengchao nodded thoughtfully.

“What about your enhancement, Liu Mengchao?”

“My enhancement?” Liu Mengchao murmured, then shook his head. “I haven’t decided yet. There are still ten days before the next reincarnation world opens. I’ll think about it then.”

With that, Liu Mengchao smiled faintly at his teammates—or rather, his prisoners—on the screen and ended the video call.

“The reincarnators seem to be doing well.”

Bai Ya’s voice sounded in Liu Mengchao’s ear at the right moment.

“Yes, their enhancement speed has far exceeded my expectations,” Liu Mengchao nodded and headed straight toward the alloy wall.

Passing through it.

The alloy wall was like a transparent phantom, passing right through Liu Mengchao’s body.

The Main God’s space reappeared before him.

“As expected...”

Liu Mengchao stopped, gazing at the library that symbolized enhancement.

This library had grown larger, now two stories tall and similar in scale to the one he had seen in the Another World. The walls were covered with green ivy, just as in that world.

Pushing the door open, Liu Mengchao examined the enhancements conjured by the reincarnators while speaking to Bai Ya in his mind.

“Now you can tell me the details about the Main God’s team battle, right? I don’t want to enter next time and be completely clueless like this time.”

“Serving you is my honor, Exchanger Lord,” Bai Ya’s voice remained courteous and humble, without a trace of complaint.

“Since the rules of the Main God’s team battle are somewhat complex, I would like you to simulate it with me. That is, I will act as Mars’ exchanger, Qingyun.”

“Agreed.”

Liu Mengchao nodded.

“Very well, let us begin.”

As Bai Ya finished speaking, a white-glowing platform rose before Liu Mengchao.

The platform was roughly the size of a table, with several glowing game pieces placed on either side.

“First, we define this platform as the next reincarnation world.”

“So, these pieces represent the so-called reincarnators?” Liu Mengchao asked.

“Yes, Exchanger Lord,” Bai Ya’s voice sounded calmly in his ear. “This Main God’s team battle also involves reincarnators on both sides. That is to say, the opposing side, Qingyun’s team, will also deploy reincarnators.”

“Understood. But how many?”

“You determine that,” Bai Ya’s tone held a hint of delight. “Because you won the preliminary battle, you get to decide the total number of reincarnators in the next reincarnation world. By the way, there must be at least two.”

“Five in total, including myself. There will be newcomers joining, right?”

“Yes, Exchanger Lord,” Bai Ya affirmed. “I, as Qingyun, will also send five reincarnators to battle. Of course, if I don’t have enough veterans, new recruits will be added instead.”

Liu Mengchao nodded in acknowledgment.

Ten glowing pieces appeared on the platform—his pieces radiating red light, and the opposition’s glowing blue.

“After confirming the number of participants on both sides, you will determine the reincarnation world.”

“[Redacted].”

Liu Mengchao voiced his choice, and the platform, as if alive, revealed the name of the reincarnation world at its base.

“The one who determines the reincarnation world gains the right to assign the opposing reincarnators’ missions first. In other words, you will set Qingyun team’s mission first.”

Before Liu Mengchao could react, a banner appeared above the Qingyun team’s pieces, simply stating: Mission—proposed by Liu Mengchao.

“Now it’s the opponent’s turn to assign me a mission, right?” Liu Mengchao smiled.

“Yes, as you see,” Bai Ya nodded. A banner appeared above Liu Mengchao’s team, also reading: Mission—proposed by Qingyun.

“Next comes the mission rewards, starting with Qingyun’s proposal.”

The banner above Liu Mengchao’s pieces shifted, displaying the reward description:

Complete mission, reward: 10,000 Main God Points.

Side quests: Two C-rank scenarios.

“Then I propose my own reward points based on theirs?” Liu Mengchao said without waiting for Bai Ya’s reply. “Since it’s a team battle, the rewards should be equal.”

No response.

Liu Mengchao’s words did not appear on the opposing banner.

“The reward points proposed by the two exchangers cannot be identical. Allow me to demonstrate,” Bai Ya’s voice slowly explained. Liu Mengchao noticed the opposing banner also changed:

Complete mission, reward: 20,000 Main God Points.

Side quests: Two C-rank scenarios.

“Why can’t they be the same...?” Liu Mengchao started to ask, but the platform suddenly shifted.

A sand timer appeared above it.

“We call the difference in reward points between the two exchangers the ‘sand particles.’”

“Twenty thousand minus ten thousand means the sand particles between me and Qingyun are ten thousand.”

“That’s correct, Exchanger Lord. When one side completes the mission in the reincarnation world but the other fails, the hourglass activates. For example, you...” Bai Ya’s voice continued as a number floated above Liu Mengchao’s pieces:

Exactly ten thousand.

“Every half hour, your pool of points increases by ten thousand, while Qingyun’s pool decreases by ten thousand.”

“The reverse applies as well, right?”

“Yes, Exchanger Lord,” Bai Ya nodded. “Do not underestimate the reduction of your pool points. Once the pool is too low, you cannot activate your Illusion Kingdom, meaning you cannot harm the opposing Main God.”

“Where is the opposing Main God? Are they also with the reincarnators?”

“No... please look,”

Two glowing dots rose on the platform.

“The Main God will appear in the reincarnation world as a story character. This identity is set by you, Exchanger Lord. Accordingly, upon entering, memories of everyone in the reincarnation world will be altered.”

“In other words, none of us will remember who the Main God really is?” Liu Mengchao frowned.

“Except for the designated exchanger, all reincarnators and story characters will not remember,” Bai Ya’s voice carried a hint of concern. “There are two ways to discover the opposing Main God.”

The platform shifted again.

The piece representing the opposing Main God, Mars, disappeared.

One of the five pieces on the opponent’s side changed color—from light blue to black. Simultaneously, one of Liu Mengchao’s pieces also turned black.

“That’s the Main God exchanger’s piece, right?”

“Yes, these two black pieces represent you and the opposing exchanger, Qingyun,” Bai Ya’s voice explained as the platform responded accordingly.

“The opponent’s black piece is gone—does that mean Qingyun was eliminated?”

“Yes.” No sooner had Bai Ya spoken than the piece that once represented the opposing Main God suddenly appeared before Liu Mengchao.

“This piece representing the Main God is normally invisible. Once the exchanger is killed, the Main God’s piece reveals itself. Your memories regarding this story character will then be unlocked. Your mission is to...” Bai Ya’s words stopped abruptly.

But the piece before Liu Mengchao did not cease moving.

His black piece suddenly charged into the opponent’s formation, and a burst of radiant, multicolored light enveloped the opposing Main God.

“Activate your Illusion Kingdom, then kill the opposing Main God within it.”

Liu Mengchao nodded slowly.

“This is rather complicated...” he smiled wryly. “And the other method?”

“Watch the hourglass.”

Liu Mengchao looked up; the sand in the hourglass had completely run out.

“When the hourglass empties—meaning the opposing pool is depleted—the opposing Main God will reveal itself.”

“Hah...” Liu Mengchao smiled involuntarily. That method was certainly slow.

“By the way, Bai Ya. If I activate my Illusion Kingdom from the start...” Liu Mengchao gestured on the platform, “including the entire world, then systematically eliminate the story characters, wouldn’t that achieve the goal?”

“This...” Bai Ya hesitated. “While that’s possible, it consumes an enormous number of pool points. And really, only...”

“Madmen,” Liu Mengchao finished with a laugh, voicing the thought Bai Ya dared not say aloud.

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Well... Hopefully the rules for the Main God’s space battle aren’t too complicated... I’ve thought about it for a long time... (╯▽╰) Please don’t criticize Liu Ling’s enhancement... the headless thing and all, haha...

Thanks to all the readers who subscribed to this chapter~~~~~~~~~~~

Special thanks to Ka Shaoye, Unikorn Sea Cucumber Bread Cat, BXeroXB, Dream Drunk on Rivers and Seas, Floating Radiance Shadow, Gongzi Lan, Step by Step, Peaceful Mountains and Rivers, Kiririn☆, and others for their generous support~~~~~~~~ (To be continued.)