Start with a core cabin

Chapter 1877: Change and Invariance (I'd rate the game at points)
It hums in the darkness.

It roars into the void.

Lies are its curtain and imagination is its reality.

Reality is distorted, ideals are subverted, justice and evil, truth and fallacy are all spinning and changing in the blink of an eye. There is no oneness, no certainty, chaos itself is an existence of eternal change. Everything in this world is changing, no one can resist change, and no one can stop change.

However, that touch of gold pierced through the veil of chaos and ambiguity. The light reflecting hope, pain, and dreams melted and dissipated like the first snow in front of the golden pupils. Everything returned to the cold reality, without hope and wisdom, as if the world had just returned to what it should have been.

This crystal maze was not supposed to be like this. It tore apart expectations and goals, turning them into madness and despair. Almost every moment, this maze kept changing its rules, tracks, and paths under the great vision of cunning and deceit. There was no trace to follow.

If a mortal enters it, he will only fall into eternal fog.

But she won't.

Wherever that golden eye touched, the laws of chaos were quietly dispelled, and the stable reality covered it ruthlessly. It was like a child who was desperately telling his parents how many combinations there were that could make the result equal to four, but was greeted with an inhumane slap in the face by the other party.

Children, don’t think too much, just write 2+2=4.

This shouldn't be the case!
That's how it should be!
The Fate Weaver raised his head, and his two mouths emitted angry roars and treacherous laughs.

Everything is ruined!
Everything is according to plan!
She shouldn't be here!
She should come here!
This is not the ending we want!

This is the ending we want!

Still Mary was moving forward.

The demons had disappeared without a trace, and in their place were endless chatterings that came from all directions and echoed in Mary's ears.

You can't go back, you can't get out of this maze. Face it, you don't even realize you're going in the wrong direction.

Maybe you should try a different direction?
Mary admitted that the voice made sense. In fact, she didn't know where this road led to. Just like the voice said, maybe she took the wrong road, maybe this was not the exit. But...it didn't matter. At least this was a road, and it was the road she chose, so she would go to the end.

Mr. Duanmu is the same. He never looks back or stops. He always stares ahead, aims at the target, and then strides forward.

Mary knew that sometimes other methods might be better for Duanmu Huai, but... that was not his decision.

So, she didn't stop, but kept moving forward.

But the voice obviously did not stop there.

Even if you go back to him, what's the problem? You are just one of the countless women around him, and you may be relatively valued, but can you bear to share the same man with others? You deserve better, not to choose such a guy.

Indeed, Mary nodded inwardly in agreement.

The love she expected was a gentleman who loved her, just like the protagonist in the novel, deeply in love, full of gentlemanly manners, and loving her - not a man like Duanmu Huai, who was rude, barbaric, had no interest, and did not understand any manners.

But she has decided.

That's just your wishful thinking!
The screams were deafening and shook Mary to her core.

You know he doesn't mean that. He just wants you to be his assistant, not to propose to you! Maybe for him, it's just a position, and you are very suitable for this position, that's all! Are you willing to put up with this? You should tell him what you expect, not just be a yes-man around him!

I am used to this kind of life, at least for now. What will happen in the future is something I will talk about later.

Mary suddenly thought of Fulilian, who had once told Mary about her life. The elf wizard who had lived for a thousand years did the same thing most of the time, studying magic, picking herbs, and occasionally killing demons. For Fulilian, a thousand years had not changed her much. She was the same before, the same now, and perhaps the same in the future.

Mary envied Flillian's calm and indifferent attitude towards life, and she also yearned for it to a certain extent.

Because this means that no matter how time changes, there are always some things that will never change.

Like now, she enjoyed following Duanmu Huai, observing his battles, recording it all, and then compiling it into a book. Maybe one day she would get tired of it, but at least not now.

Stubborn!

The voice was screaming and roaring.

Nothing is constant, the world is always changing, and you are no exception! In the end, you will give up everything you once held on to!
Mary stopped.

It was not because she felt anything about this sentence, but because at this moment, Mary suddenly remembered a joke that Duanmu Huai once told her.

"You said, nothing is constant?"

That’s right, everything in the universe is changing, all the time, at any time and anywhere, without exception!
“So, is this itself a kind of invariance?”

Mary asked her inner questions curiously.

"You said that the universe is changing all the time. Does this mean that this is the only characteristic of the universe that is eternal and will not change?"

...........................

Silence. "Oh, sorry, I just suddenly remembered the joke Mr. Duanmu once told me..."

———————!
Roars and screams of terror suddenly broke out, and the next moment, the crystal maze in front of Mary was completely shattered.

“Ah ...

A shrill scream erupted from the loudspeaker, causing everyone to cover their ears involuntarily. The sound was deafening and heart-wrenching, as if a birdman's butt was pierced by a thorny mace.

"Shit, what's going on? It's screaming so badly? Is it haunted?"

Duanmu Huai lowered his ears and stared at the speaker in dissatisfaction. The piercing screams were now echoing in the closed teaching building, like an illusory ghost. Then the next moment, an unexpected scene appeared—the steel plates that originally sealed the entire teaching building rose up one after another, showing the scenery outside again in front of everyone. The blockade had been lifted, and instead, there were shouts and roars coming from outside.

"How is this going?"

Faced with this scene, everyone was a little confused.

"We haven't found the murderer yet?"

"No matter what happens, let's get out first!"

Duanmu Huai didn't care what was going on. Although he didn't know what had happened just now, he could hear the kind of collapse mixed in the sound of the horn, as if the son he had raised for decades found out was not his own. At least this was good news for him. Whether it was good news for the treacherous Gui was not a problem for Duanmu Huai to consider. Anyway, for it, good changes and bad changes were the same.

Led by Duanmu Huai, the group quickly came to the first floor and rushed out of the main door of the teaching building. On the way, the thugs with weapons also rushed over, but they were obviously no match for Duanmu Huai. Facing these students of preparatory subjects, Duanmu Huai showed no mercy. He waved his hands and knocked out all the guys who dared to stand in front of him. It was like an angry bull knocking away all the obstacles in front of it. When the group rushed out of the main door of the teaching building and came to the square, there were only students lying unconscious all around.

"Hurry, we have to get out of here!"

Chisa Yukizome tried her best to encourage the students.

"Come on, everyone. As long as we get through here, we will be able to leave the school! Then we will be safe!"

However, just as she finished her words, she saw Duanmu Huai in front of her suddenly stop, then turn around and punch Xue Ran Qian Sha hard in the face.

"boom!!"

The latter had never expected that Duanmu Huai would actually attack her. She took the punch hard, then flew backwards and fell heavily to the ground.

"teacher?"

Seeing this scene, the other students were also stunned and speechless for a while. They had no idea what was going on and why the two class teachers in their class suddenly started fighting without any warning. However, Duanmu Huai was obviously not interested in answering their questions. He just clenched his fists, walked forward, and stared at Yukiran Chisa who was lying on the ground.

"Get up, bitch. This blow won't kill you—although I really want to."

Hearing Duanmu Huai's words, Xue Ran Qian Sha stood up. There was no scar on her face. Duanmu Huai's punch that was powerful enough to break the wall just now seemed to have no effect. The latter touched her cheek and stared at Duanmu Huai.

"That's surprising, how did you find me?"

"Not surprisingly."

Duanmu Huai shrugged his shoulders.

"Your bad taste has always been like this. I'm a little tired of it. Isn't it just jumping back and forth between hope and despair to entertain yourself? I can even guess that once they walk out of the school gate, they will only face despair, right?"

“Yes… and no.”

Xue Ran Qian Sha smiled slightly and stared at Duanmu Huai.

"I originally wanted you to witness the truth of this world with your own eyes, but unfortunately, it seems that you don't intend to give me this opportunity."

"I don't care about the bullshit truth of this world."

Duanmu Huai shrugged and clenched his fists.

"I just came here to beat you up."

"Barbaric, stubborn, and stupid."

Yukizome Chisa shook her head.

"But your pet is quite interesting..."

As the voice was speaking, Yukizome Chisa's body began to twist and deform, and then a huge two-headed bird appeared in front of Duanmu Huai.

"You can't destroy my Lord! Everything is as planned!"

The two-headed bird raised its staff and pointed it at Duanmu Huai.

"And your fate has already been determined!"