When the game shut down, I took my skills with me.

Earth, the original site of City A.

Xiao Xue looked at the strange man in front of her who called himself a "merchant," her heart pounding violently.

She knew this was her last chance.

Either continue being a beggar abandoned at the door, watching helplessly as others ascend to heaven in the Kingdom of God.

Alternatively, grasp the poisonous olive branch that stretches out from the abyss before you.

I promise you.

Xiao Xue practically spat out those three words through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with resentment and determination.

The man's smile widened, and he snapped his fingers elegantly.

The wisp of purple flame dancing in his palm transformed into a stream of light and instantly disappeared into Xiao Xue's brow.

A sharp pain shot through her, as if her entire soul had been torn apart and then pieced back together. Countless chaotic, evil, and alluring pieces of knowledge and power ruthlessly flooded her mind.

This is not a blessing, it's more like pollution.

The grass beneath her feet withered rapidly, and the soil turned a scorched black. A visible aura of the abyss emanated from her.

The members of the "Oracle" guild retreated in terror, sensing that their guild leader was transforming into a completely unfamiliar and terrifying figure.

"Hahaha...power...this is power!"

Feeling the unprecedentedly powerful energy within her body, Xiao Xue couldn't help but laugh out loud.

With a casual flick of her finger, a deep purple energy ray shot out from her fingertip, easily shattering a small hill in the distance.

This destructive power is more than ten times stronger than her strongest skill before.

"How does it feel, my new partner?" the sinister man asked with satisfaction, admiring his masterpiece.

"Very good." Xiao Xue stopped laughing, her eyes turning cold. "But this little bit of power is probably not enough to make that administrator take me seriously."

"Of course." The man shrugged. "What I've given you is just a key. The real treasure is for you to claim yourself."

He pointed to the "sacred forest" protected by an invisible barrier.

"His power system originates from 'Order' and 'Protection.' What I give you is 'Chaos' and 'Corruption.' Now, go, use your new power to corrupt that pure holy land. When the first demonic flower of the abyss grows in this forest that belongs to him, do you think he will descend from his throne and glance at you?"

After saying that, the man's figure slowly disappeared into the air like a phantom.

Xiao Xue was left standing there, her eyes fixed on the forest with a frantic gaze.

……

Gaia Plane, Beach Villa District.

Fatty Wang was holding the empty Coke can, caught in a mental struggle.

On the forum, the "right to comprehend" this jar has been sold for an astronomical price that he never dared to imagine.

"Fatty! Please! Just let me lick it once! Just once! I'll pay you 500,000!"

"Get lost! Is that enlightenment? You're just trying to hoard it all! Fatty, I've assembled a hundred-person research team. If you rent us your jar for a day, all of our guild's output for this month is yours!"

Fatty Wang's mouth was practically watering as he looked at this information.

He held the Coke can carefully, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

"What's so magical about this thing?"

He couldn't help but lean closer and take a sniff; a sweet cola scent mixed with Lu Yuan's aroma wafted over.

Just then, he noticed a drop of almost dried Coke stain still clinging to the rim of the can.

As if possessed, Fatty Wang stuck out his tongue and gently licked it.

boom!

An indescribable feeling exploded in his mind in an instant.

That wasn't a taste, but a piece of information, an incomplete law about the transformation of "matter" and "energy".

The next second, a cold system notification sounded in his ear.

[Player detected contact with trace amounts of 'World Origin' residue; mental focus is high, meeting the conditions for enlightenment...]

[Congratulations! You have mastered a unique life skill—"The Ultimate Transformation Secrets of Gourmet Food" (Fragment)!]

[Skill Effect: You can consume a very small amount of mental energy to convert any food into an equal amount of 'Gourmet Crystals' containing pure energy. These crystals can be used to quickly restore stamina and mana, or as energy blocks.]

In an instant, countless golden runes and lines of law appeared in the air around Fatty Wang, and then rushed into his body.

Several players who were trading supplies nearby stared in disbelief at this scene.

"Holy crap! What's that? Golden light! It's the golden light of enlightenment!"

"Fatty...Fatty looked at a Coke can in a trash can and suddenly had an epiphany?!"

"My God! A miracle! This is absolutely a miracle! I knew the administrator's trash wasn't ordinary trash!"

The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Gaia plane.

The frenzy, which had just subsided slightly due to the hunting of native creatures, was reignited.

Countless players rushed towards the area around the villa district like madmen. They dared not get close and could only kneel on the ground at a distance, bowing and worshipping in the direction where Fatty Wang had his enlightenment, muttering "May the gods bless us."

……

Inside the villa's bedroom.

Lu Yuan was sleeping soundly when he suddenly frowned.

He sensed a discordant energy fluctuation in his world.

One, emanating from the direction of Earth, filled with the chaotic and malevolent aura of the abyss. Though weak, its essence is profound.

Another one, right at his own doorstep, was a faint fluctuation of law that vanished in a flash.

"Sir." Xiaoya's holographic projection appeared silently beside the bed. "A high-energy abyss reaction from the baseline realm (Earth) has been detected. The energy level is determined to be 'Lord-level,' and it is attempting to erode the spatial barrier of the 'Holy Forest.' At the same time, it has been detected that Mr. Wang Hao triggered a low-probability Law Enlightenment event due to contact with your residual energy information."

Lu Yuan rolled over, his eyes still closed, and mumbled something indistinctly.

"Mephisto... This guy appeared three whole months earlier than the game's database indicates. Is he under that much pressure to meet performance targets?"

He didn't take anyone's sudden enlightenment to heart at all. It was perfectly normal for a little of his power to dissipate and be understood by cats and dogs.

But that Abyss Lord is a bit annoying.

It's like having a fly buzzing in your yard. It's not a threat, but it affects your mood.

"understood."

Lu Yuan waved his hand impatiently.

"Send a system notification to Fatty Wang, telling him to stop blocking the doorway and disturbing my sleep. As for Earth..."

He paused, as if he was thinking.

A few seconds later, he said, "Add an 'Energy Reflection' attribute to the defensive barrier of 'Holy Forest,' and set its strength to 300%. Don't kill it directly, or the game will be unplayable."

"Yes, sir."

Xiaoya's figure disappeared.

The bedroom fell silent again, with only Lu Yuan's steady breathing remaining.

For him, all of this was just a tiny bit of spice to his monotonous salted fish life.