Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

The dead will be resurrected, and the broken things will be rebuilt.

In the chaos that spans heaven and earth, everything will be reassembled, and after the reassembly, the story will continue.

The agreement has been fulfilled.

Side Story: The New Game

--"Name?"

"Luo."

--"gender?"

"Anything is fine, for now let's just consider him male."

--"Race?"

"Innate Demon God".

—"Former name?"

"Rahu, Azathoth, um... I've also been using the name Corros recently."

—Why did you choose the name Azathoth?

"At the time, I didn't have any particular ideas. I just felt that the mortals of that era were too arrogant and too ignorant, so I designed a myth that was superior to mortals and looked down on them. That's how it turned out."

"Then why is it called 'Azathoth'?"

"Why are there so many whys... Wait, is my problem just because of this name?"

"—Yes, you shouldn't have chosen that name. You shouldn't have started that series of legends called the Cthulhu Mythos in the multiverse either. Don't you find it strange? In today's world, humanity is clearly overwhelming everything, so why can this kind of niche, anti-intellectual, and anti-human mythology still spread widely and be repeatedly banned? As a True Saint, you should know that the myths and legends circulating in this multiverse are basically the erosion of the multiverse by those Saints, Quasi-Saints, or beings of the same rank, and the details in the myths basically reflect the state of the source of the erosion."

"Just like how Odin, though the supreme god in Norse mythology, is actually the most powerful figure in the Norse lineage in the Primordial Heaven, despite his relatively unknown status? Yes, I know. The clashes between the saints in the Primordial Heaven are reflected in the multiverse. I always thought that the widespread popularity of the Cthulhu mythology was because of me... but it turns out that's not the case?"

"—Yes, it's Dao Erosion. It comes from outside this multiverse, from beings several levels higher than innate demon gods like you. Just as my contact with this multiverse brought information magic, this multiverse is actually being eroded by multiple beings of the same level as me. I don't know exactly how many, because if I knew, it would mean war. But I can talk to you about the one you encountered, since my information magic split into idealism and materialism because of it, causing me a lot of trouble."

"The erosion beyond the multiverse... No wonder I can't feel it or perceive it, yet a strange feeling always wells up from the depths of my heart. I see... So what should I do? Abandon the name Azathoth?"

"All the karma you have created in the name of Azathoth must be discarded, so that this mad and foolish lord may truly live up to his name, instead of being controlled by you, the one behind the scenes, as before. Figure out the specifics yourself; if you can't figure it out, just watch how my daughter does it."

"...Thank you very much."

"No need to thank me. This is the reward you received in exchange for Sirin's cause and effect. For me, it's just a matter of a few words. You don't need to feel guilty, and you don't owe me anything because of this."

"Understood. Then, that source of the multiverse..."

"I don't know. Its name hasn't spread throughout this multiverse yet. Once someone knows its true name, appearance, or deeds, it means its will has fully descended. It means this world has welcomed a new master and the old Gaia is completely dead. This rule applies to it and its counterparts, so you don't need to know too much."

"I see."

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

Lin Juntian rubbed his forehead; the conversation between the two immature, delusional people in the next private room was giving him a headache. He considered knocking on the wall to remind the guys next door that the soundproofing in this cafe's private rooms wasn't very good. But as he was about to do so, a thought swirling in his mind made him put his hand down.

Yeah, who hasn't been a bit of a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur) when they were young? Didn't I often fantasize that I was Ultraman who forgot where my transformation device was? Don't laugh at someone who's not so great; just take care of yourself.

Moreover... he knew that the soundproofing here wasn't actually that bad.

He shook his head and lit a cigarette. The night view outside the window was as bright and beautiful as ever. He could hear the sound of a door opening next door; it was probably that male chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur) who pretended to be Azathoth leaving with not-too-heavy steps. And now it was finally quiet.

I've been in this world for about two years now. I initially thought it was just an ordinary alternate world, but I never expected things to change like this. I hope I'll make some progress later...

He exhaled deeply, the drifting smoke forming neat circles in the air before dissipating silently. Ah, yes, he was a transmigrator. Two years ago, on his way to a project, he inexplicably transmigrated to this strange world, nine-tenths similar to his original Earth. No cheat codes, no special abilities, nothing except for a vague dream upon waking—a dream where he seemed to be leading a group of medieval people in a fantastical apocalyptic environment, struggling to survive. And when he awoke, he found himself lying under a bridge in a magical city of this other world.

He had thought he was pretty much done for, though in his original world he was also on the verge of ruin due to stock exchange performance, mortgage payments, and credit bills. But at least the Shanghai in his original world still had the real name "Magic City," and he had a few friends he could borrow money from, unlike this other world where Shanghai was literally just called "Magic City" and he didn't know a single person there. However, just as he was sinking into despair looking at the slogans on the outdoor TV ads, he suddenly realized—his luck had turned!

First, while starving, he found a wallet full of money. Remembering that even in poverty, one should not lose their integrity, he returned the lost money on an empty stomach, only to encounter a wealthy businessman who happened to need an investment advisor. After some maneuvering, he successfully earned his first pot of gold. Then, having worked as a low-level stockbroker for many years in his previous life, he entered the stock market after thorough preparation, and his assets multiplied exponentially!

When luck is on your side, you can buy a stock from its daily limit down to its daily limit up, even with your eyes closed. A year and a half later, he discovered he had entered the real economy and was able to buy an office building in downtown Shanghai!

The saying "when luck comes, it's hard to lose" certainly applies here. Two years later, Lin is now a well-known young tycoon in Shanghai. He not only has influence in both political and business circles, but his success story was even featured in a public service advertisement to encourage youth entrepreneurship. Looking back, he feels he has reached the pinnacle of his life. More importantly, unlike other lonely time travelers, when he reached the summit, a kindred spirit with whom he could share secrets came flowing by!

There was a light knock on the door of the private room, and then the person who pushed the door open made him pull his mind back from his past memories.

"Brother Lin, you've picked a good spot." Liu Yu, dressed casually in a low-key outfit, wearing a hoodie and a hoodie, entered. He only took off the hood after closing the door, revealing his youthful and innocent face. As an internationally renowned young scholar, he was quite close to being assigned a personal bodyguard by the government. Avoiding fans who might recognize him to get here had taken him a lot of effort.

Unfortunately, not every fourteen-year-old can solve two of the seven Millennium Prize Problems and have their research recognized by the international mathematical community. In fact, even renowned forty-year-old scholars these days can't do the same. However, mathematics judges success or failure regardless of the process; a solution is a solution, and there's no evidence or grounds to accuse someone of plagiarism or cheating.

"Couldn't you have said it on the phone or computer? Why did you have to rush here?" Liu Yu shook his head. As a fellow time traveler, he understood why Lin Juntian was so fond of this café. After all, it was the place where Lin Juntian found the wallet that changed his fate, the place where he altered the trajectory of his future. Although with Lin Juntian's good fortune, he probably would have become incredibly successful even without finding that wallet, that didn't stop him from treating this café with special regard.

Ah, that's right. Liu Yu is also a transmigrator, and even from the same hometown as Lin Juntian. They both come from Earth in the same alternate world. Like Lin Juntian, he also experienced incredible luck after transmigrating. However, unlike Lin Juntian's meteoric rise in the financial world, Liu Yu's luck manifested in his exceptional academic comprehension. Whenever he wanted to solve a problem, he would have a sudden inspiration and make connections, allowing him to do what others couldn't and explore academic fields previously unknown.

They were of the same kind, both time travelers, and knew each other.

Once the door was closed, Liu Yu sat down in her seat and cast a questioning glance at Lin Juntian. Only then did the conversation begin about the topics to be discussed in this private meeting.

“I feel…” Lin Juntian glanced at the next room subconsciously, then lowered his voice. “Something’s not right about this world.”

"I think there might be something wrong between the two of us." Liu Yu pursed her lips, giving him a look that said, "If you keep pretending, I'm leaving." "Don't underestimate the world and overestimate yourself. This world is just an ordinary..."

The next moment, he suddenly covered his mouth.

Because right in front of him, all the large and small parts in the private room, the fruit on the table, the vase on the table, the coffee table next to the vase, and the books on the coffee table all silently floated up, and at the same time they floated up, a faint light burst forth in Lin Juntian's eyes!

Liu Yu subconsciously looked at the ventilation opening in the corner of the private room.

“Don’t worry, there are no cameras here.” The light in Lin Juntian’s eyes dimmed, and then everything that had floated up returned to its original position. “You can’t see inside from outside the window, and the sounds from next door can only travel one way to us without us having to worry about them traveling back. Because I discovered that I can control the one-way transmission of sound.”

He snapped his fingers, and the sound from next door rang out clearly from inside the private room.

"Hello, Mr. Pei. This is probably the first time we've spoken face-to-face like this." — The speaker was still that unremarkable female voice.

“Mr. Pei… a novel yet familiar title. Shall I call you Lady Goddess?”—Unlike the man who called himself Luo before, this time another male voice rang out from the outside.

"Do as you please. Perhaps you'd like me to reveal my real name here, Fuxi?"

“Then let’s not. This world has finally gained freedom, and we still have a few acquaintances here. I think it’s better not to completely erase them.” The male voice seemed somewhat conflicted. “Also, my surname is Pei, please don’t address me with a name that could easily cause misunderstanding, Ms. Shenqi. Let’s get down to business…”

Lin Juntian snapped his fingers again, and the conversation coming from next door abruptly stopped.

"See? Two middle-aged chuunibyous." Lin Juntian shrugged. "Maybe three, because there was another one before... But whatever, that's not the point. The point is this: superpowers, superpowers!"

“I don’t think this is a coincidence, because I feel like I’m probably not the only one. Last week I went to Japan and felt a similar feeling from a pair of reclusive siblings. And it wasn’t just them; I also met a foreign couple on the plane when I left, and they gave me a similar impression.” Lin Juntian took out a photo of a foreign couple at the airport. The man had unusually white hair, while the woman exuded a mechanical quality amidst her demure demeanor.

"Rikku and Shubi, those are their names. I did some research, and they're well-known zaibatsu owners in Germany. And that brother and sister who don't want to reveal their real names control almost the entire Japanese internet system. And damn it, they figured out my transmigrator identity in just a few words!"

He took a few deep breaths, then looked seriously at Liu Yu, who also had a serious expression. "So, I've come to seek your help. Because you're intelligent, and also because I feel that this world... is probably about to undergo a huge change."

"And you also sensed the same abnormality in me, didn't you?" Liu Yu replied calmly, staring at his hands. As his attention focused, a kind of supernatural interference emerged in his perception!

"So I'm a superpowered person too..." Liu Yu murmured. The next moment, he suddenly stood up and reached out to touch the huge floor-to-ceiling window outside the café's private room!

Outside the window, the traffic was heavy and the city was brightly lit, but a bright white full moon stood out in his field of vision.

A change was coming, a new order that would redefine the rules of the world was about to arrive. Although he didn't know why, he and his group had received preferential treatment before anything else even began to change. But the next moment, the world in his eyes transformed into a gigantic chessboard!

At that moment, a voice that sounded like that of an energetic young man rang out from the depths of everyone's hearts.

"This world will usher in new rules, and everything will move to a higher level through change! But killing and suffering are forbidden, and everyone should enjoy the game!"

"Everyone, let's begin the game!"

—The world will become interesting in a peaceful way.

Interlude: Moon World - Early Preparations

Section 1: The Cost and the Truth

The world is being destroyed, the world is being changed.

The world is being reshaped, the world is being reborn.

The Tree of Events is not a real tree; its essence is a vast array resembling a tree. When one branch breaks, the remaining seven lose their original function. Looking down from the perspective of the cosmic landscape, one can see the mist enveloping the entire Virgo Supercluster collapsing, dissipating, and then... dissipating outward at a speed exceeding the time scale.

This is the price, the price of granting freedom to a universe.

But in reality, it's not just a universe that has gained freedom.

Alice's form and will detached from the game life zero world, which had gained freedom. When she left, the other reincarnators from the Central Continent Team also left. The reincarnators, each having benefited, transformed into threads of light and flowed to different worlds. With the unification of their past and future selves, new power burst forth from the bodies of the ascendants.

The ritual took an unexpected turn, but the anticipated benefits were not significantly diminished. Alice found a new way to enhance herself here, and many members independently developed powers sufficient for self-defense.

She saw Zheng Zha awaken in the palace of the Ice and Fire universe, the palace instantly turning to ashes. The vengeful crimson within the Blood Dragon Transformation faded, but the radiance remained. The entire Westeros then sank into another realm beyond the comprehension of the reincarnators amidst the shifting heavens and earth, leaving only the newly ascended true god to vanish into the void.

She saw Patchouli return to the Shadowverse universe, her status and identity as the Fairy Queen restored. The ordinary fantasy world then reversed, returning to its state at the beginning of the story. She remained on the edge of the fourth level, only one step away from becoming a true god, but she hesitated before taking that step. She had other plans in her heart, and at the moment of her pause, the Shadowverse world, transformed into fruit, sank into nothingness, no longer bound by the ritual.

She saw Zhan Lan and Xiao Honglu return to the Wizarding World's worldview, and Zhang Jie, Ba Wang, Ling Dian, and the others also returned to the World Fruit of Assassin's Creed. But to her surprise, when the opportunity to consume the World Fruit and make the world their own sustenance presented itself, they all chose to give it up, allowing the mature world to gain its own liberation.

The same applies to the Marvel universe. On Marvel's side, her future self voluntarily detached from that world and pointed towards a certain point in the void. Zhao Yingkong and Zhao Zhuikong, however, safely landed in that realm. In the past, where darkness didn't exist, Zhao Yingkong merged with the future Zhao Yingkong who did, extracting that darkness. Zhao Zhuikong's situation was somewhat ambiguous, but he also underwent largely similar changes. And they, too, relinquished the Fruit of the World.

Zhang Heng hesitated when the World Fruit of DC appeared before him. He wavered several times, but ultimately chose to give up. At the same time, the Indiana and Senju teams, who were qualified to compete for the fruit, were expelled by Sirin and Alice, who had undergone a transformation—Sirin's situation was unclear; after merging with her time-manipulation abilities, Alice could no longer observe her every move. And when Alice's will was directed towards the Senju team's captain, Exx, who was Thanos, the latter simply smiled and retreated into the void.

She didn't expect a battle at this point in time, because even now, the tide still turned in the hands of the Central Continent team. As for the Honkai series world view that Sirin's original body belonged to, there was no need to talk about it.

The eight branches resembled the twigs of a tree, with the World Fruits on seven branches gaining freedom. Only the Type-Moon world where Zhao Zhuikong resided underwent some unknown changes, perhaps related to the Celestial Team stranded there—but even so, the Celestial Team failed to obtain the World Fruit. Because until now, at least for now, the tide still lay with the Central Continent Team.

Everything is fading, everything is changing. The region of space once covered by the Virgo Supercluster has been separated and detached, passing through the World Membrane, and becoming a new, autonomous world. They broke free from the constraints of the script the moment Alice made her choice, and gained new freedom on the distant horizon.

This was the price the Central Continent team had to pay—she returned her will to that unknown region that overlooked the entire universe. What came into view was a silver shadow hovering above the sea of ​​stars and the darkness of a distant land. As the mist disintegrating from the outer edge of the Virgo Supercluster spread outwards and gradually covered the entire observable cosmic region, the silver shadow gradually dimmed, and the unknown darkness vanished without a trace in silence.

The standoff between Chu Xuan and his clone, and between the Central Plains Team and the Demon Team, has come to an end.

However, the hunting ritual still exists.

“Because this isn’t a Saint-hunting ritual at all; it’s a Saint’s ascension,” Alice said calmly, glancing at the colossal silver shadow that was also in this unknown place and gradually materializing beside her. “Am I right, Chu Xuan? You’ve kept this a secret quite well.”

"The wisdom of mortals." The silver giant transformed into Chu Xuan's appearance, adjusted his glasses, and spoke calmly. "For those who execute the plan, understanding the Saint Hunting Ritual is enough. Anything beyond that is meaningless—yes, it's more of a Saint Ascension Ritual than a Saint Hunting Ritual. The primary protagonist is Chang'e, the secondary protagonist is still Chang'e, and we reincarnators are merely basking in their glory, getting some scraps."

He glanced at Alice. "Telling you the truth is pointless; it will only diminish your agency. Acting in the eyes of a saint and acting on the remains of a saint are two different things. Besides, I have never admitted anything to you."

"It's all just our wild guesses... huh?" Alice rubbed her forehead. She knew that if she really wanted to find something, she would definitely find a loophole in Chu Xuan's words. After all, Chu Xuan had never become a superhuman, and his words and actions were definitely not perfect from beginning to end.

But what's the point of saying it? At most, Chu Xuan will add another "Oh, I was just kidding." Besides, not having enough information and not seeing through the other party's scheme is already a sign of one's incompetence; wasting more breath and making a scene would be rather inappropriate.

“I finally understand where the gap lies between me and a true sage.” Alice sighed softly. “If Aichidra hadn’t told me the secret of the Saint, if I hadn’t encountered the incarnation of ‘Satan’ during my verification, I probably would never have imagined… Even a true god who has gathered the light of the soul, even one who has obtained authority that is almost a spiritual position, even one with Aichidra’s near-saintly power. Is it all in vain for something that is not a saint to fight against a saint?”

"My choice to grant the world freedom was actually part of your plan... wasn't it?"

"You drew your own conclusion and made your own choice," Chu Xuan said calmly. "I originally wanted to trick the Demon Team into joining, at least to have them share some of the team's burden. Unfortunately, my clone had unexpected access to information. So I had no choice but to lead the team through this time-consuming 'Saint Hunting Ritual' to try and gain benefits for the team. By the time you found Aiqidra, the terms had already been agreed upon, and your final choice was at most icing on the cake."

Alice lowered her eyes.

Chu Xuan was right; the true power possessed by a saint far exceeded her imagination. If Aichidra hadn't told her, she would never have imagined that the existence of a saint, even a nascent saint, involved the Dao Erosion phenomenon across the multiverse. As long as the Dao Erosion wasn't erased, and as long as legends related to this saint circulated throughout the myriad worlds, this nascent saint would neither die nor be injured. Even if they completed the task of slaying a saint as instructed by the main god, it would essentially be killing a saint's incarnation in this single universe.

Saints do not possess a physical form, and Aiqidra could not possibly erase Chang'e's Dao Erosion with a single blow, manifest its true form, and then pull it down—perhaps she could, but the appearance and actions of 'Satan' indicate that she at least did not do so. Combined with the important message entrusted to her by Aiqidra, the truth behind the so-called Saint Hunting Ritual becomes clear.

—Chang'e of the Primordial Heaven wasn't pulled down by the ritual; she descended on her own. From beginning to end, the Hunting Saint Ritual couldn't confine her. The reason she was willing to stay within the ritual, allowing reincarnators to take advantage of the offerings and even permitting the main god to send people to profit from it, was because the Hunting Saint Ritual brought her enormous benefits!