Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

Because their source is the crimson fortune that descends from the heavens.

Road erosion phenomenon.

The phenomenon of road erosion that Luo Ye described is extremely troublesome and difficult to deal with.

Before arriving, Alice couldn't understand it. But after seeing it, she instantly confirmed the correctness of Luo Ye's words.

She had to admit that she really had no way to deal with these blood-red puppet figures—she could certainly unleash her full power on the spot and shatter this star cluster into ruins with a single slap. However, doing so would make her a target of the blood-red destiny. While she was unlikely to die completely, she would almost certainly lose her life here!

Just like how she tricked Fanlou to death in the Zero World back then. The same method worked on her as well.

and……

She peered out of the tavern window, using only her eyes and ears—capable of gathering small amounts of visible light and material vibrations—without employing any supernatural powers. The next moment, she saw a figure, unfamiliar in appearance but familiar in demeanor, stumble across the street.

“I am not you! I am completely different from you!”—She saw the man, dressed in rags and with disheveled hair, and heard the sounds squeezed out of his throat—as well as the mockery and contempt coming from all around.

People dislike filthy and insane individuals; this has been true in every era. But…

That's Zheng Zha.

It was Zheng Zha, a fictional character. He was currently wandering the nearby city as a madman who had just awakened from a life support pod after a thousand years of hibernation, his mind clouded by an accident. Alice saw even more—she saw colors, she saw an endless, crimson aura, like an inverted Milky Way, swirling and washing over Zheng Zha!

This is indeed a phenomenon of Dao erosion. Just as Luo Ye described, the ancient will has not awakened, but his Dao is entwined around Zheng Zha. Presumably, Zheng Zha is currently struggling against the ancient Dao erosion phenomenon within his mind. And his physical body, which walks on the outside, has become a beacon guiding the flow of blood and destiny because of the ancient Dao, transforming this originally empty and desolate chaotic star cluster into this state.

This kingdom was born because of Zheng Zha.

And after it is born and begins to operate, it will in turn affect the battle between Zheng Zha and Gu Daoshi.

Alice lowered her eyes—if she wasn't mistaken, soon this delirious 'Zheng Zha' would be caught in a series of upheavals in this world, becoming the center of the vortex. And this world would try every means to corrupt him, making him like the other 'protagonists' here!

Because of his ancient origins, Zheng Zha possesses an exceptionally high affinity for the crimson aura. If he were willing to accept 'qi' and engage with 'power' like everyone else in this world, he would rapidly grow to an absurdly high level in an extremely short time. This is because the inherent strength of this crimson aura surpasses even the genetic lock.

[Gu is the embodiment of this destiny, a pawn, the hand of God. Once Zheng Zha fails in his internal struggles, or acquiesces to the erosion of this destiny externally, he will transform—transform into Gu, into Gu's vessel. Transform into someone wielding an axe, shouting, 'My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of Heaven!']

She couldn't help but shudder. The thought of Zheng Zha shouting such stupid things as "Don't underestimate a young man's potential" with that foolish face sent chills down her spine. Even so, she knew she couldn't act rashly.

[I can't directly influence him... Even if he's lost his mind, he still senses my presence. And in the struggle for the Dao, any direct interference will be seen as hostility and will provoke resistance. Perhaps I can defeat this madman, but if he prioritizes defeating me and actively absorbs my luck, then this side is doomed.]

【but……】

Alice gave a soft hum, watching Zheng Zha's figure disappear at the end of the street. Her ears twitched; she heard the sound of a convoy moving about a dozen kilometers away—the convoy carrying the princess of this kingdom. And in ten minutes, she would be hunted down by assassins from her relatives, her guards decimated, and in twenty-one minutes, she would collide with 'Zheng Zha' during her escape!

The story begins here. And it will rapidly evolve into a situation beyond repair. If no unforeseen circumstances arise, the spatial storm barrier outside this star cluster will be opened within a year at most. Zheng Zha will then subdue all forces here and become the first 'Human Emperor' of this world!

Based on this, whether Alice directly interferes with Zheng Zha or influences the people or things in this world, it will directly contribute to the decline of this future!

It sounds like there's no other way.

but……

"I'm actually quite good at flipping the table without lifting a finger."

Alice shook her head. She gouged out her own eyes and pressed them against the wall, carving out a grotesque shape.

Seconds later, thousands of greasy, slippery tentacles and rotten flesh and organs suddenly burst out from where she had been standing, instantly engulfing the guest room she was in!

Since I can't do it myself, I'll just let someone who can make a move come and cause trouble.

She decided to visit each of the main characters in the world she had just seen, the ones who made her wash her face again.

Furthermore, a generous gift was presented.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Invitation Under the Chessboard

Alice blinked and swatted away the tentacles and compound eyes that had grown out of her eye sockets.

Just now, she discovered through shared perception that one of her avatars had died. It was a gruesome death, and it had even affected other parts of her being.

She knew what was going on. It was an avatar sent to monitor the area surrounding Zheng Zha and lay traps as needed. From the memories they had maintained in sync, she knew that the avatar had observed the original player's moves and directly brought in another external god to disrupt things. Therefore, the avatar's demise was a logical consequence.

This is self-evident. Because the 'Outer God' is hostile to all the players. Whether it's Gu/Zheng Zha who inherited the blood-red destiny, or Alice, the daughter of Shen Qi, they are all extensions of the players. Since it is hostile to them all, it will naturally try every means to eliminate them all.

To the person she loves, all the mortals in this world are no different from the ants that can be found everywhere. This is the essence of the saying "Heaven and Earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs." The same principle applies to her relationship with the one who holds the chess pieces. To those who truly decide all destinies, the transcendent beings are no different from the many mortals in this starry sky.

Since there is no difference, those in a lower position must pay a price for borrowing the power of those in a higher position.

The price was heavy, at least on one level.

Her avatar died as a result. She died from a power surge when she extended the tentacles of an Outer God onto a protagonist in a story about a broken engagement. After all those underhanded maneuvers, she naturally received a direct and powerful blow. Through shared memories, Alice could clearly see another version of herself suddenly disintegrate and decay at the moment she 'gave the gift,' and then a completely new alien life form was born from her remains. And this was only a very brief process.

Death, death is both brief and long. Easy and painful. Yet time scales and tactile perception are meaningless to Alice, who has become a transcendent being—she easily accepts it, endures it, and then, embraces it.

The phenomenon of Dao erosion appeared simultaneously in all the incarnations.

Except for a few avatars with special missions, all the Dao erosion phenomena were instantly erased—this level of Dao erosion was not enough to completely kill her. Especially in this era when she was about to complete her mission and her fate was about to come to an end.

Ah, it seems that she is still somewhat different from other mortals.

Even so, Heaven and Earth still regard all living beings, including sages, as straw dogs.

She pressed her eye sockets, then her fingers moved to touch her right temple. The lingering pain of death, though meaningless, still surged like a powerful tide. And as she processed that pain, she came to a realization.

—Zheng Zha's plans are complete. The next step is to go and wrap things up before the script reaches its next crucial point.

Everything is ready.

So now we should focus on another battlefield.

It is obvious that the other Alice, who is currently here as the subject of the narrative, is also an incarnation used to deal with the same issues as the previous, deceased clone. Unlike the incarnation used to deal with Zheng Zha, this incarnation's goal is slightly easier.

She lowered her hand from her forehead and looked down at the ground from the vastness of space.

The goal here is...

"Xiao Honglu."

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

This is still outside Qin territory, and it remains an ordinary planet.

However, unlike Zheng Zha's side, this star field was neither sealed off nor corrupted by destiny. Although there were mortals in this star field, they were different from Qin, and they were not mortals created out of thin air—she reached out to read messages from the rocks and the earth. Then she was somewhat surprised to find that the history here was unexpectedly long.

This is... the land between the six kingdoms.

This is one of three choices made by the remnants of the six states, who had also developed into interstellar civilizations, when Qin held sway. The first was to fight to the death, the second was to join them, and the third was to flee.

Qin conquered the six states, but it did not completely exterminate them.

If this star sector corresponds to the territories of the six kingdoms from long ago, then the name of this place should be Chu.

The Chu of the Three Households.

The planet beneath her feet was named Sanhu.

However, at least for now, she has not been able to read any information about the individual 'Xiang Yu'.

It's quite interesting that Hu Hai has already been born, yet 'Xiang Yu' hasn't appeared in this universe. Given that this world is essentially a trial script, this development is rather strange.

She shook her head and landed lightly on the planet's surface. Luo Ye's words still echoed in her ears, urging her to take a good, careful look at the civilizations in this universe.

civilization……

What's so interesting about civilization?

The same question that had crossed Alice's mind also existed in her perception here. Because the planet Sanhu that appeared before her didn't harbor a particularly prosperous civilization. Their technological level was at best equivalent to that of the 24th century without a technological explosion. When she landed, her feet were still stepping on asphalt and concrete!

This is the remnant land of the six kingdoms, which, before their defeat, barely managed to colonize the galaxy. Their individual combat strength wasn't particularly remarkable. At best, the six kingdoms were a declining Cybertron combined with the Human Federation from Starship Troopers. And the technology here has been steadily declining since they left the Qin Domain.

Alice stretched out her finger and intercepted a message in the air. She deduced from it information about a scientific symposium. The content was a conjecture and prospect about a unified field.

Speculations, and prospects.

This shows they are still a long way from achieving anything of value—their level is even lower than that of the 18th century outside Gensokyo. And as she examined the planet's military reserves, she silently changed 18 to 14.

This is a peaceful star system where people have long forgotten the hatred they felt when the Qin dynasty wiped out the six former states. They have even formed a loose planetary federation. Their largest and most powerful weapons are simply giant spacecraft that cruise the ionosphere.

This was a dilapidated starfield. She walked down the street and saw the streets twisted into strange shapes by bizarre skyscrapers. Neon lights, electronic smoke, and strange, multicolored lights filled the air. People wore all sorts of unusual costumes and swayed around the streets, their bodies mostly fitted with prosthetic limbs or implants of various functions.

A jumble of chaotic songs echoed in the air, primarily heavy metal and rock. Alice detected frequencies within them that could induce specific effects on the human nervous system—one of the elements that had plunged the planet's inhabitants into decadence.

“Cyberpunk,” Alice murmured. Her gaze traced the sound waves to their source, revealing the signal towers built in various cities and the satellites in geostationary orbit. She easily took control of them, taking over their resources. Then, while utilizing these resources and searching numerous databases, she also diverted a portion of her attention to the upper reaches of the planet.

She didn't see anything unexpected or anything that would catch her eye.

What met her eyes was nothing new but dazzling lights and decadent extravagance. When the remnants of the six kingdoms fled here, they prepared for their descendants a star field rich in resources and a pristine homeworld teeming with produce. The abundant mineral resources readily available everywhere, along with the remnants of old technology that, though still reliable, became a massive boon in this decadent era, capable of feeding both the upper echelons and the lower classes.

Ah, that's right. The upper class does indeed enjoy special privileges—through self-modification, they can hear sounds inaudible to ordinary people and experience sensual pleasures unattainable by those in the lower classes. Their luxuries are even incomprehensible poisons to those in the lower realms. And this can almost create reproductive isolation between the upper and lower classes.

But what good does it do? It's just like that. The upper class doesn't even exert obvious oppression or control over the lower classes. Because this is different from Suzuki Satoru's other world. There, resource scarcity forced them to stagnate and fall into decline. Here, the cradle is simply too beautiful, and the crying refuses to stop.

She shook her head and walked forward along the crooked street in front of her. After casually squeezing out an ID card, she took a shared mini-flying car from the street. Then, she skillfully navigated the chaotic, but not particularly dense, buildings.

This isn't pure cyberpunk. Because here, the upper class consistently provides welfare to the lower class. She casually made a couple of turns in the spacecraft, and a classical-style directional tune began playing beside her. Then she pressed two more buttons, and the rapidly operating miniature molecular printer placed a freshly synthesized, steaming cup of coffee in front of her.

She listened to the melodious music and took a sip of her rich coffee, letting her makeshift spacecraft glide freely toward her destination.

Music contains frequencies that can disturb the mind, induce brain development, gradually make people more compliant, and make it difficult to concentrate for long periods of time.

Coffee contains a complex of substances that affect the endocrine system, reduce fertility, and suppress violent genes. These substances are then used to create excellent flavorings and condiments.

The upper echelons of this world control and subjugate the lower classes through these means. The benefits they reap are less than one ten-thousandth of their own interests. This allows them to rule for so long—Alice glanced through the world's history and discovered that such rule had persisted on this land for a thousand years. And in those thousand years, apart from conflicts among the upper echelons, not a single decent rebellion or uprising had occurred.

After all, all fertile ground for freedom needs the blood of tyrants and patriots to sprout. But if even the oppressed don't feel oppression, and there are no corresponding moral principles and theoretical foundations in education, what is there to talk about?

No, there's nothing there.

This planet, this world, is nothing more than a puppet house-like space.

Alice's aircraft pierced through the invisible barrier between the upper and lower levels. She easily altered numerous instructions within the data and information network, gaining the tacit approval of both the monitors and the AI. She navigated through layers of meticulously organized surveillance systems, ultimately selecting a lavishly decorated upper garden area.

She had already seen 'him'. And 'he' knew of her arrival.

Fighting and conflict were meaningless and unnecessary as she descended from the aircraft. Two rows of a dozen or so elegant, curvaceous, and tastefully dressed natural maids laid out a rose-red carpet on the ground she was about to step on, and respectfully addressed her—

"Welcome, Ms. Alice."

Ah, very good. It seems 'his' condition is even better than expected. Alice began to understand somewhat why this kingdom had changed... or rather, developed into what it is today. Since a resurrected deity has taken root here, this land will naturally and spontaneously gravitate towards its preferred direction. Even if Xiao Honglu's arrival is in the distant future after the changes of the six kingdoms, even if the timeline of this universe has already been locked by the Qin Emperor, it is still the same.

but……

Is this really Xiao Honglu's philosophy? Same principles, different convictions—is the world Xiao Honglu envisions actually this decadent and utterly unambitious world?

Is there some reason I'm unaware of?

Her thoughts raced, but her feet did not stop. She walked along the red carpet toward the courtyard, while her maids obediently stopped before a magnificent gate.

How pitiful, pitiful and tragic. Clearly not a slave, yet under the dual influence of thought and materialism, she became a puppet, a level below slaves—her gaze shifted from the maids, from the mortals of this planet, and from civilization itself, before landing on the host behind the door.