World of Rules

...

The excitement still shone in the eyes of the head of the Shu family, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking about the limitless possibilities that might exist in this new place.

This was an unexplored world, a land untouched by his feet before—perhaps hidden treasures, lost secrets, or a power no one had ever wielded.

But… amid this excitement, he felt something strange.

A sharp pain erupted in his chest, as if an invisible dagger had pierced his heart. He tried to breathe, but the air refused to enter his lungs, as if his body had suddenly lost control. His eyes widened in shock as his enthusiasm turned into pure terror.

Slowly, he turned around—only to find Di’s hand embedded in his back, piercing his flesh, passing through his ribs, and reaching his still-beating heart.

His mind couldn't comprehend it.

It was simply… illogical.

He looked at Di, searching for an answer, for an explanation, but Di's face remained unreadable—only cold indifference, a gaze devoid of interest or mercy, as if he had done nothing significant.

"Why…?" He wanted to ask, but his lips wouldn’t move.

As if Di understood the unspoken question, he spoke in his calm voice, a voice that seemed to come from another world:

"You were truly useful… but unfortunately, I no longer need you."

There was no mockery in his tone, no disdain—just a simple statement, an undeniable fact.

That was the last voice the head of the Shu family heard.

His life did not flash before his eyes. There was no recollection of childhood memories, no final regrets or prayers.

Only… darkness.

His body began to dry up rapidly, as if his blood and soul were being drained by some unseen force. His skin clung to his bones, his eyes lost their luster, and his once-powerful form became an empty husk.

Moments later, he crumbled into dust.

—

Di stood motionless, watching the scene with no interest, as if it was nothing more than a routine action unworthy of thought.

This was the world as he saw it—

There was no right or wrong, no good or evil.

Life was merely an endless flow of chaos, and only power determined who remained and who vanished.

Di did not believe in emotions; he saw no value in bonds, for everything was ultimately just a tool to reach the next step.

Loyalty held no meaning, for loyalty was merely a deception created by the weak so they wouldn’t be crushed.

Mercy held no meaning, for mercy was a luxury only those who had never faced the brutal truth of this world could afford.

Power alone… was everything.

But even power, in the end, was only a means to an end.

Di did not seek power merely for the sake of having it—he pursued something greater—

To walk a path no one else could walk, to reach a point no one else could reach.

A place beyond concepts, beyond rules, beyond even the meaning of existence itself.

For him, nothing was worth staying for, nothing was worth being attached to.

Everything was temporary.

Everything was just a fleeting stage, a tool to be used… and then discarded.

Just as he had done now.

Di looked at the scattered dust in the air, then slowly turned away.

There was nothing left in this place for him.

And now… it was time to move forward.

It was time to cross into the unknown.

—

Di emerged from the tunnel into a completely different world.

A hot wind greeted him, carrying the scent of dryness and emptiness, like the breath of a land that had died long ago.

Before him stretched endless sand dunes, golden waves of sand shifting slowly under the weight of the wind, forming ever-changing patterns as if locked in an eternal dance with no spectators.

The horizon was blurred—

A hazy line where sand met sky in a strange fusion of reality and illusion.

Everywhere, mirages danced, shimmering under the harsh sunlight, creating images of water that did not exist, shadows of creatures that were never there, as if mocking all who sought to reach them.

The sky was dim despite its brightness—not blue, but a mix of gold and brown, like an ancient painting left to decay over time.

No life. No sounds. No signs of anyone being here.

Just an endless desert… frozen in eternal silence.

Di frowned slightly but soon regained his usual expression.

"The primal energy is denser here."

That was his first observation.

Despite the dryness and emptiness, there was a strange energy flowing silently, different from any place he had encountered before.

But it was not a welcoming energy.

It felt more like something ancient, buried beneath the sands, watching in silence… waiting…

There was nothing else worth noting.

Di chose a direction at random and began walking, his feet sinking slightly into the soft sand. His steps were steady, as if he was not walking through a barren wasteland, but rather on a path laid out before him toward an unseen destination.

There was no rush.

There was no hesitation.

Di simply walked—

As if this desert was nothing more than another chapter… in his journey into the unknown.

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