"Task completed."

"Basic objective of the task — 60 points;"

"Thanks to your travel plan: Young Master Mu visited all the famous sites in Edo — 5 points;"

"Thanks to your comforting words: Young Master Mu maintained a positive attitude throughout his escape — 5 points;"

"Thanks to your trusting expectation: Young Master Mu did not use any Filth or Resentment — 5 points;"

"Thanks to your good advice: Young Master Mu did not kill any non-criminals — 5 points;"

"Thanks to your protection: Young Master Mu did not increase the Filth and Resentment due to disasters again — 5 points;"

"Thanks to your perseverance: Reloaded the game over 1,000 times — 5 points;"

"Total score: 90 points. Rating: Highly Meritorious."

"Current task rating: 90 points (Highly Meritorious). Highest task rating: 90 points (Highly Meritorious)."

"As the player has achieved a Highly Meritorious rating and met the hidden requirements, you will receive information about a hidden side mission for this game."

"Side Mission: Thanks for Your Inverted World. Task: Bring everyone back to life."

"Would you like to upload this result as the final outcome? Upon successful upload, you will receive the Merit Points and exclusive rewards corresponding to your rating."

"This rating can only be preserved until November 19, 23:59:59."

"The task evaluation can only be uploaded once."

Seeing the "Thanks to your perseverance" achievement was a pleasant surprise. Ren Suo had not expected the system to acknowledge his tedious act of grinding the boss battle for over ten days. So, he decided to upload it.

Ren Suo had made up his mind, and with only 24 hours of playtime left in the game, there was no point in delaying the upload.

"Would you like to upload the game evaluation?"

As Ren Suo rested his hand on the mouse, a sudden shiver ran through him. Feeling a chill, he turned to close the window. It was drizzling outside.

After closing the window and sitting down, Ren Suo put his hand on the mouse again, only to hear the sound of CLAP, CLAP, CLAP from the living room.

He went to check and found that the clothes on the balcony had been blown off, hitting the floor-to-ceiling windows of the balcony.

Yesterday, Ren Suo had sent his clone to the school infirmary. This assignment required certain Healing abilities, so he had imbued the clone with full power, enabling it to perform its duties of Saving Lives and Healing the Injured. But this came at a cost: after the clone brought Ren Suo his packed lunch, it had no time left for household chores. Consequently, the clothes washed yesterday were still hanging on the balcony.

Ren Suo decisively summoned his clone. Waving his hand, he said, "Go collect the clothes from the balcony first... Ah, don't bother looking for clean clothes to wear. Just put on one of the wet ones; they need to be washed anyway, so let's not create extra laundry."

The clone glanced at Ren Suo but didn't respond.

Ren Suo frowned slightly and probed the clone's mind with a Mind Link, discovering that this time, the clone hadn't defaulted to 'Servant Mode' upon summoning. Instead, it had initiated 'Escape Mode.'

'Escape Mode' was an action logic Ren Suo had casually designed for his clone. Its core principle was 'no matter what happens, just run; escaping might be shameful, but it's useful.' It was rarely used—unless the clone had only one minute left to return home.

Why activate 'Escape Mode' all of a sudden?

Ren Suo switched the clone back to 'Servant Mode' and said, "Alright, I entrust this vast domain I've painstakingly conquered to your protection."

The clone obediently started doing the household chores.

Ren Suo then returned to his computer and put his hand on the mouse.

However, at that moment, he heard the CREAKING sound of Little Jiu's room door. Xiao Suo had woken up!?

The clone immediately halted its actions. Ren Suo went over and found Little Jiu sleepily rubbing her eyes as she entered the bathroom.

Did she drink too much soda tonight?

To prevent Little Jiu from discovering that a Great Elf that did household chores appeared in the house after she fell asleep, Ren Suo patiently waited for her to finish in the bathroom. Then, he prepared to use the Good Dream Technique to send Little Jiu into a sleep so deep that not even a pig's grunt could wake her.

However, tonight Little Jiu seemed unusually excited, maybe because she had beaten the game or for some other reason. She spontaneously stretched out her arms to hug Ren Suo, murmuring, "Big Brother, don't leave me..."

"I'll always be with you. Here, look, have my fingernails grown longer again?..."

Once Little Jiu fell soundly asleep, Ren Suo gently pulled her little hands away from himself and covered her with a blanket.

Ren Suo poured himself a glass of water and sat back down in front of the computer, placing his hand on the mouse.

Suddenly, he sharply turned his head to look around. Has anything else happened!?

Why are there so many distractions tonight? They're seriously interfering with my gaming.

He clicked 'Yes'!

Watching the changes on the screen, Ren Suo suddenly felt much lighter, and his mood became extremely serene.

This reminded Ren Suo of his college entrance exam—when he had received the exam paper, written down his name, and filled in his student number, he had also entered this relaxed and peaceful state. Because countless days of hard effort had already determined what kind of flowers would bloom and what fruit would be borne from this trial.

Propelled by the vast past and moving into the grand future, Ren Suo's state of mind was naturally relaxed and serene.

But this feeling should be one of relief… Ren Suo thought to himself. I've played this game for a full 19 days… I can finally be done with it.

"Task evaluation upload complete. You have earned 450 Merit Points. Please use them wisely."

"You have received one Five-Star Treasure Chest. You can open it in the Content Preservation Vault."

"You have received an exclusive reward: Erase Authority. You can activate it in the Content Preservation Vault."

"Based on your task evaluation and game Star-level, you have received the item 'Rippling Spring Sounds.'"

"Based on your gameplay experience, your game character 'Young Master Mu' has received an exclusive reward, which is currently in transit."

"Upload of Inverted World complete. Thank you for playing. Endless fun in the Minor World!"

Upon seeing the 450 Merit Points, Ren Suo was relieved. He had previously spent over a hundred Merit Points in Xiao Suo's Secret Diary. He himself was shocked when he checked the change in his points.

This kind of unnoticed, Gentle Stream-style spending was terrifying. Each expenditure was at least 10 Merit Points or more (Ren Suo wouldn't bother if it was less than 10). Confident in his powerful money-saving ability, 'Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose,' Ren Suo had naturally scattered his Merit Points like a spendthrift.

Looking back now, 'Plucking Feathers from a Flying Goose' might have been the real culprit behind my constant spending. It's because I *could* save money that I kept spending it. Isn't that just like sales promotions?

However, the money was spent on Maid Xiao Suo. I can't very well ask her to pay it back—is she even still alive now?

It's interesting that Young Master Mu actually got an exclusive reward.

But his reward is still in transit. Who knows when it will actually arrive.

After uploading the game evaluation, Ren Suo found that the game had automatically returned to its home screen.

At that moment, Ren Suo shockingly noticed that the game interface's background had changed.

The previous game interface background showed a man and a woman standing on a cliff, looking out at distant natural scenery, clearly symbolizing Young Master Mu and Maid Xiao Suo.

Now, the game interface background only showed a lonely male figure with his back to the viewer.

He was kneeling alone on the cracked earth, seemingly holding a girl—but Ren Suo could neither see the man's face nor the girl's figure.

He could only see what should have been a lush forest under sunlight, but it had now become a garbage dump under Moonlight—the stout trees seemed torn apart by a storm into countless fragments, resembling the Black Flames from the eighteenth layer of Hell devouring all combustible materials; the ground appeared as if slashed by a 400-meter-long sword, creating deep ravines, while enormous Ice Spires stretched far into the forest.

Is this… Young Master Mu venting his grief?

With Maid Xiao Suo dead, nothing Young Master Mu did would surprise me. It just seems that after perfecting his Martial Arts, his destructive power is truly excessive…

Ren Suo glanced at the four options on the game interface:

"Once you enter the Martial World, time urges on."

"A life overwhelmed by intoxication."

"Worldly matters flood like water, people drift like streams."

"Merely lament how few return from the rivers and lakes."

He blinked and noticed the last option glowing with a faint red light.

Ren Suo had forgotten what that last option was for, so he clicked on it. The game immediately displayed a line in large letters: "Delete this game? Deleting the game will invalidate all uploaded records."

Only then did I remember this game actually has a 'delete myself' button. Heaven knows which genius came up with such a bizarre design.

I've already beaten the game, why would I delete it? Not to mention, deleting it would invalidate the uploaded records.

In the end, Ren Suo opened the Equipment Interface to see the exclusive reward given by Inverted World.

"Erase Authority"

"Quality Rank: Five-Star, one-time Ability. Prerequisite: Seventh Turn Cultivation."

"Effect—Eradication: Can only be used on deceased targets. Upon use, it will erase all traces of the target from the river of time and reset all of the target's causality on the Tree of Cause and Effect.

The target's experiences, opportunities, and all possessions will be automatically redistributed according to the world's rules.

All of the target's impact on the world will be reset, and no one will remember any trace of the target's existence. Based on the user's intent, options such as 'Maintain Status Quo,' 'Bless the World,' or 'Curse the World' can be selected as the reset's direction."

"Effect—Authority: The Energy required for the Erase effect is extremely immense. Therefore, activating this Authority requires a Cultivator of Seventh Turn Cultivation or higher to channel it with their full power for proper use.

It can also be activated with an equivalent amount of Energy. However, if the user themself has not reached Seventh Turn Cultivation, they too will be affected by this Authority."

"Note: This is a power that even deities fear, an Authority that even demons revere, a Miracle for which even the world itself would invert!"

True to its formidable name, the effects of Erase Authority perfectly matched the fantasy Ren Suo had when he first saw this exclusive reward.

To completely and thoroughly erase someone's existence from society, making everyone instantly forget they ever existed and wiping away all their impact...

Many famous sayings claim that death is not the end, as a person's reputation, accomplishments, and Wisdom live on. This Ability, however, thoroughly debunks such superficial notions.

It not only eliminates you but also retracts everything you've ever done, and all you possessed is automatically redistributed.

Smoothing over time.

Twisting Fate.

Playing with the entire world as if it were a toy.

If deities and demons exist in this world, could even they achieve something like this?

Thus, it was a one-time Ability. Ren Suo could understand that; for such a powerful effect, a usage limitation was quite normal.

Thus, its target must be deceased. Ren Suo could grudgingly accept that. After all, this Ability targeted time and Destiny; to also task it with physical destruction felt like a misuse of its grand potential.

Thus, it required Seventh Turn Cultivation to activate. Ren Suo could also understand this; such a powerful Ability would naturally demand a terrifying amount of Energy.

But he couldn't accept it.

Because I'm only at Third-level Cultivation!

I have no idea how many more days I'll need to sleep to reach the fourth transformation!

I guess by the time I reach Seventh Turn Cultivation, everyone on Earth will have achieved communism and be boldly venturing into the stars…

Just another treasure to keep locked away at the bottom of the chest.

***

「The tale now splits, following two separate paths.」

In the Federal New York Manhattan District, on the thirteenth-floor office area of the Watchers Tower, it was currently very quiet.

Aside from some Watchers on external assignments, the others were currently at the tenth-floor canteen. After eating, they wouldn't return to the office. Instead, they'd head to the ninth-floor entertainment area, the eleventh-floor sports zone, or perhaps the twelfth-floor relaxation lounge. Angel Zack, for instance, particularly enjoyed a post-lunch soak in the hot springs there, followed by a comfortable nap, only returning to work at two in the afternoon.

The Federation's special treatment for the Watchers was evident.

However, the office area wasn't completely deserted. In a corner, Victor was holding several food containers and speaking to a platinum-blonde girl sitting before a computer. "Japanese food! Do you like Japanese food? It's sushi!"

"Or maybe some Chinese food? General Tso's Chicken and fried Spring Rolls!"

"There's also Mexican food here..."

The girl, who had been staring at the computer screen, sighed slightly and turned her head to look at Victor.

Her face was covered with a gold-tinted metallic eyeshade, completely hiding her eyes. Her long hair was tied into a fluffy braid, and her fair skin had a slight pink hue. Although not short, she appeared very delicate and easily evoked a protective feeling in others.

"Victor, I'm really not suitable for you, and I have no intention of developing a relationship with you," she said softly. "In the future I see, you're not there. Please stop wasting your time on me."

Victor asked, "So, Fina, what do you feel like eating today? I bought so much food, I definitely can't finish it all. Help me out and have some."

Fina silently took out her phone and picked up the box of Japanese food. Then Victor received a transfer notification text.

He glanced at the amount and chuckled wryly. "You always calculate things so precisely…"

Fina had transferred him the cost of the Japanese food plus a 5 Federal Dollar delivery fee. She neither gave extra nor neglected his delivery cost, maintaining just the right distance from Victor.

But Victor didn't mind and happily sat beside Fina at her desk, eating his own portions of food.

From this scene, any ordinary person could tell that Victor was trying to pursue Fina—and indeed, he was.

Apart from liking Fina's appearance and personality, her supernatural power was a significant reason for Victor's relentless pursuit—Fina was one of the rarest types of Ability Users: a Prophet!

The power of prophecy was undoubtedly strong. If he could become her boyfriend, Victor knew he wouldn't have to worry even if Captain Zack beat him to a pulp. More importantly, with Fina's prophecies, Victor could surely evade the Captain's thrashings!

Therefore, Victor always tried to curry favor with Fina, but even if Fina didn't like him, he wouldn't be too disappointed.

Victor couldn't comprehend why Caroline was still hung up on that Magician from the World Tree. He didn't understand 'deep love'; he only understood 'Freedom.' This was also why he pursued Fina—she seemed like the type of girl who wouldn't mind if her husband had affairs.

Even if they couldn't end up as lovers, just being better friends with Fina was satisfying enough for Victor.

Being friends with a Prophet was a benefit in itself.

DING-DONG.

The silence in the office was broken by the sound of the elevator. Curious, Victor looked over. Who forgot their meal card this time?

However, what caught his eye was a handsome blond man.

The blond man seemed to have returned from an arduous journey. The white windbreaker draped over his combat suit was slightly soiled, and he carried a coffin on his back, yet his bearing remained impeccable.

Even if he appeared at a formal dinner in this state, people would likely assume he was engaged in some form of performance art.

Although there were obstructions in her line of sight to the elevator and she wore an eye mask, Fina instantly knew who had arrived. "Mr. Leopold, good day. It has been three days. Your distinguished air remains unchanged."

"Please, call me Bright, Fina," Bright said with a hearty laugh.

He walked into the office area, unloaded the coffin from his back, set it by the wall, and stretched his arms. "Ah… this place feels like home. I can finally relax. If only I could stay at the Watchers headquarters all the time."

"That won't do, Mr. Star," Victor said, raising an eyebrow. "You're the public face of us Watchers. All over the Federation, citizens are waiting for you to rescue them, and young ladies are eager for your autograph and 'seal of approval' on them, you know~"

"As much as I'd look forward to that, the media scrutinizes my every move. When I'm working out in the field, I'm so tense I don't even dare take off my underwear. And speaking of which…"

Bright strode over, bent down, and put his arm around Victor's neck, whispering, "Victor, how about taking me out to relax after work tonight? I haven't been back to New York in a long time and don't know which places are fun anymore…"

Victor and Bright exchanged a look—a look that all men understand. Victor said, "No need to go out; you're Mr. Star, after all… Tonight, I'll call some friends over to my villa for a party. That'll definitely help you relax!"

At this, Bright looked troubled. "I meant a more… proper, wholesome kind of relaxation, like dancing… Actually, I'd rather save all my firsts for my girlfriend…"

"Hahaha, you're kidding, right, Bright?" Victor roared with laughter. "You've got more comedic Talent than I do! You could definitely make Captain Zack crack a smile!"

"I wouldn't dare provoke the Captain…" Bright shivered and shrugged. Victor deeply empathized.

Just then, Fina spoke indifferently, "Mr. Leopold, your return this time must pertain to something important, correct?"

"Nothing gets past you, Fina," Bright said. "But, could you call me Bright? You're too formal, Fina."

"Towards the deputy captain of the Watchers, this is the respect I should accord," Fina insisted on her form of address.

Bright raised his eyebrows slightly. "Are you saying that apart from this position, there's nothing else about me worthy of commendation?"

Fina stated seriously, "Of course not, Mr. Leopold. You are destined to become an immensely important figure. Your name will be passed down through posterity, your achievements will be revered by multitudes, and your Wisdom will be studied by others. In the future I foresee, you are a great man who commands my respect."

"Thank you very much. I'll continue to work hard," Bright said, a little sheepishly. "Still, feeling the weight of your expectations, Fina, is quite a lot of pressure."

"If my words have caused you undue distress, I am willing to apologize…"

"No, no, I was just kidding. I actually really need you to make more grand prophecies about me," Bright said quickly. "Your expectations are my greatest motivation, Fina."

Fina, who wasn't fond of joking, took a sip of her coffee and continued, "So, Mr. Leopold, for what matter have you returned this time?"

Bright walked to the wall and tapped the coffin leaning against it. "I've successfully captured an important criminal alive. I'm hoping to use your power, Fina, to extract intelligence from this criminal's mind that could save the world."

"Save the world?" Fina questioned. "Is this criminal truly that important?"

"Yes." Bright nodded, his usually sunny and cheerful face turning grave.

"Because he's one of the Demon King's subordinates."

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