898  Shattered Illusions           If World Conqueror could dominate the game, it would be akin to wielding dominion over the world itself, rendering them untouchable by even the top corporations and guilds like Black Lion, Sleeping Dragon, Fate Alliance, White Unicorn, etc.

With the pinnacle came investments, prestige, an array of benefits, and a wealth of resources — money equating to power.

Finally achieving one of Ren's goals was within reach.

Ren, however, wasn't too happy. The challenge lay next in accelerating the evolution of the others before the impending end of the world.

Contemplating the situation, Ren couldn't shake the feeling that all his efforts thus far seemed trivial if they were going to die in the end.

Yet, in the midst of uncertainty, the game provided a welcome distraction from the harsh reality.

Ren could only focus on what he could control. If the world's end truly loomed, worrying about it now would serve no purpose.

He didn't even know what to expect, or how to prepare for it.

After this, he really needed to think about it, and decide what to do.

First things first, he needed to tell the others about it, and then . . . and then what?

Ren found himself grappling with a dilemma. He took a deep breath and sighed, staring into the ceiling as if searching for answers amidst its blank expanse.

Suddenly, a burst of light redirected his thoughts to the present moment.

11:29

Ren's gaze snapped back to the scene unfolding before him, where Nyxos was disintegrating into particles under the onslaught of a powerful beam of light.

It seemed the battle was over.

Ren could finally breathe easy, knowing that the gates to the Heaven Realm would soon open, and World Conqueror could claim its first victory in this realm, propelling them to the pinnacle of success.

"Ren, we did it," came a voice beside him, breaking through the haze of his thoughts.

Ren was startled at Evie's voice, and he looked at her with a blank expression.

Evie sensed that something was amiss with Ren. "What is it? Is there something in your mind?"

"Ah . . ." Ren was at a loss for words. His thoughts were still consumed by the problem of evolution and the impending end of the world.

He couldn't shake it off; as soon as one problem was resolved, another would take its place, and he wouldn't stop thinking about it until he found a solution. That was just how he was wired.

"I . . ." he began, but his words trailed off as Elena's booming voice interrupted.

"Lorelai, you did it!" Elena exclaimed as she and Azazel approached her.

Evie seized Ren's arm and gently guided him towards their group, ensuring that Lorelai was alright.

"Are you okay?" Evie asked Lorelai. "You're no longer in that God's mind control right?"

Lorelai nodded, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her expression as she flexed her angelic and demonic wings. "I am, but I don't know how to revert back to my original form," she admitted with a shrug. "I guess I'm stuck in these weird form."

Azazel grinned mischievously and placed his hands behind his neck. "I like how you look now. Angelic on one side and seductive and brutal on the other."

Lorelai's face flushed with embarrassment, and she swiftly kicked Azazel away. "What do you mean brutal?! Go away and die! Your face infuriates me!" she exclaimed, trying to hide her embarrassment behind a veil of annoyance.

Elena laughed and teasingly remarked, "Is that a lover's quarrel I see? You two seem made for each other."

Lorelai's face contorted into an ugly sneer. "Pluueeese . . . I wouldn't want anything to do with that demon except stomping on his face."

Elena and Evie chuckled at Lorelai's blunt response, but Lorelai, still wearing a pout, quickly changed the topic.

She glanced over at Ren and said, "We should get out of here before the other gods catch wind of what happened with Nyxos."

Ren nodded in agreement, his mind still grappling with the recent events. "Yes, you're right," he replied, his voice tinged with a sense of urgency. "We need to get out of here. There's also a chance that the others gods might come after you."

Lorelai grinned reassuringly. "You don't have to worry about that. I was just unconscious the first time; that's why that creep was able to abduct me. But I won't let that happen again."

Ren opened his mouth to respond, but his words caught in his throat as something strange began to happen.

Lorelai's voice seemed to falter, her words stuttering and repeating themselves. "Y-you don't have to worry about that. I-I was just . . . unconscious the first time . . . that's why that creep was able to abduct me . . . B-but I won't let that happen again," she said, her voice warping and distorting like a broken record.

Ren felt a surge of confusion wash over him as Lorelai and the others started to blur and distort, their forms flickering like a malfunctioning TV struggling to find a signal.

Ren felt a sense of disorientation wash over him as he was plunged into darkness, the world around him fading away into nothingness.

. . .

. . .

The pod was forced open, and Ren stumbled out, disoriented and confused.

"What happened?" he wondered aloud, his mind racing with questions.

Had the pod forced him to log out prematurely?

But he wasn't even close to the time limit yet.

As he emerged from the pod, Ren's eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room. The blinking light of the pod left him momentarily stunned, its erratic pulsing indicating some sort of malfunction.

Then, Ren noticed that the room was shrouded in darkness, adding to his sense of unease.

[Emergency Power at 0%!]

[Please plug in the power cord!]

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