[Don't tell him anything, Host! Do not reveal the existence of the system!]

By now, the consciousness of the system had already seen through Lin Fang's thoughts.

After being put through hell by it, Lin Fang no longer trusted the system. Survival was the only thing left in his mind.

And meeting a fellow citizen from Earth had given him a new ray of hope.

Life on Blue Star was brutal. The only way he could continue living was by relying on someone truly powerful.

The system had become increasingly harsh. It felt as though it no longer cared about him at all, as if its sole purpose was to push him forward while giving him less and less in return.

Almost like it wanted him to fail.

And Grey's ability to easily identify the system's existence only strengthened Lin Fang's resolve.

If even the system feared him, then Grey was someone he could rely on.

"It's like this, Big Bro Grey…"

Lin Fang ignored the system's warning and began recounting everything.

From the moment of his transmigration, to the quests he had been given, to the rewards and punishments, and even the part where the system had instructed him to eliminate Grey.

He left nothing out.

Honesty was the only option.

There were moments where he hesitated, especially when speaking about the quest that targeted Grey. But the scene he had just witnessed replayed endlessly in his mind.

Time distortion. A High Order being. Heavenly Tribulation.

Each memory crushed his hesitation completely.

When he finished, silence lingered.

"It wanted to eliminate me?" Grey said, mildly amused.

He did not feel anger. Not even irritation.

Based on Lin Fang's explanation, the system rewarded him with points and benefits according to how much he altered the trajectory of the world, specifically by stealing fated encounters meant for the original protagonist.

From that perspective, Grey's actions posed a fatal problem.

By making large-scale, irreversible changes to the world, Grey would inevitably appear as a threat in the system's evaluation, an existence that had to be eliminated so that fate could be properly diverted toward the designated protagonist.

In other words, as long as Grey existed, there would be nothing left for the system to steal.

But, it doesn't seem like he was stealing Evan's fate as a protagonist though?

He didn't directly affect anything related to him.

Grey tilted his head slightly.

"It sounds like you're a side character inside a novel," he said calmly, "and your goal is to replace the main character."

"Don't joke, Big Bro Grey." Lin Fang smiled bitterly. "I'm already past that arrogance."

"Reality was far colder than I expected."

He took a slow breath.

"Back on Earth, I was just an employee at a software company. When AI took over most of the industry, a lot of developers lost their jobs, including me. During that time, I started reading novels and fell in love with fantasy worlds."

His voice softened.

"So when I woke up in a world where people could destroy mountains and seas with a flick of their fingers, it felt exhilarating. With the system backing me, my arrogance soared. I treated everyone around me like NPCs and experience points."

He laughed quietly.

"But once variables started appearing, and I was dragged into the High Order, reality hit me."

"The system helped me a lot at first. At first rank, the rewards were incredible. But after reaching second rank, they barely made a difference unless I completed the main quest and upgraded it."

"And as you already know," Lin Fang continued, "the original main quest was related to Alissa."

Grey chuckled.

"Even if you begged her on your knees, I doubt she'd agree."

"Yeah," Lin Fang said with twitching lips. "That's what I thought too. She's like those jade beauties from the novels I read. Only a real protagonist could sway her."

"I guess I don't have enough protagonist aura."

Grey laughed as well.

It was oddly refreshing to hear such familiar phrases again.

"But it initiated another quest, didn't it?" Grey asked suddenly.

He remembered Lin Fang mentioning it vaguely earlier.

"Yes." Lin Fang nodded. "After months of suffering inside the High Order, the system finally gave me a new main quest."

"It was something related to a lesser heaven."

Grey's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Like it wanted you to obtain the essence of a lesser heaven?"

"Essence?"

A wide, knowing grin spread across Grey's face.

"Is it the same kind of essence I'm thinking about?"

Lin Fang's lips twitched.

"Tsk, tsk," Grey shook his head before bursting into laughter. "Looks like your system wants you to become a prostitute now."'

[Hey, Host. He is slandering the system.]

The system's voice rang out again, carrying a trace of restrained indignation.

Lin Fang ignored it completely and simply stood there, his expression twitching faintly.

"I hope that isn't the case," he said awkwardly. "Because even if it is, I have no idea where to find a lesser heaven."

"A lesser heaven…" Grey repeated softly.

He fell into thought.

He had never heard of such a thing before, yet the name alone stirred a deep sense of unease within him, as if it touched upon something it should not.

Speaking of unease.

Grey's gaze drifted to the hexagon-shaped construct behind them.

It had completely lost its functionality.

Earlier, when his energy had been depleted, the construct had shut down. He had assumed it would reactivate once his reserves were restored. Yet even after replenishing himself with a potion, it remained inert.

Dead.

Grey narrowed his eyes.

He realized that the construct had been destroyed from the inside the moment it fulfilled its purpose. Whatever mechanism powered it had self-terminated cleanly, leaving no trace behind.

He had already searched the surrounding area while conversing with Lin Fang.

The woman who had spoken into his mind was nowhere to be found.

Not even residual fluctuations remained.

Where did she go?

Grey felt a faint irritation rise.

He had wanted a proper conversation with her. More importantly, he needed to understand what that hexagonal construct truly was.

Suppressing the thought for now, Grey turned back to Lin Fang.

"Tell me about the High Order," he said calmly. "Their base."

"Their base?" Lin Fang nodded. "Yes. The High Order's main base is actually nearby."

He raised his hand and pointed several miles away, toward the area near the Ice Wall.

"There's a secret realm entrance there," Lin Fang continued. "Only High Order members of the third rank and above can operate it. Without an entry pass, it's impossible to enter."

As he spoke, he took out a crystal stone.

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