The Fall

That slender waist one could encircle with both hands, that generous bust, that exquisite face like a star's.

By rights, Qin Ming shouldn't have been so calm.

But his heart was perfectly still, and Qin Ming kept feeling that the person before him, called Ruoxi, shouldn't have had hair and eyes like these!

For some reason, the new CEO—a woman who had beauty, wealth, and ability in abundance—turned down countless outstanding suitors, yet seemed to be blind when she fell for an utterly ordinary Qin Ming.

At first, Qin Ming thought it was absurd.

After all, this world wasn't some melodramatic romance about a domineering CEO falling in love with me. In the real world, what were the odds of such fortune falling from the sky?

Besides, he was just an ordinary corporate drone. What had he done to deserve the attention of such a beauty?

But Ruoxi pursued him directly and unwaveringly, with flowers, dates, and thoughtful care. She shattered all of Qin Ming's expectations and defenses.

The envy and jealousy in his coworkers' eyes, along with their whispers, made Qin Ming feel ill at ease. And he couldn't shake the feeling that none of this was real!

Even when he and Ruoxi stood side by side at the civil affairs bureau, holding their bright-red marriage certificate, he still felt as if he were in a dream that was almost too vivid.

Their married life was peaceful and happy, and Ruoxi balanced her career and family wonderfully.

A year later, their daughter was born.

Looking at the tiny, wrinkled life in his arms, who nonetheless melted his heart, Qin Ming felt an unprecedented warmth and sense of responsibility fill his chest.

"Let's call her Qin Xue," he said softly to the weakened Ruoxi, his gaze tender.

The name slipped out as if it had been brewing in his heart for a thousand years.

His wife, his daughter, a warm home, a complete and happy life—Qin Ming gradually sank into it all.

The bizarre dream he'd once had grew increasingly hazy, as if it had truly been nothing more than a young man's wild fantasy.

Qin Ming was content with taking his daughter to and from school each day, preparing dinner for his wife, and savoring the warmth of everyday life.

And the faint yearning he'd once felt for a vast world gradually wore away and faded amid the daily routine of meals and chores.

Unlike the trials faced by others, Qin Ming's trial on the ninth island of the Illusion Sea wasn't a hell of blades and flames. Instead, it magnified and solidified the deepest, most difficult-to-abandon "ordinary happiness" in his heart, weaving it into an almost perfect, gentle cage.

He had gained everything he'd once longed for in his previous life.

And so, he was willing to stay, never to wake again.

At the edge of the ninth island of the Illusion Sea.

The Black Scaled Elder furrowed his brow, staring intently at Qin Ming's motionless figure in the void.

"He's stopped... On the ninth island, his consciousness has become extremely calm, even giving off a sense of... contentment and immersion?" With his vast experience, the elder immediately understood the situation.

"The illusion on the ninth island often targets one's deepest desires, regrets, or fears. It seems this young fellow is trapped."

He shook his head with some regret.

"Peerless talent, and a will strong enough to make it through the first eight islands. What a pity. His character is ultimately flawed—or perhaps... there's something he clings to too tightly to let go. This ninth island has become an impassable barrier for him."

The elder wasn't surprised.

For someone at Universe Level to reach the ninth island of the Illusion Sea was already astonishing.

Being trapped was the norm.

How many World Lords had fallen before this trial, sinking into illusions for a hundred or a thousand years, until their consciousness was exhausted and they were forcibly ejected?

"Let's see how long he can hold out. If he breaks free on his own, even if he fails, it'll be a rare tempering of his will. If he can't..." The elder fell silent, simply watching.

The Virtual Universe Company's rules forbade outsiders from interfering with the Illusion Sea trial.

In the illusory world, the days passed in peace.

His daughter, Qin Xue, grew day by day, from unsteady first steps to babbling speech. His wife, Ruoxi, remained beautiful and capable, keeping their home and careers running smoothly.

They moved into a bigger house and enjoyed a more comfortable life.

Everything seemed perfect.

Only occasionally, when he was alone late at night or gazing at his sleeping daughter's face, did an inexplicable, almost imperceptible emptiness stir in Qin Ming's heart.

It was as if something very important had been left behind, somewhere far, far away.

But the feeling vanished in an instant, quickly drowned out by his wife and daughter's laughter and the fullness of his life.

Until one day.

It was Qin Xue's fifth birthday, and the family had thrown a lively party.

After the party, the little girl was tired from playing. She wrapped her arms around Qin Ming's neck and asked drowsily, "Daddy, what's outside the sky? Are there really people on the stars?"

Her childish words were like a silent thunderclap, striking Qin Ming's heart without warning!

Outside the sky... the stars...

Fragments of long-sealed memories suddenly surged into his mind!

Cold meteorites, towering Trial Towers, the vast sea of stars, brilliant swordlight, and the figure of a silver-haired, odd-eyed woman glaring at him in indignation...

"Ruoxi... Qin Xue... Jin World... Chaos City..."

Countless fragments of chaotic information battered his consciousness.

His real memories clashed violently with the happiness of the illusion. His head throbbed as if it would split apart!

"No... That's not right... This isn't real..." His face turned deathly pale, and his arm tightened involuntarily around his daughter.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" Qin Xue asked timidly, frightened by his reaction.

Ruoxi sensed something was wrong too and hurried over, taking his hand with concern.

"Honey? Are you feeling unwell?"

Her hand was warm and soft, her eyes full of concern. She felt so real.

Qin Ming looked at his wife, then lowered his eyes to meet his daughter's innocent gaze.

A voice screamed wildly in his heart: Stay! This is what you want!

Ordinary, warm, happy!

Outside lay a cold universe, endless slaughter and loneliness!

Yet another voice rang out, faint but stubborn: That's fake. Your path lies among the stars. Your promise is in Chaos City.

Your clone is still gestating.

You... are Qin Ming!

Qin Ming opened his mouth, wanting to say something to his wife and daughter, but his throat was dry, and he couldn't form a complete sentence.

The scene before him began to blur and waver. His wife's gentle face, his daughter's adorable smile, the warm light, the sumptuous dinner... It all began to feel unreal, like soap bubbles slowly vanishing in the sunlight.

"I..." He struggled to get the word out.

Yet he saw the concern deep in his wife's eyes and the reliance in his daughter's.

"I... might just be too tired." In the end, Qin Ming spoke hoarsely, forcing a reassuring smile for his wife as he held his daughter tightly in his arms.

He closed his eyes, choosing not to listen to the faint call in his heart.

The sea of stars was too distant, too cold.

Here, he had the warmth he wanted.