The Fall

That slender waist, that generous bosom, that delicate face like a celebrity's.

By all logic, Qin Ming shouldn't have been this calm.

But his heart was utterly still, and he always felt that this woman named Ruoxi—her hair and eyes shouldn't look like this.

For some reason, that new CEO—a woman blessed with beauty, wealth, and ability—turned a blind eye to all her outstanding suitors, and as if blind herself, she set her sights on ordinary Qin Ming.

At first, Qin Ming thought it was absurd.

After all, this world wasn't some cheesy romance drama like "The Overbearing CEO Falls for Me." In real life, where did such pie-in-the-sky luck ever fall from?

And he was just an ordinary office drone—what had he done to deserve the attention of a woman like her?

But Ruoxi's pursuit was direct and unwavering: flowers, dates, meticulous care. She shattered every assumption and defense Qin Ming had built.

The envious, jealous stares and whispers of his colleagues made Qin Ming restless, and he always felt that none of this was real.

Even later, when he stood shoulder to shoulder with Ruoxi at the Civil Affairs Bureau, holding that bright red marriage certificate, he still felt it was like a dream too vivid to be true.

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

A year later, their daughter was born.

Looking at the wrinkled little life in his arms—a life that made his heart melt—an unprecedented warmth and sense of responsibility filled Qin Ming's chest.

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

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

Wife, daughter, a warm home, a perfectly happy life—Qin Ming gradually sank into it.

The bizarre dreams of the past grew fuzzier and fuzzier, as if they were nothing but youthful fantasies.

Qin Ming was content with picking up his daughter from school every day, preparing dinner for his wife, and savoring the warmth in the trivialities of ordinary life.

And the vague longing for a vast world that once stirred within him slowly wore away, fading amid the daily grind of rice, oil, and salt.

Unlike others' trials, the test on the ninth island of Qin Ming's Illusion Sea wasn't a mountain of blades or a sea of fire. Instead, it took the deepest, most unshakable "ordinary happiness" hidden in his heart, magnified it infinitely, solidified it, and wove it into a nearly perfect gentle cage.

He gained everything he had yearned for in his past life but could never obtain.

And so, he willingly stayed, unwilling to wake.

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

The old man in black scale armor frowned deeply, staring intently at Qin Ming's motionless figure in the void.

"Stopped... On the ninth island, his consciousness fluctuations have become extremely calm, even showing a hint of... satisfaction and indulgence?" With his vast experience, the old man immediately judged the situation.

"The illusions on the ninth island often target the deepest desires, regrets, or fears within one's heart. It seems this little fellow is trapped."

He shook his head with some regret.

"Extraordinary talent, and a will tough enough to break through the first eight islands. Pity, his nature still has a flaw—or rather, something he clings to too stubbornly to let go. This ninth island has become his insurmountable chasm."

The old man wasn't surprised.

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

Getting trapped was the norm.

How many Realm Lords had fallen before this very trial, sinking into the illusion for centuries, millennia, until their consciousness was exhausted and they were forcibly ejected?

"Let's see how long he can hold out. If he can break free on his own, even if he fails, it will be a rare tempering for his will. If not..." The old man said no more, merely observing in silence.

The Virtual Universe Company's rules forbade outsiders from interfering in the Illusion Sea trials.

In the illusory world, time flowed peacefully.

Daughter Qin Xue grew up day by day, from stumbling steps to babbling words. Wife Ruoxi remained beautiful and capable, keeping family and career in perfect order.

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

Everything seemed flawless.

But occasionally, in the dead of night when he was alone, or when he looked at his daughter's sleeping face, a faint, inexplicable emptiness would stir at the bottom of Qin Ming's heart.

As if something very important had been left behind, far, far away.

But that feeling was fleeting, quickly drowned out by his wife and daughter's laughter and the fullness of life.

Until one day.

Qin Xue's fifth birthday. The family threw a lively party.

After the party, the little one, tired from playing, hugged Qin Ming's neck and mumbled drowsily, "Daddy, what's outside the sky? Are there really people on the stars?"

A child's innocent words—but they struck Qin Ming's heart like a silent thunderbolt, catching him completely off guard!

...Outside the sky... stars...

Some shattered, long-sealed images suddenly crashed into his mind!

An icy meteor, the towering Trial Tower, the vast sea of stars, a dazzling sword light, and a silver-haired, heterochromatic-eyed woman glaring at him with a puffed-up face...

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

Countless fragments of chaotic information battered his consciousness.

The clash between real memories and the happiness of the illusion was so violent his head felt like it was splitting!

"No... that's wrong... this isn't real..." His face instantly turned pale, and his arms unconsciously tightened around his daughter.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Qin Xue was startled by his reaction and asked timidly.

Ruoxi also sensed something amiss, quickly walked over, and took his hand with concern.

"Honey? Are you feeling unwell?"

Her hand was warm and soft, her eyes full of worry—so real.

Qin Ming looked at his wife, then down at his daughter's innocent, pure eyes.

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

Ordinary, warm, happy!

Outside is the cold universe, endless slaughter and loneliness!

Another voice, faint but stubborn, rang out: That's fake. Your path lies in the sea of 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 found his throat dry, unable to form a complete sound.

The scene before him began to blur and waver—his wife's gentle face, his daughter's lovely smile, the warm lamplight, the lavish dinner... all of it started to feel unreal, like soap bubbles dissolving in the sunlight.

"I..." He struggled to force out this single word.

Yet, he saw the deep care in his wife's eyes, his daughter's dependence.

"I... I'm probably just too tired." In the end, Qin Ming spoke hoarsely, forcing a reassuring smile at his wife, and pulled his daughter tightly into his arms.

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

The sea of stars was too distant, too cold.

Here, there was the warmth he wanted.