System 615's mechanical voice issued another notification:
[The host will be transported to a location somewhere in Capital City and must escape from that location within two days. The system will then declare the punishment complete.]
Shen Yangge: And what if I don't escape?
System 615:
[Death and annihilation, reduced to dust.]
The instant the mechanical voice faded, Shen Yangge snapped out of his daze and said to the group of palace maids and servants standing with their heads bowed, "When His Highness returns, tell him..."
But before he could finish, the scene before his eyes rapidly changed.
The palace collapsed, while the maids and servants remained rooted to the spot, looking bewildered, as though they had no idea what was happening.
"Fuck!"
Shen Yangge swore loudly as his vision went dark.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself somewhere enclosed by walls on all four sides.
The arrangement of the buildings and trees looked somewhat familiar, but he could not say where he had seen it before. He carefully searched his memories, yet still found nothing useful, so he could only sit cross-legged on the ground.
What Shen Yangge could now say for certain was that something was seriously wrong with System 615. The Database was doing everything in its power to erase him, yet it seemed unable to act against him directly.
It had to work through other people, missions, or punishments. Knowing those points allowed Shen Yangge to deduce quite a bit.
But he only pondered it briefly before getting up to examine the four walls. He pressed his slender fingers against a wall, rubbed it for a moment, then withdrew his hand. It must have been built recently; there was little loose plaster.
The trees in the courtyard stood some