Chapter 5: An Irreversible Tragedy , t231: 【Major Node…】

Grandfather… The Liu Family…

These words were like Plot Strings exclusive to Liu Ming, instantly pulling his drifting thoughts back. His terrifying emotional control allowed him to remain perfectly composed, dutifully continuing his role as an arrogant, insolent young master.

“Ugh, your concern is so cheap.”

He cast a disgusted glance at Yun Zhou.

Yun Zhou’s fur immediately bristled again.

Liu Ming’s mood improved slightly.

The maglev tram soon pulled into the floating platform of the Tower headquarters. The soaring Pitch-Black Tower stood tall, piercing the clouds. Not far away was the highest institution for Correctors, named after the World Tree and the Tower: Tree Tower Academy.

Black Swan led her three students with brisk steps toward the transparent elevator of the Pitch-Black Tower. As the elevator chimed, they finally reached the core area of the tower, a place untouched by anyone except high-ranking officials of the Seven-District Council.

It was an unremarkable room with a simple hall and basic projection equipment. Even the chairs were minimalist black models without any decoration. There was no indication that the people meeting here held supreme status over the seven major districts.

Black Swan pressed a button at the end of the heavy conference table and sat in the head seat without hesitation.

The moment she sat down, several holographic projections popped up simultaneously. Simple silhouettes extended from one end of the table to the other, totaling five figures.

By order of Black Swan, the Council Chairman, the heads of the other major districts had gathered here—excluding the fallen Seventh District and the uniquely natured Fourth District. Among them was the head of the Liu Family, Liu Lin.

Yun Zhou and Du Shui gaped in surprise. Only a few minutes had passed since Black Swan had told Liu Chuan to notify the Seven-District Council, yet the leaders of humanity’s seven districts were now gathered in this small meeting room as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The holographic projections of the district chiefs were in various states. One yawned lazily, appearing to have just woken up. Another was upright and solemn, his Windsor knot tied with meticulous precision. Yet another was wiping a blade, the blood dripping from its tip so vivid one could almost smell the metallic scent through the network.

Whether busy or idle, they were all here.

Sensing the confusion and bewilderment of his two classmates, Liu Ming hesitated for a moment before explaining, “This is the Principal’s influence.”

Because the person who issued the order was the Principal of Tree Tower Academy and the Chairman of the Seven-District Council—the strongest human who had once single-handedly killed the Anomaly Y10 World Tree and turned it into a prison to suppress other anomalies. No matter what these high-ranking district chiefs were doing, they had to appear in this small meeting room.

“Don’t be nervous. Sit down, students.”

Black Swan tilted her head and winked at the three of them. The supreme leader of humanity actually looked a bit playful at this moment.

As Black Swan spoke, three data panels descended from the wall behind them, connecting to form three simple seats. She watched the students sit before finally turning to face the now-stable holographic projections of the district leaders.

Liu Chuan stood quietly behind her, silent and steadfast.

“The prophecy has been confirmed once again. Tonight, Scorching Ghost escaped from the bottom of the World Tree and personally confirmed that prophecy.”

Black Swan leaned her face against her hand. The softness she had shown the students vanished completely. Her eyes, dark as night, flickered with a terrifying pressure that could not be ignored.

“Do any of you have thoughts on this?”

She was merely stating a fact, but the fearsome aura that had become one with her still made the three Tree Tower students tremble.

Well, two of them. Liu Ming did not tremble.

As the heir to the Liu Family, he had accompanied his grandfather to such scenes many times. Even a sliver of spiritual energy leaked by the Chairman during official business was enough to create a suffocating pressure, but he was already accustomed to it.

Du Shui was shaking quite violently. Yun Zhou carefully wrapped his fluffy tail around the girl’s palm. The shrine maiden from the Third District paused, then began to stroke the fur without the slightest bit of politeness.

Is this really a wolf? He’s practically a dog.

Liu Ming looked away, preferring not to see it.

Most of the content scrolling across the bullet chat was currently praising Black Swan’s coolness or filled with random fan-girl comments. Finding nothing of value, he turned his gaze toward the person he was most familiar with—his family, his teacher, his grandfather, Liu Lin.

The t231 panel floated before him. Liu Ming scanned his accumulated Misunderstanding Points. It had to be said that as the protagonist, Yun Zhou was quite generous with points. The current amount was enough to unlock the Plot Strings of an insignificant background character.

Liu Ming’s gaze lingered on Liu Lin’s face, which was as calm and shrewd as ever. He hadn’t seen anyone in the bullet chat mention his grandfather; at most, they complained that the Liu Family head looked like a sinister venomous snake. In the work observed by the bullet chat, his grandfather probably wasn’t an important character.

So, he decided to try.

【Spend Misunderstanding Points to remove the Plot Strings of the corresponding character?】

Liu Ming discreetly confirmed.

However, the t231 interface began to flash warnings as if it had suffered severe damage:

【Error! Error! Error!】

【Unable to remove! Please select a living person as the target, not a Plot Puppet!】

Liu Ming’s head snapped up.

…Something was wrong…

Something had changed; something was off.

Although his grandfather was representing the Liu Family and the First District as usual—delivering long-winded speeches and navigating the conversation with social grace—the calculation and deep thought in his eyes had vanished completely. Even when his gaze swept over Liu Ming, there wasn’t a single ripple of emotion.

How could this be…

Liu Ming watched Liu Lin in disbelief. After confirming there wasn’t a trace of emotion left in those blood-red eyes, he tried once more to use t231’s power to remove Liu Lin’s Plot Strings.

The only response he received was a series of alarms, growing sharper by the second, audible only to him.

Plot Puppet… the name alone made it clear. It meant an existence entirely controlled by the Plot Strings, a being whose self-awareness had been completely erased.

“After tonight, even I will be your enemy.”

So that was the true meaning behind those words… the reality now stood starkly before his eyes.

Grandfather was no longer the same man.

But why?

Liu Ming was in disbelief. The horrific realization surged through his mind, turning his face pale and sickly in an instant. A sharp pang pierced his chest like an ice pick driving into his heart. His reason was screaming warnings at him, yet he still could not bring himself to believe it.

Why?

Grandfather was so shrewd, so calculating, the man who had led the Liu Family all the way to the position of head of the First District. How could someone like him be erased by the Plot Strings?

This question was like a blade, stabbing straight into his heart and carving out a hollow void.

He felt as though he should be crying; otherwise, he truly would be the cold-blooded creature the world made the Liu Family out of to be. However, the vigilance and wariness ingrained in him since childhood forcibly suppressed every physiological reaction.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?”

A brush of warmth came from beside him as Yun Zhou patted Liu Ming’s shoulder with concern.

The boy before him was now so pale he looked as though he had just attempted to guide several Sentinels at once, like a porcelain vase on the verge of shattering at any moment.

The moment Liu Ming looked up, Yun Zhou saw his eyes.

Those eyes no longer held mockery, playfulness, or contempt. They no longer shone with a jewel-like luster; they had dimmed entirely into a blood-red curtain of terrifying agony.

But quickly—so quickly that Yun Zhou felt as if he had just seen a hallucination—the mockery, playfulness, and contempt returned to Liu Ming’s gaze. The shattered fragments and the soul-tearing grief vanished, replaced by the same sarcasm he wore every day.

Like a porcelain vase that had begun to show cracks and shards, only to be frozen back into a state of perfection by a reversal of time.

“Are you joking? You think everyone is as fragile as you, wanting to run away the moment they see a Scorching Ghost?”

Yun Zhou successfully managed to irritate himself half to death again. He turned away from Liu Ming in a huff, refusing to look at him any longer.

Du Shui patted Yun Zhou’s tail soothingly, a helpless expression on her face: Why bother?

Because of this small interlude, they missed the moment when Liu Ming’s unsustainable facade finally fractured.

The boy in the hospital gown lowered his head, letting his long bangs fall to shadow most of his face.

The warmth from Yun Zhou’s hand just now had been almost searing.

No, it had seared him. Liu Ming pulled his lips into a self-deprecating smile. The moment he saw his own crumbling reflection in Yun Zhou’s eyes, he realized why his all-calculating grandfather had ended up like this.

If the Plot Strings were enraged because Grandfather used T231 to escape their control, and thus thoroughly brainwashed him into a Plot Puppet, then…

Then… that night, Grandfather had essentially died for him.

Because the only person who had truly escaped the Plot Strings that night was him.

Grandfather had deliberately provoked the Plot Strings and intentionally caused such a massive commotion just to make the Plot Strings believe that the one trying to use T231—that “non-existent Anomaly”—to modify the plot and defy fate was Liu Lin.

Meanwhile, the true host of T231 had been hidden by Liu Lin behind his own back.

The Plot Strings had already erased an arrogant fool who dared to try and change destiny; they would never suspect that the one who actually possessed T231 and had escaped their grasp was a mere piece of cannon fodder in the original plot.

He had won absolute safety, but the price was the only person in the Liu Family who loved him.

Even if that love was for Liu Ming’s value as an heir, it was still love.

【What are these heads of the seven districts even talking about? It’s all a mess, I can’t understand a word!】

【Our sister Black Swan is still the most articulate. Hurry up and summarize the whole meeting, then notify the seven districts that our Wolf Cub is the future Savior of humanity!】

【Hahaha, yeah, yeah! Fast forward to the Wolf Cub becoming the captain of the Salvation Squad, let all the elite Correctors from every district join his team, and then—】

【Everyone will welcome a magnificent, grand, and beautiful end in the First Cycle!】

An end? An end could never be beautiful. What kind of twisted, nonsensical bullshit was this?

Liu Ming took a deep breath. He tentatively opened T231 again, attempting to use his Misunderstanding Points to correct the Plot Strings, to stop this meeting, and to prevent everything that was about to happen.

But he was met only by the cold voice of T231.

【Major node, cannot be changed.】

【Major node, cannot be changed.】

【Major node, cannot be changed.】

…

【Host, please be cautious in your choices to change fate.】

…

【Warning: The novice protection period has ended. If the host continues to act willfully, T231 will be unable to protect the host from the price incurred by touching the Plot Strings.】

Liu Ming finally lowered his hand.