[Jingwei Sage]’s pupils shrank sharply.
Falusil paid no attention to his reaction, continuing her analysis as if to herself, every word like a scalpel, slicing precisely to the heart of the issue.
“There’s an obvious logical contradiction here.”
“If you truly act as you claim—without restraint, seeking only profit and experience—then with your lack of fear toward death, you could easily create your own battlefield.”
“You could attack the Army of the Kingdom, pillage our Cities, even declare war on the capital itself. The experience gained from such actions would far exceed that of simply exterminating monsters, wouldn’t it?”
“But you haven’t done so.”
“Most of you only operate in the Tower of Limstar and the Demon Domain Outer Zone, obediently accepting the missions we post, earning rewards that, by your own standards, are insignificant. Even those like you, who seem to possess higher intelligence and insight, only attempt to persuade me through words, not direct action.”
“This can only mean one thing.”
Falusil’s voice was lowered to a near whisper, yet it crashed like thunder in the ears of [Jingwei Sage].
“Your so-called system imposes strict limitations on you as well! Its rules not only grant privileges but also shackle you! I suspect the most crucial rule is—”
She paused, then enunciated each word with crystal clarity.
“—you cannot initiate attacks against NPCs deemed friendly or neutral by the system, who show no hostility toward you! Am I right?”
“Boom!”
Her words struck like invisible lightning through everyone present.
Nilo and Zhao Yingyue stared, mouths agape, unable to believe what they’d just heard.
They had never considered the issue from this perspective.
In their eyes, players were chaotic and unpredictable, yet even these otherworldly guests were bound by certain rules!
As for [Jingwei Sage], his eternally composed and scholarly expression finally collapsed entirely.
Shock.
Pure, unadulterated shock.
He looked at Falusil as if gazing at a monster existing outside all rules.
His once-prized intelligence and sense of superiority as an insider had been utterly shattered by her calm, precise, and direct reasoning.
He’d always regarded these natives as NPCs in a game—some foolish, some powerful, some useful, others obstacles to overcome.
He had never imagined that an NPC could, by observing their behavior patterns, deduce the system’s underlying rules!
This was beyond any explanation of intelligence.
It was a terrifying insight bordering on awakening.
After a long silence, [Jingwei Sage] took a slow, deep breath.
He methodically wiped his glasses with a silk handkerchief.
When he put them back on, the shock in his eyes had faded, replaced by an unprecedented, burning intensity—a thrill and tremor known only to chess players who have finally found a worthy opponent.
He did not answer Falusil’s question directly, but spoke with genuine admiration.
“Brilliant…absolutely brilliant, Your Grace, God’s Chosen Highness.”
He bowed slightly to Falusil.
“You are correct. We are indeed bound by rules. To us, this world is both a playground and a chessboard with strict rules. We may move freely upon it, but we can never overturn it.”
He raised his head, the gentle smile returning to his face, but this time it was more sincere—and more dangerous—than ever before.
“It seems I truly underestimated you. I thought this was merely a simple game of guiding an NPC to issue a quest. Now, I see I must reassess my strategy.”
He admitted his intentions without reservation, indirectly confirming all of Falusil’s deductions.
“Well then, God’s Chosen Highness,”
He asked in an entirely new tone,
“Since you have seen through the rules of the game, as the most important chess master on Arslan’s side of this board—how will you make your next move?”
—
There was never anything poetic about morning in the Forbidden Marshes of the Demon Domain.
The silence was suffocating; even the chirping of insects and birds had vanished.
Only the occasional dull “gloop” of a massive bubble bursting deep within the swamp reminded intruders of the lurking dangers beneath their feet.
A squad moved through this land of death.
Their movements were utterly silent.
Only the muffled “splut” of military boots on soggy ground could be heard—immediately swallowed by the thick fog.
At the front walked two veteran Magic Girls, gripping enchanted short swords, eyes as sharp as panthers as they scanned the twisted, claw-like branches of dead trees.
Behind them were four young Magic Girls, arranged in pairs to guard the squad’s flanks.
At the center was Falusil.
Her pale blue eyes were steady and unruffled, scanning the squad formation and the distant eddies of mist with unwavering regularity.
Half a step behind her, just off to the side, was a figure completely out of place amidst this disciplined group—[Shadowfang Vanguard], Jiang You.
He wore a brand-new, dark leather armor designed for agile assassins, two wickedly green-glinting daggers hanging at his waist.
His footsteps were as silent as a cat’s—a basic skill for top-tier players.
“Stop.”
Falusil’s voice sounded without warning—cold, brief.
The entire squad halted as one, their movements perfectly synchronized, not a single unnecessary sound escaping.
“[Shadowfang Vanguard],”
Falusil did not look back; her voice carried directly to his ears.
“Three hundred meters ahead, in the hollow where the purple fungi grow. Scout it.”
“Understood.”
Jiang You replied, a slight smile tugging at his lips.
He knew the main act was about to begin.
This was why he had agreed to join the expedition squad.
A few days earlier, after a discussion with [Jingwei Sage], Falusil had swiftly shaken off the shock of encountering the unknown and, with astonishing composure, crafted a plan to make rational use of the system.
She leveraged the system’s characteristic of restricting player movement by level, recruiting players whose strength matched that of the exploration squad.
If there were dangers ahead exceeding their capabilities, the system would block the players, thus allowing the squad to avoid certain threats.
Meanwhile, these players, under the squad’s protection, could push the limits of their abilities within their level range, maximizing their experience gains.
This plan was called the “Sentinel Plan.”
When Falusil approached [Shadowfang Vanguard] with this proposal, Jiang You was astounded.
It was a stroke of genius! A perfect win-win solution for grinding experience.
For players, exploring high-risk zones alone was like walking a tightrope in the dark.
While the penalty for death was bearable, the frustration and time lost from repeated corpse runs was immense.
By following this elite Magic Girl Squad led by God’s Chosen herself, safety was maximized.
Players could freely challenge the limits of their level in advance of the main force, mapping out the boundaries.
The moment they hit the invisible Level Wall, it meant they’d exhausted all possible experience from the area and could safely withdraw or redirect, maximizing efficiency.
For Falusil, it was just as worthwhile.
No longer did she need to risk the lives of her precious soldiers to test for deadly traps.
A player’s immortal nature became her most reliable probe.
At minimal cost, she gained the most efficient intelligence gathering, while avoiding needless losses.
It was a partnership of mutual benefit—a high-efficiency transaction based on system rules.
Jiang You’s figure flickered, darting like a ghost into the mist ahead.
He moved swiftly, leaving only faint footprints in the mud, soon vanishing from the Magic Girls’ line of sight.
Minutes ticked by.
Only the distant “pop pop” of bursting swamp bubbles broke the silence.
After about five minutes, Jiang You emerged from the fog, shaking his head with a trace of regret.
“No good,”
He reported to Falusil.
“About fifty meters ahead of that hollow is the boundary. Air wall. Can’t get through.”
There was no hint of surprise or disappointment on Falusil’s face.
She simply nodded, then raised her hand and issued a clear Tactical Hand Signal to the squad.
“Mark the boundary. Turn left. Continue along the B-3 Route.”
The squad resumed its silent advance, moving like parts of a finely-tuned machine.
Jiang You followed at the rear, gazing at Falusil’s upright back, a trace of admiration welling in his heart.
This woman was frighteningly calm.
After seeing through [Jingwei Sage]’s schemes and deducing the core constraints on players, she had not grown angry.
Instead, she had immediately turned those rules to her own advantage, devising a high-efficiency strategy.
She was like a top-tier chess player—accepting both the opponent’s pieces and rules, then using those very rules to make a move no one had anticipated.
For a rational, powerful, and brilliant woman like her, the typical player tricks of gift-giving or sweet-talking must seem no more than childish games.