Tears of Rules

The battle was a gruesome spectacle—blood flowed freely, staining the ground a deep crimson, while the anguished wails of beasts mingled with the furious roars of monsters.

The ground was soon pulverized beneath the relentless strikes of the creatures, transforming the blood into mere powder.

Within the confines of the school, five regular monsters slowly regained their human forms, their bones still twisted and contorted as they staggered toward the battlefield of the giant beasts.

Regular monsters were notoriously difficult to kill, possessing no apparent weaknesses. There were only three known methods to defeat them:

Create rules that compel them to violate their own, leading to catastrophic conflicts. Kill them repeatedly. Each time they revived, they needed to draw upon the power of the rules; it might take hundreds of deaths before they could be truly vanquished. Locate and destroy the core of the rule area. Without it, the rule area—and the creatures within—would cease to exist.

Outside of these three strategies, they were virtually invincible.

"Roar~"

Yu Yuan unleashed a primal roar, finally tearing open the giant beast's head and crushing its brain in victory.

As the giant beast writhed in its death throes, its long tail fell limp, its struggles ceasing.

"Students, the school does not permit the destruction of buildings."

"Classmates, loud noises are prohibited in school."

"Classmate, you must be tired. Allow me to cook for you."

"It is wrong for classmates to strike teachers."

A hoarse, eerie voice echoed through the chaos as five grotesque figures—no taller than Yu Yuan's ankles—raised their hands in unison.

A bizarre force surged forth, crashing down upon him.

Yu Yuan's hundreds of eyes burned with fury, bloodshot and wild, as the scarlet tentacles on his body erupted and quickly reformed.

"Ah…"

He roared, pivoting to deliver a devastating blow with his massive fists.

Buzz~

An invisible wall of rules intercepted his attack, binding his fist mid-air. In that moment, the brain of the giant beast was obliterated.

Simultaneously, Yu Yuan's internal organs ruptured, his bones dislocated, and one by one, his eyes exploded in agony.

His gaze widened to its limit, red with rage as he felt his frustration reach a boiling point.

"Roar~"

With a thunderous roar, his body expanded to over ten meters, blood and energy cascading wildly around him.

Crack~

A sound like shattering glass echoed as the oppressive rules began to yield to his overwhelming power.

Yu Yuan's colossal fist descended.

Boom~

A deafening explosion reverberated through the air, and the ground trembled violently.

With Yu Yuan at the epicenter, buildings within a five-thousand-meter radius crumbled, while those farther away shook ominously.

Thousands of meters above, mechanical mosquitoes and flies plummeted, sparks crackling from their bodies.

"RoarRoarRoar~ Why? Why must it be this way? You will all perish alongside me!"

A human scream erupted from the monster's maw—a desperate release of pent-up frustration, infused with raw strength and unwavering conviction.

These beings had been shackled by rules since birth, living as mere puppets. After finally ascending to an extraordinary level, the chains began to loosen, heralding an end to their numb existence.

But what awaited them was not the grace of transcendent beings, but the disdainful condescension of the nobility, reducing them to dust.

The nobles crushed his self-esteem and identity through ceaseless humiliation and violence, leaving him powerless. Each act of defiance cost him a friend or family member.

Even death was a luxury he could not afford; if he succumbed, everything tied to him would perish.

He was left with a void, a chilling numbness.

So when the frenzy summoned him, he merged with it, craving the release it promised.

In that moment, Yu Yuan was truly himself—though it was a self realized through the aid of others.

Frenzy Bloom unleashed its ultimate power, a force teetering on the brink of what constituted a top-tier boss.

The city crumbled, tall structures vanished, and the forbidden city met its end.

As the violent force obliterated a building on the outskirts, the old monster, who had just regained his senses, froze in place. His once-empty eyes, now glimmered with life.

He was the principal of the Forbidden High School, a man stained with the blood of countless children.

He felt pain yet remained powerless. At last, it seemed everything was reaching its conclusion.

A tear, a remnant of the rules, fell to the ground.

Dong~

A bell tolled, resonating with the soul, marking the final breath of life in this city.

Bai Yi surveyed the chaotic scene—the exploding bodies, the ruins, the dead city—shock flickering in his eyes.

His understanding of the bloom phenomenon deepened, and Emotion Zero chimed in: [The energy level of the transformed body is at least level 70 and at most level 79, classified as forbidden transformation knowledge.]

Contemplating his next move, Bai Yi stepped onto the teleportation array.

Buzz~

A vibration coursed through space, momentarily disorienting him. Yet, with an endurance level of 530, the dizziness swiftly subsided.

He sensed the lingering energy in the air, his mind racing.

This was the other extreme of frenzy—a relinquishing of control, leaving only pure catharsis. In this catharsis, materials, carriers, and souls all influenced its limits.

Madness·Bloom transcended mere flesh and blood transformation; it was a biological weapon—a true one-time-use weapon.

Bai Yi knelt, touching the ground now reduced to powder. He raised his hand, summoning the remaining mechanical mosquitoes and flies, which flew down and entered his space ring.

He approached the remnants of Yu Yuan, examining the wreckage with a mix of admiration and melancholy. This bloom was nothing short of perfect. Even in death, the bodies of extraordinary beings retained extraordinary properties.

Yet as he inspected the remains of the frenzied explosion, he found them to be merely ordinary flesh and blood—lacking any extraordinary attributes.

Bai Yi turned his attention to the melting giant lizard. The monsters born from the rule zone lost their powers once it was destroyed—they were never truly alive.

As he began to set up a teleportation array, he reflected on his initial purpose: to confirm the attributes of Mad Bloom. As a researcher, he needed data for future improvements.

It seemed everything was indeed flawless. If he could find the core of this world, perhaps these enslaved beings could be reborn.

If that were possible, this transformation would transition into a formidable weapon.

The only limitation lay in the materials. The components required for such drastic transformations were costly, some even unattainable by any means.

Click~

The teleportation array activated, and as Bai Yi prepared to step onto it, something caught his eye.

He bent down to pick up a transparent crystal from the powder.

[You obtained Tear of Rules x 1.]

[Tear of Rules: The crystallization of rules, possibly containing some latent power.]

[Tip: Submit the rule crystal to the panel to gain a special skill point.]

[Special skill points: Skills at full proficiency can be upgraded once.]

Bai Yi was taken aback; he had never encountered special skill points before. Judging by the description, they seemed to harness the panel's power to enhance skills—akin to Frenzy and Frenzy Bloom.

Or perhaps they were an upgrade mechanism?

He scrutinized the crystal with a contemplative gaze. This item appeared to demand the panel's attention, suggesting its significant value.

Instead of upgrading a skill, Bai Yi considered a more strategic application.

This world was crafted by Lady Night through rules; could this Tear of Rules be a fragment of her authority? While he may not yet grasp its full potential due to his current strength, the panel's urgency clearly indicated its importance.

Thus, rather than squander it on a single skill upgrade, he envisioned its use in a more impactful way.

For instance, the Federation's Sword Master, a level 90 entity.

If he could present this crystal to him, it might facilitate a breakthrough. The development of Dawn would forge a radical new path.

Though the forbidden legend did not extend lifespan, it was relative; a substantial strength increase could prolong life by a decade or two.

Combined with his original thirty years, this additional time could yield significant protection, far exceeding that of a mere skill upgrade.

Moreover, wielding the power of the Forbidden Legend equated to that of a god.

With a Forbidden Legend, the Federation could craft forbidden equipment—an enhancement of terrifying proportions for ordinary legends. A single level increase for the Sword Master could eliminate their fears.

Given Bai Yi's growth trajectory, he was confident he could attain legendary status within fifty years.

Should the old swordsman not require it, he could always exchange it later for a skill point.

A surge of spiritual power radiated across the battlefield. There was no indicator for this Tear; what if he overlooked something?

The spiritual check concluded almost instantaneously; however, no similar crystals emerged.

Disappointment flickered but was quickly overshadowed by renewed optimism.

If monsters in the rule zone could yield such valuable items, perhaps he could unleash a few Frenzy·Bloom in other rule areas.

With nine Frenzies remaining, experimentation seemed prudent. The power of Frenzy·Bloom had exceeded his expectations.

Night Town had no need for excess. Even with Charles and the others, five Frenzies could nearly level the playing field.

Standing on the teleportation array, he felt a wave of energy wash over him, leaving only an explosive remnant in his wake.

With a resounding crash, the teleportation array disintegrated.

Bai Yi shook off the dizziness, exiting the laboratory in search of the king.

Beyond Night Town, three other rule areas awaited him, and he needed their precise coordinates.

At that moment, Zero's alert interrupted his thoughts.

Zero: [Conflict has erupted in the dark town. The new rule is: Shadows cannot be stepped on.]

Bai Yi paused, furrowing his brow. Why now?

Pu Sheng glanced at the midday sun, his expression troubled.

It had only been a day since he informed Charles of the plague, and the threat had yet to materialize. Charles would have to be insane to initiate a full-scale attack now.

Buzz~

Powerful waves surged through the town from various points, heralding chaos.

"Killing and destruction are upon us. Gather and eliminate them."

A cold voice cut through the tumult. Pu Sheng turned to see a weakened upper-level gold rank warrior, his aura unsteady but his intent clear.

Yesterday, his fist had been shattered by Charles, and the humiliation still stung.

"Understood. But we need to split up; today's rules aren't conducive to group combat." Pu Sheng nodded before vanishing in an instant.

He sought the mayor. Charles posed a significant threat, and he needed the protection of a powerful ally—the mayor, a figure embodying the rules of the night.

As he stealthily maneuvered, Pu Sheng suddenly halted, then redirected his steps toward the town center.

A realization dawned: Charles wouldn't be foolish enough to launch a head-on assault.

There were only three potential objectives: the core of the small world, the evil god that was being nurtured, and the method for its creation.

None of these required a direct confrontation.

If Charles aimed for the world's core, he could afford to take his time; finding it would be a challenge, possibly necessitating the destruction of the town. But the other two—

With the Dawn Team's numbers, Charles could easily leverage stealth to bypass direct conflict and head straight for the Night Cultists' base.

Pu Sheng arrived at the town center, summoning teammates in the manner of the Night Cultists.

He refrained from contacting the old mayor—occupied with subduing the Dawn Team members and confronting Charles.

Six gold-ranked members of the Cult of Night existed; he needed at least four to ensure victory.

Thirty seconds passed.

Two figures clad in masks and robes descended, their confusion palpable.

They looked at Pu Sheng, bewildered by the gathering in a moment of crisis. Shouldn't they be attacking the enemy?

"The creation of the evil god is at a critical juncture. We must ensure its safe birth. The core is paramount, and we lack protection here."

The two Night Cultists exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. For them, the Lady of Night's mission took precedence.

In this world, the rules were routine; the creation of evil gods was the ultimate mission, and placing them within the Dawn Federation was their goal.

When faced with both objectives, the priority was clear.