The Sickly Villain Only Wants to Survive

105

The disembodied mechanical voice that suddenly filled the hospital room sounded quite eerie.

Jiang Wenhan seemed startled, the headache he had been experiencing dissipating, though he maintained his composure.

"What was that voice...?"

"Ah—"

With a shrill scream, the person on the bed abruptly sat up, attempting to rush out of the room without uttering a word.

"Host! Stop him quickly!"

Zhu Tong was momentarily taken aback, instinctively reaching out but unsure of what to do.

When had he ever done something so physically demanding?

Before he could seek help, a long leg shot out, effectively tripping the panicked Xia Yang and sending him crashing to the ground.

Xia Yang hit the floor with a loud thud, and at that moment, all sounds around them faded away—the beeping of medical machines, the faint footsteps of nurses in the corridor, even the breaths of those in the room were silenced.

It was as if an invisible barrier had separated the room from the outside world, isolating them.

Everything around seemed to be frozen.

Yet Zhu Tong could still sense Shao Ming's presence and the warmth beside him, which kept him from feeling panic.

On the other hand, the person on the ground, undeterred by the fall, attempted to get back up and struggle to escape.

Suddenly, a voice from Zhu Tong's mind spoke: "The trajectory of this world has been restored; changing hosts will not alter anything."

The person attempting to rise froze momentarily, then slowly straightened up, mechanically turning to face Zhu Tong.

Zhu Tong didn't have time to ponder what "the world trajectory has been restored" meant before he met Xia Yang's eyes, which were devoid of any emotion.

Gone was Xia Yang's rage and confusion; his expression was blank, his movements stiff like a machine.

This was no longer Xia Yang.

The hollow gaze of "Xia Yang" swept over the two before finally resting on Zhu Tong.

Zhu Tong felt a chill run down his spine and frowned. "What is happening here?"

The system responded, "Congratulations, host. The mission for extending your life has been successfully completed, and the ultimate reward is about to be issued. You may now ask me questions."

"..."

Zhu Tong felt a mix of emotions. "What exactly are you?"

The system remained silent.

"Do you believe in parallel worlds?"

Zhu Tong replied, "No."

The system fell silent again.

"This conversation is going nowhere."

"Parallel worlds exist," the system explained. "Not only are there parallel worlds, but beyond your own, many other worlds exist that are entirely different. Between these worlds, there is a dominant force that maintains balance; we refer to it as the Main System."

Zhu Tong asked, "Maintaining balance?"

"Yes. Your world has evolved into a modern civilization, but beyond it, many other worlds have developed in ways that exceed your imagination. Some individuals have begun to glimpse beyond their worlds and have even discovered bridges to connect with other worlds. The development of civilizations has its advantages and disadvantages, and those who venture outside their worlds inevitably influence others."