Questioning

Upon returning to the master bedroom that Bai Xu had won—which was indeed much more spacious and comfortable than the guest room, and whose furnishings were simpler and more stylish—the system's long-suppressed, tearful electronic voice erupted in Shi Mo's mind like a flood bursting its banks.

[Host! Host! What did you just do?!] The system's voice was shrill, almost cracking. [You used 'Yama'?! Just to grab a room?! Do you know how dangerous that is?! People can die! People can really die!!!]

Shi Mo tossed himself onto the noticeably softer bed, letting out a comfortable sigh. Ignoring the system crash, he lazily asked, "Tried out the new toy, works well. What's up?"

[What's wrong?! You're asking me what's wrong?!] The system felt like its logic was about to collapse. [That's 'Yama'! It's the 'Divine Contract' that restores your peak power! Even a tiny bit, even just a second, is something no mortal can withstand! Captain Bai Xu... he almost... he almost...]

"He's not dead, is he?" Shi Mo interrupted, his tone still calm. "I controlled my strength and also set up a shield. At most, he'll spit out some blood and suffer a bit of mental shock; he'll be fine after a few days in bed."

[What if?! What if you don't control it well?! What if Captain Bai Xu can't handle it?!]

The system is about to go crazy.

He's now at the core of the Seventh Sequence! A crucial ally! If something happens to him, our foothold in this world will become extremely precarious! And... and...

The system's voice lowered, tinged with lingering fear: "Moreover, just a moment ago, I detected a slight backlash from your core rules! Although very weak, it was real! Frequent or excessive use of 'Yama' might accelerate this backlash, and even attract the attention of your core consciousness! I have no idea what will happen then! It's too dangerous! This is too dangerous!"

Shi Mo finally frowned slightly, not because of the system's concern, but because of a certain word in its words.

"Questioning?" His voice turned cold, carrying an undeniable air of authority. "System, are you questioning my judgment? Questioning my control over power?"

The change in tone alone at the level of consciousness froze the core code of the system instantly, and fear was poured over him like ice water.

[No! I wouldn't dare! Host! I absolutely didn't mean to question you!] The system's voice trembled with fear. [I was just... I was just worried! Yes! Worried! Worried about your safety, worried that the plan might go awry! Captain Bai Xu is, after all, an important observation sample and... a partner...]

"Sample? Partner?" Shi Mo chuckled, sitting up from the bed. His heterochromatic eyes appeared exceptionally deep in the soft light of the room. "System, you seem to have misunderstood something."

He walked to the window and looked at the faint outline of the Seventh Sequence headquarters outside.

"I stayed here, joined this so-called Seventh Sequence, not because I need them, nor because I'm afraid of any backlash." His voice was calm, yet carried a detached indifference that seemed to look down upon all living beings. "It's simply because I find it interesting."

"Bai Xu? A slightly interesting human with the Eye of Rules and decent potential. Does his life or death matter?"

"If he can't even withstand a fraction of my restrained power, then he's nothing special and not worth my attention. If he dies, he dies."

"As for the backlash..." He paused, a cruel smile curving his lips. "It's my own property, I can use it if I want. Backlash? That's a risk I need to take. What does it have to do with you? What does it have to do with the world?"

The system fell completely silent.

It sensed the cold will of the absolute ruler who viewed all things as worthless.

In Shi Mo's eyes, Bai Xu's life, the stability of the Seventh Sequence, and even the safety of this world might not be as important as his whim to "try out a new toy".

"...I understand, host." The system's electronic voice became unusually low, carrying a resigned obedience. "I have overstepped my bounds. Your will is the highest rule."

Shi Mo was fairly satisfied with the system's understanding. "Remember your location. You only need to provide information and execute commands. The rest is none of your concern."

[Yes, host. 】

"However," Shi Mo changed the subject, as if he had thought of something, "Bai Xu's 'future vision' is indeed quite interesting. The moment I used 'Yama,' he seemed to... have caught something? Although it was immediately crushed."

"[Future vision involves time and causality. When encountering beings or events far beyond its comprehension, it may indeed produce some reactive, vague perceptions.]" the system carefully analyzed. "But with his current mental strength, it's absolutely impossible for him to truly glimpse your essence."

"Hmm." Shi Mo stopped dwelling on the issue. He assessed his own condition; using "Yama" for one second had depleted nearly 30% of his mental energy, requiring some time to recover. This consumption was greater than he had anticipated.

"It seems this 'toy' can't be played with too often," he muttered to himself, but there was little regret on his face; instead, he exuded a sense of composure as if he were in complete control.

A trump card is called a trump card precisely because it is rare and powerful.

He lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to guide the energy within his body to restore his mental strength. As for the uproar that his actions might cause outside, he didn't care at all.

What will the Seventh Sequence think? How will Bai Xu process this crushing defeat? How will his teammates look at him?

He doesn't care.

All he needed to know was that he had been given a more comfortable room, tested the power of "Yama," and confirmed that he still held absolute control in this world.

This is enough.

To him, the system's fears and warnings were nothing more than pointless noise, like ants unable to comprehend the steps of giants. He walked his own path, needing neither to explain himself to anyone nor to consider any consequences.

Because he is the rule. At least, he was, and he will be again in the future.