Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The gale came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the cliff at Wanghai Peak.

Lu Jingyan slowly closed his eyes.

He could clearly feel the rhythm of the entire universe leaping in his palm. Every friction of the earth's crust beneath his feet, even the newly formed ocean current in the depths of the Pacific, he could smooth over with a mere thought.

This sense of omniscience and omnipotence is enough to drive any carbon-based life form into madness instantly.

The entity deep within his mind, known as the "War God System," was now emitting an unprecedentedly high-frequency buzzing sound.

[Warning! The host's energy body is about to break through the material limit!]

[Please confirm the ascension procedure immediately! Countdown begins!]

The cold, mechanical voice now carried a rare hint of fervor and urgency.

Zhao Tiezhu scratched his shiny bald head, completely unaware that his boss was standing on the edge of the altar.

He looked at Lu Jingyan's dusty special forces uniform and seriously considered the question he had just asked.

"Boss, is there even a need to choose?"

Zhao Tiezhu grinned broadly, his face beaming with a憨厚 (honest and simple) smile. "Even immortals have to endure the cold winds in the sky every day. I think our uniforms are much better; they not only provide food and lodging but also a high-temperature allowance."

"Besides, how could a god eat the braised pork made by the head chef in the bureau's canteen?"

As Lu Jingyan listened to this down-to-earth and insightful statement, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

Before that smile could fully bloom, the system's ethereal voice forcefully entered the depths of his consciousness.

[Host, please do not be disturbed by low-dimensional emotions.]

Ascending to immortality means you will become the absolute law of this universe. You will possess endless lifespan and the power to tear apart galaxies.

In return, you will need to forgo the secretion of those useless carbon-based biological hormones.

Anger, sorrow, joy, and even all personal memories will be formatted. The divine needs no favoritism; the divine needs only absolute coldness and impartiality.

Lu Jingyan's consciousness was instantly pulled into a pure white space.

There is no sound, no temperature, only endless nothingness and absolute silence here.

This is the final destination the system depicted for him.

As long as he clicks the confirmation button, he will become the supreme Heavenly Dao.

It becomes a rule-based machine that will never bleed, never tire, but will also never laugh again.

But it's so fucking boring.

Lu Jingyan frowned in disgust amidst the pure white surroundings.

If even the basic humanity is stripped away, what use is all that invincible cultivation?

Want to be a sophisticated high-dimensional holographic projection?

His mind began to flash back to those times uncontrollably.

Those vivid scenes, brimming with the warmth of everyday life, grew wildly in this pure white space like unruly weeds.

He thought of Su Xiaoxiao.

That girl who always liked to push up her black-rimmed glasses and complain about him behind his back, calling him a "living devil."

That brat who rushed towards the bomb without hesitation to protect the list, and then complained that the black rice porridge he cooked was poisonous while lying in a hospital bed.

Even her furious cries over the walkie-talkie sounded a million times more beautiful than this divine chanting in retrospect.

He thought of Zhao Tiezhu.

That burly man, weighing over 200 pounds, had his biggest daily worry: the canteen didn't give him enough braised pork.

He always charges forward with a Gatling gun in hand, but when he sees himself bleeding, he panics like a three-hundred-month-old child.

He also thought of Director Chen's increasingly thinning bald patch and Qin Mingyue's scalpel that was constantly soaked in disinfectant.

I recalled the aroma of cumin and grilled meat rising from the street food stalls in Jinghai City as the city lights came on at dusk.

I recalled the relieved smiles on the faces of ordinary citizens after those criminals were caught.

These fragmented, mundane pieces of data are, in the system's view, low-dimensional redundant data that must be cleaned up.

But in Lu Jingyan's eyes, this was the whole meaning of why he was willing to risk his life to draw his gun and protect her.

[Warning! Host's emotional fluctuations are abnormally high!]

[The compatibility with the Heavenly Dao is decreasing! Please immediately sever your worldly ties!]

The system's red light flashed wildly on my retina, even causing a sharp, stinging sensation.

It seemed that as long as Lu Jingyan did not agree, this immense power of the Heavenly Dao would forcibly erase his will.

"Stripping away worldly ties?"

Lu Jingyan burst into wild laughter in that pure white space.

"I finally managed to bring these gods and monsters back into the framework of the rule of law. And now you want me to be the biggest feudal superstition?"

"Don't you think this logic is ridiculous?"

He suddenly opened his eyes, and a madness that was even more dazzling than the golden cloud of merit in the sky burst forth from his deep black eyes.

The sea breeze of the real world blew on his face again, bringing the warmth of humanity.

Lu Jingyan looked down at his somewhat tattered special forces uniform.

The silver police badge on his chest reflected a cold, hard luster in the setting sun.

He put it on himself when he took the oath under the police academy flag.

From that moment on, his faith consisted solely of law and order.

[Final Confirmation: Will You Accept the Succession to Divinity?]

The system's voice carried a hint of oppressive power, similar to that of a divine judgment.

It was as if the entire plane was waiting for this new king to ascend the throne.

Zhao Tiezhu watched as Lu Jingyan stood motionless on the edge of the cliff, the golden light around him flickering, and he was so frightened that he didn't dare to breathe.

"Boss? What's wrong? Don't scare me."

Zhao Tiezhu tentatively called out, squeezing the empty soda can in his hand until it was deformed.

"I just pre-ordered a large pork knuckle for dinner from the cafeteria lady. You're not really going to leave us here like this, are you?"

Lu Jingyan turned his head and looked at Zhao Tiezhu, whose face was full of worry.

He then turned his gaze to the distant city of Jinghai, where neon lights were just beginning to illuminate the night.

The lights of countless homes lit up one after another in this rescued city, like a dazzling galaxy.

There were noisy citizens, monsters still queuing to register, and ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.

It is full of flaws, yet full of vitality.

"Tiezhu is right. The wind is too cold out there. I still prefer the braised pork from the station."

Lu Jingyan's voice was soft, yet it carried a resolute power that could penetrate dimensions.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand next to the golden "Confirm" button in the void, which shimmered with endless allure.

I precisely pressed that tiny red "Reject" button.

[System in progress...]

[Warning! The host is refusing to grant the highest level of privileges in this plane!]

[If you refuse, you will lose your only chance to gain immortality and omniscience. Confirm?]

The mechanical voice in my mind started to stutter noticeably, as if this choice had exceeded its underlying logic.

Throughout history, which chosen one has not gone mad in pursuit of immortality?

Is it really possible for someone to refuse to become a god who rules over everything?

"Stop pausing. Since you're living inside my brain, you have to follow my rules."

Lu Jingyan put one hand in his pocket, his tone exuding an air of lawless arrogance.

"In my life, I, Lu Jingyan, only recognize the laws and codes promulgated by the state."

"Those lofty heavenly rules and precepts are not even worth a piece of waste paper to me."

His gaze pierced through the void, as if he were directly conversing with the will of this world.

"If becoming a god means turning a blind eye to this world and watching my people bleed and die without doing anything about it."

"Then I'd rather just be a mortal being earning a fixed salary."

[Logical operation conflict... The host's will cannot be changed...]

The system's voice gradually faded away.

The dazzling golden light of merit surrounding Lu Jingyan began to recede like a tide.

He forcefully repelled the immense energy that was enough to make someone ascend to immortality from his body.

Finally, it turned into a gentle breeze and disappeared on the summit of Wanghai Peak.

Zhao Tiezhu breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw the golden light disappear, and then ran over excitedly.

"Boss! You looked absolutely terrifying just now! I thought you were really going on a pilgrimage to the West!"

Lu Jingyan glanced at him and kicked Zhao Tiezhu's chubby calf.

"Stop talking nonsense. Go to the car and get the walkie-talkie to contact the command center."

"Although this farce has come to an end, there is still a lot of work to be done in sorting out the case files and post-disaster reconstruction."

Zhao Tiezhu scratched his head and smiled broadly.

"Alright! I'm off! As long as you're still here, boss, the sky won't fall down in Jinghai City!"

Lu Jingyan stood alone on the edge of the cliff, lighting a cigarette against the night wind.

The scarlet cigarette butt flickered uncertainly in the night.

Lu Jingyan exhaled a puff of smoke, his deep eyes filled with relief.

"This is the perfect result."

[System's final warning: Once the host relinquishes this path, they will be forever subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death.]

You will face the hardships of mortal life; you will be hurt, you will shed tears, and you will be burdened by emotional entanglements.

As Lu Jingyan listened to this final warning, the image of that pale girl who stubbornly smiled at him resurfaced in his mind.

Bonds?

If there were no constraints, for whom would all the rule of law and order in this world be established?

He turned his head, looked at Zhao Tiezhu who was grinning by the car, and looked at the brightly lit Jinghai city in the distance.

His blood flows with the fiery heat of humanity.

[Final Inquiry: Has the host changed their mind?]

The system's voice took on an unprecedented solemnity.

Lu Jingyan stood atop the mountain, the night wind ruffling his black tactical cloak.

He gazed at the starry sky, his eyes filled with an absolute clarity that no god could shake.

"You want to turn me into an emotionless, rule-following machine?"

Lu Jingyan slowly opened his mouth and uttered four words.

"I don't want to."