A game where you have to pay to win? But I have a lifespan roulette wheel!

Jiang Lin stood atop the Jianmu tree.

This is not the physical treetop, but the origin where all world concepts converge.

Standing here, the texture beneath his feet is not wood, but rather like looking down at a constantly flowing, ever-changing world map.

The light and shadow of countless world bubbles converge and separate here; some are born, some are annihilated, some are swallowed by the shadow of forbidden creatures, and some are struggling.

The tides of the world's oceans here are transformed into visible ripples, each wave representing the rise and fall of countless civilizations.

He saw that 100,000 years ago, the Ten Ancient Kings did not actively claim territory. Instead, after a battle so brutal it was indescribable, the survivors used themselves as anchors to forcibly fix the nearly shattered Kryptonite game from the turbulent currents of the world sea, thus forming the later isolated island.

King of Strength, King of the Sky... those figures gradually blurred in the interplay of light and darkness.

He saw the "conceptual gap" where the "director" was located as a "historical possibility" that had been forcibly stripped away and stagnated, an aftermath of that great war, and also a kind of insurance or prison.

His entry and disintegration released the bound variables and allowed some long-forgotten causes and effects to begin to flow again.

He even glimpsed a glimmer of hope: the reason why the game lost the ability to build wooden boats was not because the technology was lost, but because it was used as part of the price to maintain some kind of more fundamental "balance" or "contract".

The Ten Kings of the Primordial Era knew this, but most of the later, sole professionals were unaware.

However, these truths did not bring Jiang Lin any sudden enlightenment; instead, they brought him a profound sense of emptiness.

Standing too high and seeing too much, he discovered that all grand narratives, entangled causes and effects, and historical secrets are essentially like the ever-changing world bubbles beneath the Jianmu tree, just everyday life within a much larger context.

"So... what's the point of knowing? Getting involved? Becoming the new 'director' or 'king' to plan something?"

He recalled that his initial wish was simply to escape his current situation as a maggot.

And slap those two bastards while you're at it.

Then I wanted to live a more carefree life, and later all I wanted was to be able to stop eating beef and freely experience the joys of different worlds.

Pushed by the system and rushed by events, having finally gained the authority to rewrite the rules and see the root cause, are we just going to plunge headlong into this seemingly grand but endless "responsibility" or "conspiracy"?

No.

Jiang Lin grinned, a smile that carried his usual nonchalance and a hint of relief after seeing things clearly.

"None of my business."

Facing the surging ocean of the world beneath his feet, facing the countless light and shadows that come and go, and facing the lingering remnant of a "director" or some other being that might be watching this place from the shadows, he loudly proclaimed:

"What true king, what variables, what historical truth... none of that matters to me!!!!"

"From today onwards, I'm going to be the King of Fun! I'll go wherever there's fun, and watch whatever's entertaining. Saving the world, uncovering the truth, participating in epic battles... forget about it all!!! My rule is: do whatever makes me happy!"

As soon as he had a thought, the wheelchair beneath him emitted a pleasant hum, as if it too agreed with his decision.

Jiang Lin changed direction, no longer gazing at the mysteries deep within the summit of the Jianmu tree, but instead rushing towards the countless world bubbles in the World Sea that shimmered with interesting light.

He wants to live a carefree life!

In the time that followed (perhaps a few years, perhaps decades, time is inherently ambiguous in the world), Jiang Lin truly lived out his motto as the King of Fun:

He infiltrated a technologically advanced world where everyone was obsessed with virtual idols, anonymously wrote a forbidden song, and caused the global internet to crash for three days.

He stumbled into a fantasy world where food determines victory, and using the game's singularity to recreate a bunch of devilish dishes, inflicting psychological trauma on a top-tier powerhouse who called himself the God of Food.

He even disguised himself as a conman in a low-magic world, using his silver tongue and a little magic to build a "Cult of Happiness" that spanned the continent. The cult had only one doctrine: "Enjoy the fun while you can." Then he made a dashing escape before being wanted by the local king.

He almost forgot about the pay-to-win game, the forbidden creatures, and the people who were waiting for him.

Carefree, truly carefree.

Until one day, while he was drifting on the World Ocean, the core of the Jianmu tree in his wheelchair suddenly and strongly pointed in a direction, which was the anchor resonance from the world of the life-or-death game.

Jiang Lin then suddenly realized that he seemed to... seemed to... probably... had a little bit of things left to deal with?

"Forget it, I'm strong enough now anyway, going back to check on them is fine." Jiang Lin scratched his head. "Mainly to see how the Beast King and Ghost King are doing... um, definitely not because I miss them!"

With the mindset of "I'll just go back for one last look, I definitely won't linger," Jiang Lin maneuvered his wheelchair and, following the guidance of the anchor point, plunged back into the world of the life-or-death game.

He chose to "low-key" land at the Freedom Tower in the Freedom City.

Then--

Time seemed to stand still for a second.

On the lawn of the penthouse villa, Beast King and Lu Keke, who were having a friendly debate about the classic topics of "Where did Jiang Lin go again?" and "Who is the person he likes?", froze in their poses at the same time.

The two were still enveloped in lingering energy fluctuations as they turned to look at the uninvited guest.

The living room window was flung open, and the Magic King poked his head out, adjusting his non-existent glasses, the lenses reflecting light: "Oh my? Isn't this my missing boss? Finally back?"

Almost simultaneously, a whooshing sound came from the sky.

A figure shrouded in black and red aura (Nero) and a figure radiating pure white holy light (Jiang Wangcai) crashed onto either side of the courtyard like meteorites, causing the ground to crack.

Nero's eyes gleamed with a dangerous yet obsessive light, while Jiang Wangcai wore an expression of grievance and excitement, as if saying, "I've finally found you."

Further away, there seemed to be other figures rapidly approaching, sensing Jiang Lin's presence (such as Baili Qingqiong who heard the wind, Zhang Kexin who might have become stronger?, or someone else)...

Jiang Lin's carefree smile froze instantly.

He glanced at the Beast King and Luco on his left, who were rubbing their hands together and spitting fire in their eyes; he looked at Nero, who was radiating terrifying pressure, and Jiang Wangcai, who was on the verge of tears, on his right; he then looked at the Magic King in front of him, who seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold; and he sensed those familiar yet troublesome auras rapidly approaching...

"Uh..." Jiang Lin took a half step back, gave a dry laugh, "Everyone... good afternoon? Have you eaten yet? I'm just passing by, I'll be leaving soon..."

"Jiang Lin!!!" XN