My bizarre resurgence: My price is the ability to trade everything.

The next morning, I was awakened by a series of urgent alarm sounds.

The piercing alarm sounded throughout the entire dormitory building.

"What's wrong?" I sat up in bed.

Chen Xuan's voice came through the communicator.

"The old industrial park in the western district, a strange and irregular place, classified as D."

"We need manpower."

I checked the time; it was 6:30 in the morning.

"D-level?" I frowned. "I don't need to do that—"

"Everyone else has tasks," Chen Xuan interrupted me. "Are you sure you can handle it?"

I froze for a moment.

This was the first time Chen Xuan had asked me this question.

In the past, he always assigned tasks directly. He never asked, "Are you sure you can do it?"

"I'm on my way now." I didn't hesitate.

"Okay. I'll send the location to your communicator." Chen Xuan paused, "Be careful."

Communication was lost.

I quickly got dressed and rushed out of the dormitory.

The old industrial park in the western district is about a 40-minute drive from the headquarters.

I was driving while looking at the mission briefing on my communicator.

Weird/Strange Type: Rule-based

Grade: D+

Uncanny Ability: Digital Chains (Limits movement to 7 steps)

Specific details: A night patrolman in the industrial park went missing; a search revealed a strange creature lurking inside Factory Building No. 3.

Category D: Mysterious

It's a level above the E-class vehicles I've encountered before.

But it should still be within my control.

"Multi-objective cost allocation," I murmured.

This is the best way to deal with rule-based oddities.

By distributing the rules throughout the environment, stress can be greatly reduced.

A dozen minutes later, I arrived at the industrial park.

From a distance, we could see that a cordon had been set up around Factory Building No. 3.

Several uniformed staff members patrolled the perimeter.

"Lin Xiaofan?" A middle-aged man approached. "I'm Lao Zhou, the person in charge of the industrial park."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Around 5 a.m. this morning, Lao Zhang, who was on patrol, didn't hand over his shift on time," Lao Zhou said. "We went to look for him and found him collapsed at the entrance of Factory Building No. 3."

"After he woke up, he said some strange things."

"What did you say?"

"He said he saw 'numbers' in the factory," Old Zhou said, his face pale. "He said the floor and walls were covered in numbers."

"What else is chasing him?"

He ran seven steps and then tripped over something.

"And then I knew nothing more."

I nodded and walked towards the factory.

"You all wait outside," I said. "I'll go in and check."

"Be careful," Old Zhou cautioned.

I didn't answer, but pushed open the factory door and went inside.

The factory is very large, probably over a thousand square meters.

The room was filled with abandoned machinery and equipment, covered in a thick layer of dust.

As soon as I stepped into the factory, I sensed something was wrong.

An invisible pressure surged in from all directions.

Then, I saw "numbers".

Huge "7"s appeared on the ground, walls, and even the ceiling.

A ghostly blue light flowed between the numbers, enveloping the entire factory in an eerie atmosphere.

"It's the numbers again," I said in a low voice.

It has the same abilities as the Seventh Apostle.

However, its strength is significantly weaker.

"Welcome." A hoarse voice echoed through the factory. "The seventh sacrifice."

I looked in the direction of the sound.

In a corner of the factory, a blurry figure slowly emerged.

That wasn't a real human figure.

Rather, it is an entity formed by the rules.

"A sacrifice?" I sneered. "You think you're the Seventh Apostle?"

"No, I'm just a gatekeeper," the figure said, "responsible for guarding this entrance."

"Entrance?"

"The entrance to the underground." The figure pointed to the ground. "One of the anchor points of the Seven Star Array is right below here."

"I was placed here to prevent anyone from getting close."

"So you've come to the wrong place."

"Take seven steps, then leave."

"otherwise......"

The figure moved.

Countless "7"s surged up from the ground and flew towards me.

"The scales of cost," I whispered.

The scales of fate came to mind, and I quickly analyzed the rules of the attack.

"It's not a direct attack, but a restriction rule."

"The rule will be triggered as long as I move more than seven steps."

What will happen after it's triggered?

I don't have time to think.

Because I have to avoid these numbers "7".

I sidestepped and passed between the two "7"s.

When I landed, my feet felt heavy.

Looking down, I saw a number "7" at my feet.

"Damn it," I cursed under my breath.

The rules have already been attached to me.

If I take seven more steps, the rules will kick in.

"Seven steps." I took a deep breath. "As long as the battle is resolved within seven steps."

The figure launched another attack.

This time they charged straight at us.

I took a step back, and another "7" appeared under my feet.

Take two steps back, and there's another one.

Take three steps back, and there's another one.

"No, this can't go on—" I was sweating.

Each time a move is made, a new layer of rules is added.

If this continues, I will soon be completely trapped.

"Wait a minute." Something suddenly occurred to me.

"Multi-objective cost allocation."

"I don't need to transfer the rules to others."

"I can disperse it into the environment!"

"Cost balance, multi-objective allocation."

I closed my eyes and focused my mind.

The balance of costs begins to shift.

I can "see" the rules attached to me.

They were like countless chains, wrapping around me from all sides.

Each chain is bound to the number "7".

Whenever I move, these chains are pulled, triggering the rules.

"Transfer," I said to myself.

The chains began to loosen.

It doesn't fall off the body, but is "stretched".

Pulling from my body towards the surrounding objects.

wall.

ceiling.

ground.

Abandoned machinery.

Even the dust in the air.

One, two, three...

Countless chains were scattered throughout the environment.

Each object bears only a small portion of the pressure.

"It's done!" I opened my eyes.

The feeling of being restrained disappeared.

I can move freely now.

The figure froze.

"How...how did you do that?"

"The cost-balance system." I smiled. "Multi-objective cost allocation."

"You can use rules to restrict me to one person."

"But you can't control the entire environment."

Let me introduce you—

"The average distribution of costs."

The figure let out a roar and charged forward again.

This time, it was faster and its attacks were more ferocious.

But I'm not afraid anymore.

I dodged its attack by sidestepping, and at the same time reached out and touched the wall next to me.

The number "7" on the wall flashed briefly, then dimmed.

"This is just a warm-up," I said.

"Now, let me tell you—"

What is true 'balance'?

I started moving.

It's not about running away, but about taking the initiative to attack.

With each step I took, I touched an object.

Walls, ceilings, machines, pipes, floors...

Each touch activates a number "7", which then quickly dims.

Because the rules were distributed across the objects I touched.

Each object bears only one-seventh, or even less, of the pressure.

The figure attacked me relentlessly, but I always managed to dodge in time and distribute some of its attacks.

Gradually, its attacks weakened.

Because its power is constantly being diluted.

"No...it's impossible," the figure cried out in terror.

"How can rules be separated?"

"Rules are not weapons," I said. "Rules are principles."

"The patterns can be understood and utilized."

"Your rule is the '7-step limit'."

"But the essence of this rule is 'constraint'."

"Constraints can be dispersed, they can be diluted."

"As long as the method is right—"

I took a sudden step forward, reached out, and pressed my hand against the figure's chest.

"No rule is absolutely unbreakable."

Boom!

The figures exploded.

Countless fragments of the number "7" scattered and flew everywhere, then merged into the walls, the floor, the ceiling...

The rules have been completely broken down.

The factory has returned to normal.

Those strange numbers disappeared, leaving only dusty machines and mottled walls.

"We won..." I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, a wave of intense dizziness washed over me.

I leaned against the wall next to me, panting heavily.

"Assigning multiple objectives is indeed very energy-consuming..."

The cost record panel appears automatically.

Cost in this battle:

Lifespan consumption: 3 days

Mental exertion: Moderate

Cost conversion efficiency: 32%

32%.

Slightly lower than yesterday.

It's possible that the intense battle prevented them from maintaining the optimal allocation of resources.

"If I could be a little more skilled, I should be able to keep the consumption within two days," I murmured.

"Lin Xiaofan." Chen Xuan's voice came through the communicator, "How's the situation?"

"It's solved," I said.

"What?" There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line. "You said it's resolved?"

"Yes, the Class D anomaly has been eliminated."

"......one person?"

"one person."

There was silence on the other end of the communication.

"Okay." Chen Xuan's voice was somewhat complicated. "Come back."

"I need to give a report."

"This isn't a report," Chen Xuan said. "It's praise."

"A Class D anomaly, eliminated by one person alone."

"Your progress is faster than I expected."

I froze for a moment.

"Just lucky."

"It's not luck," Chen Xuan said, "it's your ability."

"Multi-objective cost allocation" is an advanced technique in cost balancing.

"Many balancers never learn how to balance in their entire lives."

"The fact that you mastered it so quickly shows that your talent is truly amazing."

I didn't speak.

talent?

No, this is not talent.

This is pressure.

It is the truth behind the parents' deaths, the impending threat of returning to the Void, and the destiny of the Seven Star Array...

These pressures push me forward and make me stronger.

Because I had no choice.

"Oh, right," Chen Xuan's voice interrupted my thoughts, "your hair..."

"What?"

You'll find out when you get back.

Back at headquarters, the first thing I did was rush into the bathroom and look at my hair in the mirror.

Another strand of white hair appeared at her temples.

There were about three or four more than yesterday.

"The price has increased again..." I touched those few white hairs, my feelings complicated.

Lifespan of 3 days.

Each battle consumes a portion of one's lifespan.

If this continues, when will it end?

"Cost Records." I opened the panel to view today's data.

Current status:

Life expectancy: 26 years 0 months (3 days less than yesterday)

Number of gray hairs: Approximately 30

Cost conversion efficiency: 32%

"If we can maintain high efficiency, lifespan consumption will be greatly reduced," I thought.

"But the problem is, I can't always be at my best."

"Human energy is limited."

Is there any way...?

I stared at the panel and suddenly noticed an option I hadn't seen before.

System suggestion: Analyze combat data and optimize cost allocation strategy.

"Combat data?" I clicked to view it.

Then, I saw the detailed battle log.

The timing of each cost allocation.

The capacity to handle each allocation target.

The direction of each rule chain.

"I see..." I murmured.

With this data, I can analyze the best allocation method.

"If I could plan and allocate targets in advance for the next battle..."

"Perhaps we can reduce lifespan loss to two days, or even less!"

"That's the meaning of fighting independently," I thought.

"It's not just about improving skills."

"It's also about understanding oneself."

"Only by understanding your own weaknesses can you become stronger."

I took a deep breath and turned off the panel.

In the mirror, a slightly tired but determined young man looked at me.

"26 years," I said. "There are still 26 years left."

"If I can find a way to 'resolve' it before I run out of options..."

"Perhaps we can break this fate."

"This is the goal I set for myself."

"No matter the cost—"

"I want to achieve all of this."