The Intersection of Worlds

"A world where Outer Gods exist is right beneath our feet?" Evelyn gazed around in astonishment. "Deep within this abyss?"

"So those foreign deities crawled out from this giant hole..." Helena suddenly felt the Outer Gods were somewhat underwhelming.

"That's not the case..." Luo Wei shook his head. "The place we're in now must be one of the intersecting regions between two worlds. That's why we're witnessing so many phenomena beyond reason. Those Outer Gods don't dwell underground either—the other world is just as vast and boundless."

Tilis had an epiphany and murmured, "I think I understand the cause of the 'BUG' now. It seems Teacher Usoma was right—the logic of this world has indeed been corrupted..."

"What BUG? What logic corruption?" Evelyn looked back and forth between them, utterly bewildered. "What are you two even talking about?"

"Well..." Luo Wei struggled to explain it to Evelyn, as her understanding of the world's essence paled in comparison to Tilis's.

But then he thought of a perfect analogy, one even a child could grasp.

Using magic, Luo Wei drew a circle in the air. "Let's say this circle represents our world, which I'll call A."

Then, he drew another circle beside it. "And this other world, the realm of the Outer Gods, we'll call B."

The two circles overlapped, creating an intersection. Luo Wei looked at Evelyn and Helena. "Now it's easier to understand, right? The place where the two worlds intersect is where we are now."

Next, Luo Wei deliberately made Circle B's magic appear unstable.

As the magics clashed, the overlapping area erupted into chaos, and after a moment of distortion, both A and B vanished into darkness.

"The fundamental laws and underlying logic of A and B were never compatible to begin with," Tilis nodded. "That's the root cause of all the problems in A—the sickness plaguing our world."

Luo Wei turned back to Evelyn and Helena. "Do you get it now?"

Helena stared blankly at Luo Wei. "Brother, are you giving me a math lesson?"

Evelyn furrowed her brows deeply. "So... it's not just that the Outer Gods invaded here, as we once thought, but... their entire world collided with ours?"

A realization dawned on her. "The rules of the two worlds are incompatible, even mutually repulsive—that's why there have been centuries of destruction and calamity?"

"Exactly," Tilis mimicked Luo Wei, drawing two circles. "World A possesses magic, which is why the ancient Arcane Empire was so powerful. But—"

She pointed at B. "I don't know the laws of this world... but regardless, when the two worlds collided, magic became corrupted. That's why, after the fall of the Arcane Empire, all sorts of aberrations appeared among humans. Both are manifestations of the corrupted laws."

"That's why the BUG appeared..." Luo Wei thought to himself.

According to the Arcane Hermitage's records of ancient history, this world wasn't supposed to be like this. It should have been the classic swords-and-sorcery realm of legend...

Yet by the time he arrived, it had already become a nightmarish wasteland, teeming with sanity-shattering horrors lurking in the darkness...

A was on the verge of collapse, nearly broken beyond repair...

Just think of the Black Forest and the Bountiful Mother to understand...

The deities from B were utterly overpowered, playing by no rules at all. The Bountiful Mother's offspring replicated like viruses, endlessly and immortally, turning this place into a zone of "anomalous chaos"...

In other words, the data had bloated until the system (the world) crashed.

One Elder God descending here would have been bad enough, but instead, a whole swarm of them came...

Lost in thought, Luo Wei reached the end of the staircase.

The man-made steps had crumbled away, leaving countless broken stones floating in the darkness. Though deep underground, it felt like drifting in the void of space.

"No path left..." Evelyn stared silently at Luo Wei.

Luo Wei halted at the edge of the abyss, peering downward—and the abyss peered back.

There truly was no way forward. Did that mean the only option was to jump?

He stood there, vexed.

Just then, he sensed a strange disturbance in the space around him.

Not "chaos"—this was a force of miracles. The scattered fragments of stone trembled faintly, slowly drifting toward him.

It felt like magic, yet also divine power, or perhaps the world's original primordial energy.

And for now, he could borrow this power.

"Let there be a path..." Luo Wei murmured uncertainly into the void.

Then, he stepped forward into emptiness.

"Luo Wei!?" Evelyn lunged in panic, trying to grab him. "What are you doing? Stop! You'll fall!"

But then, something miraculous happened.

Beneath Luo Wei's feet, the broken stones gathered, forming a new staircase.

He sighed inwardly in relief—this must be the so-called "technical support"...

With renewed resolve, he spoke again:

"Let there be a path!"

And so, in the darkness, new steps materialized wherever he walked.

The others watched in awe at this divine spectacle.

After advancing some distance, Luo Wei turned back, gazing at them across the chasm of void.

"Teacher, do you see now? This is my purpose."

After all this, the reason for his arrival in this world seemed glaringly obvious...

The world could no longer function, riddled with chaos and flaws. It needed someone—someone suited—to mend its sickness.

He was an administrator, after all...

Though stunned by the miracle before her, Evelyn's concern for her beloved outweighed everything else.

"I don't care about any of that. I just need you to come back..."

"Don't worry!" Luo Wei smiled. "Wait for me. I will return."

"Then... keep going." Evelyn finally relented. If this was his destiny, how could she stand in his way?

She smiled too. "But that favor you owe me—I'm cashing it in now."

"What do you want me to do?" Luo Wei asked.

"Come back safely, of course!" Evelyn huffed. "Remember this—no matter what's down there, no matter how dangerous or difficult, you must return to me unharmed! I'll be waiting right here, always!"

"I promise." Luo Wei's smile was one of quiet resolve.

"Brother! I'll be waiting for you too!" Helena shouted to Luo Wei.

"Mm." Luo Wei gave a firm nod before turning his gaze to Tilis.

"Keep them safe."

"Don't worry!" Tilis replied.

Luo Wei turned back, his eyes fixed once more on the abyssal depths ahead.

Step by step, he advanced into the darkness.

...

From the place of farewell, Luo Wei had descended for so long that he lost track of time.

Nothing but darkness surrounded him, the path stretching endlessly as if it would never conclude...

His senses grew dull and hazy, mirroring the indistinct world around him.

Yet he pressed on, rigid and unyielding in his descent.

Another immeasurable stretch of time passed...

Just as Luo Wei teetered on the brink of losing himself in the dark—

At last,

He saw light.

Luo Wei reached out, fingers stretching toward that radiant beam.

In the next moment, he found himself in a boundless, pure white world.

His mind sharper than ever, Luo Wei widened his eyes, taking in his surroundings.

Far from the imagined subterranean realm—dark, oppressive, and stifling—this place was an endless expanse of white, with no borders in sight.

And there, in the distance, lay a blackened form.

Though the body of the Mother Goddess of Abundance loomed as vast as a mountain, against the infinite white void, her presence seemed almost insignificant.

Luo Wei approached.

The colossal black mass lay curled, motionless, clearly lost in tranquil slumber.

[The Black Goat of the Woods]

[Elder God / Outer God Avatar]

[She who births a thousand young, the immortal Black Goat, now rests in eternal slumber amidst the white radiance...]

[Danger Level: ∞ (Warning! Extreme hazard! Do not approach!!)]

[After sealing the anomaly, evacuate immediately. Do not disturb her dream-filled repose!]