Luo Chuan wasn't just the scale difference.
It was the behavior of the World Tree.
The once restless, ever-swaying tree now stood eerily still. The signature abyssal runes that writhed across its leaves and bark had fallen silent. Not a flicker of movement. Not a whisper of energy.
Luo Chuan furrowed his brow. He could feel it—an unfamiliar, faint emotion.
Fear.
The World Tree was afraid.
But of what?
The roulette?
Or… something else?
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then slowly stepped forward.
It was time to act.
He extended both hands toward the World Tree.
A blinding white radiance bloomed from his palms, coalescing into bands of light that wrapped tightly around the tree, binding it in place.
Despite its fear, the World Tree reacted violently, thrashing as if trying to escape its fate.
But then—
A faint tremble came from the lottery roulette.
Immediately, the World Tree froze.
As if… it didn't dare move again.
Luo Chuan narrowed his eyes and continued, focusing all his attention on controlling the white light.
His goal was clear—
Extract the abyss from the World Tree.
Minute by minute, second by second, time passed in silence.
Despite the protection of his invincible buff, Luo Chuan didn't dare relax for even a moment.
The World Tree had endured too much already. If he made one mistake, it might not survive.
And he still wanted to replant it beside the Origin Mall—a splash of greenery would be nice.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Luo Chuan exhaled deeply. It was done.
The last traces of the abyss had been peeled away from the World Tree.
The strange, pulsing patterns that once marred its leaves and bark had vanished completely.
What remained was a tree weathered by countless ages—its branches rugged and scarred, its trunk engraved with the marks of time. The leaves were still green, but tinged now with a faint yellow hue, like the first signs of autumn.
It looked… real. Alive. Natural.
Not far from its roots, something small and dark caught his eye.
Lying inconspicuously on the ground was a black sphere, no larger than a clenched fist. A translucent shell encased it, inside of which pulsed a mass of inky blackness—marked with flowing, ancient symbols.
The abyss.
It was hard to imagine that this small object was the root of so much chaos.
And yet, within that orb, the abyss was still moving—the runes dancing, squirming, alive.
Luo Chuan picked up the sphere, studying it with mild curiosity.
It was surprisingly light.
But the moment his fingers touched it—
The runes stopped.
The flowing abyssal patterns froze in place.
As if—
It had lost its will.
"…Huh." Luo Chuan tilted his head, blinking in surprise.
He placed the orb back on the ground.
Immediately, the abyss began to stir again, flowing once more like dark ink in water.
He picked it up again.
Stillness.
He set it down.
Movement.
"…So it really is because of me?" he muttered.
Then a thought struck him. A ridiculous, grand, over-the-top thought.
Could it be that…
He was the legendary Son of Destiny?
He had a system. He had power. Even the abyss feared him.
It all kind of made sense, didn't it?
Luo Chuan looked very pleased with himself.
"Ah… so it turns out, I really am the protagonist."
In the silent void of the lottery space, his smile grew a little smug.
Just then—
A familiar voice echoed in his mind.
System: …
It didn't say anything.
But that silence?
It was heavy.
As if the system was desperately resisting the urge to roast him alive.
Luo Chuan chuckled.
"Don't be jealous. It's not easy being chosen by fate, you know."
The system didn't reply.
It probably needed a moment to process the absurdity.