Qi Yun hastily fled from the higher realms, traveling through several dimensions before he came to a halt. After traversing so many worlds, if his pursuers were still able to catch up, Qi Yun would have no choice but to admit defeat.
Upon entering a new world, Qi Yun paused to catch his breath, stretching his limbs and scanning the environment. It didn't take long for him to identify the world as a derivative one from the memories he had inherited.
Derivative worlds, Qi Yun knew, were typically unstable in nature. Their instability wasn't due to lack of combat prowess, but rather the erratic and unpredictable passage of time. The concept of continuous time didn't exist here; these worlds often reset, leaving their inhabitants trapped in endless cycles of reincarnation. This made development and progress difficult, if not impossible.
Another defining characteristic was the specificity of the rules governing these worlds. In derivative worlds, rules that were fundamental to the world's existence often didn't mesh with the laws of external universes. These rules could be so rigid that even the most talented individuals could transcend their world's limits, only to die upon doing so.
Despite their drawbacks, derivative worlds weren't without potential for growth. The simplest way to change a derivative world was to break the cycle of reincarnation by allowing a group of people to retain memories across resets, which would enable the world to evolve. Another method involved introducing the main rules from external worlds to change the world's framework slowly, though such changes often caused great turmoil. Finally, one could simply force the world's upgrade by introducing a powerful external force or being.
Qi Yun's first instinct was to leave once he confirmed that the world he entered was a derivative one, but then he reconsidered. Without the right knowledge of his previous world's timeline or the location of the original universe, he might have to make do with what was available.
Curious about the state of this world, Qi Yun decided to observe its current condition. If it hadn't yet been reset, leaving would have been the better option. He pondered for a moment. Unlike other worlds, derivative worlds often lacked stable resource generation. Whereas other worlds had endless reserves, derivative worlds could be likened to stagnant pools with inconsistent outputs. Every time the timeline reset, the main god's control over the world weakened, and the resources spent maintaining that control often didn't justify the output. This was why Qi Yun's previous chief god had only a few derivative worlds—it simply wasn't worth the effort.
But Qi Yun, whose family had once been on the brink of starvation, had no qualms about diving into a world like this.
When Qi Yun arrived on Earth, he saw a devastated city with empty, desolate streets. The world had fallen to ruin.
As he flew through the air, Qi Yun spotted a figure. A shambling, decrepit figure that seemed to move with only the barest of instinct—the unmistakable sign of a zombie apocalypse world.
After trailing the zombie for a few moments, Qi Yun dispersed his shielding aura, but the zombie couldn't detect his presence. Its sensory abilities were weak, and Qi Yun thought to himself that this could be a prime world to begin a mission in.
But just as he was about to move forward, Qi Yun felt a strange force surge toward him. The moment it touched the zombie, it immediately disintegrated, reducing the creature to an ordinary, lifeless corpse. Qi Yun's frown deepened as he flew toward the source of the disturbance.
Soon, Qi Yun arrived at the epicenter—a grim scene of countless corpses. The only living figure was a woman covered in blood, sitting amid the carnage. Qi Yun instantly recognized the world. This was Resident Evil.
"Tell me, why am I working so hard?" the woman muttered, looking at her hands with resignation. "Nothing has changed. What's the point of starting over again?"
Qi Yun was stunned. Had he been discovered already? Was she truly that powerful, able to see through his illusion so easily?
But since the discovery had already been made, there was no harm in revealing himself.
"Don't think too much about it," Qi Yun said, sitting next to her. "This is the rule of the world. It's better if you can survive."
What happened next shocked him. The woman, Alice, was not only aware of his presence, but she reacted with a mixture of fear and joy.
"Sorry, I thought you were talking to me," Alice said, her eyes wide as she realized she wasn't alone.
Qi Yun, now understanding the situation, gave her a knowing look. It seemed that he had overestimated his ability to remain hidden.
"Don't!" Alice suddenly grabbed his arm. "Don't leave! Please, tell me how to break this endless cycle!"
"Are you sure you want to end it?" Qi Yun replied coolly, flicking her hand away.
Alice looked at him, confused.
"Isn't this immortality, just changing directions?" Qi Yun continued. "You're the only one who remembers the cycles. Don't you see? Every new cycle is a fresh start."
"No! This cycle has trapped us! If you can, please free us from it!" Alice pleaded, falling to her knees.
"Then, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Qi Yun responded, looking up at the sky. "Without the cycle, the world itself would cease to exist. Everything, including you, would vanish."
Alice's confusion deepened. "What do you mean?"
Qi Yun extended his hand, and a golden ring of energy appeared around them, shimmering with power.
"This world is like a ring," Qi Yun said. "What you call reincarnation is merely time running in circles, like a TV show that loops endlessly."
He snapped his fingers, and the golden ring shattered into glittering particles. The cycle was about to begin anew.
"Does this mean we'll repeat it all over again?" Alice asked, despair creeping into her voice.
"Yes..." Qi Yun answered, but then added, "However, if you wish, I can make you forget all this. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss."
"No!" Alice stood up, her body glowing with a brilliant light. Her light seemed to momentarily delay the collapse of the world's cycle.
"I don't believe the world is hopeless!" she declared, her eyes burning with determination. "I will find the hope, the way out, because I've been given countless chances!"
Qi Yun, observing Alice's resolve, felt a rare moment of admiration. It seemed he had found something truly precious in this derivative world.
As the world around them collapsed into chaos, Qi Yun glanced at Alice one last time.
"The time is up. Do you have anything else to say?" he asked.
Alice shook her head, her gaze fixed on the horizon, her eyes alight with the hope that perhaps, one day, she could break free of the cycle.
Before Qi Yun left, he spoke once more, his voice barely a whisper: "The way to break the cycle begins with variables. I will bring them to you. Whether you can catch them... depends on you."
With that, Alice lost consciousness, and the world reset once again. Would she break free of the cycle on her own? Qi Yun was curious to find out. If she could, then her value would be enough for him to intervene.