Yang Yi cut off Lin Qiye's wandering thoughts.
"Don't just stand there, kid," he said impatiently. "My prison isn't a tourist attraction. Roll for an ability first, then I'll take you to meet the resident of the Second Psychiatric Ward."
As he spoke, a virtual gacha wheel radiating rainbow light appeared before Lin Qiye.
The surface shimmered with dreamlike brilliance. Each option pulsed with a different colored energy, the lights throbbing faintly as if they possessed life.
Every single option emitted a powerful aura that made Lin Qiye's soul tremble.
His eyes swept across the wheel.
[Adapt (Trait)]
The description appeared immediately in his mind:
"Evolution of all things, survival of the fittest. Theoretically capable of adapting to any environment or attack."
Lin Qiye's pulse quickened.
Then he saw the next one.
[Milk Avenue]
Description:
"Instantly remove all positive or negative status effects from yourself or a designated target, including but not limited to curses, divine blessings, contracts, charms, and even the influence of laws."
Lin Qiye's pupils shrank.
This was a rule-level ability.
Next came:
[Watch of Flowing Time]
"Control the flow of time within a certain range."
Time manipulation.
A power that only existed in legends.
Then:
[Heart of Steel]
Description:
"Maximum HP can be stacked infinitely."
Infinite stacking.
In theory, that meant immortality.
And those were only a few of the options.
More abilities flickered across the wheel, each radiating irresistible power.
Lin Qiye's breathing grew heavier.
He wanted them all.
Since obtaining [Starry Night Dancer], he had realized how profoundly powerful abilities could change everything. They didn't just increase combat power—they reshaped the way one understood the world.
And every ability on this wheel was far stronger than [Starry Night Dancer].
Lin Qiye took a deep breath.
Tension, excitement, and burning desire twisted together inside his chest.
He focused his will.
The wheel began to spin.
Faster and faster.
The colored lights blurred together as the options streaked past.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Lin Qiye stared at the wheel, palms damp with sweat.
Gradually, the spinning slowed.
The pointer swayed between options, each swing tightening the grip around his heart.
Then it stopped.
[Milk Avenue]
A flood of information surged into his mind.
Lin Qiye felt something deep within his brain activate as a new perception awakened.
He understood the nature of the ability instantly.
[Milk Avenue] was a rule-level purification ability.
It could remove almost any abnormal status—curse, contract, charm, divine blessing, mental corruption, or even certain rule-based effects.
Watching the other abilities fade into drifting specks of light, Lin Qiye felt an intense sense of loss.
It was like standing in front of a mountain of gold but being allowed to take only a single coin.
He clenched his fists.
The desire to grow stronger burned fiercely inside him.
Only by becoming stronger could he squeeze more out of Yang Yi.
Yang Yi grinned, clearly seeing through Lin Qiye's thoughts.
He snapped his fingers.
The surrounding space distorted instantly.
In the blink of an eye, they returned to Slaanesh's extravagant prison chamber.
But the atmosphere was completely different this time.
The moment Slaanesh sensed Yang Yi's presence, her enchanting expression froze.
A sharp, distorted scream escaped her lips.
"No! Don't!"
Her voice was filled with terror.
Her wings folded tightly against her back. Her elegant tentacles curled inward as she shrank into the corner of the cell, trembling violently.
She didn't even dare look toward Yang Yi.
The fear came from deep within her soul, as though she were recalling some unbearable past torment.
Lin Qiye watched in astonishment.
The composed Slaanesh he had faced before was now reduced to this terrified state.
What exactly had Yang Yi done to her?
Yang Yi ignored Slaanesh entirely.
He casually gestured toward Lin Qiye.
"Go on. Roll again."
Under Slaanesh's terrified gaze, Lin Qiye activated the wheel once more.
Another gacha wheel appeared.
The options flickered across the surface.
The wheel spun.
The pointer swung.
Then it stopped.
[Sensory Manipulation]
Another stream of knowledge poured into Lin Qiye's mind.
He instantly grasped the essence of the ability.
He could freely adjust the sensitivity of his five senses.
Sight.
Hearing.
Smell.
Taste.
Touch.
He could even expand his perception far beyond normal limits.
Even more terrifying, the ability could also be applied to enemies.
A tiny pain could be magnified into unbearable agony.
Minor sounds could become deafening torture.
Or an opponent's senses could be completely stripped away.
It was an ability equally suited for combat and interrogation.
Watching Lin Qiye freely gain abilities while moving through the prison, Slaanesh's gaze became complicated.
Fear.
Jealousy.
Envy.
And a faint trace of longing.
She wanted that freedom too.
She wanted to escape this prison.
Yang Yi patted Lin Qiye on the shoulder approvingly.
"Nice haul," he said. "Come on. Time to meet the resident of the Second Psychiatric Ward."
The two left Slaanesh's cell.
Only after Yang Yi's aura disappeared did Slaanesh finally let out a trembling sigh of relief.
Yang Yi led Lin Qiye deeper into the Asylum for the Gods.
They entered an area that had previously been sealed—the Second Psychiatric Ward.
The architecture here was older.
The atmosphere felt heavier and more mysterious.
Yang Yi pushed open a wooden door completely different from the metallic prison doors used elsewhere.
Inside was not a cell.
It looked like an elegant study.
Soft light spilled through a window whose source could not be seen, bathing the room in a warm glow.
The faint scent of books filled the air.
Bookshelves lined every wall, packed with volumes of every kind—some ancient, others newly printed.
In the center stood a massive desk made of dark wood, polished to a mirror shine.
Seated behind the desk was a man wearing a perfectly tailored retro three-piece suit.
A monocle rested over one eye.
His demeanor was refined and scholarly, like a medieval academic.
He held a thick book bound in unknown leather, reading it with focused interest.
Occasionally he murmured a line quietly to himself.
His expression was calm and composed.
If not for the setting, Lin Qiye might have believed he had wandered into a professor's office.
Hearing the door open, the man slowly raised his head.
His monocled gaze was calm and profound.
Seeing Yang Yi and Lin Qiye, he smiled gently.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen."
His tone was warm and cultured.
There was not the slightest sign of madness.
And that was precisely what set off alarm bells in Lin Qiye's mind.
Inside this asylum...
Normality itself was the most abnormal thing of all.