Ding Yi felt herself gently descending into the embrace of a warm ocean.

Quiet, soothingly warm, her body swaying rhythmically with the gentle currents.

But gradually, this initial tranquility began to morph, the quietness growing heavier, more oppressive, increasingly suffocating. It was as if she were being drawn into ever deeper waters, and just as the mounting pressure threatened to crush her, a soft, electronic chime echoed in the surrounding darkness.

[Di Di Di, treatment of Capsule Two is complete.]

Pfft—

Ding Yi’s eyes had already fluttered open an instant before the sleek capsule door hissed open, revealing the world outside.

The narrow confines, reminiscent of a futuristic capsule hotel, pulsed with a soft, ethereal blue-green light. Her body was firmly cradled within a molded groove, her head and chest connected to a bewildering array of thin wires.

As the capsule door retracted silently, her vision was initially overwhelmed by a bright, diffused light. As the illuminated band slowly widened, she made out several figures in dark suits standing just beyond the open treatment capsule.

“Ding Yi, how are you feeling at the moment?” A woman’s voice, cool and professional, cut through the sterile air.

Ding Yi tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the group in suits. After a delicate mechanical arm efficiently retracted all the wires that had been attached to her body, she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position.

As she sat up, a mild dizziness continued to cloud her thoughts, and a dull ache persisted at the back of her head. Yet, her body felt surprisingly light, nearly weightless. The areas that she vividly recalled as being in excruciating pain now registered no feeling at all.

She raised a hand and tentatively touched the area of her abdomen that had been so brutally torn open. It was smooth and flat beneath her fingertips. Looking down at her tattered clothes, she couldn’t discern any trace of the horrific wound, not even the faintest of scars.

If it weren’t for the dried bloodstains that still marred her clothing, she might have easily dismissed the entire ordeal as an incredibly realistic virtual reality simulation.

She also noticed that the twelve stars on the originally hollow star chain, which spiraled up her arm from her wrist, had all now turned a vibrant, almost angry red.

0695, a tall man with a stern expression, frowned deeply as he observed her casual demeanor. He suddenly gained a visceral understanding of 0723’s incessant complaints.

What in the world was wrong with this newbie?

According to 0723’s frantic reports, she had exhibited this same unsettlingly calm attitude since her initial entry into the new world. Judging by her current reaction, it didn’t seem as though she had any prior experience here, but how could a complete novice—

0695, his patience wearing thin at her seemingly indifferent air, abruptly adopted a stern tone, his voice laced with authority. “Wish Fulfiller Ding Yi, you have been found to be in violation of the New World instance regulations, and as such, you will now be subject to disciplinary action.”

“Get up immediately and accompany us.”

Ding Yi finally raised her eyes, taking in her surroundings with a detached curiosity. The space was vast, resembling a futuristic hospital ward.

Numerous sleek robotic arms were mounted on the high ceiling, their movements precise and silent. In addition to the treatment capsule she had just emerged from, there were many identical capsules lining the expansive room.

The figures moving purposefully across the polished floor weren’t traditional medical staff in white coats; instead, they were a diverse range of robots in different shapes and sizes, their metallic surfaces shining under the artificial lighting.

The other people present were similarly dressed in worn fragments of clothing, emerging from their treatment capsules. The main difference was that no intimidating group in suits was waiting for them. Instead, upon spotting the suited figures, their expressions changed drastically, and they quickly fled in visible panic.

Ding Yi raised a questioning eyebrow, her gaze finally settling on the group in suits.

The young man standing at the forefront sported a striking white buzz cut and a high, sharp nose bridge that supported a pair of oversized sunglasses, effectively concealing the upper half of his face.

The woman who had spoken possessed a cool, almost severe temperament, with her frameless glasses perched on her nose and a low ponytail accentuating the sharp angles of her face. Her current frown only amplified her imposing presence.

Behind them stood a mixed group of men and women, all impeccably dressed in similar dark suits, their hairstyles and individual features varying. Still, the probing, assessing gazes they directed at her were uniformly intense.

Ding Yi pressed the back of her neck, a subconscious gesture of discomfort, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. Finally, she swung her legs over the side of the treatment capsule and stood up.

“And what if I choose not to go?” Her voice was calm, almost conversational, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere.

Hearing this blatant defiance, 0695 exchanged a knowing look with 0723, a silent ‘as expected of a newbie’ passing between them. A cold, humorless smile flickered across 0695’s lips. “You are welcome to attempt that.”

0723, a slightly rounder individual with a perpetually worried expression, immediately stepped forward, positioning himself between Ding Yi and the suit-clad group. “Refusal will only result in a more severe penalty, Wish Fulfiller Ding Yi. Everyone here is required to adhere strictly to the established rules, and those who transgress will be held accountable.”

0723 observed Ding Yi’s unyielding expression, feeling his strict demeanor falter slightly. He was acutely aware of the possible consequences of disobedience. His previously rigid tone relaxed slightly. “There will be no immediate threat to your life, but opposing us at this moment will likely lead to… complications.”

Ding Yi subtly reined in her rising annoyance, consciously softening her features. A warm, polite smile bloomed on her face. “In that case, lead the way.”

0695 and 0723 exchanged another significant glance. The latter immediately retrieved a sleek light screen from an inner pocket and began manipulating its interface with practiced ease. A beam of intense blue light emanated from a small aperture at the top of the device.

Ding Yi observed with calm interest as the beam of light split into many smaller points, which gradually aligned to create the clear silhouette of a door in the void. As the shape became fully defined, the light spots at the top of the newly forming doorway started to solidify and come together downward. In an instant, a shimmering blue door appeared before Ding Yi.

“Wow.” Ding Yi, despite the lingering dizziness, found her mind clearing considerably at this display of seemingly impossible technology. “Technology truly illuminates reality.”

Tech…

0723 was momentarily speechless, a slight cough breaking the silence. He regained his composure and said in a more official tone, “Let’s proceed.”

0695 and 0723 took the lead, and Ding Yi followed them through the shimmering blue doorway.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about the transition; it felt no different than stepping through an ordinary door.

Ding Yi’s gaze darted around with unconcealed curiosity. The doorway led into a wide, impeccably clean corridor, its overall aesthetic mirroring the futuristic hospital ward she had just left, dominated by a sterile, clinical white.

0695, increasingly irritated by her apparent lack of concern, snatched the light screen from 0723’s hand, wanting her to fully grasp the severity of her transgression and the impending punishment.

Ding Yi glanced at the violation record displayed on the light screen, her inner monologue a string of detached observations:

Oh, really?

Wow, awesome.

After casually skimming the list of accusations leveled against her, Ding Yi’s gaze lingered on the words inscribed in the punishment decision column for a considerable length of time.

Solitary confinement for one hundred and fifty minutes.

Mm.

She identified each character, and their overall significance was clear, yet their arrangement in this context seemed oddly out of place. In a setting overflowing with cutting-edge technology and almost magical powers, this… solitary confinement…

Ding Yi was on the verge of lifting her head to ask the two figures guiding her about the details of her punishment. However, when she looked up, she noticed they had suddenly halted. To their left, a man with a notably pale complexion and a messy appearance appeared from another identical shimmering blue door that had just manifested in the corridor wall.

The impeccably tailored suit jacket he had been wearing in the instance was gone, and several crimson cuts, stark against the pristine fabric, marred his pure white shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing overly defined arm muscles that immediately brought to Ding Yi’s mind the brutal scene of him tearing monsters apart with his bare hands.

It was like someone casually shredding cooked chicken.

But what was going on with his current state?

He had seemed so disturbingly calm and composed during that frightening moment. How could he look so… worn out now?

Qin Yuan’s initially sharp and indifferent eyebrows, usually framing his cold and beautiful eyes, softened almost imperceptibly. The moment his gaze locked onto Ding Yi’s, it was as if the unyielding snow on the highest mountaintops had suddenly begun to melt under the warmth of an unexpected sun.

“Solitary confinement?” His voice was low, a dangerous undercurrent rippling beneath the seemingly casual words.

Whether it was Ding Yi’s imagination or not, she sensed an immediate shift in the atmosphere. The entire suit-clad group seemed to tense visibly upon the man’s arrival. After he uttered those two simple words, the air in the sterile corridor suddenly became thick with a palpable tension, almost suffocating.

If 0723 possessed the ability to read minds, he would undoubtedly have turned around at that precise moment, clung to Ding Yi’s arm, and tearfully addressed her as “sister.”

He understood Qin Yuan’s peculiar attachment to Ding Yi better than anyone else in the room. He knew that the boss had been immediately taken away upon his exit from the instance to receive electric shock punishment as a direct consequence of his unconventional methods within.

He had been fervently praying that they wouldn’t encounter the boss before he could deliver Ding Yi to her designated punishment location. He had witnessed firsthand the lengths to which the boss would go, as well as the creative ways he had dealt with the NPCs for this woman’s sake.

He harbored a genuine fear that the boss, upon seeing her being led away for punishment, would do something truly, irrevocably against the established rules.

That was precisely why he had summoned so many colleagues – partly to vent his considerable frustrations and partly to serve as a potential intervention force in case the boss and this undeniably troublesome woman actually crossed paths.

Just as he was frantically trying to formulate a suitably neutral response, the woman standing behind him spoke, her voice coolly assessing. “It would appear that the two of you are acquainted.”

Qin Yuan’s gaze remained fixed on Ding Yi, ignoring the woman completely.

“You’re injured. Let them open the door to the hospital. I just came out of the treatment capsule inside. Look, after lying down in one of those, there aren’t even any scars.” Ding Yi said.

Qin Yuan finally turned his head slightly, his eyes now sparkling with a dangerous light, a subtle upturn at the corners of his mouth. “Okay.”

“However, it seems I have to escort you over first.”