Liu Ziwen stood in the spacious courtyard, gazing up at the star-strewn sky. His mood was excellent, even better than it had been on that day over a month ago.

A month prior, he was just an ordinary man, beset by worldly troubles—birth, aging, sickness, death… But now, he had completely severed ties with his past life. He was no longer ordinary; he possessed a power that few could rival.

“The Beast Taming Tome,” Liu Ziwen murmured softly. A faint, ethereal light shot from his brow, and his previously empty hands instantly manifested a book the color of pale azure. It bore no title, only an unusually distinct symbol in the upper left corner of the cover—LV2!

“Truly magnificent,” Liu Ziwen breathed, gently stroking the tome. An obsessive gleam shone in his eyes. While he knew nothing of the book’s origins, he understood perfectly the strength it commanded.

When the mysterious man first handed the Beast Taming Tome to him, Liu Ziwen had been dismissive, viewing it as charlatan nonsense. But after truly engaging with it, he realized how much he didn't know about this world. The Beast Taming Tome possessed capabilities bordering on those of a Creator.

From that day forward, Liu Ziwen jettisoned everything in his reality—parents, friends, lovers—all abandoned as he fell into a near-frenzied obsession with the Tome. In just half a month, he had advanced it two levels. With every level gained, he felt an influx of power that left him utterly intoxicated.

Yet, to his disappointment, no matter how hard he tried afterward, he could not raise the Tome’s level any further. He was missing one crucial component—the Heart of the World!

He had learned from the mysterious man that the Heart of the World was hidden within certain special individuals; it was their very heart. Only by extracting the Heart of the World from those bodies and refining it using the Beast Taming Tome could he advance its level and, subsequently, journey to higher worlds.

This news electrified Liu Ziwen. With his current strength, finding those who possessed the Heart of the World and seizing it seemed as simple as reaching out his hand. But he quickly discovered the profound difficulty of the task, for the Heart of the World did not reside in this dimension, but within the inhabitants of an otherworld!

Liu Ziwen nearly went mad… An otherworld? How the hell was he supposed to get there? He certainly couldn't travel dimensionally!

Liu Ziwen was sinking into despair, but today, the Beast Taming Tome suddenly reacted. It had actually sensed the presence of a Heart of the World! It was like a drowning man suddenly spotting a rescue boat—how could he not be ecstatic beyond measure?

Following the Tome’s guidance, Liu Ziwen finally spotted the owner of a Heart of the World: a young girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old… It was like a heavenly windfall, and Liu Ziwen desperately wanted to rush forward and snatch it away immediately.

However, after much hesitation, he held back. The young boy beside the girl was not simple either—he was the master of the Contract Tome!

Liu Ziwen knew that the boy was one of the chosen, just like him. Though he appeared to be a harmless little mouse at twelve or thirteen, to Liu Ziwen, who now had a completely new understanding of power, this boy was the only true adversary in this world.

He would not act rashly until he was absolutely certain of victory.

After tracking the pair for an entire day, suppressing the urge to attack countless times, Liu Ziwen finally pinpointed their hiding spot. That evening, he dispatched his trusted subordinate, Poison Wolf, to test the waters.

Poison Wolf had once been a gang leader, notorious for murder and arson; Liu Ziwen was very confident in his competence.

Liu Ziwen hoped Poison Wolf would succeed in bringing the girl back. Of course, even if the mission failed, it didn't matter; at worst, he would handle it himself in the end. Whether it was the Contract Tome’s master or the girl, they were merely prey to him!

“The Heart of the World—I must obtain it, no matter what!”

Liu Ziwen gripped the Beast Taming Tome tightly and spoke in a low voice. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, whipping his head around to reveal a chilling, cold smile…

“Is this the place?” Mikoto asked, staring at the building not far away, her tone tinged with a sliver of excitement.

“It should be. This is the only villa around here,” Lin Luo said, hands braced on his knees, breathing slightly heavily. He had sprinted from the southern suburbs to the western outskirts in half an hour—a speed record for him. If it hadn't been for Railgun helping him replenish his internal energy, he might have just collapsed.

“You said that fellow, Liu Ziwen, can really send me back to my original world?”

Lin Luo shook his head. “I’m not sure about that. But since he knows you’re from another world, we might be able to get some clues from him.”

“If that were true… that would be wonderful.”

To be honest, Lin Luo felt deeply conflicted. Railgun was desperate to return to her own world, and to gain her favor, he had to wholeheartedly assist her. But the problem was, if she really left, his game would be over.

Sighing, why was signing a contract so difficult? If only affection levels could drop to zero, that would be great.

“Regardless, let’s go see first. That bastard dared to set his sights on me; I’ll teach him a good lesson!” Mikoto announced solemnly, then, without waiting for Lin Luo to object, she grabbed his hand and ran forward.

As the two entered the villa, they saw a young man standing in the center of the spacious courtyard, his eyes fixed on them with icy coldness. “You’re here so quickly. It seems Poison Wolf failed. But that’s fine; it saves me wasting brain cells.”

“Liu Ziwen!” Even though many years had passed, Lin Luo recognized the man before him instantly.

“You know me?” Liu Ziwen’s gaze was mostly fixed on Mikoto, as she was his primary target. But when his eyes caught Lin Luo’s face, the man gave him a strange sense of familiarity. He frowned. “Who are you?”

“Oh, you’ve forgotten an old friend so quickly? It seems your memory isn’t that great after all. Is early-onset dementia setting in?” Lin Luo laughed, trying to sound casual. This Liu Ziwen seemed far more terrifying than before, but with Railgun backing him up… all that was just passing cloud stuff.

“Huh? You know him?” Mikoto shot Lin Luo a questioning look.

Liu Ziwen’s frown deepened. He dared not underestimate the master of the Contract Tome. “Who exactly are you?”

“I’d recognize you even if you were ashes. If I say that, it might sound a little too intense, don’t you think? So, let’s put it this way… Liu Ziwen, how does the toilet water taste?”

The moment he heard those words, Liu Ziwen’s expression instantly darkened.

“You’re Lin Luo!” Liu Ziwen exploded suddenly, glaring at Lin Luo with utter venom.