Chapter 17: Hacking Fate and the Goddess's Gamble
The "Heavenly Enforcement" had failed. The world's code was bleeding black ink, and the Higher Heavens were in a state of absolute panic.
Inside the Temple of Destiny, located at the very center of the Higher Realm's server, a woman with hair made of flowing starlight stared at a massive, cracked jade screen. This was The Goddess of Fate, the one who had originally written Xu Yanluo's death script.
"He... he's rewriting the lines," she whispered, her hands trembling. "He didn't just kill the Enforcers; he re-formatted them! This shouldn't be possible for a piece of code!"
Suddenly, the air in the Temple flickered like a glitching television.
"Who are you calling code, sweetheart?"
The Goddess spun around. Standing on her sacred altar, leaning against the Pillar of Fate, was Xu Yanluo. He was still in his black robes, hands in his pockets, looking like he'd just strolled in for a casual coffee.
The Goddess vs. The Developer
"Xu Yanluo!" the Goddess shrieked, her aura of 'Destiny' flaring. "How did you enter this domain?! This is the source of all existence!"
"I found a back-door," Yanluo smirked, walking toward her. "You see, you're a great writer, Fate. But your security is terrible. You left the 'Hero's Plot Armor' folder wide open. I just deleted it and replaced it with a 'Villain's Victory' script."
"I will erase you!" She raised her hand, summoning the Thread of Fate to bind his soul.
Yanluo didn't dodge. He just snapped his fingers.
[System Notification: "Ling"]
[Skill: 'Root Access' — Active]
[Targeting: Goddess of Fate. Status: Overriding Authority...]
The threads of starlight turned black as they touched Yanluo, becoming liquid shadows that flowed back toward the Goddess, binding her own wrists.
"No! This is my world!" she cried, falling to her knees as her own power betrayed her.
"It was your world," Yanluo corrected, leaning down to tilt her chin up. "But I'm the lead developer now. And I've decided that the Goddess of Fate is a bit too... lonely. You need to spend some time in my villa to learn how the 'Real' plot works."
The "Harem" Upgrade
Back at the Imperial Villa, the news of the "Goddess's Kidnapping" hadn't reached the public yet, but the Harem was already sensing a new presence.
Yanluo reappeared in his bedroom, but he wasn't alone. The Goddess of Fate was draped over his shoulder like a sack of celestial potatoes, her starlight hair dragging on the floor.
"Another one?!" Hu Ruyan yelped, her tails fluffing up. "Yanluo! You were only gone for ten minutes! Where do you even find these women? Under rocks?!"
"She's a Goddess," Yanluo said, dumping her onto the velvet bed. "She tried to kill me, so I decided she should spend the next century as our personal 'Fortune Teller' and pillow."
Yao Qingxue walked over, looking at the bound Goddess with a mischievous glint. "A Goddess, hm? I wonder if a Goddess's 'Dual Energy' tastes better than an Empress's."
The Maid-Empress Yaoyin, currently wearing a fresh apron, huffed. "It's quite a lot of work, I'll tell you that. She's going to need a lot of... 'education' before she's useful."
The Night of Destiny
The Goddess, whose real name was Tian Ling, looked at the group of women—a Regent, a Fox, a Fairy, a Noble, and an Empress—all looking at her with hungry, competitive eyes.
"You... you can't do this! I am the Law of the World!" Tian Ling sobbed, her face red with a mix of fear and a strange, System-induced "Attraction" that Yanluo had just coded into her.
"Law is just a set of rules," Yanluo whispered, crawling onto the bed and hovering over her. "And I'm the one who presses 'Enter.'"
He leaned in, his lips grazing hers. "System, initiate 'Destiny Synchronization.' Let's see how much 'Fate' a Villain can handle in one night."
[System Notification: "Ling"]
[Warning: Synchronizing with a Goddess will result in extreme 'Stamina' drain. It is recommended to involve the entire Harem to distribute the load.]
"You heard the System, ladies," Yanluo laughed, his hands wandering as the Goddess's resistance began to crumble into soft, celestial moans. "It's a team effort tonight!"
The comedy of Ruyan trying to "out-cuddle" a Goddess, and Yaoyin trying to maintain her "Maid" dignity while being pulled into the pile, filled the room. The "Fate" of the world was no longer in the stars—it was in Yanluo's bedroom.