I. The Daily Life of a Transmigrator
Lin Yue had transmigrated.
Not by getting hit by a truck, not by performing a heroic deed, and certainly not by some system summoning.
He had simply worked overtime until three in the morning, fallen asleep at his workstation, and woken up squatting in a stone chamber reeking of decay, clutching a brush in his hand.
In front of him was a stone toilet.
Literally a toilet made of stone. Chiseled from rock, filled with an unidentified liquid, emitting a stench so foul it nearly made him vomit up his last meal—though this body didn't have a last meal to vomit up.
"I..."
Lin Yue looked down at the tattered gray linen robe he was wearing, then at the brush in his hand, then at the toilet in front of him.
His brain short-circuited for a full three seconds.
"I transmigrated? And I transmigrated to scrub toilets???"
Before he could fully process this cruel reality, the door to the stone chamber was kicked open.
A burly man with a face full of scars stood in the doorway. He wore black light armor with a blood-red skull insignia embroidered on the chest. He stared down at Lin Yue with eyes that regarded him as nothing more than a disposable tool.
"Waste. Mission tomorrow."
Lin Yue blinked. "What mission?"
The burly man—his name was Black Rock, an overseer of the Demon Hall's outer sect, holding the power of life and death over all the menial servants—sneered coldly. "Ambush a Church supply convoy. You, plus three other servants, will serve as bait."
Bait.
The brush in Lin Yue's hand dropped into the toilet with a splash.
Black Rock didn't even give him a chance to refuse. He turned and walked away, tossing one last sentence over his shoulder: "Be at the north gate before sunrise tomorrow. Try to run, and I'll break your legs and feed you to the beasts."
The stone door slammed shut.
Lin Yue stood before the toilet, silent for a full ten seconds.
Then he took a deep breath and uttered his first complaint since arriving in this world.
"Transmigration? Fine. Scrubbing toilets? Fine. But being cannon fodder while scrubbing toilets??? Who the hell wrote this script???"
---
II. The Blood-Red Morning
The sunrise the next day was the most unwelcome sunrise Lin Yue had ever witnessed in two lifetimes.
Outside the Demon Hall's north gate, three battered wagons stood ready. Black Rock sat astride a black demonic warhorse, flanked by five official disciples, each fully armed. Lin Yue and the three other servants had been issued nothing but a single rusty iron sword apiece.
"Move out."
Black Rock didn't spare them a second glance. He cracked his whip, and the convoy set off toward the border.
Lin Yue sat at the back of the last wagon, gripping the iron sword that probably couldn't even cut wood, his mind racing.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about running. But the oppressive aura radiating from Black Rock—he'd found the corresponding information in the memories he'd inherited after transmigrating—marked him as Bronze-tier peak. And this body of his? Not even Black Iron-tier. Pure, ordinary mortal.
Run? Certain death.
Don't run? Also certain death.
"Did I blow up the galaxy in my past life or something?"
The convoy traveled for about three hours, entering a dense forest. Sunlight was blocked by layers upon layers of overlapping canopies, and the air grew heavy with a sinister chill.
Something was wrong.
Lin Yue's instincts were screaming alarms. The forest was too quiet. So quiet that even the birds had fallen silent.
He was about to speak when Black Rock at the front suddenly reined in his mount.
"We're here."
Black Rock turned, his gaze sweeping over the four servants, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his lips. He raised a hand, pointing into the depths of the forest. "The Church's supply convoy will pass through here in half an hour. You four, walk five hundred paces forward. When you see them, start running. The slower, the better."
"Wait." Lin Yue spoke up. "We act as bait. The Church's men chase us. Then what? You ambush them from behind?"
Black Rock narrowed his eyes. "Smart. Too bad a smart brain won't save your life."
He waved a hand, and two official disciples stepped forward, drawing their swords and herding the four servants forward at blade-point.
Lin Yue was shoved deeper into the forest, his feet crunching over thick layers of fallen leaves, surrounded by massive tree trunks. He glanced back. Black Rock and the official disciples had vanished into the shadows of the trees.
But his instincts told him—they hadn't gone far. They were waiting.
Waiting for the Church's forces to appear.
Waiting for the four servants to be killed.
Then, while the Church's soldiers were occupied with their kills, they would strike.
"Perfect plan," Lin Yue muttered under his breath. "Only one problem—I die."
---
III. Impaled by the Sacred Blade
The Church's supply convoy arrived even sooner than Black Rock had anticipated.
Lin Yue had barely walked three hundred paces when a blinding golden light flared up ahead among the trees. A squad of Holy Knights in silver-white armor emerged, the sigil of the Light God gleaming on their chest plates. At their head rode a Knight-Captain on a white steed, the longsword in his hand radiating sacred radiance.
The Knight-Captain's gaze locked onto Lin Yue and the three other servants instantly.
"Demon Hall vermin." His voice was cold as iron. "Kill them."
No interrogation. No ultimatum. Three Holy Knights broke from the formation, their longswords igniting with holy flames as they charged at the four unarmed servants.
The servants around Lin Yue screamed and scattered in all directions.
But the holy flames were too fast.
The first blade pierced through one servant's chest. Holy fire poured into the wound, burning his internal organs to ash.
The second blade severed another servant's neck. His head flew through the air, his face still frozen in terror.
The third blade thrust toward Lin Yue.
Lin Yue's body reacted faster than his mind. He threw himself sideways, the sacred sword grazing his shoulder. The holy flames seared his skin, pain flaring white-hot across his vision.
But he had dodged.
The Holy Knight paused for a fraction of a second, clearly surprised that a mere servant could evade his strike.
And in that instant, Lin Yue saw it.
Black Rock and his five official disciples burst from the dense forest, charging straight for the rear of the Church convoy. Their target wasn't to save anyone. It was to seize the convoy's supplies while the Holy Knights were distracted by the servants.
Black Rock didn't even glance at Lin Yue.
The value of cannon fodder was to trade one's death for a single second of opportunity for the main force.
A fury Lin Yue had never felt before surged through his chest. Not fury at the Church. Not fury at fate. Fury at Black Rock.
"Using me as bait? Fine."
He clenched his jaw and gripped the rusty iron sword tighter.
But an iron sword meant nothing against a Holy Knight.
The Knight-Captain spurred his horse forward, raising his sacred blade high. The holy flames along its edge roared skyward, coalescing into a blazing pillar of light.
"Heretic. Receive the Light's judgment."
Holy Judgment.
A killing technique only Gold-tier Holy Knights could execute. Using it against a servant who hadn't even reached Black Iron-tier was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito.
But the Knight-Captain held nothing back. He intended to make an example.
The sacred blade descended.
Lin Yue's pupils reflected the golden radiance growing larger and larger.
He tried to dodge. But the Holy Judgment had locked onto his aura. He couldn't move a single finger.
The sacred blade pierced through his chest.
Holy flames surged from the blade into his body, burning through flesh, bone, soul.
Pain.
Pain so intense he couldn't even scream.
Lin Yue's vision began to blur. He saw Black Rock's back as he looted the supplies. He saw the Knight-Captain's cold, indifferent face. He saw the blood gushing from the wound in his own chest.
Then, the world went dark.
---
IV. Rewriting Causality
"Host near-death state detected."
"Activating [Causality Rewrite Authority]..."
"Soul matching... Match successful."
"Soul fragment of previous Causality Lord... Integration complete."
"Initial activation bonus: Time Reversal 10 minutes. Causality Points: 100."
Lin Yue's eyes snapped open.
He was standing outside the Demon Hall's north gate.
Clutching a brush in his hand.
Facing a stone toilet.
Sunlight streamed through a crack in the window, warm against his face.
He looked down at his chest—unblemished. Then at the brush in his hand—definitely a brush. Then at the toilet in front of him—definitely a toilet.
"I..."
Lin Yue's mind raced. The memories of transmigration, Black Rock's face, the dense forest, the Holy Knights, the sacred blade piercing his chest, the holy flames consuming his soul—every image was crystal clear in his mind.
Not a dream.
He had truly died once.
And then, he had come back.
A semi-transparent panel materialized before his eyes.
---
[Causality Rewrite Authority]
Host: Lin Yue
Current Causality Points: 100
Unlocked Abilities:
① Time Reversal (Novice): Maximum rewind 12 hours. Cooldown: 24 hours. Causality Point cost: 10 points/hour.
② Causality Alteration (Novice): Alter the causal trajectory of low-probability events. Causality Point cost: Varies based on scope of alteration.
③ Life Revival (Locked): Requires 500 Causality Points to unlock.
[Available Actions]
Detected that host has experienced the event: "Betrayed to Death." Causal rewrite available for this event. Recommended action: Transfer the causality of "Black Rock betrays Lin Yue" to "Black Rock betrays himself."
Estimated Causality Point cost: 30 points.
Execute?
---
Lin Yue stared at this line of text in silence for a full three seconds.
Then, he smiled.
It was the kind of smile that would send chills down anyone's spine. Lips curled upward, but not a trace of warmth in his eyes.
"Execute."
He said it softly.
---
V. The Rewritten Script
Everything happened exactly as it had the "first time."
Black Rock kicked open the stone door and loomed over him, notifying him of tomorrow's mission. Lin Yue kept his head down, playing the part of a trembling servant, silently calculating the timeline in his head.
Sunrise. North gate. Three wagons. Five official disciples. Three servants.
Every detail matched his memory precisely.
The convoy entered the dense forest. Black Rock reined in his horse. He ordered the four servants forward as bait.
Lin Yue was shoved deeper into the woods.
But this time, his steps were steady.
The Church's supply convoy appeared right on schedule. The Knight-Captain rode forward, sacred blade ablaze with holy fire. Three Holy Knights broke formation and charged at the four servants.
First strike. Second strike—identical trajectories to the previous timeline.
Lin Yue sidestepped, evading the third strike.
Then, he activated Causality Alteration.
An invisible ripple spread outward from his body, like a pebble dropped into a still lake. Everywhere the ripple passed, threads of causality were plucked, rearranged, rewritten.
The causality of "death" originally bound to Lin Yue was transferred to Black Rock.
The causality of "survival" originally belonging to Black Rock was transferred to Lin Yue.
One for one.
Equivalent exchange.
---
Black Rock was at the rear of the Church convoy, looting supplies. A chest of gold coins was slung over his shoulder, a greedy smile on his face. He was already planning how he'd report this to his superiors—"The servants were all wiped out, but the mission was a success."
Then, his smile froze.
The Knight-Captain had appeared behind him without a sound.
The sacred blade fell.
Black Rock looked down and saw the tip of a holy-flame-wreathed sword protruding from his chest.
"Wh... why..."
His pupils began to dilate. He didn't understand. According to the plan, the Knight-Captain's attention should have been drawn by the servants. He should have long since escaped with the supplies.
Why was the Knight-Captain here?
Why him?
In the final moments of his life, Black Rock's gaze traveled past the Knight-Captain's shoulder and found Lin Yue at the edge of the forest.
That servant was leaning against a tree trunk, arms folded, a smile on his face that sent a bone-deep chill through what remained of Black Rock's consciousness.
Then, Lin Yue mouthed two silent words at him.
"Payback."
Black Rock's last breath left him, his face frozen in endless terror and unwillingness.
---
VI. Aftermath
The Knight-Captain pulled his sacred blade free, and Black Rock's corpse slumped to the ground.
He frowned, a faint sense that something was off nagging at him. According to intelligence, the leader of this Demon Hall squad shouldn't have been killed so easily. But the evidence was right in front of him, and he dismissed the thought.
"Secure the supplies. We're pulling out."
The Holy Knights began inventorying their spoils.
No one noticed that the servant at the edge of the forest had already slipped away, silent as a ghost.
---
Lin Yue walked the road back to the Demon Hall, his steps as light as if he'd just finished a leisurely stroll.
He opened his causality panel.
---
[Causality Point Update]
· Reversed Black Rock's death causality: +50 Causality Points
· Completed mission with zero casualties: +20 Causality Points
· First causality alteration: +30 Causality Points (Achievement Bonus)
Current Causality Points: 170
[New Ability Unlock Progress]
Life Revival: 170/500
---
Lin Yue studied the panel, the smile on his lips deepening.
This time, he hadn't died. Black Rock had. The mission was complete. Causality Points were in the bank.
"So, you see," he muttered to himself, a hint of smugness creeping into his voice, "as long as you've got brains, even cannon fodder can turn the tables."
But his smile quickly faded.
Because he remembered—in the final moments of his "first" death, before his consciousness had fully faded—he had seen something.
The words carved into the ancient murals deep within the secret realm.
"The Causality Rewriter shall break the world's cycle of reincarnation."
And a pair of draconic pupils, opening in the darkness.
This golden finger of his? It probably wasn't free.
Bigger troubles were likely waiting just around the corner.
Lin Yue sighed and looked up toward the Demon Hall. The last rays of the setting sun washed over the fortress walls of black stone, dyeing the entire structure a deep crimson.
"Forget it. I'll go back and slack off first. Even if the sky falls, I'll deal with it after a nap."
He strode through the gates of the Demon Hall.
Behind him, in the depths of the dense forest, a pair of vertical pupils slowly opened.
Augustus's voice rumbled through the darkness, heavy with the weariness of eons—and a trace of interest he couldn't quite conceal.
"Interesting little creature."
"The last one who made it this far... his bones have been cold for ten thousand years."
"You... how far can you go?"
The draconic pupils slowly closed.
Darkness reclaimed everything.
But the gears of causality had already begun their irreversible turning.
Lin Yue returns to the Demon Hall, is exceptionally promoted to official disciple, and receives his own small courtyard.
Just as he prepares to enjoy his hard-won slacking life, the courtyard door is kicked open—a silver-haired, crimson-eyed girl named Lia forcibly declares herself his junior disciple, with the excuse: "You saved my life."
A new kind of trouble begins.