Chapter 17 : System's Ultimate Challenge (Spatial Backlash Upgrade)

The night was heavy, moonlight slicing through the forest like cold blades.

Chen Ye crouched in a clearing, gripping his Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, his shoulders slightly tense.

His sister, Chen Xue, lay beside him, her fingers lightly touching the ground. Her contracted power, guided by their father, had temporarily stabilized, but still fluctuated irregularly.

The three brothers surrounded him, their shotguns and pistols ready at any moment.

A sense of oppression permeated the air—space was no longer merely a backdrop, but an active, retaliatory force.

Chen Ye closed his eyes, focusing his mind, channeling his domain power to try and detect traces of the black market.

However, the space suddenly vibrated slightly, then rapidly expanded.

Fallen leaves swirled, branches clashed, and a faint low-frequency resonance resonated in the air—a system warning flashed:

[Warning: Abnormal Spatial Reaction]

[Mental Load Exceeded]

[Potential Loss of Control: Endangering Host and Surrounding Area]

"Xue, stay calm!" Chen Ye whispered, raising his arm slightly to try and suppress the expansion of his power.

His sister's breathing quickened, her eyes gleaming: "Brother... I can control it!"

But the power was no longer entirely under their control.

Space seemed to possess its own consciousness, reacting proactively, even triggering the system's self-correction mechanism.

[Abnormal behavior detected]

[Trigger: Limit Space Correction]

[Host's will suppressed]

The whirlwind of falling leaves suddenly intensified, the forest air cutting like knives, the temperature plummeting.

The gun in Chen Ye's hand vibrated from the force of the swirling wind, his shoulder slightly bumped.

His sister, passively bound by the contract, sensed the fluctuations; her body involuntarily floated half an inch, her fingertips tracing the ground, further intensifying the spatial fluctuations.

"Brother Ye! It's going out of control!" Zhao Shi shouted, his face pale.

Chen Ye gritted his teeth, whispering to his sister, "Concentrate your mind, treat it as a partner, not an enemy!"

The spatial vibrations intensified; the inhuman power began actively testing the host's will.

He felt the system's suppression, as if an invisible hand was grasping his consciousness, attempting to reshape his course of action.

Every attempt to move, every thought to fire, was subtly countered by the space.

Chen Ye gritted his teeth, synchronizing his breathing with the secret technique his father had taught him:

Mind as still as water

Breathing in sync with spatial fluctuations

Intention in harmony with the energy rhythm of the domain

Simultaneously, his sister sensed her brother's intention and used passive resonance to stabilize the fluctuations.

The whirlwind of falling leaves, the impact of branches, and the slight tremors of the soil gradually came under control. Although a dangerous pressure remained, it was no longer rampaging.

When the system sensed the host's unusually strong will, it was forced to withdraw its self-correction efforts:

[System Correction Aborted]

[Host's Mental Load: Extremely High]

[Domain Stability: Restored to 65%]

Chen Ye breathed slowly, his shoulders aching, sweat trickling down his cheeks.

He looked at his sister and saw that she was also panting, her eyes shining with determination—

Both of them understood that this was the first true system limit challenge, and they had overcome the danger through willpower and tacit understanding.

The forest was temporarily calm, but a slight vibration still lingered in the air.

Chen Ye said softly, "Xue, this is only the first time. The system won't stop; it will continue to test our limits."

His sister nodded, "Brother... I understand. I'll be more careful, and I'll learn to control it with you."

Chen Ye's gaze was firm: "Good, we must become stronger, otherwise next time, the system or the enemy will corner us."

Under the moonlight, the shadows of the locust trees swayed, and the forest trembled slightly, as if responding to their will—

This was the first true confrontation between strength and will, a profound trial on the edge of life and death.