Chapter 17 | The First Change in Spatial Rules

On the morning of the third day, Li Xing woke up in an extremely uncomfortable state of wakefulness.

It wasn't pain, nor was it fatigue.

It was that feeling—his body was awake, but his consciousness felt submerged underwater.

He opened his eyes. The room was brightly lit, but his vision took a half-second to focus.

Li Xing didn't get up immediately.

He had learned not to force this feeling.

He slowed his breathing, lowered his heartbeat.

Only after his body gradually "aligned" with his consciousness did he sit up.

This time, the stinging pain in his wrist lessened.

But another strangeness was more pronounced.

—The space was very quiet.

Too quiet.

Usually, as soon as his attention slightly sank in, his consciousness would naturally be drawn in.

But now, even though he actively concentrated, nothing happened.

Like a door, locked from the inside.

"..."

Li Xing frowned, closed his eyes, and tried again.

This time, the space appeared.

But it wasn't the familiar gray-white.

It was a colder, harder tone, as if it had been recalibrated.

There was no taskbar, no copy option.

Only a single notification panel.

【Long-term high-intensity usage detected】

【User's neural coordination has decreased】

【Abnormal mental energy recovery curve】

Li Xing's heart sank.

The next line slowly appeared:

【Space rules are being adjusted】

This wasn't a question.

It was a notification.

He instinctively wanted to exit, but found—

He couldn't interrupt it.

The notification continued to refresh:

【Rule 1: Skill copy cooldown mechanism activated】

【After copying a high-level skill, a forced cooldown of 48 hours will occur】

【Rule 2: Mental energy consumption recalculated】

【Continuous use will result in cumulative decay】

【Rule 3: When the status is insufficient, copying permissions will be locked】

The last line was like a grand finale.

[Note: Space is not an unlimited resource]

[Users must bear the long-term costs themselves]

The words stopped.

Space fell still again.

Li Xing stood there, a layer of cold sweat slowly seeping down his back.

He understood.

This wasn't an upgrade.

This was—risk control.

After discovering he was "using it too aggressively," the space began to protect itself.

Or rather,

it began to guard against him.

He tried to access the most basic copy option.

No response.

Only a very faint mark appeared on the edge of his consciousness:

[Cooling Down]

Li Xing opened his eyes; everything in the room was as usual.

But in his heart, it felt as if something had pressed down hard.

The space was no longer "something he could use whenever he wanted."

It had begun to make its own judgments.

In the morning, Li Xing did nothing.

He simply sat in the courtyard, watching the sunlight move slowly.

This was the first time he had faced reality without the support of the space.

He wasn't panicked.

But he was very clear-headed.

He reopened his planning notebook, crossing out each of the "principles" he had written down before, and rewriting them.

—Space is unpredictable

—Survival capability without space must be reserved

—All plans assume "space is unavailable"

With each item he wrote, his heart steadied.

Because it meant—

He had finally stopped taking space for granted.

In the evening, he tried entering the space again.

This time, the space responded.

But it only gave a very short prompt:

[Current state allows: Low-load perception-type assistance]

[Copy function: Locked]

Li Xing was stunned.

Low-load perception.

That is to say—the space wasn't completely shut down.

It had only taken away the "heavy weapons."

"I see."

He suddenly smiled.

The space wasn't abandoning him.

It was forcing him to change his approach.

At night, Li Xing lay on the kang (heated brick bed), staring at the ceiling.

The rules have changed.

This means the difficulty has increased.

But he knew perfectly well in his heart—

This was a true watershed moment.

Before this, he was learning how to use his abilities.

From this moment on, he had to learn—

To grow within limitations.

And this,

was the path that would truly take him far.