Chapter 40 | He was forced to take on the role of "gatekeeper"

The changes were subtle, yet gradually became clear in every detail.

From Chapter Thirty-Nine onwards, Li Xing realized—the rules weren't meant to make him stronger,

but to maintain boundaries.

And once those boundaries were clear, he couldn't back down.

That evening, he was summoned to a warehouse on the outskirts of town.

Someone was there attempting to handle high-risk equipment,

and those people—were the outside repair team that had previously tried to overstep their bounds.

They weren't lacking in skill,

but in judgment.

What they lacked was—knowing when to stop.

Li Xing only needed one glance to understand the magnitude of the danger.

A single faulty weld,

would cause the entire transmission system to completely collapse while in motion.

He could have fixed it himself.

But this time, he didn't.

Because he understood—he was no longer simply a "solver,"

but a gatekeeper.

Not intervening meant letting the rules speak for themselves.

Any attempt to overstep boundaries,

would have its consequences borne by the one attempting it.

The outside team members were frantic.

They urged him to help, threatened him with responsibility, and even implied that if Li Xing didn't help, "the town would say he wasn't loyal."

He remained standing quietly.

No emotion, no explanation.

This time, his silence was the verdict.

As time passed,

the outside team members began to tense.

They tried to solve the problem themselves, nearly making mistakes several times.

Every step was recorded by the rules, and the cost was increasing.

Li Xing exerted no force.

He simply stood there, calm.

That calmness forced everyone into the cage of the rules.

On his way home that night, he felt a loneliness he had never felt before.

The townspeople began to realize that

Li Xing was no longer simply taking on jobs.

He was guarding the gate.

No one came to him to learn his secrets.

No one asked him for help.

Because everyone vaguely realized—the cost of overstepping boundaries was heavier than non-cooperation.

The feeling of isolation truly manifested for the first time.

He stopped and leaned against the old wall.

He still clutched his notebook.

The pages were slightly yellowed in the light.

He opened it and wrote down his observations for the day:

—The role of the gatekeeper is irrevocable.

—Responsibility outweighs any gain.

—Isolation is an inevitable price.

—External forces will continue to probe; vigilance is essential.

He finished writing and took a deep breath.

This time, he didn't immediately put the notebook away.

He stared at the night outside the window, slowly realizing:

He was no longer just a user of this space.

He was a barrier to the rules.

His rhythm of life wouldn't change.

But he knew that every breath, every judgment,

could create a chain reaction outside the rules.

The gatekeeper's loneliness,

would be his constant companion from then on.

The wind blew outside the window, swirling fallen leaves.

Everything continued as before.

But he knew—the true higher world had only just begun.