The landlord has absconded; messenger, please take up your post.

On the eve of the 22nd century, the world continued to function as usual, without warning or alarm.

But some people know that everything is different now.

In that instant, the endless flow game, like a silent tide, engulfed the entire world. Countless people were swept into bizarre and fantastical dungeons, struggling on the edge of life and death, just to grab a sliver of hope. And those dungeon bosses, feared by all, became the players' deepest nightmares.

But who would have thought that these terrifying beings, capable of wiping out countless player teams with a stomp of their feet, are now facing something even more troublesome than the player challenges—the landlord has come to collect the rent.

...

Jiang Yu looked at the slip of paper in her hand, which was clearly torn casually from a notebook. The handwriting on it was flamboyant and all too familiar:

"Xiaoyu, your dad has suddenly decided to take a vacation at the edge of the stars. Those old bastards in the building owe you fifteen years' worth of rent. The bills are in the drawer, so you're in charge of collecting them! The machete by the door is a keepsake; feel free to use it."

—Your dear, soon-to-be-runaway God Father.

There was even a hastily drawn smiley face at the end of the signature.

Jiang Yu, a fifteen-year-old boy with a clean and handsome appearance, and even a touch of boyishness, stood there expressionless.

He had been with this person, who was nominally a "god" but acted more like an "unreliable father," for a full fifteen years. Fourteen years of nurturing and guidance had subtly influenced him, and he felt that it was a genetic mutation that he hadn't grown into a troublemaker.

Running away? Going on vacation to the ends of the earth?

Silence settled in his eyes.

Jiang Yu put down the note and walked to the door. Sure enough, there was a machete leaning against the wall. The blade looked rusty and unremarkable, as if it had been picked up from some junkyard. He reached out and grasped the hilt, and a strange, blood-connected familiarity washed over him. Beneath the rust, a faint glimmer seemed to flash by.

"...I knew this would happen."

The boy muttered something under his breath, his tone devoid of surprise, only conveying a sense of resignation that "what's meant to happen will happen." Without hesitation, he picked up the machete that seemed out of place with his appearance and turned to walk towards the perpetually closed door deep within the temple, engraved with mysterious runes.

Beyond the door lay not a cosmos, nor a divine realm, but a deep, seemingly endless corridor. On either side of the corridor were countless doors, each unique and exuding a different aura—some reeked of blood and rust, their signs reading "Bloody Slaughterhouse"; others emitted faint weeping and murmurs, their signs "Nightmare Academy"; still others were silent, yet radiated a chilling cold that penetrated to the bone, their signs "Abyss Ice Cave"...

This is the "bottomless, sky-high" rent collection building that the main god spoke of. Behind each door lies a dungeon world in the infinite game, inhabited by a boss tenant who terrifies players.

Jiang Yu took a deep breath. The air was filled with chaotic energy fluctuations, which made him frown slightly. He walked slowly along the corridor, his gaze sweeping over the door signs on both sides, and finally stopped in front of a door that looked relatively "gentle" and had a sign that read "Lost Library".

Let's start with this.

The boy raised his hand and tapped the door lightly with the rusty scabbard of his machete.

Thump, thump, thump.

The knocking echoed in the silent corridor, clear and almost jarring.

Inside the door, the rustling of pages turning abruptly ceased. A vast and ancient spiritual force, like tentacles, seeped from the crack in the door, sweeping over the uninvited guest with scrutiny and displeasure. A deep and authoritative voice resounded directly in Jiang Yu's mind:

"Who dares to disturb the slumber of the librarian? Mortal, do you know the price of trespassing?"

For an ordinary player, this single mental shock would be enough to cause a mental breakdown.

Jiang Yu merely blinked, his face remaining expressionless, and delivered the opening line he had practiced all the way in a clear and calm youthful voice:

"Hello, I'm the new rent collector. You've been behind on rent for fifteen years, and I'm here to collect it."

The sounds from inside the door paused for a full three seconds.

"...Collecting rent?"