Chapter 1

Three days ago, the Moral Rating System descended upon the world. Everyone was forcibly bound to it, and their souls were graded.

The system ruled: Anyone with a score below 60 was deemed morally corrupt. Starting from midnight three days later, the system would randomly eliminate one hundred thousand low-scorers every single day.

My wife, Lily, had always been freezing cold to me. But the moment the system appeared, she suddenly did a complete 180. She started treating me like a king, catering to my every whim.

All because the moral score floating above her head was a failing grade.

Meanwhile, the score floating above my head was an mind-blowing 100,000.

If she wanted to survive, she had to beg for my protection.

I was actually going to soften up and agree. That was, until I discovered her disgusting, dirty secret.

Three days ago, everyone on Earth was forced to bind with the [Moral Rating System]. It judged and scored everyone's morality in real-time based on their actions.

Anyone below 60 points was marked as morally bankrupt. In three days, at midnight, the system would start randomly vaporizing one hundred thousand of them daily.

At first, most people thought it was a hoax. But three days later, when exactly one hundred thousand people turned to ash overnight, absolute panic struck the world.

Today, the entire city was drowned in grief and terror. Funerals were happening on every street, and the crematoriums were completely backed up.

But I didn't have to worry about this apocalypse at all. The number floating above my head was an insane, glaring 100,000!

Even if I committed a few petty crimes, this number would barely budge. I just needed to go to work, do my job, and live my life in peace.

When I got home after work, the rich aroma of gourmet food hit me the moment I opened the door. I froze. The dining table was covered with a massive, carefully prepared feast.

"Leo, you’re home!" a voice called out, dripping with excitement.

I looked up. Lily, my wife, was wearing a cute floral apron. She rushed over, her face glowing with a warm, welcoming smile—a smile I hadn't seen in over a year.

"You must be exhausted, babe. Let me take your bag and coat."

She reached out for my briefcase and then knelt down to place my slippers right at my feet.

Faced with this sudden, almost creepy level of affection, I stood there, completely lost.

Lily and I had been married for two years. The sweetness of our first year had been completely choked out by her coldness and emotional neglect in the second.

We barely talked. Whenever I tried to initiate any physical intimacy, she always had an excuse. She was always "too tired." But right now, she was acting like a totally different person.

"Lily, what is all this?" I asked, keeping my voice steady.

A flash of sheer panic crossed her face, but she quickly masked it with another fake smile.

"Babe, I've been thinking. I've been so focused on work lately that I neglected you. I felt so guilty. I just want to make it up to you starting tonight."

I didn't buy a single word. In the two years we'd been married, she had never tried to please me like this. She hadn't even stepped foot in the kitchen once.

I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. "Lily, if there's something you need, just say it. We're married."

The smile froze on her face. Her eyes darted around the room. Finally, she hesitantly pointed a trembling finger above her head.

I looked up. That was when I noticed the glowing, blood-red number floating above her head: 38.

My eyes widened. I couldn't help but gasp. "Lily! Why is your moral score so low? What on earth did you do?"

Lily's face turned pale. Her lips trembled. "I... I just complained about my coworkers on Snapchat, and then it dropped. Leo, please, you're the only one who can save me..."

Her voice cracked, and she started crying.

According to the system's rules, to avoid vaporization, you either had to do endless good deeds to raise your score, or seek protection from someone with a high score. The higher their score, the stronger the shield.

No wonder Lily was acting like a devoted housewife. She wanted my protection.

She was my wife. Culturally and morally, I shouldn't just watch her die. But remembering how coldly she had treated me over the past year, a surge of resentment welled up inside me. I didn't say yes immediately.

Lily sensed my hesitation. Rage flashed in her eyes, but she didn't dare let it show. I held her life in my hands now. To get my protection, she had to swallow her pride and keep sucking up to me.

During dinner, she practically fed me. Afterward, she massaged my shoulders, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

Once she finished, she stood up and whispered seductively, "Leo, I'm going to take a shower. Wait for me in bed. I have a surprise for you."

She walked into the bathroom. She was going to use her body to force me to protect her.

I leaned back on the couch. I wasn't excited. Instead, a heavy feeling settled in my chest. A moral score of 38 was incredibly low.

Only truly awful, corrupt people got scores that bad. Did Lily do something far worse than just "complaining about coworkers"?

Just then, her phone on the coffee table lit up with a notification. I picked it up and unlocked it.

But when I read the messages, my face drained of color. A wave of white-hot fury rushed straight to my brain.

Lily was cheating on me.