[Congratulations Host, for triggering the hidden mission!]
[Bugs are dispelling… loading…]
[Hidden Mission: Enter a Mysterious Realm]
[Status: Completed]
[System Recharged: 100+]
[Reward: Inscription Seal of the Heaven-Weaving Fingers]
[Bugs are dispelling… loading…]
A string of notification sounds echoed in Mo Yichen's mind, pulling him out of his daze. His brows furrowed as he slowly opened his eyes, his vision hazy at first. He sat up, blinking rapidly as the world around him came into focus. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar white cat smirking at him, a few glowing dialogue boxes floating in the air like a mystical pop-up ad.
"System…!!" Mo Yichen exclaimed, sitting upright so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. "You're back!?"
The white cat grinned smugly, its tail swishing lazily.
[Congratulations to the Host for completing the hidden mission!]
Mo Yichen's initial relief quickly turned into suspicion. "Wait a minute. What about the bugs you mentioned earlier? That whole 'this world is full of glitches' thing? Care to explain?"
The system's avatar flicked its ear, looking almost too casual for Mo Yichen's liking.
[The system has detected 9,999 bugs in this world. To dispel these bugs and recharge the system, the Host must gather pure ambient qi from mysterious realms. Without it, the system will shut down again.]
Mo Yichen stared at the cat, his expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation. "So, let me get this straight. You're telling me I have to jump into random realms just to keep you running? Or else you'll go offline again?"
[Precisely.]
Mo Yichen groaned, running a hand through his hair. The cat tilted its head, its smile widening.
[The Host should be grateful. Without the system, you wouldn't have survived this long.]
"Grateful?!" Mo Yichen shot back, his voice rising. "You always abandoned me in the middle of life-death situations!"
The cat's tail flicked again, its tone annoyingly calm.
[The system apologizes for the inconvenience. But now that it's recharged, the Host can continue to thrive.]
Mo Yichen sighed, slumping back against a tree. "Fine, whatever. I'll play along."
The cat's smirk didn't waver. [Noted.]
After a few minutes of grumbling to himself, Mo Yichen finally stood up, brushing dirt off his robes. "Alright, what about the reward you talked about?"
[Inscription Seal of the Heaven-Weaving Fingers, the book has been stored in the system's storage.]
Seal of the Heaven-Weaving Fingers!?? Isn't it the same seal for my alchemy as well?? Mo Yichen immediately takes out a book from his spacial ring, the golden characters engraved on its cover.
Alchemy Seal of the Heaven-Weaking Fingers
Mo Yichen's mind wandered as he recalled the origin of the Heaven-Weaving Fingers seal. It had been a gift from his former master, the legendary Emperor of Alchemy, who had specifically chosen it because it resonated with Mo Yichen's unique talents. Now, seeing the familiar seal for talisman crafting, he couldn't help but wonder if there was more to these hand seals than met the eye.
"Hmm," he muttered, retrieving the inscription hand seal from the system's storage. He stuffed it into his spatial ring for safekeeping. Who knows when this glitchy system will decide to take another nap? Better be prepared!
As he glanced at the glowing cyan dialogue boxes floating in front of him, he noticed something he hadn't paid attention to before—a bunch of bars labeled Skills, Body Strength, and Miscellaneous. Curiosity piqued, he clicked on the Skills bar. Hundreds of skill names popped up, each one more impressive-sounding than the last: Dragon's Roar Fist, Phoenix Feather Step, Heavenly Thunder Palm… but they were all locked, their descriptions hidden behind a glowing padlock icon.
"Can these skills even be unlocked?" Mo Yichen asked, scrolling through the endless list.
[Yes, these skills can be unlocked with each system update.]
Mo Yichen raised an eyebrow. "System update? What's the current version?"
[Current system version: 0.]
Mo Yichen blinked. Version zero? Are you kidding me? What kind of system starts at zero?!
The system's avatar flicked its tail lazily. [The system is in its initial phase. Host must work hard to unlock its full potential.]
Mo Yichen rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright, fine. How do I update the system?"
[The system operates on a point-based system. For the initial update, the Host needs 1,000 points to install System Version 1. After that, the required points will increase for each subsequent update.]
"And how exactly am I supposed to earn these points?"
[The Host can complete side missions to earn points. Alternatively, the Host can exchange rare items, such as beast core pearls, for points.]
Mo Yichen's jaw dropped. "Beast core pearls!?" Are you serious? Do you know how hard it is to get one of those?
[The system does not control the rarity of items. Host must adapt and overcome.]
Thinking for a bit, Mo Yichen finally asks, "...does the system at least have a map for this secret realm?"
[Yes, the map for the Thousand Illusions Labyrinth is available. Cost: 5 points. Does the Host have anything to exchange for points?]
Mo Yichen thought for a moment before rummaging through his spatial ring. He pulled out a dark purplish glowing crystal—a golden core he had obtained from the Nebula Python. "I don't have a beast core pearl, but I do have a golden core. Can this be exchanged?"
The system's avatar tilted its head, its glowing eyes scanning the crystal.
[The golden core can be exchanged for 6 points. Shall the system proceed with the transaction?]
Silence
[The system's exchange rates are non-negotiable.]
"..alright. Exchange for the map"
[Transaction complete. 6 points have been added to the Host's account. Deducting 5 points for the map…]
A square-shaped map materialized in one of the dialogue boxes, glowing faintly. Mo Yichen zoomed in, his eyes scanning the various markings—green dots, red crosses, and black circles scattered across the labyrinth's layout.
"Alright, let's see what we've got here," he muttered, squinting at the map. "Green dots… probably safe zones or resources. Red crosses… danger zones, maybe? And black circles… no idea, but they look ominous."
The cat floated closer, its tail swishing.
[The Host is correct. Green dots indicate resource points, red crosses mark danger zones, and black circles represent unknown anomalies.]
Mo Yichen raised an eyebrow. "Unknown anomalies? That's reassuring. Thanks for the heads-up."
[The system is here to assist. Would the Host like to activate the map's navigation feature? Additional cost: 1 point.]
Mo Yichen pauses for a bit, "You're really milking me for points, aren't you?"
The cat's eyes gleamed. [The system is simply offering premium services.]
"..Exchange it"
He looked around, taking in the scenery. Tall green pine trees surrounded him, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The air was crisp and fresh, and the faint sound of birds chirping in the distance gave the place an almost peaceful vibe. If it weren't for the fact that he was in a mysterious realm with no idea where his companions were, Mo Yichen might have actually enjoyed the view.
He starts strolling through a narrow path, following the map. "What about the side missions? Are there any available?" he asks.
[There is a separate bar for side missions. Host can simply click on it for more info.]
Mo Yichen clicks on the side mission named bar, and a bunch of different missions appeared in front of him earning different numbers of points. He can't help the slight curve on his lips as his eyes narrowed to a particular mission.
[Mission: Gather 268 types of different herbs]
[Reward points: 100]
Mo Yichen tapped the glowing Accept button in the system interface, then paused to survey his surroundings. The forest was eerily quiet—no signs of anyone. "...Huh? That's weird." His brows furrowed. "Weren't we just holding hands a moment ago?"
Mo Yichen exhaled sharply. Well, no use standing around like a confused duck. He turned his gaze toward the stalks of grade three herbs nearby, their soft glow pulsing with faint spiritual power. His fingers twitched.
With practiced ease, a thread of white shimmery soul power unfurled from between his eyebrows, wrapping around the herbs like delicate fingers. The herbs lifted from the soil with their root perfectly intact—something that would make any alchemist weep with envy. He repeated the process as he moved on autopilot. Each time he secured a batch, he neatly placed them into his dimension before continuing.
The system's map hovered in his peripheral vision. Four paths branched ahead in a clearing that looked like the center. "Hmm.." Mo Yichen humms "..so to reach the center I will have to cross wild boars' territory," I might find some treasures on my way too..!
East is dotted with green resource markers and only a few red crosses (translation: "minor dangers, probably just some territorial spirit squirrels")
South has a concerning number of flashing red zones. West has an ominous mix of red and black markers. Whereas North is absolutely infested with pulsating black skull icons.
Mo Yichen chewed his lip. "East it is!" I've got three months before the realm spits everyone out. No need to become a tragic hero on day one.