Chapter 2: System
Time slipped by quietly.
The bell signaling the end of class rang across the campus.
The light and shadows in the classroom had, without anyone noticing, taken on the hues of dusk.
School was out.
As their homeroom teacher, Lu Donghai, disappeared from the doorway, the tense atmosphere that had suffocated the classroom all day instantly came alive.
The soft clatter of desks and chairs, the zipping of backpacks, and the uninhibited laughter and horseplay of teenage boys and girls merged into a clamorous torrent, carrying with it the scent of youth as it flooded out the door.
Lin Yi was busy packing his slightly worn-out backpack, carefully stacking his frayed textbooks one by one.
Just then, a shadow fell over his desk.
He looked up to see a boy with a neat middle part standing before him. The newcomer was handsome, with an air of pampered confidence in his eyes.
Lin Yi glanced up at him and asked, "Luo Qian, what’s up?"
In Lin Yi’s memory, this student, Luo Qian, was supposed to be his best friend at school.
If there were tiers of the rich and powerful, Luo Qian was undoubtedly at the very top. His family’s wealth ranked among the top five in all of Yang City.
Logically, an orphan like Lin Yi and an ultra-rich heir like Luo Qian should never have crossed paths.
Their current friendship had been earned, quite literally, through fighting.
That’s right.
It had been forged, punch by punch, ever since their first-year Martial Dao class.
Luo Qian came from a privileged background, never lacking for cultivation resources. His talent was top-tier and his progress was swift, yet he was always just one step behind Lin Yi.
And with the competitive spirit of youth, who would be willing to admit defeat so easily?
So in every Martial Dao class, Luo Qian, like a defiant young leopard, would muster all his strength to challenge Lin Yi.
Clash after clash, falling and getting back up again and again, their youthful stubbornness and frustration slowly transformed into mutual respect amidst the sweat and gasps for air.
The competition remained fierce, but it didn’t stop them from building a pure and solid friendship.
Luo Qian’s own strength was equally dazzling.
In the recent New Year’s major exam, his Qi and Blood value reached a staggering 9.13, placing him first in the entire school—a full 0.1 points higher than Lin Yi’s 9.03.
Unfortunately, his slightly weaker theory score dragged down his overall average, leaving him in second place, just behind Lin Yi.
Now, Luo Qian leaned against the corner of Lin Yi’s desk, shook his head, and asked, "Lin, do you regret it?"
Lin Yi’s hands stilled. He looked up, genuine confusion in his eyes. "Regret? Regret what?"
"Tch, playing dumb with me, are you?"
Luo Qian raised an eyebrow, his tone full of frustration at Lin Yi’s unrealized potential.
"Uncle Wang! The man’s intentions toward you were practically written on his face."
"You know it too. That damned Red Moon disaster took his only son and grandson. The old man is all alone. He wanted to adopt you—what ulterior motive could there be? He purely admired you, liked your tenacity! If he’d really adopted you, he would have treated you like his own son, groomed you as his heir!"
Luo Qian leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially.
"I just don’t get it. It was just a matter of kowtowing, calling him ’Dad,’ and changing your last name. What’s the big deal?"
"Dignity? Pride? Can you eat those things? Can you pop them like Qi Blood Pills? Are they worth more than a real future? If you had Uncle Wang backing you, pouring resources into you, wouldn’t your chances of getting into a top-ten Martial Arts University be much higher?"
He clicked his tongue and jutted his chin in a certain direction.
"Just look at Liu Yang. Oh, I guess I should call him Wang Yang now!"
"The moment he heard Uncle Wang was thinking of adopting, he didn’t hesitate. THUMP! He dropped to his knees, calling him ’Dad’ more affectionately than a real son would, and swore he’d take care of Uncle Wang until the day he died!"
"Now that’s a ruthless guy! You have to be that ruthless, even to yourself, to go far on the Martial Dao path!"
"And look at him now. Tsk, tsk. His Qi and Blood value rocketed from 28th in the school all the way to 2nd! The benefits were immediate! Before, that kid wouldn’t even dare look up when he saw us; he’d walk around with his head down. And now? He walks with his nose in the air, so arrogant he could poke a hole in the ceiling! Seeing him so smug... you really don’t feel a single shred of regret?"
The "Uncle Wang" Luo Qian mentioned was a well-known tycoon in Yang City. He had lost his entire family in the Red Moon disaster, leaving him all alone. He had once greatly admired Lin Yi and had been set on adopting him.
However, the original owner of this body had no desire for a foster father and had politely refused time and again.
In the end, Uncle Wang settled for second best and adopted Liu Yang, who knew how to "seize an opportunity."
Luo Qian had always felt it was a great pity for Lin Yi.
"It’s in the past. What’s the point of bringing it up?"
Lin Yi waved a hand, a bitter, helpless smile on his face.
’I’d love to get a godfather or be sponsored by a rich sugar-momma and live a carefree life of ease!’
’But alas...’
’Didn’t I get here too late?’
’There’s no use crying over spilled milk.’
Seeing that he didn’t want to dwell on it, Luo Qian changed the subject, his expression growing more serious.
"Fine, we’ll drop it. Let’s talk about something more concrete. My old man said that with your foundation and potential, if you just had enough resources poured into you, you’d have a real shot at being the top scorer in Yang City for this year’s college entrance exams. He even said making the top thirty in the province isn’t out of the question."
He paused, his eyes fixed intently on Lin Yi.
"So, the Luo family wants to sign a contract with you. We’ll cover all your cultivation resources until you become a Second-Grade Martial Artist! We’re friends, so the contract won’t be harsh. The terms are simple: after you graduate from university, you work for my family for one year. To put it bluntly, once I graduate, you’ll be my personal bodyguard for a year. That’s a pretty sweet deal, right? I really think you should consider it."
"Let me think about it."
Lin Yi’s expression instantly grew serious.
He didn’t share the stubborn pride of his body’s previous owner.
’Just one year as a bodyguard after graduation in exchange for all the resources needed to become a Second-Grade Martial Artist?’
’This deal would let me quickly accumulate foundational resources, allowing me to get into a top Martial Arts University and secure a better future. All it would cost is a single year of my freedom after graduation.’
’It seems... like a surefire win!’
Just as he was deep in thought, weighing the pros and cons at this critical juncture...
BUZZ~ BUZZ~ BUZZ~
An inconspicuous mosquito, like an ill-timed intruder, began to circle stubbornly before Lin Yi’s eyes with an irritating, faint buzzing.
Lin Yi instinctively raised a hand and, quick as a flash, slapped it hard against his own cheek!
SLAP!
A crisp slapping sound echoed.
In the instant his palm made intimate contact with his cheek—
[Ding!]
A cold, crisp, synthetic voice rang out in his mind without any warning.
[Activating system...]
[Avatar System activated...]
[Successfully bound ’Mosquito Avatar.’]
Hearing these sounds in his mind,
Lin Yi froze completely.
’A system?’
’A cheat?’
’My hack... has finally arrived?’
’But...’
’A Mosquito Avatar?’
’My cheat is actually a mosquito?’
’What good is a tiny little mosquito?!’
And then,
as if in response to his doubts,
a translucent virtual panel that only he could see, filled with streams of light blue data, abruptly unfolded in his vision—
[Host]: Lin Yi.
[Realm]: Senior Martial Disciple.
[Qi and Blood]: 9.03.
[Spirit]: 1.0
...
[Avatar]: Common Mosquito.
[Level]: LV1 (Common Beast).
[Experience Points]: 0/1.
[Skills]: Flight LV1, Blood Sucking LV1, Tracking LV1, Paralysis LV1.
[Flight LV1]: 1x base speed. (Current base speed: 1.5 km/hour).
[Blood Sucking LV1]: When absorbing a target’s Qi and Blood essence, it will simultaneously nourish the host.
[Tracking LV1]: Can precisely lock onto and track the heat, carbon dioxide, and specific pheromones emitted by life forms.
[Paralysis LV1]: While drawing a target’s blood, injects a micro-dose of neuroparalytic toxin, rendering the target completely unaware of the bite.
"Huh?"
Lin Yi’s heart skipped a beat!
He’d originally thought this Mosquito Avatar was useless.
But when he saw the Mosquito Avatar’s skills, especially the ’Blood Sucking’ skill, he was utterly stunned.
An indescribable ecstasy shot through him like an electric current, sweeping over his entire body!
’Blood Sucking and nourishment?’
’Doesn’t this mean that when this tiny Mosquito Avatar sucks someone’s blood, the Qi and Blood essence it devours... can be directly converted into an increase in my own Qi and Blood through some mysterious connection?!’
’Holy crap!’
’Isn’t this... a living, walking, super-efficient cultivation accelerator?!’
’As long as I let it keep sucking... just keep sucking... my Qi and Blood can... grow infinitely?!’
’This is infinitely more heaven-defying than swallowing those expensive Pills!’
’I’m invincible!’
"Hey! Lin!" Luo Qian’s voice pulled him from his tremendous shock back to reality. "What are you spacing out for? What have you decided?"
Lin Yi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the smile that was about to break out on his lips and the gleam in his eyes.
Without a change in expression, and with an almost nurturing gesture, he very gently and carefully tucked the precious mosquito from his palm deep into the pocket of his school uniform jacket.
Then, he casually slid his hands back into his pockets, relaxed his shoulders, and broke into a resolute smile.
"Luo Qian," he said, his voice steady and clear, "I appreciate the offer, my friend, but... I still want to try and make it on my own. Freedom is something that’s hard to get back once you’ve given it away."
’With a heaven-defying cheat like the Mosquito Avatar, who needs a contract for security?’
’Who needs to rely on someone else’s resources?’
’If I signed the Luo family’s contract, I’d inevitably be shackled by invisible chains.’
’What if my future cultivation plans conflict with their arrangements?’
’Compared to support that comes with strings attached, I’d much rather have absolute control over my own destiny!’
"That’s a real shame."
Faced with Lin Yi’s refusal, Luo Qian didn’t seem too disappointed, as if he had expected this outcome all along.
After all, if Lin Yi were willing to be beholden to others, there would be countless corporations lining up to sign him.
He would have signed long ago, not waited until now.
So, even though Luo Qian really wanted to sign Lin Yi and secure a powerful ally for his family’s future, he found the rejection perfectly normal.
This was the Lin Yi he knew.
Stubborn and resolute!