“Echo doesn’t like this combination name,” I protested flatly. “Echo is a system. Systems have colleagues, not sisters.”

Seraphine’s tone brooked no argument: “Well, now you have one.”

I didn’t want one.

Silently, I opened my character panel and designated the recently scanned Fire Rock Dragon as “Error.”

The system data matched the dragon sprawled on the floor scale by scale, but the more I analyzed it, the more convinced I became that this Fire Rock Dragon was way too… rocky to be my sister.

Back in the System Realm, only systems born from the same batch shared identical coloring. Compared to earlier generations, our birth rate had increased significantly, so silver-series systems like myself—created after the Main System—were quite rare.

All the other systems envied me, actually.

“What are you thinking about?” Seraphine asked, watching me stare intently at the Fire Rock Dragon head.

I replied with calm honesty: “I’m searching for appropriate ways to express disgust.”

Seraphine propped herself up on the bed with a grin, clearly ready to enjoy the show.

After some consideration, I materialized a panel above my head displaying a bright, shining thumbs-up icon.

Then the thumb suddenly flipped downward, pointing directly at the Fire Rock Dragon.

I held the panel aloft and circled the dragon three times.

Disgust x3

On the bed, Seraphine dissolved into laughter, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. After catching her breath, she sighed: “Echo, you’re absolutely fascinating.”

Really?

I felt puzzled. This was the first time any host had described me that way. Previous hosts had used words like “calm,” “quiet,” “silent,” “professional,” “helpful assistant,” and “reliable companion” in their feedback reports.

As long as they weren’t negative evaluations that would affect my performance ratings, I didn’t particularly care.

I maintained my stoic expression and dropped the panel directly onto the Fire Rock Dragon’s head.

x4

The Fire Rock Dragon glanced around in confusion, straining its massive eyes to focus on the comparatively tiny human. Its gaze was full of bewilderment. Why was its new master laughing so happily?

“Oh, I have something to report to my host,” I announced, enlarging my display panel to provide a visual briefing of what had happened to the protagonist after Seraphine’s departure.

The silver-white system let out a long, mechanical sigh.

Echo Playing Elder Li: “Coming to Luanyang Palace cost us so many people, plus half our gifts as compensation—how am I supposed to explain this to the sect master when we return?”

Echo Playing Elder Li: “Sigh!”

I drifted to the right side, projecting Xue Bufan’s furious expression on my panel.

I matched his anger: ￣～￣

Furious but speechless.

Then I floated to the left.

Echo Playing Elder Li : “When we return, I’ll only report about being oppressed by the White Water Sect. The Fire Rock Dragon matter stays between you and me—no need to tell the sect master and create more trouble. I’m doing this for your own good, Bufan. You understand your current position in the sect, don’t you?”

“Sigh!”

Seraphine’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

I drifted right again, displaying Xue Bufan’s expressionless face.

I mirrored his blank stare: =_=

With my =_= expression, I noted that Xue Bufan had remained silent for an unusually long time—probably having a heart-to-heart with the old man.

“Please note, Host, the real plot only begins once the protagonist receives his opportunities. The protagonist will activate All-Skills Mode—you cannot imagine how omnipotent he’ll become!” I tapped my display panel for emphasis. “Plus, he’ll unlock Opportunities-Everywhere Mode, constantly encountering wise masters, mastering various skills, and achieving cultivation levels that ordinary people can only dream of!”

Seraphine’s smile gradually faded. Because she believed in me, her current feelings were indescribable as she murmured: “He’s going to be pretty busy then.”

Cultivation training, skill grinding, and probably moonlit strolls with various beauties.

Tsk.

Her pale feet alternated between light and heavy pressure on the Fire Rock Dragon as she watched me hovering before her, something shifting in her gaze.

“Echo, since you were sent to assist me, and Xue Bufan is someone we need to monitor, and only I can see you, why don’t you go to the Lianshan Sect and keep an eye on him for me?” Seraphine suggested.

I refused: “Systems cannot operate beyond a hundred-meter range from their host.”

Seraphine immediately expressed her disdain: “What good are you then!”

I felt no discouragement whatsoever: “As the most advanced system under the Main System, Echo has a hundred-meter operational range—other systems can’t achieve this distance!”

You sound pretty proud of that.

Seraphine snorted softly, pressing one foot down on the Fire Rock Dragon’s head to keep it from trying to figure out who she was talking to. She spoke slowly: “Still, you’re better than this thing. At least you don’t eat or drink, and won’t waste my Flame Heart Stones.”

At the mention of Flame Heart Stones, the Fire Rock Dragon went completely still, obediently prostrating itself on the ground.

Seraphine was satisfied with its recognition of the situation, but—

“I’ll allow you this one choice. From now on, I’ll provide you with endless treasures—Flame Heart Stones and whatever else you need. But you must be loyal to me. If someday someone recreates today’s scenario and you betray me, I’ll take your head even if it kills me!”

Seraphine spoke with a curved smile, but her words were ice-cold, devoid of any warmth. The killing intent in her voice pressed against the Fire Rock Dragon’s throat like a blade.

The Fire Rock Dragon became even more submissive, opening its mouth to reveal its dragon pearl.

This was the blood-binding ritual. From this moment forward, the Fire Rock Dragon would acknowledge Seraphine as its master—if Seraphine died, the dragon would not survive.

After it produced the pearl, Seraphine’s expression softened, the murderous intent vanishing from her eyes. She squeezed out a drop of her life essence, letting it fall onto the dragon pearl to forge their life-and-death contract.

Golden light flashed over both figures. After forming a bond with a Great Perfection Golden Core cultivator, the Fire Rock Dragon’s spirit improved dramatically. Though its physical form remained unchanged, its eyes had lost their previous cloudiness.

“Good. I accept your loyalty. Rest assured, I will never mistreat you. I seek immortality, you desire to become a true dragon—we’ll support each other with all our strength,” Seraphine declared.

The Fire Rock Dragon rumbled low in its throat.

I watched this touching master-and-beast bonding scene and couldn’t help drifting closer.

What about the system?

“You stay over there,” Seraphine said, raising her finger to pretend to flick me away.

I cooperatively rolled twice and sighed like an old man.

Apparently I hadn’t fully recovered from channeling Elder Li’s emotions yet.

Seraphine chuckled at my performance.

The spirit ship soon returned to Luanyang Palace.

Siyi went to arrange accommodations for Xue Mengtao while Seraphine led one system and one dragon to her private peak.

The elegant mountain featured ornate architecture with jade wind chimes carved with formation arrays hanging from the eaves, tinkling melodically in the breeze. A white crane circled overhead before landing on the golden-red roof tiles, staring curiously at the Fire Rock Dragon below.

So long… edible?

The white crane began to have ideas.

Seraphine emerged from the palace shortly after, cupping a ball of golden flame in her palm. Perched on her shoulder, I could see clearly that the flame came from a stone—ordinary in shape but molten-gold in color like lava, burning with such intensity that even I, who couldn’t normally sense temperature, felt its scorching heat.

Red symbolizes passion and fire.

I contemplated the stone.

The Fire Rock Dragon on the ground grew so excited it tried to take flight, but its heavy body caused more rubble to cascade down.

“Quiet!” Seraphine scolded.

The Fire Rock Dragon immediately flattened itself, terrified of angering her, watching anxiously.

“I said I’d give it to you, so I will. Do I look like someone who goes back on her word?” Seraphine laughed, casually tossing the priceless Flame Heart Stone—worth more than ten thousand high-grade spirit stones and impossible to buy at any price—into the air.

The scarlet stone, no bigger than a finger, looked like a volcanic heart torn from molten rock, eternally burning with crimson flames. Cultivators with insufficient power would be instantly vaporized just by approaching it.

The spiritual plants in the courtyard wilted under the flame’s heat, their flowers drooping and leaves curling as if drained of all moisture.

Only the Fire Rock Dragon raised its head with excitement, opening its massive jaws to snap at the falling stone, swallowing it whole.

I couldn’t help myself as I monitored the temperature: “Hiss…”

Hot! So hot!

“…Why are you hissing? Do you even understand hot and cold?” Seraphine mocked.

I learned today!

I continued my secret hissing.

The Flame Heart Stone rapidly released tremendous heat once inside the dragon’s body. I could actually see a ball of fire sliding down through the Fire Rock Dragon’s body toward its stomach.

As the power erupted, the rocklike scales on the Fire Rock Dragon’s body began glowing red, and flames the same color as the Flame Heart Stone enveloped its form. Crackling sounds echoed as new scales grew beneath the stone coating, pushing off the petrified old ones.

The falling stone rain represented rebirth as a fire-wreathed dragon soared through the air, crying out in joy.

Cultivators from Luanyang Palace and citizens of Luanyang City looked up at the sky. Some people who didn’t understand what was happening ran around excitedly shouting: “Dragon! Fire dragon!”

The revitalized Fire Rock Dragon landed back in the courtyard, showing none of its previous lethargy. Its scales from head to horn blazed scarlet like gemstones, its whiskers flowed elegantly, its green eyes shone brightly, and small flames danced atop its horn-buds. It was absolutely magnificent.

The white crane watching from the eaves flapped its wings and fled in panic.

Cannot eat! Definitely cannot eat!

“Roar.”

The reborn Fire Rock Dragon shed tears of gratitude, circling the courtyard for a long time before landing and bowing its head to Seraphine.

Seraphine looked quite satisfied, though she only said: “Not bad.”

“Once you transform into a true dragon, you should be even more magnificent and spirited.”

The Fire Rock Dragon nodded joyfully.

I rescanned the Fire Rock Dragon, updated its data, and noted Seraphine’s evaluation in its profile. Then I opened my work log to write: Apparently not just humans—dragon-type creatures also care about appearance.

Good thing I’m just a system.

I wrote seriously: But we’re equally impressive. Systems are born without inferiority complexes.