CHAPTER 244: CHAPTER 244

The cramped convenience store was dimly lit, filled with the soft hum of flickering fluorescent lights.

The team gathered around a battered table, plates and bowls scattered with half-eaten food, noodles, rice, dumplings and soul.

Quiet conversation mixed with the occasional clatter of chopsticks.

Meng Nian, Yu Song, and Xu Tianming sat together, their eyes tired but their spirits quietly strengthened by this rare moment of rest.

Suddenly, inside their minds alone, a clear, calm voice echoed:

[System Allocation in Progress.]

No sound escaped their lips, no alarm in the room, but each of them felt a sudden, deep pulse.

Meng Nian’s vision flickered. In his mind, a message appeared:

[Host: Meng Nian]

[System: System of Rot and Ruin]

[Rank: 8]

[Ability: Decay Manipulation]

He clenched his fists and felt a faint green aura pulse around his fingertips, subtle but unmistakable.

Simultaneously, Yu Song’s mind was filled with a different prompt:

[Host: Yu Song]

[System: Dreamweaver Protocol]

[Rank: 10]

[Ability: Mesmerism / Illusion]

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, his senses sharpening as if reality itself had become malleable.

Xu Tianming’s chest tightened as his notification arrived:

[Host: Xu Tianming]

[System: Atomic Override System]

[Rank: 9]

[Ability: Atomokinesis]

His fingers twitched involuntarily, a faint electric charge tingling beneath his skin.

None of the others at the table heard the voice, none saw the glowing effects inside the three men’s minds but a sudden shift had occurred.

Meng Nian exchanged a glance with Yu Song and Xu Tianming, eyes wide with a mixture of awe and uncertainty.

The air around them felt heavier, charged.

Yu Song broke the silence, voice low but steady. "Looks like the system finally caught up with us."

Meng Nian nodded slowly. "We don’t get many chances like this. We have to use it, carefully."

Xu Tianming’s gaze hardened. "This changes everything."

The group around them noticed only a subtle difference a sharper focus in their eyes, a slight stiffening of their posture.

"Qingran...I think we just got systems.."

Qingran, paused and then dropped her chopsticks entirely.

"No way, what kind of system did you get?"

"I got decay manipulation.." Meng Nian said, tapping the chopsticks until it decayed into nothing.

Xu Tianming puffed his chest. "I got Atomokinesis, and I’m even rank 9. Now tell me I’m not amazing?"

Qingran raised a brow turning to Yu Song, she figured he received as well.

"I also got, Mesmerism apparently is a real ability.."

Qingran smiled, this was good, now they had 4 system users in the team, it would be easier on missions now.

"Congrats guys, now you get to experience what’s it’s like to get missions and upgrades.."

Xu Tianming nodded, the most excited about the situation.

"Why not get acquainted with your systems?"

You’ll need it.

She chuckled and turned to Ruihuang who was equally staring at her.

"What you looking at?" she clicked her tongue as she turned her face away.

Ruihuang chuckled, what an interesting he has come across.

"Hey! How come I didn’t get a system!"

Fang Yuxi pouted, but Xu Tianming only chuckled.

"Dont worry, I’ll protect you.. you just have to clingy to me a little more.."

Yuxi blushed as she turned her face away, she found Xu Tianming even more annoying now.

"What? You think I can’t protect you?"

-_-

"I don’t need some kid to protect me.." she hissed.

-_-

"Oh, oh, you’ll eat your words back soon enough.."

Yuxi humphed "I won’t, who knows I’ll even be the one protecting you."

-_-

"You girls are so..."

"Are so what?" the ladies replied in unison.

-_-

Xu Tianming’s lips twitched, it was a set up.

"You..girls are so beautiful and lovable..." he smiled nervously as he ran to a corner.

Xu Tianming barely sat still. His knee bounced under the table, eyes wide with wonder as the hum in his head deepened and then resolved into low and miserable.

[...Ugh. Binding successful.]

[Host: Xu Tianming.]

[Atomic Override System, Rank 9.]

[You can now manipulate atoms. Tear things apart. Put them back together. Though honestly, why bother.]

[What... do you want to call me. I guess.]

Tianming blinked. "You sound like pessimism for a form, that would you.."

[Everything dies eventually. Now you can help along.]

He stifled a laugh. "You’re such a mood."

He thought for a second, grinning.

"Alright. I’ll call you Hei Tan. That suit your vibe?"

[It’s not the worst name I’ve been given.]

[...Proceed to ruin something. I won’t stop you.]

For Meng Nian his system was quite different.

A sudden cheer burst into Meng Nian’s mind like a windchime in a storm.

[Hi hi hiiii~! Binding complete! You’re my host now! Oh my gosh! I’ve never had a host before! This is gonna be so great!]

[Host: Meng Nian! System of Rot and Ruin! Rank 8! You get to break down everything! Organic, inorganic! Even rust is pretty if you stare at it long enough!]

[Now quick, out quick, quick , give me a name! Pleeeeease~?]

Meng Nian blinked once. "You’re... a lot."

[Hehe~ I get that a lot!]

She sighed. "Okay, Qiaoqiao."

[QIAOQIAO! I love it! That’s adorable! I’m adorable! You’re so cool! I can’t wait to rot things with you!]

Meng Nian rubbed the bridge of her nose. "You rot things... with joy?"

[Rot is just transformation with glitter.]

Meng Nian smiled lowly, he wasn’t sure if he could stand such a bubbly voice in his head.

Qingran leaned forward, eyes narrowing as she watched Xu Tianming nearly vibrate with excitement in his seat.

"You three just got your systems..." she said slowly. "What do they actually do now?"

Xu Tianming’s eyes lit up. "Wanna see?"

"No.." Meng Nian said flatly. "Let me go first. I don’t trust you not to do something stupid..."

Tianming looked offended.

"I’m very responsible."

Qiaoqiao’s cheerful voice echoed in Meng Nian’s mind.

[Oooh oooh yes yes! Try the decay thing! Just a little decay! Like... the corner of something! We can do that, right? RIGHT?!]

Meng Nian muttered under her breath. "You’re way too excited about decaying things.."

She held up one of the metal soup spoons and narrowed her focus.

His fingers tingled. A pale green sheen shimmered faintly along the handle, and a moment later, the metal began to rust in fast-forward, corroding from shiny to flaked and brown, then snapping in half with a soft ping.

"Whoa..." someone muttered from across the table.

Meng Nian shook his hand off. "Feels like stretching a new muscle."

"Okay, okay, now me!" Xu Tianming sat upright like he was about to leap off his seat.

Hei Tan sighed in his mind.

[There is no meaning to any of this. But fine. Go ahead. Whatever makes you happy bro.]

Tianming grabbed a pebble from the floor and placed it on the table. "Watch this."

He closed his eyes. A buzzing vibration started in his fingers. The pebble began to vibrate, shimmer, then... pop, it disassembled into fine, swirling dust that hovered for a second before settling.

Everyone stared.

Even Qingran sat up straighter.

"Did you just unmake the rock?"

Tianming grinned. "Guess I’m good at making things stop existing."

Hei Tan mumbled dryly,

[How poetic.]

Feng Yuxi scooted slightly away from him. "I’m sleeping on the other side of the building tonight."

"Hey.." Tianming said, offended. "I haven’t even turned you into dust yet."

"Yet?"

Yu Song, meanwhile, was quiet. His eyes were closed, his breathing calm.

In his mind, Yingci whispered with the softness of brush strokes.

[Mesmerism is not force... it is invitation. Paint a truth more vivid than the original. They will follow it.]

Yu Song opened his eyes and stared across the table. "I’m going to test something.." he said calmly.

He looked directly at Feng Yuxi. "Tell me... isn’t there a butterfly on your shoulder?"

Her brows furrowed. "Huh?"

Everyone turned toward her.

"What.."

She froze.

A pale blue monarch was perched delicately on her shoulder or so it seemed. Its wings glistened softly in the dull light. But when she reached for it, her fingers passed right through.

She gasped. "It’s not real... but I definitely saw it."

Yu Song smiled slightly. "Exactly."

Qingran blinked. "You made her see it...?"

He nodded. "I can shape perception."

Yingci hummed in his mind.

[So long as they believe it... it is real.]

Qingran stroked her chin "Interesting, it will take a hell lot of mental fortitude to break out of your hold.."

Fang Yuxi was now very firmly pressed against Meng Nian’s side.

"I don’t like this...."

Xu Tianming smirked. "Don’t worry. I’ll protect you. You can cling to me anytime."

"I’ll cling to a zombie before I cling to you," she muttered.

Qingran finally spoke again, eyes now on Ruihuang who was watching everything with a faintly impressed look.

"These three just got stronger.." she said. "And I didn’t even get a warning from Lingquan."

[Again..] Lingquan replied flatly, [I’m not the national distribution agency. This was a system event, random selection, triggered based on stress, proximity, exposure.]

"...You’re just making this up."

[I could be but why would i do that? Getting systems is totally random.]