8 I'm The System!

[Updated] [Rewritten]

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Yuan's voice echoed through the room as he shouted with wild and desperate fervor, "No, I won't be!" His heart raced with the memories of betrayal and the pain of past wounds that had yet to heal.

His vow to never teach disciples again had been etched into his soul long before his untimely death. And now, reincarnated and with a fragile mental state, the mere thought of taking on such a responsibility sent shivers down his spine.

But the elder had his own reasons for agreeing to the Sect's demands, ones that were born from a deep-seated need for power and vengeance. He could not afford to leave the sect, not when he needed its resources to become stronger and correct his past wrongs.

And yet, the thought of taking on disciples filled Yuan with dread. It was a line he refused to cross, no matter the cost. The Sect Master's words hung heavy in the air, a final demand that could not be ignored.

Yuan's gaze shifted to Feng Rong, who stood lost in thought. He knew what he had to do. With a resolute voice, he declared, "I will never become a master, even if I have to lose the chance to become an elder." His decision was made, and nothing could sway him from his path.

"Ding!"

"System is on!"

  As he stood in confusion, a strange voice echoed in his mind, and a mysterious window appeared before him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and he felt a sense of unease wash over him.

"Who's there?" Yuan demanded, his heart racing with fear and anxiety.

To his surprise, there was no response. The voice remained anonymous, and the window continued to hover in front of him without explanation.

"What is this thing?" Yuan muttered, his eyes fixated on the strange object.

"Are you seeing this too, Sect Master?" Yuan asked, hoping for some answers.

But to his dismay, the elder remained silent, his expression unreadable.

As Yuan tried to make sense of the situation, a sense of unease washed over him. Something was definitely wrong, and he could feel it in his bones.

"Huh?!" He gasped in surprise as he turned to look at the Sect Master.

What he saw before him was nothing short of shocking. The elder had frozen in place, his body as still as a statue. Yuan scanned the room, and to his horror, everything around him had come to a complete stop. It was as if time itself had ceased to exist.

Suddenly, the voice echoed in his mind once again, and he whirled around to find the source of the sound.

[System is re-loading]

[1% - 5%-…88% - 97% - 99% - 100%]

[Welcome to the Best Master System!]

As the strange object hovered before him, Yuan's mind raced with fear and confusion. He had never encountered anything like this before, and he was unsure of what to do next.

"What are you? State your intentions!" Yuan demanded, his voice shaking with fear.

The object remained silent for a moment before a voice echoed in his mind once again.

He talked to the "thing" in front of him in a little fearful voice.

He was never afraid of someone even if the opponent was stronger than him. Even when he died he never was afraid.

But the "thing" in front of him was in a completely another league. It could even control time. And heck, he didn't even know what it was. Who knows how powerful could it be! The best way now was to stay cautious and avoid offending it.

[I'm the Best Master System!] It replied calmly.

[I am created to help you get stronger.]

[I don't have any ill intentions toward you.]

[My main mission is to help and guide you to be the best master in the world!]

[And stop calling me that "thing" in your head. As I said I'm a system, the "Best Master System" and you are my host.]

[Yes, I'm also very powerful, so you can fully believe me.]

Rong Yuan was surprised to hear that, the "thing", no, not that "thing", the 'System', the powerful Best Master System was going to help him to get stronger.

It was really a tempting offer for the current him. He thought for a moment.

"I thank you for your good intentions, sir 'System'. But I don't require your help, I can become stronger by myself and I don't want to be a master."

He told his thoughts to the System as clearly as possible because he did not want to offend it.

[Host, you misunderstood me. You are my host and I am bound to you, your soul.]

[I know you will get stronger easily without me but to what stage? How? I know you have come back in time and you want to use your memories of the future to get stronger faster. But...]

[Do you know it is not enough at all, because there are more powerful -]

"What? What did you say?"

As Yuan listened to the system's words, he felt a sense of unease wash over him. How could it know about his rebirth? Had it been watching him this whole time?

[I said there are powerful -]

"No, before that!"

[I said that I knew about your rebirth.]

"Yes, that! But how?"

He knew he never said about his rebirth. How could the "System" know about it?

Could it be…

It has the ability to read his mind.

[Yes, I can read your mind. And host, are you stupid? How could I know you were calling me "that thing" earlier if I couldn't read your mind?! ]

"Ah!" Yuan remembered the system's earlier words. "Yes, you are right! How could I not guess that?!"

He was really embarrassed about it.

"But don't ever call me stupid again. It is making me angry."

Yuan's voice grew cold and threatening as he spoke to the System. Its words reminded him of Yichen's words.

[….Ok]

"Good…. But I don't trust you, so I don't need your help"

Despite the System's promises of power and strength, Yuan couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in his heart. He had been betrayed once before, and he was not about to let it happen again.

He had learned to rely only on himself, to trust no one but his own instincts and abilities. He would carve his own path, no matter the cost.

[I know you don't trust me. But I have one thing to say. I didn't know about your rebirth from reading your mind]

"Huh? Then how?"

[It was me who saved you!]

[When I awoke, I found you dead at the bottom of the Yang River. The only option to bring you back was Rebirth. I used nearly all of my energy to activate the rebirth. So you can trust anybody but me.]

Yuan's shock deepened as the System confirmed that it had been responsible for his rebirth.

"Did you say you saved me?" Yuan asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

[Yes, and as I mentioned it took nearly all of my powers to use Rebirth on you. So you better be grateful for it.]

The System's reply only served to confirm his suspicions, and he couldn't help but feel grateful for its actions.

"I think it is telling the truth. It can stop time even after using Rebirth on me." Yuan thought to himself. "It can stop time, and it even knows about the Yang River."

[I am telling the truth. Don't forget that I can read your mind so you can talk directly. And not only do I know about the Yang River, but I also know about you being killed and betrayed by your trusted people. I know you more than you know about yourself...]

Yuan felt a sense of embarrassment wash over him as he realized that the System could read his thoughts. He had forgotten that the object had the power to delve into his mind and uncover his deepest desires and fears.

"Thank you for saving me, and giving me a second chance." He expressed his gratitude. "But I don't have anything to repay you. Can you tell me how can I help?"

He finally believed the System's words and wanted to repay its kindness.

[It's easy. You just need to.....]