Chapter 11: What Does It Mean To Kill Or Live? (2)

[Player Recognition: signing this contract will have you be recognized as a 'player' of the System. You will be asked to participate in certain levels, face considerable dangers, and possible deaths. Your information will be available to everyone, in the bureau, that is, approving your contract. 

Warning: external beings will be able to 'watch' you upon the signing of this contract. 

- You'll be asked to commit crimes

- Money will be earning in the mode of 'species'

- [Clandestine Chest] will be available after completion of four levels

- Beware of 'repercussions'!

To note: you will be….

.

.

.

.

Do you consent:

Y/N]

[The Contract Administrator is presenting her terms]

[Term #1: Deregistration is not permitted…

Term #2: Levels must be cleared…

Term #3. . . ]

Zane didn't have time to read anymore, not when his intuition was screaming at him that the person in front of him would pounce on him anytime. 

"I agree to all the terms," he said. "Please hold other external factors for the time being!"

As much as he wanted to see what his rewards were, he couldn't afford to waste time reading the holographs that would appear. He swallowed as another message popped up.

[<Watcher > The Contract Administrator is asking if you want to choose a sponsor]

"No," Zane said. "I just need access to my species."

[<Watcher > The Banished Apostle is looking for the person that owns his skill]

[<Watcher > The Hermit thinks you should choose a 'Watcher']

[Congratulations!]

[You've become a registered player!]

[You may now use skills without heavy repercussions!]

[A gift box will be waiting once you accept your rewards!]

[You've invested 1500 species in your spiritual energy]

[Spiritual energy lvl 1 > spiritual energy lvl 4]

[You've invested 1500 species in your strength]

[Strength lvl 1 > Strength lvl 4]

Zane stood in front of Rhian, the Dao in his hand shining with a green aura. "He has not done anything wrong. It wasn't his intention that the skill had harmed Hua Ling."

"...what?" Xia Tai's eye twitched—causing a sudden aura to rise from him. "You call this harm?" he screamed. 

"He is dead," Xia Tai said. "Harm?"

"There was no way one could've known," Zane murmured, trying to placate the situation. Zane could have asked Rhian to choose <Delirium > but he didn't want to risk it. Once the ranking of <Delirium > surpassed grade C, and was below Grade A+, then the person would become delirious and would never recover from that sort of situation. 

Would it be preferable to have someone completely damaged—especially mentally? Unless the wielder of the skill could control the effects of the skill and their time frame, there was no chance of the survival of the mentality of the person.

[Many <watchers > are enjoying the current drama]

[Many <watchers > are struggling to see who is at fault]

[<Watcher > The Hermit is conflicted]

"Oh…" Xia Tai's eyes widened. "So you're those wretched bastards that are a part of the System, huh?"

Rhian opened his mouth, but Zane noted that the latter hadn't said anything. 

"I'll fucking kill you both then!" Xia Tai roared, and ran towards them. 

[Non-participant Xia Tai is burning with rage!]

'Why am I getting such messages?' Zane swallowed as he held onto the sword tightly. The moment the other man collided with Zane, there was a burst of aura. It caused the disciples to be pushed back.

"Think rationally!"

"I am," Xia Tai gritted his teeth. "And to think rationally is to kill you!"

'How should I get out of this?' Zane activated Wisteria again and was surprised that The Hermit didn't have to authorize it. "I get that you're angry, but the time for this trial has ended. It is advisable to think civilly for punishment!"

"Oh, are you turning into one of those righteous bastards now?" Xia Tai laughed as he swung his sword, and Zane only managed to protect himself weakly. "What you have done… will follow you throughout your lifetime! Yes, you, Hua Xiaoshi!"

"Who's—"

Xia Tai laughed louder, his previously beautiful face twisting into one of deranged. He moved back and dropped his hand down, raising his eyebrows in Zane's direction. "Oh, this bastard made you think he was one of you, did he? Cheap trick…"

Zane couldn't afford to look back at Rhian with Xia Tai this delirious. 

"Little maiden," Xia Tai said, his lips quirking into a disgusting smile. "Did you think your origin lies elsewhere, Hua Xiaoshi?"

Was Rhian's name 'Hua Xiaoshi'? But then…

"Could fool them all. Just because your mother is of that nation, doesn't mean you forget your homeland, no?" Xia Tai asked, pushing Zane back and taking charge towards Rhian. "Was that what you did after you wiped that family off? Tell me, Hua Xiaoshi, did you leave this nation and run off to the others?!"

"Disrupts the entire sect, disappears, kills… What else is left in you, Hua Xiaoshi? Isn't it because of you that they're dead—" 

Zane had no clue what the topic was about, but he simply couldn't let this guy anywhere close to Rhian. The hovering holograph over the man's head was enough. 

[Non-participant, Xia Tai is delirious!]

[Warning: engaging with this non-participant is dangerous!]

"Now you've gone and killed him," Xia Tai said and began taking a few steps back. "This is a sin. You will atone for this."

Zane braced himself for the hit that he would receive. He couldn't cause any more damage or that would merely end up proving the entire point of this. 

However, what if Xia Tai was telling the truth, and that Rhian was some psychopath who already had blood on his hands aside from the one belonging to this person? If he had some skill that would allow him to detect lies… that would require him the permit to use the [Player's Tryst]. Too bad he wouldn't be able to access it for the time being. 

Why did things have to get so messy?

He couldn't stand the idea of killing, but there was an exceptional factor in this case. He felt as though he had been desensitized to killing to some extent, and perhaps it was also because he had no hint of remembrance of the person who died. The idea that such a bright smiling person died was surely a little… saddening, the situation in front of him was worse. 

"You—"

"You're turning delirious," Zane said. 

"And you're one to tell me!" Xia Tai roared. He grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and charged at Zane. 

[Non-participant Xia Tai has opened 15% of his mana core!]

[Warning: engaging with this non-participant is highly dangerous!]

[Warning: you're at risk!]

Seeing Xia Tai, Zane found himself back in the same state as he was before he was taken as a slave. 'Why kill? Why harm someone when you can threaten them? Warn them not to do something?' However, there was a difference.

He neither had the power nor the strong companionship that Xia Tai seemed to have. 

[Wisteria's 2nd attribute is canceled]

[<Watcher > The Hermit is displeased]

Zane invested in some species to increase the magic power of Wisteria. 

[You've invested 750 species into Wisteria's first attribute!]

[Wisteria: Defender lvl 2 > Defender lvl 3]

Zane didn't have a mana core, not as of yet. The only reason the other people could use such power was because of their [mana cores]. These mana cores were like the beating heart. They supplied the body with mana and could even help heal oneself. 

"Die!" Xie Tai yelled.

Zane defended himself with Wisteria and managed to lock eyes with the raging ones of the taller man. "You need to think rationally!"

"The more rationally one thinks, the worse they repent!" 

"There are multiple ways to take revenge if that's what you want," Zane said, his eyes hardening.

"Don't misunderstand me, foreigner, revenge and the system of law are broken. Old ways must be used!" 

[An unregistered player has managed to trigger a skill!]

[Reason for trigger: ␣␣]

[Repercussions will be given momentarily!]

[Non-participant, Xia Tai has used personal skill, 'Reverse Judgement' lvl 1]

'Shit,' Zane thought, as he braced himself. 

[Wisteria has a strong affinity with player, ␣␣!]

[The elemental base of Wisteria is flowing through you!]

[Electric ether is corresponding to Wisteria's level!]

Electricity crackled around Zane and he had to wince as blood began pouring from his left nostril. He raised his hand, and Xia Tai brought down his mana-infused sword. Before either could think, at the point of impact, a sudden cloud of dust erupted. 

[<Player > Lu Meilin has used personal skill, 'Balance' lvl 3]

The dust dissipated easily and revealed Lu Meilin holding the blade of Xia Tai's sword against her palm and the other one holding Zane's hand. "That is enough."

"But… Lu Meilin!" Xia Tai tried, but Lu Meilin shook her head. 

"Hua Ling must not be kept in this condition, we must call an elder. I suggest you withdraw your sword and the use of your mana. Likewise for you, foreigner, retract your skill." 

'So she's a player,' Zane thought as he moved back. He resisted a flinch as Wisteria coiled itself around his finger, running shocks through his body. He glanced back at Rhian, who had blood near his mouth. 

Zane noticed Rhian averting his eyes and gripped the hilt of the dagger tighter, as if in wonder whether he should remove it. Zane glanced back at the other two. Xia Tai looked defeated while Lu Meilin had a hard-to-read expression plastered on her face. As they stood there with their feet on eggshells, a dark aura passed over their heads, and stepped into the siheyuan. 

Zane gazed to his left, smoke and dust had lifted in the air. The two of them took a step back reflexively and watched as the ash cleared up. It began slowly, the dust began dissipating and came to reveal the silhouette of a tall man. 

Zane swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched the dust fade completely. 

〈"To want to get over yourself is not in your hands, foreigner. It doesn't matter what you do, you won't be accepted where you don't belong. Such as… right now."

Zane stared at the man. "What are you saying?"

"Leave. I'll hold them off. Acceptance and honor are two contradictory factors of a warrior. I think… I'm no longer—"〉

Golden eyes, and dark hair that were tied in a loose bun—his beauty was comparable to Hua Huiliang if it weren't for the brand that was burnt into the side of his neck. Zane let Wisteria uncoil.

In a way, he wasn't in that much doubt that this man would attack them—thus, he took a defensive stance and activated Wisteria's first attribute again. There was no telling how this 'trial' would end anymore.