The boy Xiao lay trembling in Shaolin's arms, his body cold, his spiritual veins shattered. As Shaolin infused him with divine flame essence, a faint golden glow enveloped Xiao, stabilizing him.
Shaolin wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Hah… even patching up kids costs god points now. System, I swear if this isn't worth it—"
> [Host, this boy is your former life's Flame Hound—Xiao.]
"…Huh?" Shaolin blinked. A strange warmth surged in his chest, as if something deep inside him was reaching out—aching to remember.
> [However, your divine memories are still sealed.]
"Tch… convenient. Always the amnesia route, huh?"
They made camp in the woods for the night. As the stars shimmered above them, Xiao woke up and tugged at Shaolin's sleeve.
"Master… someone tried to steal this from me."
He leaned forward—and spit out a dusty ring from his mouth.
Shaolin reeled back. "What the—Kid! Where was that hiding?!"
Xiao, dead serious: "My stomach. I swallowed it for safety."
Shaolin looked horrified, then proud. "You're really my pet."
He wiped the ring off and examined it. "This aura… ancient. Sealed. Suspicious."
He smirked. "I like it."
> [Sealed Divine Ring Detected: Unlocking…]
The moment the seal broke, a map etched in flame shimmered into view.
> [Emergency Mission Triggered!]
[Mission: Retrieve System Fragment at Map Location.]
[Warning: Fragment contains core data for system upgrades and host evolution.]
Shaolin narrowed his eyes. "System, don't tell me you have… siblings?"
> [I do not have a sister! This is my own missing piece!]
[Don't make this weird, host!]
"…Then what, you lost a leg in a war or something?" Shaolin raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
> [I will punch you.]
Suddenly—BAM!
An ethereal fist smacked his forehead, leaving a divine-red bump.
"OW! You violent scrap code!"
> [Listen up, hothead! If you retrieve the fragment, my store unlocks, and you'll gain access to the Flame Vault, full of divine treasures!]
Shaolin rubbed his head and gave the system the most suspicious side-eye in history.
"You're acting way too nice lately… You get possessed or something? Or maybe…"
He leaned in and whispered, "You're… dating another host behind my back?!"
> [HOST SHUT UP AND GO TO THE MAP.]
Shaolin chuckled. "Alright, alright… Let's go find your 'fragment.' But if this turns out to be your weird cousin's wedding, I'm deleting you."