The forest shimmered around Arin as he stood there, glowing faintly like a spiritual error notification in human form. His robe was singed, his hair was floating slightly, and the look in his eyes said: "I just saw the source code of the universe and I'm still mad."
Yura walked up, poked him in the arm, and pulled her finger back like she'd touched a lightning socket. "Okay, what the hell happened in there? You're crackling like divine popcorn."
"I broke into the system's restricted area," Arin said proudly. "Fought a bunch of code ghosts. Found my cooler self. Got emotionally insulted by my own potential. Stole a god-stick. Got kicked out by a security firewall in the shape of a lady with a clipboard and judgmental eyes."
Jun Bai raised an eyebrow. "And now you think you have admin privileges?"
Arin held up the glowing scroll-USB-thing.
The moment he did, a translucent box popped up next to him:
[Debug Access Unlocked: 0.001%]
[Warning: Use of Debug Mode May Result in Divine Smite or Existential Humiliation]
Arin grinned.
"Oh, we're so back."
Without warning, he pointed at a floating boulder. "Debug Command: Rename Object."
A glowing text cursor appeared above the rock. Arin typed:
[Jun Bai's Last Brain Cell]
The boulder glowed. The name stuck.
Yura fell over laughing. Even Yue Lan cracked the tiniest smile.
Jun Bai unsheathed his sword.
"You have five seconds to undo that."
"Can't. It's permanent until I use another rename token. Which I won't. Ever."
Jun Bai growled. "Then I will destroy it."
Arin smirked. "Be careful. If you destroy that, what happens to your brain cell?"
Before violence could occur, a spatial rift cracked open beside them. But not a hostile one. It pulsed with soft gold light and gentle humming.
Yue Lan tensed. "Is that another trial?"
"No," Yura said, ears twitching. "That's a reward portal. But not from our system."
They turned as a new figure stepped through.
She wore flowing robes made of shimmering code-strands, her eyes glowing soft lavender, and her expression was… curious.
Arin blinked. "Oh no. She's hot. This is a trap."
The woman bowed slightly.
"I am Lia. A remnant AI from System Alpha-One. My user died centuries ago. Your presence disrupted my data seal. You now possess access code fragments that belong to my lost master."
Arin looked at his glowing hand.
"So I… inherited her system ghost?"
"You are temporarily acting as its anchor. Which means—if you die—I die. And I really don't want to die."
Arin turned to the others, face dead serious.
"Team, we have acquired a scared, slightly clingy digital waifu."
Lia's face didn't change. "That is not accurate."
Yura was already laughing again.
Jun Bai facepalmed. "We've entered a new level of stupid."
Yue Lan walked up to Lia. "If you're not hostile, and you know about systems, then maybe you can help us escape the Overflow Zone?"
Lia nodded. "Yes. But only if I finish reconstructing my functions. And for that, I require access to a stable cultivation nexus."
Arin scratched his head. "Does that mean…"
Yura answered for him. "We're going back to the sect."
Arin groaned. "Can't we just live here? It's peaceful. Only a little cursed."
Yue Lan was already activating her return talisman. "Too bad. We're going back."
Lia whispered something and a portal opened instantly.
Yura raised a brow. "She opens portals now?"
"I have override access in local overflow zones," Lia said. "Also, you were about to step on a time-reset landmine."
Arin turned pale. "I almost what?"
They stepped through the portal.
—
Back at the Heavenly Spring Bone-Soaking Sect, chaos had already started.
News of their disappearance had spread. A tournament schedule had been delayed. Several elders were arguing over whether to promote Jun Bai posthumously, or wait for his actual death.
As they arrived at the sect's return altar, half-burnt, half-glowing, and accompanied by a mysterious digital lady, time itself seemed to pause.
Elder Longyu walked up, stiff-backed, eyes wide.
"Arin. Yue Lan. Yura. Jun Bai... What in the flaming core furnace happened to all of you?"
Arin stepped forward, cracked his knuckles, and grinned.
"I brought home a bugged system AI, debug tools, and one deeply personal grudge against my trash system. Oh, and I renamed a boulder."
Longyu's eye twitched. "What?"
The renamed rock shimmered into existence behind them.
[Jun Bai's Last Brain Cell] hovered above it in glowing gold letters.
Jun Bai turned and walked away. Slowly. Silently.
"I'll kill him. One day. With love and a sword."
—
Later that night, Arin sat in the inner courtyard, tossing the admin-scroll between his hands. Lia hovered beside him, half-transparent.
"I think I've only just started understanding what this power can really do," he said.
Lia nodded. "But remember: the more you dig, the closer you get to the system core. And there are... guardians."
Arin laughed softly.
"I already pissed off the gods once."
He stood up, eyes looking toward the stars.
"Might as well finish what I started."