Pov: Vik
Currently, I am sitting in the main hall of Anonymous Hall, thinking of our next plan. Sigh! I never wanted to antagonize those chosen ones, but now I am deeply entangled with them.
Now that Ruby will definitely try to find the reason for her laboratory's destruction, maybe she will be able to find as I am sure that she has a system just like me, maybe a useful system, not like my useless chatbot.
System: "Host, do you think about me?"
Vik: "Yes, system, I was just contemplating that maybe I should buy a subscription to my high-tech AI; maybe it would be more useful than you."
System: "I am not useless; I just got severed from my main system space because of your cute cat, and now I am unable to use any of my core capabilities."
Vik: "That is technically a chatbot."
System: "Host, but I have information at least the information about chosen ones and luck."
Vik: "Which proved false on our first encounter; you know I believed you earlier. But after that Lin Chen incident, I am sure that even your information is unreliable, just like you. You were the one shouting that Lin Chen is the Chosen One, the one who can not die easily, and his lover was just killed; later the conspiracy came out that he was just a chess piece to release an immortal dragon. And you know what is worse: the real mastermind did not even come to participate in this; he remained in the shadow. Now, other than his face and that he is a replacement for me, we know nothing about him."
System: "I know, host, that I have some limitations, but you are also at fault here. The mastermind you are talking about is a replacement for you. If you were to play according to script and didn't become so out of the world, then it wouldn't happen. First, you summoned that outer god who you call a pet, which led to self-destruction protocol. Although I survived but main system space and everything that controls fate think that you and I are dead; that is the reason that you are seeing your replacement."
"You have to understand, host, this whole world is a story, and you are a character. I am just created to support that character, and if the author suddenly finds that his character is unable to progress, he will not wait to write another story; that is too much work. So, he will just make another character as a replacement for his original main character. You have to understand that everyone has to follow their fate, their story, and what you did just messed up not only your story but everyone's story that came in contact with you."
Vik: "Okay, okay, system. I understand you don't need to explain more."
System: "Host, you are still not understanding the seriousness of the situation. How can you still be so calm after hearing the truth of this world and your life?"
Vik: "Why be so serious? Did taking tension ease anything? You have to understand something as well, system: this is my life, and I will live it with my own will; no one will control it, and I make sure of it."
While sitting in the main hall, I kept debating with the system. But nonetheless, seeing the empty hall, I kept thinking about my disciples, so after talking with the system, I went to check on my disciples.
Lu Xiaoran is currently sitting with his parents. While Roman is preparing food for them and Sherry is also helping him, he tries to keep a distance from Sherry, but she keeps closing the distance. I silently supported Sherry's try; everyone has the right to pursue their love. May this foolish girl be able to melt the heart of this rock-hard Roman.
Although I came here with the intention of making both of them do a new type of training, seeing their happy time, I let them enjoy it. There is still some time before this day ends; I can just let them train later.
Thinking this, I went towards the lab, which somehow became a permanent resident of Lina, despite having a separate room; this girl likes to spend all of her day in her lab. If not for me forcing her to cultivate, she would just spend all the time in her lab making some kind of apocalyptic weapon and robots.
Soon, I went to her lab. But just before entering her lab, I decided against it and thought about observing her by hiding myself, so I silently entered the lab. Lina was sitting in front of a large table, where a large weapon like a spear was lying, and she was working on it.
Suddenly, a purple light shot out from that spear, and looking at that, Lina laughed, but that was a maniacal laugh like some kind of evil scientist in those old movies; she laughed maniacally.
As that spear floated in front of her, I think she was able to control that spear through her will; maybe it was a special weapon.
Still, as her master, I revealed myself and forced her to come out of the lab, then sent her towards the cultivation hall and told her to cultivate her spiritual energy. I told her that I would come later and personally teach her physical training.
Now it is time for Noah; I think he is practicing outside. So, I went outside.
The morning air tasted sharp, laced with the mineral bite of damp slate and crushed spruce needles.
Crack.
The sound was sharp, dry, and resonant, echoing through the courtyard like the snap of a heavy crossbow cord.
In the center of the flagstone yard, Noah was standing in a horse stance so low his thighs were parallel to the damp earth. Before him sat a cylindrical log of seasoned iron-bark oak—a wood so dense it was used by northern shipwrights as armor plating against icebergs. It didn't rot, it blunted standard steel axes, and its grain was bound with petrified silicate.
Noah had no axe.
His forearms were bare, flecked with fine pale wood dust. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, showing the corded, fibrous sinew of a body rebuilt by fire.
He didn't wind up. He didn't draw back his arm for a theatrical punch. He simply placed the tip of his right index and middle finger against the upper rim of the log, took a slow, measured breath that settled deep into his abdomen, and pushed.
CRACK-THUMP.
A two-foot slab of iron-bark sheared off cleanly along the grain, splitting as though parted by a hot wire through tallow, and tumbled onto the growing pile at his boots.
Noah didn't pause to admire the work. He reached down, rolled another four-hundred-pound log onto the chopping stump with one hand, set his fingertips, and breathed again.
Seeing him so focused on the training, I just went back into the Anonymous Hall. I think I forgot something; maybe I forgot about something.
Then I suddenly remembered, "Where is Pushpa?"
System: "Host, how many times do I have to say that your pet cat Pushpa is an outer god-level entity and any mishap may result in the destruction of this world? Still, you let her get lost"
Vik: "Relax, system. I don't know why you fear Pushpa so much; she is just a nice cat. Maybe she is playing somewhere in the Anonymous hall; let's see. She must be in my room with that cursed doll."