Black Mist 07
After some exploration and combining the stories of System-bound Taskers that Tian Xiao had watched while organizing the information provided by the System, three functions of the system space were confirmed.
They are:
Setting the environment within the space;
Establishing rules within the space;
Pulling a specified number of targets into the system space.
These three functions are truly remarkable.
When the System existed, it could also provide corresponding templates, allowing the bound individual to simply make a selection.
The Taskers bound by the System back then grew in other worlds precisely by leveraging the convenience of the system space.
The System would assign tasks to Taskers, and upon completion, they would gain energy, unlocking corresponding functions of the system space for the Taskers.
Unfortunately, the System is now gone.
With the System gone, its built-in guidance, benefits, templates, and more have also vanished.
The space has been reset to its original state, and Tian Xiao couldn’t even try out its various functions.
Why?
No energy.
The interior of the space at this moment is a very simple six-walled room, like a blank canvas.
It’s hard to imagine that not long ago, Tian Xiao was pulled inside to face someone in a 1v1 battle at their strongest.
Theoretically, with sufficient energy, this system space could easily trap people to death without any consequences.
For example, setting the interior to be an Abyss that forbids all supernatural abilities and has no bottom.
No being pulled inside would enjoy the situation they face, unless they possess escape skills that surpass the settings.
But its energy consumption is truly outrageous.
None of the three functions of the space have a small appetite, and their energy consumption has no upper limit.
Otherwise, Taskers would have long become invincible with the System’s help, and wouldn’t have died under unclear circumstances.
The primary development direction of this system space by Taskers was for combat and tricking others. After flipping through the information for a while, Tian Xiao suddenly thought…
“Wouldn’t it be great if I used this thing to open a haunted house?”
Suddenly feeling that he had gained another career direction for when he grows up, Tian Xiao was in a good mood. Over the next few days, he immersed himself in studying the system space, and even going to school didn’t feel boring anymore.
Tian Xiao’s class resumed school on the third day after the “collective fainting” incident.
The children, who were physically fine, gathered together again, chattering noisily, hugging each other, and saying things like “I missed you so much” and “You’re really amazing.”
Tian Xiao, who couldn’t blend in with the children at all, was also hugged casually, then again… and again…
Tian Xiao: “…”
Tian Xiao realized that the children in his class truly weren’t afraid of him.
Even monsters in the Apocalypse would feel fear toward him.
Completely at a loss with the children, Tian Xiao, under the expectant gazes of his classmates, somewhat perfunctorily hugged the classmate who had opened their arms toward him. The children, who claimed to have “defeated the scary monster in the dream,” cheered until class started and quieted down.
Fortunately, this excessive liveliness was only temporary. Most of the time, Tian Xiao remained engrossed in studying the world of the system space.
From the scattered fragments of conversations among his classmates, he roughly learned that Cen Shishi might not be coming to school for the next few days.
As for the specific reason, no one knew, but there were rumors that Cen Shishi was injured and hospitalized.
On the seventh day of the "mass coma" incident, Cen Shishi changed her clothes and walked out of her bedroom.
As soon as she pushed open the Door, she heard arguing coming from the study.
Her father and Mom were once again fighting over who should take custody of her.
But unlike their previous arguments, this time there was a hint of fear in their voices whenever they mentioned her.
Unlike the classmates who were later devoured by the Black Mist, as the first ones consumed by it, her parents seemed to have "dreamed" more—though they weren’t entirely certain.
Cen Shishi stood quietly outside the study for a long while, listening to the increasingly heated argument and the sound of a cup shattering on the floor. Unbidden, Tian Xiao’s words to her surfaced in her mind:
—A cripple can never leave his crutches.
The wound on her back throbbed faintly.
It was the injury left behind after the Black Mist’s tentacles were forcibly torn away, still needing time to heal slowly.
Much of her parents’ fear toward her stemmed from these unimaginable wounds.
In the past, just hearing her parents’ words laced with disdain and fear toward her would have been enough to make Cen Shishi break down in uncontrollable sobs, then push open the study door and scream at them.
But today, Cen Shishi didn’t.
She tilted her head, peering through the crack in the Door at her red-faced, furious parents inside, then took a step back.
Without deliberately holding back or raising her voice, Cen Shishi changed into a pair of shoes, put on a small hat, and walked out of the house alone.
…
“Tian Xiao.”
Walking along the road, Tian Xiao suddenly stepped aside, avoiding a hand reaching from behind.
Cen Shishi withdrew her hand and smiled when her eyes met Tian Xiao’s. “Long time no see, Tian Xiao.”
Tian Xiao looked at Cen Shishi strangely. “…Why are you here?”
“I don’t know where you live, so I waited here specifically for you.”
“Waited for me?” Tian Xiao continued staring at Cen Shishi’s face. “You seem… a bit off today.”
Today’s Cen Shishi felt different from before.
Cen Shishi smiled. “Not really, right? I came to find you today to thank you for helping me back then.”
As she said “thank you,” Cen Shishi even bowed deeply to Tian Xiao, looking very sincere.
This made Tian Xiao’s gaze toward Cen Shishi even more suspicious.
What’s going on?
Possessed?
Is this really the usual Cen Shishi?
Cen Shishi kept smiling under Tian Xiao’s scrutiny and said to her, “I think I can accept it now.”
Accept that her parents were divorcing and neither wanted her.
Tian Xiao sighed helplessly. “I really don’t know how to comfort kids.”
“As if you’re not a kid yourself, hahaha…”
Tian Xiao: “…” Today’s Cen Shishi was definitely strange.
Cen Shishi walked with Tian Xiao for a while.
Before meeting Tian Xiao, Cen Shishi felt she had a lot to say—about how she truly wished her parents would love her forever, and things like that.
But after seeing Tian Xiao, Cen Shishi stared at her for a long moment before suddenly saying, “I originally wanted to try becoming the kind of person you like.”
“The kind of person I like?”
“Yeah, strong and burly, able to punch through a wall or something.”
Tian Xiao: “…??”
"But it's too hard!" Cen Shishi said with a laugh, "And… even if I became the type you like, you might not like me anyway, right?"
Tian Xiao suddenly smiled. "How do you know that?"
"I just know." Cen Shishi lifted her chin, finally returning to the familiar appearance Tian Xiao knew. "I don’t like becoming that strong either. I prefer being a pretty little princess, so… forget it."
Cen Shishi stopped walking. "I don’t want to try so hard just to make others like me anymore."
Tian Xiao said, "I think that’s a great idea."
"I’ll probably be transferring schools soon. I’ll be living with my grandparents from now on, so I came specifically to thank you. That’s all~ Let’s keep in touch when we have time~"