Aurora Galaxy, Institute Planet D1214, planetary year 4XXX.
Today, the proud chief inspector, Liliam Earnest, turned extremely poor.
He, a host in control of department C, classified and licensed engineer, with an outstanding evaluation of S, went to work then came home without a penny.
No points. Interrupted mission. Empty energy bank.
The moment Chief Liliam reported a failed mission, the whole institute already started boiling. That's a failed mission!! From a chief inspector!
As professional systems and hosts, they are experts in sniffing stories and their most important skill was to heat up events.
Really, there's no real friendship here, only a bunch of bored gossiping aunties.
Liliam was so heartbroken that his humanoid form flicked once, then twice, and he almost returned to his Origin.
Worst of all, the culprit was none other than his cute system, his young and precious daughter, Aria.
Without the heart to beat and scold, did he really end up raising a prodigal child? This father's glass heart is shattering. QAQ
And so, the rumor got updated.
It says that Chief Liliam's family child not only sold her father for a Plane World's energy orb, she also scaled the next department walls, turned traitor, and swore alliance!
Not only she insisted that a character in that Plane World have consciousness. She said she'll raise it. This stunted child wanted to raise an impossible thing!
Aria Ernest, a greenhouse system of Department C, joined the ranks of Hosts!
Chief Liliam… will probably get beaten up by his other half.
*****
In the Intergalactic Star Stream, Daemons are entities that gained consciousness and turned sentient. Compared to other life forms, they have no beginning and no end. They believe that the vast universe gave birth to them.
Once they gain awareness, they are not far from awakening a deeper consciousness and taking on a humanoid form.
Aria followed her host, shifting from Plane World to another Plane World. She was such an obedient system that she was kind of useless, floating listlessly without direction, a literal decoration to Lily(Liliam).
However, this all ended in a pleasant accident, when she met a little thing. Although it was part of a Plane World, a mere data, it could see her astral form.
With bright eyes and a voice that tempts an uncontrolled attraction, it uttered her name, poking this small system in the right spot, triggering her curiosity.
Is this thing conscious?
Aria liked this cluster of data that called her. Unlike her stagnant self, the passing of time leaves many marks on it. It grew from a soft weakling to be like a strong and sturdy tree, becoming even taller than her.
Most importantly, it was conscious. Yes, Aria believed it was conscious. It said, his name was Xian.
Not this data programmed character's name in the Plane World, but his actual name.
He is certainly conscious.
For the first time, Aria met an entity that gained consciousness. Despite not having proper awareness about the truth of his existence and barely conscious, according to her memory inheritance, XianXian can be said as a baby Daemon.
Because of this, an unassuming system decided that this will be her little cabbage. A precious little cabbage that she'll raise, showering him with energy every day, his glow will defeat Lily's.
Although Lily said that out of all existence, XianXian was the hardest to awaken, Aria didn't disdain that he lacked energy and intelligence, or that he has yet to have spiritual powers.
Hard doesn't mean impossible. Daemons don't lack time.
After her father finishes the mission, she'll have Lily imprint on XianXian. He doesn't have to be her companion, a brother is alright as well. Anyway, Aria already decided that he'll be a Daemon someday.
It's just that a mishap happened.
A small data almost equating to a small passerby, after feeding full, somehow, somehow was able to become a villain…??
This wasn't scientific! She just momentarily left to finalize the mission progress!
How could XianXian have that much energy fluctuations? Also, he isn't a disposable battery for the protagonist to eat!
#planeworld is stealing cabbages, what to do#
#my cabbage was fed to the planeworld's pig, lodging complaint#
And so, their mission was interrupted by the silly system who was so confused, she snatched an energy orb from the tentacles of the plane world.
Liliam felt heartbreak when Aria used pure unfiltered energy to patch up a useless cluster of tattered data. How much energy leaked during the process?! It made their energy bank empty!
As for Aria… her three views cracked and in need of fixing.
Without considering the consequences, this unfilial little system swiftly filled up a transfer, applied for nurturing privilege, got hold of a temporary pass, and finally kidnapped another innocent system.
She didn't know at what state XianXian has become. All she knows is that once weak energies cannot stand the final process of circulation, they will be stuck in that plane world and used to make numbers, the type of extra that will die without a name and immediately killed when there is mass extinction, belonging to the number that only represents data statistics.
Her XianXian is not pig food!!
*****
"One silver is too much! Why don't you just grab it?!"
"Eggs! Who wants eggs?! They're freshly hatched!"
"Mister, how about a friendly price? I'll buy more for 200 coppers."
Early winter. Town's Fair.
From one end of the street to another, there's an endless noise of bartering. Each and everyone had to be louder than the other. What cannot be kept must be sold, and what they needed had to be hoarded.
Nancheng County town is a land known for seafood and an abundance of rice. The river, which connects to the Grand Canal that spans up to the capital city, crosses the northern part of Nancheng County. It was not far from the sea and the lands are fertile, there are no droughts and floods are rare. Generally speaking, it was a prosperous land.
But for those who live far from the capital and in villages, prosperity is a faraway wonder. What they only know, winter is a dreadful season where they could starve or freeze to death. As the season turned colder and colder, it made them take haste.
Regardless of the chaotic crowd, people gathered around, walking back and forth ceaselessly. They believe that if one wants to survive, life has to be lived without stopping. Every day, they have to think about the food for tomorrow as if afraid of being caught by poverty.
Working hard was the easiest, putting food on the table was the hardest.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out. In the already packed street, people started shoving and pushing. Someone was trying to break through the crowd.
The cold breeze blew harsher as Jin Liang's figure cut swiftly through the crowd.
In this freezing weather, people tend to avoid walking near the river bank making it almost desolate. Jin Liang steeled his heart, glaring at the freezing aura of the river. No matter what, this is his only chance of escape. Even if it means swimming across the cold water, he must get away.
Just when Jin Liang was about to jump, something flashed by his view and he instantly collided into it. He stumbled and lost his balance, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Argh.."
The collision made him dizzy. Jin Liang tried to stand back, only to be hit heavily on the back. His face slammed into the snow.
"XianXian!"
Jin Liang heard someone calling right above and found himself being pinned. With all the force he could exert, he turned his face full of aggression and came face to face with a little soft girl.
His momentum halted.
"Found you little cabbage. That was dangerous! Are you hurt?"
"...Miss, you… you called the wrong person."
Jin Liang hurriedly denied. As he struggled to stand, his wrist was seized. In a beat, his heart trumped in panic and his senses exploded on high alert. The expression on his face changed dangerously.
"Let go!!"
He yanked back his arm, but the little girl didn't let go. Instead, she got pulled closer to him, taking him to a stumble.
"XianXian---"
"I said! Let go!"
The two of them started a scuffle. Jin Liang's eyes reddened in a burst of emotion.
Just then, two adult men came running from the distance, cursing him along the way with heavy breaths.
When they saw Jin Liang wrestling with another child, one of them jumped madly with joy.
Pointing at the little girl, he shouted, "Grab him! Grab him! Don't let that rebellious slave get away!"
The pair of children paused. Jin Lian stared with wild eyes while the other one choked on her breath.
"You stinky punk! Your guts must have swelled to think you can escape! See if I don't break your legs once I get hold of you!"
As they got closer, their threats became more vicious than the first. They swear and swear at the slave that dared to give them trouble.
Jin Liang instantly concluded that the little girl was with the two men and turned hostile. Without caring for the consequences, he pushed the girl to the ground.
A painful hiss rang in his ears. She was so frail that a single fall scratched her bloody. But then, who would have thought that she's still able to grab his clothes, resulting in him slipping!
In nothing but a moment of carelessness, the world spun around and after a blink, the water zoomed in his face.
Your mother! Voluntarily jumping into the river is vastly different from plunging in head first!
Little lady, what enmity did we have?!
Aria blinked multiple times, then looked at the heavens. All senses were working. The wound stings and blood flows out.
This… is already the plane world… right?
In the place where Jin Liang hit, a harsh 'flash' sounded like a solid 'slap' and the impact caused the water to climb up so high, it seemed to reach out to the skies.
Aria, "..."
Ok, what the heck! That's her little cabbage!!!! He'll drown before even getting planted!
Without another thought, Aria leaped into the waters.
People have long turned their attention in their direction. Multiple gasps were heard and they murmured along with themselves but no one ran after with intentions to help.
The biting cold shocked her whole body and Aria fought the instinctual response to gasp for air. Biting her lips, she steadied herself before diving and fishing out her little cabbage.
Aria dragged the boy ashore and checked him from head to toe. Still holding onto consciousness, he coughed up all the water he could until he was leaning and crawling over the ground.
A single blow of the wind sent him shivering. Aria wanted to lend him her coat, but she was wet all over herself. Not a single article of cloth was spared.
Jin Liang breathed deeply as he propped himself. He looked at the girl taller than him by half a head and saw both worry and hesitation directed to him.
Why is this malicious little lady still here?!
Jin Liang immediately recoiled far from her. This time, Aria remained still in fear that he'd end up tumbling down once again. The frown on her face deepened by another degree.
The two adults caught up and pinned the young boy on the ground. Before Aria could react, they smacked and vented on him.
"You money-losing good! Since I can't sell you, it's better to beat you to death!"
Shock was an understatement, Aria felt her intelligence crashing at the scene. Maybe, maybe her consciousness synchronization failed?
Just as she reacted, a young man grabbed her. "Xiao Xi Xi! Are you alright?!"
Frustration welp up in her as XianXian got slapped right in front of her.
"Stop! Stop!"
Aria braced herself to jump into war. To her dismay, the ignored young man easily held her in place. Aria had to summon her self-control.
"This little girl," the chubby adult vented enough and took note of the place. "Many thanks for the help. Even if it's a worthless slave, our boss will still blame us for the loss."
The chubby adult sighs as if relieved, looking like an amiable uncle.
"Nothing, Nothing."
Chen Xiao Wen hurriedly excused. These two were well-known slave traffickers around the county town. He doesn't want any interaction with shoddy human traders.
"Give him to me."
Suddenly, a young mellow voice interrupted. Chen Xiao Wen turned to his cousin wondering if he hallucinated.
"I want him. I can trade with you for him."
She continued and Chen Xiao Wen just wanted to carry her home straight away.
The two adults stared at each other before turning seriously to the little girl. She's decently dressed for a villager and clean. Although obviously not rich-looking, she could also be a girl in town.
But still, it's a little girl…
"Trade?.. What are you trading?"
"..." Aria glanced at her little cabbage then at the young man's hand. "This pig."