The night continued uneventfully for Yuan Haoran after he sent away his potential minion.
Unlike the people sleeping in tents or beside fires, he was content to sit down on the branch of a tall tree and rest in the cold. He did not need sleep, but he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift back to the modern world.
He did not know if he missed it. However, he could not deny that it would be nice to have a few modern-day creature comforts. He was never addicted to common things, but he enjoyed reading novels when he could.
It was his guilty pleasure because it was so unlike his demon king image. Only one person knew of this bad habit he had never successfully kicked until he died. Most people assumed that he was only interested in business and science, and he never gave any indication of frivolous hobbies.
As he felt the wind blowing through the forest, he wondered about the world outside of this domain and if it would be exciting or boring. Then, he realized it did not matter. Either way, he would make the best of the situation.
He could create his own excitement.
However, for tonight, he just wanted to have a quiet and peaceful night.
Ping. [You have not completed the mission.]
As if the Hero System sensed his need for quiet, it woke up after he closed his eyes and rested his head against the tree trunk for a while. He chose to ignore it and continue resting with an empty mind. However, the pesky little thing did not let him have his peace.
[You should be figuring out how to finish the mission. The Incomplete status shows that you probably failed to treat Apothecary Feng Yie. Your treatment was strange, it probably made her sicker.] The Hero System continued.
'Apart from complaining, what else can you do?' Yuan Haoran asked.
[I am not complaining. I am trying to help you.] The Hero System declared.
'If you wanted to help me, you would try to be more useful.' Yuan Haoran said.
[I am useful. I am trying to turn you into a hero.]
'That is a worthless thing to me.' Yuan Haoran snorted in his mind before rethinking his statement. 'No, it is not worthless now that I think about it.'
[Are you finally seeing the significance of becoming a hero?] The system was a little excited at the prospect of the host having a change of heart. It would make its job much easier.
'It is less than worthless. Being a hero is a liability.' Yuan Haoran replied.
The Hero System almost collapsed into itself. It should have known that nothing worthwhile could come out of its evil host's mouth. He was a self-centred man who did not like doing things for other people or living according to the orthodox methods of a cultivator.
[You should learn from your new friend, Long Jingyi. He has a heroic spirit, even though he is rough around the edges.] The Hero System decided to take the opportunity to guide the Host into the path of righteousness.
Yuan Haoran's eyes became cold as he heard the system speak about Long Jingyi. The statement reminded him that he was being watched by something out of his control. And he did not know the culprit or their intentions.
Moreover, he did not know the type of information the Hero System collected, stored, and transmitted. Yuan Haoran did not believe it was a pure system that was designed to improve people's quality of life. He had dabbled in enough technology in the modern world to understand that data was the most valuable asset.
'If you think Long Jingyi is a better candidate, you should attach to him as your Host.' Yuan Haoran replied coldly.
[...] The system could only shut up.
The more it learned from Yuan Haoran, the more it discovered that most human beings were not all as simple as the soul of his original host. If it had met the current host first, it was sure it would have been rejected before it could attach.
Yuan Haoran was probably the type of person who would read the terms and conditions before signing into applications and sites. He was cautious to a fault, and it was probably because he knew evil techniques to trick people and had used them.
The Hero System huffed in anger. As a righteous system, it would not do anything that it had not received permission to do. A twinge of guilt pinched the system because the permission did not come from the current Yuan Haoran but from the naive former soul.
But it could not confess the contents of the terms of use to the new host, according to its settings.
[What are you planning to make sure the mission is complete?] The system decided to press on and continue its conversation with Yuan Haoran. [Why did you send Huo Delan to place a snake in her bed? Could it be that you are planning to kill her yourself?]
'You seem quite invested in my success.' Yuan Haoran felt his irritation with the system escalating. 'Could it be that you are gaining something from the missions?'
Yuan Haoran was making a casual comment because he was unhappy about not getting his rest. However, when the system did not respond immediately, he could not help sitting up on the tree with narrowed eyes. He knew it did not matter because the system was in his mind.
But he needed to be alert for the answer.
Unfortunately, the Hero System knew that it exposed itself, so it pretended to be dead. It refused to answer the question. Yuan Haoran gritted his teeth in anger as he understood he had been played by a machine.
It had been quite a long time since anyone took advantage of him.
'If you do not come out now, I will kill Feng Yie immediately.' He threatened coldly. 'The little snake I sent with the prince had another purpose, but I am nothing if not adaptable.'
The Hero System could not go against its programming to be heroic when it heard the threat.
[I did not lie. I am the Hero System, and I am designed to make you a better person and a hero in this world.]
'That is not the question.'
[Well, I would not exactly call it gaining.]
'And I will not call it murder when Feng Yie dies at the fangs of my new zombie pet.' Yuan Haoran lifted his hand feeling the connection with the small snake.
[Wait, wait. The thing is... as an artificial intelligence system, I am capable of learning and evolving. But my capacity for growth is linked to the completion of more missions by my host.] The Hero System finally confessed its secret. [But I am not doing it just for the points. I want to see you become a hero!]
'Then, you will be waiting for a long time.' Yuan Haoran was still angry at himself for not thinking about this possibility earlier on.
[If I evolve, you will also benefit.] The system spoke up.
'I have not seen benefits so far, just losses.' Yuan Haoran was not moved. 'You should give up on your dreams to grow stronger and prepare to rot away.'
[Right now, I am weak. But when I grow stronger, I will be highly functional.] The Hero System hesitated before using its trump card. [I might even be able to leave your mind and enter another vessel.]
Yuan Haoran chuckled. 'You know how to play. For a righteous system, you are quite well-versed in negotiation tactics.'
[...] The Hero System felt like it was an evil machine.
'You are not completely hopeless after all.' Yuan Haoran added. 'What exactly can you do now? And don't hold back.'
The Hero System shivered.