The night sky blanketed the village in soft starlight as Liang Xing sat cross-legged on the floor of his modest home.
Mochi was nestled in a makeshift nest he'd fashioned from old rags and a wooden crate. Snowflake lounged nearby, already dozing, its small chest rising and falling with each contented breath.
"Well, Mochi," Liang muttered, scratching his head, "you're officially part of this chaos now. I hope you don't mind sharing scraps because that's all we've got."
Mochi let out a faint trill, its tiny form glowing faintly in the dim light. Liang's gaze lingered on the creature, a mix of curiosity and concern swirling in his chest.
He leaned back against the wall, fiddling absently with the pendant around his neck. The strange events in the forest still played in his mind the glowing rock, the egg, and now Mochi. But what could he do?
Life had always thrown him curveballs, and he'd learned to roll with them, even if it meant shouldering burdens he didn't ask for.
As he yawned and prepared to call it a night, a sudden warmth spread from the pendant, startling him.
"What the—?"
The pendant glowed once more, brighter than it had in the forest. Liang scrambled to his feet, but before he could react further, the pendant dissolved into a fine golden mist that flowed into his chest. He gasped, clutching at his shirt as an unfamiliar energy surged through him.
Activation of the System-
A sharp chime echoed in his mind, followed by a calm, mechanical voice.
"Galaxy System activated. Congratulations, Host."
Liang blinked, his eyes widening as a glowing interface materialized before him, floating in midair. Lines of text scrolled across it, written in a language he inexplicably understood.
"What in the world is this?" he whispered, reaching out to touch the display. His fingers passed through the translucent screen, but the words remained clear.
[Welcome, Liang Xing.]
[Current Functionality: 1%]
[The host is currently too weak to utilize the system fully.]
"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence," Liang muttered, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening.
The voice continued.
"A mission has been assigned to unlock the system's full potential."
Mission: Tame three beasts within six months.
Reward: Full system functionality unlocked.
Failure: Permanent inability to access magical energy (spirit power).
Liang's jaw dropped. "Wait a second what do you mean, permanent inability? I don't even use magic!"
The interface displayed new text, almost as if it were responding to his skepticism.
"Without spirit power, survival in this world becomes increasingly difficult. The system exists to ensure the host's growth and survival. Compliance is recommended."
"Well, that's ominous," Liang said, frowning.
He glanced at Mochi, who was chirping softly in its nest, and then at Snowflake, still snoring peacefully in the corner. The voice resumed.
"Current progress: Two beasts identified as companions. [Mochi] and [Snowflake] registered."
"Objective: Tame one additional beast within six months."
Liang stared at the screen, his mind reeling. He wasn't sure whether to laugh, panic, or scream.
Confusion and Hesitation-
"Okay, let's think about this," Liang muttered, pacing the small room. "Some weird system just decided to hijack my life and tell me I need to tame beasts like I'm some kind of hero. Why me? I didn't sign up for this!"
The glowing screen followed him as he moved, the text updating as if it could read his thoughts.
"The host has been selected based on unique compatibility with the Galaxy System. Resistance is futile."
"Futile, huh?" Liang muttered. He crossed his arms, glaring at the screen. "What if I just ignore you? Ever think about that?"
The system responded immediately.
"Ignoring the system will result in stagnation, limited growth potential, and eventual failure to adapt to the world's escalating dangers. Proceed at your own risk."
Liang groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Why me? Why not someone ambitious, like the blacksmith's son? He's always talking about becoming a hero or something."
The system offered no response to his complaints, simply displaying its glowing interface in silence.
As much as Liang wanted to dismiss the whole thing, the mention of "escalating dangers" lingered in his mind. Life in the village was peaceful now, but he wasn't naive.
Stories of wild beasts and bandits were common, and the neighboring kingdoms were always at war. If there was even a chance that this "system" could give him an edge, could he really afford to ignore it?
Setting Goals-
Liang sighed, sitting back down and resting his head in his hands. "Fine," he muttered. "Let's say I go along with this madness. What exactly do I have to do?"
The interface updated again, displaying a new set of objectives.
[Galaxy System Objectives]
1. Train current companions (Mochi and Snowflake) to improve their abilities.
2. Locate and tame one additional beast within six months.
3. Develop basic spirit power control through practice and experimentation.
"Spirit power control?" Liang raised an eyebrow. "I don't even know where to start with that."
A new section of the interface appeared, titled [Beginner's Guide to Spirit Power]. Liang skimmed through it, his frown deepening.
"So, it's like energy I can use to strengthen myself and do cool stuff?" he muttered. "That sounds... kind of interesting, I guess."
Another notification popped up.
"Reminder: Failure to complete the mission will result in the inability to access spirit power permanently."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Liang grumbled. "No need to keep rubbing it in."
He glanced at Mochi, who had fallen asleep in its nest, and then at Snowflake, who was now awake and wagging its tail excitedly.
"Well, you two are officially part of the team now," he said. "Looks like we're stuck with each other."
First Steps-
Determined to at least give the system a shot, Liang decided to start small. If he was going to tame another beast, he'd need to understand how to train the ones he already had.
"Mochi," he said softly, reaching out to the little creature. It blinked up at him sleepily, letting out a tiny chirp.
The system chimed again.
"Companion [Mochi]: Status Newly Hatched. Abilities Unknown. Potential High."
Liang tilted his head. "Unknown abilities, huh? Guess we'll figure that out as we go."
He turned to Snowflake, who barked eagerly.
"Companion [Snowflake]: Status Playful. Abilities Enhanced Agility, Keen Senses."
"Yeah, that checks out," Liang said, chuckling. "You're definitely good at running off and causing trouble."
The system displayed another notification.
"Training Recommendation: Begin with basic bonding exercises to strengthen connections with companions."
"Bonding exercises?" Liang scratched his head. "What does that even mean?"
As if in answer, Snowflake ran in circles around him, barking excitedly, while Mochi climbed onto his lap and nuzzled against his chest.
"...I guess it means spending time with you two," Liang said with a sigh. "Alright, fine. Let's see what we can do."
As the night wore on, Liang found himself warming to the idea of the Galaxy System. Sure, it was intrusive and demanding, but it also offered him something he'd never really had before: a purpose.
For most of his life, he'd been content to drift along, avoiding responsibility and living day by day. But now, with Mochi and Snowflake depending on him and the looming threat of failure hanging over his head he realized he couldn't afford to be complacent anymore.
"Alright," he said, standing up and stretching. "If we're doing this, we're doing it right. No half-measures."
Snowflake barked in agreement, while Mochi let out a sleepy chirp.
Liang smiled, a newfound determination lighting up his eyes. For the first time in years, he felt like he was on the verge of something bigger than himself.
"Let's get to work," he said.
As he turned to face the glowing interface, he couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready to face it reluctantly, perhaps, but ready nonetheless.