C11 The System Is Unreliable!

Bai Chengcheng was ecstatic, for he knew that all known hosts of the parasitic system soared to great heights like protagonists in a story, achieving monumental success.

Indeed, parasitic systems were no longer a rarity in this world. They had transcended the realm of fantasy novels and become a tangible reality. To be clear, we're talking about the actual world, not some alternate reality.

However, "not uncommon" is a relative term; in truth, they were still exceedingly rare. In the two thousand years since the parasitic system first emerged in the real world, over three thousand cases have been reported, but fewer than twenty have been verified as genuine.

Most of these systems have been identified as remnants of ancient civilizations. It's important to realize that, given a broad enough timeline, the rise and fall of civilizations are akin to the life cycle of flora—natural processes of birth, growth, decay, and extinction. It's certain that the human civilization currently dominating the Orion Arm is not Earth's first iteration. There were countless others before it, such as the Mayan and Atlantis civilizations.

These prior civilizations inevitably ventured into the cosmos. Their final destinations remain unknown, but on numerous planets, humans have uncovered relics from these ancient societies. Among the most exhilarating discoveries were the peculiar life forms within these relics—the origins of the parasitic systems.

These parasitic systems are categorized into natural life systems and artificial life systems.

The natural life system is what Bai Chengcheng referred to as "old grandpa" (or "old grandma"). On the other hand, the artificial life system is a highly advanced intelligent program.

Within the nation's specialized research departments, systems are further classified as benevolent or malevolent. Benevolent systems are inherently positive, guiding their hosts on virtuous paths and contributing to societal progress. Malevolent systems, however, are selfish, either consuming or taking over their hosts, or shaping them into malevolent beings to fulfill their own sinister purposes.

The living nature of these systems has been firmly established, with their existence manifesting primarily in the form of a soul. The reality of the soul has been scientifically validated, moving beyond the realm of fantasy.

Given that systems are sentient, they possess emotions and desires, including selfishness. While good and evil may seem like relative concepts, the presence of selfishness skews the balance. Evil often outweighs good, with many systems operating in a moral gray area, embodying both good and evil aspects. Consequently, the state strongly encourages the reporting of parasitic systems and deems possession of unauthorized systems illegal.

Of the twenty confirmed cases of humans with systems, the first thirteen went on to become legends, while the remainder were essentially under state control. Control was necessary; out of those thirteen, seven became underworld kingpins, posing significant threats to society.

Could there really have been only twenty cases over thousands of years? It's likely there were many more. For starters, once a system is parasitic, surrendering it is akin to surrendering oneself for dissection and study. How many people possess the noble spirit to sacrifice their own body and life for the nation and society? Certainly not Bai Chengcheng. Can one separate from the system after infection? While partial separation is possible, it's mostly impossible. It's parasitized on the soul—how do you divide that?

Naturally, government agencies refuse to acknowledge the inseparability and assure with great conviction that those who surrender their systems will not be harmed. Does anyone believe that? Only a fool would. And what if they did believe? The system could bring unimaginable possibilities, but what could the state's reward possibly amount to? Merely honor and money. Could it grant extreme combat abilities or power? System holders feel they possess the protagonist's aura, destined to rise to the top.

The formidable power of the state goes without saying. The law prohibits and mandates confiscation. No matter how bright an individual's protagonist's aura, it's no match for the state. Consequently, most systems discovered later were taken to the state's special laboratory, with rare exceptions like the legendary Dragonstar Guardian, Guo Tianfang, who once had an 'Old Grandpa.' He was a force capable of standing against a nation, untouchable by anyone. Of course, his invincibility and possession of the system, as well as the current status of 'Old Grandpa,' were only disclosed posthumously.

The state has achieved significant breakthroughs in research on parasitic auxiliary systems, particularly in the realms of the soul, cultivation, and the induction and connection of neurons. Faang Xinghang's mecha doesn't need an operating system; rather, the human brain becomes the operating system once linked with the machine, utilizing the findings from parasitic auxiliary system research. Regrettably, the focus has been predominantly on human development, with less impact on technological advancement.

The research yielded a unique product: an artificial auxiliary system. This system embeds an artificial intelligence learning system onto a chip, which is then linked to the human brain using specialized equipment. While it doesn't match the power of the native parasitic auxiliary systems, it can significantly aid in learning and cultivation. Regrettably, it's prohibitively expensive! Aside from a few privileged classes or special departments, the average person might as well not get their hopes up.

Such news was common online, so Bai Chengcheng was well-acquainted with it. To say he had been dreaming of it for eighteen years would be an overstatement; he had just turned eighteen. His early childhood memories were hazy, and it wasn't until a few years later that he began to grasp the concept of the system. Ten years is a more accurate estimate. After all, Bai Yaojin had mentioned waiting for a decade, hadn't she? At the age of eight, he was at an age to make choices and to dream.

Everyone wishes for effortless mastery in martial arts or to be born with innate knowledge, to ascend to greatness in a single bound, or for fortune to simply fall into their lap. Yet, most people recognize these as fantasies. It's fine to indulge in daydreams occasionally—everyone has the right to do so—but they don't mistake them for reality. They chuckle at the thought, then go back to their hard work. A rare few, however, remain trapped in their dreams.

Bai Chengcheng was neither delusional nor idle, thanks to his wise mother. The fact that he carried the surname Bai, not Li, spoke volumes about her influence in the family. She presented him with a stark choice: either forgo cultivation and lead a comfortable but unremarkable life, or take up cultivation and carve out his own destiny. There was no middle ground.

As a child, the decision was simple—who wouldn't want to be coddled? But as he grew older, the choice became a quandary. Could he really be content living as a parasite forever? His father, harboring dreams of his son's success, offered a subtle incentive: if Bai Chengcheng chose the path of cultivation, Bai Yaojin would bestow upon him a 'Divine' system. This system was leagues beyond anything the state had developed, promising to accelerate his cultivation and grant him an extraordinary capacity for learning.

Studying can be incredibly dull, and to make matters worse, my parents have cut me off. They've declared that once I graduate from college, I won't even receive an allowance. It's just too tough. Life was so much easier under the protective wings of my parents.

This time, Bai Chengcheng was determined to change. The term 'Old Gnawing Clan' wasn't exactly receiving glowing reviews from society. Growing up comes with its own set of challenges, and as a social creature, it's impossible not to be influenced by one's environment. The turning point came when he was beaten badly, which made him realize that he couldn't always rely on his parents and that he had to confront some things on his own.

To his surprise, after making his decision, he encountered an unexpected stroke of luck. Bai Chengcheng saw it as a divine reward for his efforts. If anyone else heard his thoughts, they'd probably want to slap some sense into him. Seriously, is that what they think 'heaven helps those who help themselves' means?

Bai Chengcheng didn't bother with such questions. He also ignored the moral alignment of the system. Turn it over to the state? Does anyone actually do that? He didn't know. For now, he was more interested in exploring the system's features.

With a flourish, he snapped his fingers and said, "System, come on out. Where's the panel? Let me take a look. Oh, my apologies, I should show respect to my elders. But really, where's the panel?"

Immediately after he spoke, Bai Chengcheng's vision was filled with information as the system panel appeared before him:

Host: Bai Chengcheng

Age: 18 (Not yet)

Speed: ???

Strength: ???

Agility: ???

Martial Arts: ???

Combat Strength: ???

Knowledge: ???

Hobby: ???

Bai Chengcheng looked at the panel, bewildered and annoyed. "Hey, hey, what's with all these question marks? I'm here to see your features, not mine! Okay! The only thing I'm certain of is that you're not my grandpa."

"Recognize a master? Do you even qualify? What's this 'Grandpa' business?" muttered the otherworldly life form, though none of this was visible on the panel. It felt somewhat awkward, not quite adept at mimicking the system. It considered changing the panel but worried that doing so might give itself away. With more social savvy than Bai Chengcheng, the otherworldly life form quickly crafted a line of information to offer a somewhat far-fetched explanation.

Bai Chengcheng noticed a line of text appearing beneath the panel: "This is an essential startup procedure. To create a tailored growth plan, the system must first gather information about the host. Please provide the necessary details."

Bai Chengcheng relented, "Fine, fine. How do I fill this out? It's virtual, isn't it? Should I use my fingers? Huh? The system can communicate from the start? That's incredible!" It was commonly known that systems, aside from the old grandpa, were initially as impersonal as machines. If this one could converse from the get-go, it indicated a high level of intelligence.

If the otherworldly entity had a heart, it would have skipped a beat. Was the conversation a mistake? How else could they communicate? But she was worrying needlessly. Bai Chengcheng would never question the system's authenticity; he wouldn't want to. After all, stumbling upon a system only to discover it was a sham would be devastating.

Noticing that Bai Chengcheng wasn't troubled by the conversational aspect, the otherworldly entity decided not to intervene. Otherwise, she'd be at a loss for what to do. Then Bai Chengcheng saw another prompt: "Simply speak your responses aloud."

"Oh, that's quite distinctive. Okay. Speed, 0.5; strength, 0.6; agility, 0.6; martial arts, Yin Yang Taichi; overall combat ability, 0.6; education, high school junior; interests, mechs and beautiful women."

The otherworldly entity was baffled. What were these decimal points? She considered prompting Bai Chengcheng to use standard units of measurement, but that would be akin to admitting she was a counterfeit system. Instead, she extended an imperceptible filament to connect with the wrist communicator Bai's mother had removed before he entered the medical pod, and she rapidly searched the internet. She avoided the wall's internet cable since the web's vastness made searching time-consuming. Focusing on Bai Chengcheng's communicator, which likely contained his interests, would yield quicker results.

So that's how it worked. The entity from another world had finally deciphered the calculation method used by human martial artists. A force of one thousand kilograms equated to one point, and 0.6 represented approximately six hundred kilograms. Speed was determined using a function based on the hundred-meter dash; the faster the time, the higher the score. A time of seven seconds per hundred meters equated to one point. Bai Chengcheng's hundred-meter dash time was roughly eight seconds and five. Agility was gauged using a universal standard testing device, calculating the number of small balls one could dodge while navigating obstacles within a hundred meters.

After copying the calculation method, the otherworldly being responded to Bai Chengcheng: "This is inaccurate, please complete the form again. Given the current strength of your physique, your explosive power surely exceeds one thousand kilograms, and your speed is certainly less than eight point five seconds."

Bai Chengcheng was taken aback. "Are you pulling my leg? The final exams were just a few days ago; have I already forgotten my own scores? Where's the inaccuracy? Oh, that's right, my mother performed a cleansing on my muscles and marrow, so there must have been significant changes. But how much exactly?"

As he pondered, Bai Chengcheng grew increasingly frustrated. "Hey, hey, there's no strength meter here, no hundred-meter track. How am I supposed to know the exact figures? And what does it matter if it's accurate or not? System, I'm supposed to be looking at you, you, not myself. What's your purpose? Why do I get the feeling you're not all that reliable?"

The otherworldly being lost her temper too. "How dare you, a mere weakling, lash out at me? If I had more than a mere millionth of my battle power left, I would crush you to dust with a flick of my finger."

Her fury was sparked by Bai Chengcheng's comment about her unreliability, a blow to her pride. As she was about to reprimand Bai Chengcheng, she suddenly sensed an overwhelming spiritual pressure and, in a panic, quickly displayed a message on Bai Chengcheng's screen: "Do not reveal the system's existence to anyone, or face annihilation." She then severed the neural link, retracted her consciousness waves and the particles composing her body, and dispersed herself deep within Bai Chengcheng's body, too frightened to make a move.

Bai Chengcheng was on the verge of shouting when the elevator doors slid open, and his mother, Bai Yaojin, accompanied by the big bear, stepped inside. Caught off guard, he could do nothing but offer a sheepish grin.