Error 404
1205 Words
[Congratulations!]
The text appeared.
[....]
It changed; the dots hopped, loading the next message.
[Initiating options… please wait.]
Azir was stunned. Whatever it was, it had saved him.
From the appearance, it indeed looked like a relic. But from the screen, the interface, and the behaviour, he began to doubt his judgement.
Perhaps it is some random gaming device.
But his doubt was confirmed when the next text appeared, fading the previous one.
[Choose Your System Character]
A holographic screen projected in the air.
… swipe for more
Scanning the list from top to bottom, Azir let out a sarcastic chuckle. It was confirmed to be a game device.
[Choose your character]
The text appeared on the screen below.
[If the character is not chosen in ten seconds, the system will randomly pick one.]
Suddenly, Azir's eyes fell on the option.
This might help if the simulation can teach me about this planet.
Azir thought it was a simulation game device and selected the option.
But a noisy frequency interrupted, the metallic system glitched momentarily.
Before Azir could react.
The holographic screen disappeared, and a notice came.
[Error 404: Cultivation System Found]
[Loading…]
[Congratulations! You are a demonic cultivator.]
(i)
Azir pressed on the screen.
[Be demonic to eradicate evil.]
The screen moved, burying itself in the sphere.
The parts separated, revolving around a glazed, dark purple core.
Then, they began to shift. Smoke covered the surroundings. Azir shut his eyes and blocked his face with his arm.
Poing…
A strange sound broke the tension for a moment.
"Enter your name!"
Azir removed his arm and saw a twelve-inch tiny man with a grey beard reaching his abdomen, wearing ancient-style light blue hanfu. a hat, and he would look like a wizard.
Stunned, Azir studied him as he hovered in the air.
"What are you?"
"Enter your name!" The old man repeated mechanically.
"Azir Hunter," He replied.
"To view your stats, say 'Shifu Stats!'"
"Shifu Stats!" Azir said, as if bewitched by the tiny old man's voice.
A holographic screen projected from the old man's eyes.
[Cultivation: N/A]
[Essence: 1, ACTIVATION BONUS]
(Tap to view the skill set)
Azir tapped.
(None)
[Apprentice evaluation: Mortal with 5% survival rate.]
[Ability: Not enough data]
Summary: Apprentice Azir is responsible for completing the task provided by the system, cultivating and gaining essence to unlock abilities, and redeeming from the exchange store. Level up and ascend to the heavenly realm.
Information: The system will be transformed to Master, known as Shifu, assisting the apprentice in his journey to cultivate demonic qi. Guiding on how to cultivate and use the abilities.
"Ascend? To the heavenly realm? This sounds like that legacy lore from novels that are sold on the street." Azir said, puzzled.
"I do not want to ascend to any realm. I want to go back. Roxqi is where I want to be!"
He said, snapping and punching at the holographic screen, it glitched, and the projection from the tiny old man stopped.
"Ni hao! Apprentice Azir! Have you eaten?"
"I have," Azir replied.
As if spellbound momentarily, as Shifu's voice suddenly sounded too real, like a person speaking to him, and asking in a concerned tone.
Tears nearly surfaced in his pupils when Shifu interrupted him.
"Did you cultivate today?"
"What cultivation? No, I haven't?"
"At this progress rate, your survival rate will soon be below zero." Shifu sounded calm when he spoke.
"Yeah, right…" Azir responded.
"Wait…you are insulting me!" He realised and asked angrily.
"I see, you are not entirely brainless." Shifu said, clasping his hand and then looking around, his expression changed, his jaw dropped literally, he fixed it back, and then asked, "What happened here?"
"How do I know?" Azir sat down, crossing his legs. He pulled out the same can that he had opened earlier, but saved some for later.
He began to eat while Shifu looked around, his eyes elongated, creating a telescopic structure and checking the surroundings.
"But you have been here while I was deactivated. Tell me what you did?" He returned to normal size and asked.
"I really don't know, old man!" Azir said.
"How dare you disrespect me?" Shifu asked.
"What can you do? Kill me? You are a weird game host." Azir let out a dry laugh.
"You are the host! I am the system." Shifu reminded him, his arm stretching, pressing the index finger to his nose.
Azir pushed it away and said, "Fine, whatever you say."
Then, as he chewed his slice of preserved meat, staring into nothingness, while Shifu still searched for clues.
He raised his head and looked at Shifu, who was scanning the laboratory.
"I was an assassin. I never failed. But when I did, the cost of failing was losing my life." Azir said.
Shifu didn't move; the scan was in process.
"An old comrade saved me from drowning in an acid bucket." He continued.
"That old comrade turned out to be the Emperor of Xincheng's seventh son. To be honest, I was thrilled. He had saved me. And I had saved him several times, too. I thought I would retire and live a lavish style as a prince's friend."
Azir did not stop.
But this time, Shifu stopped the scan and turned to him.
"To save the life of a failed assassin is not easy. This old comrade immediately gave me a bill for this debt."
"To repay him, I had to take this mission. To kill the beasts and survive. Once I gain enough points, I can return with a clean record. Meanwhile, they would get the data of this planet for some research."
"Sounds like a fair deal."
"That's how I ended up on this planet; not the beasts, even the planet itself wants me dead."
"Lightning rains….I had to die on the first day…right?"
"But I can't even remember how I survived it."
Shifu heard him.
Then he asked, "So, you are not from QX9?"
"I thought you understood my language," Azir asked, confused. He could not trust his sanity; he could even talk to monsters who knew how to grunt and howl.
"I realised something," Shifu said in a low, deep voice, stroking his beard.
"What?" Azir asked, packing the two slices of meat that were still left. He was hungry enough to devour all he had, but saving up was important for long-term survival.
"You are the second Roxqian I will be mentoring," Shifu said.
"Who was the first one?" Azir asked, grabbing his aluminum bucket.
"That is confidential information. To view it, you must master the arts of Dragon Summon." Shifu said.
"Forget it, I don't want to know. If those bloody people could send me here during a period of post-apocalypse, they must have sent more people like me before." Azir said.
He glanced at his Dexy.
Nine hours left.
He gasped heavily and then looked at the ruined laboratory.
"Guess, I have to find a new one." He mumbled.
"You will come with me or stay here?" Azir asked.
"Of course! I am your mentor. I cannot leave your side unless you ascend to the heavenly realm." Shifu said.
Azir rolled his eyes. He didn't want to argue with a bot.
- Writer
