The morning sun rose lazily over the small border city, coating the rooftops in gold. For once, Zeke was already awake. He stood on the roof of his mansion, stretching like a man who'd accomplished something monumental.
"Peak Qi Refining, day three," he said proudly. "Not bad for a disappointment."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for surviving another night without accidentally killing yourself.]
"…I'd celebrate if that didn't sound like an insult."
He glanced down. Villagers were opening their shops and preparing for the day. Some waved at him from below.
"Morning, Lord Boom!" one called out.
"Morning, loyal taxpayers!" Zeke shouted back, puffing out his chest.
He grinned to himself—he kind of liked the nickname. It made him sound dangerous in a dumb sort of way.
A familiar shadow landed beside him with a soft thud.
"You're unusually cheerful," Alora said, arms crossed.
"Someone's gotta keep morale high."
"The guards have improved. The city's quieter. Even the beasts nearby have stopped approaching."
Zeke rubbed his chin. "See? They sense greatness."
"They sense noise."
[Correction: they sense stupidity.]
Zeke rolled his eyes. "Fantastic. I'm outnumbered in my own head."
[Ding! Daily Sign-In complete. Reward: Random Mission Token.]
A small golden token materialized in Zeke's hand. He held it up curiously.
"Oh good, another mysterious trinket that could kill me."
[Incorrect. This one gives you a mission. It triggers work.]
"Oh no," Zeke said flatly. "Responsibility."
[Try not to cry about it.]
He sighed. "You're like a life coach, but evil."
After breakfast, Zeke retreated to his room. The moment he sat down to meditate, he felt it—the weight of his own Qi pressing outward. His strength had risen sharply since yesterday, and it radiated from him like a flare.
"Great," he muttered. "She's definitely going to notice."
[Would you like me to conceal your cultivation?]
"You can do that?"
[Yes. But the function unlocks at Foundation Establishment.]
"Figures."
[Patience is a virtue you lack, but you'll look cool when you get it.]
"I'll consider it blackmail."
[Acceptable.]
Zeke grumbled and pocketed the mission token. "Fine. Let's see what fresh suffering you've prepared today."
He flipped the token into the air. It burst into light and dissolved.
[Ding! Mission Generated: Subdue the Bandit Camp near North Ravine. Reward: 100 Rank Golden Core Grenades.]
He froze. "Did you just say grenades?"
[Affirmative.]
"As in 'boom' grenades?"
[As in 'obliterate everything within a hundred meters' grenades.']
Zeke stared blankly. "You're arming a war criminal."
[You volunteered.]
He sighed. "Of course I did."
He crept toward the city gate, stick slung casually over his shoulder. He'd almost made it out when a familiar voice called, "Where are you going?"
He winced. "Morning stroll."
Alora stepped into view, her presence colder than the morning wind. "With a weapon?"
"It's my emotional support stick."
"You're going to cause trouble."
"Define trouble."
"Something you usually survive by accident."
"…Fair."
She stared at him for a moment before saying, "I'm coming."
"You're not invited."
"I wasn't asking."
Zeke groaned. "You know, for a bodyguard, you don't respect authority very much."
"Only yours," she said simply, brushing past him.
The forest path was quiet. Too quiet.
Zeke trudged along behind Alora, muttering under his breath. "We better get a good reward for this."
[You already did.]
"Oh right—the grenades of mass destruction. I'll just blow myself up and call it a day."
"You're muttering again," Alora said.
"Thinking aloud," Zeke replied quickly.
"You should try thinking quietly."
"You should try smiling."
"No."
Zeke sighed. "You're impossible."
"And yet you're still alive."
"Barely."
After an hour of walking, the treeline opened into a clearing overlooking a cliff. Below, smoke rose from crude tents and campfires. Men with weapons laughed around a fire.
"There's twelve," Zeke whispered. "Maybe thirteen if you count the drunk one drooling in the corner."
[Observation: The Host can count. Progress.]
"Not the time."
Alora's eyes narrowed. "Stay here."
"No. My mission, my glory."
"Your funeral," she replied, stepping aside.
Zeke grinned nervously. "You have such faith in me."
"I have experience."
He swallowed. "…That's worse."
He crept closer, crouching behind a stack of crates. The bandits were drunk, distracted.
Perfect.
Zeke raised his stick like a sword, inhaled deeply, and swung.
Bonk!
The first bandit dropped instantly.
"One," Zeke whispered.
Another turned—bonk!—down he went too.
Then a third yelled, "Intruder!"
"Damn it!" Zeke hissed.
The camp exploded into chaos. Men rushed from their tents, swinging weapons wildly.
"Kill him!" someone shouted.
"Preferably not!" Zeke yelled back, smacking heads left and right.
Meanwhile, Alora moved through the crowd like a shadow—silent, precise, and deadly. When the dust finally settled, Zeke stood panting amid unconscious bodies.
Alora sheathed her sword without a word. "Done."
Zeke pointed at the fallen bandits. "See? Teamwork."
She looked at him blankly. "You yelled and hit people with wood."
"Exactly. Teamwork."
[Ding! Mission complete. Rewards issued: 100 Rank Golden Core Grenades.]
Zeke blinked. "Wait. A hundred?!"
A black pouch materialized in front of him—visible only to him—and pulsed with terrifying energy.
"Oh no," he whispered.
[Oh yes.]
He reached toward it. The pouch dissolved into shimmering light and vanished into his system inventory.
[Each grenade can eliminate all cultivators at or below Golden Core Realm within one hundred meters.]
"You gave me a hundred portable massacres."
[Congratulations, Host. Peak overkill achieved.]
"You're going to get me executed."
[Statistically likely.]
Alora turned. "You said something?"
"Uh—admiring the wind," Zeke said quickly.
The walk back to the city was peaceful, if you ignored the silence thick enough to choke on.
Zeke finally broke it. "We make a good team."
"You make noise; I make results."
"You wound me."
[Not enough, apparently.]
Zeke muttered, "You're both toxic."
"What?" Alora asked.
"Nothing."
By the time they returned, the sun had dipped low. The villagers were already gathered near the gate.
"Lord Boom's back!"
"With all limbs intact!"
Zeke waved weakly. "Yes, yes. The city's hero returns. Try not to faint from admiration."
[Ding! End of Day Three Sign-In. New feature unlocked: Mission Difficulty Tiers.]
Zeke's smile vanished. "…That sounds bad."
[It is.]
He sighed. "I hate you."
[Mutual.]
Alora glanced sideways. "You're smiling."
"Because I'm finally learning how to hate productively."
She said nothing—just turned toward the horizon as the night breeze swept across the rooftops.
Zeke leaned back against the gate, arms folded behind his head, watching the stars.
"Alright," he murmured. "Day three down. Still alive."
[Ding! Barely.]
"Yeah," Zeke said softly, smiling. "Barely."