The city was still buzzing with excitement and disbelief. Word of the "one-throw massacre" had already spread. To the people, Zeke was no longer just their young City Lord—he was a walking calamity in human form.
Zeke, however, didn't care. He lay flat on the manor roof, one hand behind his head, lazily munching on fruit.
"Five minutes of peace," he murmured. "New record."
[Correction: Four minutes, thirty-two seconds.]
He stared at the sky. "Who asked you?"
Down below, Alora's shadow moved quietly along the courtyard wall. She glanced up and sighed. Her lord was talking to himself again. "He's losing it," she muttered.
[Ding! Quest Complete – Show Off to Gain a Surprise.]
Zeke blinked as a new glowing window appeared before his eyes.
[Reward: System Shop Unlocked.]
A translucent interface unfolded in front of him, infinite rows of glowing text listing items, weapons, pills, beasts, and even concepts he couldn't comprehend.
Zeke whistled softly. "So I can buy anything now?"
[Affirmative.]
"Even immortality?"
[Eventually. If Host stops dying first.]
He grinned. "You're growing sassier by the day."
Two guards near the manor gate looked up at the same moment, seeing their city lord grinning into the empty air.
"Is he… possessed?" one whispered.
"No," Alora said flatly without turning. "He's always like that."
The interface flashed again.
[New Feature: System Points (SP). Earn SP by killing creatures and cultivators. Point value scales by strength and rarity.]
A neat chart materialized before Zeke's eyes:
Qi Refining – 1 SP
Foundation Establishment – 10 SP
Golden Core – 100 SP
Zeke raised an eyebrow. "So I get paid for killing people."
[Incorrect. Host is incentivized for pest control.]
"Semantics."
[Current Balance: 345 SP.]
He frowned. "Only 345? I wiped out three Golden Cores and some minions."
[Mass destruction bonus already applied.]
"Guess mass murder's undervalued these days."
[Morality check: failed.]
"Story of my life," Zeke muttered, scratching his head.
He sat up. "Alright, let's see what the shop's got."
Rows of items scrolled past: divine swords, immortal pills, interdimensional pets, and a surprisingly high number of shiny rocks labeled "Limited Edition."
"Okay, show me something cheap but cool."
[Recommended for Broke Hosts:]
Instant Cleanse Pill – 10 SP
Stamina Elixir – 20 SP
Random Mystery Box – 100 SP
Zeke's eyes gleamed. "Mystery box. Obviously."
[Purchase confirmed.]
A small golden cube appeared before him. He popped it open like a kid unwrapping candy.
[Congratulations! You obtained: Heavenly Flip-Flops of Comfort (Low-Grade Divine Artifact).]
Zeke blinked. "…Flip-flops?"
[Effect: Allows flight. Speed scales with cultivation realm.]
He stared at them for a full second. Then grinned. "So basically, stylish jet engines for my feet."
[Host enthusiasm: questionable.]
He slid them on. They glowed faintly, black with golden trim and etched runes.
The moment his feet touched the sandals, his body lifted gently off the roof.
"Oh yeah," he whispered. "This is luxury."
"Zeke," Alora's voice came from below, calm as ever, "you're talking to yourself again."
"Correction," he said while spinning lazily midair, "I'm talking to destiny."
"And wearing flip-flops."
"Divine flip-flops."
"That doesn't make it better."
He floated a few feet higher. "It does for me."
"You look ridiculous."
"I look majestic."
[Host looks ridiculous.]
"I heard that," he hissed at the invisible screen.
The nearby guards just stared as their lord argued passionately with the empty air while levitating in glowing sandals.
Later that afternoon, curiosity got the better of him. He flew outside the city gates to test his new powers, Alora silently following.
A few Qi Beasts wandered near the forest edge. Zeke pointed lazily at one and flicked a pebble.
The creature dropped instantly.
[+1 SP.]
Zeke grinned. "Hah! Paid to kill pests. I love capitalism."
Alora folded her arms. "You're celebrating animal murder."
"I'm celebrating progress."
He spent the next hour testing how fast he could kill things, how far he could fly, and how many times he could make Alora sigh in disappointment. The answers were: very fast, very far, and too many.
By nightfall, Zeke perched on a rock overlooking the glowing city. The array shimmered faintly like a sleeping dragon beneath the moonlight.
"A shop that sells anything, points for kills… what's the catch?"
[Catch: None disclosed. However, increased SP activity may attract external attention.]
"External attention as in?"
[People who want to kill you.]
"Business as usual."
Alora appeared beside him silently. "You don't seem concerned."
"Can't worry when you're this handsome."
"That's not logic."
"It's philosophy."
The night sky glittered faintly above them when the System chimed again.
[Ding! New Quest: First Hunt – Eliminate the Ravenous Serpent (Foundation Establishment Beast). Reward: 500 SP.]
Zeke stood, stretching. "A serpent, huh? Sounds like a test drive."
He looked down at his glowing sandals. "Time to earn some gas money."
"Zeke," Alora said slowly, "please don't tell me you're going—"
He rose effortlessly into the air, leaving a faint golden trail behind him. "Don't wait up!"
Alora watched his figure disappear into the night sky. "He's completely insane."
From high above, his voice echoed faintly. "I heard that!"