The group had returned to the outer grounds of the Skyjade Sect, escorted by emergency teleport runes hastily activated by Yue Lan. The air outside was fresher, less filled with parasite corruption or divine fury, but somehow… heavier with responsibility.
Jun Bai had finally stopped muttering about becoming a monk and now sat in a meditation pose atop a spirit stone. Yura, on the other hand, paced back and forth like a fox trapped in a circular logic puzzle.
Arin stood near the training field, staring blankly at his new system menu.
[Trash System v2.1 – Host: Arin]
[Status: Divine Whistleblower (Unpaid Intern)]
[Main Feature: Manual Corruption Detection]
[New Quest: Sniff Out the System Rats]
"What kind of RPG makes the protagonist do debugging?" Arin muttered.
"Yours," Yura said, flicking his forehead as she passed. "Now get stronger. You've got more enemies than coupons in a scam auction."
Yue Lan stepped forward, folding her arms over her chest. "There's a meeting at the Inner Court tomorrow. Sect elders are concerned about what happened underground."
"Do they know a goddess flew in and smacked a malware admin with a divine flyswatter?" Arin asked.
"No," Yue Lan said, "but they know you were involved. That's already bad enough."
Arin sighed. "They're going to kick me out again, aren't they?"
Yura smirked. "Nah. I heard Elder Mushi bet three spirit chickens on your survival. You've become a gambling mascot."
Arin blinked. "...That's the best title I've had all year."
Just then, the system pinged again.
[Side Quest Unlocked: Train for Cultivation Tournament]
[Prize: Golden Fake Token of Recognition (Actually useless, but looks shiny)]
[Requirement: Convince a Sect Elder to sponsor you]
"Oh perfect," Arin grumbled. "Now I have to network."
Yura chuckled. "Don't look at me. My sect hates yours. I'm technically your rival."
Arin raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you always here?"
"Because I like seeing you suffer," she said sweetly.
Yue Lan ignored them both. "I'll escort you to the elder's court tomorrow. But you'll have to handle the talking. And the bowing. And the inevitable offending."
"So just… me being me?"
"Exactly."
Later that night, as Arin sat near the back gardens, trying to coax his meridians open for the hundredth time with minimal results, the system flickered again.
[Detected: Nearby Low-Level Cultivator with Broken System]
[Name: Bingwen]
[Status: System Rebooting 45%]
Arin tilted his head and looked to the side. Sure enough, a skinny outer sect disciple was sitting by a tree, fists clenched, eyes shut, spiritual energy leaking in awkward bursts.
He looked… frustrated. Angry.
Arin got up and walked over. "Hey."
The disciple blinked. "Who—? Are you the trash guy?"
Arin smiled. "That's me. What happened to your system?"
"Went blank after I finished a high-risk mission. I was supposed to get a cultivation pill," Bingwen muttered. "But it said 'reward redirected.' Now it's stuck."
Arin winced. "Yeah. Welcome to the club. Our slogan is 'We Actually Earned It.'"
The disciple looked at him, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Arin sat beside him. "Try this. Ignore the system window. Focus on your own energy for now. Breathe through the resistance."
"You've done that?"
"No. But I say it with confidence, so you'll believe me."
Bingwen laughed bitterly.
Arin's system pinged quietly.
[Corruption Node Detected: Redirect Protocol Active]
[Trace: System ID: "Burning Path Bootleg v1.6"]
[Attempt Manual Flagging?]
Arin hesitated… then tapped yes.
The moment he did, Bingwen shuddered. His system interface flickered, glitched, and suddenly spat out a new message:
[Unauthorized Protocol Detected.]
[Restoring Original Reward…]
A low-tier cultivation pill materialized at Bingwen's feet.
His eyes widened. "That—! That's what I was supposed to get days ago!"
Arin grinned. "Look at that. Debugging does pay."
He stood up, stretching. "See? Trash can be recycled into something useful."
As he walked away, the system displayed a new line.
[You have successfully helped a corrupted system user.]
[Reward: +1 Hidden Merit Point (Collect 99 for something maybe useful)]
[Also: One free meal voucher at Grumpy Panda Noodle Shack]
Arin smiled.
Things were getting weirder.
More dangerous.
But for the first time since he landed in this world, he felt like he wasn't just reacting to chaos.
He was shaping it.