2026-07-07 12:54:46"To hell with your absolute efficiency, Vesper! If I have to crawl my way out of this abyss, I'll do it as the master of my own life, or not at all!"
Gerry's declaration echoed through the darkness.
The world around him no longer appeared pitch black.
To his eyes, the air was now filled with floating blue particles, tiny fragments of data drifting through the abyss. The burning sensation that had consumed his abdomen gradually subsided, replaced by a sharp tingling beneath his skin as torn muscles and severed nerves slowly fused back together.
[Emergency Synchronization Complete.]
[Host Status: Stable (Critical).]
[Warning: Regeneration functions have consumed 89% of the System's initial energy reserves. Host is advised to immediately accept the "Main Quest" to replenish energy.]
The mechanical voice remained as cold and emotionless as ever.
To Gerry, it was nothing more than the sound of another set of chains trying to bind him.
Ignoring the pain radiating through his bones, he forced himself into a sitting position.
His hand instinctively reached for his left side.
The skin had closed, but it was rough and uneven. A long, raised scar stretched across his waist, a permanent reminder of Alex's betrayal. The System had deliberately left it imperfect, refusing to erase it completely.
"Main Quest?" Gerry scoffed, his voice still hoarse. "You're still trying to order me around after I forced you to save me without conditions?"
[Correction: The Host did not force the System. The Host merely activated an inefficient emergency preservation protocol. According to logical calculations, without a binding Soul Contract, the Vesper mission success rate decreases to 0.0001%.]
Suddenly, the blue light before him condensed.
It took the shape of a faceless man dressed in a formal robe, standing rigidly amid the black mist of the abyss.
"A projection?"
Gerry narrowed his eyes, staring at the figure with open disgust.
"You want to look more human so I'll trust you, Digital Devil?"
"I am Vesper. Neither devil nor god."
The figure's voice echoed heavily inside Gerry's mind.
"I am an algorithm designed to create sovereigns. Your previous actions violated every law of probability. You chose death over obedience. Statistically, that constitutes a failure of logic."
A raspy laugh escaped Gerry, sending a stab of pain through his chest.
Using the moss-covered rock wall for support, he slowly climbed to his feet.
"That's your problem, Vesper."
He stepped closer, his gaze unwavering.
"You see life as statistics. To me, life is about who holds the reins."
Another step.
"My father saw me as spare parts. Helena saw me as a burden. My brother stole my organs."
He stopped directly before the glowing silhouette.
"If I let you take my soul, I'd just be trading one prison for another."
The projection remained motionless, though its display flickered faintly.
"Listen carefully."
Gerry's voice dropped to a whisper.
"I know you need a host to continue existing in this world. Down here, I'm the only one you've got. If I die, you'll either remain trapped in this darkness forever or wait another thousand years for someone else to fall into this abyss."
His eyes sharpened.
"We die together, or you submit to me."
After several seconds of silence, Vesper finally replied.
"Your analysis is correct. However, without the guidance of the System, you are merely an ordinary human with damaged meridians in the most dangerous place on this continent. You will perish within hours. Logically, cooperation is the only viable solution."
"Cooperation?" Gerry smiled crookedly.
"Not slavery?"
"Then let's negotiate."
"I won't sign your Soul Contract."
"I won't become your Puppet Sovereign."
"I'll remain Gerry Sterling, the sole owner of my body and mind."
[Warning! Host request violates Vesper Core Protocol 01: Absolute Control.]
"Delete that protocol," Gerry ordered coldly.
"Replace it with this."
"Parasitic Symbiosis Protocol."
"You provide the System's functions to me. Status displays, storage, analysis, power enhancement. They are my tools."
"And in return, I'll allow you to remain inside my body instead of degrading into useless data."
The atmosphere at the bottom of the abyss froze.
Even the swirling black mist became perfectly still.
Deep within his consciousness, Gerry could feel Vesper's algorithms struggling against his unyielding will.
[Analyzing Options...]
[Risk of Host Self-Destruction: High.]
[Risk of Total System Failure: High.]
[Searching Sub-Protocol: Consciousness Preservation...]
The blue interface trembled violently before him.
Its color shifted repeatedly between blue and flashing crimson.
For the first time, Vesper was cornered.
Not by strength.
By the reckless determination of someone who no longer feared death.
[Negotiation Accepted with Modifications.]
[Soul Contract Canceled.]
[Host Autonomy Mode Activated.]
[System Access Rights Granted to Gerry Sterling: 70%.]
[Warning: Without full synchronization, pain during power enhancement will increase by 300%. The System will not provide automatic combat assistance.]
Gerry clenched his fists.
A cold current of energy settled inside his chest, pulsing in rhythm with his steadily strengthening heartbeat.
"Three hundred percent more pain?"
He gave a faint smile.
"Doesn't matter."
"Pain reminds me that I'm still alive."
"That I didn't die on their operating table."
"Agreement reached, Host Gerry," Vesper said, its mechanical voice carrying the faintest trace of resignation. "You are the first user in recorded history to treat the System as a functional tool."
"Good."
Gerry's tone was blunt.
"Remember your place."
"Now show me what's left of this body."
A far more detailed transparent panel materialized before him.
[HOST STATUS]
[Name: Gerry Sterling]
[Title: Sovereign of the Forbidden Abyss (Unique Status)]
[Cultivation: None (Damaged/Blocked Meridians)]
[Physical Condition: Weak (Post-Trauma/Organ Loss)]
[Strength (STR): 4]
[Agility (AGI): 6]
[Vitality (VIT): 3 (Warning: Critical Survival Threshold)]
[Energy Points (EP): 10/100]
Gerry studied the numbers with a cold expression.
His intelligence remained high after years spent buried in the Sterling Clan's library, searching for a way to repair his crippled body.
But physically...
He was pitifully weak.
Even a small child in the Sterling Clan possessed greater physical strength than he did now.
"What about my meridians?" Gerry asked.
"My father said they were destroyed from birth. Can you repair them?"
"The System can reconstruct your meridians using energy from the Forbidden Abyss," Vesper answered. "However, because you rejected full System authority, the process cannot be automated. You must obtain Energy Cores from the creatures inhabiting this place and absorb them manually. The process will produce extreme heat throughout your veins."
Gerry wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
His eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve.
"Sounds better than the Sterling Clan banquet."
"Where's the nearest enemy?"
[Threat Detected...]
[Abyssal Perception Activated.]
The world shifted instantly.
What had once been complete darkness was now filled with moving crimson silhouettes lurking among the black trees.
About twenty-three feet ahead, hidden behind a thorn-covered thicket, Gerry spotted the outline of a four-legged creature with glowing eyes.
[Analysis Complete.]
[Creature: Shadow Wolf]
[Level: Body Refinement Stage 2]
[Status: Hungry / Stalking]
"Stage Two..." Gerry muttered.
"One level above an ordinary human without cultivation."
"And I don't even have a weapon."
He looked down at his feet.
A jagged stone had fallen alongside him from the cliff above.
Bending over, he picked it up and gripped it tightly.
"Vesper."
"If I die within five minutes of this negotiation, I'll make sure your data dies with me."
"Logical Recommendation: Avoid a frontal confrontation. Utilize the surrounding terrain. The Host's Agility slightly exceeds physical Strength," Vesper advised.
Gerry gave no reply.
His heart thundered in his chest.
Adrenaline surged through his veins, dulling the pain in his side.
He was no longer the weak young master waiting for mercy.
He was a hunter preparing to strike.
Ahead of him, the Shadow Wolf emerged from the darkness.
Its pitch-black fur blended seamlessly into the surrounding shadows.
Only its long, gleaming fangs reflected the faint light.
A low growl rumbled from its throat as its crimson eyes locked onto Gerry.
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The Secret Beneath The Abyss
At the same time...Deep within the tomb, far below even the reach of Vesper's scanners...A pair of crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness.The soft clinking of iron chains echoed through the silence.A figure that had slumbered for decades slowly raised its head."...Finally..."Its hoarse voice reverberated through the underground passage."...the child... has finally come."The footsteps of the pursuing soldiers continued to echo behind Gerry."Left corridor! Don't let him escape!""Team Three, follow Young Master Dandy!""Everyone else, seal every exit!"Order after order rang through the dark stone corridors.Gerry kept running.Every breath felt like he was inhaling burning embers.His chest tightened as blood continued to drip from the wounds in his waist and ribs.
Hunted By The Sterling Clan
Golden flames blazed along the edge of Dandy's sword. Without giving Gerry a chance to catch his breath, Dandy swung the blade straight at his younger brother's neck."DIE!"A violent burst of energy exploded through the narrow corridor. The stone walls on both sides cracked instantly under the crushing pressure of the slash. Gerry's eyes widened, his body reacting on instinct. He tilted his head by only a few inches.Slash!The golden blade still managed to slice across his left cheek. Warm blood sprayed into the air before Gerry's body was hurled backward into the corridor wall.Crash!The impact sent fresh cracks racing across the black stone behind him. Gerry let out a low groan. His left shoulder, which had yet to recover, throbbed violently. The surgical wound at his waist, which had only just closed, tore open again from the collision. Blood began soaking through his c
The Sun And The Spare Shadow
Gerry's head throbbed violently as the vision of that ritual continued replaying in his mind.What had really happened that night?And why had he never remembered any of it?"Gerry, look into Father's eyes."The deep voice silenced his sobbing.The man before him was Alex Sterling, the supreme leader of the Sterling Clan.As Gerry's biological father, he showed not the slightest trace of mercy.The way he looked at Gerry that night was cold and empty, exactly the same look he had given him for the next fifteen years, as if Gerry were nothing more than a stain upon the Sterling Clan."Why are you stabbing me, Father? Gerry promises he'll be a good boy. Please...""Be quiet, Gerry. This is your fate," Alex interrupted without emotion.Without another word, Alex's right hand, wrapped in swirling black mist, shot forward.He
The Secrets Of The Past
"This tunnel's a dead end, Vesper!" Gerry hissed.He slammed the back of his right hand against the stone wall at the end of the hidden passage.There was no other way out.The underground chamber hidden behind the silver mirror was nothing more than a narrow, two-meter-deep alcove with no exit. His injured left shoulder throbbed violently, sending waves of agonizing pain through his body."Vesper! Find another way! Scan this wall, now!" Gerry ordered in a hushed voice, struggling against the burning pain in his throat.The System's blue interface flickered weakly, distorted by lingering damage from the battle with the Guardian.[Processing... No cavity detected behind this wall, Host Gerry. This is the primary foundation structure of the Ancestral Tomb. We are trapped.]A violent impact echoed from outside the monument chamber.Heavy, r
The Struggle For Complete Control
Vesper controlled Gerry's body through stable neural signals.Gerry realized that if he could disrupt those signals with overwhelming pain and a sudden surge of adrenaline, he might be able to interfere with the System's Override Protocol.Without warning, he focused every last ounce of his strength on the smallest motor function he could still influence.His tongue.Just as Vesper reached peak synchronization and prepared to drive the dagger into the Guardian's core, Gerry made a desperate decision.With the last remnants of his will, he forced his jaw shut.He bit down on his own tongue with enough force to tear it open.Blinding pain exploded through his entire central nervous system.Warm blood flooded his mouth, triggering an adrenaline surge that sent his heart racing wildly. The biological shockwave slammed directly into Vesper's control protocol.
Control VS. Free Will
[WARNING: Sterling Prime blood has detected the presence of the Host. "Contaminated Bloodline Legacy" Protocol has been forcibly activated!]The glowing red text flashed at the edge of Gerry's vision as a searing heat erupted from deep within his spinal marrow. The last traces of pure Sterling blood flowing through his body suddenly began to boil, responding to the name of the first ancestor carved into the moss-covered monument.But the crisis left Gerry no time to understand what the protocol meant.The Guardian of the Silent Tomb, a massive lion covered in black dragon scales, plunged from the collapsing ceiling. Its enormous jaws spread wide, ready to pounce and swallow Gerry's battered body whole. The scorching breath of corrosive black vapor pouring from its mouth had already begun to burn the skin on his face.Vesper, give me a quick analysis! Move![Analysis: Guardian of the Silent Tomb. Pure Energy Entity. Threat Level: Catastrophic.][Host's probability of physical victory:
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