Preparation for Upgrade, Quietly Awaiting System Changes

Sunlight slanted across the edge of the platform. Chen Wuya's fingertips still retained a faint numbness from releasing that strand of Misaligned Force. He did not move; even his breathing maintained a rhythm in sync with heaven and earth. The character "Activate" in his sea of consciousness had long since vanished, replaced by that blurry structural diagram. Its points of light continued to flicker slowly, and each time one lit up, the Misaligned Force within him gave a slight tremor, as though some invisible pull were quietly taking shape.

Bai Zhi stood three paces away, her footsteps feather-light. She set a bowl of warm water on a stone stool, then stepped back half a pace, her gaze resting on Chen Wuya's brow. A shallow mark lay there—not an injury, but the trace left by prolonged concentration. She said nothing, merely resting a hand on her sword hilt as she stood guard in silence.

After a while, Chen Wuya slowly opened his eyes. Something like a flash of golden light passed through their depths and vanished in an instant. He lowered his head to look at the travel pack on his lap, reached out to undo its cloth fastener, and took out a pair of old cloth shoes. Their uppers were gray with wear, their stitching crooked, and two thick patches of leather had been sewn onto the soles. Old Wu Tou had secretly stuffed them in his pack the night before last. He had said nothing, only patted Chen Wuya on the shoulder.

He laid the shoes across his legs, his fingers gently brushing the patch at the toe.

"The system is about to upgrade." He suddenly spoke, his voice quiet but clear enough for Bai Zhi to hear.

Bai Zhi's brows shifted slightly. "How long?"

"Seventy-two hours." He stared