In a desolate wilderness, the bleak autumn wind did nothing to dampen Wang Yuan's good mood. After all, he had obtained the Heavens System and could travel through the myriad worlds. Who would believe he wasn't the protagonist? Just thinking about the wonderful life ahead made him happy.
"So this is another world?" Wang Yuan looked around, took a deep breath, and felt that even the air in another world was so fresh. He asked the Heavens System, "Tell me what kind of world this is. Also, can I communicate freely with the locals? Don't tell me Chinese is spoken throughout the entire universe?"
"Host, there is no need to worry about communication. The system comes with True Speech, a language that conveys information unambiguously. Any intelligent life-form can understand it. It is also one of the main languages of the multiverse." A cold voice rang out. Just from the sound of it, the voice gave the impression of an intelligent computer.
"This world is classified as a low-magic world. Relatively primitive witch doctors and methods of physical cultivation are passed down here. Most of the people are white, and the world resembles the Western Middle Ages of the host's world."
"Of course, the host doesn't need to know any of this. It's no longer relevant to you." As the system said this, its icy tone strangely revealed a hint of mockery.
"Hm? Why?" Wang Yuan looked around at his new surroundings. Not sensing any danger, he asked curiously.
"Because this world has a special property that suppresses fate." The Heavens System's cold voice slowly explained, "In most other worlds, the course of events is influenced by something called fortune. Its most potent manifestation is the protagonist's halo."
"This world, however, has a special property that suppresses fortune. Fortune has no effect here. Even a protagonist's halo is useless. A low-probability event remains a low-probability event here. Chance remains chance; it doesn't become destiny." The Heavens System's tone remained cold, but the malice in its words was now impossible to conceal.
"So the protagonist's halo really does exist, huh? Heh, then the protagonist of this world is pretty unlucky." Wang Yuan chuckled. Suddenly, he felt dizzy, and something seemed to be running from his nose.
Wang Yuan wiped his nose and saw his hand covered in red. He quickly tilted his head back, but couldn't stop the nosebleed. Irritated, he demanded, "System, didn't you say traveling to another world was safe?"
"This system's interworld travel technology is exceptionally stable. It will not cause humans any harm."
"Then why am I bleeding from the nose?" Wang Yuan asked in a panic. He hurriedly covered his nose, only to notice a rash of red spots on the back of his hand. They were multiplying and growing larger right before his eyes.
"To put it in the simplistic terms of your human language, you're having a reaction to the new environment." The Heavens System spoke with undisguised contempt. "Even on your own plane, moving a little farther away can lead to all kinds of environment-related illnesses, let alone traveling to another world."
"Ordinary reactions to a new environment might only give you diarrhea. But this is another world. Your body is adapted to the environment of Asia on Earth. This new world has new pathogens, and your immune system will struggle to function as it should here."
"What's more, you're carrying all the bacteria and viruses from your world. In this new environment, they could easily mutate. If it were spring, with suitable temperatures and enough people around, you might even bring about a sizable plague in this world."
"Ugh..." Wang Yuan bent over and vomited violently. Once he was done, he began coughing uncontrollably, and his body temperature started rising abnormally.
"I want to go home! I want to go home! I want to see a doctor!" Wang Yuan screamed in a frenzy.
"As you wish," the Heavens System said slowly.
A force acted on Wang Yuan, sending his increasingly limp body rolling to one side. On a nearby stone, he saw the word "home" carved on one side and "doctor" on the other.
"Does the host have any other requests?" The Heavens System's cold, malicious voice continued beside Wang Yuan.
"Bastard, I said I want to go home!" Wang Yuan cried out in pain.
"My apologies, Host. Since you don't know True Speech, and your language has too many homophones, I can only execute commands according to my interpretation." The system said it was sorry, but didn't sound sorry at all. "For example, the following phrase can be understood differently in different seasons: 'Wear as much as you can.'"
"Save me! Cure my illness!" Wang Yuan shouted, grasping at a lifeline.
"As you wish," said the Heavens System. The next moment, Wang Yuan felt a tug, and the system continued, "I have already 'cured' your illness."
"Don't play word games with me! Why are you trying to kill me? I'm just an ordinary person. There are more than seven billion people in the world—why did you choose me?" Wang Yuan wasn't stupid. How could he not see that the system was trying to kill him?
"The lever of equivalent exchange is still a little short. In that case, let the host die knowing the truth." The Heavens System seemed to check something before continuing. "You only think you're an ordinary person. There's something extremely valuable about you."
"That is the protagonist's halo you possess. If this system had never appeared, you would have begun your journey as a protagonist before long."
"Stripping away a protagonist's halo takes three steps. First, the halo must be suppressed. This world has accomplished that perfectly. Second, the lever of equivalent exchange must be completed. This system brought you here, answered your questions, and granted your wishes—all to help bring that about. Of course, because the system has some control over the rules, the lever isn't balanced. Third, the host must die, and the system cannot be the primary cause."
"Once those three conditions are met, the protagonist's halo you possess will be mine."
"So you're trying to kill me!" Wang Yuan said in despair. He began coughing involuntarily and tried to get up, but his limbs were weak and limp. Halfway up, he stumbled and fell back down.
"It's not this system that's killing the host. If that were the case, I wouldn't be able to obtain the protagonist's halo. The host is being killed by this world's environment. The system has already helped the host as requested," the Heavens System corrected him.
"According to my assessment, the host has one minute left to live. Do you have any last words? Please say them now. The system won't relay them anyway, since the lever of equivalent exchange is already balanced." The Heavens System continued its cold, heart-piercing mockery.
"..." The Heavens System's icy taunts rang in Wang Yuan's ears, leaving him speechless. Of course he had plenty he wanted to say, but what he wanted even more was to stay alive. Unfortunately, everything felt hopeless. He couldn't even stand.
Looking back now, he realized just how many mistakes he had made from start to finish. He had naively placed absolute trust in a system of unknown origins. Without giving it a second thought, he had followed it to another world. Dying here was entirely his own fault.
"He's dead." A glowing, many-faceted crystal emerged from Wang Yuan's body and began recording the system log. "Host deceased. Soul-chain connection severed. Collecting protagonist's halo through the equivalent exchange bridge."
"Protagonist's halo collection complete. Halo Collector YD2335 commencing registration. Category: urban supernatural. Quality: medium. Completeness: complete."
"Host's remnant soul detected. Initiating interworld travel immediately to avoid contaminating the protagonist's halo."
After completing the protagonist's halo registration, the many-faceted crystal tore through space and left this world in an instant, leaving behind only the corpse of a visitor from another world, with a remnant soul slowly forming over it.
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