Li Xing had just finished muttering.
Outside, on the street, screams rang out alongside the sounds of people running and dodging, crashing into things, and hurriedly shutting doors and windows.
A flash of worry crossed Li Xing's eyes. What was going on? What had happened?
"Is anyone there? Make a sound."
"Eek!"
As he thought that, there was a squeak, followed by a thump.
A sliver of light had just shone in and fallen across Li Xing's face when, the next moment, it vanished like a drawer being shut.
He sighed inwardly.
In his condition, he couldn't do a thing to play the hero and save a beauty.
"Oh, heavens, the monster's back!"
Li Xing clicked his tongue inwardly.
It was a man.
Needless to say, he had to be the father or older brother of the girl who'd rescued him.
Li Xing watched the man bustling about and soon realized something was off.
The door was shut, and there was no one else in the house.
"You shut the door, but what about your daughter or your sister?"
Li Xing suddenly spoke up, startling the man badly.
"Who's there?!"
After shouting, the man noticed Li Xing too.
With a worried look, he took several quick strides to the bedside.
"Young man, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm the only one here."
"Come on, don't talk. The monster's coming!"
Li Xing was utterly dumbfounded.
What was going on?
Why was it some middle-aged guy who rescued me?
Weren't people who passed out after jumping into a river always rescued by a pure and lovely young beauty?
This wasn't protagonist material at all!
Li Xing curled his lip and ignored the man without a second thought.
He focused his attention on his attributes.
A transparent panel appeared, and Li Xing furrowed his brow.
Host: Li Xing Lifespan: 24 Battle Power: 1 (0.2, current condition) Constitution: 1 (0.2) Mental Strength: 1 Energy: 1 Ability: Devour Ability (grows stronger with use and comprehension.)
Li Xing looked over the information without saying a word, much less asking what any of this was about.
The damn system's feedback was infuriating.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Looking at the perfectly ordinary stats, Li Xing was speechless.
He'd fought tooth and nail just to become an ordinary person.
Something felt wrong. Li Xing took another close look at the information.
A storm instantly erupted in his mind.
If he remembered correctly, his lifespan had been 25 at first. The system had even mocked him for being a Short-lived Ghost.
But now?
24!
"Damn it, system! Get out here and explain yourself! Why did my lifespan just drop by a year?"
Li Xing was furious.
He was a transmigrator, so being short-lived was bad enough. Now he'd lost a year just from passing out.
What was that supposed to mean?
"My constitution is insufficient to support the Devour Ability, and passing out damaged your cells."
Li Xing's eyes immediately reddened.
"Damn you! If I can't use it, why give me this ability? Are you trying to get me killed?"
"The Super Choice System leaves everything up to the host and does not interfere with the host's choices."
Li Xing gritted his teeth so hard they chattered.
This damn system.
"System, tell me this: if I kill myself, will you shut down?"
"No. The system will search for its next host."
Li Xing went berserk. He sprang up, fists clenched.
Before he could say anything, the homeowner jumped in fright, then earnestly tried to reason with him.
"Good grief, what are you doing? The monster's outside. Don't make a scene."
Li Xing glanced at the man. His murderous expression made the man stumble backward.
"Y-you! What are you going to do?"
Li Xing curled his lip and didn't explain.
"Danger detected. The Super Choice System is activating. Choice One: Help the villagers kill the monster. Reward: Constitution +0.1. Choice Two: Help the villagers plunder the villagers. Reward: Mental Strength +0.01. Choice Three: Ignore everything and leave at once. Reward: Energy +5."
Li Xing stared at the choices, completely dumbfounded.
This time there didn't seem to be any penalty. It was as if his choice didn't matter either way.
But this was the Dragon Ball World, and he had a system. How could he not make good use of it to grow stronger?
The problem was that the damn system's rewards were just too paltry.
Other people's systems gave them a Legendary Super Saiyan Bloodline, the power of a God of Destruction, or something else right from the start.
How come his system was such a piece of crap?
The only reward that looked halfway decent was that last one: Energy +5.
And even that reward was laughably stingy. It was so miserly that he'd be embarrassed to say he had a system after walking out the door.
Besides, what kind of person would pick that option?
Was Li Xing the sort of person who forgot a debt of gratitude?
"System, I choose three!"
Li Xing declared firmly in his mind.
This was the Dragon Ball World, after all.
He'd already resolved to work hard to improve himself and take the stage in the turbulent future ahead, making his mark on the world.
To avoid dragging these villagers down, of course he'd leave on his own.
Of the three options, Energy was clearly the best.
More was better!
With that thought, Li Xing's eyes shifted, and he headed straight for the tools in the corner of the house.
"Y-you! What are you doing?"
Li Xing glanced at the man, his heart heavy.
This man had saved his life. With the monster about to arrive, just abandoning him like this was downright inhuman.
"Um, who's the monster you mentioned?"
The man made a shushing gesture and explained quietly.
"You just got here, so you don't know our village. We have a King Oolong. He can transform into all sorts of things and only goes after young girls."
Li Xing immediately understood.
He also realized where he was, and knew what kind of creature the so-called monster was.
He eyed the man with a strange expression.
"What other terrible things has he done?"
"Nothing. He just abducts girls."
Li Xing's gaze grew even more penetrating.
"If he abducts girls and doesn't want men, what are you so scared of?
"Are you afraid he'll leave you with a torn-up chrysanthemum and a bruised backside?"
The man hadn't been exposed to a wealth of information like Li Xing had. He stared at him in confusion.
Li Xing shook his head.
These villagers were hopeless. If they'd just been a little braver and resisted, they could have found out what Oolong was really like.
Instead, every last one of them was a coward.
He was just about to say he'd help the village deal with Oolong.
"Ding! The host has developed an improper idea. Defying the choice will lead to undesirable consequences."
Li Xing's chest heaved rapidly. He ignored the man's bewildered and frightened expression.
Grabbing a shovel, he walked past the man, opened the door, and strode out of the house.
The man who had rescued Li Xing looked terrified. "Hey! Y-you..."
Li Xing was in a bad mood and barked, "Shut up! I'm leaving. You can keep hiding here like the spineless man you are." As he spoke, he headed out of the village.
His face dark with anger, he questioned the Super Choice System in his mind.
"System, how can you know what I'm thinking? If you don't explain yourself, you and I are going to have a problem."
"Ding. You're overthinking it. With your level of strength, even Master Roshi could read your thoughts while standing in front of you wearing sunglasses.
"If you want to block the system, work on getting stronger."
Li Xing's expression remained grim.
No matter how you looked at it, having someone know your thoughts was unpleasant, frightening, and something to be wary of.
"The system can detect any thoughts the host has related to making a choice. The host cannot block it."
Li Xing was at a loss for words.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"One more thing. Why are your rewards so small?
"Don't think you can fool me. I read novels too. Those God-Level Choice Systems hand out tens of thousands of battle power at the drop of a hat. What kind of rewards are you giving me?
"Your choices are bad enough, and the rewards are pathetic too."
Li Xing was thoroughly disgusted with both the system and himself.
Before you continue