System Update

"Click..."

Xiao Ying opened the door and went in. Whether because the authorities had guarded the place or because the various factions had reached a tacit understanding, he could not tell.

Everything inside was as it had been. Clearly, no one had entered. A visible layer of dust had settled over the floor, the furniture, and everything else.

Of course, whether through technology or the powers of the various civilizations, it was easy to tell if someone was inside a room. There was no need to enter, alert the snake by beating the grass, and invite needless trouble.

"Hummm..."

At some point, the power had been cut off. Xiao Ying activated the advanced smart-home system he had paid dearly to install last time. Appliances hummed, and bulbs lit up one by one, flooding the room with light...

The ventilation and vacuum systems started automatically, while smart household robots began wiping things down.

In moments, the deathly stillness and faint air of abandonment gave way to a bustle of activity, and the place was soon spotless.

Xiao Ying stood quietly in the living room for more than ten minutes, motionless as a statue.

Lonely. At a loss.

During the last System Update, Xiao Ying had still had brothers and friends to seek out and gather with.

This time, he did not even dare contact them. Life felt lonely and aimless, its pleasures suddenly hollow.

It was not that Xiao Ying feared trouble. He was terrified of dragging those brothers and friends into it. His cultivation was formidable, and he was alone; he could afford to fear no faction or assassin. But what about them?

Perhaps that was life. Gain one thing, and you were bound to lose another.

*To become a king, you had to be ready for a king's loneliness—for