The "accidental" hug on the balcony, which had lasted less than ten seconds, was like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending layers of indescribable ripples through the space between Luo Li and Castorice.
Over the next few days, the atmosphere between them became somewhat subtle.
Luo Li continued to do his utmost to play the roles of "kindhearted landlord" and "otherworldly life instructor," but his gaze kept following Castorice without his realizing it. Whenever their eyes happened to meet, they would both quickly look away like startled deer, an unspoken awkwardness and... fluttering filled the air.
Castorice also seemed to be deliberately keeping a little distance, but that distance was not rejection. It was more like a flustered shyness.
She became even more diligent when learning to use various modern items, as though she wanted to prove through mastering these skills that she was not a complete burden. Sometimes, while Luo Li patiently explained things, she would secretly glance up at his focused profile, then quickly lower her head, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
[Ding! Due to her intimate contact with the host (incomplete version) and the subsequent subtle atmosphere, target "Castorice" has experienced ongoing emotional fluctuations. Her concern for the host has increased significantly. Affection +4. Current affection: 64%!]
The steady rise in affection greatly encouraged Luo Li, but the task of "hugging for ten consecutive seconds" stood before him like a mountain.
That last 5.3-second "accident" had already been his limit. Finding another opportunity would be as difficult as taking on five opponents alone with Yuan Ge in a peak match.
Just as Luo Li was racking his brains over how to "naturally" create another opportunity for a hug, the system gave him another enormous surprise-or rather, a fright.
[Ding! Target "Castorice" has been detected to have reached the required levels of trust in and dependence on the host (affection >60%), and has initially adapted to this world's basic rules of daily life.] [The "identity rationalization" assistance plan is ready and will now be issued!] [Plan details: Generate complete identity information for target "Castorice" that complies with the Longxia Faction's household registration regulations (including an identity card number, registered household address, basic personal history, etc.), and ensure that this information can pass preliminary official verification.] [Note: This plan is intended to provide a basic cover identity. It cannot grant an actual historical trail or extensive social connections. There remains a risk of exposure during high-level checks involving biometric verification or background tracing. The host is advised to exercise caution and improve the target's integration into society as soon as possible to reduce the risk.]
As Luo Li read the words displayed on the system's light screen in his mind, his first reaction was wild delight-he could finally see a glimmer of hope for resolving the undocumented status that had troubled him for so long.
But immediately afterward, a chill crept up his spine.
Longxia's household registration system was the strictest and most technologically advanced among the five major factions.
DNA, iris, and fingerprint information for almost the entire population had already been entered by the end of the old era. After the viral outbreak, the system had undergone multiple upgrades and enhancements, becoming deeply linked with energy allocations, security permissions, and movement tracking.
From birth to death, every legal citizen's information trail in the database had records to back it up.
An entire living person appearing out of thin air, complete with a full set of "legal" identity information? How could that possibly escape the authorities' scanning terminals? Even the portable scanner carried by an ordinary community grid officer could determine its authenticity with a single scan!
System... are you sure this will work? Luo Li cried inwardly, full of doubt. Longxia's database is no joke! One casual scan, and if there's no matching record in the database, it'll immediately trigger an alarm!
[Please rest assured, host.]
The system's electronic voice remained utterly flat.
[The "identity rationalization" plan provided by this system is not crude data forgery. It is "information completion" and "existence anchoring" at the level of rules.] [Simply put, the system will write a logically consistent set of basic information for target "Castorice" into the Longxia household registration database's "reasonable redundancy range" and "historical data migration buffer zone." During routine checks (such as community registration, employment in nonsensitive positions, or ordinary travel), this information will appear as "existing, but information incomplete" or an "early paper archive digitization migration entry," thereby passing preliminary verification.] [The principle is similar to "hitchhiking" on the minor discrepancies permitted during database maintenance and historical legacy data that has not been updated in time. Unless the highest level of "biometric origin verification" is initiated, or the central mainframe performs a database-wide consistency check, it will not be easily exposed.]
Luo Li only half understood what he heard, but he grasped the general idea: the system was not forcibly stuffing a fabricated identity into the database. Instead, it was exploiting certain "loopholes" and "gray areas" that might exist within the enormous database itself, arranging an identity for Castorice that "appeared to exist, but whose details would not withstand close scrutiny."
It was like quietly adding a correctly formatted but unverifiable entry to a vast, ancient archive in which a few pages occasionally had blurred or missing text.
"Can this... really fool a scanner?"
Luo Li still felt uncertain.
The whole operation sounded far too outlandish. It was practically challenging the technological foundation on which Longxia maintained order.
[A temporary verification item has been generated for the host: "Information Anchoring Interferer (single-use)."] [Effect: For the next 24 hours, the results of any identity check performed on target "Castorice" below the highest level will be temporarily directed to the system's preset "rationalized" information entry.] [The host is advised to use this window to complete the target's preliminary identity registration as soon as possible (such as visiting a community service center to register temporary residence), in order to consolidate the legitimacy of her "existence." After the window expires, this identity information will enter the database's regular maintenance cycle. Its "legitimacy" will gradually strengthen with time and the addition of subsequent information.]
A virtual item icon about the size of a USB drive, glowing with faint blue light, appeared in the system space.
Looking at the item, Luo Li felt his heartbeat quicken again.
He only had one chance-24 hours!
If it worked, Castorice could escape the shadow of being undocumented. At the very least, she could move around the city relatively freely, without spending every day on edge.
If it failed... the consequences would be unthinkable.
Should I take the gamble?
Luo Li looked toward Castorice, who was sitting quietly on the living room sofa, watching an educational video about plants on the tablet.
Her head was tilted slightly, her expression focused and gentle, the vibrant green on the screen reflected in her purple eyes.
He remembered the "detention facilities" and "labor in fringe regions" that Yang Shan had mentioned, and Castorice's hands, which should have touched the stars and the River of Souls, not cold assembly lines.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Li made up his mind.
Do it!
He walked over and sat beside Castorice, trying to keep his tone calm and natural. "Castorice, there's something I need to tell you."
Castorice raised her head and looked at him questioningly.
"About your identity... I might have found a way." Luo Li chose his words carefully. "We could try getting you... a legal identity here."
Castorice's purple eyes lit up instantly with incredulous delight. "Really? I... won't have to hide anymore?"
"Yes, we can try."
Luo Li nodded, but his expression remained serious. "But the process takes a bit of... a shortcut-it's not guaranteed to work, and even if it does, it might not stand up to a very strict investigation later..."
"Would you... be willing to try?"
Castorice barely hesitated. She nodded firmly, her gaze resolute. "I would. I trust you, Luo Li."
[Ding! Target "Castorice" feels immense gratitude and dependence for the trust and hope given by the host. Affection +5. Current affection: 69%!]
69%! Only one step away from the 70% Path Awakening threshold!
Luo Li felt invigorated, but what lay before him was more important right now.
He immediately issued an instruction to the system in his mind. System, use the Information Anchoring Interferer and execute the "identity rationalization" plan!
[Instruction confirmed. "Information Anchoring Interferer" activated. Duration: 24 hours.] [Executing "identity rationalization" plan... Generating identity information for target "Castorice"...] [Name: Castorice] [Sex: Female] [Ethnicity: Han]
(Note: Fabricated.)
[Date of birth: Converting from the Amphoreus calendar... Current age set to approximately 18]
(Note: This was actually a little conservative. After all, Castorice's true age was at least a thousand years.)
[Citizen identity number: Generated (complies with Longxia numbering rules)] [Registered household address: Set to a fringe city within the Longxia Faction (some information missing due to early archive digitization migration; pending supplementation)] [Current residence: XX Subdistrict, XX District, Jiangcheng (registration required)] [Information successfully written to the target "rationalization" buffer zone. The host is advised to take the target to the community service center as soon as possible to complete temporary residence registration and solidify the information.]
It worked!
Luo Li felt his palms sweating.
He looked at Castorice. Now, in his eyes, the girl seemed shrouded in a faint blue glow that only he could see, a sign that the system item had taken effect.
"We're going to the community service center right now!"
Luo Li took Castorice's hand, his voice carrying a do-or-die resolve.
Castorice was startled by his sudden movement, but feeling the warmth of his palm and the firm strength of his grip, she gently squeezed his hand back and nodded. "All right."
They quickly got ready, with Castorice still wearing the baseball cap and black-framed glasses as a disguise.
Feeling as though he were heading to the execution ground, Luo Li led her into the community service center near the residential complex.
People came and went through the lobby, while staff bustled behind the counters.
Taking a number, waiting... every minute and second felt extraordinarily long.
At last, it was their turn.
Luo Li took a deep breath, approached the counter, and forced a natural smile for the stern-looking middle-aged woman behind it. "Hello, we're here to register temporary residence."
Without even looking up, the staff member deftly handed over a form. "Fill this out. Identity card."
Luo Li's heart leaped into his throat. He motioned for Castorice to hand over the brand-new identity card that the system had just "generated," still warm to the touch.
The staff member took the card and casually swiped it across a palm-sized black scanner beside her-
"Beep."
A soft sound rang out.
Luo Li almost stopped breathing, staring intently at the staff member's expression and the screen.
The staff member glanced at the screen and frowned slightly, tapping a few keys as though checking something.
Luo Li's heart sank... Were they about to be exposed?
But the staff member merely muttered, "Hmm? From a fringe city? An early archive. Some of the information's missing..."
Then she picked up the form and began entering information from the identity card. "All right, fill out the form. Write the address in detail. Remember to complete the missing information the next time you renew your identity card."
Luo Li could hardly believe his ears!
It passed?! Just like that... it passed?!
Holding back his excitement, he hurriedly took the form, filled it out with Castorice as quickly as possible, and handed it back.
The staff member checked it, found no errors, completed the registration in the system, and returned Castorice's identity card. "All done. Registration complete-if you stay long-term, remember to update your information promptly."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Luo Li thanked her repeatedly and, taking the still somewhat bewildered Castorice with him, practically fled the service center.
Only after stepping outside did Luo Li let out a long breath, feeling that his back was already soaked in cold sweat.
He looked at Castorice beside him. She was looking down at the small yet immensely meaningful identity card in her hand, her fingertips gently brushing her name and photograph on it (the system had collected and generated the photograph at some unknown point; it showed her current appearance). Her purple eyes were filled with wonder and a relieved ease.
"Luo Li... is that all we needed to do?"
She lifted her head, her eyes shining with hope.
"Yes! For now... we're all set!"
Luo Li nodded emphatically, a brilliant, heartfelt smile finally spreading across his face.
Although he knew this was only the first step and that risks might still lie ahead, at least they had successfully taken the most difficult step.
Looking at his relieved smile, Castorice's eyes curved too. She carefully put away the identity card and said softly, "Thank you, Luo Li... really, thank you so much."
[Ding! Having obtained a legal identity, target "Castorice" has experienced a substantial increase in her sense of security and belonging, and feels gratitude for everything the host has done for her. Affection +6. Current affection: 75%!] [Ding! Congratulations, host! Target "Castorice" has reached 75% affection, exceeding the requirement for Path Awakening prerequisite (1)! Please continue working toward completing the remaining conditions!]
75%! He had even exceeded the requirement!
Listening to the system's notifications and looking at the brightly smiling girl before him, Luo Li felt as though the entire world had grown brighter.
Path Awakening really seemed... no longer so far out of reach!
And as Castorice looked at Luo Li's face, faintly aglow with excitement, her dependence and trust quietly took root, spreading and growing like vines.
This person had taken a great risk for her...
She secretly tightened her grip on the identity card in her pocket, an unfamiliar, warm emotion filling her heart.
(PS: If this chapter gets more than 20 update requests, I'll post an extra chapter today.)