Re: Evolution Online

While the guild was gathering for a meet-up, Liam filled Shen Yue in about the paladin and the weird treasure that he had obtained from him. Shen Yue silently listened to him, but when they were about to head out for the guild meeting, she stopped him.

"Liam, I have a selfish request to ask of you."

Liam turned to her, a faint crease forming between his brows. Shen Yue didn't usually preface her words like that—not with him. "What is it?" he asked softly.

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor for a second before lifting to meet his. "If… if this Eternal System thing really does what it claims—if it can rewrite paths, break rules, change destinies—I want you to consider using it on me."

Liam blinked, caught completely off guard. "What? Why would you—"

"I know I am asking too much. I know there is probably someone else in the guild who has contributed more and who deserves more to use such a treasure, but I want to be selfish this one time, please. Let me use it."

Liam pulled her closer and hugged her, fully understanding what she was trying to say. Shen Yue sobbed in his arms, quiet and restrained, like she had been holding it all in for far too long.

Her fingers clutched at the back of his robes, and for a moment, all the strength she usually wore like armor cracked—revealing the fear beneath. Not fear of death, but of being left behind. Of becoming a shadow in a world that demanded more and more from them every day.

"I don't want to be the one you have to protect all the time," she whispered into his chest. "I want to be someone who protects you, too. Even if just once."

"I don't want to… I want to stay by you… just like Alex… I want to walk beside you. I don't want to age while you are still young. I don't want to die while you are still alive. I want to live a long and happy life with you. I want to do my little part to help you when needed."

"I want to be someone you can rely on. I want to be someone who can protect Mei Mei and the guild. I don't want to be weak and helpless anymore."

Liam closed his eyes and held her tighter. "Yue, you already do. More than you know. It's not that I don't want you to use this. I am telling you this is very risky. I have no idea or control over what is going to happen."

Shen Yue didn't flinch. Her grip on him only grew steadier. "I know. I understand the risks, Liam. But if there's even a chance—just a chance—that it can give me a path that lets me walk beside you… then I want to take it." She pulled back slightly, enough to look into his eyes, her own gaze burning with a rare determination.

Liam stayed silent for a long while. "Fine. You can use it. But first, I need to talk to Eldrin and Tilia. I don't care about using this treasure. I just don't want to lose you. Mei Mei is not the only one I care about. I need you in my life too. I don't want to throw all this away on a whim."

He took out the crystal and looked at it again. "If this is how you feel, then just give me some time, and I will find something else for you. I will help you find more opportunities. There is no need to throw everything away on something unknown and strange."

He was about to place the crystal back again when the cauldron senior's voice rang in his ears. "Brat, you are thinking too much. If it is something found in a system event, then you can confidently use it. There shouldn't be too many risks. I can guarantee you 90% that this thing is safe, and it is something crafted by those freaks, so it should be powerful."

"Senior, can I trust that?" Liam asked inwardly, his eyes never leaving Shen Yue's hopeful face.

The cauldron snorted. "Boy, if this thing was truly a cursed abomination, it would have already tried to rewrite your soul the moment you touched it. The fact that it asked first? That means it follows rules. Rules that you wouldn't understand, but rules nonetheless. If that lass wants to become a freak like you, then this is really her best chance."

Liam's gaze shifted from the crystal to Shen Yue and back again. He sighed. "Alright, Senior. I'll hold you to that 90%."

He looked back at Shen Yue and handed the crystal over with deliberate care. Her fingers trembled slightly as she took it, but her eyes remained steady. "Are you sure about this?" he asked one final time.

"I've never been more sure of anything," she whispered, clutching the crystal to her chest. "No matter what happens, thank you for believing in me. I will not let you down."

Liam gave her a grim smile. "Idiot. Don't think too much. Only think about protecting yourself and your mind. Do you want to activate it now?"

Liam would have preferred to talk to the elf or Tilia but the cauldron senior had weirdly chosen to come out at this time. More than the elf or Tilia, he was more capable of protecting Shen Yue if something bad happened. It was better to do this now while he was still paying attention and out and about.

Shen Yue hesitated for only a heartbeat before nodding. "I am ready."

She took a deep breath, then held the crystal out in front of her. The moment she fed a trace of mana into it, the air changed.

[Ding! Eternal System detected user affinity.]

[Ding! Host accepted. Initiating synchronization…]

[Ding! Do you want power? Do you want to protect the man you love? Do you want to not feel helpless? Would you like to overwrite your fate path and forge a new path through the Eternal System? Warning: This choice is permanent.]