The system's words floated in front of me, glowing faintly in the air.
But I didn't care.
What use was a system now?
What good were quests, glowing panels, or promised power,
when my entire world had turned to bone and smoke?
I turned away from the light.
My feet moved on their own, heavy as stone.
Back to the place that used to be home.
The flames had mostly died.
Only a few embers still cracked and hissed in the charred ruins.
I stepped through what remained of our doorway—
and saw them.
Three skeletons.
Huddled together.
As if even in their final moments… they had tried to protect one another.
There was no flesh left.
No faces.
Only bones wrapped in ash.
But I knew them.
Father's height.
Mother's shawl, scorched but still clinging to a rib.
And my little sister's hairpin, blackened but unbroken.
Something shattered inside me.
I fell to my knees.
But I didn't scream.
I just… wept.
Silently.
Endlessly.
The world blurred through tears and smoke.
My hands trembled as I reached for them.
Not to wake them. I knew I couldn't.
Just to hold them one last time.
Carefully, with all the gentleness I had,
I gathered what remained.
I carried them outside, one by one.
Laid them on the earth, like they were sleeping.
And for a while, I simply sat there,
hands black with ash,
face soaked with grief.
Time passed.
I don't know how long.
But eventually… I breathed.
And in that breath, I remembered my vow.
"I couldn't protect you," I whispered.
"But I swear… I won't let this happen to anyone else. Not while I'm alive.
If I ever gain the strength… I'll use it to protect."
Just then—
A soft chime echoed.
The system shimmered faintly before my eyes again.
Objective:
Bury the remains of your parents and sister at the peak of Yinlu Mountain.
Location: Yinlu Sacred Peak — 9,300 feet above sea level, 17 kilometers north of Yinlu Village.
Reward:
– System Function Unlock
– 1x Founding Scroll: Grade 0 Sect Creation
Note: This is the most suitable resting place. Let them sleep where the sky is clear.
Yinlu Mountain.
A sacred place, even before the fire.
The villagers once said its peak touched the stars.
Now, its silence was all that remained.
Seventeen kilometers.
Upward.
Alone.
No beasts.
No disciples.
Just me and the dead I loved.
I rose slowly.
My knees cracked.
My back ached.
But my resolve… held firm.
I had a few silver coins left.
I made my way to the nearby market town—walking, head down, hands stained with ash.
There, I bartered what I had.
Father's old belt buckle.
A pendant from my mother.
The coins I had saved.
I bought a wooden pushcart.
Wheels chipped.
Frame weathered.
But strong enough to carry what mattered most.
With the last of my money, I bought a sack of dried food and a flask of clean water.
No mule.
No ox.
Only me.
I returned to the ruins before sunset.
The air was still.
Even the wind didn't dare move.
I laid their bones into the cart carefully—like tucking them into bed one last time.
Wrapped them in cloth.
Tied it down so the wind wouldn't disturb them.
Then I placed my hands on the cart's worn handle—
and pushed.
Yinlu Mountain stood over 9,000 feet tall, its peak hidden in drifting clouds.
The path twisted through ancient forests and jagged cliffs.
At its base began a narrow trail—stone, dirt, and memory.
Seventeen kilometers.
That's all it was.
But with each step, the road grew steeper.
The air thinner.
The weight heavier.
Not just on my back—
but in my heart.
Every push of the cart scraped the ground like a whisper from the dead.
Every time the wheel caught on a rock,
I clenched my teeth and pressed forward.
I didn't cry.
I had no more tears left.
Only purpose.
Because this was the last thing I could do for them.
And no matter how long it took—
I would reach the peak.
Even if it broke me.
Days passed.
But finally—
I reached the top.
The clouds parted as I crested the final slope.
The sky was bluer than I remembered.
The wind… was gentle.
Here, above the world,
I dug three graves.
With my bare hands.
One for my father.
One for my mother.
And one for my sister.
I laid them to rest with reverence.
Placed their belongings beside them.
And then I stood, silent.
"I'll carry this pain," I said softly.
"But don't worry, Father.
I swear—
I will protect the weak."
Quest Completed: Lay Them to Rest
System Unlocked: The Protector's Path
Reward Granted:
– 1x Sect Creation Scroll (Grade 0)
– Base Functions Activated
The scroll appeared in a flash of light—
glowing with ancient script and pulsing with quiet power.
Then a panel opened before me:
System Overview: Protector-Type
You cannot protect everyone alone.
Create a sect that shields the forgotten.
Raise protectors. Teach the powerless.
And change this world from the roots.
Core Functions Unlocked:
1. Custom Cultivation System Design
– Based on imagination
– Evolves with sect level
– Optional: No spiritual roots required
2. Power Sync
– Host's strength scales with sect grade
– At Grade One, Host matches the strongest cultivator of the sect (realm only)
3. Technique Creation (Monthly)
– Once per month, create one original technique
– Rewards:
a) Become first master of the technique
b) Gain one Summon Card
– Collect multiple cards to summon a composite being
4. Student Recruitment Rewards
– Accepting disciples grants contributions, resources, and sect growth
Note: Summoned beings are real, have their own emotions, and exist as true cultivators. Their memories adjust to understand your sect's role.
I stared at the scroll in my hand.
And for the first time since the fire…
I felt something close to hope.
I bowed my head—not to the system,
but to the one who brought it.
Even if they weren't here anymore…
Thank you, Messenger.
But that… was where I was wrong.
That Messenger… had never been here to begin with.
It had been watching me, all along.
I took a deep breath, then used the scroll.
A second light erupted.
Warning: Spiritual energy levels are extremely low in this region.
Are you sure you wish to found your sect here?
"Yes," I said firmly.
Then what shall this new sect be called?
I looked toward the graves behind me.
"I will name it… Ashen Vow Sect."
The name… came from the ashes I carried in my heart,
and the vow I made when I could no longer cry.
Ashes, because I was born from ruin.
Vow, because I would protect the weak, no matter what it cost.
In a flash, the land changed.
A small sect compound appeared before me.
At the front—an elegant wooden gate.
Above it, engraved in burnished silver:
Ashen Vow Sect
I stepped through.
And for the first time in my life—
I saw home.
A great courtyard opened before me.
At its center stood the Main Hall, tall and solemn.
To the left—Elder Hall.
Ten small houses, quiet and waiting,
as if ready to welcome those who would one day guide others.
To the right—Disciples' Quarters.
Five hundred modest homes, enough for a future I hadn't yet seen.
Enough for a family I had yet to build.
And behind the Main Hall, facing the sky—
three simple graves.
My father.
My mother.
My little sister.
Here, they would rest beneath the stars.
Here, they would watch the sect I would build.
I stood there, wind brushing through my hair,
and whispered the words I had no one left to say them to:
"This is my home now."