CHAPTER 2 — THE FIRST SACRIFICE
The alley felt quieter than before.
The orphan clung to the stale bread like it was the last remaining proof he was alive. His gaze darted between Lin Yuan and the drunkard with animal alertness, too weak to run, too desperate to let go of even rotten food.
Lin Yuan didn't hurry.
He stepped toward the slumped vagrant with measured calm, his footsteps muffled by the damp filth beneath his bare feet. His body was weak—muscles frail, breath shallow—but his mind moved like a sharpened blade.
[Potential Fate Alteration Detected]
The system's cold voice echoed not in sound, but directly inside his consciousness:
[Target 1: Unnamed Orphan]
• Fate: Dies of cold and starvation in 3 days.
• Karmic Weight: Negligible.
[Desired Alteration: Preserve life, alter fate trajectory]
[Equivalent Exchange Required]
The red thread between the orphan and the drunkard pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
[Target 2: Drunken Vagrant]
• Fate: Dies in 7 days due to liver decay.
• Karmic Weight: Negligible.
• World Impact: None.
[Exchange Viability: Acceptable — 1:1 Minor Fate Swap]
Then, a new line of text appeared.
[Warning: Initiating a Fate Rewrite will bind your soul to the Karma Mechanism. Emotional detachment increases stability. Hesitation increases backlash.]
[Proceed? — Y/N]
Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
So even hesitation was part of the system's calculus.
This world did not reward hesitation. Only decisive execution.
He reached down.
The drunken vagrant's breathing was ragged, shallow… almost begging to be taken. The man stirred as Lin Yuan placed a hand on his chest.
For a moment, there was a flicker of humanity — a dying man sensing death nearby.
Then—
"Y."
He did not speak it aloud. He thought it, with complete clarity.
The system responded instantly.
⸻
[Fate Thread Severing — Initiated]
[Karmic Balance Calculation: Stable]
[Warning: First Sacrifice — Host Soul Resonance Will Be Recorded]
[Proceeding…]
⸻
Lin Yuan's fingers tightened around the man's throat.
There was no struggle.
The vagrant's eyes fluttered open for an instant. Confusion. Fear. A faint, pitiful sound escaped him—more breath than thought.
Lin Yuan watched impassively.
He felt no guilt.
Only… observation.
The life beneath his grip faded like a candle starved of air. The final heartbeat echoed strangely in his mind, as if amplified by unseen walls.
Thump.
[Life Thread Severed]
[+1 Life Thread Acquired]
[Karmic Exchange Locked — Orphan Fate Shifted]
The body went completely still.
No heavenly roar. No divine punishment. The world remained silent.
But—
He felt something pierce into him. Not guilt. Not horror. Something far more dangerous.
Acknowledgment.
The system pulsed.
[First Blood Recorded]
[Karmic Resonance Awakening…]
[Host has taken a life to alter fate. Karma System Core Link Strengthened.]
A red mark appeared faintly across the back of his hand — not a wound, not a tattoo. A thread-shaped sigil, glowing with faint karmic light.
Lin Yuan glanced at it with calm interest.
So this is the price… and the reward.
He turned back to the orphan.
The boy, frozen in terror, had dropped the bread. His lips trembled, eyes wide, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Lin Yuan approached.
The boy flinched violently.
Lin Yuan didn't reach for him.
Instead, he picked up the bread, brushed it off with clinical detachment, and handed it back.
The orphan stared, confused. The fear did not fade — but confusion now mixed with desperate hope.
Inside his mind, the system whispered:
[Minor Fate Trajectory Adjusted: Orphan now survives initial death event. New fate unknown.]
[Karma Points Gained: 1]
[Life Threads Remaining: 0]
[System Notice: Repeat sacrifices will reduce emotional cost. Host adaptability being evaluated.]
He paused.
Then, a final line appeared:
[Query: Does Host feel remorse?]
[Answer Required — Yes/No]
Lin Yuan looked at the corpse.
Then at the trembling orphan.
His response was cold and immediate.
"No."
⸻
The system fell silent for a heartbeat—
Then:
[Host Psychological Profile: Accepted — Suitable for Causality Path]
[Unlocking: Spirit Thread Awakening Prerequisite]
[Next Step: Bind First Karmic Thread]
In that moment, far beyond mortal sight, somewhere unseen in the web of fate—that faint red thread on Lin Yuan's hand connected to the world.
And something old… noticed.