As the girl in emerald robes stepped closer, her scent—a mix of crushed mint and ancient earth—filled Fang Yuan's senses. The System's UI turned a sharp, neon blue as it processed her existence.
[System Scan Complete. Target Identified.]
NAME: Lin Xiao.
ROLE: The Fallen Saintess / Future "Divine Doctor of the Apocalypse."
CURRENT REALM: Qi Condensation - Rank 7 (Mortal Grade).
FATE STATUS: Crucial Protagonist.
Fang Yuan watched the data stream. Lin Xiao wasn't a warrior; she was a catalyst. In the "Original Script" of this world, she was destined to discover a cure for a global plague known as the "Wither-Rot," saving the Jade Mist Realm from total annihilation.
But there was a darker layer. The Jade Mist Realm was a "Rank 2 Pharmaceutical World." It was essentially a massive laboratory for the Higher Realms. The plague wasn't an accident; it was a "stress test" conducted by the Higher Realms to force the evolution of a perfect medicinal soul. Lin Xiao was the lab rat destined to suffer until she "ascended" to provide the cure.
[World Status: Jade Mist Realm (Rank 2). Condition: Early-Stage Infestation. Population Fate: 90% Extinction Probability within 5 years.]
Fang Yuan's internal core throbbed with agony, but his mind remained sharp. "A healer," he thought. "The universe is trying to provide its hero with a savior... but it provided her to me instead."
Lin Xiao knelt beside him, her hands glowing with a soft, green light. "Don't move," she whispered, her voice trembling but determined. "Your energy is... terrifying. It's tearing you apart from the inside. How are you even alive?"
Fang Yuan looked into her eyes. He could see her future: she would sacrifice her own life-force to save a world that would eventually betray her.
"System," Fang Yuan commanded silently. "If I devour her path now, can I stabilize my core?"
[Answer: Negative. Her current power is too low. However, if you 'protect' her growth and allow her to refine the Divine Medicine, you can plunder the finished result. Host's current internal damage requires her specific 'Vitality Qi' to prevent core collapse.]
Fang Yuan's bloody lips curled into a faint, predatory smile. He didn't need a savior; he needed a tool.
"Help me..." Fang Yuan managed to say, his voice a deceptive rasp of weakness. "And I will give you the power... to stop the rot."