Chapter Text
It all started with a stupid game.
I had gone drinking after a con; me and my best friend wanted to make our weekend even better. The game was simple, a mix of gay chiken and wish-making. If you get the poki, you could get the candle to make a wish.
I had won as my lips closed around the cookie just a millimeters from my best friend’s, Anna pushed me away with a laugh, passing the candle on my extended hand and switching on the lighter.
“Aww, I wish I could meet Wei Ying!” I said dreamly, drunkenly. Wish I could save him from the pain he had to go through.
“I wish I could kiss Meng Yao!” Anna chorused.
Mo dao zu shi was our favourite show, in all its forms. We were actually cosplaying Nie Huaisang and Lan Xichen at the moment.
“Shut up, Meng Yao is a bitch.” I giggle at Anna,
“Yes, but he’s an adorable bitch.” Anna answered with a twist of her lips.
I snort in my drink.
Anna’s not wrong,
I also like Meng Yao, but Jin Guangyao? Not so much.
We were on our way out the bar when a man collided with us.
“Hey, watch out!” Anna called out.
But I choked on my words at seeing his face. Or what should have been his face. There wasn’t anything there. Just darkness. He took my arm, steading me. I gasped, sobering up as fear crawled in my heart.
“You should be more careful, darling.” He practically purred the endearment. I shivered, unable to look away. “A deal is a deal, and you just made one. Hope you enjoy it.”
Around us the world faded, the voices vanished and there were only the two of us inside the room.
He put a golden coin on my open hand.
I screamed as it turned red, unable to let go, even as my flesh burned. I cried and begged until my mind blacked out from the pain.
My alarm was ringing in the background. I grunt, my head hurts and I don’t really want to wake up. I extend my hand, looking for my phone. Except there's no phone, just a blue scream floating just in front of my face.
[The system welcomes the new player into Mao da zu shi: The Untamed. Congratulations on achieving: A deal to go on an Isekai Adventure! To make your adventure more immersive we have decide to make you part of the Four Sects and integral part of the plot. ]
Oh, no.
I knew this trope and didn’t like it one bit. This was the worst kind of Isekai possible. Everyone and their mother knew that if you were trapped with a system, there wasn’t any way to escape until you won the game.
[Your principal quest during this adventure is: Let’s save Da-ge! But we encourage you to complete the secondary quest as well for more fun. The system is also open to allow a: War of ships should you be interested in playing in a more romantic setting.]
I choked with my own spit, staring at the black words that just continued to appear. If I was understanding this correctly, the system had made me Nie Huaisang (as NMJ was the only Da-ge that needed saving) and was offering me the possibility of having a harem.
What the absolutely fuck.
The text disappeared and only left two buttons, one that said ‘Let’s start!’ and one that said ‘Status’. It was rader rudimentary, if I was being sincere. Something much simpler than most systems I had seen in recent video games.
I wondered if it was sentient, “System, can you understand me?”
Nothing.
Huh, that was anticlimactic. And irritating, because it only left me with the option of start the game and go with it.
I sighed and pressed the ‘Let’s start!’ button.
The blue screen flashe out, disappearing.
[Good morning, My Lord.] Sebastian’s voice said near my ear, making me shiver and turn my head abruptly, looking for the owner of said voice. I find nothing but air. [My name is Sebastian and I will be your connection to the SYSTEM.]
It sounded amused and I blushed in mortification. It seemed that the SYSTEM was indeed sentient and had been offended when I said it was a boring one. This, I knew deeply in my soul.
“H-Hello, Sebastian.” I said, my face still being red. Kuroshitsuji was also one of my favorite shows and I had that sexy voice speaking to me was a dream come true. “So, ah, can you tell me a little more about the game?”
[Of course, My Lord.] Fuck, I really had problems. [As stated before, this is an adventuring game. Our principal mission is to save Nie Minjue from his demise at Jin Guangyao's hands, but you can explore and interact as much as you want with the other characters. Your decisions will mark the plot and there’s nothing you’re prohibited.]
Huh, so it would be alright if I wanted to become a villain and conquer the world?
[As long as you don’t let Nie Minjue get killed by Jin Guangyao, yes.]
It was interesting that the system was that specific. Not even to avoid NMJ to get murdered, just not at JGY’s hands.
That was certainly curious.
“If I’m NHS, then my status is very low.” I missed out loud, “Is there any chance I can get stronger?
[Certainly, my Lord.] Sebastian sounded pleased, it made me smile. There was little I wouldn’t do to hear that purr in his voice. [Would you wish me to mark those as imperative quests?]
“Yes, please.”
[Understood. I have set a daily quest to gain a higher level of cultivation.]
“...Thank you, Sebastian.” Now, thinking about it more. I’m not sure this was a good idea. I’ve just remembered how he trained Ciel and I’m fearing for my life.
[You’re welcome, my Lord.] He sounds too smug for my liking.
I shiver, cough, and try to shake the feeling. “Uhn, where in the time-line am I?”
[A week before being send to Gusu Lan to learn.]
I sighed with relief, that was good. Just enough time to get my show together but close enough to the actual plot that I won’t lose my mind worrying about what is coming.
[Would you like me to download Nie Huaisang’s memories?] Sebastian asks, I humm thoughtfully. That certainly would be helpful.
“Go on.”
I closed my eyes as Natasha.
I opened my eyes as Nie Huaisang, younger brother of Sect Leader Nie Minjue and heir of the Unclean Realm.
Sebastian had done more than just downland my memories, he had erased most of my life as Natasha. Leaving just enough for me to keep a clear mind when it came to the new situation I was in.
I sighed, suddenly tired. This was going to be a terrible hustle, war was coming and even when the Wen’s were gone, things would just be more of the same shit.
I needed a plan, well a better plan than: Kill Jin Guangshan and make everything better.
But I had a week to polish the details.
Now, what I needed was to get dressed and get to the hall for breakfast. I groaned to myself as I got from the bed, I was already late and Da-ge would yell at me.
As I dressed I couldn’t help but notice that my clothes were incredibly pretty, just how my room was gorgeous (it gave to the gardens where my pets where) and my collection of fans being even more enchanting and luxurious. All examples of how loved I was. But what mattered the most was that Da-ge never really minded my lack of cultivation and enabled my games with fond exasperation.
My brother loves me.
It’s an obvious realization; so obvious that it hurts.
Before this, to me, Da-ge was big and strong, he held the sky on his shoulders. Nothing could bring him down. That’s what I believed before this, before my eyes were forced open.
Now, I knew that he was indeed big and strong. But he wasn’t invencible. He needed someone to watch his back and I would be that person. Yet, I had to be careful. My brother allowed me to be soft and pampered because he didn’t want to show me the cruelty of the world.
I must be careful to keep him believing that I was still ignorant to said darkness.
After all, I want my Da-ge to be happy.
(And a worried Da-ge is not a happy Da-ge)
So, fuck the mission. I wanted this to be my principal mission: Make Da-ge happy! And of course, that meant no dying and making me sect leader.
“Da-ge! Good morning!” I say happily as I get into my seat, ignoring the amused looks from the servants and the irritated expression on my brother’s face.
“Huaisang! You’re late. Again.” The throbbing vein on his forehead would worry me more if I hadn’t seen it since I was very young. So, of course, I limited myself to smile innocently at him as I babbled sweet nothings about my little birds, blaming the sun and other things for my tardiness.
My poor brother just sighs angrily and tells me to eat my food.
I do with a content sigh.
The rest of the day I spent asking questions to Sebastian about exactly how much I could play with the timeline. As Natasha, I hadn’t been really interested. But as Huaisang, there was nothing that could hold my interest right now.
Sebastian (And the SYSTEM) were cheat points in life. Of course, I was curious about exactly what they could do.
By the end of the day, I had a better idea of what I wanted to do and I went to bed with a smile on my lips.
This was going to be such much fun.