Seized by the System

Fang Ning summarized the current difficulties he faced.

The Fire Lizard’s eyes lit up when he finished speaking.

“It’s true, what they say, good things come to those who wait. The time has finally come for the Dragon Clan to steal the spotlight. The humans are always hogging the spotlight. Oh, how many years have I waited for this…” Tears streamed down the Fire Lizard’s cheeks.

“Eh, it doesn’t know that the individual in front of it transformed from a human.” Sir System chuckled.

“As a Hero System, you must always be sympathetic. Sometimes, the sweetest lies are better than the bitterest truth.” Fang Ning hastily shut the System up.

“Fine, keep on pretending.” Sir System dismissed Fang Ning’s advice.

“Since you already know this insider info, with the current problems at hand, can you really become the Protagonist of the new world by just lying around?” Fang Ning asked seriously.

“Haha, you sure know how to pull my leg, cousin.” The Fire Lizard replied nonchalantly. “When the Upper Realm created the world, humans became the Protagonists of the world in exchange for their blood, tears, deception, toil and shamelessness. If they simply laid around and did nothing, they wouldn’t even be qualified to become slaves today. The Human Saint among the Three Saints, for example, relied on all sorts of deceptive and unscrupulous tactics together with the willingness to take risks and a little bit of luck before he could seize the last Saint position.”

“Eh, this idiot thinks you’re joking. It has no idea that you’re being serious.” Sir System muttered.

“Sigh, looks like lying around is out of the question.” Fang Ning rolled his eyes and spoke. “No, I must push myself to work over these few days.”

After that, he did not wait for Sir System to laugh at him and told the Fire Lizard, “Cousin, it’s also my first time being a Protagonist within the Heavens and Earth. What suggestions do you have?”

The Fire Lizard straightened its back and responded grovelingly.

“Cousin, to become the Protagonist within the Heavens and Earth, we must first define this Protagonist of the Heavens and Earth. Listen to me closely. Why are humans known as Protagonists in the Upper Realm?”

Fang Ning waited for a few seconds and reacted before the Fire Lizard could continue.

He quickly nodded and ordered the System. “System, serve some tea and Dim Sum for my cousin at once, and get us a pavilion.”

“…” Sir System was taken aback. “I have become your servant, haven’t I?”

“Enough of your nonsense. Now’s the time when we work on the strategy to tackle the big picture, so who’s going to serve us besides you?”

“Damn you, you only know how to use the big picture to push me around.”

Following that, a pavilion with a classic architectural style appeared on the ground.

Upon closer inspection, there were three traditional Chinese characters written on the pavilion. However, they were written in a cursive script ¹ which could not be deciphered by a slacker like Fang Ning.

He did not mind and invited the Fire Lizard in. “After you, cousin.”

“Thank you, cousin.” The Fire Lizard immediately stepped into the pavilion and sat down on a stone seat.

It was just like how the encounter between Liu Bei and Kong Ming ¹ was more precious than the numerous meetings experienced in daily life… Wrong, it was like a fish meeting water.

“The humans are in control of the most powerful force in the Upper Realm. They are innovative and are capable of going to the frontiers of a power shift to face dangerous situations, hence they are known as the Protagonists of the Heavens and Earth.” The Fire Lizard wolfed down a plate of Dim Sum and heaved a sigh of satisfaction. “That’s why being a Protagonist isn’t something you just sign up for. You must first possess the might of a Protagonist before you can become one, instead of possessing relative might once you become the Protagonist. Moreover, you must keep up with the times, or else the position of the Protagonist will be easily lost.”

“After the Upper Realm created the world, it was the era when the newborn Heavenly Axiom and a few Supremes became the Protagonists, but they soon took a back seat. It was because they were well aware of the difficulties to excel in the role of Protagonists by relying on their individual strengths. They needed the profound quintessence of a clan which could adapt to the continuous changes of the Heavens and Earth. Therefore, they began to select a Protagonist of the Heavens and Earth. At first, our mighty ancient Dragon Clan was selected, followed by the Demon Clan. The spirits and devils also became the Protagonists of the Heavens and Earth for a short period. Finally, the role was bestowed upon the most adaptive beings of all — humans.”

“I see. Simply put, the Protagonist of the Heavens and Earth is a representative chosen by the Heavens and Earth to handle all kinds of dangers in the Heavens and Earth. Am I right, cousin?” Fang Ning asked.

“You have a strong sense of perception, cousin. No wonder you’re able to cultivate the form of the True Dragon. It’s a shame I can’t do the same.” The Fire Lizard hastily buttered him up as it drank a cup of fragrant tea.

“Hehe, if you say so, I do have an idea.” Fang Ning remarked confidently.

“Eh, may I know what your idea is, cousin?”

“As long as someone who has love in his heart and is willing to devote himself to justice, he can become a member of the New Dragon Clan. His family background won’t be considered.” Fang Ning spoke in a firm and righteous tone.

The Fire Lizard was stunned. It looked at the virtuous fellow in front of it and began to contemplate.

‘What was all that talk about love and devoting oneself to justice? Did I rely on the wrong person?’

A dumb*ss like him looked like the kind who would get into deep sh*t. It recalled an event in the history of the Dragon Clan where there were also honest and good people who fought to gain the position of a Saint. Alas, they died horrible deaths and they were not even qualified for reincarnation.

On the contrary, the shameless, diabolical, determined, and far-sighted fellow managed to seize the spot.

‘Previously, this cheap cousin of mine didn’t seem like such a fool.’

‘Was this fellow an absolute mismatch for the job?’

The Fire Lizard thought long and hard. It had reunited with its relative a while ago and it was not easy to just up and leave, so it was better to stay and observe the situation first.

Thus, it said fakely. “I understand what you said, cousin. You want to continue the direction of the Upper Realm Dragon Clan, allow powerhouses from each clan to cultivate to beings of the Dragon species and select the powerhouses to become a member of our clan.”

“Correct. As they say, the sea is able to contain hundreds of rivers. Isolation is suicide. Like the sea, it’s only through openness and tolerance that we can achieve greatness and might.” Fang Ning asserted. “However, under such an open-door policy, we’ll also attract unsavory types, so we must set an acceptance requirement. That requirement will be love and justice.”

“Sigh, you’re honorable indeed and this puts me to shame. Still, powerhouses are often selfish. It’s extremely rare to see them showing sympathy towards regular humans, let alone love. If we can’t recruit enough powerhouses, how will we strengthen our New Dragon Clan and occupy the position of the Protagonist?” The Fire Lizard was not confident about Fang Ning’s plan, but it was reluctant to point out the flaw directly, so it subtly gave its opinion.

“Haha, you’re wrong, cousin.” Fang Ning felt assured of himself. “We don’t expect powerhouses to become righteous. Instead, we turn the righteous ones into powerhouses. Look, this is my AJO platform… Anyone who joins now will get 1.5 times the number of Justice Points and this offer is valid for three months.”

“Oh, but with this method, how do you tell the frauds apart?” The Fire Lizard inquired. “As you know, there are many crooks out there who are adept at pretending and in the end, they harvest the fruits of success.”

“Hehe, their actions can never escape my Spirit Gaze which I had since birth. They can see through justice and evil. The frauds can only contribute to our collective power, but they can’t reap the ultimate rewards.” Fang Ning answered calmly.

He was not worried about revealing the truth to the Fire Lizard. In fact, humans on Earth already knew that Vigilante A could differentiate between good and evil. He had never accused a good person wrongly and neither did he let a crook escape.

Therefore, this trump card of his had already seen the light of day.

“You’re good with your bullsh*t. It’s my Map function but you treat it as if it were your own.” Sir System scoffed.

“Listen to yourself. A wise man once said, what’s yours is mine and what’s mine is still mine.” Fang Ning replied defiantly.

The Fire Lizard finally understood where the other party’s confidence came from. It was amazing if that fellow could determine someone’s moral alignment. No wonder he could cultivate the form of a True Dragon.

This ability seemed insignificant, but in reality, it was exceptionally beneficial. It could determine who one’s opponent or enemy was. If the good guy who created the world also had this ability, he would certainly not get duped by others and end up handing over the position of a Saint.

‘Looks like there’s no mismatch after all. Come to think of it, in my companion’s eyes, am I righteous, or just pretending to be righteous?’

The Fire Lizard was suddenly struck with anxiety. When it gazed at Fang Ning again, its face bore an expression of reverence.