From Zero Points to Zero Chill

The flying disc of energy zipped through the night, slicing through the clouds with surprising speed. Below, the world was a patchwork of dark forests and shimmering rivers, all bathed in moonlight.

My stomach had finally settled from the initial ascent, only to be replaced by a fresh wave of anxiety. This was officially worse than the banana peel incident.

At least then, I knew what was happening. Now, I was a captive audience on a mystical frisbee, headed to an unknown cult, er, sect, with zero points.

The three cultivators—Ice-Eyes (who I now knew was named Commander Lyra)

Red-Fists (Urg), and Sparky (Zephyr)—barely acknowledged my presence.

Lyra occasionally glanced at me with an unreadable expression, while Urg grumbled about my "empty vessel" and Zephyr seemed more interested in conjuring tiny sparks that danced on his fingertips.

After what felt like an eternity of silent flight, a colossal mountain range loomed before us, its peaks piercing the clouds.

And there, nestled among the highest, most jagged peaks, was the source of that impossible glow: a massive complex of ornate, glowing buildings carved directly into the mountainside. It looked less like a humble village and more like a fortress-city built for a god-king.

This was the Azure Cloud Sect.

The disc gracefully descended, passing through a shimmering energy barrier that rippled like water. We landed softly on a vast, polished courtyard.

Around us, other cultivators, clad in similar dark robes, moved with a quiet, disciplined air. They all carried an aura of power that made the hair on my arms stand up.

I was seriously out of my league.

Urg shoved me forward, and I stumbled, but quickly regained my footing.

He led me through grand halls adorned with strange, glowing crystals and intricate carvings.

The air here was thin, crackling with raw spiritual energy. My head throbbed.

Eventually, we arrived at a massive set of double doors, made of dark, polished wood and inlaid with shimmering silver.

Urg pushed them open, revealing a cavernous chamber. At the far end, seated on a raised dais, was a man who exuded an authority that dwarfed even Lyra's.

He was old, with a long, wispy white beard and eyes that held the wisdom of ages, yet also a sharpness that missed nothing.

This had to be the Sect Master.

"Sect Master," Lyra said, bowing gracefully, Urg and Zephyr following suit.

"We have returned. And we bring with us… an interesting find."

The Sect Master's gaze, sharp and assessing, landed on me. It felt like he was peering directly into my soul.

"..."

"So, this is the 'Systems Trader' you spoke of, Lyra? The one who wields these… meta-abilities?"

His voice was surprisingly calm, yet it resonated with an undeniable power.

"Yes, Sect Master," Lyra replied. "His internal 'dashboard' resonated with an unusual energy.

We believe it is a unique spirit artifact, allowing him to perceive and distribute these 'systems.' However, it appears to be empty."

My chest tightened. Empty was an understatement. Zero points. Nada. Zilch.

"Indeed," the Sect Master said, his gaze still fixed on me.

"Approach, boy. Let me see this… empty vessel."

I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry. Urg gave me a shove, and I awkwardly shuffled forward until I was standing before the dais.

"So, you claim to trade 'systems'?" the Sect Master asked, a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"Yes, Sect Master," I managed, trying to sound respectful, not terrified. "I acquire them and then allocate them to suitable recipients.

They grant unique powers, enhancements, a significant boost to a person's… capabilities."

"And you say your 'dashboard' is now empty?" he probed, a subtle energy probing my mind. I could feel it, like a gentle but insistent touch.

"Yes, sir," I admitted, defeated. "Your… Commander Lyra, she kind of… siphoned all my points away."

Lyra merely looked impassive. Urg snorted a laugh. Zephyr's eyes glinted with amusement.

"Fascinating," the Sect Master murmured. "A spirit artifact that stores and distributes such abilities, yet requires a form of 'currency' to activate them.

A unique mechanism." He paused. "Can you demonstrate your ability, 'Alex'?"

"Uh… I don't really have any points, Sect Master," I explained, gesturing vaguely. "It costs points to allocate a system. And I'm at zero."

"Then demonstrate the 'system' itself," he commanded, his voice a little sharper. "The dashboard. The projection of these abilities."

My mind flashed to the [Super-Strength Kick System] and the [Elite Throwing Arm System] I'd considered for Clash-Ball.

I tried to conjure one of them, to show him the floating icon and description. I focused, pushing past the pain of my drained system.

A faint, ghostly outline of an icon flickered in my mind's eye, but it was blurry, unstable. It was like trying to run a high-end graphic game on a potato PC.

The Sect Master's brow furrowed. Lyra, Urg, and Zephyr exchanged smug glances.

"Pathetic," Urg sneered. "Just a common trickster trying to fool a powerful cultivator."

"Perhaps he is just a charlatan, Sect Master," Lyra added, her voice cold. "His 'artifact' seems to be merely a minor perception tool, nothing more."

My face burned. They were laughing at me. The Systems Trader, reduced to a parlor trick. This was even worse than the banana peel.

"It's not a trick!" I insisted, my voice rising. "I can do it! I just… need points! Your commander took them!"

The Sect Master raised a hand. "Enough. Take him to the outer training grounds. Let's see if this 'Systems Trader' has any inherent ability of his own, or if he truly is an empty vessel."

Urg seized my arm, dragging me out of the grand hall. We were led to a massive, open-air training ground high up in the mountains.

Cultivators were sparring, practicing techniques, sending bursts of energy tearing through the air. The power here was immense, raw, and I felt completely out of my depth.

Urg shoved me into the center of a cleared area.

"Show us what you can do, trickster! Or perhaps you'd like a demonstration of our 'systems'?" He cracked his knuckles, a faint red glow emanating from them.

"I'm not a cultivator!" I protested. "I don't have magic! I trade systems!"

"Then you are useless," Lyra stated, standing at the edge of the training ground, her arms crossed. Zephyr just watched, an amused smirk on his face.

"Alright, then, fight me!" Urg challenged, stepping forward. "Let's see this 'Alex' dance!"

I gulped. Fight Urg? The man who cracked the ground with his boots? My only fighting experience was dodging elbows in crowded supermarkets.

I took a stance that probably looked more like a bewildered pigeon than a fighter.

Just as Urg started to advance, a shimmering, blue rectangle, like a pop-up ad, suddenly materialized in front of my face. It was impossible, physically there, blocking my view, only I could see it.

The text on the blue screen was in a font I somehow instinctively understood, bold and almost… annoyed.

[SYSTEM ALERT: USER CRITICALITY DETECTED. HOSTILE ENGAGEMENT IMMINENT.]

[SYSTEM STATUS: ANNOYED.]

Then, another line appeared, larger, bolder, and somehow resonating directly in my mind with an exasperated groan.

TF?! SHOW THEM, ALEX! I WILL HELP YOU THIS TIME ONLY, YOU UTTER DOOFUS! AND HERE IS 500 POINTS!

My eyes widened. The system? It… it just talked to me? And it called me a doofus? And it gave me… 500 points?!

The blue screen vanished as quickly as it appeared. But my internal dashboard, which had been at zero, now glowed with a magnificent new number: Points: 500.

A wave of exhilarating, impossible power surged through me. It wasn't my power, but the system's, a surge of raw, potential energy flowing into my being.

I stared at Urg, who was still smirking, about to take another step.

The system's voice, not a literal voice but a feeling, a thought, echoed in my mind, sharper and more demanding now:

Choose, Alex. Choose a system. NOW! And wipe that smug grin off his face!

My gaze immediately fell on the highest-cost, most destructive system I could afford, one I'd barely dared to dream of:

[Minor Meteor Shower System] - Cost: 500 Points

(Conjures small, non-lethal meteors from the sky, precision targeting, creates impressive craters, ideal for 'demonstrations'.)

"Oh, you want a demonstration?" I said, a wide, slightly unhinged grin spreading across my face. Urg paused, seeing the sudden shift in my demeanor, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.

The pain in my head was gone, replaced by a surge of pure, unadulterated mischievous energy.

"Alright, Urg," I announced, my voice clear and confident, echoing across the training grounds.

"You want to see what a Systems Trader can do? Prepare to be… rocked."

And with a single, mental command, I chose the system.

The blue light, this time not a gentle shimmer but a powerful, blinding flash, erupted from me, momentarily engulfing the entire training ground.

The cultivators gasped, shielding their eyes. The air crackled with an energy that wasn't spiritual, but something… different. Something utterly alien to them.

Above us, the clear night sky seemed to ripple. And then, from the blackness, streaking downwards with fiery tails, came the first, whistling sound of something very large, and very fast, plummeting towards the Azure Cloud Sect's pristine training grounds. This was going to be fun.