Chapter 5: The First Ripple
Morning broke slowly over Spirit Hall.
White stone absorbed the early sunlight, reflecting it softly into the courtyards and corridors. Bells rang once, twice, then faded into the distance as disciples began their daily routines. Training grounds filled with movement, spirit power stirring like a tide that never truly rested.
Bai Ze slept through all of it.
He lay on the roof, one arm under his head, the other dangling off the edge. His breathing was steady, unhurried, as if the world below could collapse into chaos without disturbing him.
And yet—
Spirit power flowed into him continuously.
Smooth. Silent. Relentless.
It gathered around his body like mist settling into a valley, drawn in by something deeper than conscious effort. His Heavenly Slacker Constitution worked exactly as promised: rest was cultivation, and laziness was simply another path forward.
Bai Ze shifted slightly, half-awake.
"…Too bright," he murmured.
Inside Spirit Hall's inner hall, the atmosphere was anything but relaxed.
An elder slammed his palm against the table, stone cracking faintly beneath the impact.
"The timing is wrong," he said sharply.
"It should not have failed."
Another elder frowned, spreading out a map marked with spirit beast territories and academy routes.
"The convoy vanished near Nuoding City," she replied.
"No survivors. No witnesses."
Silence followed.
The envoy stood at the head of the table, hands clasped behind his back.
"Then something interfered," he said calmly.
"Something that should not have been there."
Far away, in a small village near Nuoding City, a boy knelt in the dirt.
Tang San's hands trembled as he gathered the scattered remnants of a broken crate. Spirit beast blood soaked into the ground, staining the earth dark. His breathing was heavy, uneven—not from exhaustion, but from shock.
This was wrong.
The supply convoy was supposed to arrive intact.
It always did.
This crate was meant to contain spirit materials essential for his early development. Nothing legendary. Nothing rare. Just the foundation stones of a future powerhouse.
But now—
They were gone.
Not stolen.
Not destroyed.
Simply… missing.
Tang San clenched his fists.
"…Someone changed something," he whispered.
Back in Spirit Hall, Bai Ze finally woke.
He rolled onto his side, eyes half-open, staring at the sky.
"…Weird," he said softly.
The Slacker System chimed immediately.
Ding.
Fate Disturbance Detected
Cause:
"Host has indirectly interfered with a Protagonist-Linked Event."
Bai Ze blinked.
"…I haven't even left the building."
"Correction."
"Host's existence qualifies as interference."
He sighed.
"That feels unfair."
Ling Yu's shadow fell over him.
"You're awake."
Bai Ze glanced down from the roof.
"…You sound annoyed."
"I am," she replied flatly.
"You've been mentioned in three internal reports since sunrise."
He sat up slowly.
"Wow. New record."
She crossed her arms.
"A Spirit Hall convoy failed last night."
Bai Ze paused.
"…Was I supposed to escort it?"
"No."
"…Then how is this my fault?"
Ling Yu stared at him.
The look said: you already know.
Bai Ze slid off the roof and landed lightly on the tiles.
"Okay," he said.
"Let's assume, hypothetically, that fate tripped over me again."
"That's not hypothetical."
"Fine," he sighed.
"Then what happened?"
In a quiet corner of the hall, Ling Yu explained.
A minor Spirit Hall convoy had been rerouted at the last moment. Not by command. Not by error. But by a subtle shift in logistics—a decision made because resources were suddenly needed elsewhere.
Needed where?
Spirit Hall couldn't explain it.
The paperwork said Bai Ze.
"…I didn't request anything," Bai Ze said.
Ling Yu nodded.
"I know."
"That makes this worse, doesn't it?"
"Yes."
Ding.
Passive Authority Effect Triggered
Source:
[Name Authority: Bai Ze – Dormant]
Result:
"Resources unconsciously shift toward Host."
Bai Ze stared at the notification.
"…I don't like that."
"Lie detected."
"…I like it a little."
Somewhere far away, Tang San stood up slowly.
His eyes were no longer confused.
They were focused.
If something had stolen his opportunity, then he would simply take another path.
That was how protagonists survived.
That was how they adapted.
Back in Spirit Hall, Bai Ze sat on the steps, holding a warm bun in one hand.
"So," he said between bites,
"I accidentally delayed someone's growth arc."
Ling Yu did not smile.
"You disrupted a trajectory."
"That sounds expensive."
"It is."
The system chimed again.
Ding.
Major Reward Triggered
Condition:
"Host has unknowingly weakened the Protagonist's early foundation."
Reward Granted:
[Fate Resistance +5% (Permanent)]
Bai Ze froze mid-chew.
"…That's a thing?"
"It is now."
He swallowed.
"So the world pushes less against me?"
"Correct."
"…That's dangerous."
"Also correct."
Ling Yu noticed his expression change.
"What did the system give you?"
Bai Ze hesitated.
"…Insurance."
She narrowed her eyes.
"I don't like vague answers."
"I don't like detailed consequences."
That afternoon, Bai Ze returned to the training field.
He did not cultivate.
He sat.
Watched others train.
Watched effort turn into exhaustion.
Watched ambition burn hot and fast.
And all the while, spirit power gathered quietly within him.
Ling Yu stood nearby, pretending not to observe him.
But she did.
Carefully.
"You're not normal," she said eventually.
Bai Ze tilted his head.
"High praise."
"No," she corrected.
"You bend things around you."
He smiled faintly.
"…I trip over them."
That night, the system delivered one last reward.
Ding.
Secondary Reward Granted
Item:
[Misdirection Talisman – Passive]
Effect:
"Minor fate disturbances caused by Host are harder to trace."
Bai Ze stared at the description.
"…So when I mess up someone's destiny—"
"—they will blame coincidence."
"…Perfect."
Under the stars, Bai Ze lay on the roof once more.
Somewhere, Tang San adjusted his plans.
Here, Bai Ze did nothing.
And the world shifted anyway.
System Note:
"First ripple confirmed."
"Protagonist and Host trajectories will now intersect inevitably."
Bai Ze closed his eyes.
"…Sounds tiring."
And fell asleep.