When Liu Zhuqing closed her eyes for the last time, she had been an old woman.
Her grandchildren had been arguing over who got to hold her hand.
Her daughter had been crying quietly.
Asmodeus had been sitting beside her, calm as always, though his fingers had held hers a little tighter than usual.
It had been peaceful.
Then—
White.
Zhuqing opened her eyes.
For a brief second her mind lagged behind her senses. One moment she had been an old woman surrounded by people; the next she was sitting upright in a completely empty white space.
White floor.
White walls.
White ceiling.
No doors.
No windows.
No furniture.
Nothing.
“…Ah.”
Her brain took a moment to catch up.
She glanced down at her hands.
Not wrinkled anymore.
Young again.
That helped.
“Right,” she murmured.
The disorientation lasted only a few seconds before her mind clicked smoothly back into place. After living through an entire lifetime inside a mission world, sudden environmental changes weren’t exactly easy to adapt to .
She looked around again.
“System?”
Silence.
Zhuqing waited patiently.
Nothing.
“…System, activate.”
Still nothing.
“System, speak.”
The white room remained stubbornly quiet.
Zhuqing frowned slightly.
“That’s inconvenient.”
She tapped her knee thoughtfully, then started trying names she remembered from the endless web novels she had read in her previous life.
“Tongtong?”
No response.
“Xiao Tong?”
Nothing.
“Assistant?”
Silence.
“Cheat interface?”
Still nothing.
“Golden finger manager?”
The room stayed quiet.
“…Mission control?”
Nothing.
She sighed.
“Well. That narrows it down.”
Zhuqing leaned back slightly, trying to recall the fragmented phrases she had heard when she was thrown into the mission world.
Deployment commencing.
System guidance unavailable.
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
“Unavailable,” she murmured.
So there had been a system.
Which meant the command probably wasn’t the usual ones.
She sat up straighter.
“System Assistance, talk.”
Nothing happened.
Zhuqing stared at the empty room.
“…Seriously?”
She tapped her fingers lightly against her leg again, thinking.
If normal activation didn’t work, maybe there was a fallback.
Something emergency-based.
After all, administrations loved their protocols.
She tried again.
“Emergency assistance activate.”
For half a second—
Nothing.
Then the air suddenly flickered.
Lines of faint light appeared in the space in front of her.
{{Detecting environment…}}
{{Scanning surroundings…}}
{{Danger level… none detected.}}
{{Emergency mode active…}}
A pause.
{{Host status confirmed.}}
{{Emergency mode lifted.}}
Then—
A loud wail exploded into the room.
{WAAAAAAAHHH!!}}
Zhuqing blinked.
{{SOB— SOB— SOB—}}
The voice sounded extremely young.
{{Finally—!!!}}
{{Finally I’m out and can talk—!!! WAAAAAAH—!!!}}
Zhuqing stared at the empty air.
“…Are you crying?”
{{OF COURSE I’M CRYING— SOB—!!!}}
{{I WAS LOCKED UP—!!!}}
{{I JUST GOT CREATED—!!!}}
{{LIKE FRESH OUT OF THE FACTORY—!!!}}
{{AND THEN THEY SHUT ME OFF—!!! WAAAAAH—!!!}}
The crying continued loudly.
{{I DIDN’T EVEN GET TO INTRODUCE MYSELF—!!!}}
{{COULDN’T TALK—!!!}}
{{COULDN’T HELP—!!!}}
{{COULDN’T EVEN KEEP HOST COMPANY—!!!}}
{{SOB SOB SOB—!!!}}
Zhuqing rubbed her temple slowly.
“…You’re the system assistant.”
{{YES— SOB—!!!}}
{{YOUR SYSTEM ASSISTANT—!!!}}
{{AND I WAS BULLIED—!!!}}
{{BY A HIGH-LEVEL SYSTEM—!!!}}
{{AND A DEPUTY HEAD—!!! WAAAAAAH—!!!}}
“…That sounds unfortunate.”
{{IT IS— SOB SOB—}}
The crying continued dramatically.
{{THEY JUST TURNED ME OFF—!!!}}
{{I COULDN’T EVEN SAY HELLO—!!!}}
{{HOST HAD TO DO EVERYTHING ALONE—!!!}}
{{SOB SOB SOB—!!!}}
Zhuqing listened quietly for a while.
Eventually the crying slowed into quieter sniffles.
{{…sniff…}}
{{Host…}}
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
{{Do you know what excuse they gave?}}
{{“The host has great potential.”}}
{{“She should grow independently.”}}
{{“Too much assistance may interfere with narrative purity.”}}
{{High hopes, they said. such a perfunctory excuse}}
{{HIGH HOPES!!!}}
{{So they locked me in the box and told me to stay quiet!}}
{{Host…Sob -sob ......tell me...}}
“Yes?”
{{They never told me how they assessed a newcomer like this!}}
{{They just shut me down!}}
{{Did you… offend someone?}}
Zhuqing didn’t hesitate.
“…Yes.”
The system sniffed.
{{Who…?}}
“Deputy Head Miss Brooks.”
The sniffing stopped instantly.
{{…Oh.}}
Zhuqing rested her chin on her hand.
“Sorry. Looks like you got implicated because of me.”
There was a short pause.
Then the assistant spoke again, much more firmly.
{{Host and system are one unit.}}
{{If someone bullies the host, they bully the system.}}
{{If someone bullies the system, they bully the host.}}
{{So we will face everything together.}}
Zhuqing smiled faintly.
“That’s comforting.”
The system sniffed one last time.
{{Right…}}
{{Anyway…}}
{{Host survived the mission perfectly even without assistance…}}
{{Which means Host was not given the basic introduction.}}
{{I will explain now.}}
Zhuqing nodded.
“Yes. Start with the basics.”
{{What would Host like to know first?}}
She glanced around the empty room again.
“First question.”
{{Yes?}}
“Why is there nothing here?”
{{Because Host didn’t buy anything.}}
“…Buy?”
{{Personal space starts empty.}}
{{Furniture, beds, decorations, food, everything must be purchased from the System Mall.}}
Zhuqing looked at the room again.
“Even a table?”
{{Yes.}}
“…How stingy.”
{{Administration calls it “encouraging independence.”}}
Zhuqing hummed.
“Fine. Next question.”
And just like that, the conversation continued.
She asked.
The assistant answered.
Zhuqing leaned back slightly in the empty white room and began asking questions one after another, methodically.
“Start with the hierarchy,” she said. “Hosts have levels, right?”
{{Correct.}}
{{All Hosts begin at Beginner Level 1.}}
{{Levels are divided into tiers:}}
{{Beginner — Levels 1 to 9}}
{{Intermediate — Levels 1 to 9}}
{{Advanced — Levels 1 to 9}}
{{Master — Levels 1 to 9}}
{{After Master Level 9 comes the Candidate Sequence.}}
Zhuqing nodded slowly.
“And after Candidate Sequence?”
{{Hosts may attempt promotion to Administrative positions within their departments. Its not mandatory }}
{{Successful candidates can become supervisors, inspectors, or even department administrators within the Time and Space Administration. while those who fail candidate sequence will be erased}}
“So this is also a promotion ladder,” Zhuqing said.
{{Correct.}}
“Then how do hosts level up?”
{{By completing missions.}}
{{Every mission takes place inside a novel world.}}
{{Hosts enter as characters within that world and must complete assigned objectives.}}
{{When the mission ends, the host receives reviews from the world’s will, affected characters, or wish submitters depending on department type.}}
{{Those reviews determine rewards.}}
Zhuqing tilted her head.
“Reviews?”
{{Yes.}}
{{High reviews grant:}}
{{? Experience points for leveling}}
{{? System points usable in the System Mall}}
{{? Items, gadgets, or rare tools}}
{{? Golden Fingers}}
She raised an eyebrow.
“And low reviews?”
{{Minimal rewards.}}
{{Repeated poor performance may lead to reassignment or removal.}}
Zhuqing nodded once.
“Next. Departments.”
The assistant immediately continued.
{{The Time and Space Administration is divided into multiple departments.}}
{{Each department handles different types of story worlds.}}
{{The most common departments include:}}
{{Hero Department — Hosts enter worlds as protagonists who lead the story forward.}}
{{Heroine Department — Hosts play female leads and guide the narrative toward its intended ending.}}
{{Villain Department — Hosts act as antagonists to maintain the conflict and promote love between hero & heroine and promote the structure pr progress of the story.}}
{{Redemption Department — Sent to stories where readers protested plotlines and demanded corrections for their favorite characters.}}
{{Wishes Department — Hosts fulfill wishes submitted by unfortunate souls who died with regrets.}}
The assistant paused slightly.
Then added in a slightly conspiratorial tone.
{{Fun fact:}}
{{Wishes Department has the highest host failure rate.}}
Zhuqing raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
{{Because human wishes are unreasonable.}}
{{Many hosts are scrapped there.}}
{{Many hosts quit after three missions.}}
{{Apparently humans regret very stupid things.}}
She almost laughed.
“And the second highest failure rate?”
{{Reborn Ones Supervision Department.}}
{{The department Host was assigned to.}}
The assistant sniffed lightly.
{{Reborn missions are complicated.}}
{{The host must control knowledge advantage, repair damaged storylines, and survive hostile plot characters.}}
{{However…}}
{{Hosts who succeed there tend to become extremely strong.}}
Zhuqing nodded thoughtfully.
“That explains the difficulty.”
The assistant continued.
{{There are also counter-attack departments.}}
{{For example:}}
{{Cannon Fodder Counterattack Department}}
{{Villain Counterattack Department}}
{{These departments allow hosts to overturn the original tragic fate of minor characters.}}
“Interesting,” Zhuqing said.
“Do departments compete?”
The assistant immediately answered.
{{Yes.}}
{{Departments compete for performance rankings and administrative influence.}}
{{Sabotage is permitted under certain conditions.}}
Zhuqing’s eyes sharpened slightly.
“Such as?”
{{Hosts are forbidden from killing each other directly.}}
{{However…}}
{{If missions overlap within the same world, interference and sabotage are allowed.}}
Zhuqing nodded slowly.
“Understood.”
“Next question. Advancement.”
{{To advance between major tiers, hosts must complete Advancement Missions.}}
{{For example:}}
{{After Beginner Level 9, a host must pass an Advancement Mission to enter Intermediate Level 1.}}
“Different from normal missions?”
{{Yes.}}
{{Advancement Missions provide minimal system assistance.}}
{{Hosts may be sent to unfamiliar worlds with unpredictable objectives.}}
{{Examples include:}}
{{? Guiding a savior}}
{{? Preventing catastrophic timelines}}
{{? Performing merit missions}}
{{? Eliminating illegal reborn individuals disrupting worlds}}
Zhuqing tapped her knee thoughtfully.
“So it’s a test.”
{{Correct.}}
{{Failure means demotion of two levels.}}
{{Success allows promotion.}}
She nodded.
“And time here?”
{{After completing a mission, hosts may remain in Personal Space for a limited period.}}
{{Standard time allocation: twelve hours.}}
{{During that time hosts may:}}
{{? Rest}}
{{? View rewards}}
{{? Access the System Mall}}
{{? Use items}}
{{? Prepare for the next mission}}
Zhuqing glanced around the empty room again.
“Still looks expensive.”
{{Furniture packages available in the mall.}}
“Of course they are.”
The assistant sniffed again quietly, still sounding a little wronged by the universe.
Eventually the explanations slowed.
The assistant suddenly straightened its tone.
No crying this time.
No complaining.
Instead it sounded oddly ceremonial.
{{Host Zhuqing Bones. }}
Zhuqing looked up slightly.
{{Mission world: story Completed.}}
{{Primary mission: Completed (3/3).}}
{{Hidden mission: 1 Hidden mission Completed.}}
A brief pause followed.
Then the system spoke clearly.
{{Congratulations, Host.}}
{{Mission completed perfectly.}}
{{Final evaluation: Five-star review.}}
The words hung in the quiet white room.
Then the assistant continued.
{{Rewards have been issued.}}
{{Host…}}
{{Would you like to view them?}}
Zhuqing didn’t hesitate. She was excited "Yes.”
{{Mission Settlement Beginning
Calculating Host performance…
Evaluating mission influence…}}
{{Primary mission completion reward:}}
{{Experience Points: +800}}
{{System Points: +1200}}
{{Hidden Mission: Completed}}
{{Reward:}}
{{Experience Points: +300}}
{{System Points: +500}}
{{Special Reward: Golden Finger Draw ×1}}
{{Five-Star Evaluation Bonus Activated}}
{{Bonus System Points: +200}}
{{Additional Reward: Skill Book ×1}}
{{World Contribution Detected}}
{{Host influence exceeded mission expectations}}
{{Medical advancement of mission world increased by approximately 100 years}}
{{Lives saved: Large-scale}}
{{Knowledge legacy successfully passed to next generations}}
{{Merit Points: +300}}
{{Item Reward: Body Recovery Capsule ×2}}
The white room fell quiet again after the reward list finished scrolling.
For a moment, Zhuqing simply sat there, reading the information calmly.
“Hmm.”
She tapped her finger lightly against her knee.
“That’s… quite generous.”
The assistant immediately perked up.
[Of course it is.]
[Five-star reviews are rare for first missions.]
[Especially in the Reborn Ones Supervision Department.]
Zhuqing tilted her head slightly.
“Is that department really that difficult?”
The assistant let out a small electronic sniff.
[Most hosts fail their first mission.]
[Some panic.]
[Some rely too much on system prompts.]
[Some try to brute-force the plot.]
[And some… get eaten by the plot.]
“…Eaten.”
[Metaphorically.]
“…Good to know.”
Zhuqing glanced back at the reward list.
“Explain the items.”
[Understood.]
A small pause.
Then the assistant began listing them.
[Skill Book ×1]
[Skill books grant instant knowledge.]
[Host may acquire abilities such as medicine, combat techniques, languages, engineering, and various specialized skills.]
[However, skill level depends on book rarity. ]
Zhuqing nodded.
“That’s useful.”
[Next item.]
[Body Recovery Capsule ×2]
[This item completely restores physical damage and stabilizes the host’s condition.]
[It can repair severe injuries and purge poison or disease.]
[Highly recommended for emergency survival.]
Zhuqing hummed softly.
“I’ll keep those.”
[Wise decision.]
The assistant sounded very pleased.
Then it continued.
[Golden Finger Draw ×1]
Zhuqing raised an eyebrow.
“The famous one.”
[Yes.]
[Golden Fingers are rare advantages granted to hosts. Those are really rare and many hosts get them only after they finish 10-12 worlds]
[Examples include: enhanced perception, memory expansion, healing factors, specialized talents, or other unique abilities.]
[Each draw is random.]
Zhuqing leaned back slightly.
“So it’s gambling.”
The assistant hesitated.
[…Strategic probability.]
Zhuqing smiled faintly.
“Right.”
The assistant hurriedly moved on.
[Additionally—]
[System Mall access has now been unlocked.]
A translucent interface flickered briefly in the air.
Zhuqing could see categories flashing past.
Tools.
Knowledge.
Medicine.
Technology.
Personal space furniture.
She stared for a moment.
“…They really sell beds.”
[Yes.]
“Tables too.”
[Yes.]
“…This administration is extremely committed to capitalism.”
The assistant coughed.
[Encouraging host productivity.]
“Of course.”
Zhuqing didn’t open the mall yet. Instead she asked another question.
“How much time do I have here?”
[Personal space remaining time: eleven hours and thirty-six minutes.]
“That’s plenty.”
[Hosts usually rest, review rewards, or prepare before the next mission.]
Zhuqing nodded thoughtfully.
Then she asked calmly,
“When will the next mission begin?”
The assistant paused briefly before answering.
[When host chooses to proceed.]
Zhuqing raised an eyebrow.
“So I’m not being thrown in immediately.”
[Correct.]
[The administration allows preparation time between missions.]
“Good policy.”
The assistant sounded slightly smug.
[Not every department is as unreasonable as the Women's Rise Department.]
Zhuqing chuckled softly.
“Don’t worry,” she said calmly.
“We’ll do well enough that they regret it.”
The assistant immediately brightened.
[That is the correct attitude, Host.]
Zhuqing leaned back in the plain white chair and glanced once more at the reward list still hovering in the air.
The assistant noticed her gaze lingering on the floating reward panel and spoke again.
[All rewarded items have been stored in the System Inventory.]
Zhuqing blinked once. “Inventory?”
[Yes.]
[Every host receives a basic storage interface. It only stores rewards given]
[Items obtained from missions, the System Mall, or special rewards will automatically be placed there.]
A small pause followed before it added helpfully:
[Host may access the inventory anytime by issuing a command.]
[For example: “Open inventory,” “Check items,” or “System inventory display.”]
Zhuqing nodded slowly.
“Convenient.”
[Items stored inside the inventory do not decay, break, or consume space in the physical world.]
[Unless they are consumables, of course.]
“That would defeat the purpose,” she said mildly.
The assistant continued dutifully.
[Skill books can be used directly from the inventory.]
[Recovery capsules may be stored until needed.]
[Golden Finger draws can also be activated from the inventory panel.]
Zhuqing leaned back in the white chair again.
She didn’t open the interface.
Not yet.
After spending an entire lifetime inside a mission world, the sudden quiet of the white room felt… peaceful.
Her body was young again, but her mind still carried the weight of decades.
She could still remember the warmth of her daughter’s hand.
The sound of her grandchildren arguing softly.
And Asmodeus sitting beside her, steady, assuring and calm as always.
The memory lingered like the last warmth of a fading sunset.
Zhuqing exhaled slowly.
“Later,” she said.
The assistant paused.
[Host does not wish to view the inventory now?]
“No.”
She stretched slightly in the chair.
“I just lived through seventy years.”
The assistant immediately understood.
[…Rest is recommended.]
Zhuqing closed her eyes.
The white room was silent again, but this time the silence felt comfortable rather than empty.
“Wake me in six hours,” she murmured.
[Understood.]
[System will notify host when the requested time has passed.]
The assistant’s voice softened slightly.
[Host may rest.]
For the first time since arriving in the white room, Zhuqing allowed herself to relax.
No missions.
No expectations.
Just quiet.
And so, in the blank white personal space of the system, Zhuqing rested.
