Woosh! Splish!
The sound of waves splashing under the moonlight painted the coastal scene with its rhythmic cadence. A petite girl, named Zhao Ling, lay reclined on the shore, her eyes suddenly snapping open as she scanned the unfamiliar place around her.
Zhao Ling, a financially struggling college student, had reluctantly agreed to participate in the experiments of a rather suspicious-looking scientist. The experiments involved testing various technological chemicals on her. On the day of the test, the only thing she remembered was being surrounded by a multitude of tiny plugs attached to her head as she sat in an ominous electric chair. Then, without warning, everything plunged into darkness.
Slowly, she turned her head to adjust to her new surroundings. The scenic beauty before her eyes hinted at a bay. As her mind grappled with the situation, a robotic voice interrupted her thoughts.
[Beep Beep initiating host's 1st mission: Explore the surroundings! Rewards: 10 points!]
Startled and confused, she glanced around to identify the source of this mysterious voice.
[Host, please accomplish your mission more quickly!]
The voice chided her, leaving her bewildered and a little annoyed. "Who are you, and where did you come from? SHOW YOURSELF!" she shouted with a tinge of paranoia.
[Host, stop talking nonsense. I am the technology implanted in you by the old scientist.]
"Huh, really?" Technology? Scientist? Implanted? The pieces started falling into place as Ling recalled the scientist's mention of a tech-chip. Despite the strangeness, she decided to follow the voice's instructions.
Her exploration of the bay revealed nothing out of the ordinary. But as she ventured further, rustling sounds from the nearby bushes caught her attention. She hesitated, torn between curiosity and concern, but the voice in her head made the decision for her.
[Mission gained!]
[Mission: help and save the man! - Rewards: 20 points]
While cursing the voice in her heart, she couldn't resist following its orders. She used her seemingly delicate figure to drag the injured man into a nearby cave, her back aching from the effort. Inside the cave, she cleaned his wounds and fed him tonics made from the herbs she had found.
Despite her financial struggles as a college student, Ling had always been an obedient and intelligent student. Her teachers admired her versatility, noting her skill in literacy, the crafting of poisons, tonics, and medicines. Reflecting on her previous life, she felt a mix of emotions, pleased with her achievements but frustrated by her current predicament in an unfamiliar world, governed by a bossy voice in her head.
Dawn arrived, and Ling, having finished tending to the man's wounds, stretched her body and ventured out in search of food. Along the way, she came across a small, cute hare. Her mind, however, was fixated on the thought of a roasted hare. After a challenging pursuit, she finally caught the hare and returned to the cave, only to be met with the man's agonized cries.
Rushing to his side, Ling provided him with medicine and food. As their supplies dwindled, she wondered if she could purchase more using the system, as the old scientist had mentioned its multi-function capabilities.
[Host cannot open the store. Host has yet to reach level 5. Make sure to work hard, host!]
[Current level: level 3]
Frustration bubbled within her. "Didn't you ask me to save the man? Damn it!" she exclaimed, her patience wearing thin. Eventually, she left the cave, ensuring the man's safety before embarking on a foraging mission.
Returning with a haul of herbs, fruits, and another hare, she noticed something peculiar. The man, previously in a pitiful state, was now missing. Scanning the surroundings, she found him cooking near the campfire she had prepared. Her bewilderment grew.
How had he recovered so swiftly? Perhaps he was no ordinary person to endure such injuries.
Ling couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy as she observed his youthful, handsome appearance, seemingly a few years her junior. She compared his robust physique to her own, self-consciously deeming herself weak.
[If host wants to have bulky muscles, then host needs to work hard and complete all the tasks!]
Annoyed, she snapped back at the voice in her head. "Shut up, you useless piece of...!"
The system fell silent after her scolding. The man interrupted her musings with his soothing yet authoritative voice, asking if she was hungry.
Observing his well-being, she guessed that he came from a wealthy background. Her thoughts wandered towards the possibility of him being her golden ticket.
[System predicts host to be a shameless opportunist]
She retorted, "I wouldn't depend on you if you weren't so useless!"
[System is not useless! Host is just incapable, weak, and lazy!]
"Who are you calling lazy? I've been in and out of the cave to save this man, as you ordered. If you had a physical form, I'd have punted you to death!"
[System: Fufu, lucky you can't punt me to death. Bleh]
"WHERE IS THE REFUND? I DON'T WANT THIS USELESS SO-CALLED SYSTEM ANYMORE!"
___
Meanwhile, in a dim, eerie room within a tall, foreboding building, chaos reigned as the Demon's Gate Cult searched frantically for their missing leader, the young master. The atmosphere was thick with tension as the cult members scoured the city for any trace of their childe.
"Mo Li, have you found the young master yet?" an elder inquired with a hint of anxiety.
The young man, exuding an aura of power, responded with concern, "Not yet. I haven't found any clues related to his disappearance." Panic spread through the Cult members as they urgently sought to locate their leader.
This is a disaster! If the outside forces know the leader is missing and injured, this could be very bad for them. They must find the leader immediately!
___
Back in the cave, the man let out cries of agony, prompting the girl to shout, "HEY, BE MORE GENTLE!"
"Shut up! I'm doing this for you!" she retorted. If it weren't for the points, she would have left him to his suffering.
The man's agonized moans and cries filled the cave, creating a misleading atmosphere for anyone who might overhear.