Half past midnight...
The surroundings were quiet, with only the occasional sound of the rustling of leaves on the branches of the trees caused by the playful caressing of the wind and the rhythmic sound of waves crashing onto the shore.
Overlooking the solitary island in it's entirety was a veil of darkness as the moon shyly hid behind the clouds, only to peek later on, it's gentle rays cascading onto the earth like gossamer silk, fleeting and ethereal.
And in the midst of this tranquility...
Eeeeeeek!!!!!
A deafening sound, akin to a pig being slaughtered resounded throughout the island startling the slumbering birds into falling down from their perches and prompting the wolves lurking in the shadows to run away with their tails tucked between their legs.
Meanwhile...
Inside the master bedroom of the one-storied house with a low-pitched roof situated by the seashore, a certain system who forgot to turn down the volume of the System Mission Alert felt it's hair stand on end as the surroundings soon descended into an arctic stillness, signifying the calm before a storm.
Ming Yue slowly opened her eyes, her gaze containing a pervading chill as a frigid smile made it's way across her lips.
System 007 stiffened up at the sight of her smile and hurried to pacify it's raging host who had been roused from her sleep at an inopportune time.
[Beloved Host~ Anger hurts the body so do try to calm down. ]
"Explain."
The word, clear and succinct, brooked no argument. Only obedience.
[ Just now, due to some nearby factors detected by the system, a hidden mission had been triggered. Beloved Host~ please see for yourself... ]
[ Hidden Mission: Hero Saving The Beauty. ]
[ Mission Details: 23 and a half kilometers at sea, south of the Host's location is a nobleman in distress. Requesting the host to commence on a rescue operation immediately. ]
[ Mission Rewards: 1000 Experience Points, 5 points of luck, and a treasure map. ]
[ ACCEPT ] [ IGNORE ]
Ming Yue blinked as her eyes fell not on the list of mouth-watering Mission Rewards but on the word "Beauty" and made a decision to accept the mission immediately.
Someone who could be defined as a "Beauty" by the system must be truly exceptional. After all, even High Priest Sean had never received such an evaluation.
It won't hurt to take a look.
Besides, even if it eventually turned out to be a hoax as per the System's tricky and unreliable nature, it was still a life after all.
Although she wasn't exactly a saint, she couldn't just turn a blind eye to people in need.
Thinking of this, Ming Yue got up from her bed and stepped onto the bearskin rug, stretching her limbs for a moment to warm up before she took out a Disposable Teleportation Scroll from the System Backpack and tore it up after determining her desired destination.
.....
Cold!!!
Ming Yue almost blurted out a string of profanities after being plunged underwater in the middle of the night. Who can blame her though? One second, she was in an enclosed bedroom with proper heating and the next second, she was out in the open sea. Even if water was her second nature, a little Sea goddess such as herself could barely stand it!
Slapping herself back to reality, Ming Yue used her divine conciousness to perceive her surroundings and became aware of the colossal merchant ships sailing tens of meters right above her.
"System, is the mission target held hostage on one of these merchant ships? Which one?"
[ Yes Host, the one on the... Oh! Not anymore. ]
As soon as the System's words dropped, an old and tattered burlap sack covered in patches was thrown overboard by one of the ships on the right. It's contents unknown but it was apparent that it was quite heavy judging from it's rapid descent underwater.
"It shouldn't be what I'm thinking, right?"
[ Exactly what the Host thinks. ]
Ming Yue's face changed as she frantically rushed towards the rapidly sinking object and took it into her embrace.
Without a moment of hesitation, she took out another Disposable Teleportation Scroll from the System Backpack and tore it to pieces, thereby transferring her and the mission target back to her dwelling.
Upon having returned to a safe and familiar place, Ming Yue breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly opened the tightly tied sack, thereupon gazing at a sight that left her agape, both in awe and in consternation.
Right in front of her laid such a man, although frighteningly thin and dressed in filthy, tattered clothing while sporting a pallid and unhealthy color from perennial lack of sunshine, it still couldn't hide his undoubtedly superior looks that could send flowers in bloom to fade into the background, instantly becoming his foil.
Ming Yue held her cheeks that were rapidly heating up.
Aiyahhh!
This must be what love at first sight feels like...
[ Host, if you keep on admiring him for a while longer, in place of a wedding, you'll be holding a grand funeral for him tomorrow instead. ]
Ming Yue was busy being immersed in illusory pink bubbles when the System's weak voice sounded right beside her, awakening her from her stupor.
What... just happened to her?
Just now... she...
What the hell was she thinking?!
Ming Yue hurriedly shook her head, her gaze turning deep and unfathomable. "System, deduct ten thousand gold coins to appraise the person in front of me."
The System's invisible frame shook with excitement. Ten thousand gold coins! Ever since the Host transmigrated, she had avoided spending unnecessarily and was hellbent on saving money. It had been such a long time since she spent such a huge amount of gold coins!
[ Got it Beloved Host~ The results will be ready right away~ ]
[ System Appraisal Function Activated! ]
[ DiDi... Currently processing data... Appraisal done... Displaying results... ]
[ System Appraisal Report:
Name: Aster Cole Sigfred
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Identity: Original Crown Prince of the Caelum Empire
Physical Condition: Suffering from long term malnutrition and physical abuse, severe concussion on the back of the head, three broken ribs, and a broken right leg. (It is recommended for the host to take drastic measures and aid the healing of the patient.)
Additional Appraisal Details: Latent Ability [ Enchantment ] Activated.
[Enchantment ] is a Latent Ability that causes an unguarded opponent within a specific range to fall into a daze and manipulate their emotions. Favorable impressions towards the caster will be infinitely magnified while malicious ones will evoke hallucinations, thereby causing the victim to self-harm. This ability can only be activated once unconcious and is classified as one of the few Offensive-Defensive Ability that actively discriminates between friends and foes. ]
Ming Yue "..." How dangerous! Better send it away after healing it.