The soft sound of water dripping echoed in the quiet. Around the room, bits of hay were scattered, mixed with feathers from a chicken coop. A faint light from the sun slipped through the crack of an old, half-open door.
In the middle of the room lay a body, barely moving. Its skin was covered in dark bruises, purple and black, like it had been through something terrible. The shape of the body looked like a woman.
"H-Hello?" the woman croaked, her voice rough and weak. Even talking hurt. Her throat felt like it was on fire, and her eyes struggled to stay open.
Everything around her was dark—so dark she could barely see anything. She tried to move but felt stiff all over, especially in her back.
"Ugh, I feel like an old grandma," she muttered, annoyed by how sore and weak she felt.
With a lot of effort, she managed to stand up, but her legs shook from the cold and weakness. She could barely lift her arms to steady herself. Squinting, she noticed the faint light from the door.
"Am I... in a barn?" she mumbled, looking around at the hay and wooden beams.
As she tried to clear her blurry vision, something strange happened. A bright blue light suddenly flashed in front of her, so bright that she had to cover her eyes.
"Ahh!" she cried out in pain as the light hurt her eyes.
Then, something even weirder happened. Words started appearing in her head, glowing like a screen:
System: Loading...
Loading complete!
Congratulations! You have successfully transferred bodies between universes!
"WHAT?!" she shouted, her voice shaking with shock. Her eyes flew open with shock. However as soon as her eyes were subjected to the light, she instinctively covered her eyes again.
"Chocolate fudge! My eyes feel like they're burning!" she blurted, rubbing her eyes helplessly.
Her mind spun with questions. What system? What universes? And most importantly—what did it mean by "transferred bodies"?
Slowly, she removed her hands from her face, squinting at the bright blue glow of the 'system' hovering before her. "What do you mean?" she asked, still dazed.
System: Analyzing response...
Responding to host: You have successfully transmigrated into a novel.
"A novel? Which one?" she asked, blinking rapidly in confusion.
System: The Infernal Harem King.
Her jaw dropped, and her hands flailed as she tried to process this information. Before she could ask more, a loud, raspy voice interrupted from outside.
"Li Xue! There you are!"
The voice belonged to a woman who appeared to be in her forties. She swept into the barn, looking absolutely stunning despite her age. Her long hair was styled elegantly, and her pink robes flowed around her gracefully as she waved a fan with a theatrical flair. Despite the wrinkles that lightly lined her face, her presence radiated authority.
"Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" the woman scolded, narrowing her sharp eyes. "And why are you in this abandoned place?"
Li Xue blinked and pointed at herself. "H-Hi? Uh... are you calling me 'Li Xue'?"
"No, I was addressing the dead pigs in here!" the woman snapped sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Of course, I'm talking to you! Who else would I be yelling at?"
Li Xue looked around, confused, before stammering, "Um, I think you've got the wrong person. My name is—" She stopped mid-sentence, her face turning pale as she tried to recall her name.
"What... What's my name?!" she yelped, clutching her head as panic set in.
The woman let out an exasperated snort. "Enough with the dramatics, child! The young sir is waiting for his soup, and here you are wasting time!"
"Soup? What soup? Who's the young sir?" Li Xue asked, still frozen in confusion.
The woman's eyes narrowed dangerously. "The soup you are supposed to be making, obviously! Did you hit your head on the barn wall?"
Li Xue smiled nervously, her confusion doubling by the second. "Uh, okay... Could you maybe remind me... where the kitchen is?"
The woman's fan froze mid-wave, and she stared at Li Xue like she had grown a second head. "What do you mean, where's the kitchen? Have you gone completely mad?"
Li Xue fidgeted awkwardly, giving a sheepish grin. "Well, I guess you could say I'm... uh... a little lost?"
The woman huffed loudly, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Lost? In the manor you've been living in for years? You really are testing my patience today, Li Xue!"
With a dramatic flick of her sleeve, the woman turned on her heel and marched out of the barn. "Figure it out! And hurry up!" she called over her shoulder.
Li Xue stood there, still dazed and scratching her head. "Why does she think I'm this Li Xue person? And what's with all the soup drama?" she muttered, glancing around the barn.
Her mind raced, trying to piece together the chaos she had just been thrown into. One thing was certain—she was definitely not ready to make soup.