#### **Scene 1: Death by Deadline**
Lin Feng's fingers trembled as he scrolled through his laptop, the glow of the screen reflecting in his bloodshot eyes. *Final Draft Due: 12:00 AM.* The clock read 11:47 PM.
"Just one more floor plan," he muttered, adjusting his glasses. The skyscraper design on his screen—*Azure Horizon Tower*—was his masterpiece, a twisting helix of glass and steel. But the client had demanded last-minute changes: *"Make it cheaper. Remove the safety redundancies."*
Lin Feng groaned. "If this collapses, it's on *your* conscience, Mr. CEO."
He hit *send* at 11:59 PM.
Then, the ground shook.
A thunderous *crack* split the air. Lin Feng's apartment walls peeled away like paper, revealing the skeleton of Azure Horizon Tower—tilting, groaning, collapsing *toward him*.
"No—!"
**[Ding!]**
**[Life Parameters Critical. Initiating Transmigration.]**
---
#### **Scene 2: Waking in the Void**
Lin Feng opened his eyes to a sky of swirling fractals. The ground beneath him was translucent, glowing with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"What… where…?"
A creature the size of a bulldog waddled into view. It had raccoon fur, dragon wings, and a tail tipped with a paintbrush. It spat a scroll at his feet.
"Build," it said.
Lin Feng blinked. "Build *what*? Who are you?!"
"Xiao Bai. Your Realm Guardian." It sniffed. "And you're late. The Void's already eaten three apprentices this week."
**[System Activated!]**
**[Welcome, Architect Lin Feng.]**
**[Talents:]**
- **Design Mastery**: 1/10 ("Congratulations! You can build a shed.")
- **Emotional Stability**: 1/10 ("Do not think about your student loans.")
- **Memory Integration**: 1/10 ("Memories may randomly leak into realms. Oops.")
Lin Feng stared. "Is this a fever dream?"
Xiao Bai rolled its eyes. "Yes. Now start *designing* before the Void eats your toes."
---
#### **Scene 3: First Realm – "Broken Dreams Cottage"**
Lin Feng gripped the scroll. Blueprints flooded his mind: walls, gardens, a brook. Simple. Safe.
"Fine. Let's build a… cottage."
**[Design Mastery Activated!]**
The void rippled. Stone bricks stacked themselves. A thatched roof materialized. Sunlight spilled through a window—
*Crack.*
The roof sagged. The walls oozed black sludge.
"Why is it *melting*?!" Lin Feng yelled.
Xiao Bai nibbled on a floating rock. "You thought about your ex-girlfriend, didn't you?"
"What? No! I thought about—"
*Flash*: A memory surfaced. His father's workshop, burning. The smell of charred blueprints.
**[Emotional Stability -1!]**
**[Realm Stability: 0/10. Collapse Imminent.]**
"Stop!" Lin Feng grabbed his head. "Make it stop!"
Xiao Bai sighed. "Useless. Even the last Architect cried quieter."
---
#### **Scene 4: The Ink-Stained Savior**
As the cottage dissolved into static, a woman materialized. Her robes were splattered with ink, her hair a storm of black silk. She eyed the crumbling realm and smirked.
"Cute. Let me guess—first death, first panic attack, first existential crisis?"
Lin Feng glared. "Who are you? Another tutorial NPC?"
"Mei Ling. Your *only* hope." She tossed him a jade contract. "Sign this, and I'll teach you to build realms that don't implode."
**[Contract Terms:]**
1. Mei Ling takes 30% of all realm energy.
2. Lin Feng owes 100 spirit stones (non-negotiable).
3. Failure to pay results in "creative repossession" (i.e., Xiao Bai becomes her pet).
Lin Feng's eye twitched. "This is a scam."
Mei Ling leaned closer, her breath smelling of ink and iron. "The Void doesn't care about scams. It cares about *chaos*. And you, little Architect, are chaos incarnate."
Xiao Bai chirped. "She's lying. But also, sign it."
---
#### **Scene 5: The Hidden Cost**
Lin Feng scrawled his name. The contract burned away, and Mei Ling's smile turned predatory.
"Lesson one: *Realm-building is theft*." She snapped her fingers.
The void twisted. Lin Feng's memories surged—his mother's laugh, his first blueprint, the collapsing tower—and *solidified* into a floating orb.
"Memories are your currency," Mei Ling said. "Feed them to your realms. Or they'll feed on *you*."
Lin Feng recoiled. "You want me to *sell my memories*?!"
"No. I want you to *burn* them." She tossed the orb into the void. "Starting with this one."
The orb shattered, and a realm bloomed—a perfect replica of his childhood home.
**[Memory Integration +1!]**
**[New Realm: "Echoes of Ash" – Stability 5/10.]**
Lin Feng's knees buckled. "Why… why does it hurt?"
Mei Ling's voice softened. "Because creation is destruction. Now get up. We have work to do."
---
#### **Scene 6: The Guardian's Warning**
As Mei Ling vanished, Xiao Bai hopped onto Lin Feng's shoulder.
"She's trouble," it muttered. "The last Architect she 'taught'? His realms ate him alive."
Lin Feng stared at the glowing runes beneath his feet. "What choice do I have?"
"None. But hey—" Xiao Bai flicked his ear with its tail. "—at least you'll die *fabulously*."
**[System Alert: New Quest!]**
**[Build a Stable Realm in 24 Hours – Reward: 1 Talent Point.]**
**[Failure: The Void Claims Your Toes.]**
Lin Feng sighed. "Let's get to work."
---