"Home sweet home, Miao Jiang."
"Meow~"
On the sixth floor of an old apartment building amidst the neon lights of the South District, in front of a room facing east.
Yan Huan unlocked the door with his key, revealing a modest one-bedroom apartment of about forty square meters.
Turning on the hallway light, the space inside—though somewhat cramped—was tidy and well-kept.
On one side of the hallway near the door was a small kitchenette, while the other side housed a separate bathroom with a dry-wet partition.
It was almost ten o'clock, mainly because the bus didn't go directly to the apartment, so Yan Huan had to transfer to the subway along the way, which delayed his arrival.
Miao Jiang, tail held high, scampered around the living room, curiously inspecting Yan Huan's Mickey Mouse clubhouse.
Meanwhile, Yan Huan unpacked his bag, hanging up the clean clothes and tossing the dirty shirts into the laundry basket.
Pulling out his phone, he saw that Ye Lan had already sent him a message asking,
"Are you home yet, Xiao Huan?"
Yan Huan smiled wryly, looking at the banana milk profile picture in the chat window as he typed a reply, "Just got back, Auntie."
"Good, rest early."
"You too, Auntie."
Setting his phone aside, Yan Huan took Miao Jiang into the bedroom, packing the books and laptop he'd need for tomorrow into his bag.
After tidying up, taking a quick shower, drying his hair, and changing into pajamas, he finally relaxed onto his bed.
By the time he finished all this, it was already past eleven.
Creak, creak.
Compared to the high-quality mattress at Ye Lan's place, the one in this rented apartment felt stiff and unyielding.
Even the slightest movement made the bed frame groan, and any vigorous activity would probably turn it into a full-blown musical instrument.
At least the soundproofing here was decent.
"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home..."
Lying on his own bed, Yan Huan sighed, letting his gaze drift as he plugged in his phone and opened a video site.
Nearby, Miao Jiang, having finished inspecting its new territory, walked to the edge of the bed before leaping up beside him.
Yan Huan rubbed its furry head and asked,
"So, Miao Jiang, how's the new place?"
"Meow~"
Miao Jiang wasn't picky. Instead, it lifted its head proudly, tail standing straight, looking at Yan Huan with excitement.
"Yan Huan, you really are the best candidate to counter those Modifiers."
Blinking as he scrolled through his phone, Yan Huan didn't understand why it suddenly said that. "What's this about? Why the sudden praise?"
"I just consumed a fragment dropped by Ye Shiyu's Modifier."
"A fragment?"
Yan Huan perked up, putting his phone down. "What do you mean?"
"Remember what I told you on Friday?"
Yan Huan thought back. "About the invasion of otherworldly Modifiers seeking hosts, and then you gave me a Modifier... Oh, you said the rewards from the Modifier would grow stronger as I dealt with other Modifiers?"
"Exactly. The way the rewards strengthen is by me consuming fragments dropped by defeated Modifiers. Since it's almost midnight and a new week is about to start, we'll soon see what enhancements you get. Excited?"
Yan Huan looked at Miao Jiang, but instead of excitement, his expression turned thoughtful as he rubbed his chin."Rather than rewards, first explain to me how this works. Why did Ye Shiyu's Modifier drop fragments, and why does my Modifier get stronger when you consume those fragments?"
Miao Jiang gave Yan Huan an approving glance, then sat down gracefully, raising her paw like a beckoning cat as she explained,
"I mentioned before that the way to resolve a Modifier is for the user to willingly abandon it. In other words, the host's strong desire to use the Modifier is the pillar supporting this house of cards.
"Just now, because you successfully made Ye Shiyu feel remorse, prompting her to reflect on the morality of using the Modifier, such thoughts undoubtedly weaken the desire to rely on it. And once the house of cards wobbles due to damaged desire, fragments will fall.
"These Modifier fragments, infused with otherworldly power, fall within my domain of intervention. Through my divine conversion, they can be transformed into nourishment for your Modifier, enhancing its effects!"
So Miao Jiang has basically evolved! Looking at her now, with her fur glossy and radiant, Yan Huan felt the same excitement as leveling up in a Pokémon game.
Sitting up straight, Yan Huan rubbed his hands together in eager anticipation.
Alright, alright, let's see what delightful surprise Miao Jiang has brought for me.
But since midnight was still a little while away, he had to wait a bit longer. Meanwhile, a question occurred to him. "Wait, if my Modifier gets stronger when you consume fragments, does that mean their Modifiers weaken when fragments fall?"
"Mmm, unfortunately, no, meow."
"Why? That violates the law of energy conservation!"
Miao Jiang gave him a look as if he were an idiot but still explained,
"Don't forget, their Modifiers come from a lewd alternate world—their mechanics are completely different from mine, meow! The effects of their Modifiers are closely tied to the host's desires. As long as the host's desires don't fade, the Modifiers won't weaken at all."
"So even if they drop a lot of fragments, the Modifiers' effects won't diminish in the slightest?"
"Exactly, meow."
"Well, that's that."
Yan Huan flopped back down in exasperation, but Miao Jiang nudged him with her paw, meowing,
"Don't lose heart, meow! If a lot of fragments drop, it means the host has grown deeply skeptical about using the Modifier. At that point, they'll be close to abandoning it willingly!"
Fair point.
All in all, it had only been two days since they started, and Miao Jiang had already collected the first fragment before the first weekend was even over. That was undeniably promising progress.
No wonder she praised Yan Huan as the chosen one for resolving Modifiers.
But Yan Huan didn't care much for such flattery—he was far more interested in the enhanced rewards.
Originally, he had planned to watch some videos and go to bed early since he had school the next morning. But now, his excitement had been reignited, so he decided to wait until after midnight to claim the rewards before sleeping.
As he watched videos and petted the cat, time flew by until the clock struck twelve.
Seeing the time on his phone, he sat up and turned to Miao Jiang, who had also perked up, saying eagerly,
"It's time. Come on, let me see."
"Meow~"
With a soft meow, Miao Jiang exhaled a shimmering golden light from her mouth.The stream of light expanded before Yan Huan, gradually forming lines of ethereal text.
[Modifier Level Change: 1→2]
[Reward Pool Level Adjusted to 2, meaning you will randomly unlock more powerful rewards]
[Modifier Evolution Count +1, Random Attribute Fragment +1]
[Please choose your preferred evolution path from the following two branches]
What's going on? This Modifier even lets you pick evolution paths?
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow and continued reading.
[Evolution Path One: Bulk Wholesale]
[Weekly reward count increases by one, but two out of three rewards will come from a lower-level reward pool.]
[Evolution Path Two: Devil's Contract]
[In the weekly selection of three rewards, one will come from a lower-level pool, and one will come from a higher-level pool. Choosing the higher-level reward will come with a minor timed curse.]
Yan Huan blinked, then suddenly pinched Miao Jiang's chubby cheeks, scowling as he demanded,
"Seriously? Even this has gambling mechanics? What's with the reward pool? And what's the deal with these evolution paths?"
"Once the Modifier is born, I can't directly interfere with its effects anymore, meow! No matter the form, it's supposed to help you, nya!"
Finding no answers from Miao Jiang, Yan Huan had no choice but to turn his attention back to the two options before him.
Clearly, the three rewards he'd rolled on Friday had all come from the Level 1 reward pool.
Two were junk, and one was somewhat useful.
So, the Level 1 reward pool must be a mixed bag—picking from it would be like choosing the best of a bad lot.
The main issue was that he had no clear idea of what Level 2 or higher rewards might entail, making it hard to decide immediately. But even if the rewards were high-level, they probably wouldn't be too outrageous—nothing like Superman or Doctor Strange-tier absurdities.
After all, Miao Jiang's original purpose was to maintain the reasonable operation of the World Line. These rewards were meant to help him complete tasks and live better afterward, not to create another superhuman.
With that in mind, Yan Huan felt more confident.
He decided to start with a little dessert before the main course.
So, instead of choosing an evolution path first, he turned his attention to the [Random Attribute Fragment] above.
As the name suggested, no further explanation was needed.
Well then, let's gamble!
[Charm Fragment—Slightly increases your appeal to others]
[Young man, this world runs on looks.]
[Reproduction Fragment—Slightly enhances your abilities related to reproduction]
[Once, a gentleman used it as an excuse]
[Stamina Fragment—Slightly boosts your physical endurance]
[Well, quitting late nights might work faster]
Yan Huan pursed his lips and decided to pick the first one.
The third was a no-brainer—anything gained through consistent exercise wasn't worth wasting the Modifier on.
As for the second… well, given the current high-stakes battle against the Modifier—where failure meant unlocking R-rated defeat CGs—taking this would be like paying to work overtime.
The first and second were somewhat similar, but the Charm Fragment had broader applicability.
The golden light of the Charm Fragment gradually faded, flowing into Yan Huan's body. He picked up his front-facing camera to check but saw no significant changes.
Slightly… Yan Huan recalled the description of the Charm Fragment just now.This is way too little?!
It's so little that you can't even tell if it has any effect! Yan Huan shook his head and finally turned his gaze to the heavyweight choice of evolution paths.
In the end, he chose the latter.
He didn't know what high-level rewards would entail, but the low-level rewards were so underwhelming that even more of them wouldn't make much difference. Might as well take a gamble.
Go big or go home.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
As Yan Huan made his choice, the golden light surged rapidly, and eventually, three golden orbs of varying sizes emerged from Miao Jiang's body.
From left to right, their sizes increased in order, corresponding to the level of the prize pool they came from.
The last, slightly larger orb was also wrapped in a faint black mist.
[Skill: Vocal Mimicry. Exactly what it sounds like.]
[In the capital, there was a master of vocal mimicry.]
[Ability: Unrestrained Vitality. Your recovery rates for stamina, energy, and other indicators will be moderately enhanced, but your appetite will also increase significantly.]
[Greater ability comes with greater hunger.]
[Ability: Learning Conqueror. When engaging in learning-related activities, every half hour of focus grants one stack, up to a maximum of 10 stacks. Stacks reset after 10 minutes of inactivity. Each stack increases learning efficiency by 15%, and at full stacks, you also gain a significant intelligence boost.]
[I will conquer all that is unknown, until I turn to dust.]
[Curse: When not focused, you will inevitably feel slightly drowsy for 5 days.]
Looking at the text bursting from the third golden orb, Yan Huan couldn't help but marvel.
As expected, the abilities granted weren't earth-shattering, but the Level 3 prize pool effect was indeed impressive.
At full stacks, it was equivalent to 250% of the original learning efficiency, plus a significant intelligence boost, achievable in just five hours.
And "slightly drowsy" didn't sound too hard to overcome.
Yan Huan nodded repeatedly at the rewards before him and decided to choose the Learning Conqueror with its attached curse.
For daily life, this ability would greatly enhance his learning efficiency, which would be very helpful for future development.
For solving the Modifier issue, it would also save him time on coursework, allowing him to focus more energy on the Modifier.
All in all, this was an extremely useful reward.
The golden orb burst forth, and the golden light along with the black mist surged into Yan Huan's body.
Yan Huan blinked. Before he could even experience the effects of the Learning Conqueror, the drowsiness hit him first.
He felt his eyelids grow slightly heavier. If he relaxed and didn't fight it, he'd probably doze off soon.
Yan Huan dubbed it the "anti-insomnia artifact."
Yawning, he finally got to rest after all this.
But it felt a bit like staying up late to watch a best-of-three esports match, only for his favorite team to lose 1-2 after giving their all.
The match was thrilling, but the disappointment was inevitable.
He set an alarm for early morning school, turned off the bedside lamp, and pulled Miao Jiang into his arms.
"Meow~"
Miao Jiang obediently curled up on his chest, paws tucked in. Yan Huan pulled the blanket over both of them, leaving only the cat's wide green eyes staring back at him in the dark."Miao Jiang, I thought you were going to fully rise up, sweep everything aside, and be your true self. But even after your super evolution, it still feels far from the effects of other Modifiers," Yan Huan said, squinting his eyes and sighing.
Bai Yi's No Concern, Ye Shiyu's hypnosis, and that blonde girl's unknown superpower—thinking about it all still gave him a bit of a headache.
"Meow?"
But Miao Jiang just tilted her head.
Looking at Yan Huan lying down, Miao Jiang suddenly spoke to him telepathically, "Yan Huan, do you really think those Modifiers came here to help their hosts fulfill their wishes?"
"...I know. They came to invade and destroy the World Line. But those Modifiers are so powerful—helping them achieve their wishes is probably just a side benefit, right? Even if those desires might be a little dirty..."
Miao Jiang shook her head at Yan Huan and said very seriously, "I've always called those things Modifiers, not 'golden fingers,' 'cheats,' or 'systems,' precisely because they aren't cheat tools that bring only benefits. On the contrary, they're malignant tumors that will destroy even their hosts."
In the darkness, her crystal-clear green eyes fixed on Yan Huan as she emphasized word by word, "Using those Modifiers comes at a heavy cost, Yan Huan."
"..."
Yan Huan stroked Miao Jiang's warm body and mused, "Don't tell me the so-called cost is divine retribution, the cycle of fate, or moral questioning—I don't believe in any of that."
"No, Yan Huan. The cost I'm talking about is something real. Even if I don't know exactly what it is yet, I know it will come."
Staring at Miao Jiang in the dark, Yan Huan blinked, then let out a long sigh and closed his eyes completely.
Then, he smiled faintly and said, "Well... at least I feel a bit more balanced now."
"Meow~"
Miao Jiang obediently curled up in his arms and let out a soft sound.
The bedroom fell silent, as if preparing for sleep.
But the next moment, Yan Huan suddenly thought of something and quickly opened his eyes, looking at Miao Jiang. "So... does using your Modifier also come with a cost? Even if it's not as severe as theirs..."
"Meow~"
Miao Jiang lifted her head to look at him, as if saying, "I'm a cat—how could I speak human words?"
"Is there a cost or not?"
"Meow~"
Miao Jiang blinked cutely, looking like the most adorable kitten in the world.
But Yan Huan saw right through it—she was sulking because he'd said she wasn't as good as those Modifiers earlier, so now she refused to talk.
Yan Huan scowled and pinched her chubby cheeks, shaking her. "Miao Jiang!"
"Fine, fine! There isn't! Stop pinching my face, meow!"