A cold void.
Ji Yunxi drifted in endless darkness, weightless and silent. It was as if the world itself had been stripped away, leaving only her consciousness floating in the abyss.
Her last memory was the stunned look on Mo Liancheng's face as he reached for her—then nothing.
She clenched her fists slowly, her voice calm but carrying a trace of suppressed unease."System… what just happened?"
A crisp mechanical chime rang in her mind.
[ Ding! Congratulations, Host. Task for World One: Completed. ][ Mission Progress: 1/10. ]
Ji Yunxi exhaled, tension in her chest loosening slightly. "So that was the end…"
But her thoughts lingered on the image of Mo Liancheng kneeling on that stage, his eyes shattered with something dangerously close to despair.
The system buzzed again, its tone neutral, unaffected.[ Host should not be distracted. Every world is temporary. Emotional entanglements are unnecessary. ]
"Unnecessary?" Ji Yunxi's lips curved into a faint, cold smile. "It didn't look unnecessary to him."
For the first time since entering this journey, her composure faltered—not out of love, but because she had not expected him to feel so deeply. She shook the thought away.
"Then, what's next?"
[ Initializing World Two. ][ Host's next identity: … Loading … ][ New Mission: Correct the fate of the fallen princess. ][ Task Objective: Restore her stolen throne and uncover the traitor who betrayed her. ]
Ji Yunxi's brows lifted slightly. "A princess this time? Seems more interesting than high school dramas."
[ Points from World One: 500. Would Host like to exchange for items before entry? ]
Ji Yunxi considered. "Not yet. I'll see what kind of world it is first. But keep a weapon ready for me."
[ Confirmed. ]
The void around her began to ripple, light breaking through the darkness. She felt her body tugged by unseen force, pulled into a whirlpool of time and space.
As the darkness shattered into blinding radiance, Ji Yunxi allowed herself one last thought.
Mo Liancheng… are you still out there, chasing me across worlds?