Yang Kai's eyes tracked Won Kaolin as she moved farther away. Without thinking, his feet carried him forward.
He didn't notice the red light flashing at the zebra crossing.
What is she doing here? Why hasn't she left Jinan? It's been four days since everyone thought she was gone…
Determined to follow her, Yang Kai sprinted across the road.
Suddenly, a blaring horn split the air.
From the right, a low, sleek sports car surged toward him, its engine screaming.
Yang Kai turned his head mid-run. His heart stopped.
The driver slammed the brakes, but the tires only screeched, slowing the car by a fraction.
Am I… am I going to die like this? Yang Kai's mind reeled in disbelief. I just got the system… wasn't I supposed to be the main character of this world—
The impact came before the thought finished.
The world spun as his body flew several meters, then crashed onto the asphalt. Blood spattered across the road, painting the crosswalk red.
Gasps erupted from the nearby crowd. Some people froze in shock; others scrambled for their phones.
A woman's voice quivered, "Someone call an ambulance!"
The sports car screeched to a halt. The driver—a young man with trembling hands—stumbled out, panic etched across his face.
"H-hey, it wasn't my fault! He—he just ran in front of me!"
A middle-aged man stepped forward, phone in hand, his tone steady.
"Indeed, it's not your mistake. There's a surveillance camera right there. Don't worry."
He dialed quickly. "Jinan Police Station? There's been an accident in front of Shen Group's Mall. The person… he's dead."
On the other end, the officer's voice was calm.
"Stay where you are. Don't move the body. We'll be there in minutes."
A few bystanders approached Yang Kai's crumpled body, checking his pulse, his breath—nothing.
But amidst the chaos, a faint yellow glow shimmered before Yang Kai's dimming eyes. A transparent screen appeared—visible only to him.
[The Host Has Died]
[Playboy System Will Deactivate In 10 Seconds]
The numbers began to count down.
[9 Seconds]
[8 Seconds]
[7 Seconds]
[6 Seconds]
Suddenly streak of crimson light suddenly tore through the night sky above Jinan, faster than lightning, invisible to all but the heavens themselves.
[5 Seconds]
[4 Seconds]
The light plunged toward Yang Kai's lifeless body, unseen by the shocked crowd, and pierced straight into his chest.
[3 Seconds]
An instant later, a surge of red energy exploded outward from Yang Kai, flooding the street with an intense glow. The onlookers gasped and shielded their eyes with their arms, unable to face the blinding radiance.
[2 Seconds]
Traffic, already frozen by the accident, fell into stunned silence. Horns and engines faded into the background as bewildered whispers rippled through the crowd.
"What… what's going on here?" someone murmured.
"I don't know," another voice replied, strained with fear. "But this light—it's hurting my eyes!"
[1 Second]
The energy abruptly vanished, leaving the air eerily still. The countdown froze at one second.
The golden system screen flickered before Yang Kai's eyes.
[Warning!]
[Intruder Alert]
[Someone's Soul Is Trying To Possess Host's Body]
Screeching tires and wailing sirens cut through the stunned murmurs. An ambulance and two police cars pulled up to the scene, their lights casting flashes of blue and red across the faces of the onlookers.
Crowds gathered closer, voices rising in excitement and confusion.
"What was that light—did you see it?"
"Yeah, I saw… it was crimson!"
"Wasn't it coming from that boy's body?"
"Yeah, it definitely was. I swear it came from him."
Doctors leapt from the ambulance, kneeling beside Yang Kai's body. One of them pressed two fingers against his neck, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Hey—listen, he's alive!"
A police officer blinked in shock. "What? But everyone here said he was dead!"
Another doctor frowned, skeptical. "Do you think this is a time for jokes?"
The first doctor's voice trembled. "Impossible… His body's in perfect condition—after getting hit by a car like that? His wounds are… they're already healed."
Gasps and whispers swept through the gathering crowd.
The doctors lifted Yang Kai's body onto a stretcher and hurried him into the ambulance. Sirens wailed as the vehicle sped away, flanked by police cars weaving through Jinan's crowded streets.
Far beyond the physical world, inside Yang Kai's mind, his Spiritual Sea stretched vast and endless—an ocean greater than the earth itself. Dark waters churned below, and a crimson sky bled across the heavens above, heavy with an otherworldly pressure.
Suddenly, a golden system screen materialized before a glowing crimson light. Its surface shimmered like liquid metal, and a faint face flickered across its surface. A warm golden aura pulsed outward as the robotic voice rang out:
"Intruder Alert! Identify yourself."
The crimson light trembled, then began to fade. From within it, a soul emerged—a man's soul, naked and scarred, his long crimson hair cascading like strands washed in blood. His eyes were closed at first, but then they fluttered open, revealing pupils glowing like molten rubies.
He stared at the golden screen, shock flashing across his expression. "Where… am I?"
The system screen's voice stayed cold and steady. "What, you don't know where you are? You're inside my host's Spiritual Sea."
Within the golden glow, the system processed rapidly.
I can't identify him… but that aura—it's the purest demonic energy I've ever sensed.
The crimson-haired soul's aura flared violently, a wave of oppressive energy sweeping through the sea. "You bastard… Did you trap me here? I am the greatest demon, and you dare to confine me in such a weak body?"
Inwardly, the soul was equally unsettled.
That yellow thing… its divine energy is purer than anything I've ever encountered.
Golden and crimson energies surged, colliding in a violent clash that sent ripples across the endless sea.
The system's voice sharpened. "Trap you? Why would I? My host has already died, and you invaded his body. Leave now, or I'll destroy you where you stand."
The crimson-haired soul's lips curled into a sinister grin.
A dead boy's body… If that's true, I can take control, rebuild my power, and exact my revenge.
His laughter echoed through the Spiritual Sea, cruel and mocking. "What a shame… If he's dead, then I'll take charge from here. And you—whatever you are—you'd better get out of my way."
The golden screen flared, its light growing hotter and fiercer. With a shimmer, it transformed, reshaping itself into a faceless woman carved from pure golden light, her form radiating divine might. Her voice carried a razor's edge.
"Then you'll have to die."
Golden waves of divine power rippled outward as the faceless woman stepped forward. Her radiant form illuminated the endless red sky, and the very waters of Yang Kai's Spiritual Sea trembled under her presence.
The crimson-haired soul smirked, his aura boiling like a storm of blood. "You think you can destroy me with that fragile light? Pathetic."
He raised a hand, and a spear of crimson energy materialized, its tip sharp enough to tear the very fabric of the sea. The moment it appeared, the waters below hissed and steamed as if scorched by its demonic heat.
The woman's voice was calm but unyielding. "You're trespassing where you don't belong. Leave now… or be erased."
Her golden light condensed into a gleaming sword. With a single step, she blurred forward, swinging the blade. A crescent arc of divine energy split the crimson sky, forcing the demon to leap back. The two energies collided midair with a deafening BOOM, shaking the entire Spiritual Sea.
The demon roared, his crimson aura spiraling like a hurricane. "Is this all you've got?" He thrust his spear downward, summoning a tidal wave of blood-red energy that crashed against the golden woman's defense.
She raised her sword, and a shield of pure light blossomed around her. The wave broke upon it, scattering into harmless sparks. "I was created to protect this host," she said, her voice ringing like a bell in the storm. "Your power means nothing here."
But even as she spoke, her golden aura flickered for a moment. The demon caught it instantly, his crimson eyes narrowing.
"A protector… but you're weakened," he sneered. "This boy's death must have damaged your core."
He lunged, crimson spear cutting through the air. The golden woman parried, sparks of divine energy scattering like stars across the dark sea. Their clash shook the heavens and churned the waters below, creating whirlpools that threatened to swallow the world whole.
I can't let him anchor himself to the host, the system thought, driving her blade forward with renewed force. If he merges completely, Yang Kai's body will be lost.
The demon laughed again, even as her sword grazed his side and golden light burned into his form. "This body is mine now. Even if you destroy me, the boy won't survive."
The golden woman's aura flared to its brightest, the Spiritual Sea glowing as if a sun had risen. "Then I'll risk everything to keep him safe."
The two forces met once more, golden light and crimson wrath colliding in an explosion that sent shockwaves through the vast sea.