Although Ayase's body was just a projection, normally intangible, Chu Lian—as the system's host—was the exception. So when Chu Lian leapt at her, the lazily floating Ayase was immediately pinned down on the bed. Chu Lian bit down softly on her slender neck, eyes blazing with indignation.
Ayase rolled her eyes, utterly unfazed by the attempt to intimidate her. She simply lay there while Chu Lian thrashed and flailed, venting her frustration. Only after a while did Ayase gently push herself up and, seeing the girl glaring at her, sighed quietly.
Then, looking straight into Chu Lian's eyes, she spoke more seriously than ever before: "Chu Lian, do you know why I'm pushing you to complete your missions quickly?"
Chu Lian had been ready to sulk, but the unusual gravity in Ayase's tone made her pause. After a moment of eye contact, she turned her head away and mumbled, "I don't know."
"Of course you don't. You don't know why you ended up here, why you changed from a grown man to a little girl, why you were chosen by the system, or even why these missions matter at all," Ayase said with a faint, helpless smile.
"This world is incomplete. After a year of living here, you've probably started to notice, haven't you?"
Chu Lian nodded. She knew Ayase wasn't talking about missing literature or cultural works, but about actual holes in the world's history.
Even if she hadn't paid attention before, some things were impossible to ignore in daily life. She'd definitely noticed something off.
"The one who created this system... Let's just say he used to be human. You could call him a god or an immortal—whatever suits you. After all, this kind of thing is far beyond human capability. Forget about the future... because we have no future."
Ayase's words made Chu Lian sit up in shock. "No future? Why?"
"You'll find out in time," Ayase replied with a patronizing smile that clearly said, "Be good, and I'll tell you when you're older."
Infuriated, Chu Lian opened her mouth, ready to bite again. But Ayase saw it coming and casually lifted herself out of reach. Given Chu Lian's current petite form, she couldn't even touch her.
Feeling safe, Ayase spent a few moments teasing Chu Lian before retreating to the air above the bed. There, she conjured a red throne just beneath the ceiling and perched elegantly upon it, legs crossed.
"More red? Seriously, how obsessed are you with that color?" Ever since their first meeting, Ayase had been surrounded by red. Red wine, red dresses, red heels, red furniture, red bedsheets, and now a red throne. Aside from her fair skin and ink-black hair, she was an embodiment of crimson.
"Red... is the color closest to blood," Ayase said, swirling a glass of red wine and resting her chin in her hand.
Hearing that, Chu Lian couldn't help but mentally imagine all kinds of bloody scenarios. She shuddered, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Ayase... you're not some kind of bloodthirsty killer, are you?"
Ayase had been sipping her wine with practiced elegance, but upon hearing Chu Lian's comment, a vein practically popped on her forehead. With an exasperated flick of her hand, she threw something at Chu Lian. "What kind of image are you building of me in that little head of yours?! You annoying brat!"
Yeah... Ayase was actually mad now.
Then again, it wasn't like Chu Lian could help it. Whether it was her careless words or some unconscious habit, she always had a knack for getting under people's skin. Maybe it was just her natural black-heartedness hidden behind that cute loli exterior.
"Isn't this your hug pillow?" Chu Lian hugged the soft item Ayase had tossed at her. Turns out, it was the body pillow Ayase barely used, usually resting untouched on her bed.
"Hmph, it's yours now. Consider it compensation," Ayase said flatly. "With this, you'll fall asleep more easily. Unless something truly major happens or your life is in danger, you won't be easily disturbed during sleep."
"Tch. Look at you acting all aloof, but deep down you're just a tsundere," Chu Lian muttered, knowing full well how useful the item was. With it, she wouldn't have to worry about insomnia or getting startled awake in the middle of the night. Still, she couldn't help poking fun—though she quickly shut up when Ayase gave her that dangerous look.
This whole exchange was, of course, a clever distraction. Ayase had successfully diverted Chu Lian's attention from the earlier heavy topic.
Chu Lian wasn't dumb. She knew Ayase had done it on purpose, but seeing that she didn't want to talk about it, Chu Lian let it go. Instead, she returned to her original question. "Alright, then tell me—why do you want me to complete the tasks so quickly?"
"The historical gaps in this world can't be restored. But the missing literature? That can be completed through your efforts. It will take time, of course, but you don't have to do it all yourself. Your job is to complete the most crucial ten percent. The remaining ninety percent can be guided and left to the rest of the world."
"In other words, if you can reconstruct that key ten percent, the rest will follow naturally, and the mission will be considered complete. Let me tell you this: that restoration task is classified as a Triple-Fantasy difficulty mission. It's one of the few ultimate tasks the system offers."
Chu Lian understood most of that. But then she tilted her head. "Triple-Fantasy difficulty? What does that mean?"
"It's a task you can complete, but not until you've cleared at least nine more main missions. Only then will the difficulty downgrade to standard Fantasy level. But even then, because it's an ultimate mission, the rewards will be beyond anything you can imagine."
"So keep it up, Miss Literary Girl. Miss Music Prodigy. Our little Genius in Training." Ayase gave her a wink, looking unusually sweet and encouraging. Coming from someone normally so poised and dominant, it was almost dangerously cute.
If Chu Lian were still in her original adult male body, she might not have been able to resist such a sight. Unfortunately, she was just a loli now. Even if her heart stirred, her body simply couldn't respond.
Seeing the defeated slump in Chu Lian's shoulders, Ayase could guess her thoughts, but said nothing. Instead, she went on.
"This mission isn't impossible because of your ability. It's about time. That's the hardest part of all."
"Compared to that, the rest isn't so bad. With the system backing you, anything you lack can be redeemed. That's why I want you to hurry through the nine main missions. Once you've done that, you can tackle the ultimate task and earn the item that will benefit both of us immensely."
Ayase's words brought a bit of calm to Chu Lian's heart. If the only major hurdle was time, then perhaps it wasn't so overwhelming after all. And that reward—something that would help both her and Ayase—she wanted it. Not for herself, but for Ayase.
"Oh, and one more thing. The system's warnings about being erased? They're not just threats. It will carry them out." Ayase was serious again.
Chu Lian lowered her head slightly and replied in a soft voice, "I know. I'm very aware of that. That's why I'll keep doing my best. I will complete the missions."
"Think about it from their perspective. If I were the one who created this system, I wouldn't want the person I chose—the one who got the system—to be a useless failure who couldn't even complete the most basic missions. That would be humiliating for him, and a tragic waste of the system's potential."
"I'm glad you understand," Ayase said warmly. "So even if you put everything else aside, for the sake of your own survival, you need to keep going."
That reassurance meant a lot to her. Chu Lian really wasn't just anyone. She had a level of potential that far exceeded what most could imagine. Ayase's role was simply to help her unlock that hidden strength.
"You were curious about that thing I mentioned last night—'wish power,' right? In a few years, you'll get the chance to find out what it really means..." Ayase trailed off with a mysterious smile. Unlike before, this wasn't a refusal to explain—it was something she wanted Chu Lian to discover for herself.
"No problem! I'll figure out all these hidden things on my own. I want to understand what 'wish power' really is! Don't worry, nothing feels impossible to me right now!"
Chu Lian lay sprawled on the bed, pumping her tiny fists, her voice soft and sweet as ever—though she clearly thought she was delivering a passionate, determined speech.
Anyone who questioned her sincerity only had to look at her rising Integrity Points counter. That one moment alone had surely sent the meter soaring.
"Well then," Ayase said with a smirk, "since you're being so obedient, I'll give you some good news. Once you complete five tasks—main or side missions combined—you'll unlock the Dungeon Space."
She floated down in front of Chu Lian, gently pinching her cheek. "The Dungeon Space is made up of worlds that exist across multiple dimensional timelines. They're real—even if some came to be through human imagination. And there are countless things different from what you'd expect. Don't you want to see them for yourself?"
That one question sent Chu Lian's heart into overdrive.
She shot up from bed, her eyes shining, and raised a fist with renewed vigor. "Only five tasks? That's nothing! I have to see those worlds I've always dreamed about—novels, movies, anime, you name it!"
Her spirits soaring, Chu Lian failed to notice the fleeting smirk that passed over Ayase's lips. If she had seen it, she might've paused to reflect: "Yeah... I'm definitely being set up here..."
But under this strange surge of motivation, she completely forgot about the "trap" Ayase had laid for her the night before with that embarrassing daily-life video. She bounded over to her computer, opened her profile, and gasped aloud the moment she saw the updated stats...