[“Congratulations to Player Gu Jiu for clearing the ‘Cursed Village’ instance.”]
The moment Gu Jiu left Qingshan Village, her vision shifted, and she found herself trapped in a misty gray space. She was alone, and a mechanical voice echoed in her mind. It was the same mechanical voice she had heard when she was first drawn into Qingshan Village.
It must be the player system of the Multiverse Game.
[“Calculating points for the game instance completion…”]
“Are you the system?” Gu Jiu asked.
The system’s voice, which had been calculating her points, paused. Then, the mechanical tone changed into a lively, childlike voice: [“Yes! Player Gu Jiu, hello! I am System No. 387 of the Multiverse Game, your designated system steward in the game world.”]
“How many players do you manage?”
“Not many, only around a hundred.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow. “A hundred isn’t much? I heard some systems only manage one player. Are you not very skilled if you’re in charge of so many?”
She wasn’t a clueless newbie; she had picked up a lot of info from the chubby guy.
According to him, the game systems in the Multiverse Game were like talent agents in the entertainment industry. A top-tier agent might manage only one powerful talent, yet no one would question their status. Likewise, a strong system only needed to handle one strong player. The more players a system managed, the lower its rank and ability.
The childlike voice gasped slightly. “How did you know?”
This was as good as admitting it was indeed a lower-level system.
Gu Jiu waved her hand dismissively. “We can discuss this later…”
[“No, we have to talk about it now.”] The system insisted, defending itself, [“I’m quite skilled, actually! I’ve even managed high-level players in S-tier game fields. Have you heard of Red-Clad Feiyin? She was one of my players. And Phantom King, he’s a big shot in the S-tier fields now. I used to manage him too…”]
“That was in the past.” Gu Jiu scoffed, “Don’t live off your past glories.”
The childlike voice choked up, almost on the verge of tears from her taunts.
Are all newcomers this sharp-tongued these days?
“And I’ve never heard of those people you mentioned. I’m a newbie, remember?” she kindly reminded the system.
The system let out a tiny gasp; it had been a while since a newcomer had made it this flustered.
Gu Jiu felt no guilt about bullying the system. She continued calmly, “Now, explain why I was chosen as a player in the Multiverse Game world?”
Unconsciously, the pace of the conversation had shifted under her control.
The system didn’t dare hide anything and answered obediently, [“You’re an Awakened Spirit Seed. All Spirit Seeds in the grand world become players in the Multiverse Game world.”]
An Awakened Spirit Seed?
Gu Jiu thought to herself; this must have been the information the chubby guy was banned from discussing. Only after a player successfully cleared their first game instance and officially became a player in the Multiverse Game world would the system reveal this information.
“Are there many Awakened Spirit Seeds?”
“Not many. Awakened Spirit Seeds are extremely rare.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and said matter-of-factly, “No wonder I’m so powerful.”
The system, repeatedly taunted, couldn’t resist responding with a jab of its own.
[“There aren’t many, but it’s still significant! And just because someone has an Awakened Spirit Seed doesn’t mean they’re automatically powerful. Awakening is merely the foundation of a path to transcendence, like in cultivation worlds where only those with spiritual roots can cultivate. For you mortals, only those who awaken their Spirit Seed can become players in the Multiverse Game World—that’s the bare minimum requirement.”]
Gu Jiu chuckled. “You make it sound like everyone wants to be a game player.”
Before the system could retort, she asked, “Can I choose to quit?”
The system paused before responding, “No.”
“Why not?”
Perhaps it was a question many players had asked before, as the system responded swiftly. [“If Awakened Spirit Seed holders don’t become players and enter the game world for training, the energy within them will become imbalanced. Not only would it result in their death, but it would also disrupt the energy field of the real world, leading to unimaginable disaster.”]
[“Your congenital amblyopia, for example, is a result of your Spirit Seed’s imbalance. If you don’t become a player, you’ll soon lose your vision entirely, and even die. When you do, your family and friends, having been in frequent contact with you, would also be affected by the energy field and follow suit in death…”]
Gu Jiu listened quietly, saying nothing.
Seeing her obedient appearance, the system couldn’t help but feel a little pity and tried to console her.
[“Actually, you don’t need to worry. You have impressive talent; in just your first game, you’ve awakened a rare Great Demon Bloodline—the Celestial Demon Physique. Your Banshee’s Armor is a powerful weapon against malevolent entities, and I have high hopes for you.”]
By the end of its speech, the system sounded full of enthusiasm.
It had been a long time since it had encountered such a talented and powerful player. Even before Gu Jiu cleared the instance, the system had been quietly observing her, making plans to train her in the most dangerous game worlds, where the higher the risk, the greater the rewards.
Unmoved by its flattery, Gu Jiu said, “So, you’re saying I awakened the Celestial Demon Physique? But only partially, right?”
She looked down at her hand.
As she focused on her fingertips, her neatly rounded nails suddenly grew several centimeters longer, their pink tips turning a deep, blood-red hue, almost making her look like a monster.
This ability had surfaced when the Ghost Doll attacked her, triggered by the sense of impending danger.
Back then, she had used it to fend off the Ghost Doll, but the claws looked so strange that she had kept it a secret from the others, treating it as her hidden weapon.
The system hesitated before responding, [“…Yes, since you just entered the game world, your power is still weak. Being able to awaken your Banshee’s Armor at all is already impressive. When you become a high-ranking player in the S-level game fields one day, I’m sure you’ll fully awaken the rare Celestial Demon Physique.”]
Gu Jiu gave a faint, knowing smile, suspecting that this “Celestial Demon Physique” claim was just the system trying to sweet-talk her.
[“It’s not sweet talk!”] the system said timidly, afraid she wouldn’t believe it.
[“After all, the Banshee’s Armor is part of the Celestial Demon Physique. While all players are Awakened Spirit Seeds, that doesn’t mean they’re lucky enough to awaken a special bloodline. Many players remain ordinary people, relying solely on one game world after another to upgrade their abilities…”]
Gu Jiu looked down thoughtfully for a moment. After her nails returned to normal, she asked, “Where did the Spirit Seeds within us come from? Why would humans awaken Spirit Seeds?”
The system replied cheerfully, [“In the past, all cosmic worlds were Spirit Source worlds, with Spirit Source akin to spiritual energy. All living beings then possessed Spirit Seeds, which made them stronger. Later, during the end of the Spiritual Era, Spirit Source disappeared, and humanity became mere mortals. It wasn’t until recent decades, with the resurgence of cosmic spiritual energy, that some humans were influenced and awakened Spirit Seeds…”]
“If cosmic spiritual energy is reviving, then people with Spirit Seeds shouldn’t negatively impact the real world, right?” Gu Jiu questioned.
[“That’s correct! However, the revival of spiritual energy is too slow, and due to the complete loss of Spirit Source, it would take tens of thousands of years for the universe to fully recover. Your planet can’t wait that long, so Spirit Seed holders still need to train in the game world.”]
Gu Jiu sighed, “I see. Once we’re drawn into the game world, there’s no exit—we’re forced to keep going until we finally die in the game world, aren’t we?”
Somehow, the system felt a bit guilty.
[“That’s correct,”] it admitted. Then, realizing it had almost been led astray by her questioning, it hurriedly added, [“But it’s not necessarily a death sentence. Once you become a high-level player, you’ll break free from mortal limitations and live a much longer life. Isn’t that better than staying an ordinary human? Besides, the game worlds are full of great items that can extend a normal person’s lifespan. If you get a chance in the future, you might even be able to obtain something to prolong your grandmother’s life…”]
Gu Jiu’s gaze turned sharp. “So you’re also a voyeur, spying on the players’ personal lives?”
[“That’s not spying!”] the system protested weakly, its childlike voice trembling. [“Once you become a player, all your information is stored in the system, so we can see it.”]
Gu Jiu’s expression softened slightly, as a new question came to mind.
“Why is it that in the game world, my vision returns to normal, and I can even see ghosts that others can’t?” she asked, touching the corner of her eye.
[“It’s because the Spirit Seed within you is quite strong. From birth, it began to consume your eyesight but also granted you a pair of Spirit Eyes. Moreover, the energy field in the game world allows your vision to be restored to normal whenever you wear the assistive glasses.”]
“I don’t want these Spirit Eyes. Can my vision be restored in the real world?” Gu Jiu inquired.
[“Unfortunately, no!”] the system replied timidly, quickly adding, [“But once you fully awaken the Celestial Demon Physique, your eyesight will be fully restored.”]
In short, she had to continue being a player, striving for power and mastery, if she wanted to regain her vision.
Gu Jiu’s eyes, misty and gray, stayed silent for a long moment.
The system watched her nervously, unsure why, though she appeared calm and gentle, it felt she was someone not to be angered.
“I have one more question. If a player dies in the game world, what happens?”
[“The player dies completely,”] the system replied.
“And in the real world? The player can’t just vanish without a trace, can they?”
[“No, when a player dies in the game world, their body appears in the real world. The cause of death manifests as a plausible accident, ensuring no suspicion from the outside world.”]
Here, the system sounded proud, as if the power of the Multiverse Game World was beyond what any player could imagine.
After a moment of silence, Gu Jiu said, “Alright then, pleasure working with you.”
Overjoyed, the system transformed into a small, high-tech-looking sphere and floated over to her, extending a tiny arm to shake hands.
Excitedly, it said, [“Then I’ll call you Ah Jiu, just like your family and friends do. So, Ah Jiu, would you like to return to the real world now or go to Boundless City?”]
“Boundless City? What kind of place is that?”
[“It’s the player base in the Multiverse Game World,”] the system explained. [“Whenever players aren’t entering game world instances, they can choose to stay in Boundless City. However, time flows the same there as in the real world, so however long you stay in Boundless City, the same amount of time passes in reality. But time spent in game instances won’t affect the real world; you’ll exit the game world at virtually the same moment you entered.”]
Gu Jiu’s face showed a hint of interest, and she smiled slightly. “What’s the benefit of entering Boundless City for players?”
[“Boundless City is rich in spiritual energy, so players can cultivate there. A healthy body is essential to survive in the dangerous game worlds,”] the system hinted heavily.
Even though Gu Jiu had awakened her Banshee’s Armor, her physical body was still that of a delicate young lady—she couldn’t outrun others in a dangerous situation.
“I’ll go there next time,” Gu Jiu replied. “For now, I’d like to return to the real world.”
The system quickly agreed; as the players’ system, its role was to assist and assign tasks, not to dictate or influence their decisions.
“Good,” Gu Jiu said, giving the sphere a little pat.
[“I’ll start calculating your points,”] it responded happily.
[“This time, you earned 1,000 points in the Cursed Village instance, enough to purchase items related to it.”]
[Item 1: Cursed Doll – Can shield the player from one curse-related damage. Requires 800 points.
[Item 2: Oil Lamp – Burns for half an hour, clearing ghostly fog and restoring clarity for the player. Requires 500 points.]