Chapter 1 – First Encounter

June 24, 2006.

Midnight.

Moonlight streamed through the cracked old window, faintly illuminating the entire main hall.

A plump girl knelt wearily on a meditation cushion. In front of her stood a worn wooden cabinet, and hanging above it was a faded portrait of the God of Longevity.

On either side of the portrait hung a couplet:

“Blessings fill the world as the lucky star shines.”

“Peace and prosperity grace this household.”

Horizontal scroll: “Auspicious Stars Above.”

The girl remained kneeling, her eyelids drooping lower and lower until she suddenly jerked awake, as though reminded of something important. Unfortunately, her energy only lasted two minutes before exhaustion took over again.

From the west room came silence, and from the east, only the steady snores of her grandparents. Finally, Tan You relaxed. She shifted off the cushion and flopped down clumsily to the side, rubbing her sore knees with both hands.

“Ouch… this is gonna hurt for days,” she muttered, blowing on them. But with her terrible nearsightedness, she couldn’t tell if they looked any different.

Just then, a pale, milk-white sphere of light appeared out of nowhere right in front of her face. In the tiniest voice it asked—hovering so close it nearly bumped her nose:

“Do you wish to bind with the system?”

Tan You blinked, not a hint of fear in her eyes. She only leaned back slightly. “Too close.”

The light obediently drifted back a bit. She squinted at it curiously, her eyes shining with interest. In the same soft monotone she always spoke with, she whispered back, “Bind?”

Her voice carried so little inflection that it almost sounded like agreement. At once, a smaller light shot out from the sphere, twirling into a glowing ring that hovered in the air before her.

Tan You nearly crossed her eyes staring at it. The little sphere spoke again:

“Please check your basic stats and proceed to your first task.”

Like a student following instructions, she said, “Check basic stats.”

A transparent screen opened before her eyes. On the left was her own image; on the right, a list of numbers.

The system’s voice was calm, almost indifferent: “Host, your initial stats are very low.”

Tan You protested at once. “Low stats just mean I’ve got more room to improve. That’s what teachers always say.”

She scanned the list quickly:

* Appearance: 50

* Mental Strength: 50

* Intelligence: 60

* Constitution: 40

* Charisma: 20

(All values are out of 100. The system reserves final interpretation rights.)

After reading them, Tan You sighed. “Wow… my stats really are awful.”

The system remained composed: “With my help, you will grow stronger and become excellent.”

Tan You ignored the [Appearance] score completely. Her gaze locked on [Intelligence]. “System, is my intelligence really that low? Only sixty?”

“Sixty is already passing. Most ordinary people are about the same. And intelligence can be improved…”

Before it could finish, Tan You’s eyes lit up like lanterns. “You mean I can raise my intelligence? Really? How?”

For the first time, the system hesitated. “The system… cannot do that yet.”

Her shoulders drooped. “Then… how can I raise it?” she whispered.

“Host, you don’t need to speak aloud,” the system reminded her gently. “After binding, whatever you think, I can hear.”

“Really?” She tested it in her mind: [System, can you hear me?]

“Yes. Loud and clear.” The little sphere bobbed like it was nodding.

Tan You relaxed completely, a smile tugging at her lips. “That’s great. Now I can talk to you anytime.”

“System, then tell me—how do I gain intelligence?”

The system perked up. “Through the Wish Pool. It holds missions. Complete them, and you’ll earn energy. The more complete the mission, the more energy you receive. Energy can then be spent on the Lottery Wheel, which randomly boosts your stats.”

Tan You’s heart thumped. Tasks → energy → lottery → higher intelligence. If her intelligence went up, maybe science class wouldn’t be such a nightmare anymore.

“How do I do the missions?” she asked. “I can’t leave home. Everyone’s here.”

“During missions, time in your world will pause. It resumes only when you return.” The voice sounded cold, yet Tan You couldn’t shake the feeling the “system” was more like a child.

But she didn’t dwell on it. She was too busy listening intently.

A sudden [ding!] echoed: “Host has triggered a mission. Requirement: Complete your first task within three days. Reward: one Beginner Lottery spin. Failure: system unbinds. Host will perish.”

Tan You froze. “…Perish? What does that mean?”

“It means disappear. Death,” the system replied flatly.

Her breath caught, but she didn’t argue.

The mission screen shifted, revealing a small, shimmering pool filled with glowing spheres of light.

Beside it was a round button. She pressed it casually, and the spheres inside began spinning faster and faster, until they blurred before her eyes.

“System, there are so many missions? If I finish all of them, won’t I get tons of energy? Then I can spin the lottery again and again?”

Her mind raced with possibilities. All she wanted was to raise her intelligence. Beauty didn’t even cross her mind.

“These are only beginner missions,” the system explained. “Once I upgrade, one intermediate mission will be worth ten beginner ones—and the rewards will be far greater.”

Tan You wasn’t greedy. “My stats are too low. Better to start small. System, are beginner missions hard?”

“The first task has appeared.” A small sphere popped out of the pool and floated in front of her.

“Please check the mission content. Reminder: complete it within three days.”

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