Six hours passed quietly.
Nothing in the white room changed.
White floor.
White walls.
White ceiling.
But Zhuqing, sitting cross-legged in the chair she had finally purchased from the System Mall, slowly opened her eyes.
She stretched slightly, rolling her shoulders.
“Ah… that helped.”
Living an entire lifetime—even a peaceful one—still left traces on the mind. The six hours of rest had smoothed those lingering emotions into something calm and distant.
The assistant immediately spoke.
[Host has awakened.]
[Personal Space Time Remaining: 5 hours 58 minutes.]
“Good.”
Zhuqing pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Let’s check everything properly.”
[Understood.]
A translucent panel appeared in front of her.
Host Name: Zhuqing Bones
Level: Beginner Lv2
Intelligence: 78
Strength: 52
Agility: 60
Endurance: 55
Appearance: 81
Charm: 69
Willpower: 88
Luck: 41
Skills:
Painting — Intermediate
Calligraphy — Intermediate
Medicine — Advanced
Cooking — Intermediate
Photography — Intermediate
Makeup — Beginner
Finance — Intermediate
Acting — Beginner
Diving — Intermediate
Musical Instruments — Intermediate
Driving — Advanced
Tea Brewing — Intermediate
Antique Appreciation and appraisal — Intermediate
Social Etiquette — Intermediate
Talents: —
Golden Fingers:
The Culinarist’s Eye
Items:
Golden Finger Draw ×2
Body Recovery Capsule ×2
Skill Book ×1
Worlds Traveled: 1
Zhuqing read the panel carefully.
“My level increased.”
[Correct.]
[Host gained 1100 experience points.]
[Beginner Level 1 → Beginner Level 2.]
She nodded.
“Leveling seems straightforward.”
[Yes.]
[Experience is primarily obtained through mission completion and evaluations.]
Zhuqing’s gaze moved toward the skills section.
She scanned the list slowly.
Painting.
Calligraphy.
Cooking.
Photography.
Then the medical skills.
Medicine — Advanced.
That made sense. She had spent most of that lifetime practicing medicine.
But after a moment, she tilted her head slightly as if remembering something.
“Something’s missing.”
[?]
“The skills from my original life.”
She tapped the panel lightly.
“I knew plenty of things before I entered the Administration.”
The assistant answered immediately.
[Correct.]
[However, skills from the host’s original world are not listed.]
Zhuqing looked mildly curious.
“Why?”
[Because those abilities are considered the host’s baseline knowledge.]
[The system only records skills developed or significantly improved after joining the Time and Space Administration.]
[Otherwise most panels would become very cluttered.]
Zhuqing hummed.
“That’s reasonable.”
The assistant added helpfully:
[However, host may still use those abilities normally.]
[They simply are not recorded as mission-acquired skills.]
“Understood.”
Her eyes moved down again.
Her gaze paused on the items section.
“Next question.”
[Yes, Host.]
“Skill books.”
The assistant’s tone perked up instantly.
[Skill books grant a random skill acquisition.]
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
[They are very popular among hosts.]
Zhuqing nodded.
“Let’s try it.”
The assistant immediately sounded excited.
[Host is using the Skill Book?!]
[Confirming activation!]
A glowing book appeared briefly in the air before dissolving into light.
A soft chime echoed.
[Skill Acquisition Complete!]
A new line appeared on the panel.
New Skill Obtained:
Language Mastery — Master Rank
Zhuqing blinked.
“Language mastery?”
The assistant sounded impressed.
[Language Mastery allows the host to understand, read, and speak all human languages present in any mission world.]
[Ancient languages, modern dialects, regional accents — all included.]
[Skill Rank: Master.]
Zhuqing leaned back slightly.
“That’s… extremely convenient.”
[Many hosts spend several worlds collecting translation items.]
[Host obtained the full version immediately.]
She nodded thoughtfully.
“Good draw.”
Then she glanced back down.
Two Golden Finger draws remained.
One original.
One compensation.
Zhuqing tapped the arm of her chair thoughtfully.
“Golden Finger draw.”
The assistant sounded extremely enthusiastic now.
[Golden Finger draw confirmed!]
[Initiating probability selection!]
A ring of rotating symbols appeared in the air.
They spun rapidly.
Then stopped.
Golden Finger Obtained:
Photographic Memory
The assistant immediately began explaining.
[Photographic Memory.]
[Effect: Host perfectly records and recalls any visual, written, or auditory information.]
[Memory retention is permanent.]
[Host may replay stored memories with perfect clarity.]
[Learning efficiency greatly increased.]
Zhuqing nodded once.
“Very practical.”
The assistant sounded relieved.
[Host got a very stable Golden Finger.]
[Many hosts draw far stranger things.]
Zhuqing raised an eyebrow.
“Such as?”
The assistant immediately began listing examples with visible trauma.
[One host drew Bioluminescent Skin.]
[Their entire body glowed like a lantern.]
Zhuqing blinked.
“…In every world?”
[Yes.]
[Stealth missions became extremely difficult.]
She laughed.
The assistant continued.
[Another host obtained Armor Hair.]
“Armor… hair?”
[All body hair hardened into defensive fibers stronger than steel.]
Zhuqing stared.
“…That sounds uncomfortable.”
[The host had to shave every six hours to remain functional.]
Zhuqing burst out laughing.
“That’s horrifying.”
[One host received Squeaky Bone Structure.]
“…I’m afraid to ask.”
[Every time they moved, their joints made rubber duck sounds.]
Zhuqing leaned back in the chair laughing now.
“Alright, alright. I understand.”
The assistant concluded gravely:
[Compared to those…]
[Photographic Memory is an excellent result.]
“I agree.”
She glanced back at the panel.
One draw remained.
The compensation reward.
“Let’s finish the last one.”
The assistant sounded eager again.
[Golden Finger Draw ×1 confirmed!]
The symbol ring appeared once more.
It spun for longer this time.
Then froze.
Golden Finger Obtained:
Personal Pocket Space — Growable Type
Zhuqing’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
“Explain.”
The assistant read the system description.
[Personal Pocket Space.]
[A private dimensional storage linked directly to the host.]
[Initial size: small.]
[Objects stored inside remain perfectly preserved.]
[Time flow inside the space is paused.]
Another line appeared.
[Special Attribute: Growable.]
Zhuqing leaned forward slightly.
“Meaning?”
[The pocket space can expand over time.]
[Growth conditions include:]
? Host level advancement
? Absorbing space-type treasures
? System upgrades
The assistant continued.
[If the host encounters spatial artifacts or storage treasures in mission worlds, they may be absorbed to expand the space.]
[Even without treasures, the space will gradually increase as the host levels up.]
Zhuqing nodded slowly.
“So it’s a long-term resource.”
[Correct.]
[Space-type Golden Fingers are highly valuable.]
She smiled slightly.
“I like those.”
The panel updated.
Golden Fingers:
The Culinarist’s Eye
Photographic Memory
Personal Pocket Space (Growable)
Zhuqing studied the list quietly.
Cooking perception.
Perfect memory.
A growing dimensional storage.
“…Not bad for one world.”
The assistant sounded pleased.
[Host performance exceeded expectations.]
Zhuqing leaned back into the chair again.
“Anything else?”
[All rewards have already been placed inside the host’s System Inventory.]
[Host may retrieve or check them at any time.]
“Good.”
She glanced at the timer.
Five hours still remained.
Zhuqing closed the panel.
“No rush.”
The assistant waited patiently.
Zhuqing folded her arms behind her head and leaned comfortably into the chair.
“Let’s rest a little longer.”
“Next mission can wait.”
The assistant remained quiet for a moment.
Then Zhuqing opened one eye slightly.
“Actually… I have another question.”
[Yes, Host.]
“Are there other hosts like me in the same department?”
[Yes.]
Zhuqing sat up a little straighter.
“Can I meet them?”
There was a short pause before the assistant answered.
[Currently unavailable.]
She raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
[Host access to the Inter-Host Hub requires Beginner Level 5.]
“The hub?”
[Correct.]
A faint interface appeared briefly, displaying a simplified diagram.
[The Inter-Host Hub is a shared administrative space used by system hosts.]
[Hosts from multiple departments may enter.]
Zhuqing rested her chin on her hand.
“What happens there?”
The assistant sounded slightly more animated while explaining.
[Hosts may trade items.]
[Some hosts establish stalls to sell mission resources.]
[Others run long-term businesses.]
Zhuqing blinked.
“…Businesses?”
[Yes.]
[Examples include:]
? Rare item trading
? Skill book exchange
? Intelligence brokerage
? Custom equipment crafting
? Mission tool rental
The assistant added matter-of-factly:
[Some high-level hosts earn more system points through business than through missions.]
Zhuqing gave a quiet laugh.
“So even outside the worlds, capitalism survives.”
[Administration encourages host productivity.]
“Of course it does.”
She thought for a moment before asking another question.
“Are there places specific to departments?”
[Yes.]
[Each department maintains its own lounge within the hub.]
[Hosts from the same department may gather there to exchange information or coordinate.]
Zhuqing nodded slowly.
“That could be useful.”
The assistant continued.
[Additionally, certain facilities are restricted by host tier.]
[Examples include:]
? Advanced equipment workshops
? High-tier training chambers
? Merit exchange halls
? Administrative consultation rooms
[Entry requirements vary.]
[Most are restricted to Intermediate tier or above.]
Zhuqing leaned back slightly.
“So Beginner hosts stay mostly in their rooms.”
[Correct.]
“But once I reach Beginner Level 5…”
[Host will gain hub access.]
[Host may leave personal space temporarily between missions.]
Zhuqing nodded thoughtfully.
“That gives me something to aim for.”
The assistant seemed pleased with that answer.
Silence returned to the white room for a few seconds.
Then Zhuqing stood up.
She stretched lightly and rolled her shoulders again.
“Alright.”
She opened the interface once more.
“Let’s get familiar with these new abilities.”
The assistant responded immediately.
[Understood.]
For the next hour, Zhuqing experimented quietly.
She tested the limits of Photographic Memory, recalling details from her previous world with perfect clarity.
She practiced activating the Culinarist’s Eye, watching how the system analyzed ingredients.
She opened and closed the Personal Pocket Space, slowly getting used to the faint spatial distortion that appeared in her palm.
None of it felt overwhelming.
Instead, it felt… practical.
Tools.
Useful tools.
Eventually, Zhuqing closed the interface.
“Good enough.”
The assistant spoke calmly.
[Personal Space Time Remaining: 1 hour 12 minutes.]
Zhuqing nodded once.
“No reason to waste time.”
She sat back down in the chair and folded her hands lightly in her lap.
“Let’s begin the next mission.”
The assistant immediately switched to an official tone.
[Understood.]
A faint hum filled the white room.
Lines of light began forming in the air again.
[Preparing world transmission.]
[Stabilizing space channel…]
[Mission interface initializing…]
The room flickered softly.
The assistant spoke one final line.
[Transmission commencing.]
A small pause followed.
Then—
[Good luck, Host.]
The white room dissolved into light.
And somewhere in the vast library of stories—
another story world began.
