"Where am I?" Panic surged in her chest like a rising tide.
"LET ME OUT!!" She hammered her fists against the wall. It was neither cold nor warm, and the surface remained stationary. White as chalk frozen in time.
"Whoever did this, I'm not sure what kind of practical joke you're pulling, but I can assure you that if you don't let me go now, there will be serious repercussions."
"Hello~ Host! I am System Navigator 419~" The voice was chirpy, high-pitched, and maddeningly cute.
Jia Li whipped around. "Who said that?! I'm warning you—I have a black belt in karate!"
There was a swirl of white smoke and glitter, and suddenly there stood a plumb androgynous child. They had bunny ears, round, pink cheeks, and a white onesie that seemed to be made of guiltless sins and clouds.
Jia Li froze mid-punch. A... a little bun had kidnapped her? Rows of invisible question marks circled around her head. Despite herself, her tension eased. It was hard to stay aggressive in front of something that looked like a milk commercial mascot. "Little bun, where am I? Why did you kidnap me?" Her voice was cautious, but no longer as panicked.
The child beamed. "Aiyaaa~ Host, I'm System Navigator 419! You're the lucky soul bonded to the Amorous and Ravishing Beauty System! You'll now travel across worlds to complete special tasks~ Each one has juicy rewards, and once you start, even more benefits will unlock!"
They struck a pose, one chubby hand raised, sparkles exploding behind them.
Jia Li just... stared.
"So…I'm dead"
Ten seconds passed. Maybe more. She knew about these kinds of stories. She'd read enough webnovels to know what was happening.
Systems. Binding. World-hopping. Tasks. Rewards. She wasn't clueless. But she had never thought she'd be chosen. Because—truth be told—she was no one special.
She was a modern salarywoman in the 21st century. She paid rent on time. Drank instant coffee. Tolerated her supervisor. Faded into the background like beige wallpaper in an office no one redecorates. Not ugly enough to be bullied like a cliche revenge K-drama protagonist. Not pretty enough to turn heads. Her eyes were small and wide-set, giving her a permanently squinting look that makeup couldn't fix. Her skin was rough and uneven with years of hormonal acne and budget skincare. Her squat, bulbous nose was neither charming nor elegant. She was tall, slender, and had long limbs that somehow didn't seem ungainly in professional clothes. That was her only advantage. Her eyes, which were dazzling and glassy when the light struck them perfectly, may have been her savior. But no one really noticed. She wore thick prescription glasses. Walked with her head down. Ate lunch alone in her desk cubicle. If life were a video game, she was the NPC standing near the quest marker. The one who didn't give you any items. The one you forgot existed after five seconds. That was Jia Li. Average, ordinary, disposable.
And now? She was supposed to be some "ravishing beauty" system host?
(⊙_⊙)
Her laugh came out hollow. Almost bitter. "System 419, are you sure you got the right person?"
"Of course! The system never makes mistakes~" the little bun chirped.
As Gu Jia Li remembered the details of her life, she ground her teeth in anger. Why? How was this fair? After a moment to compose herself, she turned her gaze toward the small figure floating before her—a chubby, androgynous baby with glowing eyes and a smug expression, hovering in midair like it belonged there.
"So, what's your deal?" she asked flatly.
The baby clapped its tiny hands together, grinning like it had just been handed candy. "Host! Welcome to the Amorous and Seductive Beauty System, also known as ASB-419!"
Jia Li raised a brow.
The name sounded like a scam.
The chibi form made it worse.
Unbothered by her expression, the baby floated a little higher and continued proudly. "Your primary function, Host, is to fulfill the Unresolved Wish of the soul fragments you inhabit in each world. You must resolve them completely to receive full mission points."
"Points?" Jia Li repeated.
"Yes! Mission Points are the currency of this system. With every successfully completed mission, you'll earn points based how much you interfere with the original plot. Side objectives—like enhancing your host body's reputation, gaining power, seducing male leads, or altering the fate of key characters—will also earn you bonus points."
Jia Li crossed her arms. "And the points are for…?"
"They unlock the System Mall—where you can purchase a variety of upgrades and items!"
A glowing panel unfurled in the air beside her, showing flickering icons: Beauty Enhancements, Combat Skills, Ancient Techniques, Cultural Proficiency, Spiritual Artifacts. There was even a grocery section.
"You can exchange points for physical transformations—yes, body sculpting, facial optimization, even genetic edits—elite training, and charm packages. All upgrades are permanent and persist across missions."
Jia Li's expression didn't waver. "And the goal?"
The baby's eyes gleamed. "To earn enough points to reconstruct a spiritual body. Then, Host, you will be fully reborn to rewrite your fate in any world of your choice. It can even be the host's original world 1432."
Jia Li's expression remained composed, but her mind was spinning. Her world… World 1432.
"What do you mean, 'original world'?" she asked.
"Host comes from Small World 1432—a novel-style world. Your world was created to center around
Wang Meilin, the designated female protagonist. The story follows her daily misadventures and her will-they-won't-they romance with the male lead."
Jia Li's face darkened. "System… what role was I?"
"Host was background character No. 56."
A nobody.
It turns out Wang Meilin had grown up in the countryside due to a birth switch. When she turned sixteen, it was revealed she was the real daughter of the city's wealthiest man. Her biological father, overwhelmed with emotion, brought her back and poured resources into her, determined to shape her into a refined heiress. But Wang Meilin had no interest in studying or improving herself. She preferred to flirt, party, and collect male leads like trading cards.
When the college entrance exams arrived and her results were pitiful, her loving father did what any morally bankrupt rich man might—he swapped her scores with someone else's. That someone… was Gu Jia Li. Wang Meilin knew immediately her score was a lie. But instead of confessing, she took the glory. And when Jia Li began investigating the truth, Meilin got angry. After all, she'd suffered so much. Couldn't Jia Li just bear this one grievance? To silence her, Meilin subtly crushed her in the corporate world. She didn't even have to lift a finger—lapdogs and sycophants did the job for her, eager to please the golden daughter of the wealthiest man in the city. Meilin simply smiled and washed her hands of the matter.
Jia Li's fists clenched. Her vision tinged red. The floating baby, as if sensing her resolve, chimed again. "The space you're currently in is a personalized dimension. Time here is frozen. You can use it to rest, store items, train, or browse the mall. It functions as your mobile headquarters and can be accessed at any time, just by thinking about it."
Jia Li narrowed her eyes. "And if I fail a mission?"
The cheerful tone dimmed. "Failure results in point deduction, skill loss, and potential host-body collapse. Five consecutive mission failures will result in soul fragmentation and permanent erasure."
A cold silence followed. Jia Li let it sink in. Then, slowly, a bitter smile curled on her lips. "Sounds fair."
"Host, cheer up! Since you're just a beginner, you get 100 points as a Beginner Package~ Hehe~"
A translucent screen shimmered into existence in front of Jia Li, displaying neat rows of glowing text.
System: Beauty System (ASB-419)
Host: Gu Jia Li
Age: 28
Level: 1
Rank: Beginner
Transformation Energy: 100 (Beginner Package Bonus)
Core Stats
Charisma: 31
Charm: 29
Figure Proportions: 50
Potential: 82
Luck: 25
Endurance: 40
Strength: 48
Intelligence: 71
Speed: 46
Flexibility: 42
Pain Tolerance: 58
Stamina: 55
Jia Li stared at the glowing numbers, her brows twitching.
"…Why is my charm so damn low?"
The system paused for a beat, then chirped in its sweet voice,
"Because, Host, your feminine allure is currently… how should I put it… comparable to an overworked office stapler—functional, but no one's fighting to take it home."
"…"
Jia Li's expression darkened. She had a sneaking suspicion the system had just insulted her as a woman.
In that moment, the long-unsolved mystery of her tragic dating history… was finally solved.
Jia Li's gaze slid down the list of stats.
Charm — supposedly her "feminine allure," but given the insulting stapler comparison, she decided to leave that one alone for now.
Figure Proportions — at least that was average. Not tragic, not spectacular.
Potential — now that one made her pause.
"System, what does this mean? Is it like… talent?"
"Mm~ Potential measures how far you can improve with upgrades. Your score is quite high, Host! If you don't waste it, you might even evolve into the type of beauty who makes nations fall and kings lose sleep."
Jia Li hummed. Well, that didn't sound bad.
Luck — self-explanatory. Given her life so far, she suspected it was generous at 25.
Then her eyes fell on Flexibility.
"…What's this for? Yoga?"
The system gave a suspiciously drawn-out pause before replying in a sing-song tone,
"Oh, Host… flexibility is very important. It helps with graceful movement, certain combat techniques… and, ah, other activities."
Jia Li frowned. "Other activities?"
"If the host doesn't understand now, the host will… eventually," the system purred, its voice dripping with implication.
A beat passed before realization flickered in Jia Li's mind.
Her ears turned red.
"…Pervert."
The system chuckled. "Flexible people have more fun, Host~"
Jia Li decided she was not going to ask any more questions about that stat. Ever.