Walking downstairs, Lin Yu made his way to the nearest supermarket. He grabbed a bag at the entrance, then headed straight for the daily necessities section and began an extensive shopping spree.
"Well, disinfectant, detergent, air freshener, toilet cleaner."
Carrying a shopping basket, Lin Yu strolled through the aisles, tossing items into it as he went.
"It's been a while since I replaced the mop. I should get a new one. The garbage bags are almost out, too. I need a roll, and insecticide—there are cockroaches in the house, and..."
After a while, Lin Yu returned to his apartment, arms laden with his haul. On the way back, he encountered a college girl who lived across from him.
"..."
The image from earlier flashed in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of distaste. It would probably linger for days. Yet, he maintained his composure and greeted her as if nothing had happened.
"Xiao Xin, heading out?"
Her name was Ye Xin, and she had lived across the hall for two years. They had become good friends over time.
"Yeah, I forgot something at school. I'm going to grab it. Why did you buy so much?" she asked, her backpack slung over one shoulder, clearly heading to school.
"It's nothing. I've been cooped up in the house for a while, and it hasn't been cleaned in ages. It was getting a bit dirty, so I decided to do something about it." Lin Yu smiled, his tone casual. "What about you? Off to school?"
Ye Xin was naturally striking—her appearance immediately caught the eye. Her figure was perfect, and Lin Yu could confirm this, not just from a mere glance, but from his recent experience of entering the "fourth dimension" and observing every facet of her body structure.
In that moment, from an ordinary three-dimensional perspective, Ye Xin's looks and figure would easily score a solid 90 out of 100—truly a perfect 90 on the scale of attractiveness.
"Yeah," Ye Xin murmured, a faint smile playing on her lips, "It's tough living alone."
She had known Lin Yu for a while. Since Lin Yu moved out of the orphanage, they had grown close, and she knew bits and pieces about his life. Now, Ye Xin was about to enter her senior year of college, and they had been acquaintances for almost two years.
Lin Yu was a year older, and as Ye Xin knew, he had grown up in an orphanage and had never been adopted. After leaving, he found a job, moved out, and had been living alone ever since. Now 23, he had five years of living experience on her.
Perhaps it was her maternal instincts, but Ye Xin couldn't help but feel a sense of sympathy for Lin Yu's past.
"Do you need help carrying some of this?" she asked, eyeing his full load.
"No, it's only three floors up. Be careful on your way," Lin Yu said, giving her a casual wave as he passed her and began walking upstairs.
"Alright, take care." Ye Xin waved back and continued her walk down.
Just a few steps up, Lin Yu suddenly had an idea. He turned back to glance at Ye Xin's retreating figure and spoke inwardly,
" Xiao shu, lock onto Ye Xin and check her stats."
[ "Understood." ]
Moments later, a detailed page of Ye Xin's data appeared before Lin Yu's eyes.
[ Name: Ye Xin ]
[ Status: Normal Carbon-Based Lifeform ]
[ Longevity Probability: 93% (assuming regular work and rest, healthy diet, and no unforeseen events) ]
[ Picking up money probability: 66.66% (kind-hearted; good people are rewarded) ]
[ Lottery Winning Probability: 0.0023% (born European Emperor) ]
[ Getting out of Singledom Probability: 89.9% (Naturally beautiful, whether she wants a boyfriend depends on her own desires) ]
...
[ Lightning Strikes Probability Within an Hour: 86% ]
[ Probability of Death After Lightning Strike: 87% ]
[ Time Travel After Death Probability: 91% ]
[ Awaken Superpowers Probability: 66% ]
...
Lin Yu couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Shit," although he wasn't entirely surprised. He wasn't well-read and often resorted to simple exclamations to express his shock.
Fortunately, his morning's experience with the system and entering the higher dimension had granted him a higher tolerance for these kinds of revelations.
"Should I help?" Lin Yu wondered aloud.
According to the system's findings, Ye Xin had a high chance of being struck by lightning within the hour, followed by a possible death and subsequent time travel. Lin Yu didn't know if he should intervene.
Just as he was contemplating, Ye Xin exited the apartment building. It seemed the system's lock detection wasn't restricted by distance. Lin Yu asked, "Xiao Shu, where will she travel to after death?"
As soon as Lin Yu finished his question, the item "Time Travel After Death Probability" on the system interface expanded, revealing further data.
[ Traveling to Another World Probability: 20.33% ]
Among the potential destinations, three stood out: the magical world, the fantasy world, and the science fiction world.
"Nothing too special," Lin Yu thought to himself, inspecting the results.
[ Time Travel to Ancient Times Probability: 33.66% ]
The system also listed the most likely dynasties Ye Xin would find herself in, with the highest probabilities pointing to the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties.
"Those dynasties are all relatively prosperous, though. It's like she's destined for greatness," Lin Yu mused, slightly amused. "It's almost as if she's born to be royalty."
He sighed and looked at the next set of probabilities.
[ Summoned by the Lord God Space Probability: 46.01% ]
"Fuck." Lin Yu cursed, feeling overwhelmed for the fourth time that day.
"Xiao Shu, is the Lord God Space real?" he asked, bewildered.
[ It exists. The universe is infinite, and everything is possible. You've already witnessed two of your abilities and my existence. There's no need to be shocked by other extraordinary things appearing.]
The system's voice was patient, like a big sister explaining a complex concept to her younger brother.
[From a scientific standpoint, according to quantum mechanics, infinite universes coexist, and the combination of all these universes forms an 'infinite universe.' Each of these universes also contains infinite possibilities. This means that anything, everything, is possible in the infinite cosmos.]
"Alright, alright, I get it," Lin Yu interrupted with a sigh, feeling a headache coming on. "You don't have to keep going on like this. I didn't ask for a lecture."
Lin Yu glanced back at Ye Xin's probabilistic data and fell into deep thought.
Ye Xin was kind, gentle, and one of his few close friends. He genuinely didn't want her to die from a lightning strike or end up trapped in some strange world. The idea of her entering a foreign or ancient world troubled him—the risks were high. A person with no roots in such an environment would have no way of truly surviving, let alone thriving.
Whether she ended up in a magical world, a fantasy world, or ancient times, survival would be a challenge, especially without proper knowledge of language or culture. Even if Ye Xin could eventually find help, the chances of her ending up in a dangerous situation were high.
"What do you think, Xiao Shu?" Lin Yu asked, contemplating his next move.
[My suggestion,]
the system responded thoughtfully,
[isto let her stay. Not everyone desires time travel. Ye Xin has a happy family, good grades, a bright future. She doesn't have the tragic backstory typical of a time traveler. Time travel may not be in her best interest.]
"Yeah, you're right," Lin Yu muttered, the decision becoming clearer. "I'll prevent her from traveling and maybe help her awaken her superpowers as compensation."
He looked at the system's page with a new idea brewing in his mind.