"Are you ready?"
[ One.]
"To stop the mission halfway and go back, the Host must kiss the main character ninety-nine times."
[Two.]
"I wish you a journey you may not forget and enjoy your thousand days."
[Three.]
"The host successfully entered the Gu World–!"
At that announcement, an eerie silence akin to the flatline of a hospital's machine rang in my ears, and I woke up with a muddled head, catching weak, fragile breaths.
A blurry image of an unfamiliar color, brownish at first, clouded my vision, and slowly, the sight of an ancient, exquisite ceiling came into focus before my eyes.
Where am I?
That question surfaced in my mind as I stayed still, falling into a brief trance before I finally accepted my situation.
Unfamiliar room.
Cold and ancient.
As if pulled straight out of a historical Eastern drama that I like so much. It already made me realize I am no longer on Earth.
After all, who could set up something like this for me?
Only the richest man in the world could pull this off, and I have no plans to go to Country C until next year anyway.
This leads me to the conclusion that the entity known as the Manager System of Small Worlds is legit.
I let out a quiet, soft sigh at the thought and closed my eyes again. This would give me a moment to think more about what happened a few hours ago.
As far as I am concerned, the last memory I had was always inside my own house, in my own room.
It was almost eleven in the evening when I finished my PPT proposal and lost my balance after I stood up, and the next moment, my eyes went black.
Where the cause of my death turned out to be so pitiful, even in my own eyes. I could not help but feel embarrassed just thinking about it.
I am always aware that my body is weak and almost looks like a sickly character who gasps after a few steps on the stairs, but I did not expect that I would really collapse just from getting up from my chair.
Such a scenario almost rivaled those female protagonists in the webnovels I have been reading.
Except this was the real world, not some book, and so I had only one thought in mind.
I was done for real this time, and the book I am reading is not finished yet.
There was no transmigration, no reincarnation, no rebirth waiting for me like those fictional characters.
But that was where I was actually wrong.
An unfamiliar voice echoed in my mind, introducing itself like the Manager System of Small Worlds.
Yes, I heard it right.
And this being was not just some digital program like in the novels I read.
It was a real existence, an entity with overwhelming power capable of destroying small worlds if it wished.
I listened as it spoke, one explanation after another, and eventually learned the truth of my situation.
I was not dead at all.
What happened was I had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion after working day and night without proper rest.
I asked this powerful entity why I was here and why such beings were talking to me.
"You awakened a frozen world, and with that, we would like to reward you with a gift from the higher-ups of our realms."
"Then can I have one billion dollars?" I asked without an ounce of hesitation or a trace of shame the moment the other's voice finished speaking. An utter silence fell over the atmosphere in the void where we were.
"No. We cannot give you that."
Stingy. Where is the powerful here, then?
"…...."
"That is against the rules, mortal soul. But I can send you to another world, similar to the books you read. However, you must make a contract with me, complete a mission, and only then will you return to your world without harm."
Suspicious. Very suspicious.
I sank into thought for barely a second. But the instant the idea of going to another world crossed my mind, a smile tugged at my lips.
"Then any world I can go to, right?"
"Indeed."
"Then how about the —!"
"What? Are you truly serious, little mortal?" The system's voice faltered, sounding as if it had been struck speechless by my choice.
After a long pause, it continued. "That is a dog-eat-dog world. It is not a playground for a soul like yours. Choose somewhere else instead. A world of manhwas? Pampered rich heroines? Or wealthy young ladies?"
"I… absolutely like that."
The suggestions weren't bad at all, and honestly, who wouldn't want to end up in one of those romance-filled, pampered worlds?
Soft life, luxury, drama, only when you want it. Very tempting.
However, I had my own reason for the world I chose.
"No. I want that world."
"......"
Utter silence filled the void.
Then, without questioning my decision, the Manager System's voice accepted it.
No explanation demanded, no hesitation.
Just a quiet acknowledgment.
So, I arrived in this other world, known as the Gu World, if the manager system truly sent me.
If I am not wrong, this world is a cultivation realm infamous among readers for its cruelty and danger.
The realization of it being my temporary reality settled in my chest like a weight. A flicker of fear rose as I thought about what lay ahead. Still, with one hand pressed to my pounding heart as I opened my eyes to stare at the ceiling, I steadied myself.
I had made my choice.
For my parents.
For my friends.
For my pet.
For my work waiting back there.
I would be away for a while. But I would surely return.
"Your mission is to survive this world until the end of the story. As you complete each plot, rewards will be given. I wish you luck and happiness." Those words sounded warm, suspiciously warm, and echoed in my mind before fading into nothing.
Unlike the systems in novels that follow the host everywhere, this Manager System was clearly far too high-tier to play assistant. It didn't stick around. It vanished the moment I arrived, leaving me to settle in on my own.
It is not that I am afraid to be alone here.
It is just that I suddenly remembered one critical problem.
I do not actually know the plot of this world!
Even though I may have a crush on its main protagonist, I never even had the chance to read the (his) story!