"Bye!" Bo Xi waved to her friend before heading home. It was already past eight at night.
She walked carefully along the road, her steps steady.
The distance from her workplace to her house wasn't far, but it wasn't exactly close either.
Even after leaving the army, she still maintained her habits. Working at the boxing club made her feel grounded, like everything was still manageable.
Learning new things had always been her hobby. She was an action-oriented person: a bit blunt, but kind.
As she walked, a sudden scream pierced the quiet street. It was close.
A girl sprinted out from an alley, terror etched across her face.
The moment she spotted Bo Xi, her eyes flickered with desperate hope, and she dashed toward her.
'Shit'
Bo Xi thought as the girl practically threw herself behind her.
A large man burst out from the same alley, a knife glinting in his hand. He stopped when he saw Bo Xi, surprised—then he started laughing. He was huge, his build showing obvious signs of training.
The girl grabbed Bo Xi and hid behind her, trembling. Bo Xi pulled out her phone and immediately dialed the police.
"Look, I've already called the police," she warned, trying to intimidate him. But her words had the opposite effect. The man let out a crazed grin and charged straight at them.
Bo Xi shifted into a defensive stance. But the one mistake she didn't anticipate became fatal. Just as the man thrust his knife toward her and she moved to catch his wrist, the girl, panicking, shoved Bo Xi aside and bolted.
Missing her chance, Bo Xi felt the blade sink into her stomach. The man yanked it out and stabbed her again.
"Bitch," he spat.
Bo Xi collapsed to her knees, sliding down under the overwhelming pain.
Blood soaked her clothes.
The man spared her one last glance before heading in the direction the girl had run.
She gasped, feeling her strength drain rapidly. She didn't understand. She had suffered worse injuries during duty. Why couldn't she move? Even her fingers refused to obey. Darkness crept in at the edges of her vision.
"Am I… dead?" she whispered into the void closing around her.
"Yes, you are," a voice answered from the darkness. "I am the Creator—the creator of the world you originally belonged to. You see, I made a new world, but because it wasn't perfect, a small error sent your soul drifting… where it ended up inside an abandoned baby. I'm still learning and removing bugs. Now I'm sending you back to your original world with three small gifts."
Before Bo Xi could process any of it, the entity continued casually:
"First: one hundred blocks of soap and a book teaching you how to make more with the materials available there. I know you love staying clean.Second: three large chests of money—five thousand silver taels in each.Third: a small portable space you cannot upgrade. Nice, right? I'm busy, so bye."
A snapping sound echoed through the darkness.
Bo Xi felt dizzy, as if something was dragging her through a tunnel.
"Oh, and it's a reverse world, by the way. Enjoy," the Creator added faintly. Then everything vanished.
—
Bo Xi woke with a pounding headache. Memories surged into her mind.
Her true birth, her real life, and the fabricated experiences the Creator had given her.
She had returned to her original world… a world where gender roles were reversed and the average lifespan reached two hundred years.
Women were strong; men were physically frail. Strength, power, expectations—everything was opposite.
Still dizzy, she looked around at the "space" the Creator gifted her.
A small hut with a fixed interior.A field one acre where vegetation grew twice as fast.A well with clean water that could heal minor injuries and illnesses, and slowly strengthen those who drank it daily.
After sitting on the grass for a while, letting the sense of belonging sink into her, she finally calmed down.
She decided she would continue as planned—take the military examination and live the life this body had prepared for.
Checking the pouch at her side, she counted her belongings: one hundred silver taels, one hundred copper taels, an ox and carriage, and a few sets of clothes.
Using her inherited memories, she climbed into the carriage, took the reins, and headed toward the city.