2 | System Headquarters

Xi Ning felt a sudden jolt in her head. It was that familiar sensation, something that she had grown accustomed to after traversing through countless different worlds.

After the first few times, she hadn't experienced this numbing feeling of having her consciousness injected back into her own body.

Well, not until today.

It honestly took her by surprise. She thought she wouldn't experience that ever again.

Had the Big Bosses implemented new policies while she was away?

After all, she had stayed for almost a decade in the previous mission world. Considering how capricious the higher-ups were, the possibility of them changing the rules and whatnots in her absence was quite high.

Xi Ning dazedly blinked her eyes open, the feeling of her numb body slowly recovering.

What greeted her was the familiar blue ceiling of her room. The bright rays of the late morning sunlight streamed through the blue thin curtains, illuminating the room a bluish hue.

Hmm. She's back again.

The delicate, sweet scent of lavender wafted through the air, calming her chaotic mind.

Xi Ning tried to move to a sitting position but found that her body was still a bit stiff, owing it to having not moved her muscles for who knew how long.

In the end, she just laid back down on the soft mattress of her bed and called out loud, "Xiao Wu?"

Xiao Wu was the nickname Xi Ning gave to System 555.

It had been her most reliable helper and confidant, starting from when she could remember.

A few hundred years had passed since her first transmigration. Xiao Wu had been with her since then. But as for whether it was with her before she became a transmigrator or what she was like before then, she really couldn't recall.

Now, Xi Ning considered herself one of the citizens living in the Central Headquarters, which was the Capital of the whole System World.

Aside from the Big Bosses she didn't know much about, the majority of the citizens in the Central Headquarters could be classified into three groups, namely: Transmigrators, Systems and Designers.

Transmigrators, in simple terms, are the people who transmigrate from one world to another to fulfill various missions and tasks.

Who didn't know about that?

Systems, in general, are responsible for assisting their bounded hosts in accomplishing missions and tasks. They are also expected to record the happenings in each transmigration world.

The recordings, after removing the NSFL parts, will then be put up in the archives. No one is allowed to view them without the permission of the transmigrator involved. But most often than not, these recordings are put up for sale to generate an additional income for both the transmigrators and their bounded systems.

Because the rewards are linked to the rank of the mission world, the performance of the transmigrator and the degree of tasks completion, it's inevitable that some transmigrators will get fewer rewards when they perform poorly in the mission worlds they are transmigrated into.

Living in the Central Headquarters is indeed much more comfortable and convenient for the transmigrators and their systems, but the cost of living there is obviously much costlier.

That's why, most transmigrators would often choose to sell their recordings in hope that some rich people would take fancy to the plot of the world they went to.

There's nothing wrong with having an alternative source of income and having more money and points to spend, after all.

Speaking of income, the third group of citizens in the Central Headquarters could be considered as the richest individuals in the whole System World.

Designers, as what this occupation implies, design the transmigration worlds. They are the ones who create the algorithms and laws in the worlds they designed.

If the transmigrators get their rewards by completing the missions and tasks in each transmigration world, designers on the other hand, get their rewards from the Main System itself.

The higher the rank of the world, the higher their rewards will be.

Being a designer in the System World is such a lucrative profession.

However, not everyone could become a designer even if they wanted to. As for what conditions were needed to become a designer, Xi Ning didn't know.

She also didn't know much about the minorities because she rarely went out of her dwelling. She only knew that there were other professions like repairers, destroyers, healers, programmers and probably many more.

In any case, those were out of her reach at the moment. She was just a little transmigrator, trying to live through each day.

The most important thing to do right now was to claim her rewards from her previously completed mission world.

Thus, Xi Ning once again called out inside her head, "Xiao Wu?"

This time, a buzzing sound was heard: [Zzzz... booting... complete... This is System 555, reporting.]

Xi Ning was amused.

Did the always crying silly system finally turn over a new leaf?

This silent question of hers was answered by the silly system itself.

[Congratulations, Host! You have finally completed your very first A-ranked mission world! Wu wu wu~] Xiao Wu's voice sounded out in her mind, along with its signature 'wu wu wu' cries.

Haha, nope. System 555 is still her silly lil' system.

Ignoring its host's silent mockery towards itself, Xiao Wu faithfully delivered its lines: [As you have completed the A-ranked mission world "Ms. Superstar Has A Secret: The CEO Is Hiding In My Closet" with a hundred percent completion, you will receive 10,000 points and 5,000 gold coins as your rewards. Wu wu wu~]

"Oh? Only that?" Xi Ning raised a rounded shaped eyebrow and couldn't help but complain, "Why is the Main System so stingy?"

Xiao Wu, who could detect its host's happiness deep down: "..."

It knew that its host had given it the "silly" label, but look who had gone silly now?

The "silly" system looked on as its equally "silly" host started rolling all over the bed, flailing her meaty limbs up in the air.

Yes, Xi Ning had meaty limbs.

She was not like those skinny, fair-skinned protagonists with unparalleled beauty and talent.

She was just this Xi Ning—a chubby lady who looked around 20-year-old at most, with an uneven skin tone, and who hadn't had any official boyfriend since birth in any world.

That mission target "boy friend" she met on her first mission world couldn't be considered a "boyfriend" too.

The not-a-love story between them was simply too tragic to even mention. It was something so catastrophic for the inexperienced Xi Ning, who was only starting her transmigration journey at that time, that she begged her system to promise her NOT to send her to any transmigration worlds with tasks which would need her to fall in love with her mission target.

And because of this promise, the process of choosing transmigration worlds became stringent. Xiao Wu could only send her to lower ranked transmigration worlds since there were plenty of them she could choose from.

The A-ranked mission world this time was totally a surprise for both Xi Ning and her system. They didn't expect that they would come across this world while looking for any suitable lower ranked ones.

Now, she had finally become one of the transmigrators who had completed an A-ranked mission world!

She did it!

She really did it!

An A-ranked mission world!

It was a minor achievement compared to the other big shot transmigrators. Still, it was a good one nonetheless.

Besides, she got lots of gold and points as rewards!

She could finally try that Bluefin tuna from the System Restaurant!

At the thought of this, a suspicious liquid dribbled down her chin before she quickly wiped it away using the sleeve of her shirt. A faintly discernible blush crept up her neck to her ears, until her whole face was flushed red.

So embarrassing... aaahhhh!

Xiao Wu, who had gone to a dormant state, was suddenly awoken by its host's internal screaming. It looked at its host's dumb expression and knew in its CPU that she was thinking about food.

Sigh. What sins did it commit in the entirety of its system life for it to get bound to this foodie and glutton host?

Xi Ning, who knew nothing of her system's lamentations as she buried her blushing face on her pillow, suddenly heard Xiao Wu's voice: [Host, please restrain your glee. Wu wu wu~]

"Pfft! What 'restrain your glee'?! Shouldn't it be 'grief'? You can even use a phrase like that, Xiao Wu?" Xi Ning chided.

[My dearest host is right. It should be 'please restrain your grief, Host!' That is what I am meaning to say. Wu~] Xiao Wu said in all seriousness, even cutting down its signature 'wu wu wu' cries to only one 'wu' at the end.

Truly a spectacular system!

Who wouldn't want this kind of silly yet witty system?

Xi Ning was overflowing with joy at the present time. The world felt much brighter; she felt happier.

Oh yes! Xiao Wu could also use the points to upgrade itself too!

Spending countless years together, it would be surprising if they didn't grow fond of each other. Naturally, Xiao Wu and Xi Ning, this pair of system and host, had long become the best of friends.

Although Xiao Wu didn't force her to spend her points for its upgrade, Xi Ning was aware that it wanted to get an upgrade soon.

"Ne, Xiao Wu..." Xi Ning paused, thinking of some evil ways to tease her silly system, "...if I use the reward points to buy that newly released system interface background, would you agree?"

System Interface Background?

Xiao Wu was at a loss when it heard its host's question.

Within a second, a lot of thoughts and calculations went through its CPU.

If they would really buy one newly released background this time, it would cost them around 5,000 points. Even after slapping on the discount coupons the host had collected over the years and subtracting the total price to the total points they have on their account right now, the remaining points wouldn't be enough for its upgrade.

Was the system interface background more important than its own upgrade?

Although it was sad that it couldn't get an upgrade this time, maybe... maybe the host would remember it next time they get enough points, right?

[Of course, Host!] Xiao Wu's tone was filled with reluctance, which it didn't even notice itself, as it continued, [You can buy anything you like as long as we have enough points. Wu wu wu~]

Yes, you can buy anything as long as the host is happy.

"Really?" Xi Ning wanted to laugh out loud, but she hadn't had enough fun yet. "It's really okay with you?"

Xiao Wu, who was starting to feel more aggrieved: [Yes, Host. Please don't ask anymore. Wu wu wu~]