"You can't escape me."
The deranged voice reverberated through the abandoned mansion, every syllable soaked in malice. A chill knifed down Lu Xiao's spine. Sweat beaded on his brow, his breaths ragged and shallow as he searched for an exit—any exit.
I have to get out. I can't let him catch me.
Three hours earlier,
Night blanketed Jing City when Lu Xiao trudged home after a sixteen‑hour shift, eyelids gritty with exhaustion. Bed. I just need my bed, he told himself, cutting through a deserted alley to save a few minutes.
"Mine, dear Lu Xiao…"
The words slithered from the shadows behind him. Lu Xiao turned. Under a flickering streetlamp stood a man clothed entirely in black. A porcelain hid half his face, the painted grin stretched unnaturally wide—like a doll that had learned to hate.
Terror jolted Lu Xiao awake. When the masked stranger lunged, he ran—heart thundering, lungs burning—past dim storefronts and shuttered stalls, until city lights gave way to overgrown fields and the looming silhouette of a long‑abandoned mansion on the outskirts.
He slipped inside, slamming the warped door behind him. Footsteps followed—slow, deliberate. Then the sing‑song refrain drifted through the corridors:
"You can't escape me…"
Now
Crouched inside a closet behind a blue door, Lu Xiao pressed trembling fingers to his lips, forcing himself to breathe silently. Through the crack between the doors he scanned the hallway, praying the killer would pass him by.
The universe remained silent.
CRACK. An axe head burst through the blue door, splintering the wood. Lu Xiao bit back a scream. Again and again, the blade punched through until the ruined door sagged inward.
"Found you, Lu Xiao."
The closet jerked open. A gloved hand seized his collar, yanking him into the corridor's sickly lamplight. He choked out a plea. "P‑please—let me go—"
His words were devoured by a brutal kiss, tasting of iron and madness. The masked man pinned him against the crumbling wall; Lu Xiao's struggles were hopeless against his strength.
Breathless, the stranger whispered, almost lovingly, "If I can't have you, then no one can."
Steel glinted. The knife rose.
"NO—!" Lu Xiao's scream fractured the air, and then the world went black.
Light.
Blinding, soft, endless white light.
Lu Xiao's eyelids fluttered open, and he gasped, sucking in air he wasn't even sure he needed. Beneath him stretched an expanse of clouds—cottony, pale, and unnaturally still. He was floating.
"Am I... dead?" he whispered, sitting up slowly. "Did I really… die?"
His voice was swallowed by the vast silence. There was no wind, no sun, no sound—just white in every direction. It felt holy. Sacred.
Heaven? he thought. Is this what it looks like?
But before he could gather his thoughts, a voice echoed above him:
"Yes, you're dead. But this isn't heaven. This is System Space, and I am System 8219."
Startled, Lu Xiao looked up—then nearly fell off the cloud.
Hovering above him was a translucent, fluorescent green cat. Holographic in texture, it had large triangular ears, glowing digital eyes, and a swishing tail that pixelated slightly every time it moved.
Lu Xiao blinked. "...I've gone insane."
The cat-like figure floated closer, its digital tail curling with an amused flick.
"No, you're not insane. You were killed by the masked assailant. This space exists between life and reincarnation. But I can offer you a second chance."
Lu Xiao's mouth parted slightly. He wanted to laugh. But the logic refused to unravel.
He pinched his cheek—hard.
"Ow…"
He tried again. Harder.
Still, pain bloomed under his fingers. The cloud didn't vanish. The cat didn't disappear.
"I think I am hallucinating. I may have read too transmigration novel …" he mumbled, and tried pinching his cheeks again and it hurt again .
Everything infront of him was indeed the reality and he wasn't hallucinating.
The cat rolled its virtual eyes with exaggerated exasperation.
"Snap out of it. Do you want your life back or not?"
At that moment, Lu Xiao's heart clenched. Scenes flashed across his mind—his frail mother coughing in a hospital bed, his father breaking his back at a factory, his little sister crying quietly over overdue school fees. Reality hit him like a freight train.
He sat up straighter, face pale but resolute. "Yes. I want it back. Please."
The holographic feline dipped its head in acknowledgment. "I can revive you, but it comes with a condition."
"What kind of condition?" Lu Xiao asked cautiously.
"You'll be bound to me, System 8219. You'll need to enter different worlds and complete missions. Success earns you points. With enough, you regain your life in your original world."
Lu Xiao hesitated for barely a second. "I agree."
"Are you sure?" the system asked again, voice more serious. "Once the binding is complete, there's no turning back."
Lu Xiao nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I'll do it."
"Very well," said the cat. "Then give me a name. The contract cannot complete until you name your system."
Lu Xiao blinked at that. "A name?"
The cat floated patiently.
"…Then I'll call you Kiwi."
The cat glowed brighter in response. A low humming sound filled the space as bright green data streams spiraled around them.
The cat glowed brighter in response. A low humming sound filled the space as bright green data streams spiraled around them.
[System Binding: Complete.]
Host: Lu Xiao.
System Name: Kiwi.
Mission Protocol Initializing…
"Wait—stop! STOP!" Lu Xiao shouted, flailing his arms as digital light surged around him.
The glow flickered. A mechanical chime followed:
[Mission Protocol Initialization: Paused.]
Floating above him, Kiwi blinked in clear annoyance. "What now, host?"
Lu Xiao adjusted his collar, trying to regain a shred of dignity. "Um… Shouldn't there be a starter kit or something first? You know, a beginner's gift pack? A status screen? Points system? I've read a lot of transmigration novels, and this feels… incomplete."
Kiwi's holographic pupils dilated.
"Oh my code! You're right! How did I forget?" The glowing cat did a somersault in the air, its digital body briefly glitching in embarrassment. "I was so focused on the binding process, I completely skipped the orientation."
Kiwi cleared its throat, voice turning more official.
"Welcome, Host Lu Xiao, to System 8219's Multiverse Mission Program—nickname Kiwi Incorporated! 🎉
You, the host, will enter multiple target worlds to complete personalized missions. Completion will earn you system points, which can be used for items, skills, world privileges, and even shortcuts.
You also receive a one-time Starter Package for being such a clever newbie."
A green light pulsed as a floating interface opened in front of Lu Xiao, showing:
[Starter Kit Received]
Basic World Language Sync Chip
Beginner's Luck (Limited Use)
Novice Stealth Skill – Level 1
Emergency Return Talisman (One-Time Use)
100 System Points
Lu Xiao's eyes lit up. "Now this feels real."
Kiwi beamed proudly. "Of course. I offer only the most premium transmigration experience."
Lu Xiao scrolled through the interface, amazed. It was cleaner than any RPG system he'd ever seen—sleek, glowing buttons, categories for "Skills", "Inventory", "World Map", and even "Villain Affection Levels" (which he pointedly ignored).
Kiwi floated closer, tail curling into a question mark. "So, are we finally ready to begin?"
Lu Xiao took a deep breath. His heart thudded—but this time, with anticipation rather than fear.
"…Yeah. Let's do this."
[Mission Protocol Initialization: Resuming…]
Loading First World… Synchronizing Host Data…
Mission Difficulty: Medium
Objective: Pamper the Villain
As the space fractured around him like breaking glass, Lu Xiao felt himself falling—his body dissolving into threads of light.
He wasn't scared.
This time, he was ready.