╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Edited by Psycho S
╚════════════════╝
◦ Start of Flashback…
◦ "Do you think I have Stockholm Syndrome?" Inside a luxurious office, Bing Shi tilted her head to peek beside the monitor.
◦There was a moment of silence...
◦ She peeked her head more to the side of the monitor to see his face previously hidden by the computer. She caught the slight smile at the corner of his mouth that betrayed the otherwise-serious atmosphere he portrayed.
◦ "Well, just look at me! I'm all locked up in this place with no access to the outside world," she grinned good-naturedly while recalling the ruckus he made when she tried to contact her parents, "How did I stop minding your controlling possessiveness?"
◦ He stood up leisurely from his office chair as the dim light in the room cast large shadows, hiding the upper part of his face.
◦ Casually, he leaned down; his towering build blocked her view of anything that wasn't him. His hushed voice caressed the shell of her ear, "Can I have a hug?"
◦ She covered the ear he whispered into in an attempt to protect herself from his alluring voice. Taking advantage of the wheels on the chair, she pushed her foot against the floor to create some distance between him. She waved her hand at him, expressing that he should carry on answering from that distance.
◦ Helplessly, he could only sigh, "Because there is no one who will pamper you as much as me," with that, he gave a meaningful smile as he opened his arms in an invitation extended to her, "Now, will you give me a hug?"
◦ "Ah, my heart... that isn't fair." She abandoned her swivel chair to run to him. With a leap, she wrapped herself around him like a baby koala; her arms locked around his neck and her legs around his waist. She placed a hand behind his neck and leaned closer to his face, shortening the distance between their lips.
◦ She noticed the anticipation in his eyes before she stopped. She didn't close the space between them completely. She smiled as she stroked the dark circles beneath his disappointed eyes, "Handsome, what more do you want from me?"
° He snorted at her blatantly fake act of innocence which seemed to hint that she knew exactly what he wanted. She carried on, her lips nearly grazing his. But just as their breaths mingled, he drew his head back.
◦ "Oh Sweetie, you're going too far," he murmured as he carried her towards the chair she previously occupied with a sly arch in his mouth. After seating her—who was frozen in surprise—, he walked behind his desk and settled down in his own chair with an almost smug exhale, "I only asked for a hug."
◦ "..." Blown away by his words, Bing Shi directly fainted on the chair while covering her unstable heartbeat.
◦ "Maybe there's something wrong with the both of us," he mused aloud as he went back to his work, not acknowledging the way her eyes cracked open just a little to watch him from her sprawled position.
◦ End of flashback…
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
A woman, clothed in a simple white t-shirt and matching shorts, materialized into existence from thin air.
Her bare feet adapted to the cold, perfectly polished floor. While her misty brown eyes took in her surroundings, her hands curiously explored the texture of her long black hair.
She was in a simple square room that was almost blindingly bright due to the four walls caging her from all sides.
A peculiar thing was stuck to one corner of the room—an orb that watched her with a distinct lack of interest.
[I am a World Patching System 001. I'll be the one to guide you into new worlds. You may rename me if you wish.]
The orb left its lonely corner to approach her.
["I'll call you System for now."] Bing Shi immediately responded in her mind, trying out her new ability.
Bing Shi and System chatted for a while. During the conversation, she found out that System had some very useful functions.
Not only could System spy on people and give her free items that only she could use, but it could also change its own appearance based on small animals. The system was relatively kind too; if she wanted to give items to others, she would need to pay though.
Bing Shi was a bit saddened to find out that she couldn't solve world hunger with unlimited foods, but she figured that she could deal with it.
Since the system could give Bing Shi free items, she immediately asked for a speed, strength and rejuvenation pill. She wanted to be in her best condition.
Later, she learned that she could store the items given to her by the system in an interdimensional storage space made just for her.
It was a shame that she could only use the space for the system's items.
Still, she was thrilled to have such an OP system!
["If I get aphrodisiacs, can I use them on other people?"]
Out of curiosity, Bing Shi asked a question that seemingly came out of the blue.
[You can use the aphrodisiacs on yourself. If you want to use the aphrodisiacs on others, you would have to use points. Each pill costs 100p.]
There was a moment of silence.
'Well, there goes my plans to be a hero...'
Then Bing Shi abruptly blurted out—
[How many points do I need to get my wish granted?]
[You need 100 000 points. The amount of points you gain depends on the difficulty of the world.]
Bing Shi mentally sorted out this information as she continued to interrogate the system.
["Is it possible to meet my boyfriend in the worlds I go into?"]
The system didn't know the answer to this question. It could only honestly reply:
[I don't know if you can meet your boyfriend in the worlds you go to. However, you can find new love in those worlds as long as it doesn't interfere with your mission.]
'Who are you kidding? Who needs new love?'
With a huff, she changed the subject and focused on the system's ability to transform into a small animal.
["System, can you turn into a snake?"]
The system didn't bother to reply. It directly transformed from a small, tennis-ball-sized orb into an equally small, if not smaller 6-inch white snake.
She took the system into her hands and petted its head.
'I know I prayed for an OP system, but to have one that gives me such a vast arsenal of items...? What kind of hell I'll be up against?'
With a particular stroke that was harder than necessary, the snake let out a soft hiss as its head was pushed down.
'This world... it's probably going to be hell.'
[Host, I'll transfer the story to you now.]
Bing Shi sat on the cold marble floors in an attempt to make herself comfortable. As she crossed her legs, she kept the system clasped in her hands for the sake of petting it some more.