"Host host! You also have a system space floor that is three floor and the system space floor is called the Empress Hell Palace Space!" Maw Maw said.
A wave of irritation washed over Valentina as she heard Maw Maw's excited announcement.
"Empress Hell Palace Space? Really?" she deadpanned, her crimson eyes rolling slightly. The name was far too dramatic, even for her tastes. Still, a threestory system space was intriguing, even if it did sound like something out of a poorly written fantasy novel.
Stepping through the portal, Valentina felt a momentary disorientation as the sterile white of the hospital room dissolved into a swirling vortex of colors. When the world stabilized, she found herself standing on a floating island, an expanse of obsidian rock ringed by shimmering chains that pulsed with an otherworldly energy. The sight was undeniably impressive, albeit a bit gaudy. Several other floating stones dotted the landscape, each bearing ornate palaces that seemed to defy gravity.
The initial awe quickly faded as Valentina attempted to stride toward the nearest palace, only to be abruptly halted by an invisible barrier. She stumbled backward, a surprised grunt escaping her lips. A trickle of blood escaped her mouth, staining the obsidian surface beneath her feet. The sudden exertion had clearly taken a toll on her weakened state.
"Host! You don't have enough system and mooching energy!" Maw Maw squeaked, fluttering anxiously around her head. "The Empress Hell Palace Space is incredibly energyintensive! It's designed for a powerful Immortal Ancestor Fairy Goddess, not a…a slightlylesspowerfulbutstillprettypowerful villainess!"
Valentina coughed again, wiping the blood from her lips with the back of her hand. Her expression remained impassive, but a flicker of annoyance danced in her crimson eyes.
The abrupt return to the sterile confines of the hospital room felt jarring after the grandeur of the Empress Hell Palace Space. Valentina leaned against the cool porcelain of the sink, taking slow, deliberate sips of water. Her face remained pale, a stark contrast to her raven black hair, which was still haphazardly piled in a messy bun. The brief foray into her system space had clearly drained her further than she initially realized.
She remained silent for a long moment, gathering her thoughts and assessing her situation. The system's energy requirements were a significant hurdle. She couldn't exactly waltz around and conquer kingdoms to replenish her reserves.
Finally, she turned her attention to Maw Maw, who was practically vibrating with anticipation.
"Maw Maw," she said, her voice quiet but firm,
"How do I earn system energy points, and mooching energy points?"
Maw Maw bounced excitedly, nearly knocking over a nearby vase with its enthusiastic movements.
"Oh! Oh! This is so fun! So many ways, host host!" It began to list off possibilities at a dizzying speed.
"First! Gossip! The more juicy the gossip, the more points you earn! Especially if it involves those ridiculous protagonists and their predictable love triangles! We can eavesdrop on the nurses, the doctors..!" Maw Maw paused, its tiny eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Second! Indulgence! Eating spicy foods, sweets, milk tea... anything delicious grants you system energy and mooching energy! The spicier and sweeter, the better!"
It puffed out its chest proudly.
"Third! Drama! Creating chaos, stirring up trouble... that's a goldmine for points! Just make sure it's entertaining for me to watch!"
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Valentina said and two middle age couple came. Valentina eyes widen before her eyes were full of warm.
"Mum, daddy?" Valentina muttered and Sierra and Ricky both hugged their adoptive daughter who was kidnapped when she was only nine to ten years old. They have searched for her for countless of years.
"Are you hurt how are you? Your second brother Fuji Zack said you were in an accident my poor daughter," Sierra said.
"Mmm good I am good," Valentina said sweetly.
Valentina was smiling like a foolish fool but her eyes flashed slightly when she recalled these adoptive death.
Inner voice: Poor mum she will die from poison just because of that female lead tsk tsk and guess what that poison doesn't even kill you but the male and female lead torment mum and torture her to her death. My god the countless of times of rebirth I had so sad so sad!
Sierra and Ricky frowned huh who is talking they looked around but found that no one has spoken.
Inner voice: ah my handsome tycoon father tsktsk not only will you end up in a mental hospital but you will be turned into a fool. So sad honestly I feel like my parents are so sad they are so powerful in Shanghai now but all there eight kids will all die a miserable death
Ricky looked at Valentina that was Valentina inner voice but she did not open her mouth at all. Her lips were pressed together.
"Mum, dad, I want a new phone," Valentina said.
Sierra and Ricky's warmth was almost suffocating, a saccharine sweetness that Valentina found oddly unsettling. The desire for a new phone was a calculated move, a way to subtly manipulate the situation and extract some small measure of comfort from her parents' doting attention. But the exhaustion was undeniable. A heavy weariness settled upon her, pulling at her eyelids, threatening to drag her into an oblivion she desperately needed.
As her parents left, Valentina leaned back against the pillows, fighting the encroaching darkness. But just as she began to succumb, the door swung open, and Zack entered.
He pushed his glasses up his nose, his expression a mixture of concern and curiosity as he studied her. The touch on her forehead was brief but startlingly intimate.
"Little Val how are you feeling?" he asked gently.
Valentina stared at Zack for a long moment, her crimson eyes narrowed slightly. There was something…different about him. A subtle shift in his gaze, a flicker of awareness that hadn't been there before. It was barely perceptible, but Valentina's heightened senses didn't miss it.
Maw Maw bounced up with manic excitement, a holographic screen popping into existence before Valentina's eyes, completely invisible to everyone else. The screen displayed a cascade of information and, most embarrassingly, a series of videos.
Inner voice: Pffff hahaha second brother! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! When you were younger, you actually dared to run outside naked! So funny, so funny!
Valentina fought desperately to suppress a laugh.