The first rays of the sun were just gracing the sky, piercing through the high-altitude with a brilliance that felt like a physical weight against Chen Ying's closed eyelids.
Chen Ying opened her eyes and instinctively reached for her throat. For a moment, she expected to see the dark, murky depths of the ocean, but instead, she was greeted by a sea of fluffy white clouds alight with a warm, golden glow through the airplane window.
It took her a long time to process the reality. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm that reminded her she was alive. It worked. The Soul-Rebirth Anchor she had traded half her life-force for in the Mission Worlds had actually held.
Looking at the stunning view, Chen Ying felt a surge of triumph. She hadn't just come back; she had been dropped back into the timeline precisely three hours before the "Survival of the Fittest" reality show began. In her first life, this show had been the literal catalyst for her destruction. She had entered this island as a proud, pampered heiress and left it as a national disgrace, a journey that ultimately led to her lonely death.
[Ding! The host's soul has successfully synchronized with the Prime Timeline.]
[Status: Rebirth Complete.]
[Warning: Host's 'Reputation' is currently at -500.]
Chen Ying gave the System a mental nod. It was a point-grubbing, infuriatingly stingy little spirit that she had bound herself to during her time as a 'Task-Taker' in the higher dimensions, but it was undeniably efficient. If she had returned even a day later, the "Private Plane Scandal" would have been set in stone, and the internet's hatred would have been hard to reverse back.
She stretched, feeling the unfamiliar softness of her designer tracksuit. Every fiber of the fabric screamed 'Old Money,' a stark contrast to the rough hemp robes she had worn in the various mission worlds. She was sitting in the ultra-luxury cabin of her family's private jet. Because the Chen Group was the primary sponsor for the show, her father had "pressured" the production team to let Chen Ying and her "best friend" Wang Bai fly in separately from the other contestants.
In her previous life, she had been so incredibly naive. She thought she was being generous by sharing her family's luxury. She didn't realize that even as they sat in this cabin, Wang Bai had already sent "leaked" photos to the paparazzi. The headlines were already being written, framing Chen Ying as a spoiled brat demanding special treatment while the other "hardworking" celebrities flew economy.
"Just what cheap tricks are you using this time?" Chen Ying muttered under her breath, her eyes flashing with a cold light.
"WHATT!" the System shrieked inside her head, the sound vibrated through her skull. "How dare you accuse me of using tricks right after I spent half my energy reserves bringing you back to this backwater planet! It's not my fault you only had a pathetic amount of points to begin with! You should be thanking me!"
Chen Ying ignored the System's diva-like outburst. "I wasn't talking about you, you stinky system, I was talking about the girl in the next cabin. The one who thinks she's the protagonist of this world."
"Ahem," the System coughed, its tone turning suspiciously timid. "Well, if you're worried about her, I might be able to help... for a price, of course. Information is the most valuable currency in the universe, after all."
Chen Ying's eyes narrowed. She had spent years completing missions in brutal survival worlds. She knew a scam when she heard one. "You already take half my mission points as a commission. Be useful for once, or I'll find a way to unbind you and leave you in the void."
"Okay, okay! No need for threats!" the System grumbled. "Scanning the target 'Wang Bai'... Scanning complete. Warning! Host, the target possesses an [Artifact] of unknown origin. It is vibrating on a frequency that matches your soul's luck-line."
Chen Ying's blood chilled. An artifact? In a modern, low-magic world? That explained everything that had gone wrong in her past. The "brain fog" that made her act like a fool, the way her brothers turned against her for no reason, the irrational hatred from the public. It wasn't just clever schemes; it was supernatural theft.
"How much to know exactly what it does?"
"Five points."
"Two."
"Three points," the System bargained, "and I'll throw in a secret about your biological mother."
"Deal," Chen Ying snapped.
She felt a sharp tug at her soul as the points were deducted. Just as the System was about to reveal the data, a light, rhythmic knock sounded on the cabin door.
"Yingying? Are you awake? We're about to land, and I've already prepared your favorite tea..." A sugary, sweet voice called out. It was a voice that sounded like pure honey, but to Chen Ying's ears, it tasted like arsenic.