Chapter 3: I Never Intended to Save the World

Ma Jun left the hotel whistling, stopping at the small convenience store outside to buy a pack of cigarettes, which he lit up with practiced ease. This was a lingering habit from his breakup with Yan Rong years ago; though the actions came naturally, the nicotine still made his head spin, his body not yet accustomed to its sharp scent.

Dizzy and lightheaded, he wandered the streets, peering through the haze of smoke at this world that felt both strange and familiar. Most of the car brands lining the street were unknown to him, the names of the specialty stores odd and unfamiliar, even the cigarette brand in his hand was one he’d never heard of.

It felt like a dream—like an illusion.

“You’re truly a scoundrel. You just slept with that girl, and now you put your pants on and pretend not to know her!”

Suddenly, a voice sounded in his head.

Ma Jun replied absentmindedly, “I never said I was a good person. Besides, I can’t guarantee that what happened in my previous life won’t happen all over again. Anyway, I don’t want to—”

He stopped, startled, glancing around. There was no one beside him.

Had he gone mad? Who was speaking to him?

“You damned rascal, I’m right here in your head!” the voice shouted.

Ma Jun shuddered, thoroughly frightened, dropping his cigarette to the ground.

A clear, girlish giggle echoed in his mind, “Coward! You ruined my plans. It’d be perfect if you were scared to death!”

“Are you human or ghost?” Fresh from a rebirth and transmigration, with voices now appearing in his mind, Ma Jun was shaken to his core.

“I’m Xiaohua, the steward of the Dimensional Invasion System! Just call me ‘Auntie’!”

Could this be some kind of rebirth bonus? Ma Jun calmed himself, beginning a conversation with the so-called Xiaohua.

It turned out that, in the countless multiverses, there had been a mad yet brilliant scientist who, after endless research, invented a system capable of traversing time and space. His lifelong dream was to conquer countless worlds and reign supreme. Yet, during one invasion, disaster struck; not only did he perish, but all the worlds he’d once controlled were lost.

The system was left without a master, but the intelligent steward Xiaohua resolved to help her master fulfill his dream. After years of preparation and energy accumulation, Xiaohua finally decided to begin with Earth.

But just as she initiated the invasion, Ma Jun accidentally stirred the butterfly’s wings, triggering a series of complex changes. The resulting energy caused Ma Jun to be reborn four years earlier—and randomly altered the entire world!

“Even worse, you scoundrel, you unwittingly completed the master recognition function!” Xiaohua explained in a frenzy, finally whining in defeat.

“So, I saved the world?” Ma Jun’s hands trembled as he lit another cigarette.

Let me catch my breath—from last night until now, I’ve experienced the most unbelievable events of my life! Is it all real?

“It’s all real, you big fool! Having you as a master is Xiaohua’s tragedy!” Xiaohua sighed in frustration.

“Since I’m already your master, can’t you change your form of address? Call me ‘brother,’ ‘sir,’ or even ‘master’!” Ma Jun said, having calmed down a bit.

“Don’t even think about it!” Xiaohua retorted triumphantly. “Though you’re my master, the system’s ultimate goal won’t change. I’ll make you traverse countless worlds to fulfill the old master’s wishes. In other words, you’re now a high-level worker! Isn’t that exciting? You haven’t even graduated, and you already have a glorious job!”

Glorious? Sounds more like slavery!

Ma Jun frowned. “Go find someone else. I just want to become a superstar.”

“Hmph! Brat, you dare disobey me?” Xiaohua said haughtily. “Believe it or not, I’ll destroy this world! Obey, and I’ll help you become a superstar—the greatest in countless worlds! How about that?”

Like I’d believe you!

Ma Jun raised an eyebrow. “Do as you please. I never wanted to save the world. Ordinary is fine. Now that I’ve been reborn, with all these resources in my head, I’m already content.”

“You—you—” Xiaohua stamped her feet in fury. “You’re so useless, truly a scoundrel! Do you think achieving your superstar dream in this world is easy?”

Ma Jun pondered for a long while. “We can work together for a while, see how it goes.”

“Deal!” Xiaohua sounded dissatisfied, reluctant. “If it weren’t for you being the master and unable to erase you, I’d sleep for a billion years just to teach you a lesson!”

Ma Jun laughed. Xiaohua was so straightforward, revealing much from the start. Is a dark overlord really this childish? Am I not dreaming?

“Enough, you scoundrel. Talking to you is exhausting. Just say ‘system panel’ in your mind. Then, look for yourself. Unless it’s urgent, don’t bother me while I’m watching TV!” Xiaohua said lazily.

Watching TV? Ma Jun curled his lips. This brat was really unreliable.

He called Gu Xinghua and asked him to arrange a leave for him. Then, he found another hotel room, determined to study this so-called Dimensional Invasion System.

Inside the hotel room, Ma Jun took a shower, smoked a cigarette, and calmed himself completely before beginning his research. Anyone encountering such bizarre circumstances would be stirred, unless they were suffering from terminal adolescent syndrome.

“System panel!”

Sitting on the bed, Ma Jun recited the words with excitement and anticipation. As soon as he spoke, a transparent blue screen appeared before his eyes, divided into four lines. The first line read:

Dimensional Invasion System 1
System Master: Ma Jun
System Steward: Xiaohua

The second line read:

Total Reputation: 1200
Energy: 2000

The third line read:

Store
Lottery

The fourth line read:

Worlds
Return

Ma Jun frowned, experimentally clicking on the options, causing new windows to pop up.

Dimensional Invasion System 1, invented by the most brilliant scientist Neuroson in the countless multiverses. Current level: 1. Can be upgraded. Upgrade method: seize the world’s origin!

He clicked on the System Master option, revealing some data:

Master: Ma Jun
Items: None
Skills: Guitar (Beginner), Singing (Beginner), Cooking (Beginner)
Skill levels are divided into five: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Special, Perfect. Other skills, such as acting, basketball, football, are at ‘Trash Level’ and not displayed.

Ma Jun felt a cold sweat break out. Trash Level? Must be ‘garbage’! Such an unflattering description—clearly Xiaohua’s handiwork. Skipping to the next item, he continued reading.

Reputation: Fame in the current world, calculated by a certain formula. Once it accumulates to a threshold, you can seize the world’s origin and complete the invasion, at which point the system will fully control the world. The master’s current world is exempt from invasion.

Energy: Required for traversing worlds. This is the power of the world’s origin.

Store: Everything you could want is here. Anything you can imagine, it can provide. Level 2 system unlocks Level 1 store.

Lottery: 1000 reputation per draw. It’s gambling—do you dare?

Worlds: Different levels of worlds are here. As you conquer more, the system will upgrade. Currently invaded worlds: none. There’s a button labeled ‘Traverse.’

Ma Jun resisted the urge to click the Traverse button, reading the last item’s description.

Return: Return from other worlds to the main world. If you need an explanation for this, you really are a scoundrel!