The mechanical female voice continued to drone on, as the green display before Zhang Yang slowly shifted and morphed.

The green virtual screen now before Zhang Yang had been divided into five separate panes, three of which were flashing brightly, while the other two remained a dull, dark gray. These five small panes were all clearly labeled: Profile, Knowledge, Abilities, Pets, and Missions. Currently, the panes flashing with light were Profile, Abilities, and Missions; only Knowledge and Pets remained dark gray, showing nothing special beyond the legible text on their surfaces. “Reward for Level Two Mission is two freely allocable points, plus a two-point increase to Charisma. Host, shall we apply the personal enhancement now?”

The mechanical voice sounded again, and the green virtual screen before Zhang Yang changed once more. The Profile pane abruptly enlarged, revealing a three-dimensional holographic figure within it. Zhang Yang was instantly familiar with this image; having absorbed the memories of the original 'Zhang Yang,' he knew perfectly well that this was his current self. Above the figure's head, the name Zhang Yang was inscribed, followed by a small box displaying his Rank, and another small box for Free Allocable Points. The Rank displayed was 1, and the number following Free Allocable Points was 2, the digit 2 colored a distinct crimson. Around the figure, five different attribute columns were displayed. These five distinct attributes were Strength, Charisma, Luck, Sight/Hearing, and Taste/Smell, each followed by a different numerical value. These values were listed as: Strength: 20, Charisma: 11, Luck: 5, Sight/Hearing: 9, Taste/Smell: 7. “The Host may apply the enhancement now or choose to accumulate the points. Free Allocable Points are permanently saved!”

The mechanical voice chimed in once more, but Zhang Yang remained stunned, staring blankly at the green virtual screen before him. The character image, the attribute data—it was all profoundly bizarre, yet simultaneously instilled in him a strange sense of familiarity. This was reminiscent of the online games he used to play in his previous life. Weren't personal profiles in those games always structured like this? The only difference was the attributes; games back then couldn't display all this information so vividly right in front of him. “Accumulate? What does that mean? I want to know what all of this is.”

Zhang Yang took a deep breath and asked silently, having calmed down considerably after the initial shock. Moreover, he harbored a faint premonition: this bizarre virtual screen appearing before him, coupled with the mysterious mechanical voice, was very likely connected to his current transmigration. “Host chooses to accumulate Free Allocable Points and not apply enhancement at this time. Returning system to main control screen!”

The mechanical voice sounded again, and the five panes of the virtual display reappeared. The difference this time was that only the Abilities and Missions panes were flashing; the Profile section was no longer illuminated. However, the label for the Profile section was clear, unlike the Knowledge and Pets panes, which remained completely dark. “Apologies, Host has not yet met the Level Two standard and is unable to access the Knowledge Base. The Host’s question cannot be answered!”

The mechanical voice added, and Zhang Yang immediately focused his attention intently on the Knowledge pane. As Zhang Yang concentrated on it, a piece of information immediately fed back into his mind. This was a category called the Knowledge Base. Opening it required the host to advance to Level Two. The standard for Level Two promotion was having all five Profile attributes exceed ten points. Once this threshold was crossed, he could freely upgrade and access the Knowledge Base to search for the answers he sought. “I have to level up again? I can’t possibly be living inside some kind of virtual reality, can I?”

Zhang Yang thought inwardly, recalling some of the online novels he had read in his past life. In those stories, didn’t characters die and enter strange spaces where they had to constantly complete missions just to survive? Such novels were never his favorite, but he’d certainly heard of them. The mechanical voice suddenly spoke: “Host need not worry; you are not living in a virtual world. Although I cannot answer your question now, I can state clearly that the world you currently inhabit is still your original timeline, merely with minor alterations!” “Still in the original timeline?”

Zhang Yang’s eyes widened again, but a slight sense of relief washed over him. It was good that he was still in the original timeline; at least he hadn't been dumped inside some computer, which would have been terrifying. He wouldn't have believed such things before, but after soul transmigration and witnessing this game-like strangeness, it was easy to let his imagination run wild. “You say there are changes—what changes? And who are you?”

Zhang Yang asked again mentally. He was no longer nervous; having accepted the fact of transmigration, there seemed to be nothing he couldn't accept now. “Due to the actions of the Dominating Soul, certain individuals with deep connections to you have vanished from this world. They never appeared here, including the physical body of the Dominating Soul!”

The mechanical voice continued, but Zhang Yang’s heart began to beat irregularly. These words were cryptic and vague, yet Zhang Yang understood their implication. Dominating Soul—this mysterious mechanical voice actually knew that the entity currently controlling this body was not its original owner. And the 'physical body of the Dominating Soul' the voice mentioned must refer to the 'him' that existed in this world. Now that his soul was here, the original Zhang Yang was gone. “I am the intelligent robot within the ‘Sacred Hand System.’ The display you see is me. My existence is solely to serve the Host!”

The mechanical voice kept speaking, and Zhang Yang’s heartbeat accelerated even more. Sacred Hand System? This name was completely foreign to him; it wasn't present in the memories of either person whose life he now held. This only deepened his suspicion that his transmigration was linked to this so-called ‘Sacred Hand System.’ After all, this system even knew he was a transmigrator, mentioning the 'Dominating Soul.' “What is the Sacred Hand System for, and what use is it to me?”

Zhang Yang slowly calmed his breathing and asked again. “The Sacred Hand System is a personal growth assistance framework, the best system to aid individual development. It will certainly be of tremendous help to you. Since the Knowledge Base is locked, this is the extent of my current answers. Once you open the Knowledge Base, you will understand everything!” The voice spoke softly, and Zhang Yang nodded slightly. A personal assistance system that offered great help—this settled his nerves somewhat. He regretted deeply that the Knowledge Base was inaccessible, preventing him from learning the system’s full scope. “How do I upgrade and open the Knowledge Base?” He thought, asking silently once more. “Elevate each of your personal attribute indices above ten points. The system will upgrade automatically. Your Strength and Charisma indices have already met the standard. You are lacking five points in Luck, one point in Sight/Hearing, and three points in Taste/Smell, totaling eight needed points. You already possess two points, meaning you need only six more points to complete the upgrade!” “I understand. How do I obtain these indices?”

Zhang Yang quietly inquired in his mind. The more he learned about this system, the less threatening it seemed on the surface. “They can be acquired by completing certain tasks. System missions for Levels One through Three are all trigger missions. Upon completion, you will receive corresponding indices to aid your upgrade!” Zhang Yang frowned slightly and asked directly in his mind, “Missions? Where do I see them?”

The green virtual screen before him changed again. This time, two vertical panes appeared in front of Zhang Yang. One side was labeled Hidden Mission, with a title beneath it: ‘The Mentor’s Regret.’ The Rank was Level Two, and the completion status displayed the word FINISHED. On the other side was Labeled Trigger Mission, also with a title. Upon reading this title, Zhang Yang froze for a moment. The name of this mission was ‘Mi Xue’s Peril.’ The mission Rank was Level Three. Mi Xue’s Peril. Zhang Yang never expected such a mission to exist. Based on his understanding from the previous mission, ‘The Mentor’s Regret,’ Zhang Yang instinctively surmised that this mission meant Mi Xue would encounter some form of crisis. Since this mission was Rank Three, even higher than the Mentor’s Regret, it might involve an even greater danger. This realization made him anxious. Having absorbed the memories of the former ‘Zhang Yang,’ he held a certain degree of concern for this Mi Xue. “Trigger Missions can be accepted or declined. Accepting them now will result in corresponding level rewards, while failure incurs penalties. If all of the Host’s attribute indices drop to zero, it signifies a failure in growth, and the Host will be instantly erased by the system!”

The mechanical voice reminded him, causing Zhang Yang’s heart to clench sharply. Indeed, this damned system carried lethal danger—instant erasure was terrifying. “Host need not worry. Missions from Level One to Three are all triggered missions, and their difficulty coefficients are very low, giving a high probability of success. This is a system designed to assist personal growth; all missions are intended to enhance the Host’s abilities!”

The mechanical voice seemed to sense Zhang Yang’s thoughts and offered the reminder. This reassurance allowed Zhang Yang’s anxiety to subside slightly. Just as he relaxed, another thought struck him, and he immediately asked: “Mi Xue’s Peril—does this mission mean the girl named Mi Xue near me is about to face danger?” “Yes. System missions are generated automatically based on reality. If someone near you is about to experience such an event, a mission will appear!” The mechanical voice replied bluntly this time. “Then, if I don’t accept the mission, she won’t be in danger?”

Zhang Yang asked again. He still had many unanswered questions, but unfortunately, he would have to wait until this cursed system upgraded to Level Two to find out. “No. System missions are generated based on reality. This means the girl named Mi Xue will certainly encounter the situation described by the system, regardless of whether you accept the mission or not!” Zhang Yang’s nerves tightened again, and he urgently asked, “Then what kind of danger will she face?” “Apologies, this question cannot be answered. You will only have the chance to know after you accept the mission!”

The mechanical voice’s response was rigid, and Zhang Yang’s eyes widened further. “Very well, I accept. I accept this mission!” After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yang gritted his teeth. He had a good impression of the girl, and the influence of the absorbed memories made it impossible for him to watch Mi Xue face danger. Besides, he was intensely curious about what danger Mi Xue was about to encounter.

………… Thanks again to old friend Yan Hui Man for the generous gift, and please rest assured, Xiao Yu will write this book with great dedication! Thanks also to the friend Wei Yongzhe for two gifts; Xiao Yu thanks everyone for their support!