1 Arc 1.1

In a space of nothingness, there was a body floating motionlessly. The body seemed to be in deep slumber. Then there was a slight movement when the eyes suddenly opened.

Wen Meirong opened her eyes and saw stars. All around her were stars moving in different directions. Some were fading in and out of existence like it is dying. Others were appearing out of the darkness like it is being born and shining brighter as each moment passed.

Galaxies were spinning and surging in colors. She can feel the pulsation of the universe all around her. It was a scene that was impossible to imagine and one that will never exist on Earth.

Wen Meirong broke out of her trance as memories of her death emerged in her mind. Confusion and anxiousness started rising within her as she realized her situation. She was close to panicking. So, she forced herself to focus on taking deep breaths and calm her chaotic mind, then she took stock of her situation.

She knew for a fact that she was dead. Her mind tried to rationalize where she is at and why she was here. Suddenly, a cute excited voice jolted her out of contemplation.

"Hello, host."

Wen Meirong looked towards the source of the sound and saw a floating ball of light. She did not feel any harmful intent and approached slightly closer to it.

"Hello, can you explain to me what is happening and what you are?" she asked warily. However, she had a vague idea of her situation the moment it called her host. She was an avid reader and enjoyed a good story. Back when Wen Meirong was still alive, Wen Huiqiung introduced her to transmigration and system stories, and from then on she had an interest in them. The thought of her sister caused her heart to throb painfully.

"I'm Cleansing System 048 and you were chosen as my host," chirped the little light.

This confirmed her reasoning. Wen Meirong is hesitant to interact any further with it. Although she liked reading those stories, it did not mean that she wanted it to happen to her. There were many times where the hosts' life was threatened by their system or the missions itself.

"That does not explain much," she complained.

"Well, the afterlife has an organization that manages the souls of the dead. The organization purifies the souls of their emotions and attachments. This lets the souls enter the cycle of reincarnation with a clean slate. However, there are souls with too many regrets to let go of the life they had lived. There are not enough workers, so the higher-ups created the Cleansing Systems to deal with these souls. We have to pick a suitable host to help fulfill the wish of these souls and cleanse them of their regrets," 048 explained the best it could. "So would you help cleanse these souls, host?"

She assimilated the information and tried to inquire further. "Are there any benefits for me helping you? What would happen if I decline to help?"

"By doing missions, you will earn points. After you get enough points, you can stop being a host and we will grant you one wish. It could be anything, even bringing you back to the point in time before you died. If you refuse to help then we will forcefully cleanse you and send your soul back into the cycle of reincarnation."

Although it unnerved Wen Meirong how it could sound both enticing and threatening, she could not help the hope that blossomed within her. From what she could infer, she would be stuck as a host for an indefinite amount of time until she gained however much the required amount of points are. There was so much uncertainty, and there was a likely chance that she would be stuck as a host for all eternity. Yet, it did not diminish her want to try.

Wen Meirong knew that by accepting the offer, she would be placing herself in unimaginable danger and even indentured servitude. However, the tempting thought of being with her family and friends again was overwhelming. She wanted it so much that every fiber of her being demanded her to accept the offer regardless of the consequences.

She thought of her sister's mischievous smile, her grandparents' loving embrace, Mao Liling's warm teasing eyes, and all the people she called precious. Her regrets and love for them intensified and it only served to strengthen her resolve. Wen Meirong loved them too much to even consider refusing the offer. The choice was obvious and she decided.

If she refused, it will be another one of her regrets. So with determination in her eyes and purpose in her voice she spoke, "I accept."

"Great," 048 cheered, "now to explain how this works. You will enter the body of each soul to fulfill their wishes and you will receive their memories. This will help you hide any discrepancies. In each world, some people are favored by the world called the sons and daughters of fate. Their fate is to rise and reach the top after overcoming tribulations. However, to keep it simple, other hosts have taken to calling them female and male leads of the story. The so-called plot will be given to you before you enter each world."

Wen Meirong processed the information, but one, in particular, caught her attention. "You said 'other hosts'. Am I going to meet them?" she questioned.

"No, it is very unlikely since there is an infinite number of worlds. You have less than 0.00001% chance of meeting another host," 048 replied.

"Can you explain how the points work?" she inquired.

"A soul can have one or multiple missions for you to do. Each mission rewards a certain amount of points based on how difficult it is. If you were to fail a mission then the same amount of points will be deducted from the points you already have. For example, if you fail a mission that rewards a 100 points then a 100 points will be deducted from your current points," 048 explained.

She was unsettled by that. If she were to fail more times than she succeeded then she would be stuck in eternal servitude, but she already made her decision.

"The amount needed to make a wish and stop being a host is 10,000 points," continued 048, "You can look at the points by thinking 'Status'. Not only that but it lets you look at your Inventory and Skill List. The name is obvious and if you want to know more just ask. There is a Shop where you can use points to buy items from magical to nuclear."

Wen Meirong immediately did just that and a screen appeared in front of her.

[Points: 0

Skill List

Inventory

Shop]

She went into the Skill List.

[Skill List:

Tranquility {Special} (Active)]

She was alarmed at what she saw. "What is Tranquility and why is it Active?"

"Tranquility is a skill that allows you to negate any pressure to your mind when you're under duress or panic or fear. It helps you keep calm and have a rational mind in the face of danger and disorienting situations. The reason it is Active is that it keeps hosts from panicking about the situation they are in," answered 048.

That would explain why she was so suspiciously calm the moment the system appeared. Even though Wen Meirong is neither emotional nor prone to panic, she would not be calm when placed in such a situation. No one should be this calm after dying and losing the people they love.

"Will I get keep the skills I gain after I stop being a host?" she asked curiously.

"Yes," responded 048. She did not know if it is due to Tranquility or her own ability to adapt, but she accepted it and moved onto the Inventory section.

As expected, there was nothing in it. Then she went to the Shop and saw that there was a variety of products. There items such as beauty products with instant or slow effects to weapons, magical or nuclear. She even saw elixirs and pills with effects like truth serum, aphrodisiac, intelligence enhancement, physical enhancement, and emotion amplifier along with many others. After looking through the Shop, she indicated for the system to continue where it left off.

"We will give you a list of worlds you can go into and you can choose which one. However, the price of picking a world of your choosing is 500 points. On the other hand, you can go into a world for free, but it is at random and you don't have a choice," 048 finished.

Wen Meirong, for a moment, was reminded of a game called Would You Rather when the system gave her the options. She could not choose one of the options anyway due to her lack of points. Her goal is to reach 10,000 points and she is reluctant to spend any.

"I will not and most likely will never choose a world and, unless I say otherwise, my choice will always be a random world," she stated.

"The higher-ups wanted to give a perk to the hosts. This perk lets you choose to keep one constant thing about yourself throughout your missions. It can be your name or your physical looks which includes gender," 048 mentioned.

"I'd like to keep my surname, Wen," she unhesitantly decided.

Her surname is her origin. It will be a constant reminder of her home and desire to return. Something to give her hope and strengthen her resolve.

"This concludes the introduction. Would you like to start on your first world?" 048 asked.

"Yes."

"Here is the plot." The plot appeared in her mind and she analyzed the information.

To summarize it in a nutshell. The female lead is a young actress named Yang Qing who was accused of multiple scandals and her reputation was ruined to the point of no return. It was too much and she decided to take her own life. Time turned back for her and she woke up ten years in the past in her body. With this chance, she would take revenge on those who betrayed and harmed her in her past life and succeed in her dreams of being an A-list celebrity. Every movie she starred in became a hit. Along the way, she had a passionate night with the handsome cold iceberg of a male lead, Cheng Feng, and they ended up in a love-hate relationship. In the end, she got her revenge, married the male lead, and became the Movie Empress.

While carefully reading through it, Wen Meirong noticed something. She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips as a thought began to form in her mind. It was only speculation and maybe she was being too suspicious of it. However, if she was right, this could be useful whenever the need arises.

Wen Meirong pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and focused on the system. She took a deep breath and gave herself a pep talk. "Okay, I'm ready."

<Initiating world transfer…

Transfer complete...

Initiating host and body synchronization...

Synchronization complete…

Body: Wen Quiyue...>

That was the last thing she heard before she blacked out.