The next day:
Bai Nian woke up groggily from bed.
Although the days spent lying around were quite boring, she still liked them.
If only there weren’t so many troubles, it would be perfect.
“That place in Chengqian District is pretty nice. A duplex studio apartment, just right for someone living alone like me.”
Bai Nian muttered to herself, planning to rent that place.
Its location was just right—not far from both the Professionals’ Association and the Hunter Guild, sitting in a bustling area with excellent security.
She wouldn’t have to worry about being assassinated.
The current rental was only because she’d needed a place while studying before—not only was it old, small, and worn down, it was also expensive.
Now that she had graduated, it was useless.
Just as Bai Nian was about to get dressed, the system in her mind suddenly rang out, issuing a new task.
[Maintain self-discipline, overcome laziness. Proper exercise can effectively relieve stress.]
[Today’s random task: Reward yourself with half an hour!]
[Reward: You will master Master-level Combat Skills.]
[Penalty: You wouldn’t want to become so sensitive that you snap at the slightest touch, would you?]
Bai Nian: ???
“Stupid system, you really know how to play dirty.”
Bai Nian was shocked, “Did you even look at what kind of task you’re assigning?!”
[Task duration upgraded to one hour.]
Bai Nian: 6
The system responded to her in its own way.
“You… I could just cry…”
Bai Nian was speechless, “Won’t I break after an hour…?”
No way, she had to fight the system to the end!
But this time, the reward was the most helpful one aside from her class advancement:
Master-level Combat Skills, exactly what she needed to cover her biggest shortcoming.
After all, as a Dreamseer, not only did she have no combat ability, her body was also a weak point—especially now that she was being hunted.
“Huh? Why aren’t my hands listening to me?”
Bai Nian’s body slid right back under the covers.
At that moment, her fingers reached her lips, gently wiping away a line of drool.
She felt her whole body heat up, her blood rushing faster, her breathing growing ragged, as if she was about to break through to a whole new realm.
The sensation of growing stronger was becoming too addictive to resist.
“Mmm…”
Bai Nian’s cheeks flushed as she couldn’t help but let out a soft moan.
An hour later, her curled-up body suddenly stretched out.
“Haa…”
Bai Nian gulped in air, “I’m exhausted.”
Today, she finally understood what it meant to be utterly drained, limbs like jelly.
It wasn’t just a figure of speech after all.
Hmm, and she’d even learned a new term for it—she couldn’t help but smile.
[Task complete. Reward granted.]
In the next instant, she felt a surge of memories about fighting techniques flooding her mind, and she was intimately familiar with each one—they had already become instinctive reflexes.
Bai Nian felt like she was terrifyingly strong now.
“I didn’t want this either, it’s just the system’s mission.”
After a long while, once she’d recovered, Bai Nian finally sat up.
She already felt sensitive enough, like she was made of water—too much, in fact.
Blushing, she yanked the bed sheet off and threw it into the washing machine, then changed into fresh clothes.
Her cheeks still rosy, she prepared to head out.
Her body might be that of a girl, but at least her soul was still male.
“I shouldn’t be affected by this, right?”
Bai Nian really didn’t want to end up becoming some weak bottom.
***
Arriving at the viewing location, she met her Landlord—a short-haired young lady.
Since they had already exchanged all the basic info via phone, there were no issues.
Bai Nian readily paid the deposit and signed the contract.
“All done. If anything comes up, just call me, okay?”
The Landlord gestured with her hands and hurried off.
Upstairs, Bai Nian happily unlocked her new apartment.
The entire place was warmly furnished with modern decor.
Immediately to the right of the entrance was the staircase, to the left the kitchen counter.
Through the entryway was the living room, with a creamy white sofa and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that provided a sweeping view over half the city.
The second floor housed the bedroom and bathroom, fully furnished.
The only downside to a duplex was the low ceiling height, which might feel cramped to taller people.
But that wasn’t an issue for her.
“No wonder the Landlord only rents to female tenants.”
Bai Nian sprawled on the sofa, taking it all in.
She was very satisfied with her ‘new home’.
The entire morning, Bai Nian busied herself with moving.
Truthfully, she hadn’t left much at her dorm—just some old clothes and a few kitchen utensils.
As for textbooks, she’d tossed them right into the trash.
Now that she had money, she decided she didn’t need to hold back on herself.
In this world, combat professionals basically lived in the moment, since you never knew when you’d die inside a Gate.
As for living a good life, that was something only support professionals considered.
But Bai Nian’s profession fell somewhere in between, so she had a lot of options to choose from.
At noon, while she was eating fast food downstairs, a piece of breaking news suddenly popped up on her phone’s homepage.
The post was from the official League account, the whole interface washed in gray.
“Huaxia League fails at the Sixth-Tier Calamity Gate, total national assets shrink by 5%!”
“Damn!”
Bai Nian immediately checked her balance—she’d actually lost over four thousand for no reason.
This was the first time she’d seen a national fate instance notification since arriving in this world.
Inside the fast food restaurant, the other customers were already grumbling.
“What’s going on lately? The League keeps losing. Are all those so-called geniuses just freeloaders?”
“I only make three thousand a month, saved up for five years to get a hundred thousand, and now five thousand’s gone just like that!”
“Damn, good thing I’m in a support profession, otherwise I’d make sure the other Leagues lost their shorts too!”
Everyone was indignant, and at the end of the news, the list of the dead was published.
Most of them weren’t even thirty years old, and every one had at least ten Divine Marks—absolutely elite.
The Huaxia League had never hidden its failures at the Calamity Gate, always choosing to be open about it, even if it meant facing a public outcry.
Bai Nian turned off her phone and, after finishing her lunch, quietly left the restaurant.
She didn’t go home, but instead headed for the Professionals’ Association to do some consultations and earn a little extra money.
The lobby was, as usual, crowded with people.
Some were there looking for work, others seeking help from a professional.
The busiest section was the Purification Room, where a Sixth-Tier Doctor was on duty—her abilities could heal wounds and even drive away beast contamination.
She was the ‘face’ of Tianmu City’s Professionals’ Association.
Following the staff’s directions, Bai Nian found her room on the fifth floor.
Consultation Room Five, with a huge ‘Five’ marked above the door.