NFBE Chapter 289 Returning to the System (2)
Chapter 289 Returning to the System (2)
Lu Liruan felt her mind was in a mess, as if a bunch of random things were piled up together, but she couldn't sort them out.
"Congratulations, host, on completing the mission!"
She only heard this one sentence.
The system sensed her discomfort and didn't urge her, waiting quietly for her.
After a long while, Lu Liruan turned her head and looked around. The system space was still the same as before, which made her feel very dazed.
I'm really... back.
A sense of loss washed over Lu Liruan, and she felt as if she were empty inside. A dull sadness gradually welled up inside her.
It wasn't enough to make her cry, but it made her very uncomfortable.
"The host has just left the previous world. Although the emotional shielding function was used, some discomfort may still remain. This is normal. Please rest assured."
Lu Liruan remembered that before accepting the mission, she had chosen the emotion shielding function, which would temporarily seal away the emotions and memories she had experienced in the previous world before entering the next world. After leaving the world, the emotions she experienced in the next world would also be greatly weakened.
This is to ensure the host's emotional stability and minimize the impact of the mission world on the host.
Of course, you can choose not to enable this feature, but very few hosts will do so. Because after doing many tasks and repeatedly experiencing sharp emotional fluctuations, whether good or bad, love or hate, even the strongest person will be affected...
"Let me catch my breath."
Lu Liruan waved her hand weakly, spread herself into a "big" shape, and collapsed onto the temperature-controlled, comfortable bed in the system space, trying her best to recall the details of the previous world.
Ji Shumin...
Lu Liruan silently recited the name in her heart, and with each recitation, it seemed as if something was breaking through the chaos.
She remembered the things she had experienced with Ji Shumin quite clearly. Lu Liruan could even recall every change in Ji Shumin's face from his youth to his old age, as if it were etched deep in her mind.
However, her emotions were sealed off, and she was in a daze. It was as if Lu Liruan was watching everything from a third-person perspective. Her fingertips trembled, and a certain place in her heart seemed to be about to be broken open by restless thoughts.
"Attention—Attention—Your emotional shielding function has reached its critical point!"
A sound came from the system.
"Please verify the host's status and take timely action! Please verify the host's situation and take timely action!"
Lu Liruan's attention was drawn back by the warning.
She was about to say that she hadn't done anything, but before she could even open her mouth...
There were several sounds: "splash," "smack," and "splashing."
The system suddenly sprayed out a very powerful stream of water from somewhere.
Then the water flowed directly onto Lu Liruan's facade.
Because the water volume was so large, after hitting Lu Liruan, it fell to the ground, making a series of sounds.
Lu Liruan had wanted to speak for a moment, so she opened her mouth, but now she could only swallow her words silently.
grunt.
Lu Liruan: ...
?
"Emotional masking detection values have recovered—Emotional masking detection values have recovered—Alert lifted!"
After the system's flat, monotone announcement, the familiar system voice came through: "Host, how are you feeling? Your mental fluctuations just now were quite intense~"
The system's voice trailed off with a hint of coquettish guilt.
"I'm not feeling well right now."
Lu Liruan spoke the truth. Her hair was wet and stuck to her face, and her clothes were soaking wet. But her mind was clear, and she had broken free from the chaotic emotions she had just experienced.
"Your emotions were too volatile just now, we need to help you calm down quickly..." The system's mechanical voice grew softer and softer.
"Isn't there any other way?"
"And... there's also an electric shock mode. The system can adjust it for you if needed."
"no need."
Lu Liruan waved her hand weakly, wanting to lie back down on the bed, but looking at the wet patches on her body...
The system, quick to notice, replied: "We'll process it for you immediately."
Before she finished speaking, Lu Liruan's hair and clothes instantly returned to normal, without a trace of moisture.
"Huh?" Lu Liruan exclaimed in surprise.
"You are currently in the system space, where parameters can be adjusted at any time. You can enjoy yourself to the fullest before entering the world."
"Why didn't I receive this treatment when the last world ended?" Lu Liruan wondered, wondering if this was compensation for being splashed with water.
"This world has ended. You have successfully completed your missions in both worlds and have been promoted from trainee host to junior host. Your system space has also expanded with your upgrade, and you also enjoy a portion of the system's rest mode."
The system output a long message to demonstrate its rigor and impartiality.
"What rest modes are available for me now?" Lu Liruan asked curiously.
"You can now begin decorating your system space. The system will prioritize recommending bed and bathroom styles for you."
"What styles do they have?" Lu Liruan clicked her tongue, thinking that it actually reflected the way people relax in real life.
"The system has just added a new antique-style carved bed..." The system was halfway through its sentence when it keenly noticed the subtle emotional fluctuation in the host's emotions when he heard the word "antique," and hurriedly began to introduce other things.
"A waterbed swaying gently, a tree bed suspended five meters in the air..."
"..."
Do you have any more common ones?
"There's a five-meter by five-meter bed, soft and comfortable, perfect for the Mary Sue world," the system continued to recommend to Lu Liruan.
Five times five?
"Because it's a Mary Sue world design, the bed can be made up to 500 square meters in size, but the host currently doesn't have enough space. Please keep trying!"
Why do I need to keep trying in a place like this... Lu Liruan thought to herself.
In the end, Lu Liruan still chose the five-by-five king-size bed. Although the bedside table with its seven colors and diamonds and gems looked too flashy, it was really comfortable to lie on.
I feel like I'm about to hear the butler call me Miss Saint Mary, Liulixue, Yingyuqiangweilei, and Liruan.
The interior decoration also changed according to Lu Liruan's plan. Although it was a relatively simple decoration, it looked... quite like a home.
"You can also choose your bathing method. The system offers hot spring bath, bubble health bath, and shower jungle mode."
"What is the last one?" Lu Liruan understood the previous ones, but not the last one.
Jungle mode refers to...
The system explained: "This is a very niche and popular bathing method that the system recently detected. While taking a comfortable shower, you can tear open fruits such as oranges, tangerines, mangoes, and bananas with your hands. You can enjoy the natural aroma of the fruits released by the high temperature of the hot water, which is full and fresh. At the same time, you can scream like a monkey in the rainforest and enjoy the fun of returning to nature!"
After finishing, the system added, "Currently, twenty-nine hosts have chosen this platform and given it positive reviews."
……
Who exactly made this choice and, in what mental state, gave it a positive review?
It's probably a newly launched mode, which is why the system enthusiastically highlighted it in a few sentences.
Lu Liruan thought to herself, "You, a system, never need to take a shower, so naturally you can't understand the absurdity of it all..."
Finally, I opted for the standard hot spring bath mode.
The private hot spring pool is surrounded by different indoor and outdoor scenery, including bamboo forest and snow scenes, which shows great attention to detail.
"It's done quite well," Lu Liruan praised.
"The system will serve you wholeheartedly. The more worlds you complete, the higher your level will be, and the more services you will enjoy. Please keep up the good work."
How long will I be able to rest this time?
"Based on the time it takes you to complete the task in the small world and the cycle of completing the task, you can rest in the space for three days. Please enjoy yourself!"
Speaking of this...
Lu Liruan suddenly felt puzzled.
"I have a question."
"Host, please speak."
"I remember that I didn't stay in the first world for very long, so why did I stay in the second world for so long?"
Having lived her entire life within this place, Lu Liruan sometimes felt a little dazed, wondering if the mission was just her fantasy, and this was actually her real life.
The system paused for a moment.
"Please wait a moment, we are analyzing your query." The system's voice subtly changed back to a flat, mechanical tone, but because the difference was negligible, Lu Liruan did not notice.
"Your mission objective is to save the male supporting character in the small world. You can only escape if you succeed in saving him."
“Yes…” Lu Liruan didn’t actually know when the mission would be completed. She could only wait for the system notification to free her. In the previous world, Ji Shumin had already broken free from the control of the Gu poison and recovered his health. How could this be…
The system's voice paused again, remaining silent for a long while.
"What's wrong? Can't you answer me?" Lu Liruan thought it involved some kind of secret, and that as a novice host, she couldn't get an answer.
"Please wait a moment, host. We are analyzing and querying for you. We are analyzing and querying for you."
Lu Liruan vaguely sensed something, but the feeling was fleeting, leaving her unable to grasp anything.
"The query result is that the rescue mission can only be considered successful if you do not leave the small world."
Lu Liruan was slightly taken aback, not quite understanding.
"Your presence is a key factor in the success of the mission. If you leave the world, the mission is more likely to fail. That's why you've been in the small world for a longer period of time this time."
The system interprets the answer again.
Lu Liruan understood, but she blinked and remained silent.
She understood what the system meant...
Because she stayed by Ji Shumin's side, it was only because of her that Ji Shumin was successfully saved.
In the days that followed, it had nothing to do with any poison or illness. As long as he was there, Ji Shumin was fine. But if he were to leave and disappear... then Ji Shumin would not be able to live any longer.
He had tied his own life to his own, and only when he reached the end of his life and his lifespan could he truly say that he had completely saved him.
Lu Liruan felt a jolt in her heart, a tingling sensation spreading outwards, like ripples spreading across a lake after a stone has been thrown in.
Lu Liruan has been detached for some time now, and her emotional shielding has taken effect. She doesn't feel any discomfort, but it makes her want to sigh, something she can't quite explain herself.
Seeing that Lu Liruan no longer asked questions or spoke, the system made the space very quiet for a moment, with only the newly built warm pool emitting a soft sound of flowing water.
For a moment, Lu Liruan wanted to remove the emotional shield and feel it again, to see what kind of emotion could truly be so unwavering, so precious that not a moment less, not even an hour less, that he would live and die with her.
But she still gave up, and even felt a little scared.
So what if I know?
I still have to complete my mission, and I... will never see him again, so why should I let myself know?
There is still no sound from the system.
Lu Liruan realized that if she continued to obsess over this, her emotional fluctuation level might be whipped into a state of shock by the system, so she adjusted her mindset and coughed lightly.
Why are you so quiet?
"Hmm—" the system made a sound.
"Does the host have any other requests?"
"Didn't my emotions rise just now?" Lu Liruan asked casually.
"The system did not detect anything. Does the host need to be re-measured?"
the system asked.
"It's alright, it's not necessary."
Lu Liruan vaguely felt something was strange. She had definitely had emotional fluctuations just now, and she could clearly feel it herself, so why couldn't the system detect it?
"Does the host have any other needs?" the system asked again.
"Nothing."
"Please enjoy your rest and relaxation time to the fullest."
After saying that, the system went offline.
Lu Liruan has indeed been having a very comfortable time these past few days.
She used to be waited on hand and foot, but her physical discomfort made her feel no joy at all. At the same time, she was constantly tormented because of her. Her parents and family members couldn't live their own lives properly because of her. They all had to revolve around her and worry about her. Lu Liruan felt distressed and uneasy just looking at them.
But she couldn't show it. Her family didn't want to give up on her, and if she appeared optimistic, they would feel a little better.
If she were to appear lifeless all day, it would be like stabbing them in the heart. This is the original reason why Lu Liruan is so good at understanding other people's emotions.
Although I still often think of my family and the elders who have always worked hard for me.
Whenever she thinks of Lu Liruan, her joy and relief outweigh her sadness and reluctance.
My departure is for the best for everyone. It's just that I can't let my family know that I'm doing well and living a happy life now. It's just a little regrettable...
For three days, I was waited on hand and foot, and the time spent in the hot springs flew by.
Soon, the system arrived with its cheat code.
"The host has successfully completed the previous world. This time, you will still have two cheat codes, one of which is extraction and the other is assigned by the system."
Lu Liruan nodded.
The system paused briefly: "Relationship with the host, you have been granted a cheat code by the system—Peak of Knowledge."
Lu Liruan: ?
Such abstract terms are really unfamiliar to me, a poor student.