The sky above my workspace was filled with birds and flying fish—well, not real ones. Data constructs shaped like every animal imaginable drifted through the artificial heavens, their fur, feathers, and scales painted in every conceivable color. They followed predetermined paths in a slow, mesmerizing dance until reaching their endpoints, where they’d rise and dissolve into the unchanging blue void above.

I watched one particularly magnificent golden bird with iridescent plumage until it vanished completely, then dove through the mission portal.

Time to clock in.

Data streams swirled through star-filled space like cosmic rapids, each tiny data cluster glowing like a speck of cosmic dust. Every star seemed to contain its own world, playing out predetermined stories along their destined timelines.

A golden interface materialized before me.

[Mission filtering in progress…]

[Mission selection complete]

The data river receded like a tide, and a single star flew toward me, transforming into a massive book. Invisible hands flipped through its pages, displaying one before me. My companion system—a floating orb—spun in a circle before diving into the book like rain into a river.

[World synchronization—complete. Data input—complete]

[Wishing you mission success!]

The golden frame vanished. I efficiently opened my eyes and began my polite greeting: “Esteemed Host, you—”

Wait.

I froze in the empty hall.

Nobody was here.

I floated in a magnificent palace hall—all gold and jade, white marble floors with crimson tiles, pearl curtains framing golden windows. Everything radiated the kind of elegance that comes from generations of accumulated power and wealth.

Not that I particularly cared about shiny versus dull aesthetics. The real question was… where was my host?

Why was I floating around in an empty throne room?

I spun in a confused circle and opened my mission parameters. The interface displayed my assigned host’s information.

[Mission: Change host’s predetermined fate (In Progress)]

[Host Information:

Name: Seraphine Velka

Gender: Female

Character Background: In “Sword Pointing to the Heavens,” she’s the male protagonist’s former fiancée who broke their engagement after he became a cripple, later becoming entangled with him again after his miraculous recovery.

Personality: Arrogant, condescending, tyrannical]

“Seraphine Velka,” I repeated in my emotionless mechanical voice, a question mark practically floating above my data core.

Just a text description? No visual data?

I closed the interface and hovered in the upper reaches of the hall. Usually, I’d spawn directly inside my host’s body to begin interaction protocols, but this hall was not only host-free—it was completely devoid of human life.

I calmly filed an error report with the main system and was considering whether to go hunt down my host when the palace’s great doors swung open from outside.

Mountain wind suddenly surged in, sweeping through every corner of the hall like a hurricane carrying the essence of wilderness and sky. The wind washed over my data form.

My silver data cluster bobbed in the breeze like a tiny star, flickering faintly in dimensions invisible to human eyes. A trace of pale gold emerged from deep within my silver core, flowing like molten light before disappearing again.

I looked toward the entrance and saw a parade of jewel-adorned palace attendants flowing in like silk, their faces a study in carefully applied makeup. They arranged themselves on either side of the throne and stood with heads bowed in perfect silence.

“Seraphine Velka?” I called out, scanning each of the dozens of female faces in the hall before giving up.

Ugh. They all looked like copy-paste beauties.

While I was trying to pick out my host from this crowd of identically gorgeous palace ladies, another group entered. Leading them was a dejected-looking middle-aged man who’d been sighing continuously since walking through the door. Behind him, people wore various expressions—some equally worried, others indifferent, and a few with barely concealed smirks like they were enjoying a good show.

My attention fixed on the man in the center of the group. Tall, handsome, and standing out among the crowd, though his face was pale and sickly-looking, like he was recovering from a serious illness. He’d kept his head down and hadn’t said a word since entering.

The middle-aged leader asked where the palace Lord was and whether there was still room to negotiate the broken engagement.

Oh!

I instantly put the pieces together.

The man in the center was the male protagonist?

A little lightbulb practically dinged above my data core as my work instincts kicked into overdrive. I quickly created a new character file, scanned the male lead’s appearance into my archives, and tagged him as a key mission target.

The silent palace attendants continued ignoring the visitors like decorative mannequins, which clearly irritated the newcomers. One of the men who’d been smirking since arrival began shouting complaints: “I already knew Luanyang Palace was arrogant from top to bottom, and seeing it firsthand proves it true! Even the servants act high and mighty—absolutely outrageous!”

Another man immediately chimed in: “Exactly! Just because the engagement is broken, they treat us Lianshan Sect members like dirt. Are they planning to throw away years of friendship between our sects?”

“Heh, aren’t they already treating us like dirt?” The first man sneered, deliberately glancing at the male protagonist. “I heard the Luanyang Palace Lord recently broke through to Golden Core—Great Perfection Golden Core at that. At twenty-five, such cultivation makes her the number one talent of the younger generation. Naturally, she can look down on small fry like us. As for others…”

He pointedly stared at the male lead with contempt: “When you were the heaven’s chosen son with everyone fawning over you, fine. But now your spiritual roots are destroyed, your cultivation completely lost—you’re nothing but trash. Still dreaming of marrying into her family? Look at yourself first.”

“How dare you speak so rudely to Young Master!” A woman behind the male lead said angrily.

The mocking man immediately turned to her, raising his voice: “What, am I wrong? Before the Young Master was crippled, they were a decent match. Now? They’d be better off finding some other talented person in the sect to marry the Palace Lord!”

His eyes shifted cunningly: “As for the Young Master here, well… with his mortal body now, he’ll probably end up with some village woman to live out his remaining days. I’d advise you not to waste your thoughts on him!”

“You’re going too far!” The woman’s face flushed red with anger as she looked anxiously at the male lead.

But whether facing deliberate mockery or concerned protection, the male protagonist simply stood quietly without responding, which only made the two mockers feel like they were punching cotton. Their frustration turned to rage.

Just as they were about to continue their verbal assault, the middle-aged leader sighed heavily and warned: “Enough! Look where we are—stop this nonsense!”

“Hmph!” The first mocker snorted, glancing at the male lead with eyes full of anger that transformed back into contempt. He smiled coldly and muttered under his breath: “Trash. Let’s see how proud you can be now!”

“Cough, cough.” The sickly male protagonist coughed softly, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents around him.

The palace attendants remained completely unmoved by the visitors’ arguments, not even sparing them a glance.

While listening to their “argument,” I methodically logged everyone’s appearances into my database, including the palace ladies, carefully categorizing them by sect affiliation. This kind of work was child’s play for me. Once finished, I idly reorganized my departure supplies.

My pack contained small ice pops that a newly befriended system had given me—apparently bought with points they’d earned doing errands for other systems. I felt a bit conflicted.

Should I take a bite?

I had the sudden urge to munch on something while watching this drama unfold. I stared thoughtfully at the ice pop, deeply contemplating this impulse.

Mountain breezes carried wisps of cloud into the hall, white mist brushing against curtains before dispersing gracefully. Pearl beads clinked together, their clear, pleasant chiming echoing through the vast space.

An extraordinarily beautiful woman in pink robes emerged from behind the pearl curtains, carrying a jade tray and smiling before she even spoke. The moment she appeared, all the attendants on both sides bowed in unison, and the previously argumentative visitors fell silent. The hall became dead quiet.

I closed my supply pack and floated over to the pink-robed woman, asking hesitantly: “Seraphine Velka?”

As soon as I spoke, the woman smiled, her gaze passing through me to rest on the visitors. Her tone was gentle: “Honored guests, thank you for waiting. The palace had urgent matters to handle, causing some delay. The Palace Lord will arrive momentarily.”

The middle-aged man immediately bowed respectfully: “No rush—”

Before the word “rush” could fade, the hall’s wind suddenly intensified. Clouds surged and collided before dispersing, pearl ornaments chiming like sudden rainfall. I instinctively looked up to see a ball of fire appear abruptly, landing at the top of the jade steps and transforming into crimson robes that spread across the stairway.

When she said momentarily, she meant momentarily.

“…”

I couldn’t help floating upward a bit.

The mountain wind had stopped at some point, now prostrating itself beneath robes like flames. The woman with golden hairpins and phoenix crown lifted her eyes—a gaze containing fire, seemingly light yet disdainful, looking down with cold indifference.

In that moment, all the palace’s flowing beauty and colorful elegance paled in comparison. No amount of makeup or finery could match the cinnabar mark between her eyebrows.

I suddenly remembered the flying bird I’d watched before departure.

The main system crafted all sorts of animal data constructs from various worlds to decorate our sky, but no matter how exquisite these artificial images were, they couldn’t match the vivid intensity of living beings.

This human must be my host!

My silver-white data form leaked a few traces of gold as I flew upward, stopping before the woman to carefully scan her features into my files’ first page.

[Seraphine Velka]

After noting her name, I settled contentedly on my host’s shoulder, planning to properly greet her later.

Luanyang Palace’s youngest-ever Palace Lord took her seat, elegant fingers supporting her face. Her red lips curved upward, her voice casual with an undertone of wild arrogance—low, lazy tones reaching every ear in the hall, including one system’s audio receptors.

“Everyone, thank you for waiting.”

My host had a very pleasant voice.

Tiny lightning bolts sparkled across my silver data surface, crackling with a tingling sensation. I opened my host information again, reviewing those few sparse lines of description.

Outstanding appearance, beautiful voice, ruler of a city—this host seemed excellent in every aspect.

After Seraphine Velka appeared, everyone she looked at except the male protagonist lowered their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.

I heard my host laugh without any attempt to hide her disdain. Glancing at her beautiful profile wearing an expression of complete indifference, she clearly didn’t consider these people worth her attention. Seraphine Velka spoke lazily: “Xue Bufan, last time we met, Lianshan Sect sent five elders as escort. This time—”

Her gaze fell on the middle-aged man at the front, and she smiled mockingly.

“You couldn’t even send one decent person?”

As soon as she finished speaking, she lightly lifted her hand from her robes. A violent wind instantly struck the visitors, sending them stumbling backward with cries of alarm. The middle-aged man Seraphine Velka had addressed would have been blown out of the hall entirely if the woman beside him hadn’t grabbed him, though this left his face even paler with blood appearing at the corners of his mouth.

“Young Master!” the woman cried in panic.

“I’m fine, cough, I’m fine.” Xue Bufan coughed while speaking in broken phrases, slowly straightening his shoulders.

The middle-aged man in front lowered his defensive hands and asked nervously: “What is the Palace Lord’s meaning?”

Seraphine Velka ignored him, looking at Xue Bufan with a smile: “Lianshan Sect’s eldest young master, fallen to such depths. Tsk.”

I resisted the urge to pull out my ice pop and also observed the male protagonist.

The male lead, who looked like he couldn’t withstand a gentle breeze, bent over coughing. His handkerchief was stained red, but aside from the woman beside him, no one seemed to care.

“Cough, cough… Palace Lord’s words are quite accurate.” Xue Bufan said, lowering his hand and tucking the bloodied cloth into his sleeve. His expression remained blank as he accepted Seraphine Velka’s assessment. After Seraphine Velka raised an eyebrow, he continued: “If I hadn’t fallen to such depths, how could I trouble the Palace Lord to break our engagement?”

The hall fell silent enough to hear a pin drop. The Lianshan Sect members’ expressions were quite a sight to behold.

I turned to look at Seraphine Velka.

Up close, her beauty was even more striking. I couldn’t help floating closer, stopping right at the tip of her nose.

My host’s smile had been mocking from the beginning, and now it deepened, though her eyes held no warmth whatsoever.

“Bufan! How can you speak to the Palace Lord this way!” The middle-aged man snapped back to attention and loudly scolded.

Xue Bufan’s expression remained blank, while Seraphine Velka—I floated to her forehead, settling against the flame-like ornament to avoid “blocking” my host’s line of sight.

Seraphine Velka’s lips curved in a mocking smile as she rose leisurely, her tone arrogant.

“Since you know marriage between us is impossible, why travel so far to come here? Do you intend to question me? Or perhaps…” She paused, her voice growing cold, “Lianshan Sect wants to use our broken engagement as an excuse to demand compensation?”

Xue Bufan fell silent again. The middle-aged man stepped forward two paces, saying anxiously: “We have absolutely no such intention! We simply hoped that even if our sects can’t unite through marriage, we needn’t harm our relationship. Even though Bufan’s cultivation is destroyed, Lianshan Sect has other outstanding talents…”

The middle-aged man’s words died in Seraphine Velka’s laughter.

She was already breathtakingly beautiful, but when she laughed, she was like flowers blooming magnificently in endless fields of flame. My data core started crackling again as I floated directly above her head.

“Outstanding talents.” She savored these words, looking at the young men behind the middle-aged leader, suppressing the disdain in her eyes. “I, the Luanyang Palace Lord, will only marry the strong—never waste my time on the weak! Xue Bufan, before your spiritual roots were destroyed, you were barely worthy of me. But now you’ve become a mere mortal with a lifespan of only a hundred years. Marriage between us is impossible.”

In the golden splendor, Seraphine Velka’s robes blazed like fire against the white jade steps, her pearl-like eyes growing cold, her raised fingertips pure as snow.

Pearl curtains rolled as servants carrying large and small chests flooded in, filling the palace with treasures that gleamed brilliantly.

They lit up the hall—and me too.

What a high starting point, I mused again.

“Though our engagement is broken, remembering our past acquaintance, accept these as compensation gifts. I wish you well in your future endeavors.”

As Seraphine Velka finished speaking, the pink-robed woman who’d been waiting at the foot of the steps waved her hand, collecting all the compensation into a storage ring. The Lianshan Sect members stared enviously at the ring on her finger.

The pink-robed woman smiled as she offered the ring to Xue Bufan: “Young Master Xue, please accept this.”

Xue Bufan looked down at the jade ring on the tray, coughed twice, and said quietly: “When I was gravely injured but still had hope of recovery, my father came personally to Luanyang City requesting Phoenix Fire from the Palace Lord, only to be flatly refused. Today I’ve become a cripple and our engagement is ended—so be it. But the Palace Lord’s heartlessness that day…”

A trace of unwillingness crossed his face as he looked up at Seraphine Velka: “Today I am fallen, but if one day, Palace Lord, you were to find yourself in a similar predicament, what then?”

In her high seat, Seraphine Velka’s expression slowly vanished, her eyes becoming completely indifferent.

“The Way is heartless; life and death are fated. If I were you…” Seraphine Velka rested her chin in her hand thoughtfully, then suddenly smiled. “I would simply—”

“Wish myself well?”

Three lazy words dripping with mockery.

“…” Xue Bufan flicked his sleeves and turned to leave without another word.

Perched atop Seraphine Velka’s head, I watched the Lianshan Sect members storm off in anger, calmly spinning in a circle.

No way. My host would never fall to such depths.

Because she had me.

Echo.

The Transmigration Department’s top performer! Richest data reserves! Most capable! Highest points total! The first and only system in history to reach Advanced level! I would serve my host anytime, anywhere!

And I was about to make sure she knew it.