Eviction Notice from the Void
**Shao Tien (POV)**
"Host, I think you have had quite enough fun on your day off!~"
The system's voice echoed through the high-grade VIP entertainment suite, dripping with an infuriatingly cheerful, sing-song cadence that made my left eye twitch.
I was currently mid-bite, a piece of high-end chocolate hovering just millimeters away from my mouth, when the digital reality around me began to flicker like a cheap fluorescent bulb. And here I was, foolishly hoping that my tragic, screaming tantrum from earlier had broken its programming permanently. What an absolutely fantastic way to ruin a perfectly good mood.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever..." I mumbled, rolling my eyes so far heavenward I practically saw my own pre-transmigration memories. I tossed the chocolate into my mouth, chewing aggressively as a form of silent protest against my digital overlord. *F*cking system.*
'*Ding!~ So now, I will have to officially send you back to your physical body before you accidentally turn into an actual, unbreathing corpse in the real world!~*' the system chirped, its voice hitting an pitch that genuinely sounded like an enthusiastic customer service representative announcing a mandatory corporate layoff.
"Wait, what do you mean corpse?!" I choked out, but it was already too late.
The comfortable, plush beanbag chair beneath my rear end dissolved into static. The 85-inch flat-screen TV melted into glowing lines of green code, and the remnants of my imported wine vanished into thin air.
Before I could even throw a pillow at the floating pouting emoji, a sudden, violent sensation of gravity yanked me downward.
My peaceful vacation was officially over. Welcome back to the realm of physical pain and existential dread.
=====°°°°°
The Overthinking Alpha
**Lao Shi Chen (ML POV)**
The steam rose slowly from my porcelain cup, carrying the rich, bitter aroma of high-mountain tea into the cool afternoon air. I sat on the private veranda outside my personal chambers, my posture perfectly rigid, my eyes staring blankly at the manicured gardens of my estate.
Outwardly, I was the picture of absolute military calm—a Grand General patiently waiting for the next deployment order from the Emperor.
Inwardly, my mind was a chaotic battlefield of unanswered questions, and every single one of them revolved around a certain nameless, disheveled youth who was currently occupying my guest wing.
It had been nearly three days. Three entire days, and there was still absolutely no indication of him waking up.
*What exactly is happening here?*
I tightly gripped the handle of my teacup, nearly cracking the delicate porcelain. The imperial physician—the most renowned medical mind in the capital city—had personally assured me that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the boy's physical body.
His internal energy channels were stable, his pulse was strong, and his vital signs were completely clear. By all accounts of medical science, he should have been up and making a nuisance of himself days ago.
So why was he still asleep?
It was deeply, profoundly frustrating. As a military strategist, I was a man who thrived on control, action, and immediate results.
Sitting here, completely powerless while a common Beta napped through an entire imperial victory cycle, was giving me a headache. But beneath that frustration lay a much deeper, far more disturbing realization.
*Why am I worrying this much? Why am I frustrated over a stranger?*
The confusion was entirely uncharacteristic of a dominant Alpha of my standing. In the deepest, most instinctive recesses of my mind, I felt a bizarre sensation—a stubborn, unyielding feeling that I *knew* him.
Yet, logically, I knew with absolute certainty that we had never met before that bloody clearing in the forest. It was an paradox, a riddle without a solution, and it was driving my territorial instincts completely insane.
My eyes narrowed as my analytical, paranoid military training began to take the reins.
What if my initial assessment of him was entirely wrong? What if his weak, clumsy display against those frontier bandits was nothing more than a highly calculated, meticulously orchestrated act?
*What if he is a highly trained spy dispatched from an enemy kingdom to infiltrate my estate?*
*What if he is a hidden assassin, an enemy of mine specifically designed to lower my guard with his ordinary face and pathetic fighting skills?*
*What if...*
The "what-ifs" began to pile up like a mountain of paperwork, each one more ridiculous and paranoid than the last. And because the youth refused to open his eyes, none of them could be answered.
I set my teacup down onto the stone table with a sharp, definitive *clack*.
My expression hardened into a mask of pure, unyielding determination. I had officially reached the absolute limit of my patience.
I stood up, my long imperial robes billowing slightly in the breeze as I turned on my heel. I would go to the guest chambers myself.
I would sit by his bedside, and I would wait. Whether it took hours or days, the very moment his consciousness returned, I would pry the answers from his lips, no matter what it took.
=====°°°°°
The Worst Escape Plan in Human History
**Shao Tien (POV)**
*Gasps!*
My eyes didn't snap open, but my consciousness certainly did. The transition from the digital paradise of the system void back into my actual, physical meat-suit felt like being slammed face-first into a brick wall made of concrete and pure exhaustion.
My throat felt like a literal desert, my muscles were stiff from three days of complete inactivity, and my left arm throbbed with a dull, annoying ache where that ugly bandit had managed to nick me.
Before I could even give in to the urge to groan out loud, I remembered where I was. I was inside a strange bed, wrapped in sheets that smelled entirely too expensive, surrounded by the ominous atmosphere of an ancient historical setting.
*System!* I screamed inside my head, desperately trying to blink the sleep out of my mental interface.
*Are you there? Do you think I can sneak outside right now without being noticed? Can we make a run for it?!*
'*Ding!~ Analyzing environmental variables and Host's current athletic capabilities...*' the system chimed, its voice dropping into a tone of absolute, mocking amusement.
'*According to my calculations, Host, you can absolutely go outside! However, utilizing the current parameters, you would have to do so with the help of me... and with your literal life on the line! To put it in layman's terms, my dear Host: you can successfully escape this estate, but only if you are already half-dead by the time you cross the perimeter! That's it! Hehehe!~*'
*You f*cking useless piece of sh*t!* I howled internally, my mental avatar throwing a massive, imaginary tantrum.
*I can escape, yeah, but only if I'm a walking corpse?! What kind of high-level garbage calculation is that?! That's not an escape plan, that's just a delayed suicide pact!*
'*The system prides itself on accuracy!~*' it replied, dropping a tiny emoji of a robot doing a peace sign into my peripheral vision.
*F*ck this.* It meant I literally didn't have a single chance. I was trapped. I was a hostage of the plot, a victim of circumstance, and a prisoner in a room that probably cost more than my entire previous life's net worth.
Just as I was about to mentally curse the system's entire ancestry for the tenth time today, my real-world ears picked up a sound that made my entire soul freeze.
*Thud. Thud. Thud.*
Heavy, measured, incredibly terrifying footsteps were echoing from the hallway outside, heading straight toward the guest chamber.
The footsteps carried a distinct weight—the kind of terrifying air pressure that could only belong to someone who routinely sliced people in half for a living.
*Holy crap, he's coming!*
Panicking with the intensity of a freshman who forgot to study for a final exam, I immediately threw myself flat onto my back, shoved my arms beneath the heavy silk blanket, closed my eyes tightly, and tried my absolute best to look like a person who was deeply, beautifully locked in a peaceful coma
.
Man, this situation absolutely, fundamentally *sucks*.
The heavy wooden doors of the chamber creaked open with a slow, agonizing groan. I held my breath, trying to control the frantic rising and falling of my chest. The footsteps stepped over the threshold, moving slowly, deliberately, with zero rush.
*Thud... Thud... Thud...*
They were heading directly toward the side of the bed. Every single instinct in my body was screaming at me to open my eyes and beg for mercy, but I forced my eyelids to remain shut.
I squeezed them so hard I was genuinely worried I was going to give myself premature wrinkles.
*Please don't catch me. Please think I'm just a very deep sleeper. Please go away. Go back to your military wars or your brooding tea-drinking hobbies, you terrifying supermodel!*
Despite my best efforts to look dead to the world, a cold bead of sweat broke out along my hairline, trickling slowly down my cheek.
My heart was pounding so loudly against my ribs I was convinced the sound was echoing through the entire room.
'*Host!~*' the system suddenly giggled, its voice bursting into my head like a lunatic at a quiet library.
'*He is a highly trained imperial warrior who has survived dozens of bloody campaigns! You absolutely cannot con him with the incredibly lousy, pathetic acting skills you currently possess! He can see your eyelids twitching from across the room!~*'
*Shut the f*ck up, you f*cking moron!* I hissed back inside my mind, desperately wishing I could reach into my own brain and strangle the digital data.
*I am doing my best! I am a victim here!*
The footsteps finally came to a dead stop right beside the mattress.
The sheer, overwhelming physical presence of the man exploded outward, completely dominating the air pressure in the room.
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel the invisible weight of his gaze drilling straight through my forehead. The absolute silence stretched on for five agonizing seconds, ten seconds, fifteen...
Then, the Male Lead finally spoke..
"I know you're awake."
The words were delivered in a deep, dark, freezing register that sent a violent shiver straight down my spine. It wasn't a question. It wasn't a guess. It was an absolute, undisputed statement of fact. My heart genuinely leaped into my throat, nearly jumping completely out of my body.
*No, I'm not!* I screamed at him in the safety of my own thoughts, stubborn until the very end.
*I am sleeping! I am having a lovely dream about a world where hot guys don't threaten me with immediate execution! You just don't know how people look when they are asleep! So please, just turn around and go shuuuu~! Leave me alone!*
I heard a heavy, long-suffering sigh escape his lips. The mattress dipped slightly as he began to lean forward, clearly preparing to deliver a terrifying, high-stakes interrogation speech.
"You k—"
*GROOOOOOOOOWL~*
Before the mighty, feared Grand General Lao Shi Chen could even finish the very first syllable of his sentence, a catastrophic, earth-shattering noise erupted from beneath the silk blankets.
It wasn't a gentle, polite little rumble. It was a violent, deep, incredibly prolonged roar of pure, unadulterated digestive betrayal.
My stomach, which had been completely empty for three solid days while my soul was living it up in the system void drinking digital wine, had officially decided to declare war on my dignity.
The sound was so loud it practically rattled the expensive decorations on the nightstand.
The General instantly went dead silent, his sentence cutting off mid-word.
The sheer, staggering weight of the secondhand embarrassment was enough to make my brain completely short-circuit. There was no saving this. There was no pretending to be in a coma anymore.
You cannot be in a medical stasis while your stomach sounds like a literal lawnmower.
Slowly, agonizingly, I peeled my eyes open. I gave up on the blankets, pushing myself up into a sitting position against the headboard. My face was burning with an intensity that could have easily melted solar panels.
I think my cheeks were currently glowing a vibrant, neon shade of crimson.
*F*ck this world. F*ck this plot. This is the most embarrassing moment of my entire existence.*
I cleared my throat, forcing a small, incredibly awkward, trembling smile onto my face as I looked up into the flabbergasted, completely stunned eyes of the most powerful warrior in the empire.
"Hello..." I squeaked out, my voice cracking slightly.
"I... think I am hungry? Hehehe... he..."
Lao Shi Chen stared at me, his jaw slightly slack, completely speechless as another heavy sigh escaped his lips.
=====°°°°°
The Interrogation That Wasn't
**Lao Shi Chen (ML POV)**
In all my years of military service, I had interrogated hundreds of individuals. I had broken hardened spies from foreign empires, faced down rebellious warlords who refused to blink in the face of death, and unmasked clever assassins who had successfully hidden within the imperial court for years.
I had prepared myself for every possible reaction from this mysterious youth.
I expected him to jump out of bed and draw a hidden weapon. I expected him to burst into tears and beg for his life, throwing himself at my feet.
I even expected him to maintain his stoic silence, forcing me to use harsher, more psychological methods to extract his secrets.
I did *not*, under any circumstances, expect his stomach to let out a roar that rivaled an actual, wild tiger.
I stood frozen by the bedside, my mouth slightly open, the grand, intimidating speech I had meticulously prepared entirely erased from my memory.
The dense, freezing killing intent I had spent the last ten minutes building up completely dissipated into the air, ruined by the sheer absurdity of the moment.
The youth was currently sitting up against the pillows, looking like a thoroughly rumpled, incredibly disheveled bird.
His face was entirely flushed, a deep, burning crimson spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. He looked so incredibly mortified that I genuinely worried he might pass out again from sheer embarrassment.
"Hello..." he squeaked, his voice small and pathetic.
"I... think I am hungry? Hehehe... he..."
A heavy, long-suffering sigh escaped my lips. I closed my eyes, rubbing the bridge of my nose as a massive wave of exhaustion washed over me.
*What am I doing? Why am I treating this person like a high-level security threat?*
Look at him. His posture was completely open, devoid of any defensive martial stance. His eyes, though wide and panicked, held absolutely zero hidden malice or calculated cunning.
He was just an ordinary, incredibly embarrassed, starving Beta who looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.
"Three days," I said, my voice dropping its freezing edge, replaced instead by a tone of flat, unamused disbelief.
"You have been asleep in my estate for three full days. And the very first thing you do upon returning to the waking world is demand food?"
The youth's eyes widened even further, his lower lip quivering slightly as he shrank back into the pillows.
"I didn't *demand* it! My stomach did! It has a mind of its own, I swear! And wait... three days?! I've been out for three days?!"
"Yes," I replied, folding my arms across my chest as I looked down at him.
"The physician claimed your body was perfectly healthy, yet you refused to wake. I was beginning to suspect you were intentionally malingering to avoid my questions."
"Why would I want to stay asleep in a stranger's house?!" he muttered under his breath, though his voice was loud enough for my sharp Alpha hearing to catch every single word.
He quickly caught himself, offering me another weak, incredibly fake smile.
"I mean... thank you for saving my life, General! You are a very kind, very noble, very handsome savior! Truly, a pillar of society!"
The blatant, shameless flattery was so unrefined it was almost amusing. No spy would ever use such a transparent, clumsy tactic.
"Save your compliments," I commanded, though the tight lines of my face relaxed just a fraction.
"You will get your food. But do not think a meal will absolve you from your duties. Once your stomach is satisfied, you and I are going to have a very long, very thorough conversation. I expect complete honesty regarding your identity, your origin, and that strange, vanishing weapon of yours."
I turned on my heel, my imperial robes sweeping across the floor as I marched toward the chamber doors.
"Guards," I called out as I stepped into the hallway.
"Yes, General!" the two soldiers saluted sharply.
"Have the kitchen staff prepare a large, nourishing meal and bring it to the guest quarters immediately. Ensure it is easily digestible; our guest has a rather... vocal appetite."
"Understood, General!"
I glanced back through the open doorway one last time. The youth had already buried his face into his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly as he let out a muffled groan of pure misery.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of my lips before I forced it back down.
He was certainly an enigma. But for now, he was an enigma that needed to be fed.
=====°°°°°
The Execution of the Leftovers
**Shao Tien (POV)**
The moment the bedroom doors closed and the Male Lead's terrifying presence finally cleared the area, I let out a scream that was entirely muffled by the expensive silk pillow I had slammed over my face.
*"AUUUUGHHHHHHH!"*
I wailed, kicking my legs wildly beneath the blankets like a toddler throwing a tantrum at a grocery store.
*"Why?! Why does the universe hate me?! Of all the ways to break character, of all the ways to ruin my mysterious, tragic victim aura... my stomach had to launch an acoustic assault right in his face!"*
'*Ding!~*' the system chimed, a row of rolling-on-the-floor-laughing emojis exploding across my vision.
'*Host, that was truly a historical performance! The system's audio logs have successfully recorded the entire event in high-definition stereo sound! Would you like to replay the rumble? It possessed a very impressive baseline frequency!~*'
*Delete it! Delete it right now, you digital psycho!* I roared internally, clutching my burning face.
*If that audio file ever leaks, I am going to find a way to upload a virus into your system core, I swear to God!*
'*Hmph, Host is being aggressive again!~ The system was just trying to document your milestones! Besides, look on the bright side! The Male Lead's suspicion parameters have dropped by 20%! He no longer thinks you are a dangerous, highly calculated international spy. He now officially thinks you are just a pathetic, starving idiot! This is a massive victory for your survival!~*'
I paused, lifting the pillow off my face slightly.
*Wait. Really? He thinks I'm an idiot?*
'*Absolutely!~ Strong, dominant Alphas are naturally less threatened by individuals who possess zero dignity and loud digestive systems! You have successfully lowered his guard through the power of supreme embarrassment! Congratulations!~*'
"I hate you. I hate this world. I hate everything," I muttered, flopping back onto the mattress and staring blankly at the ornately carved ceiling.
But my existential despair was cut short less than fifteen minutes later when the chamber doors opened once again.
This time, it wasn't the brooding General. Instead, a line of polite, soft-spoken servants stepped into the room, carrying a series of massive, steaming wooden trays that instantly filled the air with an aroma so heavenly I nearly wept open tears of joy.
There was a massive bowl of thick, savory congee topped with shredded shredded meat and fresh scallions, plates of perfectly steamed crystal dumplings, roasted vegetables glistening with savory glaze, and a pot of hot, fragrant jasmine tea.
My stomach let out another, much more polite rumble of anticipation.
"Please enjoy your meal, young master," the head servant said, bowing deeply before the staff quietly exited the room, leaving the trays on a low table beside the bed.
I didn't need to be told twice. I threw the blankets off, scrambled to the edge of the bed, grabbed the chopsticks, and began to inhale the food with the frantic intensity of a raccoon that had just discovered an unlocked dumpster behind a five-star seafood restaurant.
"Oh my God," I mumbled around a mouthful of crystal dumplings, real tears of gratitude welling up in my eyes.
"This is amazing. Ancient China might be terrifying, but their culinary department is an absolute ten out of ten."
'*Host, please chew your food properly!~*' the system warned.
'*If you choke to death on a dumpling after surviving a bandit assault, the system's completion metrics will be completely ruined, and the Overlord will laugh at me!*'
"Shut up, let me eat in peace," I grumbled, shoving another dumpling into my mouth.
As I rapidly emptied the plates, the warm, nourishing food began to work its magic.
The exhaustion in my muscles began to fade, my internal energy felt stable, and my brain finally started working at a normal capacity again. But as the final plate was cleared, the reality of my situation settled back over me like a cold blanket.
The General said we were going to have a "very long, very thorough conversation" the moment I was done eating.
I set my chopsticks down, my eyes widening in sudden panic as I looked around the room.
*Think, Shao Tien, think! What the hell am I supposed to tell him?!*
I couldn't exactly tell him the truth. *"Oh, hello there, General! I am actually a modern soul who died of corporate exhaustion, and I've been transmigrated into this trashy web novel by a capitalistic AI. Also, I'm secretly an Omega, but my system is currently masking my scent to make me smell like a common Beta so you don't accidentally drag me into a forced-mate romance plotline!"*
If I said that, he wouldn't just think I was a spy—he would have me thrown into a padded room for the criminally insane!
*System!* I called out desperately.
*Help me! What is my official backstory?! What am I supposed to say when he asks where I came from and why my sword can turn into thin air?!*
'*Ding!~ Generically generated background story package is now available for purchase in the system mall for the low, low price of 100 points!~*' the system replied, its voice instantly shifting into its corporate sales mode.
*One hundred points?!* I shrieked internally.
*Are you insane?! That's highway robbery! I almost died for those points! Give me a discount!*
'*No discounts allowed for high-stress plot situations, Host!~ Besides, the General is currently walking down the hallway. You have exactly thirty seconds before he opens that door. Do you wish to purchase the package, or do you wish to wing it with your terrible improvisational skills?*'
*Ugh! Fine! Purchase it! Just buy the stupid package already!*
=====°°°°°
To Be Continued...
'*Ding!~ Purchase successful! 100 points have been deducted from Host's account. Background identity "The Orphaned Wandering Scholar with Amnesia" has been successfully injected into your memory database! Good luck, Host!~*'
The very second the system's notification faded from my vision, the heavy wooden doors of the guest chamber swung open with absolute, terrifying precision.
Grand General Lao Shi Chen stepped into the room. He had changed out of his heavy military armor, now wearing a sleek, dark midnight-blue robe that made him look entirely too handsome for a regular Tuesday afternoon.
His sharp, golden-brown eyes swept over the empty plates on the table, and then landed directly on me.
He walked over, pulling up a heavy wooden chair and sitting down directly across from the bed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together as he fixed me with a look of intense, unyielding scrutiny.
"Now that you have been fed," the General said, his deep voice echoing through the quiet room, "let us begin our conversation. Who are you, where do you come from, and what exactly were you doing in that forest?"
I swallowed hard, my heart doing a nervous little tap-dance against my ribs as I prepared to deliver the most Oscar-worthy, dramatic performance of my entire life. Welcome to the stage, Shao Tien the tragic amnesiac scholar!