Klein pushed aside his personal thoughts and, controlling The World, spoke in a deep, raspy voice:
"Help me pay attention to the mutated pituitary gland and blood of a Thousand-Faced Hunter, as well as the characteristics of a Human-Skinned Shadow and the hair of a Deep-sea Naga."
Although Klein had only 689 pounds remaining, he possessed a Werewolf Beyonder characteristic, a Zombie Beyonder characteristic, and the Biological Poison Bottle. To ensure he didn't miss this opportunity, he planned to have the Tarot Club members keep a lookout in advance.
"Understood," The Sun was the first to respond, though he made no promises.
"A Thousand-Faced Hunter? I believe I've seen its fossil," Audrey replied thoughtfully. "Oh, I will confirm it once I return."
She had seen that fossil in Duke Negan's vault.
If it's already a fossil, the Beyonder characteristic might have been stripped away long ago... Klein controlled The World to give an indeterminate nod.
After a brief silence, The Hanged Man, Alger, spoke up: "I need help keeping an eye on someone."
"While investigating the slave trade, I found someone he had transactions with... he might be involved in the colonial slave disappearance cases. Please keep an eye out for him."
"He identifies himself as Baron. His skin is reddish-brown with distinct southern ethnic features, but he was once heard speaking with a Backlund accent."
"His third tooth on the left side is missing, though it might have been replaced. Furthermore, his facial features are very ordinary, and his height is average."
"If any of you can find him, there will be no issue with the reward—I am willing to give at least 100 pounds or an equivalent amount in valuable items."
Alger turned his gaze toward The Magician, The World, and The Lover.
Miao Miao knew that during the Great Smog event before the New Year, this Baron would appear at the Blood Emperor's mausoleum in the northwestern outskirts of Backlund. I can guess that this Baron is currently secretly loading slaves onto ships somewhere in Backlund.
Since no one mentioned further transactions or commissions, the gathering moved into a free exchange session.
Miao Miao returned to the real world from above the gray fog and let out a sound in her natural voice. She was writing Hermes characters in her notebook, thinking about organizing the sacrificial ritual tonight.
She looked at her own handwriting in Loenese and then at Aria's. The writing styles were completely different. If anyone familiar with Aria noticed, they would easily realize this girl was an entirely different person.
[ System Notification ]
[ Second Main Mission Revealed ]
A two-minute countdown in red began in the center of the screen. 1:59... 1:58...
"Hmm... is the second mission to go home being revealed? In other words, these two missions are your only door back home."
To Miao Miao, Miss Assistant didn't feel like a mechanical hologram with just a good program. Based on her manner of speaking and tone, she felt like a real, pragmatic human being.
"I'm wondering what kind of mission it is. In my opinion, no matter how many tasks you complete, you won't be able to return home without fulfilling these two main missions."
"You must have been told before me," Miao Miao questioned, looking at the screen. The countdown was now at 1:34.
"Not at all. This was determined by the system, and I am just a..." Miss Assistant paused.
"An AI hologram... what do you think this mission could be?" Miao Miao asked.
"Surely it'll be something difficult... like protecting this world from the Outer Deities. Besides, your previous task was to protect Klein from the virus."
"That's possible... for that, I would definitely need to become a Sequence 0 True God," Miao Miao said, her voice a mix of dread and worry.
The two of them discussed more possibilities: helping someone become a god, guiding a specific person, imprisoning, sealing, or killing an evil god, or destroying a secret organization...
Countdown: 0:10… 0:09…
The thumping in Miao Miao's chest grew louder. What kind of mission could this be?
0:03… 0:02…
The screen suddenly flashed.
[Main Mission: Make the protagonist, Klein, fall in love with the host of this system. ]
Miao Miao and Miss Assistant stared at the screen with their mouths agape, reading it over and over. They looked at each other and asked simultaneously, "Who is the host of this system?"
"It's you!" Miss Assistant shouted loudly.
"M-M-Me?" Miao Miao stuttered, her face a mask of shock.
"But..." Miao Miao's head began to spin.
"You're that netizen... who gave the story a 4.5-star rating within 5 star was reviewing the story's flaws," Miss Assistant said with a cold, angry tone.
"What's wrong with you? Did you know it from this system?" Miao Miao asked, blinking rapidly.
"Because I liked that review of yours, I was transmigrated to this world," Miss Assistant replied.
"You mean you were transmigrated here just like me?"
"Yes," Miss Assistant answered.
"But how did you guess it was me?"
"Because of this second mission. Do you remember what you wrote in your review? 10,000 people disliked that review of yours. And I am the only one who liked it. You must remember what you wrote."
"Look, I wrote such a long review that I can't even remember it all. And I'm a book editor; I have immense respect for an author's work. First, I spoke about the 'Acting Method'—how a Beyonder has to act against their own will to progress.
Second, regarding Klein... how lonely and exhausted he truly was. The poor guy just wanted to travel, eat good food, and be with his family and friends, but under the heavy burden of fate, he couldn't rest for a moment. He protects everyone, but there is no one to protect him. And..."
"And thirdly,.....…Look, you surely wanted the protagonist of this novel to be in a relationship, didn't you? In my opinion, every reader wanted that—for the main character to have deep feelings for a woman. But in the end, he sank into a deep slumber."
"Hmm."
"I wrote that review with good intentions, but I don't know why ten thousand netizens disliked it. They clearly didn't understand the true meaning of such a long review."
After a moment of silence, Miao Miao suddenly asked, "What is your name? I've just been calling you Miss Assistant."
The hologram of Miss Assistant was now complete; it no longer looked like a projection but like a living person floating in the air. Then, she said in a calm voice, "Bai Niao."
Miao Miao smiled gently. "Ling Shao Miao. You can just call me Miao Miao if you like."
Bai Niao looked at the screen and said flatly, "His favorability toward you is -5%."
Miao Miao wanted to burst into tears, but no moisture came to her eyes. What on earth had she done to earn a -5% favorability rating from Klein? Her heart trembled at the sheer impossibility of the task—having to make someone who actively disliked her fall in love with her.
Just moments ago, she had been speaking so proudly about her review in front of Bai Niao, but now she was drowning in regret. Why had she ever written that review?
The screen vanished, but Bai Niao remained, floating in the air like a lingering spirit. Miao Miao frantically racked her brain, trying to pinpoint the exact moment she had offended him.
"Is it because of what happened last night?" she asked Bai Niao, her voice laced with anxiety.
"Was it because of that banquet? Splashing water on Klein and embarrassing him in front of everyone—is that why?"
"I should go to him, explain everything, and apologize again," Miao Miao said.
"You can try," Bai Niao agreed, though her voice lacked conviction.
.....
When Miao Miao stood before 15 Minsk Street, her heart was thumping as fast as a drumbeat in Backlund. In the light afternoon fog, the house looked even more mysterious and solemn.
Clutching the bag of cookies and Chinese rice cakes tightly, she mentally asked Bai Niao, "What do you think, Bai Niao? He'll surely let go of his annoyance, won't he? Who could stay upset after tasting these delicious rice cakes?"
Floating invisibly near her shoulder, Bai Niao made a skeptical sound. Her voice held a mix of amusement and caution.
"Look, Miao Miao, this trick would work on an ordinary person. But the man behind this door is extremely shrewd."
Miao Miao took a long breath to calm herself. "Ugh, why do you always see things so negatively? Klein is a foodie; his heart is bound to melt when he sees good food. Besides, I've come to sincerely apologize."
"Sincerity is good," Bai Niao quipped, "but don't forget, your meter is currently at -5%. When you knock on the door, don't smile like you're here to poison him. Just stay natural."
Then, she vanished. Miao Miao straightened the bag and prepared to knock. Her mind was swirling with the thoughts of a book editor—how could she convince Klein that the incident at the banquet was just an accident?
The sound of footsteps echoed from the other side. The door slowly opened. Standing there was the sharp-featured detective, Sherlock Moriarty. He was wearing his indoor clothes and spectacles. He frowned upon seeing Miao Miao at his doorstep, his cold, piercing gaze seemingly trying to read every secret in her mind.
"Miss Nightshade?" Klein's voice was calm but held a distinct distance. "Is there something you need?"
Miao Miao tried to give a sweet smile, though her heart was racing. "Mr. Moriarty... actually, I've been feeling very small inside because of that awkward incident last night. It was never my intention to humiliate you like that."
"It's fine," Klein said calmly, and he allowed Miao Miao to enter the house.
Miao Miao clearly saw the score shift; it plummeted from -5% to -11%.
It seems he's annoyed that I'm here. Terrified, Miao Miao bowed deeply, placing her hand over her heart as she sincerely apologized.
"Please contact me if you ever need anything," Miao Miao said earnestly.
"Exactly what year did you come from?" Klein asked suddenly. He was clearly trying to investigate the mystery of their transmigration.
"Oh, I came from 2019. And you?" Miao Miao muttered to herself... Oh, he's asking this because he read Roselle's early diary today... I actually came from May 2nd, 2020 But I can't say it because it will be out of the story of the novel and I'm from orginal world not from novel.
"One year prior," Klein replied, maintaining his thoughtful demeanor.
Miao Miao clearly saw the meter improve, moving from -11% back to -7%.
"So we came from two different times." Miao Miao began to talk about events from early 2019, the famous books released during the Chinese New Year, and which books had won awards.
Klein asked her why she became a book editor after studying finance.
"If I worked in finance, I'd be stuck in a bank calculating numbers all day. But as a book editor, I get to read the original copies of any book before anyone else."
Despite her efforts, the man's dislike for her did not fade.
...
From this, she realized that this man saw her merely as a fellow compatriot.
Should I continue like this?