Chapter One: Only the Mall Function Remains

Zhang Ning’s face was a picture of utter despair, his cheeks pale as he murmured, “Can’t leave the city… Can’t leave the city?!” Drawing curious glances from the passersby.

He had crossed over roughly two hours before. One moment, he was dozing comfortably in his air-conditioned university classroom, and the next, he was in another world, with nothing but the clothes on his back—clothes that seemed designed to blend in with the locals. At first, he thought it was punishment for not paying attention in class. It took quite an effort to calm himself, only to realize that his arms and legs were tiny; he couldn't be more than eight or nine years old. This only deepened his gloom.

At this age, he could do nothing, and everything was fraught with danger. Still, he wasn’t completely discouraged; after all, the predecessors who’d traveled to other worlds often reached the peak of legend by the age of twenty. Starting early had its perks.

Zhang Ning looked around with a budding sense of ambition. He saw the townsfolk’s cheerful faces, not the numb expressions of the oppressed—clearly, this place was well governed. The familiar architecture of ancient China met his gaze—well, he knew a fair bit about history; maybe he could eke out a living here. Children played and roughhoused nearby, leaping onto rooftops with ease—not so strange; perhaps this was a world of martial arts, high-powered warriors, or some other system. He was prepared for that much.

It was the woman towering in the city center—easily dozens of meters tall—that made him yelp aloud. She stood amidst the buildings, a colossal figure, and at that, Zhang Ning turned and bolted down the main road, his mind racing with only one thought: I quit! I want to go home! I’m not doing this!

He couldn’t say how long he ran, only that he followed the largest road until he reached the city gates—just in time to see them close. A soldier, suspended in midair, called out to the crowd first in Chinese, then in an unfamiliar tongue, repeating, “No one is allowed to leave or enter the city today. We apologize for the inconvenience.” Zhang Ning only understood the Chinese, and at that moment, he didn’t grasp the significance.

Zhang Ning nearly collapsed when he realized he couldn't leave. Tired, hungry, and hair in disarray, he sneaked another glance at the giant woman, as if denying her presence would make her disappear.

She wore a pale lavender dress, her features delicate and beautiful, yet her entire form was as insubstantial as a mirage, quietly gazing down at the city. Zhang Ning finally managed to compose himself again. Seeing that the locals were unfazed, he thought, What’s the big deal? So it’s just Godzilla. With a sigh, he wiped the sweat from his brow with his small hand.

For someone who had always lived in peaceful times, the shock of seeing such a gigantic being was less about her appearance than the sheer scale—a primal terror triggered by her size. It was only natural that he’d panic.

Zhang Ning mused as he followed the crowd back into the city. Come to think of it, in Earth’s ancient days, the higher oxygen levels meant larger organisms; maybe in this world, more energy means bigger lifeforms.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in his right shoulder—he’d bumped into someone. Without looking up, he muttered an apology and kept walking, his attention caught by the unusually smooth road beneath his feet. Could it be cement? It certainly looked like it...

He failed to notice the young man he’d bumped into had stopped in his tracks, frowning and gazing at him with puzzlement. The people around them finally seemed to take notice of Zhang Ning, their surprised and awed exclamations betraying shock at his face and stature. Some even went pale and appeared ready to kneel, but the young man waved his hand gently, and the crowd’s actions reversed as if rewound, restoring normalcy.

His gesture had been a moment too late—focused as he was on Zhang Ning. The commander at the city gate, who’d been scanning the crowd, immediately spotted the young man, saluted from afar, and hurried over.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ning was staring hungrily at a restaurant, drawn there by the aroma wafting out. He’d almost forgotten he had no money, but after all the shocks and exhaustion, his small body was desperate for food—he was so hungry he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

Maybe…

He looked around quickly. Strangely, there wasn’t a single beggar in sight. What sort of welfare system did this world have? It seemed almost unnatural. How was he supposed to get some money? How did those other transmigrators do it?

Rooted at the entrance of the Fragrant Pavilion, he stood motionless, when a young gentleman in white, laughing with his companions, strolled out. With a flourish of his paper fan and an elegant smile, he exuded effortless charm. Perhaps because Zhang Ning was so small, the gentleman didn’t notice him and walked straight toward him.

Just as Zhang Ning was debating whether to play the scoundrel for five minutes and stage a collision, the young man in white stopped, smiling broadly. “Sorry, little brother, almost bumped into you.”

He didn’t speak Chinese, but Zhang Ning had already realized back at the city gate that this place used another language too. Since the young man’s words sounded obscure, Zhang Ning replied in Chinese, “It’s fine.”

He thought they would simply walk away, but to his surprise, the gentleman and his companions exchanged startled glances, then bowed respectfully and said, “My lord, it was my fault to disturb you. Please forgive me.”

Zhang Ning frowned. He had no idea why they were being so formal and polite, nor did he understand their words. He decided to just leave. But the young man in white hurried after him, bowed twice more, then presented him with a cloth pouch, nearly kneeling in the process.

Zhang Ning was baffled. What was going on? Were the people here really so virtuous? Instinctively, he accepted the pouch, which turned out to be full of money.

“Ding. Successfully showed off your Chinese! Gained +3 Attention Points. World-Saving Livestream System activating… Combat module activating… 100% damaged, activation failed… Link module activating… 100% damaged, activation failed… Livestream module activating… 50% damaged, client broken, one-way livestream possible… activation failed. Library system activating… 100% damaged, activation failed… Shop function intact, activated. Please use Attention Points to repair the system. Enjoy your livestream!”

A barrage of messages left Zhang Ning dumbfounded. When he finally pieced together what had happened, he realized: the golden cheat he’d finally obtained was only good for shopping and nothing else! Coming to his senses, he muttered, “Stupid system, ruining my youth!”

At least he’d figured out what he’d been doing. He vaguely sensed that Chinese was something special in this world, and now that he’d managed to get some money, he relaxed a little, thought it over, and accepted the pouch.

The young man in white and his companions departed with looks of profound relief. From his perspective, this lord was astonishingly magnanimous. He had, after all, spoken the language of the Grand Celestial Demon Sect, and to have offended such a person could have cost him his life. In a panic, he’d offered up everything of value he had, forgetting that such things were mere trifles to someone of that stature.

He had been filled with despair, but to his amazement, the lord had spared him, allowing him to leave with his life. He couldn’t begin to guess which scion of the sect possessed such a good temper.