The hospital room was quiet.
Too quiet.
White walls. White sheets. White curtains swaying faintly in the night breeze.
The faint smell of disinfectant hung in the air.
Lu Bolin lay on the hospital bed, his thin fingers resting on the blanket. The monitor beside him beeped softly, each sound steady but fragile—like a candle flickering before it went out.
Outside the window, rain fell silently against the glass.
He stared at the ceiling.
For a long time.
Then he slowly blinked.
"Is this… death?"
His voice was soft and hoarse, as if he had not spoken in a long time.
His body felt strangely light. The pain that had followed him for ten years—headaches sharp enough to make his vision blur—was suddenly gone.
No dizziness.
No burning pain inside his skull.
Nothing.
Just silence.
Lu Bolin slowly sat up.
The movement was effortless.
Too effortless.
For a moment, he simply stared at his hands.
Pale. Thin. Almost translucent under the cold hospital light.
The hands of someone who had spent most of his life indoors.
He had never been strong.
Never healthy.
At eight years old, doctors told him he had brain cancer.
At ten, they said he might not live to fifteen.
At fifteen, they stopped giving predictions altogether.
Lu Bolin never cried.
He only asked one question.
"Will I still be able to read?"
The doctors were stunned.
And after that, life continued.
Hospitals.
Tests.
Treatments.
Books.
Thousands of books.
History, physics, psychology, philosophy, biology, mathematics.
If he could not experience the world physically, he would understand it intellectually.
That had been his decision.
But knowledge was not the same as living.
Lu Bolin looked toward the window.
The rain outside shimmered under the streetlights.
He had always wanted to stand outside in the rain.
Not watch it through glass.
But step into it.
Feel it.
Experience it.
His eyelashes lowered slightly.
A faint regret surfaced.
Only faint.
His emotions had always been… muted.
Even the doctors said his mind worked differently.
Then—
A mechanical voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
[Host detected.]
Lu Bolin blinked.
[Soul compatibility confirmed.]
He tilted his head slightly.
"Interesting."
His reaction was calm.
Curious.
As if he had just encountered an unusual scientific phenomenon.
The voice continued.
[Initializing Black Lotus System.]
[Binding complete.]
[Welcome, Host.]
A transparent screen appeared before him.
Floating in the air.
Lu Bolin leaned forward slightly, studying it carefully.
"Holographic projection?"
[Negative. System interface.]
"Artificial intelligence?"
[Negative.]
Lu Bolin thought for a moment.
"Interdimensional technology."
The system paused.
[...Host reasoning accuracy: 72%.]
Lu Bolin smiled faintly.
That small smile made his already delicate face look almost unreal.
"Then this means I am dead."
[Correct.]
The system continued calmly.
[Host Lu Bolin. Age: 18. Cause of death: brain cancer.]
[Your soul has been selected by the Transmigration Bureau.]
Lu Bolin listened quietly.
The system projected another screen.
Images flashed rapidly.
Different worlds.
Ancient cities.
Futuristic starships.
Desolate wastelands.
Floating islands.
Magic towers.
Lu Bolin's eyes slowly brightened.
For the first time in his life…
Genuine interest appeared.
"What are these?"
[Parallel worlds.]
The system explained.
[Many worlds suffer narrative collapse caused by unstable characters—especially villains.]
[The Bureau sends hosts to stabilize these worlds.]
Lu Bolin considered the information.
"So you need employees."
[Correct.]
"Why me?"
The system paused for two seconds.
[Psychological evaluation indicates Host possesses extremely rare characteristics.]
A new screen appeared.
Psychological report.
Intelligence: Extremely high
Emotional fluctuation: Low
Adaptability: Exceptional
Fear response: Minimal
[Host is suitable for high-risk missions.]
Lu Bolin nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
The system continued.
[Host has been assigned to the Black Lotus Department.]
Lu Bolin tilted his head again.
"What does that department do?"
The screen changed.
A red warning symbol appeared.
[Black Lotus Department handles worlds with extremely dangerous villains.]
[Host must enter these worlds and possess cannon-fodder characters.]
[Mission Objective: Fulfill the original host's final wish and stabilize the world.]
Lu Bolin asked calmly,
"And if I refuse?"
The system answered immediately.
[Host soul will dissipate.]
Lu Bolin blinked once.
Then nodded.
"Acceptable."
The system paused again.
Most hosts panicked.
Cried.
Bargained.
Lu Bolin simply accepted reality as if it were another scientific conclusion.
He looked back at the images of different worlds.
"Do I get to experience those?"
[Yes.]
His fingers lightly tapped the blanket.
"Then I will participate."
The system quickly confirmed.
[Contract established.]
A faint golden light surrounded Lu Bolin's body.
He did not resist.
Instead, he simply asked one question.
"How long does each mission last?"
[Until the villain dies of natural causes.]
Lu Bolin paused.
"That could take decades."
[Correct.]
He thought for a moment.
Then nodded again.
"That is acceptable."
Ten years of hospital life had taught him one thing.
Time meant nothing if you never lived.
Then the system added another rule.
[Important restriction.]
[Host cannot reveal the existence of the Bureau, System, or mission.]
Lu Bolin raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
[World stability.]
He nodded.
"Understood."
Another screen appeared.
Special Mission Notice
Black Lotus Host Objective:
Make the villain regret everything.
Lu Bolin stared at that line.
"Regret?"
He spoke the word slowly.
Testing it.
"Define regret."
The system answered.
[Emotional state involving guilt, loss, and irreversible consequences.]
Lu Bolin thought about it.
"I see."
He had read many books about emotions.
But experiencing them personally…
Was different.
Perhaps these worlds would be… educational.
Then another message appeared.
Special Trait Activated
Villain Attraction Effect
Lu Bolin frowned slightly.
"What does that mean?"
The system responded:
[Unknown phenomenon.]
[Villains across worlds display abnormal fixation toward Host.]
Lu Bolin blinked.
"Define fixation."
[Examples include:]
Romantic obsession
Possessive behavior
Desire for permanent control
Lu Bolin stared at the list.
Then calmly asked:
"So they fall in love."
[...Simplified explanation: yes.]
Lu Bolin considered this.
"I have never been in love."
He said it like he was stating a research topic.
"That will also be an interesting experiment."
The system did not know how to respond.
After a moment it said:
[Preparing first mission.]
The hospital room began to dissolve.
The white walls turned into fragments of light.
Lu Bolin felt his body becoming lighter.
Before disappearing completely, he asked one final question.
"What kind of world is the first one?"
The system answered.
[Modern World.]
[Host identity: disposable cannon fodder.]
Lu Bolin closed his eyes calmly.
"Understood."
The light swallowed everything.
And somewhere in another world—
A young man suddenly opened his eyes.
But this time…
It was not a hospital.
It was a luxurious bedroom.
And standing beside the bed—
Was a tall man whose gaze was cold enough to freeze the air.
The moment Lu Bolin opened his eyes…
The man's expression changed.
Dark.
Dangerous.
Obsessive.
As if he had just discovered something he could never allow to escape.
Lu Bolin blinked slowly.
Then he looked at the stranger.
His voice was soft.
Curious.
"Who are you?"
The man stared at him for a long time.
Then he spoke quietly.
"Your husband."
Lu Bolin paused.
His mind immediately began analyzing the situation.
Interesting.
Very interesting.