"Oh my god… I can't bear this pain…"
Yue Ling clenched her teeth as waves of pain spread through her body.
It felt as if her bones were cracking from the inside.
Cold sweat rolled down her forehead.
"How did the original owner endure this pain for seventeen years…?"
A hint of respect flashed through her mind.
"I really have to respect that girl…"
The system spoke calmly.
"Host, it wasn't like this before your transmigration."
Yue Ling frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The poison was not fully triggered before."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"You mean I triggered the poison?"
"How is that possible?"
The system explained,
"When your soul entered this body, the energy from your soul stimulated the poison."
"Because of that, the poison became more active."
"In other words…"
"You are currently experiencing twice the pain the original owner endured."
Yue Ling nearly cursed out loud.
"Twice?!"
"What kind of unlucky fate is this?!"
"You stupid system!"
She pressed her hand against the wall while slowly walking through the hallway.
Her heart pounded violently.
Every breath felt heavy.
Her bones ached as if they were being crushed.
Still carrying her school bag, she walked slowly, trying to steady her breathing.
Instead of heading toward the main gate where students gathered, she turned into a quieter path behind the academy.
There were almost no students there.
The pain suddenly intensified.
"My god… I can't bear this…"
"System, give me some medicine!"
"You must have some pills or something, right?"
The system replied helplessly.
"Host, the system is currently at Level 1."
"The shop has not been unlocked yet."
"So we cannot access medicines."
Yue Ling nearly collapsed.
"Then think of something!"
She finally reached a narrow alley behind the school.
She didn't go to the car waiting for her.
Some instinct inside her warned her.
The original Yue Ling had hidden this poison for years.
Which meant…
It was probably something dangerous.
Something that shouldn't be revealed easily.
Suddenly—
Bang!
Gunshots echoed through the alley.
Footsteps.
Shouting.
The sound of fighting.
Yue Ling froze.
At the other end of the alley, several men dressed in black were fighting fiercely.
One man stood in the center of the battle.
His movements were extremely fast.
Explosive power filled every strike.
He fought like a shadow in the dark.
Yue Ling leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
Cold sweat covered her back.
She wanted to leave immediately.
But her body refused to move.
The poison pain was too intense.
So she simply stood there, watching the fight with half-lidded eyes.
Even through the pain, she could sense it clearly.
That man…
A very dangerous aura.
She tried to see his face, but the battle was too chaotic.
—
The man fighting was Mu Chen.
He had already noticed Yue Ling the moment she stepped into the alley.
But he ignored her.
She looked like nothing more than a weak student.
Not a threat.
Today he had deliberately laid a trap here to lure these enemies out.
As the fight continued, one of the black-clothed attackers suddenly noticed Yue Ling standing against the wall.
He rushed toward her.
Mu Chen frowned.
Although he didn't know the girl, he didn't want an innocent person to get caught in the crossfire.
He immediately moved toward her—
But the next second, he stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
Because the girl had already moved.
With a single swift motion—
Thud!
She threw the attacker to the ground.
Clean.
Efficient.
Almost effortless.
Mu Chen was stunned.
Interesting…
Meanwhile, Yue Ling wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"What a headache…"
"This stupid guy thinks he can attack me?"
Although she was mostly a hacker in her previous life, she had learned basic combat for self-defense.
Still—
Her body suddenly trembled.
The poison pain surged again.
"Oh god… my body feels like it's breaking…"
Tears filled her eyes.
She realized something belatedly.
Wait…
That man was probably trying to help me.
Now she felt a little regret.
But the pain grew worse and worse.
Her vision blurred.
Then suddenly—
A handsome face appeared in front of her.
Yue Ling blinked weakly.
Even through the pain, she blurted out honestly,
"Oh my god…"
"You're beautiful…"
Mu Chen stared at her in surprise.
He had never seen such a girl before.
She wore the uniform of the academy.
Clearly just a student.
But her beauty was breathtaking.
Snow-white skin.
A pale, delicate face.
Tears shimmered in her eyes as she blinked weakly.
Her lips were slightly pale, making her look fragile and vulnerable.
For a brief moment—
Mu Chen felt his heart skip a beat.
Too beautiful…
Before he could say anything—
Yue Ling's eyes suddenly closed.
Her body collapsed forward.
Mu Chen reacted instantly.
He caught her in his arms.
She felt incredibly light.
Soft.
Small.
And strangely fragile.
Looking at the tears still lingering at the corner of her eyes, a strange feeling rose in his chest.
He didn't like seeing her cry.
Holding the unconscious girl, Mu Chen frowned slightly.
Who is she…?
And why is she here?