After a wave of space-time distortion, a bright white light appeared before Mo Bai's eyes. She instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes.

Once the white light faded, she lowered her arm and realized that she was now inside a single-person apartment filled with a strong sense of futuristic technology.

Yes, it was still a single-person apartment.

But this apartment was much brighter and more high-tech than the one she'd lived in before she died.

"Ah, you are finally back!" Xiao Qi's cheerful voice rang in her ear. "Dear player Mo Bai, I am your smart housekeeper, Xiao Qi. Please do not hesitate to tell me if you need anything. Would you like to take a bath? A nap? A massage?"

"Why are you so happy?" Mo Bai asked.

Xiao Qi replied, "Because you cleared the stage and made it to a safe place! Xiao Qi can finally breathe easy. If the Player dies, we smart assistants get all our previous memories wiped and get reassigned to a new player. Xiao Qi really likes you, Mo Bai, and likes the current voice and personality. Xiao Qi really does not want her memory to be erased."

Mo Bai chuckled. "So what you're saying is that you want me to live a long, long life, right?"

"Of course!" Xiao Qi said with overflowing excitement.

Mo Bai was genuinely touched by Xiao Qi's simple wish. She relaxed, leaning comfortably into her wheelchair, and for the first time truly felt the joy of being alive again.

Just like Xiao Qi, she wanted to keep on living.

"So this is my room?" Mo Bai looked around. There were some appliances and furniture she didn't recognize, but she could basically guess what they were for.

There was no bed in sight, but just as she had this thought, Xiao Qi spoke up: "Activating sleep mode."

The curtains automatically closed, soft sleep lighting filled the room, and a bed rose out of the empty floor. Even a couple of mechanical arms extended out, clearly there to help Mo Bai get onto the bed.

"So the bed was here all along," Mo Bai commented.

"Of course! All the furniture and appliances here are hidden away. Whenever you need anything, just let me know, and I will get it ready for you. Even though it is just a one-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom apartment with a total area of 60 square meters, it can turn into a gym, a lounge, a bedroom, a living room, or anything you need. It is just as functional as a 150-square-meter house in your old world!" Xiao Qi explained.

With more space to move around and all this cool tech, Mo Bai felt a lot better. She was just about to praise the perks of this infinite world when Xiao Qi went on, "…A single-person apartment like this is only 3,000 points per month!"

The room immediately sank into an awkward silence.

Xiao Qi was usually lively and cheerful, but this kind of silence was unbearable. Barely five seconds later, it nervously asked, "Player… are you upset?"

Mo Bai's voice shook a little: "You mean, this apartment isn't free?"

"Yep, paying rent is common sense," Xiao Qi said. "Player, your heart rate is higher than when you were dealing with Daddy!"

"What happens if I can't pay the rent?" Mo Bai asked.

Xiao Qi replied, "You will be kicked out of the infinite world and forced into an instance until you have earned enough points for rent."

Mo Bai asked, "So, how do I pay rent? Do I need to pay a deposit, like three months upfront? How many points do I have now?"

"No deposit required. In the infinite world, you pay daily. Since you'll be entering a new dungeon in seven days, I've already deducted seven days' rent, which is 700 points, for you."

Mo Bai quickly checked her points balance, expecting to see 700 points deducted, but instead, she had 4,300 points left.

She looked at her points details and saw two notifications:

[Congratulations, Player, for clearing the beginner dungeon. You earned 1,000 points. Since your completion rate is 100%, your points have been doubled, resulting in a total of 2,000 points.]

 

[System deduction for 7 days of rent: -700 points.]

 

"Xiao Qi, from now on, whenever there's a change to my points, let me know immediately. Just pop it up right in front of my face," Mo Bai instructed sternly.

"Okay!" Xiao Qi answered obediently. It realized that point deductions affected Mo Bai even more than Daddy or Mommy ever did.

"I remember that there should be a reward for clearing the stage, right? Let's check the System rewards first. Next time I leave a dungeon, show me the rewards immediately," Mo Bai said.

The sudden urgency of the rent suddenly turned Mo Bai into a penny-pinching miser.

Xiao Qi sensed her anxiety and quickly popped up the system rewards for her, pinning the window to the top.

Only now did Mo Bai finally see her rewards.

The most prominent message was about points, with "+2,000 points" displayed in bold. Mo Bai nodded slightly as she felt a surge of security.

After that, there were the other rewards:

[Player successfully cleared the game with a 100% completion rate: rewards are doubled.]

 

[

'Environment Optimization' ability: upgraded from Beginner-1 to Beginner-3

Range: 50 meters

Environmental control capacity: 5 cubic decimeters.

]

 

[

Title upgraded, details as follows:

Title: Broken Iron Doll

Description: You possess an indomitable spirit and a will of steel. You're not a delicate porcelain doll on display. Instead, you're an iron lump that can't be smashed or crushed.

Title Effects: Your stubbornness is admirable, but your iron resolve can trigger a strong desire in others to conquer you. Try to show off your resilience, and you'll get either 'Admiration–Assistance' or 'Conquer–Abuse' from others, each with a 50% chance. Using luck-related item cards or skills can raise the chance of 'Admiration–Assistance' and vice versa. Targets affected include, but aren't limited to, players, NPCs, and game bosses.

]

 

The reward messages were lengthy and spanned two pages. The first page ended there.

Mo Bai saw her new title and thought that it finally sounded decent. At least there was a 50% chance for a positive effect.

After she finished reading, Xiao Qi turned the page for her, showing the second part of the reward.

This second page really caught Mo Bai's eye.

[

The Player has cleared the beginner level and has become a resident of the infinite world. Personal attribute interface unlocked.

Your stats are as follows:

Appearance: 98

Willpower: 95

Endurance: 62

Constitution: 43

Agility: 27

After clearing the stage, all attributes +2 (already applied), plus 10 free attribute points you can assign yourself.

]

 

"I remember, after I beat Mommy, I really felt my arm strength go up. Was that because my attributes increased?" Mo Bai asked.

Xiao Qi replied, "Yes! Back then, you had not officially cleared the stage, so I could not explain what was happening, but your attribute points had already been calculated. Normally, clearing a stage only gets you 1 attribute point and 5 free points, but since the Player's completion was over 90%, the rewards were doubled."

Mo Bai asked, "These stats are really uneven. And if I subtract the 2 extra points, the starting total is 315, not 100, and not even a round number. Do other players also start with 315?"

Xiao Qi answered, "This is not a computer or mobile game. It is the real world. The starting stats are closely linked to a person's real abilities. Every Player's initial stats are different, and so is their total."

"Are my stats high or low?" Mo Bai asked.

"Your appearance and willpower are top-tier among new players, endurance is average, but constitution and agility are at the bottom."

"What's the benefit of increasing attributes?" Mo Bai asked.

"Appearance boosts your title's effects, willpower increases your superpower usage limit, endurance improves your personal defense, constitution makes you healthier and less likely to get sick or poisoned, and agility raises your speed and reaction time.

Regarding your 10 free attribute points, you can allocate them as you see fit. Since you are in the observation group, the Main System suggests 7 in appearance and 3 in willpower. That will help you get the most out of your title and your own abilities."

Before Xiao Qi could finish, Mo Bai dumped all 10 free points into constitution, immediately clicked confirm, and didn't give Xiao Qi any chance to protest.

Xiao Qi: "……"

As soon as she heard that increasing constitution could make her healthier, Mo Bai's brain was filled with nothing but 'health, health, health,' and she didn't even hear Xiao Qi's following words.

After allocating the points, Mo Bai felt herself enveloped in a white light, almost as if she were bathed in a 'holy light' from a fantasy novel. Her body felt unbelievably comfortable.

When the light was completely absorbed, Mo Bai's lower body suddenly went numb.

Her legs, which usually felt like dead flesh, were tingling with that familiar 'been sitting too long' numbness!

She immediately pinched her thigh. She didn't hold back, and the pain made her grimace.

But instead of crying out in pain, Mo Bai burst into laughter. This calm, steady, poker-faced person suddenly burst out laughing like an idiot.

"Player… what is wrong?" Xiao Qi asked nervously.

"Xiao Qi, I've never been this happy in my life," Mo Bai laughed, and tears of joy streamed down her face. "Thank you."

"Is the player thanking Xiao Qi?" Xiao Qi asked.

Mo Bai nodded. "I'm thanking you, and this world. The infinite world… maybe 'infinite' also means infinite possibilities and infinite hope."

"There is no such explanation in the database, but I will submit your notes to the main system to see if it should be added as a definition for 'infinite world,'" Xiao Qi said in a businesslike manner.

Mo Bai maneuvered the wheelchair to the wall. She supported herself with her hands on the wall, gritted her teeth, and stood up with the aid of the wall!

She tried to take a step forward in surprise, but her legs were too weak to support her. She fell hard, bruising her arm badly.

She didn't feel any pain, though. Instead, she just kept laughing.

For the first time, Mo Bai really saw hope for the future.

Saw the possibility of standing up again.

Xiao Qi said worriedly, "Player! Do not rush it! You can take your time. Also, just a reminder. If you want to walk again, just raising your constitution isn't enough. You also need to put points in agility. You acted so fast, I did not even have time to remind you."

"I'll remember to put some points into agility next time."

Mo Bai tried to get up using the wall, and Xiao Qi helpfully activated the 'medical rehab system.' A support bar extended from the wall, and Mo Bai used it to get back up and return to her wheelchair.

After all this effort, Mo Bai was exhausted and hungry.

Xiao Qi explained, "Increasing your stamina also raises your energy requirements. Your appetite will increase as well."

Mo Bai grinned, "That's fine, eating more is a good thing. Xiao Qi, I want to eat."

"Okay! I will display the menu for you."

A menu popped up in front of Mo Ba, revealing:

[

Basic nutrient serum: 1,000 points

Daily energy blend: 500 points

System meal: 300 points per serving

[

 

Mo Bai: "……"

Xiao Qi felt the suffocating silence again and nervously asked, "Is… is there something wrong?"

Mo Bai asked with a heavy heart, "Eating… also costs points?"

"Of course! Points are hard currency. You need them for everything, including food, clothes, housing, and transportation."

"Then, is there any cheaper food?"

She only had 4,300 points left.  According to the meal prices provided by Xiao Qi, she would be broke in less than five days.

Xiao Qi answered, "The supermarket downstairs sells steamed buns for 1 point each."

Mo Bai immediately replied, "Let's go buy steamed buns."