There wasn't just one world.
That was the first thing Xu Ning learned after entering the system.
"There are countless realms stitched across existence," the system's cold voice echoed in his head. "Your task is to enter them—each with its own rules, people, and regrets—and fulfill the wishes of those who failed to achieve closure."
Xu Ning nodded silently. It sounded ridiculous… but after dying and waking up as a soul with a stat screen, what was 'ridiculous' anymore?
These people who left behind unresolved regrets were called Entrustors. They sacrificed fragments of their existence in exchange for one final chance—to right their wrongs or change their fate.
And Xu Ning was now a Task-Taker, the medium between broken regrets and unfinished stories.
The system continued, "You will temporarily inhabit the Entrustor's identity. While your core soul remains unchanged, your body, memories, and even instincts may shift. Complete the task within the time limit, or you'll cease to exist."
Xu Ning stiffened. "Time limit?"
"You have 50 life points. One point equals one year. You'll receive five points per task. If you run out of life points before accumulating enough experience, you will be terminated. You may also choose to abandon the system and live out your remaining years in any task world—but doing so ends your journey permanently."
Xu Ning was quiet for a moment, absorbing everything.
"Understood," he finally said.
"For your first assignment, the system has selected an entry-level task. Low danger. Moderate emotional impact. World type: Modern Urban - School Arc. Do you wish to begin?"
Xu Ning's fists tightened. His old life had been filled with hospital corridors, failed treatments, and silent birthdays. This… this was a second chance.
"Start the task."
A flash. A scream. A pull.
It felt like being forced through a thread-thin needle.
Xu Ning's body jerked violently as memories crashed into him like a tidal wave—names, faces, emotions, all alien, all his.
Then—
"Xu Jie! Get the hell up!" a sharp voice barked.
His eyes snapped open.
The sound of screeching tires. A heavy thud. Then sharp pain bloomed in his shoulder as he was yanked upright by the collar of his uniform. His entire body felt sore.
"Are you trying to die, running across the street like that?" said the same voice—rough, but filled with panic.
Xu Ning blinked.
The person in front of him was a boy—probably his age, maybe a little older. Behind him, a delivery bike lay toppled on the road. People were staring.
Pain echoed through his limbs, but not the kind of pain he was used to. This pain was alive. Real. And strangely enough—it made him feel alive, too.
"Xu Jie," he whispered.
That was his name in this world. Xu Jie.
A 17-year-old high school student. The son of a working-class single mother. Bullied for his silence, blamed for his poor grades. Known as a coward, a shadow behind others. But buried deep in his core was a desperate cry for recognition—a longing to matter, just once.
That was the Entrustor's regret.
He had taken one bold step into traffic after being humiliated in front of his entire class—hoping that maybe, if someone hit him, they'd finally look his way.
And now, Xu Ning was here in his place.
He stood shakily, brushing the dust off his uniform. The boy who'd saved him patted him roughly on the shoulder.
"You scared the hell out of me, man. Don't do that again."
Xu Ning nodded, unsure of what to say. He wasn't used to anyone worrying about him.
A voice pinged in his head. [Tutorial Task Accepted]
Objective: Complete Xu Jie's regret. Condition: Do not die. Optional Goals:— Gain the respect of at least one peer.— Confess your passion in front of the class.— Rewrite the narrative of failure.
Xu Ning looked down at his hands. They were shaking—not from fear, but adrenaline. This wasn't just some simulation. The pain was real. The memories were real. And somewhere inside this boy, there had once been a soul desperately asking, Can I be more than a background character?
"I'll finish what you started," Xu Ning whispered under his breath.
He turned toward the school building in the distance. It was nothing like the world he knew—full of energy, chaos, and teenage turbulence.
But it was his first battlefield.
And this time, he wasn't dying in a hospital bed.
He was going to live.