"System, open the list of worlds I can travel to!"
"Ding! Traversal Template opened. Please check it yourself, Host."
Phew—
After letting out a breath, Xiao Han waved his hand, and a brand-new system panel appeared before him.
"Currently available worlds.
1. Hong Kong's A Chinese Ghost Story film:
Help Yan Chixia slay Tree Demon Granny, Black Mountain Demon, and the Centipede Demon.
Slay Tree Demon Granny to earn three Minor Realm Advancements, slay Black Mountain Demon to earn four Minor Realm Advancements, and slay the Centipede Demon to earn four Minor Realm Advancements.
Complete all missions to earn one Ten Consecutive Card Pool draw.
After completing all missions, the World Anchor will be unlocked. Once the missions are complete, you may freely enter and leave this world."
2. Marvel Cinematic Universe's Captain America 1:
Help Hydra defeat Captain America, help Hydra rule the world, and help Germany defeat the Allies.
Defeating Captain America earns one Minor Realm Advancement, Hydra ruling the world earns five Minor Realm Advancements, and Germany defeating the Allies earns five Minor Realm Advancements.
Complete all missions to earn one Ten Consecutive Card Pool draw.
After completing all missions, the World Anchor will be unlocked. Once the missions are complete, you may freely enter and leave this world.
3. My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected
Within one month, win over five of the following women: Yukino Yukinoshita, Yui Yuigahama, Shizuka Hiratsuka, Megumi Kato, Iroha Isshiki, Saika Totsuka, Saki Kawasaki, Haruno Yukinoshita, and Komachi Hikigaya, and get them to agree to play one dragon and five phoenixes with you.
Complete all missions to earn the right to bring five women back to the Douqi Continent.
Successfully win over each one to earn one Minor Realm Advancement. Successfully win over all five, and the reward will be doubled.
After completing all missions, the World Anchor will be unlocked. Once the missions are complete, you may freely enter and leave this world."
Pfft—!
After reading the only three worlds listed on the system panel, Xiao Han was dumbfounded.
He felt as if his head had been opened, but not quite all the way.
What kind of messed-up system would issue such hellish missions?!
Take the first one. Xiao Han had only just advanced to Dou Master, but if he went all out, he could probably fight a Nine Star Dou Grandmaster without losing. Slaying a Five Star Dou Grandmaster like the one in the original story would be a piece of cake.
But if he had to face Tree Demon Granny, Black Mountain Demon, and the Centipede Demon, he'd be in for a rough time. Still, at least he wouldn't be alone. Yan Chixia would be with him, and he was quite the expert.
Besides, the Hong Kong version of A Chinese Ghost Story was limited by the filming techniques of its time, so fortunately, its combat power wasn't too high. If Xiao Han gritted his teeth, played dead, and followed Yan Chixia around to get in a few assists, he could probably tough it out.
So the first mission was fairly reasonable.
But starting with the second mission, the system began acting up.
Hydra was a bunch of evildoers. Helping the Germans run rampant as invaders and attack countries around the world had already made them a public enemy.
Even in America alone, there'd been a whole host of superheroes fighting Hydra during World War II. The best-known examples included Captain America, as well as the Original Ant-Man, Doctor Pym, and his wife, the Original Wasp.
And lurking in the shadows was a bald woman, the Ancient One.
It was only because she considered Hydra's actions small potatoes that she hadn't bothered with them. If they actually crossed the Ancient One's bottom line, Xiao Han could guarantee that by the very next day, Hydra's Red Skull would be a dead skull.
Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe was far less over-the-top than the comics, with their absurd setting where individual-level power was the baseline and everyone was an infinitely multiversal powerhouse—
Both the Ancient One and Odin had, at the very least, conservative estimates of Star-Breaking combat power! Of course, "star-breaking" here meant a planet on the scale of Earth.
What kind of level was Star-Breaking combat power? Converted to the Battle Through the Heavens power scale, it was roughly equivalent to an Eight or Nine Star Dou Sheng.
During the Battle of the Two Emperors, Xiao Yan and Hun Tiandi clashed with a single energy blast, and the shockwaves carved out a hundred-thousand-mile abyss. That was already enough power to shatter Jupiter!
As a level-nine newbie on the Wang Feng forum, Xiao Han understood just how important power scaling was.
So Xiao Han wasn't stupid enough to provoke all the superheroes in the world, along with the Ancient One, who was always secretly protecting Earth. There was no doubt about it: the second mission was impossible!
No need to even think about it. Just skip it.
Then there was the third mission, the one that left him most speechless.
He was at least a fan of anime, so Xiao Han naturally knew what sort of world My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected was.
It was just an ordinary, romance-focused Japanese light-novel world!
Before transmigrating, Xiao Han had already been tormented by a bunch of authors who wrote slice-of-life anime crossovers. Without a doubt, every author who wrote slice-of-life fanfiction would include an anime adaptation of this famous romantic light novel.
So during that time, whenever Xiao Han saw one of its female characters show up in a story, he'd wanted to complain. He was sick of seeing them, all right?
And this mission to "date them, make them blush, and then sleep with them all" was seriously brain-dead.
Putting everything else aside, wasn't this guy named Saika Totsuka an "adorable boy"?
Why was he included among the targets?
Was the system trying to make him sword-fight with this pretty boy who looked just like a girl?!!!
Damn it!
If he hadn't been sure he'd transmigrated into a fantasy world, Xiao Han would've thought he'd ended up in some slice-of-life fanfiction.
Now he was already getting a headache from Xiao Xun'er and Qinglin, two peerless beauties, being wrapped around him. He'd have to be out of his mind to go to a Japanese light-novel world to chase after cherry-blossom girls.
Besides, according to the commonly accepted theory that "beauties in high-martial worlds are more beautiful than beauties in slice-of-life worlds," Xiao Han couldn't be bothered to go after those pretty but shallow girls.
Weren't the two little beauties at home good enough?
If Xiao Han wanted, the flowers at home were always ready to bend over and bloom for him. Why bother with wildflowers outside?
And most importantly, a slice-of-life world like that wouldn't help improve his combat strength one bit!
Xiao Han would have to be crazy to choose that world!
"System, are these the only three worlds I can travel to? Can I change them?" After taking a deep breath, Xiao Han summoned the system again.
"Yes."
The system's icy voice rang out.
Xiao Han's face lit up, but the next moment, he couldn't smile anymore.
"Refreshing the list of available worlds requires 5,000 Energy Value."
(?-?)
Xiao Han felt as if he were questioning his entire existence. "5,000 Energy Value? You could sell me and I still wouldn't have enough to give you that much."
"Without Energy Value, the world list cannot be refreshed."
After rejecting Xiao Han without the slightest hesitation, the system fell silent.
"#..."
The system was being so unreasonable that Xiao Han's temples throbbed. He took another deep breath. "Calm down, calm down. This system is just a rigid mechanical intelligence. It has no brains."
No wonder transmigrators liked cursing at their systems so much. Xiao Han finally understood.
But the system was the foundation of Xiao Han's success. Unless he was absolutely furious, he wouldn't curse it just to vent.
Lowering his head, Xiao Han fell silent and began calculating his current combat strength.
Right now, he had Purple Cloud Wings for flight and the Yellow Rank Body Movement Dou Technique Extreme Shadow Steps for getting around.
For mid- to long-range combat, he had Cloud Crushing Swordplay, which fired off streams of sword energy and sword light, as well as the Demon Armor's spinning energy blades.
As for defense, there was no need to mention it. His Demon Armor protected him, and Magic Flame Burning Heaven cleared the way, making gods and demons flee wherever he went.
He also had a collection of Yellow Rank Dou Techniques that were already quite impressive in a low-martial world.
For his ultimate move, he had the Earth-Tier Dou Skill "Flame Splitting Wave Ruler," which let him charge up a blast from a distance.
As for mental attacks, Xiao Han didn't know whether he could withstand them. After all, no matter how strong his soul was now, it was only at the Mortal Realm level.
Huh? When had he gotten so strong without even realizing it?
This transmigrator was clearly overpowered, yet excessively cautious!
Σ(????)?
Good grief, with this gear, he could probably rule over an entire corner of the monster world in A Chinese Ghost Story.
After taking stock of his current combat strength, Xiao Han realized he didn't have much choice.
The other two world missions were either too dangerous for the rewards they offered or so brain-dead that he had no desire to attempt them.
That left just one relatively sensible world mission.
The Hong Kong version of A Chinese Ghost Story!
You're up!
Before you continue