Extra 5

“Senior! Senior 5874, waah! Why did it have to be like this?!”

In a beautiful treehouse nestled within the forest, a white doughy figure lay crying loudly on the lap of a lady. Pea-sized tears streamed from the dough, creating a somewhat comical effect.

5874 looked at the dough in front of her, which had just been promoted to A-level and was particularly lively. 5874 didn’t immediately comfort the crying little fellow but instead waited quietly, patiently waiting for her to calm down on her own, little by little.

Time, it seemed, truly was like a cycle.

Many, many years ago, she was also sobbing in front of her senior, making a scene, and she didn’t stop for a long time.

At that time, she longed for Youyou, Yiyi, and everything in that world. The thought made her not want to carry out another task at all.

It was the senior who told 5874 some of her experiences that allowed 5874 to slowly come out of that longing and continue with new tasks and a new life.

It’s not about forgetting or letting go, it’s just about placing the longing in a deeper place. This was a kind of ‘skill’ that every system must learn!

Now, 5874 had become the senior.

Thinking about it, indeed, a long, long time had passed.

“S-Senior.”

About half an hour later, 23333 stopped crying and turned back into the chubby dough figure. “Separation is really painful. Will every task in the future feel this way?”

She didn’t understand. Completing the task and successfully leveling up should have made her happy.

But just the thought of those people she would never see again made 23333 unable to hold back tears. She longed to see them again.

“Parting is always painful.”

5874 lifted the dough figure with both hands. “But at least you’ve all spent some very happy times together, haven’t you?”

With the gentle words and actions, the dough couldn’t help but roll back and forth in 5874’s hands. She found that after crying, she felt much better, although her heart still ached, it wasn’t as intense as before.

Because, just as the senior said, she remembered many happy moments.

In fact, during the task, not only were there many happy moments, but she had learned a lot of things as well.

“Senior, you’re so amazing. Will I be as amazing as you in the future?”

23333 looked at the senior, rumored to be the fastest to advance to the SSS level, her tone full of admiration. In her eyes, 5874 was the direction and goal it aspired to.

It was said that when the senior graduated, she immediately took on an A-level task and performed exceptionally well.

Later on, Senior 5874 was unstoppable, progressing from S-level to SS-level, and finally reaching the most prestigious SSS-level, breaking the speed record at every level while consistently achieving high scores. Simply…… so impressive!

“Who knows, 23333, you might be amazing too.” 5874 smiled and patted the dough in front of her. “Do you have any questions you want to ask me? I can answer them all today.”

The teachings from the senior back then had been a great help to 5874. So, after reaching SS-level herself, she began emulating the senior by searching for talented new systems, hoping to recruit more outstanding comrades.

The rate at which systems were born still couldn’t match the speed at which problems arise in small worlds. And it was even more difficult to produce an SSS-level system in ten thousand years.

Up to now, 23333 was the sixth system she selected that successfully advanced to A-level, and it wasn’t the first nor would it be the last.

Just like 5874 back then, 23333 asked many questions about systems and tasks.

Some questions, even if 5874 could answer them, required a bit of understanding through experience in tasks.

Over the years, through many tasks, 5874 didn’t always have a smooth sailing ride. She encountered unpleasant individuals, met those who started kind but later changed, and even faced ambitious individuals who sought greater power through the system.

There were countless instances of retaliation, turning against each other, and conflicts born out of envy or jealousy.

But whenever 5874 thought about Youyou and the others, she never gave up and didn’t want to hold onto resentment.

She once taught Youyou that when one is unhappy, think about happy things.

That phrase had also become 5874’s motto.

When betrayed or hurt, 5874 always managed to quickly adjust her mindset, continuing to think of new solutions. Unless she perished on the spot, she would never admit defeat.

Luckily, 5874 had good luck. She had survived many life-and-death crises over the years, becoming the highest-ranking SSS-level big shot aside from the main system.

Looking back now at that first A-level task, 5874 realized that her luck had been quite good all along.

Actually, at that time, she had many flaws. Not to mention anything else, the unexplained disappearance and the almost childish return were the biggest flaws.

Qin Yiren, Lu Chenjun, Qin Xiao, and even Lu Weizheng probably had their suspicions, but not a single one of them exposed her. They carefully guarded that secret until their final moments.

Moreover……

5874 leaned back, a hint of nostalgia in her gentle eyes.

Back then, she didn’t understand or realize, but after experiencing so much, upon reflecting on those details, she finally realized that Qin Xiao had feelings for her.

Systems memories weren’t like that of humans, which might be fuzzy or even inaccurate at times. They can retrieve the memory archives of each task world stored in their core whenever needed, which is clearer than 24-hour surveillance footage.

Qin Xiao remained alone until his passing, and later, the Qin family was handed over to Xu Youyou’s child as the successor, and it continued to develop quite well.

Perhaps he didn’t want to risk losing even friendship if rejected, or perhaps he realized that Xu Wenyin didn’t have any feelings for him. Qin Xiao never showed any signs of crossing boundaries.

Even Qin Yiren never noticed. She always thought it was because his brother’s standards were too high, preferring to remain alone rather than settle.

And 5874, later on, when looking at those memories from an observer’s perspective, only then did she realize that occasionally, Qin Xiao’s gaze towards herself was different from how he looked at others.

5874 once saw a saying in a certain small world, stating that there are three things in the world that can never be hidden.

Poverty, cough, and love.

But Qin Xiao hid it so well that apart from the 5874 who realized it many years later, not a single person noticed.

He was like the best friend who always offered their help when needed, without asking for anything in return.

Qin Yiren sometimes joked that Qin Xiao was the most qualified tool person, responsible for getting things done and providing money, and then, she would be punished by the said tool person with a ‘kind’ smile on his face.

‘Xu Wenyin’ laughed loudly at that time, without the slightest thought that there might actually be someone willing to be called a tool person.

When 5874 later realized this, she didn’t express any regrets. After all, she was dense back then, and even if Qin Xiao had been willing to say it outright, the response would have been a rejection.

She simply felt a twinge of regret for her former friend.

Because of her existence, he had to endure things that he might not have had to endure otherwise.

But 5874 also knew that if she had the chance to ask Qin Xiao right now, he would surely say he had no regrets. So, that feeling of regret was only just a twinge.

It’s like the feeling one gets years later when reminiscing about their youth and finding out that someone once had a crush on them.

5874, indeed, was becoming more and more like a person.

“Senior.”

The voice of 23333 pulled 5874 back. “I still want to know, are we going to keep doing tasks like this, continuously, until the end?”

Oh, that’s an interesting question.

5874 sat up slightly. “Why did you suddenly think of that question?”

This little fellow had only done about twenty-something tasks so far, was she already starting to feel tired of them?

The life of a system is eternal.

As long as they’re not absorbed or self-destruct, they have no limitations on lifespan and can continue to exist indefinitely.

Even doing tasks wasn’t compulsory.

They could do it if they wanted to, and if they didn’t want to, no one would force them.

For example, some advanced systems might only complete one task every thousand years on average. There were many reasons, but the biggest one was fatigue.

Their bodies indeed don’t tire, but their minds are different.

In every task world, there was a new journey, encountering new challenges, and forming new bonds.

Perhaps many sweet things would happen along the way, but they have a more or less similar ending.

——I still remember everything, but you all are long gone.

One or two was okay, and ten or twenty wasn’t a problem, but when the number of task worlds they’ve been to reaches hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands, even a system would…… become weary.

However, according to what 5874 knows, although the frequency of systems doing tasks might decrease, there had never been a system that truly gave up on tasks, choosing to amuse themselves in their own little space.

After resting for a long time, everyone would inevitably feel the urge to go on a task.

Probably because they’re lonely, right?

“Because I feel a little scared.”

23333 didn’t know why, but in front of 5874, she felt at ease, as if nothing could trouble the senior, and she could give perfect answers to any question.

Even timid and fearful thoughts were okay. Senior surely wouldn’t look down on her.

“It’s very normal.” 5874 smiled faintly. “Even I, before every task, will cheer myself on.”

“For the unknown future and the life with no end in sight, every system will have different thoughts.”

At least 5874 wasn’t tired of this kind of life for now.

She still enjoyed experiencing different lives in various worlds, but ever since taking on the identity of Xu Wenyin, 5874 had never played the role of ‘Mom’ to anyone.

Even if there was a need to raise children, she appeared in other identities.

The term ‘Mom’ holds special significance for 5874.

She had even thought that, if one day she truly didn’t want to do tasks anymore, she would go to the main system and ask it to help return the power source to where it came from so that it wouldn’t go to waste after her ‘death’.

“Senior, Senior~”

23333 leaped onto 5874’s shoulder and asked, “Can I ask one last question?”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s the last ten.” 5874 chuckled, poking the dough on her shoulder. “Anyway, we have plenty of time.”

“Poof——”

The white dough suddenly turned into pink dough.

23333 couldn’t help but rub against the senior’s face. She really felt that the senior’s tone was so gentle, and her appearance was so beautiful. Later, 23333 would also create a human figure, just like the senior.

“Senior, you just said that your first A-level task helped you the most. Does that task involve someone very powerful?”

The fact that the senior was able to complete the mission exceptionally and continue advancing must mean there’s an individual with great wisdom in that world, right?

She also really wanted to know what kind of individual could teach the senior how to become such an amazing system.

It would be great if she could meet someone like that in the future too.

5874 paused for a moment, then conjured a cup of milk tea and took a few sips. In this space, she could make whatever she wanted. Since she had taste buds and would never feel full there, this was the perfect place to indulge in delicious food.

“There is indeed such a person.”

“Really? Really? Senior, can you tell me about that person?”

The lively tone and expectant expression reminded 5874 of Youyou’s childhood.

At that time, Youyou was always clinging to her, asking her to tell stories.

“When I first met her, she was only three years old.”

“Wow, so young!”

“She was very young indeed, but super cute! Let me show you her picture!”

“Huh? She looks a lot like you, Senior.”

“Right? We’re mother and daughter. Back then, Youyou……”

In the quiet wooden house, 5874’s gentle voice was particularly clear. 23333 wasn’t the first system to ask her this question, and 5874 was always generous in sharing her stories with others.

Perhaps one day she would return to her origins, but her and Youyou’s story, along with Qin Yiren, Qin Xiao, and the others, would continue to be passed down within the systems.

The beginning of the story might be like this—— Did you know? A long time ago, there was a freshly graduated system that arrogantly insisted on taking an A-level task!

If Xu Youyou knew about this, she would definitely laugh happily.