From the Future

"Speaking of which, what is this thing?"

Inside the room, Luo Xi stared at a metallic cube placed on the table. Its surface didn’t reveal what material it was made of—though it looked like metal, it felt rubbery to the touch.

This object had appeared alongside the girl. Because it seemed unusual, Luo Xi had brought it back with her.

She had a feeling it wasn’t ordinary.

"Doesn’t seem like a magical artifact." Bai Qianshuang, noticing Luo Xi’s curiosity, extended her spiritual sense to probe the cube’s energy but shook her head slightly.

It was just an ordinary metal block.

No trace of spiritual power whatsoever.

"Magic Cube V3, a highly integrated multifunctional quantum tool." A calm voice suddenly spoke up. To Luo Xi’s surprise, the metallic cube floated into the air, its surface tracing glowing blue lines like a Rubik’s Cube before drifting toward the girl in the white lab coat.

"You’re awake?" Luo Xi and Bai Qianshuang only now realized the girl had regained consciousness. Her eyes were no longer vacant, replaced instead by a lazy, indifferent gaze.

"Mhm." The girl slowly stood up. The floating blue cube suddenly projected a shadow in midair before transforming into a pair of glasses that landed in her hand.

After putting them on, she surveyed her surroundings as if analyzing data. "Coordinates deviated by 0.01%. Didn’t expect the timeline shift to be this severe. The responsible parties deserve execution for this."

Luo Xi listened to the girl’s muttering before hesitantly speaking up. "Um…"

Hearing Luo Xi’s voice, the girl adjusted her glasses, scrutinizing her like a data point. "Hmm, modern human appearance. At least we’re not in an overly archaic era. But these computers… must be ancient relics."

"……" Luo Xi blinked, momentarily at a loss for words.

The girl seemed completely absorbed in her own world, studying everything in the room.

"Oh, hello." Finally, she snapped back to reality and turned her attention to Luo Xi. "I’m Ke Ning."

"Hi…" Luo Xi studied the girl curiously. "What did you mean by all that earlier?"

After hearing Luo Xi explain how she had fallen out of a spatial rift, Ke Ning nodded slightly in understanding.

"As you can see, I don’t belong to this era."

Luo Xi still hadn’t fully processed it, but Bai Qianshuang reacted with surprise. "A powerhouse who crossed the river of time?"

What level of strength would that require?

Yet Bai Qianshuang couldn’t sense any cultivation aura from her.

Was the gap simply too vast?

She remained on guard, ready to whisk Luo Xi away at the first sign of danger.

"‘Powerhouse who crossed the river of time’? An interesting description." Ke Ning replied calmly. "I prefer the title ‘Explorer.’"

Listening to their exchange, Luo Xi felt her head spinning.

What was going on?

"I come from the New Era, year 2098."

"The future?" Luo Xi paused. "You’re from a few decades later?"

"No. To be precise, I’m from several thousand years later. Possibly… even further."

"Wait, isn’t it 2025 now?"

Ke Ning didn’t elaborate, lost in thought. "Hmm… 25. So this cycle is doomed to destruction as well."

Just then, the sound of a door opening interrupted them.

Ye Chuan stepped inside, his eyes immediately landing on Ke Ning.

"Well, look who’s awake?" He hadn’t expected to return and find the girl fully conscious.

Luo Xi had just told him over the phone that she seemed unresponsive.

Ke Ning studied Ye Chuan with the same detached calm. "Hello."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"No discomfort. Perfectly healthy." Ke Ning replied. "Mild cranial vasodilation may cause slight pressure, but nothing significant."

Ye Chuan’s gaze shifted to the floating blue cube beside her. The high-tech gadget piqued his interest.

Oh?

So this new tenant wasn’t from the modern era after all?

"You’re from the future?"

"How’d you guess, Chuan?" Luo Xi had been about to explain but was caught off guard by Ye Chuan’s directness.

"Just a hunch." He grinned.

None of his tenants were normal. At first glance, the girl’s modern outfit had fooled him into thinking she was ordinary. But clearly, she was another anomaly from who-knows-where.

No matter. His rental house was never short on peculiar tenants.

Stay!

All were welcome to stay!

Now that Ke Ning was awake, Ye Chuan could finally see her information.

[New Tenant Discovered: Ke Ning

Origin: New Era 2098

Title: Specially Appointed Professor at the Virtual Particle Physics Lab, Genius Inventor, President of the Interstellar Travel Society

Reason for Arrival: Accidentally transported due to an experiment]

[Tenant Quality: S-Rank]

[Daily Rent Income: $0]

[Chance to Obtain Conceptual-Grade Items]

S-Rank?

Ye Chuan was surprised to encounter another S-Rank tenant. But why zero rent?

Though he wasn’t overly concerned about rental income now, he was curious about these so-called "conceptual-grade items."

At the very least, an S-Rank should be as rare as Lilith.

As Ye Chuan observed Ke Ning, she studied him in return. The two locked eyes—a moment that should have been intense but instead resembled two animals sizing each other up.

"Since you’re from the future, how about staying here for a while?" Ye Chuan offered.

"Taking in a stranger. What’s in it for you?" Ke Ning replied flatly. "I doubt my appearance holds any appeal for you."

Compared to Luo Xi and Bai Qianshuang’s stunning beauty, Ke Ning was merely cute at best.

Her hair was disheveled, and dark circles under her eyes betrayed a chronic lack of sleep.

"If you’re after the value of a future human, temporal laws forbid me from disclosing anything about what’s to come."

"Not the case. My place tends to attract odd individuals. They’ve all become my tenants—you’re no exception."

"So you collect interdimensional guests as a hobby?"

"Not quite, but I’m happy to host." Ye Chuan smiled.

"I do need a place to stay." Ke Ning scrutinized him a moment longer before adding, "But I won’t remain in this world for long."