Author of The Multiverse

Lin Xian stretched as he woke up, his body still adjusting to the strange reality he had found himself in. His mind was set on one thing: writing the next chapter.

His book was gaining traction—he had reached 500 views yesterday, and the system had rewarded him 50 points for the milestone. Plus, with 10 EXPR, he was inching toward his next level.

He yawned, cracking his fingers, and pulled up the Inspiration Space option.

> [Insufficient Points.]

Lin Xian blinked.

> [Access Denied: Balance too low.]

"What?!" He frowned. He should have around 100 points, give or take.

---

Where Did His Points Go?

Confused, Lin Xian turned to the system.

> "System, why can't I access the Inspiration Space? I should still have points left."

Silence.

He frowned. The system never hesitated to answer before.

> "System?"

A beat passed before the system finally responded.

> [Check your transaction history.]

Lin Xian blinked. Transaction history?

"...Since when do you have a transaction history function?"

The system didn't respond. With a sigh, he pulled up the interface and navigated to the new [Transaction History] tab.

---

Hidden Expenses

As he skimmed through the logs, he saw the usual deductions—points spent on Inspiration Space, information fees, and system rewards.

But then—

> [250 Points - Artifact Creation.]

His heart skipped a beat.

> "Wait. What do you mean by 'Artifact Creation'?"

He scrolled back again. He never spent 250 points on anything like that! And more importantly—he never even had that many points!

Quickly, he checked his balance.

> [-50 Points.]

His stomach dropped.

> "...I'M IN DEBT?!"

How? When? What the hell was Artifact Creation?!

> "System! Explain this!"

> [Pay 1,000 points for information.]

Lin Xian nearly threw his chair.

"Are you serious right now?!"

No matter how many times he demanded answers, the system refused to elaborate.

> "Damn it. Whatever."

Frustrated, he decided to check on his book's progress instead. Maybe seeing his growing readership would calm his nerves.

---

A Thousand Views & A Hate Comment

As he opened the Star Web dashboard, his heart leaped.

> [Total Views: 1,000+]

> [New Comment Received!]

Excited, he clicked on the notification.

> [Anonymous User]: Disgusting. How dare you write fan fiction about such an important historical figure? You're disrespecting Liu Feng's legacy by portraying him as so weak. Delete this trash.]

Lin Xian's stomach sank.

> A hate comment.

It was his first real negative feedback.

Doubt crept in.

Maybe... he was writing garbage? Maybe he really was disrespecting history?

His fingers hovered over the delete button—

And then—

> [System Notification: Congratulations! You've reached 1,000 views!]

[+100 Points Rewarded.]

> [Bonus: First Hate Comment Received!]

[+40 Points Earned.]

Lin Xian froze.

"...Wait. I got points for getting a hate comment?"

> [System Response: A hate comment means your book is being read. Better to be hated than ignored.]

For a second, Lin Xian just stared at the screen.

Then—he laughed.

It was stupid. Absurd. But somehow, the system's response lightened his mood.

> "Guess it means my book is reaching people, huh?"

He felt less discouraged. If anything—this meant his story mattered enough for someone to get mad.

> "I'll take it."

---

New Feature Unlocked: The Editing Platform

Just as he was about to close the dashboard, another notification appeared.

> [New Feature Unlocked: The Editing Platform!]

[As a Level 1 Author, you now have access to the basic editing function. Grammar & Spell Check enabled.]

Lin Xian blinked.

> "Huh. That's actually useful."

At least now, he wouldn't have to worry about small mistakes ruining immersion.

He took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders.

> "Alright. Time to write Chapter 7."

Despite everything—he felt motivated again.