Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 1

The young boy gently pressed the top of the ballpoint pen in his hand. After over ten minutes of struggle, the tip finally retreated into the barrel, leaving behind only the neatly written formulas on the desk as proof of its battle.

He flipped the test sheet, revealing the title:

"Yuanyue International High School Spring Semester Opening Exam

Below the printed title, in bold black font, was the test taker's name:

"Yan Huan"

It was a spring afternoon. Sunlight poured generously through the second-floor windows of the academic building, illuminating the side profile of the handsome boy who had just finished his exam.

Beneath his slightly long, wavy black bangs, his dark eyes glanced out the window, reflecting the red-tinged green of the sports field—a playground etched with the path of the setting sun.

On the track, students in athletic uniforms ran laps, resembling Kuafu chasing the sun without end.

(*) Kuafu: A figure from Chinese mythology who tried to chase and catch the sun.

In his past life, Yan Huan had always imagined Kuafu as a strong young man, because blindly and tirelessly chasing the sun felt like something only the young would do.

That kind of pursuit was a youthful privilege—and one that others often envied.

Fortunately, this parallel world also had legends about Kuafu, which allowed Yan Huan to write such metaphors in his essays.

While the other students remained focused on their work, Yan Huan lightly placed the body-warmed pen on the desk.

He rested his chin on one hand and exchanged a brief glance with the bald, middle-aged math teacher on the podium. Then, they both looked away in tacit understanding.

'This kid finished again… and so quickly.'

'Zhou Bin, your bald head is reflecting light again.'

Their thoughts collided in silence, yet neither knew what the other was thinking.

"Read the questions carefully. Check everything properly."

That voice belonged to Zhou Bin, Yan Huan's math teacher from the previous semester—a name that always reminded Yan Huan of a foreign cola brand.

He listened absentmindedly to the scribbling sounds around him, while his thoughts wandered elsewhere.

'Is my transmigration missing that fantasy flair?'

Yan Huan dazed off, suddenly feeling a bit frustrated.

'No cheat system in my brain, no ghostly girl repaying kindness, no mysterious foodie in a warehouse asking, "Are you my master?"'

None of it existed.

He had simply died young—collapsed while working overtime—and was reborn as a baby in a completely unfamiliar, seemingly parallel world.

He lived a disciplined life for over ten years, and this year, he was once again a teenager.

Yan Huan still held a sliver of hope. On his sixth birthday, he had wished for a fantasy-filled life after transmigration.

But he knew happiness came from contentment. After dying and getting another shot at life, what more could he ask for? A bicycle?

'If Lao Da could be resurrected and sent to another world, he probably wouldn’t care about all those boomerang elbow memes online.'

(*) Lao Da: Literally means “Big Boss” or “Leader” in Chinese, often a nickname for a close friend.

Feeling bored, Yan Huan decided to follow Teacher Zhou Bin’s advice and review his paper.

He pinched the test sheet, picked up his pen again, and pretended to check his answers—though he was really just spacing out to pass the time.

Soon, it was almost time to submit.

"There are twenty-five minutes left until the end of the exam. Please check your name, student number, and answer sheet carefully."

*Tick. Tick. Tick.*

It was just another ordinary afternoon. In the quiet exam room filled with scribbling, the rhythmic ticking of the clock seemed to remind students how precious every second was.

But a second later, Yan Huan noticed something strange.

'Wait a minute… aren’t we using digital clocks?'

He looked toward the whiteboard on the podium, where the countdown timer silently ticked away—making no sound at all.

Just as confusion set in, a voice like a lark suddenly rang in his ear, soft and dreamlike, as if it were an illusion.

"Hello, can the students in Exam Room One hear me?"

Yan Huan froze slightly. Instinctively, he turned his head toward the classroom door, but just then, a sharp, childlike scream exploded in his mind—

[Don’t answer! Don’t answer! Don’t answer!]

'What’s going on? Are the Trisolarans attacking?'

(*) Trisolarans: Alien race from the popular Chinese sci-fi novel "The Three-Body Problem" by Liu Cixin.

'Why didn’t they attack in my last life but are coming for me now?!'

As he covered his ears in confusion, he saw something out of the corner of his eye—a small head poking into the open exam room door.

Beneath silky black bangs, a fair hand cupped around her mouth like a megaphone, confirming that the earlier voice had come from her.

It was a beautiful girl—so stunning she could be rated a perfect ten. She had a magnetism that made it hard to look away.

Her bright, watery eyes sparkled like starlight under long lashes. Her curved brows and delicate features gave her a charm that lingered like an angel’s presence.

On the chest of her grey school uniform jacket, a name badge hung.

"Class 1-B, Bai Yi."

'Thank goodness… not Trisolarans.'

[Your life is about to end, and a worldline emergency intervention is about to begin!]

[Correction plan has launched. Please maintain your current posture. Do not show any signs of noticing the modifier, or serious consequences will follow.]

[I will explain the details to you shortly.]

'Worldline? Modifier? Life ending?'

The voice in his ear returned, calmer this time and less grating, but the terms still hit hard.

Yan Huan decided to listen. He didn’t move—not even a twitch. He simply used his peripheral vision to follow the girl.

Because he was horrified to discover—Bai Yi appeared semi-transparent, as if separated from the rest of the world.

Through the corner of his eye, he watched the ethereal girl lean into the exam room, where students continued writing furiously.

Instead of lowering her hand, she shouted "Ah!" again in that sweet, ringing voice—like a climber releasing their frustration atop a peak.

Yan Huan blinked, but no one else reacted. The other students kept working, unaware.

"Seriously, no one notices me."

The girl giggled, covering her mouth and brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, revealing a fair, round earlobe.

She walked into the exam room, waved her hand in front of Zhou Bin and a student in the front row, amused by their lack of reaction.

*Hmm hmm hmm~*

She hummed a tune Yan Huan had never heard, strolling across the podium like a general inspecting her troops.

Suddenly, she frowned, as if remembering something unpleasant. Her gaze locked onto Zhou Bin.

Yan Huan didn’t know what she planned to do, but he saw her searching for something by the podium.

A marker pen.

With mischief in her eyes, she approached Zhou Bin holding the marker.

Under Yan Huan’s widening eyes, she tiptoed up and drew a giant X on Zhou Bin’s face—then added random scribbles.

Yet no one noticed. Not Zhou Bin, not the students below.

Zhou Bin’s gaze swept across the room, oblivious to the girl—or the fact that his face had become a doodle wall.

Yan Huan was the only one who saw this utterly absurd scene.

"Heh, that’s what you get for tattling to my mom."

Her sweet voice carried a devilish joy as she admired her handiwork.

'A ghost?'

'No...'

'I think I know who she is.'

Now that he thought about it, the girl looked familiar. She was Bai Yi, a fellow student and campus celebrity at Yuanyue Academy.

A young artist signed with a famous entertainment company—she had enchanted countless netizens with her flawless, youthful charm. Her nickname: "The wife a million people are waiting to grow up."

(*) Refers to a popular internet meme in China describing young female idols admired for their innocent charm.

She’d already acted in three films, released hit songs, and endorsed countless products—he even saw her in advertisements while shopping online.

She wasn’t quite a top-tier celebrity, but at school, she was definitely famous.

And now, this youthful internet idol was doodling on Zhou Bin’s face with a marker?

And he was the only one who could see her?

'What kind of "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai" nonsense is this?!'

(*) A reference to a Japanese light novel/anime where a girl becomes invisible to everyone except the protagonist.

*Whoosh whoosh.*

The wind outside suddenly picked up, blowing the curtains and making the exam papers flutter wildly.

As the blue-and-white curtains billowed like waves, they partially covered Bai Yi’s body—but her hair and skirt didn’t move at all, as if she were a ghost untouched by the world.

Fantastical. Stunning.

Just then, Bai Yi seemed to sense someone watching her. She turned her head toward Yan Huan, brushing past his careful gaze.

"Eh?"

'Crap!'

'After hiding so long… did I just mess up?!'

Yan Huan’s mind raced, but his face remained calm. He simply looked in her direction—making Bai Yi feel slightly awkward instead.

She looked down at herself, then at the curtains that had fallen still, and finally turned to face the handsome boy by the window.

'Ah.'

'So it’s you, Student Council President.'

Bai Yi pressed her lips together and walked silently toward Yan Huan. His heartbeat quickened, but his expression didn’t change. He continued to spin the pen between his fingers.

"Can you see me?"

The girl standing close to him carried a faint yet pleasant fragrance, like flowers blooming in the morning—fresh and full of vitality.

She leaned down slightly, causing her long black hair to fall at an angle and brush against Yan Huan’s temple—yet he felt nothing.

Still, Yan Huan became even more certain that she was absolutely real.

He remained completely still, eyes fixed straight ahead, his gaze passing through her chest as though admiring a distant, beautiful view.

*"..."*

Bai Yi, receiving no response, paused for a moment. Then, a mischievous smile bloomed on her face—one that clashed with her pure idol image. Without hesitation, she picked up the other ballpoint pen from Yan Huan’s desk.

Something miraculous happened—the pen she picked up instantly turned semi-transparent. More precisely, it looked as though she had extracted the semi-transparent soul of the pen from its solid form on the desk.

One pen remained on the desk, while the other, semi-transparent, rested in her hand—like two ends from diverging worldlines.

"Your face is still as annoying as ever, Student Council President."

'Ah, me?'

'No, we’re not even close, right? We’ve never met offline, have we?'

Yet Bai Yi offered no explanation. Her smile, devoid of warmth, remained as she aimed the pen’s tip at Yan Huan, seemingly about to write something—just like she had with Zhou Bin earlier.

Yan Huan’s black eyes slowly focused, as a voice from earlier echoed in his mind—

[Correction plan has begun. Please maintain your current posture. Absolutely do not show any sign of having discovered the modifier, or severe consequences will follow!]

Yet even with the warning, his arm stirred restlessly, instinctively targeting her fair wrist beneath her sleeve.

At that critical moment, a distinct *tick. tick. tick.* sound came from the girl standing before him—identical to the ticking clock sound he had heard before.

Then, more mysterious sounds began to emanate from her body—

[Current Effect: No Concern]

[Fifteen-minute countdown is nearing its end. Please take note.]

Bai Yi suddenly froze. Still holding Yan Huan’s pen, her face now reflected resignation.

She glanced down at the time, clearly reluctant.

"Time’s up already? That fast?"

With a helpless sigh, she placed the pen back in its original position, perfectly overlapping it with the one on the desk—as if merging it with another timeline.

Turning around, her radiant eyes lingered on Yan Huan’s handsome face for a long moment. Then, with mock annoyance, she turned away and prepared to leave the classroom.

"We’ve got plenty of time ahead, Yan Huan. Hmph."

*"Tick."*

*"Tick."*

The same ticking clock sound returned, spreading through the room like the turning of gears or the dripping of heavy water droplets.

Yan Huan’s gaze followed the faint sound, watching as her rapidly retreating figure slowly faded until she vanished completely.

A few minutes passed, and everything seemed to return to normal.

But at a certain moment, Zhou Bin, standing at the podium, trembled slightly—as if his face had been scratched by countless invisible strokes.

*"Hiss!"*

He quickly reached up and covered his face, letting out a loud *pa* sound.

The noise drew the attention of the test-taking students. They looked up, and when they saw him, they were stunned.

"What are you staring at? Done with question two already? Don’t you care about your grades? Hurry up—"

"N-no, it’s just—" A brave student hesitantly raised their hand and pointed at Zhou Bin, urgently shouting, "Teacher Zhou, y-your face!"

"My face?"

Zhou Bin froze for a second. He quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and turned on the front camera to check.

What he saw was his shiny bald head, now viciously defiled with marker ink. Not only was there a JQK trio drawn on it, but also the words—

"Stupid teacher, stupid teacher, stupid teacher."

The handwriting was messy, like a three-year-old’s scribbles.

The classroom fell silent, save for the growing redness of Zhou Bin’s face and his uncontrollable trembling.

"Who was it?!!!"

A second later, his miserable wail echoed throughout the entire teaching building—likely startling even the other exam rooms.

Only Yan Huan sat dumbfounded at his seat. He alone knew what had just happened.

And just like Zhou Bin, Yan Huan’s temple—previously brushed by the girl’s black hair with no sensation—finally felt a faint tickle.

As if the romantic moment from minutes ago had only just arrived, landing between his brows, painting for Yan Huan the beauty she’d left behind.

And arriving just as late, was the birthday wish he had made when he was six years old.

That touch of fantasy.

(End of this chapter)

(*) Note for line 108: "diverging worldlines" is a reference to parallel timelines or alternate realities, often used in science fiction.