The Green Tea is Always Targeting The Wrong Person (GREENTEA)
Golden lasers, like a meteor shower, streaked across the sky and struck the massive silver battleship with precision. The pale blue energy shield, because of depletion of power, flickered weakly and was unable to withstand the relentless barrage.
Swarms of attack ships roared closer. Their deafening rumble like the death knell of a god was bearing down on Yue Chu's fleet.
"Scatter!"
Yue Chu with his eyes focused, piloted his nimble fighter like a silver-winged butterfly while darting through the firestorm. The blue electronic screen illuminated his face with flashing red warning circles that plummeted one after another. The cold instrument panel mechanically recorded everything, but each red dot symbolized the constant loss of his comrades.
"Yue Chu, retreat."
A familiar voice crackled through the communicator, as calm and steady as ever, yet tinged with a resigned despair and gentle warmth.
Yue Chu's eyes stung with tears threatening to spill.
‘So many had died.’
He thought he'd become numb but the final order brought a wave of unbearable sorrow.
The Moon Realm was falling.
It had been evident for three months, yet as soldiers of the Moon Realm, they couldn't retreat. For if they did, the ferociousness of the Empress's Empire would swiftly engulf them.
"General, I am a soldier. I can only die in battle,so I will not retreat."
The General chuckled, causing his magnetic voice to resonate through the communicator and made Yue Chu want to cover his itchy ears.
"Then follow me and fight until the end."
"Yes, General!"
The silver battleship, ultimately powerless, was sliced in two by the barrage and exploded into golden sparks before scattering into debris.
The Empress Empire's army, like a black cloud, rolled forward and swallowed every silver speck of light.
Yue Chu felt no pain as death came too quickly. He only felt like a light cloud that was drifting, weightless and unhindered.
He closed his eyes slowly before relaxing and merging into the boundless darkness.
Peaceful and serene.
But then, a sudden blinding light pierced his eyes, forcing him to shield them with his arm.
‘What was this? Why would a dead person see light?’
"Beep, system detecting a suitable host for binding. Requesting binding."
‘What the heck?’
Yue Chu with tears streaming down his face, forced his eyes open. Before him, a winged teddy bear with a crescent moon on its forehead flew, resembling a cartoon fairy from his childhood.
He mumbled, "Didn't I die? Is this the Grim Reaper? It's a bit too cute, though."
The bear waved its magic wand which scattered countless little stars that circled Yue Chu.
"Hello, I am the 'Green Tea Survival System.' If you agree to become my host, you will be given a new life. My task is simple, which is to protect world peace. You must absolutely prevent the protagonists from engaging in mutual abuse and suffering."
Yue Chu pondered.
Live again? But all his comrades were gone and his home was destroyed. So, what was the point of living?
He shook his head with a smile of resignation spreading across his face. Perhaps after facing death, he had a new perspective on things.
"No need. Find someone else."
The bear panicked. It had finally found a suitable host and so he couldn't let him slip away.
"Do you have any wishes? Our 'Green Tea System' offers better benefits than the 'White Lotus System' next door. Besides reviving you, we can rewind time, change the ending, get revenge and slap faces. As long as you have a request, we can talk."
Yue Chu, watching the bear's twitching ears, couldn't resist pinching them. They were indeed soft but wishes?
The bear continued to tempt him. "Didn't the Empress Empire destroy your Moon Realm? Do you know why? Because Wei Chu is the protagonist of your world, so how could you possibly win against him? But if you agree to cooperate with us then I can strip Wei Chu of his protagonist's aura and you won't lose."
Yue Chu laughed while gently flicking the bear's nose.
‘This little rascal, did he think he was stupid?’
If the system was truly that powerful then why didn't it directly defeat the protagonist of the other world and maintain world peace? It was because it clearly lacked the ability and was forced to search for someone.
He didn't know what level their world was considered in the system's eyes but he had seen Wei Chu. He was undoubtedly a strong individual, a powerhouse.
How could a mere system possibly turn the tide?
Moreover...
Yue Chu sighed inwardly.
The so-called war was actually initiated by the Moon Realm. They were the aggressors and responsible for the deaths of countless people from the Empress Empire, trampling on their homes. Their final defeat was simply the consequence of the Empire's retaliation.
Karma, as they say, is a bitch.
"Forget it. We lost and that's that."
The bear was stunned, not disappointed but with its five-pointed eyes glowing and spinning.
"Beep, host has passed the test and is eligible for binding. Congratulations! Okay, I'll tell you the truth. While I can't defeat Wei Chu's protagonist aura, I can send you back to the beginning of the war."
Yue Chu was taken aback. Such a tempting offer was undeniably appealing.
"What do I need to do to get this chance?"
There's no free lunch in this world. Such a generous offer undoubtedly came with a high price.
The bear showered him with countless pink flowers that slowly faded into the air, creating a magical effect.
"I said it was simple. You need to protect the world from destruction. These different worlds all have chosen ones but not all chosen ones have happy endings. Some BE (Bad Ending) characters often do terrible things which cause chaos, misery and even destruction. To maintain peace, you must prevent the protagonists from causing havoc due to their obsessive love and suffering. Of course, as the 'Green Tea Survival System,' I will guide you. According to our research, the green tea image is very popular among humans. I will teach you the complete art of tea, to manipulate hearts and break relationships, hehehe..."
The bear laughed which revealed its two front teeth, looking rather sleazy.
Yue Chu pondered. It seemed "breaking relationships" was the system's true goal. But did the system have a misunderstanding about "popularity"?
However, it didn't really matter to him. All he needed was that chance to start over but would such a miracle really happen? Would his comrades, his people and his home be restored to the peaceful days before the war?
Yue Chu didn't truly believe in the system but people are like that. As long as there's a glimmer of hope, they'll run with all their might.
"Okay, I agree."
The bear happily spun around while scattering stars from its magic wand onto Yue Chu, bathing him in a brilliant light that sucked him in.
………
When Yue Chu opened his eyes again, he found himself in a bathroom.
What a fragrant place.
The system's drop-off was so precise that it made him suspect it was revenge for his two rejections. He reached for the doorknob, intending to leave but found that the door was locked from the inside and wouldn't budge.
Yue Chu raised an eyebrow.
A grand welcome gift right from the start. It seemed his new persona wasn't very good.
"System, can you introduce my identity?"
The bear immediately popped up and gracefully spun around. With a wave of its magic wand, Original body's life history in this world appeared.
……….
The original body's host name is called Yue Chu, Omega, male and nineteen years old. He was handsome and was from a prominent family. Because of being always protected by his family, he was weak-willed and always cried when bullied. He couldn't even muster the courage to fight back or complain, which only emboldened his tormentors.
This time, they deliberately lured him out with ghost stories, tricked him into the bathroom and locked him inside.
Yue Chu was terrified.
Bathrooms were already a hotbed for ghost stories and this one was so secluded that no one ever came here. He became increasingly afraid that he started crying while begging them to let him out. But it only excited the others more that they even continued to tell scary ghost stories through the door.
On that dark night, Yue Chu huddled alone in the cramped bathroom, surrounded by impenetrable darkness with ghost stories he had heard echoed in his mind.
He was afraid to open his eyes as he was scared to see ghosts lurking in the corners but at the same time, he was also afraid to close them as some ghost would silently crawl onto him.
In the silent space, only his rapid breathing and frantic heartbeat could be heard. Terrified and overwhelmed, Yue Chu couldn't survive the night.
His heart stopped and he died.
………..
Yue Chu, feeling incredulous, covered his chest and felt the steady beat of his heart. He breathed a sigh of relief as he didn't want to become a living dead person with no heartbeat.
"System, are you sure you didn't kill him on purpose to get me here?"
The bear looked innocent because they would never do such a thing.
"Of course not. We just borrowed a fresh corpse for a bit."
‘Alright.’ Yue Chu would believe it for now.
The sky had already brightened, bathing the entire bathroom in light.
There was no darkness, no terror, no ghosts in the light, yet a simple prank had taken a life. What a cruel irony.
A hint of mockery flashed across Yue Chu's face.
With a bang, he kicked open the bathroom door.
Feeling the effects of a sleepless night, he yawned while walking to the dusty mirror to reluctantly look at his reflection. He was still a handsome young man with rosy lips and pearly teeth, an exact replica of himself. It was quite immersive.
He glanced at the navy blue school uniform he was wearing. He remembered he was still a college student. He turned on the faucet before splashing some cold water on his face and felt his mind clear.
He smiled at his reflection.
Well, it was time to go to school and see how his "good friends" slept last night.
…..
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Warning: The first world involves OO love.