Galaxy's Only Triple-S: Five Lords Can't Hold Her novel Chapter 4

The night had grown deep. Margaret lay on the cold sheets, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion.

Just as she was drifting into that hazy space between wakefulness and sleep, she heard it again—a voice, soft and distant, as if carried from miles away.

"Host..." It was Vex's voice, faint but unmistakable. "I hope this time... you'll be happy."

Margaret's eyes flew open. She jerked upright in bed, her heart hammering against her ribs.

The room was dead silent. The only sound came from the faint, constant rumble of the city's air traffic outside her window—the never-ending pulse of Prime Planet. Nothing else.

Am I hearing things? Or have I completely lost it?

She shouted inside her mind, Vex? Is that you? Say something!

No answer came—only the dull throb of her own pulse echoing in her ears.

She slumped back against the pillow, but sleep wouldn't return. Instead, she stared blankly at the ceiling, tracing a thin crack that ran across its surface. The room she lived in now was nothing like the ones those three men kept.

No decor, no warmth—just a worn-down, hollow space that felt as broken as she did.

"Whatever," she muttered into the empty air, her voice rough and tired. "I don't care anymore. I'm free."

The words dropped into the quiet room, then bounced back to her ears, sounding hollow—empty, like even she didn't believe them.

Freedom meant no one was holding her back. But it also meant there was no one left to catch her when she fell.

She lay there awake, watching through the window as the artificial moon slowly dipped from view and the glow of the false sun began to climb.

Then came a knock at the door—steady, measured.

She pushed herself up, rubbed her face to shake off the grogginess, and ran her fingers hastily through her tangled hair before crossing the room to answer.

Kiran stood in the doorway, dressed in a sharply tailored charcoal-gray suit, a slim tablet in hand. His expression was composed, but the shadows under his eyes told another story—he hadn't slept well either.

"Morning," he said, his tone even. "We talked it through. This is the final offer we can live with."

He handed her the data pad.

Margaret took it and scanned it quickly. The compensation was a lot less than what she had calculated yesterday. But it was still way better than fifty thousand credits. For the three of them combined, she would get about one million credits. The extra conditions had changed, too. They no longer required her to leave Prime Planet. The non-disclosure clause had been narrowed to "no malicious fabrication and spread of false information that damages the other party's reputation."

It wasn't what she had hoped for. But for some reason, right now, she didn't have the energy to fight anymore. Her stomach was starting to ache again because the painkillers had worn off. And after a sleepless night, her temples were throbbing.

"Fine," she said. She handed the data pad back. "Let's do it."

Kiran froze for a second. He took the data pad slowly—almost hesitantly. He looked at her with a hint of scrutiny. "You... agree?"

"What else would I do?" Margaret gave him a deadpan look. "Did you actually want me to keep dragging this out?"

Kiran was silent for a few seconds. His fingers moved on the data pad. "The payment will be in your account within three days. The revised agreement has been sent to your Holo-bracelet. Once you sign it, the marriage will be officially dissolved. Also, this property is Raikes' pre-marital asset. After the divorce, you need to move out as soon as possible."

"Got it." Right in front of him, Margaret walked over to her old-fashioned Holo-bracelet. She opened the latest email. She didn't even read it carefully. She just signed her name at the bottom.

The screen flashed. A pop-up appeared. "Signed and Submitted."

Kiran stood behind her, watching the message on the screen. A complicated look crossed his eyes. He had expected her to throw a fit, to bargain, or to cry about the neglect and mistreatment over the past three years. But she didn't. She was as calm as if she were a complete outsider.

"Please have the other two send their copies to my Holo-bracelet as soon as possible," Margaret said. "Do you have any other questions?"

Kiran looked away. His voice went back to business-as-usual. "Ardon insists on suing you."

"Oh," Margaret said with a nod. "Let him. Need some ideas for trending headlines? Like S-Class Beastman Sues His C-Class Ex-Wife—Can't Agree on Divorce Settlement? Or Former Partners in Court—Which Wins, the Law or Personal Feelings?"

Kiran's mouth twitched—or so it seemed.

"I don't mind putting him on the trending list," Margaret said with a smile. "Really. I've got nothing to lose now. I'm just a C-class. I'm not important like you, S-class big shots. If he wants to make trouble? I'm game."

Time to pack. As soon as the money arrives, I have to get out.

But—where will I go?

"That's bullshit," Margaret screamed in her mind. "I clearly came from another world—"

"According to my core protocol, I cannot access or trace any experiences you may have had with other systems before being bound to me. My mission is to assist you in exploring and surviving in this world," the system cut her off smoothly.

Margaret understood. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She clenched her hands so tight her nails almost dug into her palms. The pain helped steady her racing thoughts.

"Fine," she said. "Then tell me—what mission do I have to do in this world?"

She had already made up her mind. If this world wanted her to play the simp again, she would take the male lead and the side chick down with her.

"Main mission of this world: Exploration," the 3001 answered quickly. "As long as you remain alive, you will automatically earn 0.01 points per minute. Exploring new maps, learning new knowledge, and achieving certain life milestones will trigger bonus points. This system has no forced storyline, no OOC penalties, and no elimination mechanism for failure. Core goal: to help the host survive in this world for as long as possible."

Margaret listened. At first, she froze—like she couldn't believe it. A long moment passed. Then, as if the information finally sank in, the corner of her mouth slowly pulled into a smile—one that looked worse than crying.

What does this mean? What have the last three years been for?

If she had deviated even slightly from the female lead's persona, or shown any disgust toward the male lead—bam—the system's electric shock would hit her. The few points she managed to earn had all gone toward buying protection from punishment.

And now they were telling her she could get points just by staying alive?

Margaret asked, "Just... by living?"

"Yes, Host." The 3001's voice was warm and certain. "Exploring the world. Experiencing life. That's the whole purpose of your journey here. Points can be used to exchange for items and knowledge within this world's technology license, or to improve your physical condition. But most importantly, you have complete freedom of will."

Margaret raised her hand and roughly wiped the tears off her face. She looked out the window at this world's cold, unfamiliar sky.

"Complete freedom of will," she repeated those words softly.

Then she dragged the heavy green box back to the bed and stared at that ugly lock.

Alright. First—stay alive. Figure out the rest later.