I took a quick step into my room, closing the door behind me and enclosing myself in the quiet space.
"Hey, come out."
I said it out loud, unsure how to address whatever entity was communicating with me from within.
[Are you calling me?]
The feminine voice echoed in my thoughts.
I sat on the bed and watched as small words appeared in the air, accompanied by the same gentle voice.
"What are you?"
I asked aloud, no longer dismissing the possibility that this voice was a hallucination. Regardless of my guess, I sought confirmation.
[I am your system].
The voice responded as expected, revealing itself to be an archetype straight out of the system genre.
[I heard that.]
"A system that can read my thoughts—just what I needed."
I remarked sarcastically and received no response.
"So what should I call you?"
I mused aloud, hesitant to use the broad term "system" every time.
[The host can call me whatever he wants].
My curiosity about how this phenomenon worked grew as the voice in my head responded.
"Then I'll go with Jarvis," I said, eager to put something to the test.
[No],
I would have left the teasing here when the voice had refused, its tone hinting at displeasure, but I needed to know something.
"But you just said I could call you anything."
I objected.
[Everything except Jarvis]
"Alright, how about Ultron?"
[No].
"Optimus Prime?"
[No].
"Yoda?"
[Host, please try to be creative].
The voice was chastised, its patience dwindling.
"So you do recognize that those names aren't original."
I remarked, realizing that the voice's knowledge was not limited to system-related information.
My suspicion grew: had it gained access to my memories?
"Did you read my memories?" I asked directly because I wasn't in the mood for wordplay, and my tone was tinged with concern about the invasion of my privacy.
[Yes],
It responded matter-of-factly, adding to my anxiety.
"Why?" I asked, trying to keep my frustration at bay.
[As a more capable assistant to the host],
The voice responded calmly and femininely, surprising me with its humility in comparison to the often-arrogant systems depicted in similar stories.
"As an assistant, you should answer my questions, right?"
I reasoned, finally having the chance to gain the insights I'd yearned for.
[You could ask them, host].
It confirmed this and gave me permission to proceed.
"What happened to Nealah?"
I asked the most important question in my mind: What happened to her after I died back in my world? Whether she is okay or not.
[She's fine; she lives her life in your honor].
I felt a huge stone removed from my heart when the voice replied. I was very concerned about her, as I was the only one she was living for.
"That's good to hear" .
I responded, directing my attention to the next most crucial question.
"Is this truly the game world?"
I ventured, hoping to confirm my concerns.
[Yes, the world is similar to the game you played, but your actions will affect the ending.]
It explained, verifying that I was truly in the game world I was familiar with.
"Who brought me here, and for what purpose?"
I dug in, believing that someone was arranging events behind the scenes, as it's not easy to summon a guy from across space, let alone in his soul form.
[Error: Insufficient strength and authority]
It responded, leaving me unhappy but unsurprised because I knew this type of question would never yield a fruitful response.
"Okay, next question: Why did Eden thank me when we first encountered each other in soul form?"
I probed, wondering whether there was a deeper meaning to his thanks, considering he had no need to thank me for it.
I wouldn't be surprised if he despised me since I took over his body, but thanking me for it doesn't sit well with me.
[Error: Insufficient strength and authority]
It repeated itself again, shocking me with its failure to respond and supporting my sense that Eden's thankfulness is more complicated than I imagined.
"Next question—why is your voice female?" I asked an unexpected question that had come to mind.
[Would you like me to react to you in a masculine voice every time?]
The tone of the voice was amused as it inquired.
"Fair point,"
I agreed, not wanting a masculine voice to repeat in my head.
"All right, let's go on. Is there a status page where I can see my stats and abilities?"
I questioned, Well, that's the main job of the system, so it should have it.
[Would you like me to show it to you?]
"Yes".
As I stated, the screen in front of me flickered, and new sets of data appeared in front of my eyes.
==============================
[Name: Eden Morton/Neil Sullivan]
Age: 13 y/o
Mage Path: Locked
Knight Path: Locked
Strength: 8
Agility: 7
Defense: 5
Endurance: 5]
[Hidden Status:
Luck: 9
Charm: 15
Charisma: 6 (locked)
Bloodline: partially locked
[Affinities: fire, water, wind, earth, space-time].
===============================
After thoroughly inspecting my status panel, I was ready to go into further questions.
"I have more questions now, system."
I declared that the allure of comprehending my newfound environment had overwhelmed my interest. Some make sense to me, while others perplex me.
[Please ask away, host].
The system responded, and another round of question and response ensued.
"What is this 'luck' thing?"
I inquired, intrigued by the concept that seemed foreign to the game's mechanics, as luck was never a concept in the game. And if luck worked the same way here as it does in cultivation novels, then my luck looks pretty bad as it is in single digits.
[Luck is, as you might assume, your chance of discovering treasure in a pile of garbage, meeting someone unexpectedly, or discovering a powerful inheritance in an inconspicuous thing. It has an unforeseeable impact on your fate.]
The system clarified, giving more detail about luck.
"My luck is pretty low, isn't it?"
I pondered, already knowing the answer.
[Eden Morton was the game's antagonist; what kind of luck would you anticipate him to have?]
The system retaliated, reminding me of Eden's terrible role.
"Moving on: what's my bloodline, and why is it partially locked? In the game, Eden never awakened his bloodline. Given that my lineage belongs to ancient families, shouldn't it grant me a pretty good bloodline ability?"
I probed; my expectations were high for such a prestigious lineage.
Bloodlines are hereditary abilities passed down through generations. Because bloodline powers can only be inherited through blood,
[You'll have to figure it out for yourself. The incomplete lock suggests that your bloodline was momentarily awakened in the past. All I can say is that your bloodline is unique and played a role in the events of the game, including Eden Morton's fate.]
The method revealed knowledge as well as mystery.
"Is that so?"
I acknowledged it, considering the probable significance of my bloodline in the game's story.
My curiosity shifted to the organization that sought my bloodline, but I held off on asking about my prior awakening. I knew I could uncover those memories through Eden's experiences.
Any more queries concerning my bloodline or how and why "that" organization knew about my bloodline, which even Eden was unaware of during the game, can be postponed because I have plenty of patience. I couldn't contain my anxiety for the next question.
"Now, system, care to explain the additional space and time affinities?"
I queried, my gaze fixated on the unexpected affinity.
Eden was a one-of-a-kind talent with affinities to all four basic elements, which explained his arrogant nature, and now there was another affinity.
Space affinity was rare in the game, exclusive to the Elves, and while some half-elves did awaken the space talent, they were not pure humans; no human being had natural affinity towards it; even the game's hero had to do different quests from the Elves to gain artificial affinity, which wasn't even close to natural ones. and the concept of time affinity was completely absent in the game.
[They're not Eden Morton's affinities; they're your affinities, Neil Sullivan's affinities].
The system replied, delivering a revelation that sent a jolt through me.