Chapter 2 - System Online

Thomas was surprised at how little pain he felt after being shot. It felt like being stung by a bee at first and the feeling of his blood leaking out was uncomfortable. There was some pain for a short while but it ended almost as quickly as it started. After the pain went away he could feel a cold seeping into his bones. Everything became numb and soon he stopped feeling even that.

<...tem...a...ty...per...lee...>

An odd voice boomed inside of his consciousness and woke Thomas up. All around him was darkness and he couldn't see who was speaking to him. For a while he felt like he might have imagined the voice.

<System Update: Thirty Percent Complete>

System update? This kind of mechanical voice didn't seem to belong to any of the AI programs he could think of. Which of them weren't feminine? Al*xa, S*ri, and Co*tana even had feminine names. His own phone had a female assistant as well even though he couldn't remember it having any name.

<System Update: Forty Percent Complete>

Thomas couldn't get used to this mechanical voice. It was uncomfortable to hear and he wished that whoever designed it decided to give it a more human-like voice.

<Command Accepted: Please Select a New Voice>

<Options: Young Female, Young Male, Adult Female, Adult Male, Elderly Female, Elderly Male, Alien, Robot, Default>

<After making your selection the voice can be modified further to suit Master's needs>

<System Update: Fifty Percent Complete>

Being used to an adult female's voice giving him updates on his phone, Thomas naturally picked the adult female option.

<Voice Selected>

<If you are satisfied with this voice then think about selecting it>

<If this voice does not suit your preferences then think about modifying the tone and pitch>

<If you would like to return to the voice selection menu then think about returning to the voice selection menu>

The current voice didn't seem to have much of a personality but Thomas didn't care about that. After all, it's not like he'd be having conversations with this AI in the future. Thomas felt that it was a bit creepy though since the voice seemed to be directly in his brain and could read his thoughts. Just what was this voice and what did it plan on doing to him?

<Greetings, Master, I am the AI in control of the Advanced Arsenal>

<My purpose is to assist Master and ensure Master's survival>

<Feel free to ask me anything you like>

<System Update: Sixty Percent Complete>

{What is this system update?} Thomas had been hearing this AI go on about a system update since waking up. Naturally he'd want to know what it was talking about.

<The update is Advanced Arsenal Version Number 0.05.01>

<This update has improved the functions of the Advanced Arsenal>

<Now users can scan import designs from their host world and store materials to be used for crafting weapons at a lower cost>

<The update has also improved the efficiency of the crafting system and fixed a fatal error that occurred whenever a user crafted any gunpowder-based weapons>

<Would you like to know more?>

{What do you mean host world? And what kind of error are you talking about? What makes an error a fatal error?}

<The host world is the world that a user finds their self in after dying in their original world>

<Master's original world is designated as an abandoned world and has no name>

<The host world that Master is being sent to is a lower world named Solaris-07>

<The name used by the system is not always the name used by the world's inhabitants>

<The error caused the gunpowder to explode as soon as it was materialized>

<This error was fatal to all previous users that encountered it>

<System Update: Seventy Percent Complete>

{There's a lot I want to comment on but for now I'll ask what an abandoned world is.}

<An abandoned world is a world with no magic veins>

<Magic beings can't be born in an abandoned world>

<While in an abandoned world, a magic being can't replenish their magic>

<As gods and goddesses require magic they can not stay in an abandoned world for long>

<With no gods or goddesses watching over the world, it can only be considered an abandoned world>

{I see. So a lower world would be a world with a small amount of magic in it, then?}

<Correct: A lower world has the minimum amount of magic to maintain the lives of magic beings>

<Only weaker magic beings would inhabit this type of world>

{Can you explain why the gunpowder exploding was fatal in all cases? In the other world if gunpowder exploded in someone's hand it'd often result in only losing a limb. As long as the person received first aid there should at least be a chance of them surviving.}

<When a user materializes a weapon from the Advanced Arsenal they also receive the ammunition and supplies necessary to use the weapon>

<Early gunpowder-based weapons require the gunpowder to be added manually>

<In order to make it easier on the User, a keg of gunpowder would be provided>

<The earlier materialization process would create a large amount of heat>

<In all cases the keg of gunpowder would explode after being introduced to this heat>

<System Update: Eighty Percent Complete>

{Why didn't you update their systems after noticing the problem?}

<Insufficient Access>

<Master is currently classified as a User and can not access this level of information>

{If I'm only a user then what's above a user?}

<Insufficient Access>

<Master is currently classified as a User and can not access this level of information>

<Receiving New Command From Administrator>

<Access Granted>

<Master has been given special privileges to learn about the different classifications>

<User is the basic level and is given to those that have just begun to use the system>

<With enough experience a User can become an Advanced User>

<Advanced Users are given access to more information and can materialize weapons and equipment at a reduced cost>

<Researching new weapon/equipment types will require less experience and all basic research will be made available for free>

<After being an Advanced User for a period of time, Master may qualify to become a moderator>

<Moderators can interact directly with the Administrator and are given a greater discount on weapons, equipment, and research>

<Basic equipment is made free for Moderators and advanced technology will become available for research>

<The Administrator is in control over the system and can grant privileges or update the system when necessary>

<Currently there are no other Users, Advanced Users, or Moderators>

<There is only one Administrator>

<System Update: Ninety Percent Complete>

<Preparing a body for Master>

<System AI is currently unable to process new requests>

<Restoring old body>

<Restoration deemed impossible>

<Exploring alternatives>

<Suitable body located>

<Uploading Master's consciousness to new body>

<System Update: Complete>

<Transfer: Complete>

<System Online>