SAY GOODBYE

[... But if you earned a total of 100 points, I will be able to answer one question of yours.]

What??? He even needed points to get any answers from this system now?

And it was asking for a hundred points! What for?

If Jax recalled correctly, completion of this very first task, that is, killing some Marco guy would help him earn about twenty points. But if he needed a hundred of them, would he have to kill five people in total?

Five people? Oh my God! What will he become then? A serial killer?

And all of this in exchange for clearing one bloody doubt of his? Is it still possible to call all of this absurd or ridiculous?

Didn't Nexus say that it was here to help him? Then why did it seem like it was actually digging an even deeper trap for him to jump in and die for sure, unable to crawl out of it?

Holy hell! I didn't sign up for any of this!

[No, you haven't. But still, you are obliged to follow the instructions diligently.]

Nexus once again, interrupted his thoughts to rub some salt to his already sour mood.

'Did I ask you?'

Jax was so exasperated that he couldn't help but snap at the irritating system.

[No, you didn't.]

Yet, Nexus just answered back with the same enthusiasm, not even trying to lighten the excited undertone to its voice.

Could it behave anymore frustrating?

Actually, ever since this voice appeared in his mind, it have always been overly energetic. Everything it spouted from greeting him for the first time, explaining things, encouraging him to take up this task to trying to stop him from backing out, every single time its voice was so cheerful that one would even mistake it was a small child which was so high on sugar.

Even when it was trying to disclose serious things, its high pitched childish voice would always steal the thunder and make the situation seem like it were role playing in some silly children's revenge drama where the overly talented kids would hold some fake weapons and try to kill each other.

Maybe, even those who were high on hard alcohol wouldn't be as enthusiastic as this adolescent system while speaking about killing someone.

If only Nexus were a human being and was standing right in front him, saying all this nonsensical rubbish, Jax would have strangled it to death even before it could get any chance to answer him back.

[Actually, it was not so bad of an idea. Why don't you try strangling your first target after finding him? Or we could even think of ways to kill him after finding him first?]

Once again, Nexus intercepted his internal struggle and picked out the topic that was most intriguing to itself.

Jax was completely baffled now.

Was killing the only thing on its agenda all the time?

And Nexus response to him when the same question was addressed for it to answer, rendered Jax speechless yet again.

The system just chose to ignore him altogether. Well, it had its own way to convey its intentions without voicing out them.

Should Jax feel happy that he could at least understand the meaning of its silence or feel frustrated for being ignored by a weird yet stubbornly childish system with murderous tendencies?

Well, the system ignoring him was also a good thing. He could also pretend that he didn't know anything and would see what it would do next.

Ten minutes...

Twenty minutes...

Half an hour...

And when it was almost an hour, and Jax was busy proving himself innocent and just as the judge was going to conclude the outcome of this argumentation in his dreamland, Nexus couldn't keep silent anymore and started urging him again.

[Jax, you are wasting too much time. We only have a little more than fifty eight hours. How could you still sleep when you have idled for more than thirteen hours?]

Nexus high pitched shrill screams startled the young man so much that he would have dropped himself to the ground and landed on his rear from the shock for being forced awake from such a satisfying dream.

'Damn you, stupid system. Are you trying to kill me?'

[No, actually its the opposite.]

Nexus replied in the same righteous yet annoyingly excited voice.

And as usual, Jax chose to ignore its over enthusiasm.

What else could he do?

'Whatever, what is your problem now?'

[You already know it.]

Jax could sense the matter of fact undertone to its voice.

Yes, he knew it very well. But that doesn't mean, he would eagerly bare his jugular vein for the system to slit it and kill him directly.

Somehow, Jax knew that taking up such quests was not a one time affair. And he didn't want to become a killer, then live as a criminal for the rest of his life also. Nope. He wasn't willing to.

Nexus could scream, shout or even drill his ears until he was deaf, but he wouldn't let himself turn into an outlaw. Fat chance!

Thus he chose to do what he was the best in doing. Being ignorant of everything. Even if it cost him his ears and sanity, he would still be standing firm on this decision of his until the end.

'No, I don't.'

And this time, it was Jax's turn to answer back cheerfully.

[Jax being stubborn wouldn't do you any good, and it will only make things even harder for both of us.]

However, Nexus words couldn't waver his decision, because Jax felt that dealing with that rougish man and his minions felt much better than becoming a black hat.

[Actually, following the instructions given to you was the best ever thing you could do to help yourself. ]

Nexus hinted, but Jax wasn't in a mood to entertain him. So, he only replied nonchalantly.

'I don't understand what you are trying to say.'

[It is wise of you to man- up and start working over this task. Now!]

Nexus pressed.

'Why?'

[If your target was still breathing even after the allocated time for you to complete the mission was run out, you will be the one to say goodbye to this world.]