Chapter 10: A Conversation With The System

[ Expressionless Awakener ]

I slowly got off the taxi and paid the taxi driver, And slowly walked inside the school gates.

I remembered the banned song mentioned by my teacher but i got lazy thinking about it, and shook it off like it was nothing.

I slowly felt the Gossips and the whispers from the other students outside the school entrance.

"Hey...Isn't that the guy who defeated the S Class monster from the banquet..?"A student asked and whispered to the other student.

"Yeah..I heard he used a banned song and defeated the other monsters easily."The student whispered back.

I felt the glances and stares from the other students as i slowly walked through the school entrances.

It got exacerbated as i entered the school entrance.

I felt confused and extremely uncomfortable.

'Why do these people keep talking about the incident from the banquet..? this isn't high school!!' I thought as i pouted but at the same time, in an expressionless way.

Normally, this is like high school, it's just that the students are older but still act like children, just like my step-brother. [Micheal johnson]

Because of the student's glares and gossip, I ran towards the hallways holding a map, so i could avoid the whispers of other students and try not to get lost again.

I have gotten lost inside the school for many..many times now despite being here for at least two years.

Finally,I found my dorm from the student dormitory and went inside.

I sighed very deeply.

I folded the map and put it into my pocket, and put my hand on my forehead.

'Why did this happen of all things...? I didn't even disturb the story for the whole entire two years until now!' I muttered expressionlessly.

I went to the special room, thus; The music room, and played a few instruments to keep myself calm and relaxed.

♪♪♪

I sang silently..

♪ I whispered to your ears like the winds of the earth..♪

I sang but only on the first verse.

Despite that, I was able to relax myself and finally felt the calmness of the melody.

....

After a while I put back the instruments and arranged them well, Afterwards, i went to my bedroom. The music room was closest to the bedroom, so i went straight inside.

I noticed a random letter in the corner of my bed.

'Huh..?'I thought.

I took the letter and unfolded it.

It read;

[ "Good morning kim johnson, I will give you a whole two days of break before you get assigned to your new class, since you got discharged early from the hospital, i thought it would be nice if you would take a break. So please rest well inside your dorm or relax yourself by exploring the school property."  ]

[ "From; Mrs. Ann willow" ]

I quietly read the letter. It was sent by my teacher, I could tell since her name is on the letter.

I sat on my bed and the tip of my hair wiggled and showed excitement.

'Two days..? I guess i'll take it.'' I excitedly thought.

I rewinded what happened back at the hospital entrance and remembered the so-called "System" that i just experienced a few hours ago.

'So...how do i call the system?' I thought.

Suddenly, A blue screen lit out of nowhere!

I jumped a bit from the sudden light.

I stared at it for a while as the system was still loading.

'....'

'I guess i don't have to find a way to call the system i guess.' I thought.

The screen finally loaded in and showed a friendly greeting.

[ Good morning, Kim lee! Remember me? :3 ]

I saw the emoji on the right side of the sentence.

'The system is quite lively.' I thought.

[ Hehe, i guess you did remember me! ] The system responded and chuckled like in the text.

'..'

'I remembered in the novel that the system had a silly personality and annoyed the protagonist a lot of times.'

I thought, thinking that the system wouldn't hear my thoughts.

[ I don't always annoy him! ] The system responded.

I stared at it quietly for a while..

'It can read minds????' I was stunned.

[ Hehe! ] The system chuckled again.

'Will...it did read my mind when the system popped up out of nowhere when i was at the hospital entrance.'

'...'

'soo....'

The system was still loading while i was quietly waiting and the atmosphere somehow turned into something awkward during the patient wait.

Finally, the system responded.

[ I didn't expect another reincarnater to reincarnate in this world! ] The system responded enthusiastically.

'....'

I was quiet for a while before i answered back at the system.

'This world is a novel...right?'

I asked the system through my thoughts.

[ Ofcourse! What you experienced from the banquet is the main plot of the novel! ] The system answered.

'....'

I was quiet and felt a bit of regret as i vaguely remembered a few memories from the banquet.

I sighed deeply.

'I ignored all of the plots and storylines from the novel for at least two years now..despite not knowing them.'

[ Will... At least you were able to ignore the characters from the novel you read for two whole years.. isn't it? ] the system replied.

I sighed again deeply.

'Since you're a system..Is it possible if you could show me a video of me after i passed out during the banquet?' I asked politely about the system.

The system loaded for a while before it responded back to me.

[ Will... I guess i could show you a video! Although it's a short one. ] The system responded

I quietly waited for the system as i laid on my bed properly.

The system was still loading.

Finally, the system showed the video.

As i watched the video carefully, I was stunned from what i had just watched.

My eyes widened.

'...'

The tip of my hair tilted and moved to a confused symbol,

But moved back to its state after.

'I did that...?' I was speechless.

'I... didn't mean to....' I drooped. (Along with my expressionless face of course.)

The system somehow noticed and was a bit panicked.

[ !!! ]

[ Hey! It's not your fault!, You're literally a grown man! ] The system frantically tried to make me feel better.

As i read the system, i fixed my posture.

The system actually is a nice program despite its silly personality.

I stared blankly at the system for a while again.

'So... you're a system that makes quests and helps the protagonist right?' I asked the system.

[ Will, i guess you could say that. ] The system replied.

Suddenly, i remembered very vaguely about the blue screen incident from the banquet.

It wasn't quite clear but i wanted to ask the system.

'I saw a similarity of a blue screen like you at the banquet, but i wasn't able to read it since i was really drunk and my eyes were really blurry.' I thought as i blinked twice.

'Was it you at the time?' I asked the system.

[ I don't think so. ] The system replied simply.

'Oh.' i was quiet for a while before responding back.

'Even so...is it possible if you could replay what it said during the banquet incident?' I asked politely.

The system was loading for quite some time before it responded back.

[ It wasn't me at the time, But after i searched for a while, i think i found it. ]

[ It read; "Congratulations! You have awakened a new skill! Would you like to claim it?" ] The system replied.

I was speechless as i read.

'A new skill?' My eyes widened a bit as the tip of my hair wiggled excitedly.

[ I guess so. ] it replied.

'What option did i choose at the time?' I asked the system.

Although, it was quite obvious, Since i am talking to the system right now.

[You chose the option [yes]]

'Oh..'

I suddenly remembered the text that the system replied to.

'System, What did you mean when u said you weren't yourself at the time?'

The system loads for quite a bit before it responds.

[ It wasn't me, but the system itself. ] The system replied.

'But, didn't you say you were THE system?' I asked

[ I did say it, but it still wasn't mr. ] The system replied with a typo.

'huh... so who was it that sent me a new skill then?' i asked the system.

[ It was the system Ai. ] The system responded.

'Ai? Like Artificial intelligence?'

[ Yup. ]  The system replied simply.

[ I cannot control the Ai tho, nor can i try to change the Ai. So I'm only like a Sub-System. ]

'oh..but what did you mean by changing the Ai?'

I asked curiously.

[ Will... It's like this, When the Ai makes a quest for example, I cannot change since it's part of the main system.. No...the Ai itself is the main system. I'm only a sub. ]

'Oh.' I reacted expressionlessly.

'You can make quests and give certain things to players but have a potential limit to the quests and the certain things right?' I asked.

[ I can make sub-quests and give them certain things. ]

[ I could even kill them ]

I was shocked that the system said such a thing,

I was a bit terrified.

[ I'm just joking! I didn't kill anyone! ]

I was still terrified a bit.

'um...' I mumbled silently.

The system was loading for a bit.

[ But it's true that i have a limit on how much i can give quests to the players and how much i can give the rewards. ]

[ there is a rule i cannot break. ] the system replied.

I was quiet for a moment.

'I guess it is what it is.'

I thought.

'One last question, Since we were talking about players, how many did you accompanied?' I curiously asked the system.

[ ... ] The system replied.

The system was still loading for quite some time but it finally responded.

[ only one. ]

'...'

'You don't have any friends.. do you?'

The system screen moved and nodded.

I was a bit confused about how it just moved but shook it off.

'I mean.. there was only one person that could interact with the system and is the only one that is a player and a reincarnater in this world, and its kwan jihu.'

[ That's right. ] the system replied subconsciously.

[ But it's not like hes the only one in this world. ]

I was a bit confused but finally realized.

'I guess..I'm not the only one here either.' I thought simply.

The system was loading for a while.

It's been loading a lot of times during this conversation but i didn't think this loading part would take a lot of my time.

Finally, the system responded.

[ I gotta go now! Kwan jihu might get suspicious of me!! ]

It responded out of nowhere while i was waiting but dozed off instead.

I jumped from the light.

'Huh!? Oh uh...'

'Ok, You can go now. Thank you for interacting with me.'

I thanked the system.

[ ... ] The system was quiet.

'hm?' I titled my head at the system.

[ You're quite different from kwan jihu, You're quite a nice guy to be honest. ]

'oh.. thanks.' I thought about the system.

[ Bye, kim lee. ]

I sent my goodbyes to the system with an;

'See you later.'

The system finally closed off.

'...'

Suddenly my stomach grumbled.

I was hungry and i didn't seem to look at the time when i was having a conversation with the system.

I stood up, dressed myself in proper uniform and went to the cafeteria.

While i was at the cafeteria, there were a few students who ate.

But then again they still gossiped on what happened at the banquet.

I ate the food and ran straight to the students dormitory and went inside my dorm.

I thought for a while as i went inside.

'...'

'The system...Is quite reliable.'

I thought.

[ Expressionless Awakener ]