The Dark Request

Blue rune-like symbols had been etched onto the golden door's outer surface that glowed with an eerie light.

Sui Li walked towards the door with hesitant steps as she mentally prepared herself for the upcoming teleportation.

She took in a deep breath and then grabbed the wooden handle with all the strength that she could muster.

The door swung open, and her figure was sucked inside. Sui Li's body was tossed and squeezed through an endless passageway of floating light orbs.

She could see her limbs bending and stretching to impossible lengths as if they were made of rubber or some kind of elastic material.

Sui Li closed her eyes and only reopened them when she felt her feet land on solid ground. She found herself standing in the middle of a room that was completely white.

In front of her was the 'system.'

It was vaguely humanoid in appearance, but its skin was a dull greyish colour with two silvery wings sprouted out from its back.

A forked tail swayed gently from side to side, and it possessed sharp bone-like claws instead of normal hands.

The plain white mask on its face concealed everything except for two dark purplish eyes that stared at her in complete shock.

[You're still alive?!]

[Did you like my fake surprise? Apparently, my other hosts have complained that I'm too 'emotionless'.]

"I guess… more importantly… I just finished the mission, but the only issue is that I don't have my memories from that world," Sui Li replied calmly.

The creature tilted its head in confusion and took a glowing orange orb from its pocket and threw it at her.

Sui Li caught it with relative ease and looked at the object in her hand. It was around the size of her palm and felt warm and comforting.

[Standard operation procedure involves wiping an agent's memories after a mission… so you fragile humans don't go crazy.]

[I stored your memory in that orb so feel free to waste your time watching it if you like… honestly, I'm a bit curious how a mere side character managed to stabilise a grade S world.]

"Can't you look at the memories and find out?" Sui Li asked curiously as she fiddled with the orb.

The creature stroked an imaginary beard hanging from the bottom of his mask and fiddled with his claws.

[No… I am not allowed to access your memories without your permission. Do you wish to grant me authorisation?]

"No," Sui Li subconsciously replied.

She froze in shock because for a moment it was as though someone else was speaking through her.

[Thought so… well frankly I don't really care that much.]

The creature let out a heavy sigh then made a series of complicated hand gestures using his claws.

[Apparently your performance has caught the attention of some higher ups so you will be assigned another mission immediately.]

"Don't I need some rest or at least a vacation?" Sui Li hurriedly asked.

[Nope.]

[Look can you not be so selfish? The sooner you become a proper agent… the sooner I can leave this blasted department and return to my rightful place as a 'Male Protagonist System'.]

[I don't even know why the higher ups are paying so much attention to what must surely be a lucky fluke.]

The creature turned around and its bone-like claws reached up and gently removed the white mask covering its face.

A piece of parchment paper mysteriously appeared in the air above the 'system'.

There were purplish-red runes etched onto the parchment's surface and the creature gently tapped its claws against the sheet.

It muttered a few incomprehensible words in a language that Sui Li could not understand but she could feel the power contained within them.

[Alright so are you ready?]

"No…" Sui Li's voice trailed off as the 'system' waved its claws and she discovered that her body was now frozen in place.

[That was a rhetorical question… it isn't my concern if you are ready or not…]

[Good luck I guess… this world you'll definitely need it…]

A noise that sounded like glass shattering echoed through the space and then a black portal formed at her feet.

Sui Li could only glare resentfully at the 'system' as her body was sucked into the portal, and she disappeared to an unknown location.

She reopened her eyes to find herself in a tiny room no bigger than a regular bedroom with four plain white walls.

A single light bulb was hung in the center of the room that provide dim lighting and occasionally flickered.

This was a familiar place.

It was where she had met Claire Blanlyn and struck a deal to use her body for a lifetime.

Sui Li shifted nervously before looking down and discovering that the orange orb had disappeared from her hand.

She panicked for a moment but then felt a strange feeling in her mind. Sui Li concentrated, and the orange orb reappeared in her hand.

She stopped focusing and the orb disappeared once again.

Sui Li experimented a few more times but had to stop when a mysterious cloud floated into the room.

"Are you the wish granter?" a cold feminine voice asked in a sharp tone.

"Yes… in exchange for the right to use your body… I can fulfil any request that you have… well at least within reason," Sui Li hesitantly spoke.

The floating cloud trembled violently, and Sui Li got the impression that someone within the cloud was laughing.

Gradually the gaseous mass formed the shape of a woman just as the lightbulb went out and the room was plunged into complete darkness.

A few seconds later the dim lighting returned, and Sui Li saw a plain ordinary office lady sitting across from her on a wooden chair.

She wore a simple pair of black pants and a white shirt that completely hid her figure.

Her face would be indistinguishable from a crowd, but her eyes were unforgettable.

There was a darkness hidden in her gaze that was almost hypnotic. The woman adjusted her posture to get into a more comfortable position before staring at Sui Li.

"Do you think people are good?" the woman casually asked in a plain tone.

It was an unexpected question that threw Sui Li off for a moment.

"Um… I think the world is filled with people who are a mixture of both…" Sui Li replied after giving it some thought.

"There are terrible people, but I think on the whole… the good outnumbers the bad."

The plain woman furrowed her brows and stared off into the distance. She seemed to be looking at both Sui Li and someone else through her body.

"You will lose that optimism if you visit my world," the woman softly replied as she absentmindedly played with her thumbs.

"When social order breaks down… those kind and friendly people… they turn into nothing more than savages."

"The first ones to suffer are always the women and the children... believe me… there is no monster more terrifying than humanity..."

The woman's voice trailed off as she lost herself in the memories that had kept her awake through many a sleepless night.

"Do you want to know what my request is?" she suddenly asked.

The woman threw back her head and laughed scarily as madness gleamed in her eyes. She grabbed Sui Li's hands and stared at her with a frightening gaze.

"Use my gift. Use it and kill so many people that your hands are stained with blood and keep on killing until you fix that rotten world," the woman spoke hoarsely.