I Hate You, System

[Nah, this piece of information deserves a quest. I've got just the thing…]

[Ding! New Quest Available!]

[Quest: Korak Isn't Just for You

Goal: Feed the 3 doses of Korak you just created to individuals outside your family

Quest Conditions: By the end of the day (23:59), feed all 3 doses of Korak you created today to any 3 living beings aside from yourself or members of your family.

Reward: Answers, XP +100

Penalty: 'Seed of Chaos' System, Rogork, gets control of your body for 30 minutes at a time of its choosing

Failure Condition(s): You or your family members drink Korak instead, and/or less than 3 separate individuals drink Korak by 23:59 today, (hidden condition)]

Alesha's eyes widened and she choked on a curse as she read the quest details. This was by far the worst quest she'd been given yet, in terms of her "humanity." If she carried out the quest, she would be giving Korak to three people outside of her family, thereby risking not just exposure of her Chaotic ties but also roping normal people into the problems she herself was dealing with! But if she didn't, and failed the quest, who knew when the System would seize control of her, and what it would do when it did. If there was anything she was certain of, it was that the System was not a well-intentioned being. In fact, it was likely downright evil. And what was with that hidden failure condition?!

"I hate you, System," she whispered, defeat dripping from her voice. She had no choice but to comply. And that was what she hated the most about this. 

[I'm glad, Host,] the System replied, sounding smug. It wasn't the least bit put off by her ire; it even sounded pleased! Just what kind of being was the System? Was it some sort of devil? This possibility was seeming more and more plausible the longer she knew the System.

Well, nothing for it now. She had to carry out this quest somehow, and she was already in someone else's home. 

She went to the kitchen and grabbed two cups, filling one with water all the way and one halfway. She then added a bottle of Korak to the half-filled cup, grabbed it with her left hand and the pure water one with her right, and walked to the room where her brother and Marshall were hanging out. 

Dennis noticed his sister walking in and called out, "Heyyy Alesha! Whatcha got there?" 

"Water for you two!" She replied with a smile. Dennis noticed that it was a little forced, but instead of saying anything about it, he gave her a big hug in an attempt to cheer her up. 

"Thanks, sis!" He said, reaching for the cup in her left hand.

"Nope, yours is this one," Alesha corrected, lifting her left hand out of his reach and giving him the cup in her right. "You're my right-hand man, not Marshall!"

Dennis laughed and relented, grabbing the cup she offered him. Marshall tried to refuse the water, saying he wasn't thirsty, but when Alesha insisted, saying he needed to stay hydrated even if he didn't want to, he gave in. Alesha made sure he drank every last drop.

Internally, she asked the System if anything had changed about the boy. 

[I calibrated the potion so that it wouldn't take effect for another 24 hours,] the System replied. [This will keep the Alliance off our trail.]

With a jot of realization and a little bit of horror, Alesha figured out the System's plan. With this, the System was trying to redirect the Alliance's attention away from them. But if she did what she had just done and gave it to people she knew… 

Crap, this quest wasn't going to be as easy as she had initially thought. Was this related to the hidden failure condition?

[You're on the right track,] the System added.

Of course the System was back in a helpful mood. It was getting its way, so now it would help her out. This was so frustrating!!

"I really, really hate you, Rogork," Alesha thought towards the System with as much aggression as she could muster.

[Good,] the System responded.

Why was that a good thing??

Turning her attention back to the present, Alesha collected their empty cups, bade them have fun and went back to the kitchen.

She had a feeling that whatever happened to Marshall the next day would not be along the lines of "fun."