Chapter 2

[Ding!]

Nolan sat up, surprised by the unexpected sound that resounded in his room... or is it in his head? He looks around to potentially find the source of the sound, but much to his confusion, nothing in his room seemed to be able to make that sound, much less make it.

He shakes his head and lied down again. He was about to pick up his phone when the sound rang again...

[Ding!]

"Okay, whose shit personality did that sound come from?" Panic and fear filled his mind and he stands up immediately to find something that he could protect himself with in case shit goes south real quick. Sadly, he didn't find anything, so he settled with his pillow that is... quite thick, he justifies his poor decision making.

Logic doesn't seem to enter your head during desperate times, apparently.

[Ding! Assimilation in Progress...

...18%]

The sound rang again, this time, with... dialogue? Nevertheless, this still scared the shit out of Nolan. He dove into his sheets, kneeling as he pulled it over his head. His ass still hanging in the air, albeit covered, with the pillow that he was about to use as a weapon as a protection for his head in case the... monster (his imagination ran wild, forgive him) suddenly decided to eat him head first.

[Ding! Assimilation in Progress...

...42%]

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I'M SORRY... for whatever I did, I guess... BUT DON'T EAT ME PLEASEEEEE!" The poor, paranoid boy shouts his vocal cords out, begging mercy from the figment of his imagination.

[Ding! Assimilation in Progress...

...69%]

Suddenly, a thought passed through the boy's mind, allowing a sliver of rational thinking (finally) to enter his head.

'Could this be...?' Glee is palpable in his thoughts... 'This is a system, isn't it? I mean... it has to be... right?'

In excitement, Nolan sits up, although still kneeling on the bed, and much to his surprise- and joy- he saw a blue window that is floating in his line of sight.

"YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!" He shouts with his arms raised in the air. He punches the air in excitement.

[Ding! Assimilation in Progress...

...82%]

"Oh, don't worry, dear System, take your time, I'm not in any rush... *pff* not at all," If the maids were still in the house and have heard or even saw him, they would believe that the young master had gone crazy... out of the world that he trapped himself into- which is a matter that is to be celebrated for - but still crazy.

Nolan's insides were churning and turning and swirling like crazy from elation... This was what he was waiting for! The thing that would change his life, and make it fun and interesting! How can he not be?! He had been dying for this all his life!

'Wait... does that mean that an apocalypse or some sort is coming?' Chills ran down his spine, however, the thought quickly fades when the System made another sound

[Ding! Assimilation in Progres...

...98%...

...99%...

...100%...

Assimilation is successful.

Booting up the System...

...Congratulations, host! You have assimilated with the Copy and Paste System. Would you like to know of its features?]

"It's here! It's really really here! Oh my god, I'm so excited!" Nolan leaves his bed and danced around his room. The blue square, the System Interface following him. "Yes! yes! I would love to!"

As soon as Nolan had expressed his intentions to know about the System, an explosion of blue boxes happened, which overwhelmed the boy.

"Ah! Could you please organize the information so that it is not hard to comprehend, and is not overwhelming."

[...Certainly.] All of the blue boxes disappeared from sight for a couple of seconds. They returned as a stack of gold-colored screens, each one is bordered with regal designs which almost made them feel and look like they were ancient scrolls.

[The Copy and Paste System.

System Functions:

Observe

- The [Observe] Function allows the host view other's status boards.

- Information shown depends on the user's and target's level difference.

Copy

- The [Copy] Function allows the host to copy Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects from a target.

- The host can [Copy] Items, Traits, and Effects from a target indefinitely.

- Items can only be copied if they are inside the host's [Inventory].

- The host can copy Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, and Titles only thrice per day, resetting at midnight, [Copy] counts are stackable. Copying ability for depends on the user's stamina stat.

- The host can [Copy] without needing interactions to happen between him and the target.

Paste

- The [Paste] Function allows the host to paste copied Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects from a target to another target.

- The host can [Paste] copied Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects from a target to another target indefinitely.

- The host can [Paste] without needing interactions to happen between him and the target.

Delete

- The [Delete] Function allows the host to temporarily or permanently remove Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects from a target.

- The host can [Delete] Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects only once per target, resetting at midnight.

- The host can [Delete] without needing interactions to happen between him and the target.

Fusion

- The host can [Fuse] Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects only thrice per day, resetting at midnight.

- Fusing ability depends on the user's stamina stat.

Enhance

- The host can [Enhance] Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Traits, and Effects at the expense of Enhancing Points. Given 10 points at midnight, stackable.

Enchant

- The host can [Enchant] an Item at the expense of Enchanting Points. Given 20 points at midnight, stackable.

Database

- The host's copied Skills, Abilities, Classes, Talents, Titles, Items, Traits, and Effects can be pasted in the [Database] for later pasting.

Inventory

- The host can store items in an unlimited Inventory.

- The inventory has 3 sections, the Time-Halt, Time-Accelerate, and Time-Slow sections.

- Items stored in the Time-Halt section are put under stasis.

- Items stored in the Time-Accelerate section have their time accelerated as per the host's wish. Time adjustment is available for each item slots.

- Items stored in the Time-Slow section have their time slowed as per the host's wish. Time adjustment is available for each item slots.

- Items stored in the Inventory is automatically stored into the Time-Stop section. Requires manual or prompted transfer items to Time-Accelerate or Time-Stop sections.

- Items can be automatically arranged depending on the set criteria.

Shop

- The host can shop/sell/bid in the System Shop at the expense/gain of System Coins.

- User is rewarded System Coins for achievements.]

Along with visual texts and representations of the functions, the System provided verbal dissemination for Nolan. The boy felt like a boss whose employees are presenting their ideas to him.

'Isn't this overpowered?' The boy's jaw is slacked the more the System discusses its functions to him. 'That Copy and Paste function is enough to make me stand in the pinnacle of this world, however, there are still more?'

Nolan is no less than thrilled to have been given an overpowered system such as this. This system has a lot of potential and opportunities to make Nolan the most powerful being in this world- the universe, rather- if he plays it right!

'Wait... something is not right...' Nolan's bubble of excitement burst all of a sudden when the thought that he had forgotten earlier came back.

'If I were to base from the novels that I read, if the world was normal, I would have received a system that can make me rich- not that I would need it, I AM rich, after all- or smart, or strong, but not to an extent where this system could literally allow me to destroy the world... wait a minute...'

"System... Something is about to go wrong if you are here, isn't it? Something bad."

[... Affirmative]

With that one word, Nolan felt like he had been poured a bucket of water filled with ice... It seems that he had hit the nail on the head. Again, if he were to base on the novels that he had read, then...

"It's an apocalypse... isn't it?"

[... Affirmative]

"Oh my god! D-do you know what kind of apocalypse is it? A plague? Wars? Monsters? Z-zombies? Oh god, no... Mom! Dad!"

With the system proving his doubts, his mind immediately flew towards his parents who had just left yesterday...

'They must be flying using our private plane... maybe... maybe I still have time to call them to make them go back!'

Nolan hurriedly rushed towards his bed where his phone is laid, and immediately unlocks it. He searches through his contacts for his parents, and found 'Dad' first. He pressed the call button straight away and put the phone to his ears.

The ringing tone that comes when making a call felt like it is lasting for an eternity as Nolan anxiously pacing back and forth, biting his nails, while his head ran through different unpleasant scenarios... all of which his parents perish, much to his fear.

Not much later, the call had been answered.

"N-Nolan?" Joy was apparent to Romeo's voice that resounded from the phone. Nolan felt relieved to know that nothing happened to his parents... for now, that is.

"D-dad! Please... I know that what I would have said will not make any sense so I'm going to skip that part out. I just need to to trust me when I say that you have to go back here." Nolan was frantic and was rambling, but nevertheless conveyed what he wanted to say.

"Alright, I'm going to talk to the pilot," Romeo says. "Catalina, hold this for me please." Nolan's dad seemed to have passed the phone to his Mom.

"Nolan, honey, please hold on for a minute. Your Dad and I are going to talk to the pilot and see to it that he turns back around. Wait for a bit okay?" Catalina's soft voice sounded from the phone.

"Okay, Mom." Catalina seemed to have not waited for her son's answer because there was a sharp sound of heels clinking on the floor which let Nolan know that Catalina was following Romeo.

A few seconds later, shouts sounded from Nolan's phone that revived the nerves from his body, once again drowning him in anxiety. While he was waiting for news from his parents, his eyes coincidentally wandered to his digital clock whose figures that tell time were glowing.

It read, 2:57:20 AM.

This figure freaked Nolan the hell out. He is getting this ominous feeling that he cannot shake off.

"...what do you mean you cannot?! Our son needs us back at home!" Romeo's shouts are vaguely heard from the call.

2:59:19, Somehow, Nolan cannot take his eyes off the clock.

"I do understand the urgency, sir, but we cannot just turn the plane back around. There are regulations we need to follow, and what you wish to do simply violates them."

2:59:31

"I do not give a flying fuck about the regulations, turn this plane back around, or I swear to God I am going to knock you out and turn it myse-" His father's words were cut off, and what followed were Catalina's screams of terror.

This situation is not common, as it is currently happening around the globe. As soon as the clock had hit 3:00:00, a huge earthquake had affected the whole world.

Nolan stumbles because of the intensity of the quake. He made a quick crawl under his bed to protect him to potential dangers.

"M-mom, what happened?!" He asks into his phone. He knows for a fact that his parents did not feel that quake since they are literally not on the ground, so it's either a mouse fell on his mother's head, or something unfathomable happened for her to scream that badly.

Unfortunately, the phone let out only static, and not the words that he wished to hear from either of his parents.

"M-mom, answer me, please! Dad!"

It had been a few minutes and the quake still had not abated. It still continues, and was still going strong. However, Nolan did not mind this as he feared for his parents' lives more than for his.

"*bzzt* g-god... *bzzt* is *bzzt* --ragon? *bzzt*" The call disconnected after a final, long static. Tears that threatened to fall off of Nolan's eyes since earlier fell as he overthinks about what had happened to his parents.

A minute later, and the earthquake stopped. Nolan waited for a few minutes before going out of the bed. He was about to stand up until his legs gave out.

"*sobs* Mom, Dad..." Heartbreaking sobs break out of Nolan as he lies down on his floor, and curls up in a fetus position while desperately calling out to his parents...

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I hope this chapter did not confuse you too much. I don't think I properly conveyed what I intended to convey in this chapter. I apologize, I still suck as an author.

Still, thank you so much for reading!