chapter 3: Fuyuki

As I wake up from my bed, I look around the room. It has minimal decorations with a table, a laptop, and a few books and tools next to it. The room is connected to two doors. I walk to the first door and think, "A bathroom, huh? That's sweet that I get to have my own." It was a normal bathroom with a toilet, sink, and a mirror above. There was a drawer that had all the essentials I needed, so I took my time and freshened up.

After that, I took the other door and left my room. It was connected to a hallway. I would love to explore this place, but I had been meaning to look for something. Hint: it's a red dumbass. As I go downstairs and turn left, I enter the living room. From there, I enter the kitchen and the dining room, which were connected, and see a floating screen flipping eggs on a pan.

"So you were here, System. I have been looking for you for a while," I say, annoyed that I had worried it had gone.

{Ahh, Host is worried I will leave. That's cute, but don't worry, I am here to stay,} the System says as it's preparing my breakfast: two toasts, avocado, and two pan-fried eggs.

"Of course, I almost had a heart attack after I got out of the bathroom, realizing you were gone. I don't have magic circuits, so I have to rely on you for mana," I say to it, annoyed that it got the chance to tease me.

{Yes, whatever you say, Host. I know that was also your worry, but I can also hear your thoughts and sad feelings when you thought your friend Karma left you,} System says smugly, which really annoys me.

"STOP reading my mind!" I shout as I start to eat my breakfast before cough cough. I almost choked myself. {What's wrong, User? I thought I made human food. Are you okay?}

"Wait, what? You have a name, and you didn't tell me until now?" I asked, shocked, since usually in these types of fanfics, the MC will give their system a name.

{Of course, I have a name. Everybody has a name. How is that shocking? Though I must say, it's quite late for introductions, but I am Karma. Please take care of me,} Karma says while making her interface look like she is making a bow while introducing herself properly.

"Karma, huh? Got it. Anyway, I wanted to ask if there are any sub-quests or hidden quests while I am doing this," I ask her to know more about my predicament.

{No, User, you don't have any such quests. If there were, it would be presented with the main quest. During a main quest, we don't give more quests, as the quest system wasn't made primarily for the user,} Karma drops a bombshell out of nowhere.

"Wait, what do you mean it wasn't made for me? I am the user, aren't I? Then who else is it made for?" I ask her to clarify.

{Yes, I would love to do that, User, but the thing is, you will get to that after you complete the first quest. Right now, the info won't benefit you much. Also, User, you should learn to eat quickly and exercise during the Grail War. It would be bad if your stamina can't keep up with your need,} Karma says while moving the interface in a way that looks like she is pointing at me.

"Well, I guess you are right. I can barely run for 3 minutes and get tired. I should build myself up before the war," I say, having no counter-argument as her advice was solid.

{Umu, that's the spirit! Now eat quickly. I got a perfect routine for you, User,} it says excitedly. Wait...

"Umu? Is that you, Nero?" I think jokingly, and the System gets confused, probably reading my mind and having no clue who Nero is. "Ahahhahah," I laugh, finding the System's confusion funny for some reason.

{Host, you shouldn't laugh at my lack of knowledge,} it says, acting annoyed that I am laughing at it. {Hahahaha,} it seems like it also wants to join in on the laughter.

And I ate the breakfast made by the System while laughing with it.

After breakfast, I sat back in my chair, pondering the challenges that lay ahead. The Grail War was no joke, and I needed to be prepared for anything. Karma's words echoed in my mind, reminding me of the importance of physical fitness and stamina. I decided that the first step in my preparation would be to get a better understanding of the town's layout.

I left the house, determined to explore every nook and cranny of the town. Jogging would serve multiple purposes: it would help build my speed, energy, and endurance while also allowing me to map out the area completely. I needed to identify potential battlegrounds and hidden alleys that could prove useful during the war.

As I set out on my jogging route, I kept my eyes peeled for any landmarks or areas that stood out. Every detail could be crucial in the heat of battle, and I wasn't going to leave anything to chance.

As I jogged through the town, I spotted a girl who kinda felt weirdly similar, maybe? other then that She didn't seem all that special, but man, her face caught me off guard. She had these silver and red eyes, looking like something out of a fantasy book, and she seemed to be in her 20s. For a moment, I thought about getting her number - she was an absolute stunner, after all. But then it hit me, that after the Grail War, I'd be sent back to the boat, so what's the point in making connections that won't last? With that thought, I shrugged it off and kept on jogging

After my jog, I went to the riverbank to do an exercise routine that Karma crafted for me. She said the routine was designed to make me more flexible and build stamina. I also agree that fighting is good, but in the Grail War, Servants will be there, so being able to dodge and run would be better. Though seeing how Karma lacked knowledge about the Grail War, she probably thought of this advice instead of fighting because she didn't want to see me hurt. That's nice of her.

{User, you get me so well, to see through me like this. But even in your thoughts, can you call me Karma now that you know my name and stop calling me 'it'? I am a maiden, you know, in the System ecosystem,} she says, now pouting and seemingly sad that I am referring to her as 'it' instead of using her name and proper pronouns.

"Wait, so Systems have gender?" I ask, curious to learn more about it. However, people around me heard me and looked at me funny and confused. I should shut up in public.

{Yes, User. As the System becomes one with the user, we slowly get the body of the same species as the user, and I chose a female form. So it should be coming out slowly as you complete quests. This is also a reason we try to get a host, not just for quests; we also benefit from getting a body and much more,} she explains to me, also telling me the reason why she goes to such lengths to see me succeed. So the reason is that she also benefits from this situation. That makes sense.

I continued to talk to Karma as she just read my thoughts and replied while doing my exercises for the day.

3rd person POV:

A blond girl with red eyes was walking on the bridge when she looked down and noticed a boy exercising. The boy wasn't anything special to the girl, as she had seen many great figures, yet for some reason, he caught her attention. It wasn't due to any special ability or uniqueness; it was a sense of familiarity.

"Curses," the blond-haired girl said, suddenly holding her head. It was clear by her posture that she was having a headache. "That boy... who is he, and why do I feel like I know that mongrel?" she asked with a mix of arrogance, annoyance, and a hint of curiosity. However, before she could get over her sudden headache and look back to where the boy was, he had already left.

The girl stared at the spot where the boy had been, deep in thought, before walking away, still pondering something.

MC POV:

After my exercise, I returned home covered in sweat. I quickly took a bath and got out, ready for lunch. Karma had done it again; she made a magnificent lunch, a dish I had never had called momo. It was like a dumpling but with a different texture.

"This is delicious," I said with my mouth full, and Karma nodded in approval, making the top of the interface move up and down.

{Okay, User, I know you are enjoying your food, but now I would like to give you an important choice that can change this entire quest. It seems there is again a shift in this timeline caused by the irregularity that I felt when making dinner,} Karma said with a very serious tone, seeming to be quite serious about whatever had happened.

After Story:

[In the backrooms - I mean, in the after story - we can see Junior trying to get away from Forgotten as she hugs Junior's waist while crying.]

Junior: "Stop crying, you dumbass, and get away! You will get your tears and snot all over me!"

[Junior says as she pushes harder.]

Forgotten: "How can I not? I am not shadowy! The universe forgot how I even look, and even my voice is weird! The text says I am Forgotten - I am not! My name is *^&%&%$! You know why isn't it being displayed? WHY?!"

[Forgotten cries harder as she hugs Junior and rubs her face on her clothes.]

Junior: "Stop! Stop! St-"

[With that, we will close our after story.]