Problematic Features

Riva had been unsuccessful in her search for an appropriate target for taming. She desperately wanted it to be a monster.

In her search, she only found somewhat mutated animals. They were in the process of becoming monsters. These mutations were common in areas with dungeons. The wild mana they exuded was estimated to be the cause.

She had come across two more dungeons on her path. She didn't enter for now. One couldn't tell a dungeon's level based on its exterior. Only magicians with the ability to sense mana were able to predict it. And even then a highly dangerous dungeon with just one enemy in a single room would exude the same aura as a huge dungeon filled with weak mobs.

Riva stopped. Her eyes shone with a red light and she bent down to examine the tiny footprint in front of her. She released a bit of her 'Self Control' over 'Craving for Life' and sniffed the air.

Gnomes! And more than one.

Gnomes were classified as a more intelligent variation of goblins. Small in build and mostly living underground. It also wasn't rare for them to be proficient with minor earth magic.

Why do I associate them with red pointy hats, white beards, and lawns? Riva questioned herself. She was sure that these gnomes had little to do with either.

They are weak individually but just like goblins, become dangerous in groups. Riva pursued the tracks. A gnome was a good target for taming. She would be able to escape, as long as she didn't let herself become surrounded or cornered.

A bit later the tracks led her to a small forest clearing.

Riva approached it with knit brows. She smelled blood, gnome blood, and traces of a big fire. After she examined the tracks inside the clearing, Riva was sure of what had occurred. A devastating battle was fought around three days ago involving the gnomes.

Their opponent was a squad of human adventurers and they had exterminated the gnomes mercilessly then burned the bodies. This was a customary precaution against naturally occurring cases of necromancy.

Riva was certain that these were exterminators from the sweep.

Even if there were surviving gnomes, they would have long since fled.

Riva busied herself and thoroughly checked the surroundings for anything useful that may have been left behind. She needed new clothes and something to be used as a weapon.

Not that a gnome's equipment would fit her even without taking her tall stature into consideration.

The more she saw the traces of battle the more she became aware of the fact, that she, just like the gnomes, would be slaughtered, if she was unfortunate enough and met an adventurer party.

Riva needed a way to assuredly increase her fighting strength.

"Hey, system, can you show me my stats, and if possible make it a habit to show me whatever you know instead of not showing anything at all only because you're missing some of the data?"

[Routine change successful]

┌─────────────────────────────── ─ ─

│ Name: Riva

│ Race: Human Undead [Evolution currently not possible]

│ EvolutionStage: Newly Risen

├─────────────────────────────── ─ ─

│ Health: Le

│ Mana: Unavailable

│ Life Energy (Le): 16

├─────────────────────────────── ─ ─

│ Strength: Lower Average

│ Endurance: Le

│ Speed: Average

│ Physical Defense: Above Average

│ Magic: Unavailable

├─────────────────────────────── ─ ─

│ Skills:

│ Physical: Haste[2 Le],

│ Mind: Self Control(Level(1)), Predator Aura[1 Le]

│ Special: Taming(Level(1)) [? Le]

│ Racial: Craving for Life, Devourer of Life(Level(1)

└─────────────────────────────── ─ ─

"You've added more information, nice!"

"Say, is there any other way to strengthen my stats other than through evolution?"

[Affirmative, the most convenient for user is through special skills]

"Is it possible to purchase skills, just as I did with the 'Self Control' and 'Taming'?"

[With the latest update, system can suggest skills to user that user can then purchase with an appropriate amount of life energy]

"Why make it so complicated? Can't you just show me all the available skills at once?"

[Does user want to request feature?]

"I can do that?!"

[Affirmative, with the latest update user can now actively make suggestions*]

When she read the message, Riva squinted her eyes in suspicion.

"What's that tiny star doing there? Is it something you're keeping from me once again?"

[System has no intention of withholding relevant information from user. The '*' merely signifies available additional information concerning the topic]

[{*Disclaimer: The architect of the TDH System reserves the right to decide if and how to respond to any given feedback.}]

Riva paused when she read that last bit of information. Then she grinned mischievously.

"A message from the system architect, is it?"

[In his name]

"Haha!" Riva laughed and rolled her eyes at the system's nitpicking.

"You're implying their lawyer wrote this, huh?"

[System does not know]

Riva had a hunch that the system was trying to distract her from the real issue.

"Whatever, back to topic! I couldn't be sure before but this proves it: There's a single architect, and it's a person capable of normal human-like thought. Most interesting!" Her grin widened "Also the Disclaimer makes it sound like there is a need to defend himself against some kind of law!"

"If that's so, then I want to talk to the system architect!"

[Requested action not available]

Riva had expected the reply. She would have to do it the roundabout way.

"Let me write a suggestion!"

A new window containing an empty field and a header opened in front of Riva's eyes. She couldn't find any way to input text.

"How am I supposed to write?"

[Topic: How am I supposed to write?]

Her words appeared inside the window's header.

"Hey! No! Delete that last bit. It uses voice input - figures!"

[Topic: How am I supposed to write?]

[Hey! No! Delete that last bit. I didn't know it would be voice input. Figures.]

The window updated.

"Arg! Goddammit! Listen to me, for crying out loud!"

[...Arg! Goddammit! Listen to me, for crying out loud!] Her words continued to appear inside the window.

Riva stopped herself from cursing out loud.

I can't rewrite the message, maybe I could finish this one and start a new one.

"Send message?" She tried without result other than the form faithfully added her words to the text.

It's not taking any commands and there are no buttons. I can't touch it either. After all, it's simply projected into my mind.

"Hey, system, are you there?" Riva inquired.

She was half expecting no response. Then she would be stuck with a window that recorded her text for all eternity. Such a fabulous and most useful system!

[Affirmative]

Her fears were proven wrong and a familiar window containing the system's response popped up next to the one containing her message. This one had just added the words she had directed towards the system.

"Isn't there any text input? And how can I delete or send the message?"

[There is no text input nor can the message be edited. It will be sent once the target character count of 100 000 has been reached] the system replied.

"100 000?! that might take a while!" Riva grumbled and watched her words appear.

"Didn't you send Suggestions without my say before the update? Can you add something for me?"

[Affirmative, system can report features by marking them as problematic]

"Mark everything as problematic, thanks!"