BOUNDARIES AND BARGAINS

"What in the world...?" Bruce blurted out in shock, his eyes fixed on the message hovering in front of him.

"Master?" Martha's voice jolted him from his trance.

"Eh, it's nothing. Just... the milk was too hot, that's all."

"Hmm? But I made sure to adjust the heat according to your preference, Master."

"No, it's fine. It was my mistake... Could you do me a favor? Bring me a fresh towel and a glass of cold water."

"Master, Mr. Leo specifically instructed me not to give you anything cold..." Martha hesitated.

"Alright... then just bring me a glass of warm water," Bruce replied dismissively, waving her off.

"Yes, Master," Martha responded before hurrying out of the room.

Bruce refocused on the holographic messages floating before him. They brought back memories of similar messages before his untimely demise. Those messages played a part in Josh's greed, which ultimately led to a sword piercing Bruce's heart. Needless to say, Bruce wasn't exactly thrilled to see them again.

"Hey, who are you?" he asked but was met with silence.

"Did you bring me back to the past?" he tried again, receiving no response.

"Well, if you're not gonna talk, I guess I'll just forget about this. No point dwelling on something so secretive," Bruce muttered to himself.

Suddenly, there was a reaction.

"THIS IS THE VENGEANCE SYSTEM. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO HOLD THE GREAT POWER," the message declared in a hoarse systamic voice.

"Aha! I knew you could talk. So, you're the one who brought me back?" Bruce inquired.

"THE USER DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY," the system replied.

"Well, I don't have the authority to drink a glass of cold water either, but here we are. So go screw yourself," Bruce shot back.

"????????"

"WHAT?"

"Didn't you hear me? I said go screw yourself, you shady system."

"THE USER IS STILL NOT AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE SYSTEM."

"THIS IS A POWER EVEN GODS FIGHT TO THE DEATH TO ACQUIRE."

Bruce leaned back in his chair, grinning.

"Well, I hope those gods have good health insurance. Fighting to the death sounds exhausting."

"THE USER IS ASKED TO TAKE THE SITUATION SERIOUSLY. THIS IS A POWER BEYOND YOUR DREAMS. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN," the message echoed ominously.

"Chosen? Chosen for what, a game of bingo?" Bruce retorted.

"Let me guess. You want me to complete some quests, earn crappy points, and level up, right?"

"..."

"Well, I'll take your silence as a yes. But guess what? I couldn't care less about your quests," Bruce continued boldly.

"THE USER HAS A LOT OF REGRETS. YOU CAN CHANGE THE COURSE OF EVENTS," the system insisted.

"Regrets? Oh, trust me, I've got a whole suitcase full of 'em. But changing events? Why bother? In the grand scheme of things, we're all just specks of dust waiting to be swept away," Bruce shrugged.

"THE USER CAN CHANGE DESTINY. THE SYSTEM CAN GIVE YOU POWER," the message persisted.

"Why me? Why am I suddenly the chosen one? And don't give me that 'you have no authority' crap," Bruce scoffed.

"..."

"Listen here. I've seen horrors that would make your circuits sizzle. I've witnessed atrocities that could make a grown man weep. I've seen children killing their own mothers and mothers consuming their own kids in hunger. Do you really think I can change any of that?" Bruce's voice grew somber.

"I've tried to pen down my future, but I can't even fill 20 pages. I'm just a below-average guy with a silver spoon, barely able to tie my shoes," Bruce admitted, frustration seeping into his tone.

"BY FOLLOWING THE SYSTEM RULES YOU CAN BECOME MORE POWERFUL TO CHANGE," the system urged.

"THE SYSTEM CAN GIVE YOU MORE POWER," it repeated.

"I don't trust you," Bruce interjected bluntly. "You manipulated me and my friend into killing each other, didn't you? How can I trust you? You might as well be a demon in disguise. If you had given us some kind of trial, maybe I could understand. But forcing us to murder each other? That's a whole new level of twisted."

"IF THE USER IS NOT WILLING TO FOLLOW THE RULES, THE USER WILL BE TERMINATED," the message warned ominously.

Just as tensions were high with the holographic messages, Martha strolled in with a wet towel and a glass of warm water on a tray.

"Here you go, Master Bruce," she said, placing the tray down and handing him the towel.

Bruce gratefully accepted the towel, using it to clean up the spilled milk from his shirt and hands. Then he reached for the warm water and took a gulp.

"Thanks, Martha. You can go now," Bruce dismissed her, but Martha lingered, her expression fraught with concern.

"Martha, everything okay?" he asked, sensing her unease.

"Master, I need to resign from my job starting tomorrow," she confessed, her eyes troubled.

"Why the sudden change, Martha? And shouldn't you be telling Grandma about this?" Bruce inquired.

"Matriarch's travel has been delayed, and she might not return for another week. I... I don't have much time," Martha explained urgently.

"Alright, what's the rush?" Bruce prodded gently.

"I'm sorry, but it's personal Master," Martha replied, her worry evident.

Bruce nodded understandingly. It wasn't much of a surprise; he knew Martha tended to leave around this time each year.

"Okay, submit your resignation to Leo, and discuss your pension with him. Let him know I've approved it," Bruce instructed.

"Thank you, Master Bruce. It's been a pleasure working here. You've been kinder than anyone I've known. Please stay the same, and thank you for taking care of me all this time. I wish you a long and healthy life," Martha said, a few tears escaping her eyes before she left the room.

"Hmm, as much as I hate to see her go, I can't force her to stay. I hope she finds happiness," Bruce mused before turning back to the hologram.

"So, where were we? Ah, yes, you were threatening to terminate me if I didn't follow your rules. Well, go ahead, you bastard. I'm not afraid of death," Bruce challenged.

"Do you think I'm scared of death? I've said it a million times; I'm not," he added defiantly.

"THEN ARE YOU AFRAID OF LOSING YOUR LOVED ONES?" the system countered.

"What?" Bruce was taken aback.

"EVEN WITH THE POWER TO CHANGE THEIR DESTINY, WILL YOU JUST SIT IDLY BY AND WATCH THEM DIE?" the system pressed on.

"What about my family's safety? Once I inform Grandma about all the upcoming events, she'll take care of everything. She's the smartest person I know," Bruce countered.

"AND WHAT ABOUT MARTHA?" the system interjected.

"What? What about her?" Bruce asked, his concern growing.

"SHE'S SET TO DIE IN EXACTLY TWO DAYS. AND EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN CHANGE THAT, WILL YOU DO NOTHING?" the system revealed.

"What do you mean? Why is she going to die?" Bruce demanded answers.

"I CANNOT REVEAL ANY MORE. ACCEPT THE SYSTEM AND ACCESS THE QUEST. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND," the system urged.

"I'm not accepting anything until I get answers."

"I CANNOT REVEAL THE ANSWERS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH TO KNOW THEM. KNOWING UNWANTED ANSWERS WITHOUT ANY POWER BRINGS DESTRUCTION."

"mhmm. Again with these crappy reasons. Okay. Let's assume that I accept. You can't force me into anything. If I don't like doing a quest then I won't do it. You cannot punish me. And definitely cannot force me. And also most definitely, no invading my mind. We need boundaries, finally, enough with these shitty hologram messages and the creepy system voice. I know you're a sentient being. So stop being so mysterious and speak like a person," Bruce retorted firmly.

Silence followed, and then a different male voice, firm yet soft, spoke up. "Yes, the system promises to accept your conditions."

"That's more like it," Bruce remarked.

"So, do you accept the system?" the voice asked.

"Wait, how do I know you're not gonna flip-flop on me?"

"….." After a moment of silence, the voice boomed,

"The system is a sentient essence beyond the realms of your imagination. You think the system will go back on its word?"

"Fucker you made my own friend kill me. I'll never trust you." Bruce replied with lazy eyes.

"Fine, what do you need?"

"From what I can see, unless I accept the system, you can't make me do squat. So, draft up those rules I told you about and add them as conditions for me to accept the system."

"…. For someone with a below-average mind, you sure think a lot." The voice retorted.

"What can I say? If I'm not cautious, some shady characters will make me their slave for life. Okay, Okay, quit stalling and draw up the contract."

With that, the system drafted a contract and displayed it to Bruce.

"The conditions for the user to accept the system are as follows:"