Beth looked to her right and left to see if the street was clear. She had to make a run for it. Her heart dropped as she heard the cold woman speak once again.
"When I catch whoever did this, they would wish that they didn't exist." One said, her voice dropping dangerously. "And I think I have an idea about who it was."
"One, please-"
"Cut the damn tree down right this instant!" One shouted, her eyes bulging with anger.
As the minor gods turned towards the tree, Beth made a run for it. She was scared as hell. Was One suspecting her? What did she mean by saying that she had an idea of who it was? What would happen to her if they caught her? A thousand questions flashed in her mind as her tiny feet carried her forward as fast as they could. She jumped over the huge rocks that blocked the road and rushed towards the crowd.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A slave shouted angrily as she bumped into her shoulder.
But Beth didn't stop to apologize. She didn't have the time for it. Without as much as a look towards the slave, she ran through the center of the town through busy streets and deserted corridors. The hustle and noise of the town were making her more anxious. Dust particles were all in the air and the sun beat down on the lower town with an intensity never seen before.
As she took the turn towards the minor gods' office, she saw a familiar figure sitting on the steps. Seeing Beth, the girl stood up hastily.
"Twenty-three!" The girl shouted, waving at her.
"Later Fifty-eight!" Beth shouted as she passed the slave.
"But-"
As soon as she stepped inside her room, Beth closed the door shut behind her. Her chest rose up and down, panting heavily as she leaned against the shaky door. She stood there for a few minutes as her mind raced about all the things that could go wrong. If it weren't for that stupid task, she wouldn't be in so much trouble, Beth thought to herself.
Finally calming down, she walked over to the futon that she had earlier rolled and kept to the side of the cupboard. Pushing her hand into the middle of the fold, she retrieved the bracelet from inside. In a hurry, she slid it onto her hand and waited. But nothing happened.
"Work, work, dammit!" She said, shaking her hand violently.
Suddenly, she was dragged into the world of the system. The first thing that caught her eye was the screen that flashed the message 'congratulations'. Beth sighed in relief. She had made it in time.
"Congratulations on completing your first task, Beth Wilson." The familiar male voice spoke up.
But this time, oddly, it was as if the sound was coming from right behind her, rather than booming from all around her mechanically. Beth turned around in confusion. Instead of the usual dark space was a well-lit space, looking much like a room. There were no windows or any other piece of furniture in the place, much like her own room, but more spacious. A comfortable-looking mattress stood on one side of the space.
On the mattress was a man lying to his side, with his head resting on his palm. His hair was the color of pure silver, a shade darker than her own, flowing down his muscular body. His eyes were gray like the darkest of clouds, making her shiver with its magnetic pull. He was the most attractive man that she had ever seen. Even gods faded in comparison to his beauty.
Her jaw dropped in shock as the man stood up, standing in front of her with all his naked glory. She drooled as her gaze scanned him from head to toe. Was this her reward? If so, she was happy to be cast into hell at this moment. She was sure that she could live anywhere as long as she got to use this body of his to- Wait, was she forgetting something?
That was when she remembered that she was in the body of a ten-year-old right now and that the man in front of her was a fully grown naked man. Was he a pervert to flash a kid!? A pedophile?! She thought, her mind ringing bells of alarm.
"Wha- What are you?!" She asked, pointing a shaky finger towards the naked man.
Beth looked away, blushing. Of course, she should not be caught staring at a naked man. And especially not a shameless pedophile such as him!
"Is this better?" His magnetic voice reached her, this time from a much closer distance.
Beth turned towards the direction. Instead of the man, was standing a teenager, looking around thirteen years of age. But two things didn't change- the boy was still drop-dead-hot and-
"You're still naked!" She screamed covering her face.
She heard the boy sigh. "Now?" He asked, coming to stand right in front of her.
Beth peeked through her fingers and found that the boy was now dressed in a crisp white shirt and black pants. He held a matching black jacket loosely over his shoulder. A dissatisfied smirk played on her lips as she looked him up and down. She didn't know if she was upset about him changing from a man to a boy or because he was clothed. Either way, she was upset.
Clearing her throat, she asked, "Who are you and how did you get inside-" She paused, watching a sly smile spread over his lips. Her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you can't be.."
"I'm the... system." The boy said, laughing at her reaction. "You seem surprised." He leaned forward, looking at her curiously.
"Uh-huh," Beth replied, taking a step back. Dammit. If only she wasn't in a ten-year-old body, she swore inside her head. She looked at him unsurely. "So umm, can you umm.."
"You want to get naked again?" The boy asked, beaming at her.