Drip
Drip
Drip
All was silent. With one exception. A rhythmical sound could be heard, created by the drops of blood that traveled down the crystal spear and hit the marble floor.
Drip
Drip
The sound was unnaturally loud within the silence. Riva felt each drop pounding into her ears. Throbbing in her head and stirring her muddled mind.
Drip
Her body felt numb. The pain from the hole created by the spear that pierced her body had long since grown past the threshold where her brain could understand and translate it into a perceptible feeling.
Drip
Each drop took more of her awareness.
Drip
Took more of her energy.
Drip
Each one brought her closer to death.
Drip
She could feel it - hear death was a few drops away.
Drip
I don't want to die!
This is bullshit.
Unfair!
Riva's last bit of consciousness flared up.
She had wanted to live life to the fullest.
She didn't mind that she was summoned into a fantasy world.
She didn't mind facing the dangers of monsters and dungeons.
Everything was new, exciting. She felt that here she had the possibility of fully living an interesting and purpose-filled life. To achieve something truly great.
But she was betrayed and left for dead.
Ha! I am no hero. My life ends here. No respawn. No reincarnation. No system. No god.
[Congratulations, you have been selected as the first host for the TDH System]
[Do you want to install the TDH System?]
[Accept the TDH System - gain new life and the means to fulfill all your desires and wishes.]
[Y*/N]
Wait… What?!
A turquoise window had popped up in Riva's mind.
She had long lost the ability to see but this frame was clear as day.
Riva didn't have enough remaining awareness to understand the words. But whatever it said it was her one and only chance.
'Yes! I accept!' She formed that last thought just before she lost her consciousness.
She died.
~~~
Riva awoke in a white empty space. She floated there in the shape of a small golden orb emitting tiny wisps of smoke.
... What happened? Where am I?
She tried looking around.
There was nothing there. Only white emptiness.
Riva strained to remember. She felt like her memories were submerged in a thick fog.
"I was pierced by that crystal spear… They left me to die… Who left me to die? Argh… There was this window just before I fell unconscious." Riva was thinking aloud.
"Something about a system… new life... I accepted…"
A window popped up in front of her.
[You are dead]
"Seriously?! Wasn't I to be revived?"
[Unable to revive user without access confirmation]
[User didn't confirm the selected choice.]
"I said: yes, I accept, didn't I?"
That one last thought had burned itself into her memory. It was easy to remember.
[That is the case]
"The whole idea of getting a dying person to reconfirm a selection is already pushing it. Even if we consider it as necessary, wasn't my statement a double confirmation in and of itself: 'yes' and 'I accept'?"
[Reevaluation user input]
[...]
[Initializing system installation]
[Failed]
[Error: The soul is missing a connected body since the user is dead.]
[Missing protocol]
[Requesting admin input]
[...]
Riva observed as the system was going through a series of messages.
I get a weird feeling from this system.
Now it's trying to make me the host after all.
[Installing update…executing Necromancy.exe{revival(target host)}]
Necromancy? Riva thought while everything went black.
~~~
Drip
Drip
Drip
Riva awoke to an already familiar sound. She immediately opened her eyes to the familiar dungeon room. It was large with marble tiles and pillars. Some were broken, their rubble proof of a fierce fight.
Riva looked down. A thick crystal spear was pierced through her center. Blood was flowing from the wound and dripping onto the floor. It was purple.
Purple blood? What happened?
I think the system tried to revive me or something.
"System?"
"Are you there?"
"Hello?"
No answer… whatever... let's see.
Riva tested moving and her limbs responded just fine. The only issue was that apparently, the spear had pinned her to the wall behind.
At least I don't feel any pain.
She tried pulling out the spear.
Damn. it won't move an inch. The angle is bad, I can't put any strength into it and the slippery surface isn't helping. Time to do it the ugly way. After all, I don't feel any pain and I already have a deadly wound. It can hardly get worse.
Riva tried to encourage herself.
Then she pressed her elbows against the wall and pushed her body along the spear's shaft.
If I can't remove the spear then I have to remove myself.
Just as she cleared the spear end and flopped onto the floor a window popped into her mind.
[Binding system to host complete]
[Thank you for choosing the TDH System]
"Yeah, whatever. As if I could have chosen the Supreme System instead."
Riva stood up from the floor and looked at the hole that the spear left behind.
"Urgh, this looks bad. If I'm not careful I'll spread my intestines all over the floor.
[Synchronizing user stats complete]
Riva's feet gave away and she facepalmed into the floor. Which hurt.
She didn't notice though as the pain in her bowel was far worse.
"AAAARRRHHH!!!"
She screamed and rolled around. Successfully achieving her worries and spreading her insides on the floor.
[User died]
~~~
Riva woke up once more.
All good things are three. That was the third time I lost consciousness in a row.
She opened her eyes to a marble ceiling.
"System?"
[Yes?]
"What the hell happened? Why did I die again?"
[System booted the human status simulation]
"So you're saying you simulated a human condition? Aren't I human? Why didn't you just heal my wound and then return my perception of pain?"
[Suggestion noted. Also, user is incorrect, user has been revived as an undead and can no longer be considered human]
"Why? Didn't you say you could grant me new life or something?"
[New life refers to saving the user from certain death as mentioned in the terms of service]
[The wrong input caused users death. A workaround via necromancy has been achieved]
Riva let out a long sigh and then asked "So how about now? Is it safe to get up?"
[Yes, it took some time, but system has been updated to accommodate users undead circumstances]
Riva finally dared to move. She sat up and inspected herself. The gaping hole in her stomach was gone. She felt it with her hand and noted how cold her skin was.
When she inspected her surroundings she saw a gory scene. Blood everywhere. Her blood. Some was blackish-red and dripping from the spot where the crystal spear had been embedded into the wall and pooled below.
The rest was a bright purple, smeared over the white marbles as though in an amateur attempt at Japanese calligraphy and decorated with her flesh.
Glad I don't have to clean up this mess, Riva thought at the sight.
"System, what can you do? In what way can you help me?"
[The system suggests that user experiences this for themselves]
"No tutorial?"
[Suggestion noted]
"Hmmm... show me my stats." Riva commanded. She couldn't remember why she thought that this was what a system could do. She couldn't remember much at all.
[Unable to show stats. Insufficient user data]
"Can't you just show me the stats that you have data for?"
[Affirmative]
…
Damn this system is inconvenient. Ever heard of intuitiveness and user-friendliness?
"Then show me the stats that you have the data for."
[Name: Riva
Race: Human Undead
Physical Stats: Lower Average]
"..."
"What the hell? Even I know more than that!"
"Well, whatever. I better get out of here first, before I go and find out what happened and what this system does. A dungeon is far from safe."
After mulling over her options Riva asked, "Can I acquire skills?"
[Affrimative, You can select one of the following as newcomer gift:
- Invisibility: Activate to become harder to detect
- Minor Heal: Recover a small portion of health
- Haste: increase the user's speed]
"I'll take haste." Riva chose the skill-based on the fact that this dungeon was one filled with golems who detected enemies through the tremors of their movement and didn't even have sight. Invisibility was useless.
And she had already learned, the system wasn't exactly user-friendly nor did it adapt well to change. Minor heal was a holy type spell. She was an undead. An undead treated with a healing spell would most assuredly not result in its healing.
[User successfully acquired Haste]
"Okay let's test it. Haste!"
[Does user really want to activate Haste?]
"Yes!" Riva replied with exasperation.
"WhyCan'tYouJustActivateItWhenISaySoOnce,System?"
[Unable to comprehend user]
Riva groaned. A fast groan.
She dashed towards the exit of the room. And ran headfirst into a pillar.
[User has taken damage]
"Duh!"
She got up and tested running with a shorter distance.
It seems like I can only walk in straight lines. But the speed is pretty good. It's no use when I need to maneuver but it might prove useful.
"DeactivateHaste"
[Unable to comprehend user]
"Deactivate"
"Haste"
Riva carefully and slowly (in her ears) pronounced the words. This time she felt the skill stop.
"System can I make..."
Suddenly a menacing aura gathered behind her in the middle of the hall. Riva's face would have turned ashen if that were possible with her already purplish-white skin tone. She turned around to face the huge golem made of white crystal that materialized from nothing.
"This dungeon resets after 3 years. The golem shouldn't be back so soon."
Riva stared at the foe that had killed her before. The golem was in the process of respawning, its head had yet to form. It already started summoning deadly spears made of white crystal that hovered around it like a halo.
Riva regained her senses and turned to run. She had to get out of here. Fast!
"Haste!"
[Does user really want to activate haste?]
"Activate the skill every time I say 'haste'. Duration of half a second! Unless I say otherwise! Okay?!"
[...]
Riva continued running. She could feel the spears in her back. She already imagined how they locked onto her. If nothing changed she would meet the same end as before - Impaled.
[Sucessfully overwrote "Haste" skill activation command]
"Haste!"