The protagonist really was adorable. Not a single complaint came out of his lips when Lucien forced him to run. Not a single trace of discomfort or malice when Lucien almost killed them both after tripping down the hill.
Lucien can't help but grin inwardly. Ah~ the protagonist is so pure and innocent, not tainted or damaged by the evil in this world. If only demons could go back to wherever they came from without destroying the protagonist's life, he would have lived the normal apple pie life he deserved without facing any troubles.
Lucien immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it emerged. This world is an anime. The protagonist grows through the tribulations they were forced to face.
That's how they get to grow stronger. And how they almost lose themselves in the pain. Lucien does not want to see ten year old cute Aiden be forced to mature.
He was still a child. Children don't need to be stronger. They needed to be safe. To feel safe in a place or with someone.
They call that home.
Lucien had once lost his "home."He doesn't want young Aiden to feel that pain. Feeling light-headed, Lucien blink against the light. He was lying in a small white bed with a thin blanket. The curtain was slightly parted in the window, letting the sunrays shine on Lucien's face.
He groaned and forced himself to stand up. Little Aiden is sleeping in the bed next to him. A white blanket covered his body, as it did Lucien's, but only his cute, peaceful face can be seen in the lump.
Lucien looked around. Rundown room with wooden cabinets and creaky wooden floors. The lamp is turned off and covered in dust, the ceilings are covered in cobwebs. And at the door, a stiff nun has been staring at him like a creepy possessed statue, like her body is attached to the wall and only her eyes are blinking. Yep, it's St. Loius Church alright.
[Congratulations host for the successful task. You now have one point -]
"Wait!"
[Please rest for the next forty-eight hours -]
"I said wait you fucking retard!"
[....]
[Yes, dear host?]
"How come I only got one point? It should be five!"
[The difficulty of the task is easy dear host, easy mode is one point.]
"But we met a two horned demon! Isn't that supposed to add difficulty to the task?"
[Dear host, what were you doing when the two horned demon appear?]
"Hide, of course."
[What did you do when the demon slayer appeared?]
"Escape, of course."
[Did you help the demon slayer when he was about to be defeated?
Lucien scoffed. "Of course not. I was busy keeping my butt and Aiden alive."
[Then the only thing you did is run, hide, and sacrifice your savior to save yourselves?]
"Uhh, yes?" Lucien is not liking where this is going.
[Dear host, how selfish can you be? Not only you left your savior to die, you also have the nerve to ask for five points when you did not even lend him a hand. If you don't want the system to deduct the single point you have, you better not try to bargain with the system.]
"Oh, fuck." Lucien unintentionally let out this cuss. The nun in the door is creepily widening her eyes at him, like a black owl.
"I'm sorry," Lucien bowed in apology. But the nun did not move nor change her expression.
Is she ignoring me? Lucien straighten up and turn his back to the nun. Staring at little Aiden's face is so much better than facing that owl nun.
"So uh, system… What did you mean by forty-eight hours earlier?"
[It is your rest time dear host. The next big plot will commence after forty hours. In those time, try to give your best effort in order to be rewarded with generous five points.]
Lucien knows what the big plot is. But knowing and actually experiencing it are two different things. He's tempted to back down.
"System, why is the plot advancing so fast? Doesn't the protagonist have to stay here for a few weeks before the grand massacre of the children?"
[To answer your question, dear host, some aspects have altered the plot since the beginning. The system receive a request to change and advance some scenes to build a constructive transition for the growth of the protagonist. Hence, his stay in anchor places will be shortened, speeding up the flow of the story.]
Right… how long has the protagonist stayed at Caiyin Town again? For some reason, Lucien forgot how long it actually is – no he did not forget. He just did not ask little Aiden.
In the "Slaying the demons" it's three years. Then a few months here in St. Loius Church. Few months is enough time to build relationship with the other children in the orphanage. But not forty-eight hours.
"Then system… You said you receive a request to hasten the plot. May I know who is it?"
[The system is not allowed to disclose the information.]
"What about me? Why am I here?"
[The system is not allowed to disclose the information.]
"Then the person who made that request and the person who brought me here, are they the same?"
[The system is not allowed to disclose the information.]
Lucien brush his coarse hair and snicker inwardly. "If you won't tell me, why bother explaining the progression of the plot?"
[…]
Suddenly, a loud zap shatter Lucien's sight. An intense pain entered his brain. He suddenly collapsed in his seat. He gripped his aching head. His teeth were chattering, trying to hold back from screaming.
He can sense someone grabbing his shoulder and shaking his body. But Lucien can't see them. A series of error codes and beeps entered his sight. A static screen filled his world. Then a blue screen appeared with typed letters crashing into his eyes.
[Warning! System 00107 malfunction transition detected.]
[System repair!]
[System warning! [System 00107 malfunction transition detected.]
[Copying data file of the host…]
[Transfer host to system 00108…]
[Processing…]
[Transfering host 20%...]
[Transfering host 50%...]
[Transfering host 80%...]
[Warning! System 00107 is deteriorating.]
[Immediate action is needed.]
[Transfering host 100%... completed]
.
.
.
Lucien open his eyes and blink against the light. He was lying in a bed with a white thin blanket. His sight focused on the cobwebs on the ceiling. He looked in the direction where the light was coming from.
A window is slightly open, the curtains are slightly parted. Letting the sunrays pass through the inside of the room.
Lucien can't help but feel a heavy déjà vu.