Will Leinster, now officially renamed by the System as Liel Leinster, could only do so much about any of this insanity.
Will – Liel, really, finally sighed in defeat. Even with the same surname, he hoped Erik would not recognize him. It was essential to keep himself low on the radar before he decided to end Erik for all.
'Might as well change my appearance for this to work out,' Liel thought to himself.
[Due to the previous error, you have one chance to change your appearance at random.]
Liel raised one of his eyebrows, "Really now?"
[Randomise appearance now?]
He sighed again, muttering, "Whatever."
[Randomise appearance.]
The glitch came back, only this time, it covered Liel's entire body. Thus, it was impossible for him to see anything with clear eyes.
All he knew was that it felt slightly uncomfortable, as if his bones shortened, elongated, and then shortened again in an indecisive growth spurt.
[Status Update.]
[Name: Liel Leinster.
Age: 27
Gender: Male.
Skin color: Light tan to pale white.
Eyes: Brown to red.
Height: 187 cm to 175 cm.
Weight: 80.3 kgs to 60 kgs.
Hair color: Dark brown to white.]
Once the glitch disappeared, Liel was left exhausted on the dirty brown sand. He felt strange. His hands were smaller.
"The fuck…"
Groggily pushing himself to stand, Liel was surprised that he was indeed shorter than seconds prior. Not only losing his height, the muscle mass he got from continued fighting in his teenage years and while keeping himself guarded in prison was gone.
He was no longer tall or athletic.
Now, he was a skinny short stick wearing his suddenly oversized clothes.
"Randomise, huh," he muttered in distaste at his minimized appearance, but also knowing that it was a must.
"No wardrobe change as well?" he said sarcastically. Thankfully, his voice was still the same. It'd be pretty strange if he spoke, but the voice coming out of his mouth was several pitches higher – or lower.
[Randomise wardrobe change.]
The System said in its mechanical voice before another glitch covered his entire body. Although, this time, he could still see, as the glitch didn't reach his head. It also disappeared far quicker than when the System changed his physical appearance.
His soaking wet faded jeans turned into a pair of short dark pants, only reaching right on his knobby knees. The dark shirt with two bullet holes was also changed into a white shirt with gold embroidery at the rims. Liel's new look was completed with two dark gloves and dark ankle boots.
Once again, he was displeased by the random wardrobe change.
"Not a style I usually go with," he grumbled at the short pants. He seldom wears them, preferring to have full coverage of his legs. Precisely, he didn't like showing the dark oval birthmark above his left ankle.
But, looking at it again, his birthmark had disappeared along with the two bullet wounds on his stomach and shoulder.
[Randomise wardrobe–]
The glitch came again.
"Again?" Liel rolled his eyes.
[Error.]
"Huh?"
The glitch disappeared… along with his shirt and gloves.
Liel scowled at his more revealing look. "Where's my shirt?"
[Randomise–]
[Error.]
For a moment, his wardrobe changed into his birthday suit. Leaving him buck ass naked standing on the dirty brown sandy beach.
"Just give my fucking clothes back!"
The glitch returned. Thankfully, this time the System gave him what he wanted. Although he was still bare-chested and barefoot, at least he got a pair of long dark pants. That, and a black wrap around his left hand, up to his forearm, which he didn't find what the purpose was.
"Randomise wardrobe–]
"Stop!" Liel hurried to say before the System decided it would be better if he was fully naked again. "Don't do that again."
It seemed that not only the system in his previous life that was broken, this one here too, was not quite right.
[The System is not broken.]
Liel scoffed at the mechanical voice in his head. "Could have fooled me."
[The System is not broken. Please refrain from slashing, whacking, or punching on the System's user interface next time.]
"If I can break the System just by doing it," Liel demonstrated what he meant by slashing on the floating purple screen in front of him, "Then, the System is really weak, is it not?"
[The System is not broken.]
[However, we will consider your input and reprogram the System to better sustain any–]
[Error.]
[Connection failed.]
[Try to reconnect.]
"Really now?" Liel snorted, "You broke just like that? What are you, fucking Internet Ex–"
[Reconnected.]
"Whatever."
[2 new quests found.]
"I don't care," Liel stated carelessly as he trudged away from the beach. There must be civilization nearby.
[Quest No. 2: Hunt a gallus flamileo.]
[Difficulty: Grade C.]
[Time Left: 4 hours 0 minute.]
[Status: Incomplete.]
[Reward: A chance to get a power-up item – Faded Guard's Shroud or Fallen War Boots.]
[Error.]
Liel rolled his eyes as he accusingly muttered, "See? It's broken."
[Quest No. 2: Hunt a canis picoon.]
[Difficulty: Grade B.]
[Time Left: 4 hours 0 minute.]
[Status: Incomplete.]
[Reward: A chance to get a power-up item – Faded Guard's Shroud or Fallen War Boots.]
"Canis picoon?"
[Canis picoon is a large canine-like creature with eight legs and grass-like feathers. Canis picoon blends well with the forest environment as its colors are gradations of green, light brown, and dark brown.]
Liel scoffed insultingly, crossing his arms on his bare chest as he criticized the System. "You just changed the difficulty level, but not with the reward?"
[The System has no obligation to answer you.]
[Do you want to know the second quest?]
"You give me a choice now?"
[Not really.]
Before he could counter the smart-ass System, the mechanical voice and floating purplish screen beat him to it.
[Quest No. 3: Burn Ashwell village.]
[Difficulty: Grade A.]
[Time Left: 3 days 0 hours 0 minute.]
[Status: Incomplete.]
[Reward: A chance to get a power-up item – Cold Shoulders Armor or a one-time use item – Atrahasis' Bottled Flood.]
"Let me guess. The reward is only worth a grade C quest, isn't it?"
[Yes, as you deserved.]
Hearing that simple and straightforward answer, Liel spat on the dirty soil covered with short grass. He entered the forest. "Fair my ass!"
[Please do not accuse the System of being unfair. It is your own fault for interfering and rejecting the System.]
"Useless."
However, instead of commenting on his last insult, the System reminded him.
[To complete quest no. 2, you might want to head up west about fifty meters away from here.]
Liel paused and thought for a moment. He continued to head up north. "Who said I want to complete the quest?"
[But you must.]
"Yeah, how are you going to stop me?"
[The System cannot stop you.]
"Figures."
[But the System can still make your life a living hell.]
Liel furrowed his brows. "What was that?"
[Nothing.]
"… did you just get sassy with me?"
[… no.]
It meant yes.
As he continued to head north, Liel heard a rustle coming from his right. He turned his head and then gripped the Stone Fang Dagger tighter.
Lowering his body while still keeping his center point, Liel trained his red eyes on the green bushes ahead. "Who's there?"
He heard another rustle as the bushed parted ways to reveal someone he was painfully familiar with.
"I should be the one who says that considering I never saw you before," a girl – young woman, really – said in an even tone. She was also gripping her bow and arrow, partially ready to shoot him.
But Liel didn't see that.
He couldn't.
Not when the person standing in front of him was none other than his dead girlfriend.
"Naomi?"
The girl extended her left hand with the bow, then pulled the string and arrow in her right, glowering, "How do you know my name?"
"It's me, Will–"
"Grrrrrrrr!"
Liel turned around and found himself face to face with a drooling giant green and brown dog with rows of razor-sharp fangs displayed.
[A canis picoon is coming from behind. Approaching in–]
'Too late, you fucker!' Liel groaned internally at the mechanical voice that helpfully informed him of the already coming threat.
[Well, too bad, then.]