[She's totally into you, you should totally pick her up]
'What the fuck? Can you talk?' Andrew dropped his crutches and fell to the ground. As long as he could remember, systems don't have any conversational intellect.
[well as long as I can remember humans don't get to change aspects of a soul and yes, I can talk. Systems develop with the host and eventually develop a personality as well. Although, for the 5 years the systems have been given none have made a personality yet.]
'So you're the odd one huh?' Andrew thought as he stood up once again.
[clearly not, I develop with you. It's YOU that's weird. I'm just amazing! I allowed you to become the fastest progressing newbie in history! At least in terms of resources. This place as dry as a badly made biscuit. But because of the progress you made was fast for you situation. naturally I progressed fast as well.] the system's voice rumbled through his head. It was so deep and full, like it was far away and close at the same time.
'How did humans ever create such an advanced thing?' He thought as he continued down a long hallway.
[oh don't flatter yourself, do you really think humans themselves made such a large improvement out of nowhere? Darling please.]
"Huh?"
[you should know as well as I do that humans have limitations, breaking them flaws the laws of nature. Which causes imperfections, not that this world was much too look at.]
"But then who made it? Who made you? How are you able to speak? Forget imperfections and that shit for now, how are you even possible?" Andrew responded, deciding to lean his back against the wall and sat down on the hallway floor.
[my my~ aren't you the curious one. We are made from the giving conscious blessing of a godly being. This god will choose you as a descendant, something like what you called an apostle. To help power their army if you prove worthy.]
"So it's like a military draft with extra steps."
[….. noooooooo...]
"…"
[you can change the facti-....religion if you deem the god unfit, although you will need another blessing fairly quickly to retain your power. These… religions…. Each has their own set of designated worlds, I don't quite have the flexible information to inform you right now.]
"Are you saying I can't know or that you don't know"
[…..]
"How many other people have your blessing?"
[...]
"System?"
[i've said too much, you won't need too know this until much MUCH later, if you even make it that far. You can pretend that this conversation didn't happen, my information may be far outdated. Hell I may be dead!]
"Then why would you even tell me? How old is this information?"
[I don't know the amount of time. Probably older than your galaxy, after all, if it has just reached you then you must be really far away. Judging from how weak you guys are I would say a REALLY long time]
"It?"
[….god dammit….]
"What?"
The system's voice didn't respond back as Andrew stood back up and used the crutches to waddle back out into the small green campus.
'Why are you so weird'
Andrew felt a small breeze of wind weave itself through the small evergreen pines, carrying the scent of pine cones as he struggled down the stairs.
"I heard you were injured earlier, glad it seems to be rather minor." A rugged voice rang out.
Andrew looked towards the voice with a hint of distaste.
"John, shouldn't you be out in the dungeon?" Andrew ignored his presence and looked straight forward in front of him.
'I should go back to the library, maybe I could learn a self healing spell. If those even exist, wouldn't light magic be more favored?'
John sighed, he seemed deep in thought.
"I…" words drained out of john's head as he looked at the injured Andrew, looking filled with perseverance towards the days ahead. He couldn't help but feel lost, like his goal was in front of him but his goal has shifted, running a race he didn't want to halfway.
"I'm going to head to the library. I need to do something to better my chances" Andrew said with a nod, using the crutch like a brace as he stumbled forward.
Rocks littered the small path from all of the scattered running the last few days. Landing on one almost caused him to fall, a hand steadied him up.
"Let me take you there." John said with a gaze of hope and worry, two emotions that don't come together often.
Andrew looked at John with hesitation but reluctantly nodded and continued to walk down the rough pavement.
Nothing much was said between the two as they walked, the invisible push was almost physical as they slowly drifted apart. From being helped side to side as they path seemed to narrow the closer hey got to the library.
~
Zoe was talking with Alex who was trying to crack up some sort of horrendous joke that dissolved into shudders as it failed.
Heh.
Zoe laughed a little to the embarrassment of Alex who looked down as they walked down the path.
"Do you think Andrew will be alright?" Alex asked as he kicked a small rock in front of him.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, he always is" Zoe responded lightly, reassuring herself was the best she could do for now.
Walking down the ruffled pavement pine cones rolling across from the wind. Zoe looked around at the red tinted greenery, breathing a heavy breath in.
"Looks like autumn is around the bend." Alex chirped in with a kick, this one seemed to be a little too powerful and he lost the rock.
"Ah…" trailing off as he followed the rock with his gaze, spotting Andrew stumbling with john towards the library doors. Most kids don't spend a waking moment not in the library or the dungeon. But a few are living lavishly with the amount of facilities the school provides.
"Is that?" Alex was about to ask Zoe when he looked to his right and found Zoe storming towards Andrew with a furious expression.
~
"I guess this is where we will part. Maybe we can meet again soon?" John asked tidying up his shirt.
"Maybe, thank you for guiding me… talk to you later." Andrew replied with a small smile, unsure of what to think. Before brushing off a leaf from his shoulder. John gave him a light smile, swiping a small samara off his hair.
A small hand gripped his shoulder and pulled him close. Andrew looked right at the person gripping him away and saw Zoe there with a rather displeased look as she glared at John.
"Ill take him from here." Her iced voice chilled the air around them as she guided him up the short library steps.
John took a deep breath in as he watched the two of them walk into the library with Alex scrambling from behind.
"That's going to be a tough hurdle." Mumbling as he left
-
"Why are you talking to that rat bastard?" Zoe whispered harshly into Andrew's ear as she dragged him tenderly up a flight of stairs.
"I know you hate him, I'm not a huge fan of him either. But I've already told you, he had no idea me and Emily were dating." Andrew responded nearly out of breath, walking with crutches was hard.
"But how do you know!? Regardless of whether he did or not he chose her over his best friend! There's clearly something wrong with that!" She pouted as they sat down at a small table.
"Well, if your boyfriend told you he was leaving you because his best friend told him to how would you feel? It's obvious a lover requires more commitment." Andrew replied nonchalantly.
"But, there's always an option for both.-
"Not this time, and you know that as well as I do." Andrew cut her off mid sentence and looked at her saddened face.
"But John was so nice, who would've thought he would do anything like this." She started mumbling to herself as Andrew drifted away in thought.
[may I voice an opinion?]
Andrew widened his eyes at the sight of the text.
'Sure, throw it at me' he responded
[you could steal Emily ba-]
'that's the exact OPPOSITE of what I want. God, I wasn't expecting much out of something that was stuck with me for its short life so far. But holy shit, that was a horrible idea.'
Andrew shook his head and smiled as he pushed himself up from the table.
"I'm going to look for something to learn, I'll be back soon." Andrew looked towards Zoe as he turned to leave.
Zoe who was mumbling to herself was nudged into reality and nodded before taking out a small book herself. Alex was too busy…. Browsing that part of the third floor.
'Not going to lie, it is intriguing though.' Andrew thought to himself.
[do you perhaps need the boost in size?]