*Plop*
When I barely forced the last mana particle in. It made a plop sound, resembling that of a drop of water impacting a body of water.
The feeling of fullness dissipated and so did the pain of restructuring, which I assumed was done. A sense of peace and serenity enveloped me. I closed my eyes to enjoy such a moment, making sure I didn't overload my senses any more than this.
Unaware that a dome of mana was covering the rock which I laid at and me. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing on water, a bright sunny sky with clouds dotting all over the place. And in front of me was a pitch white sphere.
[Hello, Alto]
[Welcome to the Serenity Space]
This time, panels didn't appear before me, no, the sphere shook each time I heard it talk. It was that familiar robotic voice that I always heard when it taught me things. The one which I haven't heard ever since I obtained my physical body.
[This place is a physical phenomenon caused by the formation of a Prime Elemental Core]
[In other words, your mana core]
[You will receive a notification after you are ejected out of this place]
I lifted my hands up and saw my own hand, vastly different from before. Appearing a pale white color. When I pinched my left hand, I felt pain.
Which prompted me to look at the sphere floating in front of me.
"Are you the system?" I asked with an inquiring yet hopeful tone.
[Affir-
Before it could finish responding, I immediately jumped and hugged it with my whole body.
"Hehe, it is you! System, system, system!" I muttered, smiling like a fool. Almost as if I met the person who meant everything to me. And indeed I did.
I stayed like that for a few minutes before hopping off of the sphere. No longer as excited as before, but that doesn't mean those emotions were temporary.
"Hey, System, what and who are you?" I inquired slowly, not expecting a real answer.
[Access Denied]
"A pity" I shook my head in fake disappointment. Clearly expecting such an answer already.
"So, off topic question, but can you be my parent? Officially." I blurted out suddenly with no prior signs leading up to this point at all.
[That can be arranged]
"Hehe, so I'm officially your son now? Orphan me is no more!" I laugh unrestrained, not minding the fact that I was disturbing the peace of this space.
A couple of minutes pass with me just talking to the system, occasionally it would reply in a monotone and robotic voice. Depriving the fun of any conversation that was to be held, but that fact didn't bother me at all.
After all, the act of conversing with the system already brings me much joy. Even meeting the system itself was a large unexpected surprise that I welcomed with open arms, literally.
[Well, seems like our time is up, good luck, Alto]
I don't know if it was just me, but did the system sound a little less.... emotionless? Would that makes sense? Hmmm, I'll believe the system did, after all, can't a kid have dreams? Even if it will be crushed and recycled by the truth later on.
When the [Serenity Space] receded, I was back to where I was, laying on a rock which was weirdly pitch black, it wasn't that color when I laid back on it.
"Ah, young one, it seems you have awakened, I must say, you are a genius even among the thousands of spirits I saw before you." Noptera remarked on my talent, of which I had no idea on what he was talking about until I remembered what I just did.
"Oh, that's quite the high praise, Mister Noptera." Despite uttering seemingly humble words, a smile that was painted across my face would suggest that I was feeling delighted by the compliment.
"Ahahaha, young ones nowadays are a little tricky aren't they." He responded with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"Can't a kid enjoy their achievements mister?" I asked "innocently", a huge smile still hanging across my face. Not at all hiding the emotions I was currently experiencing.
"Indeed, credits must be given where it is due." He willed a nearby tree to pat my head, similar to what a father would do to their obedient child.
I merely giggled in response, not resisting as I never saw him as a threat, after all, he never gave me a reason to consider him as one.
"Though, I suggest you take a bath, you reek of impurity, haha." He laughed at the end of his sentence, not at all cautious with hurting my poor and delicate feelings.
"Couldn't you have been a little subtle about it at least?" I asked, feigning an offended and hurt face.
"The truth must always be said in a factual and easy to understand manner to children, after all, if I wasn't being direct, you'd be lost." Speaking from experience are we?
'Well, it's not like I can't smell my almost unbearable stench. But when you just experienced mind-boggling amounts of pain, smell is a very trivial problem.'
Despite my internal monologue of such a topic, I obediently stood up and made it rain, soaking my weirdly pitch black clothes and washing away the so called impurity Noptera mentioned.
'Is black the new trend for spirits and mana particles?' I briefly entertained the thought before focusing more on cleaning myself thoroughly.
After two literal hours of rain showering, I smelled as good as new, I also made new cloud made clothes, the usual white and gray since was the only color I could produce.
"Well then, mister Noptera! I'll get going now!" I enthusiastically waved towards the living island and floated off, not before using a tracker charge on him though.
[Tracker charges remaining: 3/5]
[Tracker charge placed on a Sanctuary Leviathan(Noptera)]
As I flew through the air at re-entry speeds, heading towards the eye of my storm, I began to chat with the system.
'So, system, what should I call you since you're now my official guardian?"
[The usual, feel free to call me whatever you want]
'Hehe, naming my parent doesn't fee right, and I also have an uncreative streak with my naming sense lately.'
[Whatever pleases your imagination]
'Then what is this "impurity" mister Noptera mentioned?" I asked curiously, sure, with context it made sense, but couldn't mister Noptera just say dirty instead of Impurity? After all, there isn't much difference between the two.
[The impurity the individual named Noptera was referring to was filth expelled from within your body]
[This however makes no sense as your body was already made perfectly]
[But, natural laws dictates it to be]
'That's weird, creating something out of nothing without the system even noticing? Sure, the system is damaged, but, to think something can easily do that.'
When I reached the eye of my storm body, I looked around and saw nothing changed.
"What a relaxing day." I spoke to no one in particular as I randomly floated around, making sure that I stayed within the range of my storm body. Specifically, in the eye of the storm.
Oh boy, it was anything but a relaxing day moving forward.