He swept back his dual-coloured hair before he sat down on the edge of the single bed. He stretched his hands above his head until he could hear a plop sound before he let out a satisfying sigh.
"Who knows he is older than me?
He snorted when recalling their conversation just now. He thought his stay in this world had made him immune to any absurd things, but hearing a younger-looking boy said to be in his thirties managed to make him lose his cool.
He just encountered some people with that kind of age who have a baby face in this world. He shouldn't be too shocked, he guesses.
But who thought that the boy he saved was actually a man, older than him? Meh, he wouldn't speak respectfully to him either way. Michael is in a younger body now. But is he?
"He could be like those baby-faced ancient people. Having a young-looking face but actually being 100 years old."
That's a possibility, but he won't dwell on it further. He was tasked with taking care of Michael, not intervening in his life in any way. He has many things to do anyway.
For example, his research, which he has been doing for almost 4 years now without fruition.
"I've taken his blood and made a test, as well as his skin. But the combination I made was not the right thing."
The research he did not tell Michael. It is true he needed to make a liquid substance; he just didn't say what the purpose of the liquid was.
"System, can't you give me a hint?"
He looked in front of him; his view was presented with a blue transparent screen, which he was the only one who could see.
_ N O _
Sora clicked his tongue with a direct and cold answer. This is one problem he has in this world.
He was sent here without anything; that's true.
He was just a regular high school student before. That's true.
What he gained was this system. The blue screen that people usually see in a video game. This screen, which he called the system, was his guide in this world.
He would be given a mission, or now he undoubtedly said task every day when he first arrived here. He ignored the system at first, but he was punished by electrocution.
He is a stubborn boy and just wants to do whatever he wants, especially when some of the tasks are insane! Of course, he didn't do it, but when electricity wasn't his concern anymore, the system dared to hijack his body and force him to complete the task.
He can't stop it and will just succumb to his fate. That was also the first time the system talked to him, mocking him for being disobedient.
"Stupid, uncooperative, and a loser system!"
_ U N G R A T E F U L _
"Hm? Ack!"
His body jolted forward after the sudden electrocution ran through it.
"Bastard. Ek!"
He jolted again when he was given the same punishment but with a higher voltage.
"Stop it!"
_ H U M P H _
Sora rolled his eyes. He looked at his screen to see his progress. Just like he said, it's like the system in a game. His status was for his view to see his growth.
His level, his strength, his agility, his luck, his magic, his vitality, and his intelligence.
There are also the special features and skills he acquires every time he completes a task. After the six months he is in this world, the tasks slowly decrease as long as he completes them successfully. He has also used items such as a healing potion to heal Michael but with no positive result.
Now, after six years here, he still doesn't know his purpose for being here. Usually, he knew that the Isekai people would need to defeat a demon king or something like that.
No, he didn't want to defeat a demon king. Absolutely not. Why would he do that? He is not suicidal, and he is not a hero. Excuse me!
Who said getting Isekai with a system was good for him? He was willing to be replaced with someone else if possible. He has achieved a peaceful life in high school. He also almost got noticed by his girl crush!
All was shattered when he opened his eyes to this world with this unhelpful system.
"Hey, who is he?"
_ E R R O R _
"Tsk, why so secretive? I should know something about that kid or man if that's what you tasked me with doing. I also didn't know he was somehow like me!"
_ F I N D O U T Y O U R S E L F _
Sora clicked his tongue. Annoying. Since he received the sudden task from the system to come into the forest to save someone, he has been demanding an answer.
Michael was on the verge of death; if he arrived too late, Michael would die. He had done some basic treatment because his task included not letting anyone know about Michael. He has been coming in and out of the forest to buy medicine to treat Michael, but something weird happened.
Michael's body was not recovering at all.
It was concerning, especially when Michael was burned from head to toe. He was helpless, but then the system gave him another task: create something to heal the boy, like a special healing potion.
Of course, that's a crazy task. Nevertheless, he did what was told to him because the task didn't have any duration, unlike the other tasks he had accomplished.
He was given a hint at the start, which is that the cure to heal Michael is just within this forest, but he has roamed around but has never been successful in creating any healing potion strong enough to heal the boy.
He just managed to create one, which is to stop the bleeding but nothing more; the wounds are too severe to just let them be. Moreover, he was not given the chance to call for a doctor or a priest.
But Sora knew why: it must be because even the doctor and priest wouldn't be able to heal the wounds. The wounds were inflicted by something weird and dangerous; that's why he started from there. He inspected Michael's body to know what had caused such destruction and did his research. What he knew was that it was inflicted with someone's aura, a power he once read about in a book but never learned about because he was not tasked with doing it by the system.
For three years and a half, he has been experimenting to create a healing potion. He almost gives up when there's no good result. He knew he was almost successful. He just needed to find one possible substance that needed to be added. But now that Michael has woken up from his coma, maybe he will get some clue.
But that is doubtful.
"He didn't know what happened to him. At least tell me another clue."
_ S T U P I D _
An irk mark appeared on his forehead.
_ B L O O D _
Blood? Whose blood?
"I've already done that with his blood, my blood, the beast I found, and more. Whose blood are you talking about?"
_ V A M P I R E _
Vampire? How the hell did he want to find a vampire in this world? He never encountered one.
"Elaborate please."
_ N O _
He clicked his tongue.
"Vampires went extinct hundreds of years ago. There's a possibility some are still out there in hiding, but it would be long before I met with one. Besides, how do I want to take their blood? Surely I'd be the one whose blood is taken."
The fantasy world truly is fascinating. Everything could happen and exist here. He has encountered beast people, beasts without intelligence, and some fairytale creatures, but never vampires, demons, or the same kind. He would say this world was slightly different from what he imagined.
He thought the demon kingdom and the human kingdom would have animosity towards each other while the hero saved the day. Well, maybe he just reads too many comics.
"You are unhelpful."
A sudden jolt of electrocution was felt by him again. This time is more powerful, making him collapse on the floor and twitch slightly.
'The system must be angry.'
This is not the first time, but he never wants to stop taunting the system. Truthfully, the system has helped him a lot in this world and even during his current task.
The system has provided him with a basic step to begin his experiment. He just needed to delve more into the topic by borrowing some books and buying the equipment. Chemistry was never to his liking, but he managed to understand some of it, so that's probably enough.
"Vampire blood, huh? You said it like a vampire would suddenly appear here."
He quickly stood up and ran towards where Michael was.
"Damn it! Don't tell me it's really the vampire!"
_ . . . . . _
And the vampire might have had their eyes on Michael from the start.
'Who exactly is Michael, and what happened to him?'
Sora would not get the answer right now.
"System, give me Viper."