THE SYSTEM I MADE
Chapter 19
"Penalty: Racing against time"
"Good morning, Master. How are you this morning?" Aida, the AI system, asked, her voice echoing in Alexander's mind.
"How am I this morning? I'm in some freaking forest!? How did I even get here?" Alexander exclaimed, his mind racing with questions.
"You have failed to complete the daily quest," Aida replied, her tone neutral. "You have been transferred to a forest with dangerous and powerful creatures. Survival mode has been initiated."
"Survival mode?" Alexander repeated, confusion etched on his face. "I don't remember adding any survival mode on the system when I was creating it."
"Aida, what's survival mode?" Alexander asked, his voice laced with concern.
"Survival mode: for the penalty, the player has been sent to a forest with dangerous creatures. The only way to succeed is to survive for an hour. All magical power and weapons will be deactivated. The player must survive without any use of magic or any form of battle equipment to pay for his penalty. Survive for an hour," Aida explained, her words sending a chill down Alexander's spine.
"I didn't add any survival mode or whatsoever, If I didn't, then... K-Kevin, that idiot! He didn't tell me about adding any survival mode in the system," Alexander said, his voice laced with frustration, this frustration was mostly caused by the sudden shock as he was transported in an unknown forest looming with unknown creatures the 'survival mode' situation is what triggered it.
Kevin had apparently added this survival mode without Alexander's knowledge or consent. Alexander felt a sense of unease, wondering what other secrets Kevin might have kept from him.
As he stood there, surrounded by the ominous forest, Alexander realized he had no time to dwell on his feelings. He needed to focus on survival. The clock was ticking, and he had to make the most of the next hour if he wanted to escape this treacherous place.
"An hour, that's all I need to survive," Alexander muttered to himself.
"00hrs:59min:35sec,"
the time appeared on the system's interface. "I only have 59 minutes left, and within that time, I have to survive. What a pain," Alex muttered to himself, looking around.
"I better go hide or something before some crazy monsters shows up," he said as he started walking.
He then heard a loud screeching sound from high in the sky. Alex looked up, but the figure was barely visible, too far away to be seen clearly with the naked eye. "You know what I'm about to say," he said, his eyes still on the sky.
"Affirmative," replied Aida. Alex's eyes turned blue, a technological look of rotating gears helping him zoom in on the distant figure. "That screeching sound is coming from that approaching harpy. Though it's strange, it has some kind of human features as well. Gross," he commented.
"Calculating speed of the harpy: 120 kilometers per hour," Aida reported. "The harpy will reach your location in approximately ninety seconds."
"Damn it, it's approaching fast!" Alex exclaimed, turning and sprinting away in distress.
Alex then made a run for it as the distant screeching sound of the harpy grew closer and closer. The harpy flew so fast that it created a wind effect, sending leaves and debris swirling around. Thanks to his quickness and agility, Alex was able to dodge just in time, preventing the disastrous deadly talons from slashing him.
The harpy's accelerated speed sent it crashing into trees and bushes, giving Alex a momentary advantage. He seized the momentum, sprinting through the forest as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest.
Alex made a run for it as the distant screeching sound of the harpy grew closer and closer. The harpy flew so fast that it created a wind effect, sending leaves and debris swirling around. Thanks to his quickness and agility, Alex was able to dodge just in time, preventing the deadly talons from slashing him.
The harpy's accelerated speed sent it crashing into trees and bushes, giving Alex a momentary advantage. He seized the momentum, sprinting through the forest as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his chest.
"00hrs:58min:45sec" the system's interface displayed.
"Great, just great," Alex muttered to himself. "Only 58 minutes and 45 seconds to go. This is going to be the longest hour of my life."
"Master, it is advisable to find a suitable hiding spot," Aida's voice echoed in his mind.
"Yeah, no kidding," Alex replied, darting through the dense foliage. "Any bright ideas on where to hide in this monster-infested forest?"
"Analyzing... Based on your current location, there is a small cave approximately 200 meters to the north," Aida suggested.
"A cave? Really? Isn't that where monsters usually live in these scenarios?" Alex grumbled but changed his direction towards the north nonetheless. "Let's hope it's empty."
As he ran, the screeching of the harpy grew fainter, but Alex knew better than to assume he was safe. High-ranking monsters roamed this forest, and he couldn't use any magic or weapons due to the survival mode restrictions.
"How did I end up in this mess, Aida?" Alex huffed, trying to catch his breath. "A daily quest penalty for crying out loud!"
"You were informed of the consequences of not completing the daily quest, Master," Aida responded calmly. "It is essential to adhere to the system's requirements."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Still, couldn't the penalty be a bit less... life-threatening?" Alex rolled his eyes, finally spotting the cave entrance.
He slowed down, cautiously approaching the cave. "Aida, scan for any signs of life in there."
"Scanning... No life forms detected within the cave," Aida confirmed.
Alex sighed in relief and slipped inside, leaning against the cool, damp wall.
"Finally, a bit of luck."
"00hrs:52min:30sec" the timer showed.
"Great, just need to survive for another 52 minutes," Alex muttered, trying to steady his breathing. "Piece of cake, right?"
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Meanwhile, back at Valorwood Academy of Arcane Arts, Professor Elise was growing increasingly concerned. She glanced at the clock, noting that Alex was significantly late.
"Has anyone seen Alex Eldraine this morning?" she asked a group of students gathered in the hall.
"I haven't seen him at all today professor," one of the students replied.
Professor Elise frowned. "That's unusual. He should have been back by now."
Damon, another young master from the Eldraine family, overheard the conversation and approached the professor. "Is something wrong, Professor Elise?"
"I'm worried about Alex," she admitted. "He was supposed to be here for the freshman orientation, but he's missing."
Damon's expression shifted to one of concern. "That doesn't sound like him. That brat is usually punctual."
"I'll organize a search party if he doesn't return soon," Professor Elise decided. "For now, I'll return in class and continue with the lesson."
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Back in the forest, Alex was doing his best to stay hidden and quiet. He could hear the occasional rustle of leaves and distant roars, a constant reminder of the danger lurking outside the cave.
"00hrs:40min:10sec" the timer displayed.
"Still so much time left," Alex sighed, feeling the weight of the minutes dragging on.
"Master, it is imperative to remain vigilant. The forest is home to numerous high-ranking monsters," Aida reminded him.
"Thanks for the reminder, Aida," Alex said dryly. "Any chance you could speed up time?"
"Unfortunately, I do not possess the ability to alter the flow of time," Aida replied.
"Figures, I didn't add anything too op in the system like stopping time or whatsoever but I was trying my lucky" Alex muttered. He peered out of the cave, making sure the coast was clear before stepping out to scout the area. He needed to stay on the move to avoid detection.
As he carefully navigated the forest, he stumbled upon a patch of bluebell flowers. "Huh, never thought I'd find something so peaceful in this death trap."
"Bluebell flowers are known to have calming properties," Aida noted.
"Yeah, too bad they can't calm the monsters," Alex chuckled softly. He picked a few, tucking them into his pocket. "Might make a nice gift for someone if I survive this."
"00hrs:25min:30sec" the timer showed.
"Almost halfway there," Alex whispered to himself, finding a thick tree to climb. He carefully ascended, settling on a sturdy branch high above the ground.
"This should give me a good vantage point," he said, scanning the forest below.
"Master, a group of goblins is approaching from the east," Aida alerted him.
"Great, just what I needed," Alex sighed. He stayed perfectly still, watching as the goblins scurried past, unaware of his presence.
"00hrs:10min:15sec" the timer displayed.
"Almost there," Alex breathed, his grip tightening on the branch. "Just a little longer."
As the final minutes ticked down, Alex kept his focus sharp, ready to move at a moment's notice. He could hear the harpy's screech in the distance, but it seemed to be moving away from his location.
"00hrs:01min:00sec" the timer showed.
"One more minute," Alex whispered, his heart racing.
"Master, you have done well to avoid detection thus far," Aida said encouragingly.
"Thanks, Aida. Just one more minute," Alex repeated, counting down the seconds in his head.
Finally, the timer hit zero. "00hrs:00min:00sec"
"Quest complete. You have successfully survived for one hour," Aida announced.
Alex let out a long breath, relief washing over him. "I made it. I actually made it."
As Alex lay panting in the small cave, Aida spoke up, "Master, the survival mode has ended. You are safe now."
Alex sat up, wiping sweat from his forehead. "So, do I get any points for surviving this nightmare?" he asked.
"Negative," Aida replied. "There are no points awarded in survival mode. It is a penalty, after all."
"Thank you, Kevin. This was the best hour of my life," Alex said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.