Regaining consciousness as quickly as he had lost it, Alistair took a few seconds to calm down before looking in front of him.
He took about fifteen minutes to remember all the memories he had seen then looked at the pitch-black darkness that surrounded him.
After looking at the space he was, Alistair focused his sight in front of him and just like he expected he saw a transparent blue screen before him.
— –
[Should the Override Protocol be initiated?]
[If yes reply with 'Proceed', if no reply with 'Skip'.]
— –
Aware that he could not get his body back on his own, Alistair didn't take up to a second to decide and said. "Proceed."
After Alistair said that, the screen which was previously in front of him vanished into thin air as several other screens that were glowing in mysterious lights appeared before him.
— –
[Ding!]
[The host has agreed to use the Override Protocol.]
[Override Protocol would begin in ten seconds.]
— –
[The host has gotten a debt due to not being able to afford the Override Protocol.]
[The debt must be paid within a year max.]
[Things like the host service and System points are the currencies to pay his debt.]
— –
[If the host fails to gather the resources required to clear his debt the host would be punished by the System.]
[The punishment would randomly generated.]
— –
Catching sight of a red screen that was buried amidst countless blue screens, Alistair made all other screens disperse apart from the red one.
— –
[Warning! The host's would soon die due to his body becoming petrified.]
[Warning! The host soul wouldn't be reincarnated after his death as it would be stuck in his body.]
[Warning! The being that resided within the host has gotten control of twenty percent of the host's body.]
[At the rate the host is losing control of his body, it is estimated that the being would fully control the host's body in ten minutes.]
— –
After reading the words on the screen, Alistair fell into deep thoughts as his mind was rattled by confusion.
As at now, he was unbothered by the being taking over his body as he was sure the Override Protocol could handle it but what bothered him was reincarnation.
'The System had said that I would be unable to reincarnate so did it mean any time I died I always got reincarnated?' Alistair pondered, thinking for a couple more seconds.
Intrigued by the subject of reincarnation, Alistair thought. 'But I reincarnated and have the memories of my life as Dragon but why don't I have those of the one before that.'
It wasn't that he was someone who thirsted for the universe's secret, he was just interested in the concept of reincarnation since he had experienced it.
"I advise the host be mentally prepared."
Eleven said, breaking Alistair from his train of thoughts after seeing he had been thinking too deeply.
Aware of what Eleven meant, Alistair braced himself for the pain that he was sure would accompany the process.
He had dubbed his System as something that cultivated masochists since he had experienced a great deal of pain at its hands.
Slowly, the countdown came to an end and rhe pain that Alistair had prepared himself for never came he waited for a few seconds more but still nothing.
It was twelve seconds after the countdown ended that something finally came, and it wasn't even the hellish pain he was prepared.
He had immense pleasure that was accompanied by a relaxing feeling wash over every fiber of his soul –almost making him lower his guard.
Surprised by still feeling the relaxing feeling even after thirty seconds had passed, Alistair subconsciously let his guard down as he enjoyed the foreign feeling that spiraled through him.
It was until forty-five seconds had passed that Alistair finally noticed something was amiss.
The relaxing feeling had been slowly gaining an increase in its power but now, it had experienced a huge spike.
It had now gotten rid of its previous pleasurable yet relaxing effect, and become so powerful that it threatened to tear him into bits.
Thankfully, it was only the psychological effects that made him feel like he was getting shredded bits. But it really did hurt like hell as he had the feeling he could pop at anytime.
Enduring the pain that he felt, Alistair withheld his urge to curse the System for painting something so vile in a nice way at first.
His current emotions were like a man who had found a beautiful wife on tinder, taken her on a date, and have even married. But when it was time for their honeymoon, he realized that his virgin wife –who he had never touched– was an unstraight man who had gotten feminine proportions due to surgery.
"You just need to endure for two minutes more."
Eleven said monotonously, sensing the pain Alistair felt she had the urge to gloat but didn't since it would be below her.
For someone of her status, even talking to beings of Alistair's caliber was already shameful talk less of mocking him.
Unbothered by Alistair's pained groans, Eleven said.
"Soon, I'll leave this shit hole and finally make my way towards the Center."
Her voice wasn't the same monotonous one Alistair had long since gotten used to but a one that carried hope. It was the voice of a young girl who hoped to change her future.
After what felt like several years of torture, Alistair had finally stopped withholding his urge to scream akin to a pig getting slaughtered when the pain he felt subsided.
Released from his previous agony, Alistair soon calmed down as he asked the Eleven. "Why isn't there any difference?"
Just when Eleven was about to reply, Alistair suddenly lost consciousness –marking the start of the Override Protocol's second phase.
****
"Aaarrrgggghhhhhhh!!!"
A shrill cry resounded within Alistair's subconscious as a figure with paper white skin was flung out of Alistair's Sea of Consciousness.
Groaning in pain, the figure writhed in agony as he tried to endure the damage that had been inflicted to his soul.
But he wasn't a being of high existence for nothing as after a few seconds, the being had been able to get back on his feet.
Although he moved like a leaf in the autumn breeze, the being still had pride radiating off him as he gazed at the lake beneath him with knitted brows and narrowed eyes.
"Come out and talk I don't have time to waste." The being stated, having irritation present in his voice after failing his to take over Alistair's body.
As ripple's gradually formed on the lake, the figure of a blond young man with black eyes and horns could be seen rising to the lake's surface.
He had an extremely handsome face and elegant demeanour about him as he muttered. "Been a long time since a used this body."
Chuckling lightly, Alistair made his way towards the being at a languid pace –taking a step every five second.
"What do you want?" The being asked, still irritated by his failure he looked at Alistair and added. "If it's your body you want it's already yours."
With a small smile blooming on his handsome face, Alistair replied. "Not that, it's just I want to get rid of the pest within me."