Alex sat on the edge of his bed, staring into the flickering holographic display of the system. The town was quiet now; its people hard at work, training, building defenses. But Alex's mind was elsewhere. The system had seemed so strangely silent since the last battle, almost like it was holding something back. That feeling had only grown stronger since he started looking into its deeper functions.
Without warning, a soft chime resounded in his mind. The voice of the system was unmistakable, though he had never heard it this way before. There was an edge to it, a hint of something almost sinister in the way it spoke.
[User has unlocked 40% of system functions. Access to higher-tier features is now available. Proceed?]
Alex blinked; he didn't know what that meant. He was used to this system in a blunt command and update form, but this was new. "What features?" Alex asked, a ripple of excitement mingled with caution.
