Jiang's flippers flailed in panic. "I messed up! I picked the wrong thing!"
The woman, startled by his outburst, raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You were just complaining about being a penguin, and now you're freaking out. What did you choose?"
Jiang honked, his feathers ruffling in frustration. "Ice bullets! I picked ice bullets, and the system punished me for it! I lost 10% synchronization because it wasn't penguin-like enough!" He threw his flippers up in exasperation, but as he did, a flurry of ice particles formed around them, glinting in the dim light of the room.
The woman blinked in confusion. "What are you—"
Before she could finish, ice bullets shot out of Jiang's flippers, whizzing past her and shattering against the wall behind her. She jumped back, eyes wide, as chunks of ice scattered across the floor.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she shouted, her voice a mix of shock and annoyance.
Jiang's beak dropped open as he stared at the wall, now covered in tiny ice shards. "I didn't mean to! It just… happened!"
The woman glared at him, clearly unimpressed. "Well, maybe next time you won't shoot ice bullets at me!"
Jiang flapped his flippers apologetically, still trying to process what had just happened. "I… I'm sorry! I didn't even know I could do that yet!"
She shook her head, rubbing her temples. "Unbelievable. You're going to get both of us killed with these random abilities."
Jiang lowered his head, feeling a bit guilty. Then something clicked in his mind. He looked up at her sheepishly. "Wait… I've been running around with you for a while now, and I just realized I don't even know your name."
The woman paused, her expression softening for a moment as she studied him. "You've been too busy panicking to ask."
"Well," Jiang muttered, "I'm asking now."
With a small smile, she finally answered, "It's Aylin."
"Aylin…" Jiang repeated, rolling the name over in his head. Somehow, it felt right—like a name that fit her sharp features and quick thinking.
He honked, attempting to nod in thanks. "Aylin. Got it. And again, I'm sorry for almost hitting you with those bullets."
"Just… try not to do it again, alright?" she said with a wry smile, her frustration starting to melt away.
But Jiang wasn't ready to let the moment pass without reflecting on his mistake. "It's just… this system is making me do these things that aren't even penguin-like. And now I'm paying for it! I lost synchronization because I picked something cool instead of useful. I'm a mess."
Aylin raised an eyebrow. "You do realize you've been complaining about being a penguin this entire time, and now you're upset that you're not more like a penguin?"
Jiang honked in disbelief. "I didn't want to be a penguin in the first place!"
She laughed, shaking her head. "Well, if you want to survive, maybe start acting more like one. You've got 90 minutes to hit full synchronization. What are you going to do—waddle around and shoot ice at random targets?"
Jiang groaned in frustration. "I can't even glide properly, and my flippers are barely healed! What am I supposed to do now?"
Aylin crossed her arms and tapped her chin, thinking for a moment. "How about you start by doing something a normal penguin would do?"
Jiang looked at her incredulously. "Like what? Ask for fish and flap my wings uselessly?"
Aylin smirked. "Why not? You were doing a pretty good job of acting like a penguin earlier when you asked for food."
Jiang glared at her but couldn't help feeling embarrassed. "Fine," he muttered, waddling over to the corner of the room. He stood there for a moment, staring at the wall, then began to waddle back and forth, his body swaying awkwardly as he did.
Aylin raised an eyebrow. "What… are you doing?"
"I'm being a penguin," Jiang replied flatly. He flapped his flippers half-heartedly, his beak twitching in annoyance. "This is what penguins do, right? They waddle around and act like idiots."
Aylin burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. "You look ridiculous."
"Tell that to the system!" Jiang honked, flapping his flippers more dramatically now, frustration mounting. "If it wants me to be a penguin, then fine! I'll be the most penguin-y penguin it's ever seen!"
As Jiang continued to waddle around the room, the system pinged in his head once again.
Synchronization increased by 5%. Current Synchronization: 70%.
Jiang froze mid-waddle. "Wait… did that just… work?"
Aylin's laughter subsided as she looked at him, curious. "What happened?"
"The system just increased my synchronization," Jiang said, blinking in disbelief. "For acting like a penguin."
Aylin shrugged. "Well, I guess the system wants you to embrace your inner penguin."
Jiang groaned. "This is so humiliating. I'm supposed to be some kind of chosen one or something, and here I am, waddling around like a flightless bird to gain points."
Aylin chuckled softly. "At least you're making progress."
Jiang sighed, his flippers drooping. "Yeah, but I've only got 70% synchronization. I'm running out of time."
He glanced at the system's countdown, which was ticking down relentlessly. 50 minutes remaining. The pressure was mounting, and despite the comical moment they had just shared, the reality of his situation was beginning to sink in again.
He turned to Aylin, a look of determination in his eyes. "Alright. I've got to take this seriously now. What do I do next?"
Aylin gave him a thoughtful look. "You need to embrace the penguin form, but that doesn't mean you can't use the system to your advantage. Maybe there's a way to combine your new abilities with the penguin instincts."
Jiang tilted his head. "Like… using the ice bullets in a penguin-like way?"
She nodded. "Exactly. Think about what penguins do best."
Jiang thought for a moment. Penguins are great swimmers, they glide on ice, and they survive in some of the harshest environments on the planet. Maybe he could find a way to merge those instincts with his powers.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the system's abilities. His mind wandered back to the ice bullets he had unlocked earlier. Maybe they weren't completely useless after all.
Jiang honked softly, a plan forming in his mind. "Alright… I think I've got an idea."
Aylin raised an eyebrow. "What's your plan?"
He flapped his flippers and took a deep breath. "I'm going to combine the ice bullets with my penguin instincts. Maybe if I focus on using them while thinking like a penguin, the system won't punish me."
Aylin looked skeptical, but she nodded. "Worth a try."
Jiang took a few waddling steps forward, closing his eyes and trying to tap into his penguin instincts. He could feel the cold energy of the ice bullets swirling around his flippers, but this time, he didn't force them out. Instead, he let the natural motion of his penguin body guide the flow.
With a quick motion, he slid across the floor on his belly, and as he did, the ice bullets shot out from his flippers, gliding smoothly along the floor and leaving a trail of frost behind them.
Aylin's eyes widened. "That… actually worked."
Jiang blinked in surprise. "It did?"
He checked the system.
Synchronization increased by 10%. Current Synchronization: 80%.
A grin spread across Jiang's beak. "I'm getting closer!"
Aylin smiled. "See? You just needed to think like a penguin."
Jiang felt a surge of confidence. 80% synchronization was much better than he expected after all the bumbling and mistakes. But as he checked the timer, his heart sank a little.
40 minutes remaining.