"Ugh… my head... Why am I so dizzy? What happened to me?"
Yang Zhizun groaned, holding his throbbing head. His thoughts swirled in confusion as he struggled to stand, his body sluggish and heavy.
Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, trying to force clarity through the thick fog clouding his senses.
His vision gradually sharpened, and with each passing second, the dizziness faded away like the receding tide.
"Am I… dreaming?"
As he took in his surroundings, he froze. His breath stuck in his throat.
The sight before him was… unreal. Beyond anything he could comprehend.
He was standing on what looked like a perfectly still, glassy blue, vast surface. It looked like water, but was so calm, so perfect, that no ripple formed beneath his feet, and was reflecting, much like a mirror.
Above him, the sky wasn't the sky at all—it was an inky, pitch-black void, vast and swallowing, like he was staring into the depths of nothingness.
All around him stretched an eerie calm, and it was unsettling.
"What… Where am I?"
His voice, a mix of shock, surprise, and confusion, echoed in the emptiness. It felt strange, like the sound was bouncing off an invisible wall that was both boundless and confined with the space.
He took a few hesitant steps, feeling the firm surface beneath his feet despite its water-like appearance.
His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of the surreal landscape.
[Greeting, Host. You are currently in your Subconscious Plane.]
A sudden cold, emotionless voice cut through the silence. It seemed to come from nowhere, yet, it seemed to resonate from everywhere at once.
Startled, he spun around, looking for the source, but found nothing. Just the same endless blue and black.
"Subconscious Plane?" he repeated in confusion., his brows furrowed.
"Wait… this… this... is this really what I think it is?"
A sudden realization flashed across his face, and his heart pounded faster. A wild hope sparked in his eyes.
Web novels, fantasy stories, isekai tales—he had read about this countless times.
A new world, where characters awakened with incredible powers.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
His mind raced as he knew what exactly this meant, or at least he could guess.
If he didn't hear wrong, then it can only be one thing and that is…
System. It had to be.
His lips trembled as he tried to form the word, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Is it really you… System?"
He asked, his voice quivering with doubt and anticipation.
Could this really be happening? Could this be his moment? The start of everything?
His mind raced with excitement and disbelief, trying to hold back the mix of fear and hope growing inside him.
[Yes, Host. I am SYSTEM.]
The confirmation hit him like a jolt of lightning. His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he felt as though the ground beneath him might vanish.
This was real. He had a system. A system! Was he truly in another world?
His confusion quickly changed to excitement, but then, a sudden realization stopped him cold.
"Does that mean I really…?"
He thought back to his last moments, memories of his former life flashed his mind.
"I remember walking to the supermarket... then a blinding light, and I shut my eyes. After that, I heard something—tires, screeching tires. And then... nothing. Everything went blank. When I woke up, I was here."
His mind struggled to make sense of the scrambled memories.
"Something's not adding up…" he muttered, frowning as he tried to piece it together.
Supermarket. Blinding light. Screeching tires. Blank.
Blinding light. Supermarket. Screeching tires.
Blinding light. Blank—
His eyes widened as the realization dawned on him.
"It was the truck. T—Truck? Truck-Kun?!"
His expression changed dramatically, shock taking over.
"Is this really happening? Did I get hit by the infamous—legendary Truck-Kun? This can't be real. That only happens in Japanese novels, right? Damn... I guess the truck has expanded its horizons and now even outside of Japan, it's got targets. Seriously?"
Yang Zhizun laughed, though it was a bit hysterical.
"Wait... she..."
His laughter died abruptly, replaced by a sudden heaviness in his chest as his thoughts shifted to another important memory.
He hadn't been alone that day. She was with him.
'Did she… also get hit? Did she… make it? Or… is she here too?'
His chest tightened, worry lingered at him as uncertainty crept in. The fear of not knowing her fate sent a wave of anxiety through him.
However, he quickly forced himself to focus. He couldn't dwell on that right now, though he made a silent promise.
"I need to figure out what's going on here. But I hope she's safe… wherever she is. If she's here, I'll find her."
Taking a deep breath, he looked around at the unsettling, calm surroundings once more. Then, with resolve, he addressed his system.
"System, explain this to me. What is this place?"
The response was immediate, cold, and mechanical as before.
[Host is within his Subconscious Plane.]
"My Subconscious Plane? What does that mean exactly?" Yang Zhizun asked, confusion growing.
[The Subconscious Plane is the space where Host's subconscious mind resides. The current you exists within this space.]
"Why am I here?" he pressed, still trying to make sense of what was happening.
[SYSTEM encountered an issue during the soul-linking process with the host.]
"An issue? What kind of issue?" his worry heightened.
[Upon analysis, SYSTEM detected an anomaly within Host's soul.]
Yang Zhizun stiffened.
"An anomaly? What do you mean?"
[Further analysis revealed a powerful seal placed on Host's subconscious mind.]
"A seal? On my subconscious?" he repeated with a frown, his mind racing.
The realization hit him hard—someone, or something, had tampered with his very soul.
Who could have done this? And why? His mind raced, frantically trying to unravel the mystery.
It wasn't just the system he had to deal with. There was another, unknown force at play—one that had somehow interfered and altered his very being—his soul.
[For further details, Host is advised to explore on his own.]
Yang Zhizun sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration.
Where was he supposed to start with something like this?
"So, I'm in my subconscious plane… This all feels too surreal. And you're telling me my consciousness is sealed?"
[Correct.]
"Alright, let's put that aside for now."
He steadied himself, trying to focus on the bigger picture.
"So, am I in another world now?"
[Yes, Host.]
'I knew it! I'm really in another world.'
He couldn't suppress the excitement that surged through him. This was exactly like the stories he'd read—a second chance, a new life in a new world full of endless possibilities.
"Awesome! What kind of world is this? And what's my situation right now?"
[Host is encouraged to discover that for himself.]
Yang Zhizun groaned, exasperated at the system's cryptic response.
"Aren't you supposed to help me? Isn't that your job—to explain things?"
[Providing direct answers would hinder Host's development. You must uncover the truth through your own experience. Exploration will lead to deeper understanding.]
He let out a long sigh, trying to keep his frustration at bay.
'Of course. No spoon-feeding here. I should've known the system wouldn't just hand everything to me.'
"Okay, fine. What about rewards? Surely there's some cool stuff waiting for me, right?"
[SYSTEM currently has no rewards for Host.]
He blinked, momentarily stunned. Then, his face fell.
"Wait, what? No newbie rewards? No starter pack? What kind of system is this? Isn't that, like, a basic system thing?"
[There is no such thing as a 'newbie rewards' or 'starter pack' in SYSTEM.]
Yang Zhizun stood there in disbelief for a moment.
"Seriously? No overpowered weapon? No magical cheat item to help me start off? What am I supposed to do without a boost?"
"This is completely ridiculous. It feels like a scam. All those novels are complete lies! They made me believe in freebies!"
He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.
"If I ever meet one of those authors, I'll give them a piece of my mind for filling my head with false expectations."
Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and refocused.
"Okay, let's move on. What kind of functions do you have, System?"
[SYSTEM has three available functions.
Task Functionality: Host will receive tasks with corresponding rewards. Tasks can vary in difficulty, and some may include penalties, while others may not. Tasks may be triggered by Host's actions or external circumstances, and can overlap.
Shop Functionality: Locked. To unlock, Host must complete ten tasks.
Points Functionality: Host will earn points by completing tasks, which can later be used in the shop.]
"That seems simple enough." He nodded, feeling a bit better with the explanation, but his curiosity wasn't completely satiated.
"But what about a status panel? Do you have one of those?"
[Negative.]
'Of course not,' he sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.
'It'd be too easy if I had everything laid out for me.''
But still, the lack of a status panel stung a little. It's not like he was asking for much, just a bit of guidance.
"And you're sure there's no hidden reward? Nothing at all?"
He asked again, trying his luck, maybe, perhaps maybe, his System would get generous and give him something.
[Negative, Host.]
He sighed again, feeling disappointment.
"Please, System, just give me something. Anything at all."
Desperation crept into his voice, hoping maybe the system would take pity on him.
[...]
"Ding!"
[A mission has been triggered!
Task: Discover more about yourself and your surroundings.
Reward: Access to Host's Subconscious Plane.]
"Subconscious plane, again?" he muttered, though he thought to himself,
'If it's a system reward, it must be important.'
"Well, it's better than nothing, I guess," he said, feeling a bit relieved. He didn't try to push his luck too far, and was content with what he got, at least for now.
"Ding!"
[What is Host's goal?]
"My goal, huh?" Yang Zhizun blinked, surprised by the question.
"Why do you ask?"
[To set SYSTEM parameters to assist Host in achieving his future goals.]
He paused, thinking about it for a moment, then, feeling a bit mischievous, he grinned.
"Well… to live a peaceful life in this world surrounded by beautiful women. Lots of them! What do you think? Haha, just kidding—"
"Ding!"
[Host's goal has been recognized.]
"Wait, what?" he froze.
"That was a joke! You weren't supposed to take that seriously!" His face turned red as he waved his hands frantically, trying to backtrack.
[SYSTEM will provide aid to Host in achieving his goal.]
The blush deepened.
"Are you serious? You're really going to help me chase after... girls? That's what you're going to lock in as my goal? What kind of system are you?"
He was mortified, feeling a wave of embarrassment washing over him. This was not how this was supposed to go!
"Please change it! I didn't mean it!"
He had only been curious to see how his System would react. He never thought it would actually lock in his nonsense as his life goal.
Okay, it might've been a joke, but deep down, it was still one of his goals, like any other man's—but he couldn't openly admit that! Can he?
[Host's goal has been set. No changes can be made.]
"This is insane. You locked it in? I can't change it? This can't be happening."
He groaned, covering his face with his hands.
"It was just a joke! You've got to let me change it!"
[Host's request to change goal denied.]
Yang Zhizun slumped in defeat.
"Great," he muttered.
"Now I'm stuck with this ridiculous goal… chasing women."
He shot a glare at the void around him.
"Thanks a lot, System."
[Host's ideal will drive SYSTEM's support. Do note that SYSTEM will only provide tools. Achieving your ideal depends on your own efforts.]
'I admit defeat. This System is just insane.'
He let out a defeated sigh.
"Fine, fine. Whatever. What's done is done. I guess I'll just have to live with it."
This is going to be so embarrassing, he thought bitterly.
'Of all the goals I could've chosen, I had to go with that one. Curse it. I've doomed myself to being a walking cliché.'
[Ding! Does Host have any preferences for SYSTEM?]
"Uh... I don't know… well, can I see you? I mean, I know you're in my head, but it feels weird talking like this. Can you take some kind of form? It'd be easier to talk to you that way."
[Analyzing... SYSTEM can manifest as a glowing orb, visible only in Host's Subconscious Plane. Proceed?]
"Better than nothing. Proceed."
A soft shimmer appeared, and before him floated a small, glowing blue orb, radiating a gentle light.
"Alright, that's better."
[Ding! Host. Do you have any other preferences?]
"Actually, can you change form? Like, maybe something more... human? Maybe a female form?"
He wasn't sure why he asked, but curiosity got the best of him. If his System could change forms, why not pick something interesting?
[Analyzing… Request is invalid. SYSTEM cannot change to human form.]
"Okay… can you sound more human? Like maybe with a feminine voice?"
[Request denied.]
"Fine, fine. How about just sounding a bit more... friendly? You sound way too robotic, you know."
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not wanting to sound like he was criticizing too much.
[If Host prefers, SYSTEM can enter hibernation state when not needed.]
Thinking the response would be the same as before—a denial, he was about to sigh, but he was stunned. He didn't expect such a blunt response. And his eyes widened as he realized the seriousness of it.
Sometimes, his System was a little too straightforward.
"Whoa, wait. No need to go that far! I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings or asking you to leave!"
He raised his hands in a defensive gesture, feeling like he'd somehow offended the System.
"I just thought, you know, we could be a bit more… friendly."
Silence followed. A long, uncomfortable silence. Yang rubbed his temples, mentally kicking himself for making things awkward.
"Sorry about that," he muttered, feeling embarrassed. This was getting weirder by the second.
He sighed, muttering under his breath. "Guess I'll just have to make do with what I've got."
"Ding!" [System is entering hibernation state in Ten… Nine…]
"System! You don't need to take it that seriously. I apologize! Please stop! You don't need to hibernate. I'm sorry, okay?"
[...]
No reply came, and for a while another silence followed.
"I'm really sorry, alright? I won't do that again."
[Ding! Does Host have any more preferences?]
Yang let out a sigh of relief. "No, no more preferences. I like you just the way you are."
[Ding! System setup is completed.]
"Ding!"
[New Mission!
Task: Gain basic knowledge of the world around you.
Reward: 1x Wisdom Card.]
Yang couldn't help but chuckle. "Thank you, System. You're my favorite System. I like you a lot."
He cringed at how overly complimentary he sounded, but hey, the System seemed generous right now, and he wasn't about to mess that up.
After a while he stopped, feeling awkward and shook his head, trying to refocus.
"Alright, System, how do I leave this place? I need to figure out what's happening outside."
[Ding! To leave the Subconscious Plane, Host must break the seal within himself. Would you like to proceed?]