"Hey, Max… what happened? Why are you laughing like this? I'm starting to get scared seeing this new behavior of yours," Jameson said, genuinely frightened by Max's sudden reactions—first his anger during the movie, and now uncontrollable laughter at the emotional ending.
Max could hear Jameson's words, but he paid no attention. His laughter slowly stopped, and his eyes widened as he stared intensely at something ahead.
Jameson looked in the same direction as Max, only to see the movie's ending credits rolling. Confused, he asked, "Hey, what are you staring at on the screen?"
"Don't you see that doll right there?" Max pointed at the screen, as if showing Jameson something that wasn't there.
"What doll? It's just the ending credits," Jameson replied, confused. Hearing this, Max stood up and began walking toward the exit, with Jameson following behind, unsure of what was going on.
"Hey, lost soul, I'm not a doll, you get it?" a voice echoed in Max's mind.
Max, looking irritated, responded, "You're the size of my hand and look just like a doll. Where did you come from? My head's already spinning—just go away, shoo… shoo…" He waved his hand dismissively, as if trying to chase away a bird.
The small, doll-like figure, about 15 cm tall, floated furiously around Max, visibly annoyed.
"You damn lost soul, I'm telling you for the last time, I am NOT a doll!" the voice echoed louder in Max's head.
"Then what are you, you damn D-O-L-L!" Max replied angrily. Right now, he was ready to pick a fight with anyone just to let out his frustration from the movie, and this tiny figure was just the target he needed.
| Punishment confirmed.
| Reason for punishment: Host insulted
| assistant
| Type of punishment: Severe headache
| Duration: 2 minutes"
Max saw these words appear in blue in front of his eyes. Before he could make sense of it, an intense pain surged through his head. The headache was so severe that he let out a groan, "Ahhhh... Argggg... Aaaa!" He clutched his head tightly, trying to bear the pain.
Seeing this, Jameson was shocked again. Panicking, he grabbed Max and tried to shake him back to consciousness, saying, "Max... Max... What's happening to you?" Jameson was completely terrified, watching his friend collapse to the ground in pain.
Max continued writhing in pain on the ground for the full two minutes while Jameson, alarmed by his friend's condition, called Max's mom in a panic.
As soon as the two minutes ended, a message appeared in front of Max's closed eyes:
"Punishment served to host.
Thank you for your cooperation.
If the host enjoyed it, feel free to insult again."
A satisfied voice echoed in Max's mind as the hovering doll laughed mockingly, "Hahaha! See, that's your punishment for insulting me, you damn lost soul!"
Max muttered to himself, feeling frustrated, "This is clearly one-sided justice. That… doll also insulted me! Why didn't she get punished? Why was it only me?"
Realizing that this strange encounter was real and the pain had been incredibly intense, Max took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind and make sense of everything that had just happened.
Max finally understood—this was his "golden finger" or "system," just like the ones the main characters receive in all the novels he reads. But unlike those lucky protagonists, his system came with a dose of cruelty.
A strange mix of excitement and fear brewed inside him. He was happy to have his own system but also worried about the kinds of punishments he might face for his mistakes. Trying to stay calm, Max addressed the doll in his mind.
"Who are you?" he asked, wanting confirmation, though he was pretty sure this was the system or golden finger he had read about.
"Oh, now you've come down from your high horse to speak politely with a beautiful, delightful lady like me," the doll replied sarcastically.
"Alright, fine… could I get an introduction, beautiful lady?" Max barely managed to hold back from calling her "darn doll," afraid of another punishment.
"My name is DOLLY."
"Ehhhh…"
Hearing the name, Max was unexpectedly shocked. "What...!? Did you just say Dolly?" he asked, unable to hide his surprise.
"Is there a problem?" Dolly questioned, tilting her head in the air.
"Uh, no, no. Go on with your introduction," he replied, though a thought crossed his mind: "With a name like that, I have a feeling my headaches are only going to get worse from here on out."
Dolly, floating with a bit of attitude, began her explanation while Max prepared himself, wondering what surprises—and punishments—this quirky system would bring him next.
"I'm your assistant in this new world," Dolly continued, "and any system missions you get will be mandatory. If you need help understanding them, I'll explain."
"Finally, my system is here," Max thought, feeling a hint of relief. Then he asked, "Why did it take so long? It's been 4 days since I arrived here."
"Tch… Your death was unexpected, and you ended up here instead of another soul that was meant to be here. Basically, an extra, useless soul," Dolly sneered, looking down at him.
"So, you're saying I ended up in this world by accident and died unexpectedly?" Max's temper flared at Dolly's blunt response.
"Yes " Dolly answered.
"So who was supposed to be selected?" Max asked.
"By now, you must have guessed what talent is lacking here," Dolly replied with a hint of sarcasm. "A director. The people here don't know how to make a decent movie with a good story. In the system's list, this place is labeled as the 'Trash Movie World.' This world needs a talented director, so the system chose one from Earth. But due to an unexpected error, you ended up here instead " Dolly explained with a touch of attitude.
"Max… Max!" Jameson shook Max, seeing him standing still like a statue, staring ahead with wide eyes, unblinking. To anyone else, it looked like Max was completely out of it, unaware of the world around him. In reality, he was deeply engrossed in his conversation with Dolly, totally forgetting his surroundings.
With Jameson's shaking, Max stopped talking to Dolly and turned his attention back to the real world. Placing his hand on Jameson's shoulder, he asked, "What happened, Jammy?"
"Man, you keep zoning out to God knows what world! Don't give me a heart attack like this. Where do you keep disappearing to?" Jameson replied, worried and concerned about Max's strange behavior.
"It's nothing, I was just thinking. Come on, get the car," Max said, easing Jameson's worries.
After hearing this, Jameson glanced at Max's face for a few seconds but didn't say anything. He went to the parking lot, got the car, and they both headed home.
"Wake me up when we get there," Max said, pretending to sleep so he could continue talking with Dolly.
"Can you tell me who killed me?" Max asked Dolly, eager to understand the reason for his death, as he still had no idea what had happened.
"Who killed you? Your death was beyond ridiculous! No one killed you; you died from shock over a movie twist! Hahaha… This is the first time I've heard of someone dying like that," Dolly replied, her tone thick with sarcasm.
"What…?" Max could only mutter in disbelief, stunned by the absurd cause of his death that Dolly revealed.