"So, Shin, how do you plan to repay me for the damage you caused?" Arlo's deceptively calm tone reverberated through the old wooden shrine.
To the floating system panel in front of him, however, that voice sounded anything but calm. Trembling slightly, Shin hesitated under the burning gaze of his host.
[Host… please calm down,] Shin stammered, doing its best to maintain a confident tone, even as it instinctively floated backward.
[And there wasn't any damage caused, right?] Shin added hastily, trying to steer the conversation away from impending disaster.
For a brief moment, Arlo stopped advancing. The anger in his eyes didn't fade; instead, it intensified.
'No damage?' Arlo thought bitterly. 'If I'd been a minute late in shouting those instructions, I'd be demon chow by now!'
He didn't voice his anger. Instead, he maintained his calm smile, his eyes still locked on the trembling system.
When the intensity in Arlo's gaze grew sharper, Shin realized its comment had only made things worse. It scrambled to apologize or find an excuse, but before it could speak, Arlo interrupted.
"So, Shin, do you feel pain as a system?" Arlo's question was delivered with a chilling casualness that sent a wave of dread through Shin.
[H-Hold on, Master Arlo… let's talk this out!] Shin stammered, its earlier confidence crumbling as it understood exactly where this conversation was headed—and it wasn't somewhere pleasant.
"Oh, don't worry. We're going to have a great conversation," Arlo said with a devilish smile, making Shin tremble even more.
[P-Please, host! I'll fulfill… any one of your wishes, using all the power I have!] Shin offered desperately, hoping to bargain its way out of trouble.
"No need to rush. I'll take something from you after we've had our 'conversation.'"
Shin had successfully dug its own grave deeper.
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--A While Later…--
Arlo stood in front of the now-cracked system panel, which floated shakily in the air. The damage on the panel was proof that the two had indeed had their "conversation."
"And now, for compensation for the mental damage I've suffered," Arlo said with a devilish grin plastered on his face.
[What? Didn't you get enough already?!] Shin protested, attempting to repair the cracks on its surface while doing its best to suppress any trace of anger.
"That was just for the incident in Asakusa," Arlo replied smoothly, without missing a beat.
[Fine. But your demands can't exceed a certain limit,] Shin reluctantly agreed. Not that it had a choice in the first place.
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"Kriptonian body!" Arlo shouted, his signature victorious smile plastered on his face.
[No way. Do you think I'm God or something?] Shin refused for what felt like the hundredth time, exasperated by Arlo's crazy demands.
"Tsk. Aren't you one of those wish-fulfilling systems? Can't you at least manage this much?" Arlo asked, his tone laced with irritation. After all, who wouldn't want the power to fly through the sky and lift buildings with their bare hands?
[Wish-fulfilling system? I'm running on borrowed power,] Shin retorted, trying to keep its composure. It wasn't lying—Shin's abilities were entirely dependent on the power granted by its creator. It was more like a worker with limited authority, operating under strict supervision.
"Vector manipulation!" Arlo tried again, his excitement undiminished.
[Really?] Shin asked flatly, struggling to hide its growing frustration.
"Tsk. Time control!"
[No!]
"Death Note?"
[What?!]
And so, the back-and-forth continued.
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"You're completely useless, Shin. Really useless," Arlo finally declared, throwing up his hands in exasperation.
[What? How do you expect me to give you powers equal to the creator?] Shin protested indignantly.
"Whatever. Let's settle this later and focus on spinning the wheel," Arlo grumbled, reluctantly shelving his outrageous demands for the moment. There were more pressing matters to attend to.
"Just to confirm—once I draw a power, time will return to normal, right?" Arlo asked, sneaking a nervous glance at the demon frozen mid-air nearby.
[Yes. Time will return to normal after you draw a power,] Shin confirmed, relieved that Arlo had finally moved on.
"So that thing will move again?" Arlo asked, terror creeping back into his voice. His earlier bravado had vanished entirely at the thought of confronting the demon.
[Yes.]
Without hesitation, Arlo turned on his heels and bolted out of the area.
'Not today, demon. Not today,' he thought, dashing through the dark forest as quickly as he could.
[Where are we going?] Shin asked, watching Arlo huff and puff despite barely covering any ground.
"As far away as possible from that thing!" Arlo snapped, still running.
[What if there are more demons ahead?] Shin asked calmly, though its words carried the weight of a grim reality.
Arlo froze, realizing the flaw in his plan.
"True… So, tell me more about your 'power wheel,'" he said, abandoning his escape plan and trying to sound casual.
[....You can draw a power from any of the fictional worlds you remember from your past life,] Shin explained, deciding not to comment on Arlo's shamelessness.
"What? I thought the wheel was just to pick a breathing style for me!" Arlo exclaimed, startling Shin with his sudden enthusiasm.
"Wait… What if I draw something like magic? This world doesn't have mana, right?" he asked, trying to think practically for once.
[How would I know that?] Shin replied flatly.
"..."
'It's my fault for expecting anything useful from you,' Arlo sighed inwardly.
'Now I understand why they say you can only rely on yourself in times of need.'
"Whatever. Let's spin the wheel. But first, let's head back to a city," Arlo said, brushing off his disappointment as he trudged down the dirt path through the forest.
"By the way, where was that place we first appeared?" he asked, attempting to distract himself from the long journey ahead.
[Ah… That was Asakusa,] Shin replied casually.
"Oh… Asakusa. Never been to Japan, but that name feels familiar," Arlo muttered, rubbing his chin as he racked his brain.
[Maybe from the show?]
"Maybe…" Arlo replied absentmindedly. Then, like a bolt of lightning, realization struck.
"Asakusa… Oh, SH—!" Arlo abruptly spun around and sprinted back the way he'd come, faster than ever before.
[Why did you turn around?] Shin asked, baffled by Arlo's sudden shift.
"To avoid a walking calamity," Arlo said with a dead-serious expression, refusing to elaborate further.
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***Author's Note: To everyone who has read the story up to this point, thank you so much! I truly appreciate your support.
On an important note, I've edited the earlier chapters of the story. Don't worry, no plot points have been changed—I've simply made some adjustments to improve the flow and smoothness of the narrative (at least in my opinion).
I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and hope you continue to enjoy the journey ahead!