"Dylan, you're not listening to me!" Paige's voice pierced through the din of the crowded coffee shop. She leaned across the table, her eyes flashing with a mix of exasperation and urgency.
Dylan looked up from his phone, the glow of the screen reflecting off his glasses. "What's up?"
Paige slammed a textbook down on the table. "I need your help, Dylan. This essay is half my grade and I'm stuck."
Dylan sighed, his gaze lingering on the screen of his phone. He had his own deadlines to worry about, his system's tasks weren't going to complete themselves. But Paige had always been there for him, and the desperation in her eyes was unmissable. "What's the topic?"
Paige's eyes lit up. "The history of System Awakening!" She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a notebook filled with scribbled notes. "It's about how the first systems changed the world and the balance of power!"
Dylan nodded slowly, his mind racing. Paige's system was a rare one, known as the 'Encyclopaedia', which allowed her to access vast amounts of knowledge on demand. "Okay, let's do this," he said, pushing aside his own thoughts of the system-related tasks he had pending. "Can't your system just, you know, help you finish it?"
Paige's face fell. "It's not that simple, Dylan. The professor has some kind of super-advanced plagiarism detection system. It doesn't just check for copied text, it can even detect if the information isn't processed through my own thoughts." She paused, tapping her pen on the table nervously. "If I get caught, I'm toast. It's like he's got a direct line to the system admins or something."
Dylan leaned back in his chair, considering Paige's predicament. The early 2020's had indeed been a whirlwind. The sudden appearance of systems had revolutionized everything, from education to warfare. The people with the most powerful systems had been quickly snatched up by governments and corporations, leading to a new kind of arms race. Meanwhile, the less fortunate struggled to make ends meet with their more mundane abilities.
The first dimensional rift had appeared without warning, a tear in the very fabric of reality. It had looked like a shimmering doorway to another world, and when the first brave souls stepped through, they returned with powers beyond their wildest dreams. These 'systems', as they came to be known, ranged from simple enhancements to full-blown reality bending abilities. They were the key to navigating the chaos that ensued.
Soon, screens materialized before every person on the planet, floating ethereally in the air like invisible smartphones. They offered deals, quests, and stats, turning life into an RPG nobody had signed up for. It was as if everyone had downloaded an app that had taken over their existence.
The tasks were as varied as the systems themselves. Some required physical strength, others mental acuity. Some were as simple as fetching an item from the grocery store, while others needed you to fight off monsters that had spilled through the rifts. The riches that came from completing these quests were unimaginable. People went from destitute to wealthy overnight, buying whatever they could with their newfound currency.
But not all was well with this newfound power. The rifts didn't just bring systems; they brought with them a new form of currency that quickly became the lifeblood of society. Fission cores, as they were called, were small, glowing orbs that held an immense amount of energy. They were the key to powering the dimensional rifts, and without them, the abilities of the awakened would wither away.
The systems were ranked, categorized into three main types: Arcane, Elemental, and Physical. Arcane systems were the most feared and revered. These individuals could manipulate reality itself, bending the very laws of physics to their will. They could conjure anything from their fingertips or teleport across vast distances. Elemental systems allowed their wielders to command the classical elements: fire, water, earth, and air. They could summon storms or create shields of ice with a thought. Physical systems, on the other hand, were more grounded. They focused on enhancing the user's body, granting them superhuman strength, speed, or endurance.
Before his own awakening, Dylan had been the quintessential nerd in class, always buried in books and tech, his nose glued to the screens that had become as commonplace as the air we breathed. He had a knack for numbers, a prodigy in math and science, but his social life was as dull as the grey halls of their school. Girls like Paige, with her vibrant red hair and outgoing personality, were a mystery to him, a puzzle he could never solve. But then the screens changed everything.
One day, a notification popped up before him, the same as everyone else's. But instead of the generic welcome, his screen flickered with an image of a grinning, obese figure holding a plate piled high with food. The words 'Welcome to Gluttony' floated before his eyes, and he felt a strange warmth spread through his body. His system had chosen him, and it was none other than the sin of excess itself.
At first, Dylan was skeptical. His friends had all gotten Elemental or Physical systems, the ones that got you noticed. Who cared about being able to eat a hundred hamburgers without getting full? But as the days turned into weeks, Dylan realized the true potential of his Arcane system. The Gluttony system allowed him to absorb and manipulate matter at a molecular level. It meant he could eat anything, and more importantly, he could make anything edible.
It started small, with simple tasks like 'Consume a food you've never tried before'. He'd get a notification, complete the task, and boom, his stats would tick upwards. The system didn't care if he liked it or not, just that he did it. But as the tasks grew more complex, so did his abilities. 'Survive three days without food or water' turned into 'Absorb and manipulate the nutrients in a single apple to sustain yourself for a week'. And with each new challenge, Dylan felt his body adapting, his hunger growing more insatiable, and his control over the elements of the earth growing stronger.
Before long, whispers of his exploits began to spread. The local news picked up on his feats of molecular manipulation, and soon enough, the biggest corporations came knocking. They saw dollar signs in his eyes, the potential for limitless energy and materials. After all, if Dylan could eat a mountain and not get full, what couldn't he do with their resources?
His classmates looked at him differently now. The former outcast had become the cool kid, the one with the system everyone wanted to be seen with. The jocks who had once picked on him now sought his friendship, the popular girls sent him flirty glances across the cafeteria. The nerds looked at him with a mix of envy and admiration. Dylan had become the poster boy for the power system's wielded.
But amidst the glamour and the pressure, he knew who truly had his back. Paige. Through the endless barrage of offers and opportunities that came with his newfound status, she remained a constant. Her system might not have been flashy, but she had a heart of gold and a mind that could cut through the noise.
So here they were, in the quiet corner of the coffee shop, surrounded by the scent of freshly ground coffee beans and the hum of students working on their laptops. Dylan cleared his throat, focusing on the task at hand. "Okay, Paige, tell me more about the System Awakening. What do you need to cover?"
Her eyes searched his, looking for any sign of judgment. "The social impact, the rise of the System Syndicates, and the global shift in power dynamics."
Dylan nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of the subject. He'd seen it all firsthand, but the way Paige spoke about it, with a passion that seemed to burn in her very soul, made it feel like he was hearing it for the first time.
Just as she was about to delve deeper into the societal impact of the system awakening, the doors to the coffee shop burst open with a bang, the chilly evening air sending a shiver down their spines. The chatter died down, and all eyes fell upon the newcomer who strode in, his presence demanding attention. It was Tyler Wan, the school's resident bad boy and the owner of an Elemental system that could manipulate water like a maestro.
He sauntered over to a group of freshmen who were huddled around a table, their screens glowing in the dim light. Without a word, Tyler slammed his hand down on their table, sending a spray of liquid flying. The freshmen jumped, their drinks toppling over and soaking their homework.
The room stilled as the sound of liquid splattering against the floor filled the silence. Tyler's laughter echoed through the coffee shop, cold and mocking. He was enjoying their fear, the power his system gave him a heady intoxicant. Dylan watched, his stomach twisting. This was the kind of guy who made his old life hell.
But Dylan had changed. He wasn't the same kid who'd hide in the library anymore. He was a man with a system that could do more than just eat. He could feel the power thrumming in his veins, begging to be used. But Paige was different. Her eyes were narrowed, her cheeks flushed with anger. She was about to get up, to give Tyler a piece of her mind, and Dylan knew he had to stop her.
He put a firm hand on her wrist. "Let me handle this," he murmured, his voice low and steady. She shot him a questioning look, but the determination in his gaze convinced her to stay put. Dylan stood, his chair scraping against the floor. The café went silent, all eyes on him as he approached Tyler, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
Tap.
The sound was soft, but it might as well have been a gunshot in the tense silence. Tyler's head snapped around, his eyes narrowing when they fell on Dylan. The smug grin on his face faltered for a moment before he schooled it into a sneer. "What do you want, Harvey?"
Dylan took a deep breath, feeling the eyes of the entire café on him. "Just...just stop, okay?" His voice was quieter than he'd like, but he had to start somewhere. "You're causing a scene."
Tyler's laughter was a harsh bark. "You're going to tell me what to do now?" He stepped closer, his hands balled into fists. Water droplets began to form around his knuckles, glowing with the tell-tale blue light of his system. "You think because you got some dumb eating trick you can boss me around?"
Dylan felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, the echoes of a hundred past humiliations whispering in his ear. The fear was familiar, a constant companion during his pre-awakening days. The memory of being shoved into lockers and having his lunch money stolen by bullies like Tyler washed over him. But he was different now. He had 'Tony' now, the Gluttony system, a power that could reshape the world. He took a deep breath, feeling the energy of the café's patrons watching them.
Suddenly, his screen flickered to life, displaying a new quest. The words 'Consume the Source of Disruption' hovered before him, accompanied by an image of Tyler's smug face. His system had a sense of humor after all. The room held its collective breath as Dylan processed the absurd task. A quest to eat Tyler? Surely, it had to be a mistake. Or maybe it was a metaphor. But the system was not known for its subtleties.
Ignoring the confusion, Tyler's sneer grew wider. He leaned in, his voice a low taunt. "What are you going to do, Harvey? Eat me?" His fist clenched tighter, the water droplets around his knuckles growing larger, more menacing. The room was a tableau of anticipation, the air charged with the electricity of an impending confrontation.
Dylan's heart thudded in his chest. The quest hovered before him, the accept button pulsing with an eerie light. It was insane. He couldn't, could he? But as Tyler's hand shot out, the wetness of the water droplets leaving a trail in the air, Dylan's instincts took over. He ducked, the blow intended for his face barely grazing his cheek. In that split second, the accept button grew, filling his vision. Without thinking, his hand shot out and tapped the screen.
Oops.
-To Be Continued-