Chapter 3 – The Incredible System
875 Words
“M-Master… are you okay?”
Little Sprout (the system AI) stared at Noah Steele with worry. He’d been mumbling to himself like a man possessed. Could he really have been broken by that punishment? No, it shouldn’t have affected his brain—but judging by the wild look on his face, maybe it had.
“Um… master, look… what number is this?”
Her tiny hand quivered, and the terrifying whip that had just scared Noah vanished. She timidly extended one finger… and of course, it was her middle finger.
Noah froze.
“WHAT THE—! I’m not crazy, I’m fine!”
Being stared down like a complete i***t while being given the middle finger… Noah felt both insulted and confused. “What’s the deal with this? Am I a moron?”
He shouted, only to immediately regret it. He nervously glanced at Little Sprout and thought: Oh no… I yelled at her. That whip—please don’t come back…
But the look on Little Sprout’s face made it clear—she wasn’t suspicious anymore. She was simply assessing him like he was the world’s biggest i***t. Noah’s frustration boiled.
“Okay… okay… I’m fine. Really,” he muttered, utterly exasperated, feeling like curling into a corner.
“Y-You’re fine… It’s… it’s really me who should apologize, master,” she said, her eyes filled with genuine concern. Noah… wanted to faint.
“Forget it. Just tell me about this system. When I woke up, I heard something about ‘enhancement’—what does that mean?”
He desperately switched topics, hoping to avoid another “deadly” comment from Little Sprout. Beautiful? Yes. Deadly and sadistic? Absolutely.
“Are you really okay, master?” she asked quietly. Seeing his flushed, veiny, almost homicidal expression, she swallowed her comforting words and started explaining the system.
While talking, she kept glancing at him with that worried, “Don’t eat me” look. But the more she acted timid, the more it made Noah fidget uncomfortably.
He forced himself to focus on her words instead of her body, afraid he might actually jump her—and by that, yes, he meant bite… multiple times.
Gradually, Noah started to understand the system. The more he learned, the more he realized it was a cheat code for life. Every field, every skill, any knowledge—if you can think of it, the system has it.
“Little Sprout… can I see what’s in it?”
His eyes glimmered, almost drooling. For now, he had temporarily forgotten her perfect body, her mischievous personality, and his own irrational urge to bite her.
Little Sprout smirked, finally regaining her pride: “Fine, I’ll show you.”
She waved her hand, and a translucent screen appeared in front of Noah, as large as a standard computer monitor.
Lines and lines of options filled the display:
Hacking, Medicine, Driving, Gambling, Calligraphy, Painting, Singing, Etiquette, Cooking, Firearms, Languages…
Tai Chi, Xing Yi, Ba Ji, Bagua Palm, Iron Palm, Grass-Flying, Water-Surfing, Iron Shirt…
Even con-artistry, stealing… and, uh, bedroom techniques.
Noah’s jaw practically hit the floor. Whoever designed this system is a genius—and a little twisted.
He noticed Medicine and instantly focused.
“Little Sprout… can I… can I use this to cure cancer?” His voice shook, betraying a mix of hope and fear.
She scoffed: “Cancer? That’s a minor issue. Two hundred years from now, diseases like cancer, AIDS, leukemia, diabetes—they’ll be history. No miracle drugs yet, but master-level medical skills are enough to cure them.”
Noah trembled. “R-Really?”
“Really. Do I look like I’d lie to you?”
She looked dismissive, clearly annoyed he doubted her.
“I-I’m not doubting you… I’m just… too excited,” he hurriedly explained, wiping sweat from his forehead.
She huffed and turned away, ignoring him.
Noah, however, had no time to care about her mood. His entire focus was on the Medicine option.
Hands shaking, he selected the Master level, the requirement to cure cancer.
“Ding! Insufficient points. Unable to learn Master-level Medicine.”
The electronic voice hit him like a bucket of ice water, dousing every fantasy of curing his father. His hand froze mid-air; his eyes dimmed.
“Little Sprout… what… what’s going on?”
He spoke hoarsely, completely deflated.
Hope had been rising… then instantly crushed.
Little Sprout’s heart ached. The system and its host were linked. If Noah suffered, so did she. She pushed aside her feelings and explained:
“The system has restrictions. Top-level knowledge requires points. This is to teach the host: nothing comes free. Every skill, every secret, has a price.”
Noah exhaled deeply, slowly regaining his composure. “Points? How does that work?”
She flicked her delicate hand. Another screen appeared:
Host: Noah Steele
Combat Power: 45
Charm: 88
Points: 10
Skills: None
Lottery Chance: 1
Tasks: Generating…
Note: Average adult male combat power = 10; max charm = 100.
Noah stared blankly. This is… like a video game?
Little Sprout smirked. “I made it look like a game so you’d understand. Clear now?”
Noah muttered, embarrassed: “…Not really.”
He lowered his head, bracing for her inevitable judgmental glare.
- Writer
