Is this a crime?
Year 2005, 6th of July, Merdan Glace.
12:21 midnight.
Cold wind blew in the dark street, only the dim light can be seen in the road from small shops that are still open. The cold gale continues to gush, an impending storm is about to fall as the sound of booming thunder can be heard throughout the place...
In one dark alley, with little to no light, foots steps can be heard, the heavy rain started falling soaking the road and the street. The foots steps in dark alley become faster.
Splash!
Splashes of water coming from the weighty steps of a man running, he wears black pants and a hoody soaked in water from the heavy rain, his face can't be seen because of the hoody covering it. He ran across the alley glancing every corner he passed onto, but he stopped in one corner when he heard scream coming at it's end.
He didn't hesitate and immediately ran inside the dark rigid alley, the scream stopped and when he reach the end, he saw something in the dark.
Right next to a mountain of ravage junk of garbage, laying a lady bathing in her blood, she has multiple stab on her body, right next to her left is a knife also soaking on her blood. The water from the rain slowly mixing with blood of the lady, coloring the stone pavement red.
The man stares at the scene, his expression can't be recognized because of his hoody, but a hint of agitation from this man can be seen, gripping his fist, he looked at the ground, standing still, the rain grew stronger, the booming thunder and the lightning illuminated the scene. The hooded man looked up at the sky, the light flashes to his face revealing a face, full of grief and anguish, but at the same time, a somewhat smile of excitement...
2:31 am, Merdan Glace Police Department (MGPD)
A man sitting lazily in his chair, he's wearing a tacky office uniform. Just when he's about to fell asleep while scrolling down on his cellphone and watching sexy girls dancing, the radio speaker in front of him suddenly rang. He quickly grabbed the microphone in his desk and open the mic in order to answer the call.
Some static sound comes out of the speaker before a voice of man reporting can be heard.
"This is officer Mayer, I found a body in an alley at 6th Hess street, requesting for ambulance and forensics".
The man write all of officer Mayer said in a note, he then immediately report to the office for the request.
8:34 am, 2nd Hess street, Bayle household.
Sleeping soundly in a large room, a man wakes up at the ringing sound, he grab the phone on the night stand at the left side of his bed, he answer the call.
"Hello" the man said, "Detective Henrick Bayle?" Said the caller, "yes" , "We need you to report to the headquarters..."
...
Arthur's POV
"Tutorial?" This floating window in front of me saying that the 'tutorial' is initializing, I'm not really sure if it's going to be easy or I'll be damn if I can't understand how this system thingy works, but, whatever.
Blink!
"What the heck I thought it would initiate the tutorial why is it disappearing all of a sudden?" the floating screen disappears just after the 'blink' sound.
"[Hello Arthur!... I will be your guide, You can name me if you want, I will be your companion in the rest of your training in mastering this "system thingy" as you refer to earlier]"
"What the f–" some kind of robotic voice reverberate inside my brain, I was shock of where the hell that sound came from. "Where the f*ck are you!! And why are you talking inside my head?!" I shouted like a lunatic
"[I am the one who will teach you the basic of using the [System]".
"Oh yeah? Tell me about it, when you're not talking inside my frickin head!! It's wierd and uncomfortable!"
Blink!
Again with another blinking sound, what the heck will happen next? I said, and a holographic figure of a cute girl slowly constructing from feet to head suddenly appears in front of me.
I'm not surprise anymore...
The holographic figure became almost realistic looking cute girl wearing a school uniform as it constructed.
"Don't be like that, Alpha tester Arthur Bayle, Though I speak to you through your mind, it indeed have it's purpose... but first of all, I will start with–", "Wait!.. wait, wait" I said stopping this cute realistic looking holographic girl in front of me, she even has a fairly attractive voice now, not the robotic one a moment ago, she's kinda like my type not gonna lie– the heck am I thinking?
"Before you tell me anything, can I ask whatever the heck you are, why are you looking like that?" I said, to my curiosity, why does it even wearing a school uniform? I mean, why not wear just regular clothes, is the [System] likes cosplay? And why the frick am I attracted to a hologram?! this [System] thingy is scary...
"The [System] is not the one who likes cosplay, but you, I look like this as the [System] analyze your preferences to maximize the learning and affinity of the user to the use of system, in short, I'm model based on your preferences for a perfect companion or guide"
I feel like my privacy has been breach by this [System] when it said it "analyze" my preferences, Wait, How did she even know what I'm thinking?...
"Well, I'm just five years old now so whatever, it doesn't matter... As you please, continue where you left"
I'm feeling a bit agitated now, I think I've been so excited so much that I want to start using my [System] as soon as possible.
"As I said earlier, first thing of all I will explain to you the basic of the [System], let's try this... Say [stats]"
The hologram waited for me to say 'stats' but I just stayed silent, I waited for it's reaction, good thing she's not a real girl that I was able to make fun of her. I waited for her reaction but she just stand there looking at me and waiting, well I can't make fun of a hologram either, "ok... stats..." I said.
Blink!
A status window appears in front of me just like the notification earlier but the information is different...
_____________________________________________
[Profile Level 1]
Name: Arthur Bayle
Age: 5
Condition: Normal
System: Legendary Detective
Link System: Chrono
_____________________________________________
[Status]
Analytic Intelligence: 3
Insight: 4
Dexterity: 8
Endurance: 6
Agility: 6
Power: 7
_____________________________________________
[Skills]
Passive: Deduction (level 1) +
Passive: Analysis (level 1) +
Active: Detection (level 1) +
_____________________________________________
"This is your status window, the command prompt is [status]. You can navigate all your status in this window, the information of all the changes and advancement for you will be updated here. As you can see, there are three part on it, "profile", "status", and "skills", I know that you already know what are the information in it. You can see more information in the "skill" when you prompt the "+" symbol at the end of skill level description, you can ask me for more information about [System] if you have something you want to understand"
The hologram smiles at me after explaining, I think I get the gist of it, so it's like a game and I'm level 1, but my status are surprisingly low, what the heck even the analytics Intelligence? It's only 3, I didn't hear there was this kind of status.
"Umm... Can I ask if it's normal to have a status this low? And what is this "Analytics Intelligence" status?"
"Every user has their own unique statuses, yours is [Analytics Intelligence], it's the key status to your legendary Detective System, the higher it is, the more faster you can analyze information to create a viable conclusion that will be helpful for you being a detective"
"That makes sense, but why is it so low, and also my other stats too?..."
"The system reflect all your biological information and translate it to the variable that you can see in your status, there also variable that are not listed as they're insignificant to your [System] purpose."
I see, I'm still in my 5 years old body and I'm sickly at top of that, being that's the case, my intelligence stats low must be because I lack knowledge in analytics as this woman hologram said... I should name her after all, it's rude to refer to her as "whatever are you"...
"Hey... You said earlier that I can name you" I said and she just nod to me, I find it cute– no I mean "what should I call you then? Any idea?" What the frick am I saying
"you're the who should think about it Sir Arthur..." She just smile at me sweetly before saying it.
What the frick am I gonna do... Nothing comes to my empty head, what should I name her?
I use one hundred percent of my brain power, looking at her, she reminds me of my highschool crush... I guess that would he good
"Ok... I've decided" I said while looking at her waiting for what I'm going to name her "What it is" she said, "Your name will be" I stopped for a moment for suspense and she's not looking exited at all so, whatever "Ciri... That's your name so can you be a bit more excited to it, I've used all my brain power to come up to it", "thanks Sir Arthur for giving me such a lovely name, Ciri" she said, she just smile sweetly to me, I guess it's not bad at all.
"You explain the rest about the System to me Ciri"
"Yes, but before I explain other functions of the [System] as a gift for being the very first Alpha tester and choosing the [Contract] trait system, the system sent you 3 mystery box"
Blink
At the uppermost left side of the status window there's panel with different symbols in it, the first is a bag symbol after it a map, and last is an mail icon and there appear 3 notification just like in email
"Tap the mail icon Sir Arthur to claim your mystery boxes!" She said in a cheery voice.
I tap the icon and see a message with an attached item, it's the three mystery boxes there's a claim icon at the lower right of the message.
Blink!
Now the there's a notification at the bag symbol at the panel in uppermost left of the window, I also click it and turns out was the inventory and there's the 3 boxes... She knows that she didn't need to teach me this cause I already know how this function works.
"What can I get when open it?" I feel excited but at the same time nervous this 'mystery box' sounds so mysterious...
"I don't know Sir Arthur... You should try opening it to find out yourself"
Tap
I click the boxes icon and click the 'open' icon to open one of the boxes...
The floating window disappear and another window pop up, there's a box opening animation... Wtf? The box open and what I see is something out of this shitty world
[Congratulations Arthur, you have acquired x1 Book of "DA" (SSS)]
Nope... Not actually out of this world, just a book and what the heck is 'book of DA?' who's DA? Whatever I will open the rest of the boxes
Tap
I open the second box
[Congratulations Arthur, you have acquired [System link trial] Chrono break 2x]
I don't understand any of this things but still it's exciting now the last box
I'm about to click the open bottom for the last box when I heard the door of my room slowly opened and a voice after it
"What are you doing Art?"
"Dad?! This...."
He caught me!!!!???