FAMILIAR YET UNKNOWN

[Location: Gym]

The gym was empty today due to some music festival in the neighborhood, and the trainer is sleeping in the reception.

Hufff! Fuck! ...can't believe it. With this new buffed body... I am out of breath...

Only five minutes of weightlifting, and I am this exhausted. I can't feel my arms anymore. I thought I enhanced my muscles. What is going on? Somehow, I dragged my body to the changing room and lay on the bench...

Damn! My heartbeat is like someone is beating a drum...

[Your muscles have enhanced, true, but what about your bones, veins, and other vessels? Now, think. What would have happened if you had continued to enhance your body like a moron? Don't they teach human anatomy in school?]

Haa. Hufff! I forgot about that in excitement. I messed up... I can feel it. My bones are creaking under my enhanced muscles. But why didn't I feel any changes earlier? Wait! If you knew about this, why were auto enhancing my body instead of warning me? Are you trying to kill me?

[Kill you?! I saved your ass, you moron. When you weren't looking, I took the liberty and enhanced other aspects of your body to prevent your body from falling apart.]

Thanks... Hufff! I thought it would work. I should have thought about the consequences. I thought I would be fine... guess I was wrong...

[You can not enhance your entire body in a wisp while you are still at lv 1 and expect everything to be alright. There are certain limitations and boundaries.]

[You shouldn't have enhanced your body yesterday on the road. That was supposed to be your breaking point. But earlier, you upgraded Heightened SE, which increased your stamina and endurance, saving you for the time being. But your body is still messed up from the inside.]

Ah! Crap. This is bad- Isn't it? I was lucky. I really dodged the bullet this time...

[Dodged a bullet?! You got no idea.]

[Now, listen to me. I will give you an example of what will happen if you continue down the path of mindlessly enhancing yourself...]

[Let's say that you successfully enhance your body and become indestructible. And one day, Jenny gets into an accident and needs an immediate blood transfusion, but the hospital doesn't have her blood type at that moment. You are the only one with the same blood type there... And you can't use your skills for some reason. But you can save her with your blood. You will save her- Right?]

'Obviously. Is there even a doubt? I can give my life for her, and I can also take someone's life for her... And you are talking about blood...' I replied.

[How? How will you give your blood to her? Aren't you indestructible? You don't have your skills, but your body's enhancement is permanent. Needles and technology won't be able to pierce you. Even you won't be able to rip apart your body to draw out blood.]

[Guess... What?]

[Jenny just died while hoping you would save her.]

[You have failed to protect her.]

[You killed your Jenny.]

'Tell me how to fix this... How can I fix this broken body of mine?' I asked the System.

[There is only one way. Enhancement.]

'Wtf!!!'

[Enhance your body step by step while keeping a weak spot on your body. An Achilles heel.]

This bastard thinks it can play with my emotions and make me take rash decisions. Enhance my body, leaving a single weak spot so when the time is right, it can use that weakness against me. I don't fucking know anything concrete about the System's real identity. It speaks like a human. It even learned to lie and bluff...

I would be a fool to listen to the System's conclusion... I can just use the Q&Q on Jenny, mom, and grandma. Then I won't have to worry about them getting hurt.

This System is suspicious... While thinking about the System's shady suggestion, I don't know when I fell asleep.

****

<...mber who you ...re...>

<...>

<...must find us...>

<...eboot... Security... 00SL654... Act...te>

<...leave the rest... ...you>

****

The sound of an explosion woke me up.

Argg! Headache! I grabbed my head and fell down on the floor. What the fuck was that? A dream with a woman's voice this time... Ooff! My head is splitting apart... But it sounds so familiar. I have heard her voice before. Where? Damn it!!! I can't remember.

Reboot! She knows about the System. She was being chased by armed forces. But for some reason, I could tell that she wasn't lying. Fuck! I knew something was off with the way the System was talking to me.

"System Reboot, now," I grumbled as I tried to stand up.

*****

[Affirmative]

[Initiating System-reboot...]

[Error! Red alert!]

[Void entity detected...]

[Reboot Failure]

[Code Alpha]

[Please enter the security code in 10 seconds]

******

[Noooo!!! I am in control. That body, all that power... It all belongs to me.]

Huh?! Crap! Violet flames are flickering around my body.

"Security 00SL654... Activate," I mumbled. This pain in my head is becoming unbearable. But no matter what, I will not allow this bastard to play with me anymore.

[I will burn you alive>

*****

[Code Accepted]

[Initiating Purification program]

*****

Huh?! Arggggg!!! Everything turned black before my eyes...

...

...

Huff! I woke up with a jolt... I checked my body first. It looks alright. No burns, nothing. The pain and exhaustion are no more. It's like I am brimming with energy. My head feels so clear...

This is...

I clench my fist. I can feel a warm feeling in my heart. A power... A surge... It's calm, but I can feel it... It's like a part of my body.

"Void flames," I said, focusing on that cluster of power.

[Wooosh!] A burst of violet flames appeared on my fist. It's neither hot nor cold. This is the violet fire that burned that mutant monster at the mall. And it's burning on my fist without hurting me.

What if I just... I touched the bench...

[Sizzzle!] Eeh! The bench turned to a pile of ash in a second. I look around, but there is no one there. That old trainer is still sleeping. Good.

I took the broom and swiped the ashes under the lockers. Let's wash up and get out of here. As for the bench... I will buy a new one later...

...

...

[Time: 10:00 AM] [Outside the gym...]

First thing first...

'Hey, System. You awake?' I inquired.

*****

[Yes]

[Sorry for the earlier inconvenience. It was not supposed to happen.]

[System will now utilize 100% power to create new security measures to prevent future hacks.]

[During this duration, the host will not have access to the System. But it will not affect your skills and power.]

[Please, be careful, as creating new security measures will take a long time. Meanwhile, the System has created two emergency security counters against outer interference.]

[And the Q&Q, you can use it carefully.]

*****

The System's voice stopped with a sound of statics...

Humm. Well, that was a close call. That thing was dangerous. I am glad it worked out... But that girl from my dreams. I am worried about her. Australia, she said...

That bitch is in Australia. It seems like I will meet her sooner than expected...

Where should I go next? I got all day... The music festival, then the junkyard, after that strip club... I must earn some eroge points today at all costs and level up...

Tomorrow, I will pay Professor X a visit and start my training...

******

I NEED SOME STONES... CAN I GET IN THE TOP 10 THIS WEEK? HELP ME... IF I REACH THE TOP 10 THIS TIME, I WILL START ANOTHER MASS RELEASE...

SUPPORT ME: www.pat reon.com/XcaliburXc

[UPTO CH: 38] [+6 ADVANCE CHAPTERS ON PAT REON]