System Online
Alec woke up groggy, with a splitting headache that only occurred after drinking a thousand gallons of alcohol. His memory of the night before was a blur, one he couldn't begin to fathom. Rolling off the bed, he smacked face-first into the floor, shaking his mind in more ways than one. Slowly, he picked himself up, trying to understand exactly where he was.
He was Alec, one of the Neon Conglomerate's hidden forces. With it came memories of the previous day, up to a certain point. He couldn't remember how he entered the room; he only remembered exiting the lift.
Fortunately, he didn't need to consult his thoughts anymore. A cold, sharp pain shot through his mind, and with it, a buzzing sound reminiscent of an old phone vibrating. Not a moment later, he heard a monotone voice resound in his mind.
[System Initializing...]
Alec thought he was going crazy. He checked the Feed implanted into him by the Neon Conglomerate, and it was offline. He tried switching it on with mental commands, but it never turned on. Meanwhile, the other voice in his mind evolved into a green screen in front of his vision.
[System Online.
Welcome to the Game Master System.
Would you like to view the Tutorial? Y/N]
Alec couldn't begin to process what was happening. Part of him thought that whatever happened yesterday did a number on his psyche. He closed his eyes and went into his soulscape. He saw his soul core swimming at the center of his soulscape in its lilac hue. Not a single blemish was on it, nor did he see any forms of deformity. So how exactly was this thing influencing him?
With his strength and understanding of the world, nothing should have been able to bypass his senses to such an extent, most of all without leaving a single sign that his defenses were breached. Whatever it was, it was far beyond him. Reluctantly, he chose Y, hoping to see where the situation would lead.
[Tutorial Initializing...]
Alec didn't have much time to gather his thoughts when he felt his entire being lurch. Before the sensation settled in the pit of his stomach, he disappeared from the bedroom.
He found himself in an endless expanse of white space that stretched further than his eyes could see. For someone of his strength, that only meant that the space he was in expanded farther than the diameter of their solar system.
[Welcome to the Game Space, a place where you can create your wildest dreams for the right price, of course.
System Helper Initialized.
System Avatar Created.
System Beginner Protocols Established.
System Beginner Pack Created.
System....
System....]
*Ding*
*Ding*
*Ding*
Notification after notification slammed into Alec's mind. Time moved painfully slow, and he was forced to listen to each and every notification that rang out. After what seemed like an eternity, the notifications stopped, and Alec felt another presence form beside him. Turning to the left, he saw an aged man whose visage couldn't help but give you a glimpse of the horrors he went through when he was much younger. It wasn't much in his appearance, but the aura he exuded.
The man had white hair gelled towards the back. The mustache that hung above his top lip gave his aura a tint of regal essence. He wore a black tuxedo, his back ramrod straight, and had piercing blue eyes that gave Alec a sense of danger.
"I am Gherman, your own personal avatar and helper. I'm here to make it much easier for you to understand the system and its purpose, should your authority be enough," Gherman spoke in an even tone that never fluctuated in pitch or loudness.
Alec still couldn't wrap his mind around the sudden shift of what he knew. What he was experiencing far exceeded the limits of strength he knew. And as much as he hoped to deny it, his senses told him his experience was pretty much genuine. That left a sour taste in his mouth, especially as the strongest human force on Planet E3.
"What is this system then, Gherman?" Alec's voice became sarcastic at the end.
Not noticing anything odd with Alec, Gherman answered, "Your authority is pitifully low to gain relevant information, but just enough to gain the surface-level pieces. The System, as it revealed itself to you, is a multidimensional entity that gives the opportunity for pitiful beings like you to become strong and amazing on a far wider scale than this. But at a price. A fraction of the energy you cultivate becomes part of it. That's as far as I can tell you."
Alec listened with interest, marking down a few points that seemed oddly suspicious. Why would something that was powerful enough to bypass all his senses and teleport him to the place need energy from him? What was its true agenda?
"Would you like to proceed with the tutorial?" the System asked.
"Go ahead," Alec said.
His thoughts and worries dulled when he realized he had no choice but to go along with whatever the System was doing. He needed to understand where it was in his body. A quick glance at its interface provided a shred of information. It was a Soul Artifact of sorts, similar to the Feed implanted into him by the Neon Conglomerate. He could still sense the feed somewhere in his soul, but this System was beyond him. Giving up, he focused his attention on the tutorial to learn more about it.
Gherman waved his hands outward, and the system interface changed slightly. Alec strained his sight to see it.
[Tutorial]
"You should see an option called [Tutorial]. Think about the option, and it will expand itself. That's how all actions related to the system work. You think about them with the intention to interact," Gherman explained.
Alec nodded and thought about the [Tutorial] option. Instantly, a set of new options appeared.
[Tutorial:
1. System Functions
2. How to Become the Best Gamemaster
3. Secrets to Multiversal Enslavement... Through Games]
Confusion struck Alec when he saw the first three options. The first one made sense, but the last two seemed absurd. He turned a sidelong glance at Gherman, who stood still, his eyes void of amusement, waiting for Alec to choose an option.
Alec couldn't understand why Gherman acted so seriously, but he found it oddly amusing. He chose [System Functions], seeing no point in the other two options for now. Learning the functions seemed more important and urgent. Being on an unwanted rollercoaster ride was totally uncalled for.
[System Functions:
The system has a basic set of functions available to the host, taking into account the host's limited ability and authority. These functions are essential for the host to accomplish its goals.
1. Creation Space: As the host of the multiverse's best gaming center, you have access to a private space where you can develop and implement different games for the masses to enjoy at their leisure.
2. Game Store: The game store is the most important one-stop shop for all your gaming needs. Whether it's clothing or a universe-destroying pencil, every imaginable object can be bought and paid for. The limits are your imagination and wallet.
3. Play Space: This is where all guests and gamers end up after being summoned. It's also the place where you can showcase your genius creations.
4. Game Tokens (GT): The primary currency of the system. Game Tokens are required to play or enjoy the endless features offered by the system to the masses.
5. Game Points (GP): In-game currency that can be earned by completing game objectives. Sufficient game points can be used to redeem Game Tokens, which can be used to buy almost anything within the system. The current exchange rate is 1000 GP to 1 GT.
These are the currently available functions of the system. For ease of use, the system comes with a user-friendly interface designed with the host in mind. A common shortcut is using the command 'Status.'
> Name: Alec Voldman
> Age: 100,000
> Soul Cultivation: Soulburner Tier 20
> Energy Cultivation: Oreburner Tier 20
> Currency
>>>> 0 GT
>>>> 0 GP
> Occupation: Game Master
> Occupation Level: 0
> Host Authority: 0]
Torrents of information flowed into Alec's Mindscape. It felt as if the gates of his mind were about to burst from the influx. Using his cultivation technique, he slowed down the torrent to a digestible stream. The information that intrigued him the most was the age shown on his status. He swore his age was no more than four thousand years, yet the system showed him as 100,000 years old.
The information on his cultivation was equally absurd. There was no way he was Tier 20; such a thing didn't exist according to the Neon Conglomerate. In his four thousand years of existence, he had never encountered anyone beyond the 11th tier, his current level. Surely, if he had somehow broken through nine other tiers, he would have known, right?
"I think this thing miscalculated something, my age and my cultivation," Alec said.
Gherman turned to Alec, gazing at him with an odd look that spelled disbelief in the system's fallibility. "The system can never judge someone like you incorrectly. Your existence on the Order of Being is far too low for such a mistake to occur. To put it simply, it's like expecting someone who aced their math major in postgraduate education to fail at a simple mathematical problem like zero plus zero. Inconceivable, right?"