VN System / 4

Class had finally ended, with Zodiac almost exhausted after listening to the teacher talk about some stuff that he couldn't even bother remembering.

With Chai looking at him, her arms leaning on top of the backrest while her chin was resting on her arms as she raised an eyebrow before asking.

"It wasn't that bad you know?"

"Because you didn't get called to answer some questions.."

"True! But it's your fault for not paying attention, you know Ma'am Yuna is strict.."

"Tell me about it, it's like she's purposely targeting me for no reason. I already have decent enough grades to pass her subject!"

"Maybe.. She's trying to bring the best out of you?"

"Best my ass, I doubt it. Anyways wanna go home? I want to sleep already."

Zodiac was clearly lying, knowing Chai, he shouldn't bring or involve her in what he just went through, he had a system now, but he wanted to learn more and practice how to use it.

Chai would nod before getting off the chair, grabbing her bag and carrying it on her shoulder before grabbing his bag as well.

"I'll carry these, it's my turn after you carried our bags yesterday."

She chuckled before heading out the classroom. Leaving Zodiac alone, he sighed then stretching his arms then standing up, walking out the classroom before seeing Chai standing at the hall.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you say you'd carry our bags?"

Zodiac tilts his head slightly, confused why Chai was just standing there like a robot. She would speak while smiling at him happily.

"Oh you know! I was waiting for you dude, come on, follow me this way."

She grabbed his wrist before pulling him with her, he was a bit hesitant since he didn't expect her to be in a rush.

"Woah woah, calm down, no need to pull me.."

Then a familiar voice spoke behind him. As Chai would come out at the edge of the hall while calling for Zodiac, carrying both of their bags on her shoulders.

"Hey dude! I'm going to leave you if you don't-"

When she turned to look at his direction, he would see him, and herself.

While Zodiac looked behind him to see Chai, but she is currently in front of him, trying to pull him away.

Then suddenly, he would free his wrist from her as he backed away, standing in the middle between Chai, and Chai. Confusing right?

"What the fuck.. Who are you?"

Zodiac's expression was both worried and confused, to think someone would impersonate his best friend made him sick in the stomach.

The impersonator would look at the both of them before smirking, she suddenly would shake her hand, her legs trembling.

"W.. What are you talking about?! I'm your best friend!"

She would point at Chai, while her tone of voice was both afraid and nervous.

"She's the imposter!"

This made Chai annoyed, forming a nerve on her head while grinning, her fist balled tightly as she began walking towards the impersonator.

"Now listen here you son of a-"

But Zodiac stopped her from continuing forward, his right arm grabbing her and preventing her from getting closer since he felt that this person wasn't an ordinary one. It was someone dangerous.

The impersonator laughed as she would, putting her left hand to cover their face, her eye barely visible in between her fingers.

"Looks like I have miscalculated.."

She sighed before beginning to transform, their entire body glitching and shape shifting into the president of the school.

Zodiac's eyes widened, he was the person that was calling for him when he found the orb earlier.

This made him stand in front of Chai, making sure he's protecting her. Chai on the other hand was shocked as he was, hands covering her mouth, eyes widened. The same reaction. Before asking him.

"Do you.. Do you know him?"

"Ill explain later.."

Zodiac clicked his tongue, knowing that Chai was now involved and targeted by this person. Then they spoke.

"To think you would be trembling in fear while having such a system in your hands. That's so sad."

The impersonator shook their head, showing disappointment before looking at them with a confident smirk as he chuckled.

"Oh where are my manners? You may call me Multi. Clearly because I can take the faces and bodies of many people."

Multi kept chuckling. Zodiac on the other hand was trying to figure out what to do, there was no more people except the cleaners in the school.

Causing a ruckus would only attract attention for the three of them, more importantly, he doesn't want Chai to be injured or hurt.

Then out of nowhere, two sharp darts would be thrown directly at Chai, Zodiac's eyes widened as he immediately caught it with his right hand. The worse part was, it was aimed at her eyes.

Multi would scowl, showing a very annoyed expression.

"Unlucky, you are quite fast."

Zodiac laughed lightly, Chai was just scared for her life after that had happened, hiding behind him as he stood straight then speaking.

"And you're quite annoying.."

"Thank you. Now, she is of no importance to me. Let's get straight to the point."

"And that is?"

Multi would extend their hand towards Zodiac, showing no signs of ill intent.

"Would you like to join me? My Boss would be thrilled to.. Meet you."

Zodiac looked at his hand, his fist balled tightly before looking up at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Join you in what exactly?"

"Wouldn't it be better for us to discuss this in a.."

Multi paused his sentence, glaring at Chai then at Zodiac while keeping his smirk then continuing.

"More secluded area where it's just the two of us?"

"I don't think so.."

"Then are you denying my offer?"

"Clearly."

"I see.."

Multi would sigh, before pulling his hand back, shaking his head, once again disappointed before looking at the both of them.

"I suppose I don't have any choice but to kill you two."

Suddenly, a wave of bloodlust began emitting around Multi, Zodiac could feel it, and it was intense, was it because of the system?

Out of nowhere, the system screen would pop up in front of him.

[Murder Intent Detected. Choose an Option.]

[A. Call for help]

[B. Fight]

[C. Return to Home]

[D. None.]

Zodiac was confused, why was there multiple choices? He had no time to think, so he chose the C option. Thinking that it would do anything.

"Return home!"

[Granted]

Once he had said those words, he was instantly at the living room in his house, looking around paranoid, he tried to think this was not real. But it was.

"W.. Woah.."

Chai came along with him of course, she held onto him for dear life when all of that happened, causing her to be at his house with him.

She settled her bags down aside, before pacing back and forth, then looking at Zodiac.

"What.. The hell was that?! You never told me you had powers! Heck, you never told me you had enemies either! Why?!"

"Alright calm down okay? I'll explain to you everything.."

---

Multi was stunned beyond belief, he had seen Zodiac and Chai disappear right in front of his eyes. There was no need for any chants like others would do.

"..incredible."

He chuckled, before hearing his phone ring once again in his right pocket. He groaned annoyed before bringing it out and putting it on his ear as he answered. It was the same woman from earlier.

"Yes boss?"

"Well? Did you get him?"

"Sadly I did not."

"You useless weapon! How many times have you failed your mission just because of your stupid mistakes?!"

Multi would slowly pull his ear away from the phone, hearing his boss just bicker and talk trash about him while he just waited for them to finish. Afterwards, he would inform them.

"I get it boss. But before I could even capture them.. They disappeared."

"Disappeared? Don't tell me it's because of.."

"It seems like it, and its power is truly amazing."

"You saw it with your own eyes then?"

"I have. To think he can just choose any option the system gives him, and it'll grant him what he chose. Is so.."

Multi would chuckle maniacally. Before calming down as he sighed.

"So broken. Is this why the higher ups wanted the orb so badly?"

"Indeed. The system grants anything the user chooses, if they master it completely. The system gets stronger, giving the user more options that can ruin or help the world."

"I see.. But it seems like he doesn't know it yet."

"Thankfully. What does VN in the system even mean?"

"I have no idea boss. But for now, I don't think I'll be able to locate him."

"Can't you look at his address in the school files then?"

"I mean... I guess?"

"Then do that you twat!"

The call ended with Multi facepalming hard. Dragging the hand down as he shook his head.

"I swear I might just transform into her and give her nightmares."

He groaned before putting his phone in his pocket, walking away towards the stairs as he heads down.

"How do I even infiltrate the school's confidential files? Because of this being a private school, the security is so tight. And I'm just impersonating the president!"

Multi began talking to himself like a crazy man while walking away from the school.

"Whatever, I'm not doing all of that, I need to sleep.. Transforming into people takes a toll on my body anyways."

Multi shrugged as he opened his system screen, choosing a random pedestrian then transforming into them while walking elsewhere. Surprisingly, no one saw it. Convenient right?

---

"And that's how we got here."

Zodiac had explained everything to Chai, from how he found the orb, to the Judge, to him getting a system, and to now.

Chai would sigh, as the both of them relaxed on the couch, sitting across each other of course.

"So you're telling me.. You have a system? Like, the system I told you this morning?"

"..yes."

"Hah! I told you they were real! And you were telling me that it was just CGI!"

Chai was proud and happy, crossing her arms as she nodded, seeing how she was right about her hunch.

While Zodiac looked at her deadpanned.

"You're seriously more happy about the fact that I was wrong?"

"Yes."

"Screw you."

"But seriously.. To think you gained a system.. That's so cool!"

"I guess. But I don't know what it does, it did give me some choices to choose when we got transferred here earlier, and also making me stronger than an average human apparently."

"Lucky bastard.. What's the system called though?"

"VN System.."

The system would suddenly pop a new screen in front of him.

[VN System]

[User: Zodiac Li]

[System Capability: Very Low]

[System Rank: SSS]

"Woah.."

"Cool!"

Chai would look at the screen in awe and shock, her eyes bright and wide as she stared at the system's screen.

Although Zodiac would look at her confused.

"Wait.. You can see it?"

"Yeah I see it! Why is that a problem?"

"No.. I thought only I could see it."

"Maybe because I'm best friends with you I can see it?"

"I think so."

They both nod as they began looking at the system screen in front of them, they sat next to each other while analyzing how it looked.

Visually the screen looked beautiful, it was colored red while it had black words as the coloring.

While Chai was busy mesmerizing the screen. Zodiac was too busy looking at the section of: System Capability and System Rank.

"The Judge said that this system was broken.. But to think it's an SSS rank."

"So you're clearly a god?"

"Not sure, if I was I wouldn't have ran away from that guy called.. What's his name again?"

"Multi dude, can shapeshift and whatnot."

"Yeah that guy, but seriously, it's 2028 and these things, rankings, still exist which is insane. Also is SSS the highest, Chai?"

"When was the last time you played an MMORPG game.."

"Never, ever since a certain someone left me to my demise, when I was fighting some monsters."

"Oh right. Oopsie. I'll take the blame for that one!"

"You should, but seriously, is it?"

"Well.. In gaming terms it is. Most hierarchy ranking tiers would consider F, E, D, C, B, A and S. Although there are those that are A+ And S+. As well as SS."

"So you're telling me it's the highest?"

"I mean.. Maybe? You have an SSS but not an SSS+. It means that it's not THE strongest but it is one of the rarest and strongest still."

"I see.. But what's this though?"

Zodiac would look over at the words: System Capability. He had no idea what those meant. As Chai spoke first.

"I think it's uh.. Yeah I have no clue."

"So we're lost on that for now."

"Yep."

The both of them sighed as the system screen disappeared, they would lay their backs on the soft backrest of the couch. As Zodiac would rub his head.

"Man.. What a day. Wait, I should bring you home by now."

Zodiac would look at his clock, realizing that it was still broken. Chai looked at him almost letting out a laugh but she stopped herself.

"Funny."

"I'm sorry!"

"I wonder if the system can give me a choice to send you home.."

Then the system screen popped up once again.

[Send Chai to:]

[A. Her Home]

[B. The City]

[C. Outside]

[D. Random Area]

Zodiac stared at it as he sighed.

"Maybe I should send you to a random area.."

Chai would glare at him before punching his arm, he laughed while looking at her.

"Try it and I'll kill you."

"I'm just joking. Alright I'll send you home."

Chai pouted before getting off the couch as she grabbed her bag, lifting it up and carrying it on her shoulder.

She'd look at Zodiac and speak first.

"Wait."

"Yeah?"

Zodiac looked up at her, before he could tell the system to send her home, she stopped him from doing so as she spoke once more.

"Promise you'll be careful?"

"Don't worry, I will."

The both of them smiled as extend their arm out, their fists balled before fist bumping each other as he spoke.

"Send Chai home."

With that, she instantly disappeared in front of his eyes, now gone in his living room. He was worried that she wasn't safe, so he took his phone out of his pocket to check.

Waiting for anything, a notification popped up from Chai, messaging him.

(Chai Tea: Got back home safely!! Parents are scolding me right now so I'll talk to you later!)

He sighed in relief, seeing the message she had sent, and yes, Chai Tea is the nickname he had set up for her.

He would react with a thumbs up emoji before putting his phone on the table in front of him, beginning to think about many thoughts.

What he's about to go through in the future, maybe the battles he's going to experience, the danger, the thrill.

It made him chuckle at the thought of it as he rubs his face with his hand in an annoyed manner. Saying to himself.

"I should just sleep."