The System (Last Part)

"T-T-Then the husband came," Matthew stuttered, his loser personality shining through as he explained. "He kicked me in the chest h-hard enough to kn-knock me off Erthan, b-but not b-before I managed to punch the living shit out of him."

"You beat Erthan?" Ace asked, though his tone suggested he already knew the answer. "But how did you manage to get the lady into bed?"

That question caught Matthew completely off guard. He didn't know what to say or how to craft a believable lie. After all, he hadn't spoken to a woman in years—except for the 66-year-old cashier at the convenience store near his house.

Matthew's face burned as he scrambled for a believable lie. Ace's expectant grin made the pressure unbearable, and the glowing triangle's snide remark didn't help.

[Ugh, good luck explaining how to get laid, you virgin pork.]

Matthew clenched his fists. "Something's seriously wrong with my system," he muttered to himself before turning back to Ace, who was still staring at him, waiting for an answer.

"Well, you know…" Matthew began, trying to channel Elliott's cocky demeanor. "I just… walked in, flashed a smile, and said, 'You deserve a real man in your life.' The rest… well, let's just say she couldn't resist."

Ace burst into laughter, slapping Matthew on the back. "Elliott, you're unbelievable! A real charmer, huh?"

Matthew forced a grin, relieved his answer worked. But inside, he was screaming. "Why does this system hate me so much?!"

[I hate losers who leave bad reviews on masterpieces. Don't forget about your reward, you loser.]

Matthew flinched at the reminder from the system. "Ahh, I forgot…I ha—have to…go…chop some wood for the winter," he stammered, desperate to find an excuse to be alone. "Tell Ellen I'll be back before the sun goes down."

Ace raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "First of all, what's with all the stuttering? And second, why are you chopping wood now? It's not even summer yet."

Matthew froze, realizing his excuse made no sense. His mind scrambled for a better response as Ace's suspicious gaze bore into him.

Matthew cleared his throat, trying to channel the cocky, confident persona of Elliott. "Well, you know me," he said, forcing a grin. "Always planning ahead. If we don't stock up now, we'll be freezing while everyone else is scrambling to chop wood in the dead of winter."

Ace narrowed his eyes, still skeptical. "Planning ahead? You? That doesn't sound like the Elliott I know."

Matthew chuckled nervously. "Maybe the fight with Erthan knocked some sense into me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Or maybe I just want an excuse to avoid the lecture I'm sure your mom's cooking up for me right now."

Ace laughed at that, finally easing up. "Alright, fair enough. But don't take too long, or she'll send me after you—and you know I don't like chasing idiots through the woods."

Matthew nodded quickly and turned to leave, his heart pounding. As he walked toward the edge of the small village, he muttered under his breath, "I better claim this reward before I mess up even more."

Once he was sure no one was following him, he stopped and whispered, "Claim reward."

The glowing triangle reappeared before him, brighter than ever. [Reward claimed. Processing…] It flickered for a moment before a new message appeared:

[Congratulations, loser. You have the right to ask me 10 questions.]

"Wait, 10 questions? Like, any questions?" Matthew muttered aloud, his voice dripping with disbelief.

[Yes, any questions, but don't waste them, pork. Each question is final. No retries.]

Matthew gulped. He needed to think carefully. This could be his one shot at getting real answers about his bizarre situation. His mind raced through the endless possibilities:

"Okay, first question," he said, steeling himself. "Who are you? And why am I here?"

The triangle shimmered, and the words changed:

[I am the author of the masterpiece called 'The Viking Era'. As for the second question, you are here to change my story, if you hated it that much.]

"Woah, you're the author of that shitty novel? And are petty to do something like this over a mere review? If you ask me, you're the pathetic one here." Matthew says, lifting his broad shoulders.

[The answer for the third question is yes, but it's not shitty, it's an underrated masterpiece. As for the fourth also yes, I'm petty like that. Hehe]

"No!" Matthew basically shout in a whisper. " Those weren't questions for you, I was speaking to myself!"

[Sucks to suck.]

Matthew spends a good moment swearing at the system. About his family, dead ones and many more.

"Okay, let's do this" Matthew thinks as he takes a deep breath to calm down. "Fifth question: How do I make sure I survive?"

[By being smarter than the idiot you usually are. Use the system, your knowledge, and your environment to outthink, outmaneuver, and outlast everyone who wants to kill you. And trust me, there will be many.]

Matthew's chest tightened. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like how this all played out. "Sixth question: Can I improve my skills or gain more abilities?"

The triangle glowed brighter.

[Yes, but you'll have to earn them through quests, challenges, and sacrifices. Nothing comes free, pork.]

"Eight question: If I die here, do I die in real life?"

The answer was blunt and cold:

[Yes. You die here, you die for real. So maybe stop acting like a loser, huh?]

Matthew shivered. This was no game. "Seventh question: Can I change who I am in this story? Like, stop being Elliott?"

[Nope. You're stuck as Elliott. Deal with it.]

"Ugh, fine," he groaned. "Ninth question: Can I change the ending of the story?"

[That's the whole point, genius. Yes, you can change the ending—but only if you survive long enough to do so.]

"Okay, last question," he said, taking a deep breath. "What's my next move?"

The triangle flashed one final time:

[Stop wasting time asking questions and start acting. Oh, and maybe don't piss off Sofia. She's more important than you think.]

The triangle dissolved into thin air, leaving Matthew alone with his thoughts.

"Elliott, who are you talking to?" a female voice called from behind him.

Matthew froze, the familiar voice pulling him out of his thoughts.

And just like that, the triangle materialized again, now glowing pink with hearts swirling around it. The text this time read:

[The Love Quest has started.]

[Objective: Make Sofia kiss you.]

[Reward: Insight of the Deceived.]

[Penalty: Castration.]

Three words echoed in Matthew's mind: What the fuck?