Methon

Ethan sank into his chair, his head falling back as he stared at the ceiling. The soft hum of the heater in his apartment was the only sound in the room, yet his mind buzzed with noise. The Audience. An SS-rank item.

He'd seen the system mention high ranks before, but this? This was on another level. Anyone who has played any game before could tell the gravity of what SS rank was. He thought back to those isekai novels he had read. SS wasn't just high; it was practically untouchable. And yet, here it was, sitting in his inventory, utterly useless to him.

"How am I even supposed to use it?" he asked aloud, his voice breaking the silence.

The system's voice chimed in, calm and unbothered as always.

[An Audience is meant to watch.]

Ethan blinked, his brow furrowing. "Meant to watch? That's it? That's your grand explanation for an SS-rank item?"

Silence.

He groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Great. I have something that's apparently incredible, but I don't even know what it does."

The system didn't respond. Ethan sighed, slumping deeper into the chair. His fingers drummed against the armrest as he tried to make sense of everything. What was the point of giving him something so rare if he couldn't figure out how to use it?

Shaking his head, he decided to focus on something else. "Fine. Whatever. Let's just move on," he muttered. "What about my daily spin?"

[Do you choose to use your daily spin?] the system asked, its voice as monotone as ever.

"Yes," Ethan replied without hesitation.

The familiar wheel appeared in his mind, spinning rapidly with a dizzying array of colors and symbols. Ethan watched as it slowed, the clicking sound growing louder with each passing second. Finally, the wheel stopped, landing on a brightly colored bottle with a cartoonish design.

"Congratulations. You have received: Refresh Juice."

In an instant, the item materialized in front of him. Ethan blinked, taking in the oddly cheerful packaging. It looked like a regular soda can, but a cute pink octopus with a goofy grin was slapped across the front as the mascot. The words "Refresh Juice!" were written in bold, playful font.

He picked it up, reading the description that appeared alongside it:

"Methon's biggest selling drink! It is absolutely refreshing! One drink and you'll feel rejuvenated. Not only does it heal, but it also restores you to peak strength. Has a 0.1% chance of increasing your strength permanently. Chances increase when Refresh Juice is merged."

Ethan's eyebrows shot up. "Rejuvenates? Restores peak strength? And it might even make me stronger?"

The words lingered in his mind. He still felt refreshed from using Charming Smile earlier, but this drink sounded… different. If the description was right, it wasn't just about feeling better. It could actually make him stronger.

He squinted at the can, his grip tightening slightly. "Why would a drink like this even be part of the system? I thought you wanted me to focus on the entertainment path."

The system responded with a single, awkward, "…."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "That's suspicious."

Still, he decided not to push the matter for now. "Fine. I'll stash it away for later," he said aloud.

The drink vanished from his hands in an instant, disappearing into his inventory. Ethan leaned back again, his mind racing with thoughts about the Refresh Juice. It was too convenient, too… out of place.

But he didn't have time to dwell on it. There was something else he needed to address.

He sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing slightly. "What about that B+ card? Seth. What kind of card is it?"

The system paused before responding, as though choosing its words carefully.

[Seth is a very different character from Background Office Worker. He was the first Soulless Man in Methon.]

Ethan froze. "Soulless?"

The word sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn't just the word itself—it was the way the system said it, like it carried weight.

"Methon again," Ethan muttered, tapping his fingers on the armrest. He'd heard the name a few times now, but he still didn't know much about it. "What kind of world is Methon, anyway? How different is it from ours?"

No answer came.

He stroked his chin, staring at the empty space in front of him. Seth's description was vague, but it was enough to unsettle him. This wasn't like the Background Office Worker card, which felt harmless and almost mundane. Seth, on the other hand, felt… darker.

"Why does this feel like a bad idea?" Ethan muttered.

The system broke its silence. [Some cards are more difficult to assimilate than others. Seth is one of them.]

Ethan frowned. "Difficult to assimilate? What does that mean?"

[Your mind and body must adapt to the card's essence. The stronger or more complex the card, the harder the assimilation process. However, fusing Seth with Background Office Worker before use will make assimilation smoother.]

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Fuse the cards? That's an option?"

[Yes. Fusion combines the traits of two cards, creating a new character that incorporates elements of both.]

Ethan leaned back, considering the idea. On one hand, it made sense. If fusing the cards made assimilation easier, it might be worth doing. But on the other hand…

"I want to try Seth first," he said. "If it's too much, I can always fuse it later."

The system hesitated. [Are you sure?]

Ethan nodded. "Yeah. Let's do it."

He took a deep breath, his fingers clenching the edge of his chair. "Let's do it," he said firmly.

Ethan leaned back, trying to steady his breath. He stared at the empty space in front of him, his thoughts swirling. 

The Seth card was sitting there, waiting for him, yet the pressure of the system's warnings made him hesitate. Still, curiosity gnawed at him.

"I want to try Seth first," he said again, louder this time, as if reassuring himself. "If it's too much, I can always fuse it later."

The system hesitated, its usual calm voice tinged with something that might have been confused for concern.

[Are you sure?] It repeated.

Ethan nodded, gripping the arms of his chair. "Yeah. Let's do it."

A brief silence hung in the air before the system spoke again.

[Initiating mental and physical assessment.]

Ethan froze. "Wait, what?"

The room grew quiet, save for the faint hum that now seemed to vibrate through his bones. Ethan's pulse quickened as an unfamiliar sensation washed over him. It was like an invisible force scanning him, peeling back every layer of his being.

"What… what are you doing?" he asked, his voice shaky.

[Assessing your mental health and physical condition to determine compatibility with Seth.]

His heart raced. "You're telling me this now? Shouldn't you have done this before?"

The system didn't answer immediately. Instead, it continued its eerie assessment, and Ethan swore he could feel something digging into the depths of his mind. Memories, thoughts, fears—everything felt exposed.

"Stop that!" Ethan barked, gripping his temples.

[Assessment complete,] the system finally said, ignoring his outburst. [Mental state: stable. Physical condition: compatible. You may proceed with Seth.]

Ethan stared blankly at the wall, the system's words sinking in. His hands trembled slightly as he lowered them from his head. "Stable?" he muttered, more to himself than to the system. "You mean, I'm actually… fine?"

[Your mental and physical states are adequate for assimilation. Proceed when ready.]

Adequate. The word echoed in his head, but it didn't bring him any comfort. In fact, it made his unease grow.

The Seth card suddenly felt heavier, darker. His palms were damp with sweat as he thought about what he was about to do. He'd been so sure of himself just minutes ago, but now? Now he wasn't sure of anything.

"Maybe… maybe I should just fuse it," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. "Maybe that's the smarter option."

The system remained silent, as if giving him space to decide.

Ethan leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. The idea of backing out gnawed at him, but so did his pride. If he didn't try, would he regret it?

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to sit up straight. "No," he muttered. "I can't back out now. I'll never know if I don't try."

[Proceed with assimilation?] the system prompted again.

Ethan hesitated, his fingers twitching against his thighs. "Yeah," he said, though his voice wavered. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Burn card."

The words felt thick as they left his lips, and the air around him seemed to thicken. The hum from before returned, louder this time, and the room grew cold.

Ethan's heart pounded in his chest as the Seth card began to glow faintly in his mind. Whatever happened next, he knew there was no turning back.