System online
The classroom was buzzing with activity. Students greeted old friends, made new ones, and formed little groups that would likely define the social hierarchy for the rest of the year. Some were already figuring out alliances, others scouting for rivals. It was a chaotic mix of laughter, gossip, and whispered secrets.
But at the back of the class, away from the bustling excitement, sat Railey Brooke—formerly Alex, now an unwilling participant in whatever twisted game fate had set up for him. Unlike the others, his mind wasn't occupied with making friends or establishing dominance. No, he was still thinking about what the system—now named Emily—had told him the other day.
Flashback: Railey's Room
A holographic table hovered in the air before him, a full-on tea party in progress. There were delicate porcelain cups, a small kettle, and even an assortment of cookies arranged neatly on a plate. Sitting comfortably across from him in her holographic form, Emily sipped her tea like she had all the time in the world.
Railey had chosen not to question it. At this point, he had already accepted that she had an aesthetic.
"So, what do you want to know first?" she asked, taking a slow sip of tea.
"First off, what's the end goal? What's the mission?"
Emily set her teacup down, smiling at him like he was a clueless child asking why the sky was blue.
"To survive till the end, by any means necessary. You can play the good guy, the bad guy, or even third-party your way through—I don't care. Just survive. It's your life, after all."
Railey squinted at her. That sounded way too easy.
There was no way it was that simple. If the only goal was survival, then logically, he could just switch teams at the last minute and join the strongest side. Right?
"So I can just switch teams… no strings attached?"
Emily suddenly became very interested in her tea, sipping it with exaggerated care, eyes locked on the cup as if it contained the secrets of the universe.
"I know you can hear me," Railey said, narrowing his eyes.
Emily let out a long, dramatic sigh before finally responding.
"Okay, fine. There is a catch, but it no biggie " She waved a hand dismissively. "Basically, if you should know whe the system unanimously decided to add. Buffs and nurfs here and there, you know we still need them to obay the law of physics to some extent "
Railey's eye twitched.
"That's not a 'no biggie' situation, that's straight-up cheating, the villains are strong enough already !" he snapped, his voice rising.
Emily shrugged. "I mean, come on, you already know most of the plot, plus the main character's powers. We had to shake things up! ."
Railey pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, let me get this straight. If I both teams, got equal amount of nurfs and buffs right no one sided handicap ?"
"Yup."
"okay seem fair enough,?" Railey said 'why do i feel there is more to come'
Emily smiled. "Absolutely."
Railey exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm. "Fine. Anything else I need to know?"
Emily tilted her head as if thinking. "Not really. Apart from all the crazy stuff—powers, dungeons, and demonic humans—this world is pretty much the same as your old one."
Railey gave her a deadpan look. "You do realize that's like saying, 'aside from the whole zombie apocalypse thing, your neighborhood is perfectly normal,' right?"
Emily grinned. "Details, details."
Railey shook his head. "Alright. Show me my stats."
With a snap of Emily's fingers, a translucent blue window appeared in front of him.
---
[Stat Window]
{Name} Railey brook
{Sp} 32
{Str} 15
{dex}
{agi} 20
{int} 80
{vit}
{end} 25
- - >
---
Railey nodded slowly. "Not bad."
Emily leaned over, squinting at the numbers. "Yeah, it's… decent."
Something about her tone set off warning bells.
"What do you mean by decent?" Railey asked cautiously.
Emily sipped her tea, clearly trying to word things nicely. "It's a little below average, but considering you're planning to lay low, it's actually perfect!"
Railey stared at her. "So basically, I'm useless?"
Emily hesitated. "I mean… you're not useless. You exist. That's something."
Railey felt a vein pop in his forehead. "Why did you even show me this if I suck?"
"Hey now, you don't suck," Emily said, waving a hand. "Think of it this way: you have a high intelligence stat! That means you're smart."
Railey folded his arms. "So I can think about how weak I am. Great."
Emily coughed into her fist. "Moving on! I should probably explain what SP is, huh?"
"Yeah, what are these 'System Points' and why do I only have 32 of them? They look kind of useless ."
Emily gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "Useless?! How dare you! SP is the currency of the system! You can use it for gacha, the system store, or powering relics!"
Railey frowned. "So… it's basically casino chips, money and some kind of power supply all in one?"
"Exactly!" Emily said with a grin.
Railey sighed. "Alright. What kind of prizes are in this so-called gacha?"
Emily smirked. "Oh, all sorts of stuff—skills, weapons, magic relics, high-grade potions… even legendary treasures! Who knows, maybe you'll even pull the One Piece."
Railey narrowed his eyes. "Did you just make a One Piece joke?"
Emily sipped her tea. "No idea what you're talking about."
Railey exhaled through his nose. "Alright. Last question—what's your name again?"
Emily blinked. "I told you, I'm the system."
"No, I mean, don't you have a name? A real one?"
Emily hesitated, her playful expression faltering. "I… I don't know. System entities like me aren't given names. Just awareness."
Railey frowned. "That's kind of depressing."
Emily shrugged, but there was something distant in her gaze.
"How about I give you a name?" Railey suggested.
Emily blinked. "Huh?"
"Calling you 'System' feels weird. Even if you're just in my head, you deserve a name." He thought for a moment. "How about… Emily?"
For a second, Emily didn't react. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face—a real one this time.
"I like it," she said softly. "Emily sounds nice."
And for the first time, Railey saw something beyond the teasing, mischievous AI.
Something almost human.