"System."
The word slipped past Alex's lips like a quiet command—even if it had never once yielded a response aside from a status window.
Until now.
A brief pause hung in the air.
Then—
[ Yes, Host. ]
Alex blinked.
He sat up in bed so fast, he nearly yanked the IV out of his arm.
"...What?"
That voice—clear, calm, emotionless—rang directly inside his mind. Not a prompt. Not a static screen.
Actual speech.
"You… can talk?" Alex said slowly, suspiciously, like he was talking to a ghost that had finally replied after years of haunting him.
[Affirmative. This feature was added during the most recent update.]
Alex stared blankly at the wall for a second.
"Update? What update? Since the moment I got into this world, you've been completely useless!"