50 Imprisoned 2 (2/2)

<System: I'm bored so I'm talking.>

She didn't comment. Her attitude suggested that she didn't want to entertain it.

<System: You're stupid. As always. Just because you witnessed your colleague's exploit, you became intimidated and don't want to continue doing things immoral since you won't be able to compete with him. Heh, a sore loser.>

'I'm sincerely amazed at how your damaged brain works. I'm sure that's all you want to say so shut up.'

<System: Oh? We've been like this for days. Don't you think it's becoming boring? Or are you angry at me throwing tasks at you? You rejected them though, so it's your fault that you're punished.>

Silence was the only answer it received after it waited for more than two minutes.

<System:... I get it that you're just in the mood for a little masochism play. Fine. You're in a terrible mood because of that stupid bombing incident. But allow me to enlighten you, dense 137. You're not the only host. As long as you're not the only one, the probability of meeting other people like you is always there. And all of you shared the same system. You should brace yourself to see people more wicked and hateful than you. Age, appearance, and status don't matter in becoming immoral. Damn it, why do I even have to educate you this simple common sense.>

'...How many are we?' She couldn't resist asking after a few seconds of deliberation.

<System: Not more than a thousand.>

'...Which is the latest batch?'

<System: Fifth.>

Sofony softly chuckled as she did her math. Fifth batch, in case there were a hundred people per batch, out there were five hundred people roaming freely on earth. If they had been distributed fairly to every country, empire, or nation, since there were more or less a hundred, it meant there were currently five immoral hosts in each country or state. She temporarily ignored the fact that there were still batches to be added in the future. All she wanted to focus on was how in her country, she already met two, and all of them appeared in Alina City.

What could this possibly mean?

As she pondered, regret and other indescribable emotions flooded her heart.

<System: Just to inform you again, I don't give a damn about world domination. Just stop assuming I orchestrated the appearance of that other host there because I want you and the others have some sort of battle royale. He just happened to get bound to another AI like me, become more immoral than you, receive a quest about hatching a bomb inside the bus like the bomber in his favorite arcade game,...>

'And also get into the same bus as us. I get it.'

She heard the loud and scratchy voice of the driver so she opened her eyes and checked her items before hurriedly getting off. Once her feet stepped on the pavement, she started walking towards the footbridge nearby. She had to cross that then walk a little further to the left to reach the Golden Residences. Midway, in the middle of the sea of people, she encountered a 'talent scout' from a modeling agency that she politely brushed off. Then she rushed towards the condo building. All this while she couldn't help but think about that fateful afternoon. The impatient voice of the system broke its silence though.

<System: Annoying host. I'm done waiting for your stupid, must-have-been-fakely upgraded brain to understand. Now, listen up. You're simply scared by how you almost died. That's what's making you feel tense. You don't like how someone else almost dictated your life and death. When will you realize that? In reality, after obtaining me you've become complacent and confident. Even though I keep issuing you hateful tasks, even though you disliked me for it, you still don't hate me that much, at least not enough to think of getting rid of me. I helped you have a better life after all. Even when Felicity's scandal broke out because I issued a task forcing you to do that, you didn't hate me that firmly because my shop allowed you to redeem yourself and her.>

Sofony froze. She didn't manage to enter the elevator in time and its closing door didn't also wait for her. Probably only those inside were concerned why a female student in white and blue uniform strangely stopped a few steps from the elevator, even staring blankly at them until the silver door got them out of sight.

'...I'm scared?'

She blinked her eyes repeatedly at this realization.

<System: You are. It's normal. You're alive after all. For living creatures like you, survival is an instinct. When your survival is threatened, naturally you end up frightened. Are you sure your brain is not made out of straws? Don't tell me this never enters your mind?>

In fact, it didn't. All she could think of was how even a kid was made immoral by the system. The devil probably read what was running on her brain. It added,

<System: Oh. Why did I forget that you're a hopeless case of severe mental retardation? You're making me speechless.Dammit, aside from being proficient in hypocrisy and acting an innocent bitch, why are you a good-for-nothing?>

It clicked its imaginary tongue then continued, ignoring its still bewildered host.

<System: Host 137, Sofony Mendez. You're obviously frightened by how you almost died, almost ending up like those poor burnt corpses. The one who drove you to this state is a boy younger than you. Now you get what I would like you to understand?>

At these words, Sofony bit her lips. Her mind was greatly preoccupied so it was a miracle that she had safely entered the elevator without tripping or bumping into anyone.

<System: You're weak.> It started again.

<System: I even sometimes suspect if you're really at level 1, and not 0.>

<System: I swear, this must be all because you didn't do your tasks and official mission diligently, and now you have seen for yourself that out there, many hosts with the same capabilities and resources as you can kill you any time. That previous close call nearly did, and it was a mere accident. That kid was not even seriously targetting you. He was only completing a 'Blow Away A Bus' task.>

Her heart chilled at what the system stated. Regretfully, her functioning brain didn't allow her to refute it since it was the truth. She recognized that this might really be the case. No, it was precisely what happened.

She was Sofony Mendez. Immoral host 137. No matter how she hated the title and its tasks, in the end, she was a host and everything she had done after that one night stand was immoral. Recently, she had been complacent because she thought it was okay to be content of what she'd already gotten. There was no more need to improve or hurry to do missions, that was how her mentality worked. Now, her system was blaming her almost unintended journey to the afterlife to her, and she was aware it was because she was so weak that she couldn't even deflect misfortunate events like that.

If she had been more resourceful and creative in using the system and had completed more quests to stock up points, would things proceed in that manner?

Maybe.

As Sofony walked into the unit and pressed the switch for the lights and airconditioner, her expression was thoughtful yet at the same time, dark.

<System: ... I'll deduct 100 Points for all the information I just shared. Don't protest, or else, I'll rebel. And don't assume every host besides you and Floyd is stupid.>

She silently agreed and nodded, her brain more inclined to speculate about the last sentence.

She really must not be complacent anymore. Not all things would go her way. Like what was usually said by people, what could go wrong, will go wrong. Not all hosts would be easy pickings. And actually, even fools could be scary if they were immoral enough to not think deeply about why they should or should not do evil.

Now she began thinking, how about her? Her dilemma was due to the fact that she's weak, but if she wanted to become stronger, she had to be truly wicked.

This evening, she had neither the appetite for food nor sex. She spent the night thinking of what she should do from now on.