‘Who am I? What am I made of? The very essence of me is my body and mind. Consume, and make it a part of me.’

Len, in a moment of clarity understood, that he himself is an enigmatic entity. For what he consumes become a part of him that he could control in a literal sense.

The bread he ate was digested and become a part of him, thus allowing him for an ‘extra limb’ to move. With that extra limb Len coalesced it into a small bead, however he could not retain the form too long.

For a moment, Len felt a heavy strain weighing over his body. The bead returned into a piece of flesh and fused back with him.

‘No matter. There’s something much more important right now.’

Len lied on his sofa and closed his eyes. He allowed the system to access his soul. Almost like a hallucination, Len could almost see a string attached to him. It shone with brilliance in the dark, a beacon for a lost soul.

‘How does the system works? I’ve been asking the wrong question all this time.’

Len reflected back to the past few days he spent pondering over the system. He felt something odd and somewhat insecure with its existence. But now, Len could finally relax because this time he’s going to make the system his.

‘A string that could connect the soul directly to a place beyond… I don’t know who is pulling the string, but I sure am not gonna be your puppet in this little show you’ve got.’

The string strained. The radiance it gave off intensed. Len moved his mouth quietly. A whisper that nobody could hear echoed.

“Consume.”

And so the string snapped. It swayed lifelessly in the dark and the radiance dimmed. The guiding light dissipated leaving an eerie silence in the abyss.

The rest of the connected string fused with his soul. Like a moth to a flame, the string didn’t stop to avoid him.

Len’s soul were a fire blazing in the dark and the string were a moth searching for light.

Once it wrapped itself around, it slowly drowned and consumed by Len’s soul. When he opened his eyes, there were a series of new notifications appearing.

[System Reboot...]

[Adjusting to a New Host...]

[Adjust Complete.]

From that much, Len could tell that he has become the new ‘server’ for the system to operate.

‘I’ve become the new master for the system. I am my own system.’

[Unable to create ‘Quest’ function.]

[-Quest- section has been removed completely.]

[Unable to create ‘Map’ function.]

[-Map- section has been removed completely.]

[Unable to make ‘Title’ function.]

[-Title- section has been removed completely.]

[...]

Len read through them one by one. From what he had gather, it appears that all functions were removed except -Inventory-, -Skills-, -Levelling-, -Status Bar-, and -Equipments-.

Len gained the system’s authority, but he also lost some of its vital functions.

‘Can this system be called a true ‘system’? I can only gain stat points by levelling up now. I cannot receive anymore quests for rewards. There’s also no minimap, I have to be more careful when I’m venturing to an unknown land, taking notes for places and some other stuff. The title that I got before is also useless because there’s no slot for it anymore…’

But Len wasn’t about to be frustrated with it. There’s always a price to pay for something as precious as this. Len understand this better than some people. An experience that he gained also for a price.

The good news is Len can still go levelling. He can still get stronger to a certain degree with better advantage than without the system.

“Now the real training begin.”

…

While Len was busy with discovering new abilities about himself, there was an imminent danger approaching.

A war was about to happen.

It was signaled with a fallen star that is heading their way. A star burning with ruby-like flame, leaving a trail of blood in its path.

It reminded one of a stage.

A stage that is prepared by a mastermind about a show full of wonder and mysteries, drama and tragedy, bravery and betrayal, and it was all for nobody except for the beloved audience.

However, to create such show, meticulous preparation and intricate planning is a must. The mastermind will take its time very, very slowly and carefully agonizing which path the show must take to create a deep impression and dream-like experience for the audience.

It could take a second to think up the show. It might take a minute. An hour. A whole day. Perhaps a month. Presumable a year. Most likely, a decade. Never, if the mastermind gives up.

Who is the mastermind?

Who is the audience?

Who are the actors?

Who are the actresses?

Do those people realizes their respective roles?

Like a never-ending dream, Len is caught up in a spiral of an extremely delicate design called fate. It plans his daily routines, what he eats, what he drinks, who he talks to, who he hates, who he loves.

However, the puppet was unhappy.

The puppet gained self-awareness and decided to cut off its own strings. It fell and broke into tiny pieces, never to be reassembled again.

The ultimate price for a ‘true freedom’ is ‘death’, is what the puppet might think.

However, that is not so for others.

Each person represents an idea. The ‘actors’ and ‘actresses’ also have their own ideas in playing their roles. The audience is no different.

The audience has an authority to ‘observe’. It can see, judge, and think for itself. What others see as one thing might be different for someone else.

The show was perfect.

Everything is going to the script. Even the rebellious puppet part.

However, an audience is not a singular entity. An audience is not a collective hive mind that think in one unison perspective.

Observing the stage, many of the audience clapped their hands in amazement.

There was one individual, sitting on its chair with cheeks resting on its palm. Its gaze is filled with animosity and wrath. It wasn’t impressed at all. As an audience, it knew what was going happen as they are the observer with the ‘hindsight’.

Unable to stomach the show, it silently wordlessly spoke.

…

“Why do you want to kill this Empyrean?”

“...”

“You know this is going to happen right? You can’t expect me to not ask ques-”

“I know. Be quiet for a bit.”

“Also, this is the first time I saw you cooking.”

“Quiet and eat your fill!”

“...”

Len took a spoon out and drank his soup.

“It’s plain. I need more salt.”

“Salt doesn’t grow on trees! Buy your own!”

“How much is it?”

“500 calds for 5 grams.”

“Too expensive. Isn’t there any alternative seasonings?”

“You can go buy an orange and mix it with water.”

“That’s pretty bad.”

“Just eat.”

Len ate his soup in silence before he spoke once again.

“Why is your name Phy?”

“Why are you so talkative these days?”

“...”

Len pondered, ‘Am I that nosy?’ Perhaps not inquiring private questions for the time being is a wise decision.

“So… don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Get out!”

“No.”

Phy slammed the table and pulled Len’s collar.

“What did you say.”

“I said n-.”

Before Len could even finish, his vision turned pitch black for a moment and a numb, stinging pain coming from his face made him cringe.

He was thrown outside with a punch. For him it was nothing, but facts won’t diminish the pain.

“...”

Len didn’t say anything.

“You think I would hold back just because you are a kid?”

“Not at all. I knew you were gonna do that.”

Phy snapped her joints one by one with menacing eyes.

“Seems like you are looking for more.”

“You suck.”

An uppercut was thrown to his chin, Len cannot keep up with her speed and flew for a few metres before hitting the ground.

“Is that enough?”

“...You…”

The blood and bruises on his body disappeared. Without much expression, Len continued.

“...are a sack of shit.”

Her kick landed on Len’s face, breaking his nose and a few teeth. Of course, the damage inflicted disappeared in mere seconds.

“You are no woman. You are an ape.”

“Can’t keep your pie hole shut, can you!?”

Her hands reached Len, the veins in her hand bulged and grasped his neck tightly. Her nails digged into his flesh and her eyes burned with intense emotion. Len recognized that face.

A face of that has lost all reasons, consumed by emotion and rage. Len noticed it ever since they met, but he didn’t paid any heed back then. But now things has changed. Len needed her strength, however she wasn’t in the right state of mind.

Len could tell something was bothering her. It was written all over her face.

Being alone for a long time, Len spent most of his time observing people. How they talk, laugh, eye movements, tone of voice, posture and body language, Len subconsciously judges people by these criteria. Whether they are in a good mood or bad, he could tell. But he himself realized his judgement is never 100% accurate. Everything is circumstantial, nothing is certain.

So, Len would test the water. To see if his guess is correct, he would try to probe the person. If it gets ‘warmer’, then the odds will increase for him. If it gets ‘colder’, then it is very likely that he is wrong.

Probing in a sense somewhat similar to gambling. If he’s correct, then Len could find a way to approach that person. If he’s wrong, then it is very likely the person will avoid him

It is something that he does unconsciously, something hard-wired in his brain to solve a problem he faces. Like the ‘pattern’ he always mentioned, Len would gather ‘puzzle pieces’ that is made of circumstantial evidences, and try to make sense of everything. The result he arrived will be considered as ‘chances of probability’.

Like the way he saw the ‘pattern’ of the situation. When Phy said ‘if you managed to defeat me, I will tell you.’ Len took it as a flag, some sort of a ‘sign’ that Phy wanted him to be stronger and eventually surpass her.

However, her behaviour is full of contradictions. She wanted him to be stronger, but refuse to give a proper training. Len had a feeling that she is holding something back. Something that held her to do what she have to do.

Len could feel a sharp and dull pain in his neck. The air won’t enter his lungs, causing his vision to blur and face redden. He forced his neck to retain its form and not crushed under her pressure.

“Are… you… going to… kill me?”

“...!”

Through the small air gap left in his throat, Len forced out a sentence which stunned her.

The strength on her hands left, and her body turned limp. She dropped on the ground with tears flowing down her cheeks. She sobbed while covering her face.

Len couldn’t really describe and understand what he was seeing at the moment. It seemed surreal. From a normal dinner turned into a this situation.

Len touched his own neck and felt that ‘death’ was closer than ever before. Not even when he stabbed himself with the knife. A true killing intent was directed at him, and it was almost palpable. His heart stopped breathing, and he can’t move a muscle before it.

For a brief moment, he believed that he was going to ‘die’.

And despite all of this, Len said quietly.

‘Was I correct after all?’