CHAPTER 2

All Systems have merged successfully.

All Systems CYBERPUNK, GAMER, and SIMS upgraded into the EMINENCE SYSTEM!

The user body evolved to validate with EMINENCE.

Awakening of The User will commence in 3.

2.

1.

[Hello, Quinn.]

I gasped a deep, shuddering breath that caused my entire body to jolt. Sadly, It quickly became apparent that I was only on the edge of something because my sudden awakening caused me to fall off and smack against a cold hard surface. I groaned, my face firmly planted against what I could only guess was the ground, as I slowly and shakily got to my feet. I blink my eyes, trying to clear form sudden bleariness, as I finally get a good glimpse of my surroundings. The metal frame bent all to hell when I saw a broken window and a door placed back into the entrance. I immediately knew that I was back inside my apartment.

Only I have no recollection of ever coming back to my apartment.

Therefore, when my eyes glanced back outside and noticed the familiar dark red hues of a setting sun, I started to panic. "What the fuck happened?" I muttered, my mind trying to rack my brain for anything that could help present my particular problem.

(I remember the landlord and Dave kicking both their asses. I left my apartment, got a call from Mamma Welles, and got in a scuffle with those three gonks, but then-?)

A vivid image of a floating blue screen entered my mind.

"Am I losing my mind?"

[No.]

I spun around, my hand already withdrawing the Nue pistol in my waistband, as I aimed the barrel of my gun at a floating screen. The screen hovered before me, a small envelope-like icon flowing within its confines. I stared, my eyes wide in disbelief, as thousands of thoughts ran through my head. I swallowed, my gun still aimed at the floating screen as I muttered, "I'm fucking crazy."

[You're not losing your mind.]

The hairs on my neck stood on end as my body went rigid, every muscle poised to act, as a female voice echoed near my ears.

No, it felt like it came to my mind.

Almost as if the voice erupted from my very thoughts.

"Who?"

[I will answer everything, but it would be easier to touch the envelope.]

I swallowed and gently touched the floating icon. Instantly, an ethereal-like calm overcame me, and every muscle seemed to relax. I blinked. It started from the tips of my toenails and traversed through my body to the ends of my hair. I gave off a twitch, a rush of images and information shelling my mind.

I don't know how long I stood there; my almost comatose-like hypnosis kept me occupied enough to become dull to the disappearing light outside, along with the countless phone calls I received from my pocket.

Then, it all stopped.

I backed up, my heels hitting the end of my bed before my rear touched the soft mattress. I sat elbows on my knees as my pistol dangled from my limp fingers. I felt thousands, no millions, upon millions of various images and words rush through my mortal mind, each one filling away itself into the recess of my earthly coil. A feeling of a gentle presence seemed to soothe and help my brain process all this info that would undoubtedly cause an average man's brain to melt. Eventually, the last bit of images settled, and now, I have one question.

"Why me?"

[He did not provide complete information on why he chose you, Quinn.]

I shudder at how she said my name, her voice carrying a sexualness that almost instantly caused me to crank. I coughed, my cheeks blushing, which elicited a sensual giggle from the female voice within my mind.

"Okay," I muttered, my hand reaching back to rub against my neck, "I think I should start by asking who you are?" The voice whispered a reply within my head, [I'm the embodiment of the system; I monitor and give adequate feedback to ensure you are strong enough to live and thrive.]

"What's your name?"

[Elisabeth.]

"O-Oh, nice to meet ya, Elisabeth."

[The pleasure is all mine, Quinn~.]

I sputtered, my face growing hot, which caused Elisabeth to chuckle within my mind as she cooed, [Ahh, aren't you just cute~.] I groaned, one hand reaching up to rub my forehead as I muttered, "What can I do?" Elisabeth hummed, her voice doing all sorts of things to my mind as she said, [You remember all of the systems, correct?] I blinked a wave of information, quickly assimilating and feeding me information as I mumbled, "Yes, Gamer, Sims, and Cyberpunk?" I could almost feel Elisabeth nod her head within my mind as she continued, [Yes, but due to complications with integrating all three systems, your body had to remodel itself to withstand all of the requirements. Yet, by doing so, all the limitations on the systems were decoded, giving you free access to more advantages within the systems themselves.]

"So, it granted me the Eminence System."

[Correct.]

I rubbed my temple, information pouring into my mind as I spoke, "Classic points and other specifications removed, giving me a chance to get perks and drawls without having to stack up an enormous amount of points. Yet, to try and create some challenges, the embodiment of the systems tried to bring about challenges the user, me, had to face. Alas, the challenges were decoded and withdrawn. Instead, the system practically had to evolve together to form the Eminence System, which allowed it to make the user, me, have to complete a quest to gain points; of course, it didn't work. Instead, the system can randomly give the user anything from common to godly, without penalties or drawbacks?"

[That is correct.]

Silence, I remained silent as a single thought escaped from my lips.

"So, what now?"

Elisabeth chuckled, her sensual voice whispered again next to my ear, [How about we open some of your rewards first? Maybe you will get something interesting~.] I peered back at the floating blue screen, now with a floating golden trophy that glowed in a brilliant golden sheen. I clicked the icon without hesitation, and the award exploded into confetti before a list of items and perks appeared.

[Oh.]

Oh indeed.

The Force (Epic)- In a galaxy far, far away, a group of robe-wearing monks practices an ancient art called, The Force, which grants them unfathomable power. Your lucky enough not to have to go through all those long lectures?

Instant Regeneration- A certain three-clawed metahuman can heal from an atomic explosion in under a minute; you are three times faster than him.

Super Strength- Bodybuilders got nothing on you; you can bend steel and eviscerate your enemies with a hand swat. You can run faster than a vehicle and leap higher.

DOOM Super Shotgun (Mythical)- In a world filled with demonic beings from Hell, a specific human being is ripping and tearing his way through their ranks, and he's got a shotgun to get the job done.

Shadow Clone Jutsu (Epic)- In a world full of superpowered ninjas, a loud-mouth yellow-haired hero has a technique that creates hundreds of identical clones in mere seconds.

Dragonslayer- The one he loved taken before his very eyes; he's full of rage and wants nothing more than to kill the person responsible for his misery, so he built himself a weapon to go along with his revenge.

"This."

[It is way beyond what I assumed would happen.]

I turned my eyes away from the screen and stared blankly at the ground as I asked, "Is this normal?" Elisabeth sighed within my mind as she muttered, [No, this is beyond ordinary.] I licked my lips, my eyes gravitating back to the screen as my gaze looked over The Force. Elisabeth seemed to 'figuratively' read my mind when she spoke, [The Force, in a world like this, that in on itself would place you on the pinnacle of power.] I rubbed my thumb over my index finger, a nervous tick, as I slowly stood up. The screen seemed to follow my movements as I made my way towards my kitchen, my mind occupied as I reached for the fridge and squeezed the handle. The sound of screeching metal drew my attention. The noise snapped me from my thoughts as I peered at my hand. The steel handle of my fridge crumbled underneath my hand, which made me frown as I pulled the door.

Only for the entire door to rip off its hinges.

Sighing, I gently placed the fridge door on the counter island before I glanced inside my refrigerator. Grabbing a Nicola, I reached down to pull the tab, only for me to peel the entire top off like a can opener. I felt a slight sting on my thumb and peered at it, noticing a small cut from the aluminum can. I watched in morbid fascination as the blood from teh wound seemed to absorb itself back into my thumb, the skin around the cut mending itself back together. Once I watched the laceration vanish completely, I redirected my gaze back to the fridge and stared at the dozens of unopen beer bottles.

"Maybe a beer would be better."

Feeling a familiar vibration within my pocket, I reached inside and pulled out my phone. Flipping the screen open, I noticed the dozens of messages from Mamma Welles and suddenly felt a sense of dread.

"Shit, I need a beer."

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"Maldita sea, Quinn! Entiendes lo preocupado que estaba cuando no respondiste?! [Damn it, Quinn! Do you understand how worried I was when you didn't answer?]" I cringed under Mamma Welles's scoldings, I'm fluent in Spanish, but once Welles got into one of her scoldings, it took my mind a little bit to process the near break-neck speed of her words. "I was worried sick, tenia miedode que estuvieras muerto [I was afraid that you were dead], dead somewhere in a ditch!" I rubbed the back of my neck as I mumbled, "Sorry, Mamma."

"You better be, dios sabe que despues de que finalmente me ilames [god knows after you finally call me], I find your front door in shambles, along with your fridge!"

"De nuevo [Again], sorry, Mamma Welles."

Mamma sighed, her arms unfolding as the intense fire within her eyes vanished as she approached me on the couch. I felt her hands, soft but also calloused, cup my cheeks as she brought my head up. Her eyes held a gentle warmth as she gently brushed a strand of hair from my forehead and said, "Lo see [I know], I was just so worried, Quinn." I smiled, pushing myself upwards until I stood over Mamma. Gently, ever so gently, I wrapped my arms around her small frame. She returned the hug, her face buried in my chest; her voice muffled as she said, "I don't want to lose anyone else." I felt a pang of guilt that everyone, including me in Heywood, knew what she meant.

Mamma Welles had witnessed dozens of her relatives become nothing but another individual's body count in Night City's streets. Hell, Jackie Welles, her youngest of the three, was involved in all sorts of merc work and had yet to bite the bullet. If she lost Jackie, I imagined it would break what little she had left inside her. I gently kissed her forehead, one of my hands rubbing soothing circles on her back as I whispered, "Entiendo [I understand], I promise I won't die." Mamma Welles pulled away, her cheeks stained with tears as she gazed up at me with eyes filled with sorrow.

"No, no lo prometas [don't promise], just make sure you live, Quinn."

I stared into her eyes before nodding, my hand reaching up to wipe the stray tears cascading down her cheeks. I smiled as I replied, "I will live and always come back to you." These seemed enough for the Latino mother as she pulled me down and gently kissed my lips. There was nothing sexual about it; it was just a gentle, loving kiss from a woman who recognized me as one of her sons, even though I was not of blood. I smiled, my hand reaching up to push her head back into my chest as I gently rocked side to side, her arms tightly wrapped around my waist as we both silently moved.

Hearing the silent sound of approaching footsteps, I turn Mamma Welles slightly away from the open doorway. I watched my body tense as a familiar man with a man bun entered my apartment. I relaxed and watched as the man gave a low whistle, his eyes staring with mirth at the destroyed door that rested on the ground from when I had to pull it out to let Mamma Welles inside.

"Mierda [Holy shit]! What kind of choom did you door piss off?"

I smirked as Mamma Welles turned her head to say, "Idioma [Language], Jackie,"

Jackie Welles, Mamma Welles's only son, gave off a wry smile to his mother as he apologized, "Lo siento [I'm sorry], mama." I pulled away from Mamma just in time to see her roll her eyes as she replied, "What did Padre say?" Jackie was walking to my destroyed fridge; his eyebrows raised at the dented metal door as he spoke, "Well," He reached into the refrigerator to pull out one of my sodas. He continued, "The landlord is a Ladron [Thief]; he's been ripping off clients in the entire complex and charging outrageous amounts of cash." Jackie popped the tab before taking a swig; releasing a sigh of satisfaction, he said, "Padre already has a couple of guys working on it as we speak."

I scoffed, "Figures, I always knew that guy was a fucking thief."

"Then why did you stay?" Mamma Welles asked, her eyes boring into me as I replied, "It was close to the Coyote, and at first, the price range was meager due to the location of scav hideouts nearby." Jackie grunted a reply, "Yeah, the bastard landlord is probably working with them too, gilipollas. If tenants didn't pay the rent, they would mysteriously disappear the next day, probably to be carved up by Scavs." I nodded, sitting back on the couch as Jackie walked over, kissing his mother before plopping down on the recliner next to me.

"You still haven't eaten yet, Quinn?"

I shook my head at Mamma's words, which caused her to smile as she went to the kitchen, "Muy bein [Very good], I will fix you up something."

"Madre [Mother], what about me?"

"If you're hungry, buy yourself some synthetic gillipolleces [bullshit] noodles!"

"Pero esta delicioso [But its delicious]!"

"Callate [Be quiet], or I'll change my mind."

"Ha! Okay, Mamma."

As I smiled at the mother and son duo, Elisabeth made her presence known in my mind. [Where's your family?] I shrugged, my action going unnoticed by the two as I mentally replied, "Never knew them; I was an orphan on the streets before Mamma Welles took me in."

[Would you ever want to meet them?]

"Nope, I have the family I want right here."

[I see.]

As Elisabeth went silent, I focused on both Jackie and Mamma in the kitchen. I chuckled when Mamma slapped Jackie in the back of the head, which only caused the large man to laugh and hug his mother, much to her chagrin.

[If you had a chance to change history, would you?]

I raised an eyebrow, my eyes gravitating toward the outside window.

I stared at the neon-glowing city in thought as I drowned out the sounds from the kitchen. I rubbed my thumb against my index finger, a sigh escaping from my lungs as I replied, "Yes, yes, I would."

[Then, I have something important that would change your reality and possibly who you are. So, are you still willing to hear me out?]

I felt a sense of foreboding, but I pushed it aside.

"Yes."

[Are you sure?]

"Yes, I'm sure."

[Alright, but first eat your dinner; Mamma is calling you.]