Chapter 2 - The System
Damien held his breath as he sat on the tree branch, holding his breath and watching the assassins below him.
"Host? Why are we hiding? Shouldn't you go beat them up?" Corney asked, staring at Damien in bewilderment. Only to get a scary glare in return which seemed to have ripped the AI's heart out of his chest.
"Host, why so scary?" Corney asked as it cried near Damien's shoulder, making Damien roll his eyes at him.
'God, why is this thing so annoying and talkative?' Damien thought as he stared down at the assassins below him, moving swiftly while searching for him.
'I can't waste too much time here. I need to go save Kate. If I don't arrive the Viscount's house, before the break of the dawn, I'll once again lose my daughter. '
[Ding! System Activated.
Congratulations, Host. You have successfully activated "Happy Reader's System". Dear Host, please make reader's happy to gain EXP, item trading points and rewards.
New Feature : Choice Tasks.
Host, please hit 'Proceed' to proceed.]
"Phew! It's finally here. The amount of time it took, I thought it was broken." The strange words of Corney made Damien stare at the little dragon in shock and confusion.
'What is this thing talking about? What broken?'
Damien pondered for a moment before deciding to humor Corney and pressed the 'proceed' button on the system prompt.
'Is it something that appears in those Litrpg novels? Well, at least, it looks cool.'
As soon as Damien's finger pressed 'Proceed', a holographic interface appeared in front of him, displaying a list of tasks and choices.
---
[Choice Task: Escape or Confront the Assassins]
Option 1: Escape And Rescue Kate
Option 2: Confront the Assassins And Rescue Kate
Dear Host, please bear in mind. The choice you make should make your reader's happy.
Good luck!
---
Damien studied the options carefully, weighing the pros and cons of each choice.
"Host! Please make a decision fast." Corney urged Damien seeing him lost in his thoughts.
Option 1: Escape And Rescue Kate
'If I chose this option, I could focus on escaping from the assassins and find a way to rescue Kate. I could avoid direct confrontation with the assassins and arrive at Viscount's castle before sunrise. It would be a risky move, because they could follow me. Or, maybe use sneak attack.'
Option 2: Confront the Assassins And Rescue Kate
'If I chose this option, I would have confront the assassins head-on but also be fast so that I can rescue Kate. That, however, would be a dangerous and potentially deadly choice, but it could also be a more thrilling and action-packed scenario for the readers.'
'And, the interface does say 'make a choice readers would like'. Ugh! Why is this so hard? Either way, since I'm a Duke shouldn't I have underlings to help me? How am I supposed to take down 5 assassins all by myself!?'
"Host, what are you thinking about?" Corney asked as she tilted her head in confusion, staring at Damien.
Damien eyes landed on Corney as they sparkled, making Corney shiver.
'So, what if I don't have underlings? I have this AI to get help me out of this situation. '
"H... Host?" Witnessing the strange smirk on Damien's face, Corney started to back away. However, before poor Corney could escape. Her tail was grabbed by Damien as he brought her face near his own, starting into her eyes as if he was trying to intimidate his lover.
"How can I deal with the assassins all by myself?"
Corney tried to wriggle free from Damien's grasp, her eyes wide with fear. "H-Host, I...I don't know," she stammered, feeling the pressure of his grip intensify. "You can use the beginner's pack in your inventory. Because, since you're level 0 right now. You can't access the point exchange shop. Not that you have any points to exchange."
"How do I open the inventory?" Damien asked asked as he let go of a scared little Corney.
"Umm... You still haven't accepted the task."
Damien sighed in frustration, realizing that he still needed to make a decision before accessing his inventory. He released Corney and looked back at the holographic interface and clicked on Option 2. As soon as he made his choice the interface changed.
---
[Task 1 : Confront the Assassins And Rescue Kate (In Progress)]
Reward : Disappearance Spell [0/10]
---
"Hey Corney? What does this 0 by 10 mean?" Damien asked Corney, pointing at thr holograph.
"Ah! Host that means only when your reader's give you 10 gifts for the choice. Only then will the reward be issued to you."
"What if they don't?"
"You won't get any reward? Some allotted EXP will be deducted. And, rest punishment will be issued by the system. Since, this is your first task there'll be no such thing. Only, you won't get the reward. However, you'll see what I mean from the second task onwards."
"Weird but okay. What else?" Damien asked as he stared at Corney. As the little dragon pointed to the little red cross on the top right corner.
"Press this, master. It works like a computer." Damien pressed the red cross as the previous holographic interface disappeared. And, the main screen appears.
---
[HAPPY READER'S SYSTEM]
-> PROFILE
-> STATS
-> INVENTORY
-> READER'S GIFTS
-> CURRENT TASK PROGRESS
-> READER'S COMMENTS
[MORE FEATURES WILL BE ADDED AS THE HOST'S LEVEL INCREASES]
---
Damien clicked on the Inventory Tab as he opened it.
The Inventory had many light green shelves. However, there was only one item on the topmost shelf in the left corner.
'The Beginner's Pack. Let's see how good this is.'
Damien thought as he clicked on the gift box.
---
[DOES THE HOST WANT TO OPEN THE BEGINNER'S PACK?]
[Y] / [N]
---
Damien hesitated for a moment, contemplating his options. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him and he selected [Y] to open the Beginner's Pack.
The holographic interface faded away, and in its place appeared a small wooden chest appeared on the screen. Damien's heart raced with anticipation as he reached out and pressed on the box, opening it.
The chest opened as the items of the pack were organized on the inventory shelf.
'A sleek silver dagger, a leather-bound journal, a vial of glowing blue liquid, and a scroll. What am I going to do of these items?'
A sense of excitement surged through Damien as he examined each items on the screen.
Remembering Corney, Damien turned to her and asked, "Corney, can you tell me how do these items work?"
Corney nodded, her petite wings fluttering with enthusiasm. "Of course, Host! The silver dagger is a reliable weapon for close combat. It's a rare item. Be sure to not lose it. It is enchanted with enhanced durability and can pierce through most defenses. The leather-bound journal is a magical grimoire that can store and organize spells. The vial contains a skill. It can help you see the stats of the person you wish to fight or take under your wing or just anyone for that matter of fact. Lastly, the scroll is a healing spell."
Damien's eyes widened with awe. These items were invaluable, and he felt a surge of confidence welling within him. "I see. Since, Zeus in the novel is 6th mana circle mage. Is that the same for me?"
"Unfortunately, no. In the story you have not written the fact. But, during the ambush Zeus is extremely hurt which causes him a delay in saving Kate. The system healed your superficial wounds. But, it couldn't fix the mana circles that were broken." Corney replied, avoiding eye contact with Damien feeling a tad bit guilt hit her AI heart.
"How many?" Damien asked with a sigh.
"Two, probably. You can check it in profile. You know?"
"I know. But, this is faster. 4th circle. Hmm... That's still good, enough. How do I get the items in real out of the inventory?" Damien asked as he raised his eyebrow at Corney.
"You just have to close your eyes and think about the particular item." Corney replied as Damien instantly closed his eyes and thought of the dagger and the potion.
And, when he opened his eyes. There they were. Right infront of him. He grabbed the two items hanging in the air as he smirked at the two assassins, left behind by their leader to search for him.
"Let's get this task done with. I'll come to rescue you soon, my little girl."