1 A Crazy System

'User, you have 10 seconds to choose, use the system and carry out its assignments or die here.'

Han Qiu laid on the company stone for a while, his mind completely blank. He was just a simple actor for an uninteresting company on Earth. Why did he have to die so young, and while hearing crazy voices at the same time? Still like a robot, he felt his back going numb, pain recedeing from his senses.

'User, you will die in 5 seconds.'

'Sure. Sure, whatever, I agree, just...let me rest for a second..'

In this half alive, half dead state, Han Qiu muddely agreed to the voice's request. He felt his sense going numb, the world disappearing from sight, and the second passed quickly. But the System's voice seemed to say something he could vaguely hear.

'User Han Qiu, you have complied to Apothecary system Model 0.'

It seemed to say something else, but the world already left him.

When he woke up Han Qiu found a delicate feeling on his legs, and the soft fabric wasn't like anything he ever experienced. The quilt was so comfortable he wanted to bury his underneath and never come out. It was better to sleep then wo....

'Wait.' Am I in the underworld?' He opened his eyes, a sensation he thought he would never witness again. In his head, a familiar mechanical and indifferent voice spoke,

'User Han Qiu, please wake up. The mission is uncompleted.' It repeated the same line twice, and thrice, until he felt reality there clearly in front of him, no it couldn't be clearer, because as the voice spoke, Han Qiu saw an endless plane of white stretching far into the horizon, and yet at the far end, he saw the outline of a dark culdron with smoke floating out. This culdron was at least 10 kilometres away but Han Qiu saw the outline of it clear as day.

'User, these are the conditions of your revival. You must complete a mission within the set period of time. The missions always include the necessity of saving a Ability user within the active apocalypse planets. The System offers you abilities to do so. Failure to complete a mission means the user's life is taken in place of the ability user. Rewards from missions will be given.'

Han Qiu felt like the system was pouring cold ice water on his head. What life? Apocalpse planets? Ability users? Apoethcary?

He was so stunned that the questions paralysed him to stare into the blank endless white. Wait where was he?

As if the System could read his mind, it replied,

'User is in the System's allocated space. Here nothing, time moves slower that the reality the user experiences outside. It's purpose is for the user to make medicinal alixers and train.'

'Ok.' Han Qiu just acccepted what the System said. He died on Earth, now this thing revivied him. Although he doubted his sanity, he felt like it was useless. He had nothing on Earth he treasured and his will to live remained solely because of his fear of death. There wasn't more he wanted and if the system saved him, he felt it was only fair that he repay it by completing missions...

Just then the System interrupted him.

'User will die if you do not complete the missions. This was mentioned already.'

'The system does not need the 'repay' you speak of.' 'User will die if you do not complete missions.'

Han Qiu sighed,

'System, can you read my mind?' He thought.

System: Yes. User please hurry and activate your brain. The mission is waiting.'

He marvelled at the System's response before shifting his attention to the culdron.

'That is the Refiner. By collecting materials User can make medcine to treat your patients.'

You really can read my mind huh? Han Qiu thought. The system didn't reply. Siting up Han Qiu glanced around before looking up.

I guess...this is my life now.

He quietly thought within the silent space. He was just an ordinary actor with no future ahead of him. He was passionate about acting but...this was fine. He brought his hands to his hair and felt the familiar texture. The feeling of his hair made him feel like he really was there, inside the systme's space, and alive. When he brought his hands down though, he still felt the same texture on his hands. Peering down, Han Qiu saw familar black hair in his hands. A bunddle of hair laid in his palm.

'...'

Then, the system suddenly spoke.

'User, your first mission is waiting.' Han Qiu felt a little cold all of a sudden, and slightly weak.

System: User's first mission, is to save yourself.

Han Qiu: Hah...you crazy system.