"Michael, I have a question," Zylus asked, as he continued to fidget around with his system.
"Yes, what is it?" Michael replied as he got up from his chair, preparing to leave Zylus alone.
"I've been wondering if others can see my system? Because somebody mentioned it before, but nobody has really brought it up." He said as he shifted his attention to Michael.
And anyway, if others saw these stats, they would never assume I'm a low-class.
[Status]
[Level 10]
[Demon System: Raging Katana]
[Hp: 100/100]
[LS: 10/10]
[Fatigue: 0]
[State: Recovering]
"All these stats just to still be on level ten." Zylus sighed in disappointment.
[No More System Points! Go On Quests To Earn More!]
[Strength: 1,000]
[Agility: 995]
[Awareness: 545]
[Vitality: 345]
[Intelligence: 220]
[SP Points: 0]
[You Have Two New Notifications!]
[Marketplace Unlocked! Click Here To Check It Out!]
[Secret Objective Awats! Click Here To Accept!]
I'll have to check that out later. But for now, I'll try transferring this here to Michael.
[You Only Have 10 Stockpiled Objectives Remaining!]
Zylus made sure to stockpile many objectives in case he couldn't complete one on the day they wished him to. Doing this allows him to be consistent and at rest.
"No, others can't see your system; it's only if you allow them to. Those features come with your system on the bottom right of your screen." Michael replied as Zylus checked it out.
It shows a toggle switch with the keyword 'visible,' but why is it that it's blurry? And even when I click on it, it doesn't allow me to. Weird… Also, how the fuck does a systemless person know more about systems than I do?
"Alright, thanks so much, Michael." As Zylus said these words, Michael began exiting the room, prepared to drop out of the Demon Cadet course.
[Inventory Tab]
[Notice: Your Demonic Weapon will not show here, as it is mandatory to have it equipped at all costs when in combat]
[Items: The Hidden Atrocity]
[The Hidden Atrocity Description: If it doesn't fit the user, the user will die.]
[Equip Or Transfer Ownership?]
"Wait!" Zylus screamed as Michael looked back, "Ownership…" Zylus grinned, "Transfer."
[User Must Click Transfer On The Toggle Icon!]
[System Message: You Must Be An Idiot]
That struck Zylus's nerve as he raised a fist, punching his system, but that punch simply went through the holographic screen.
Yeah, but they're right. I'm supposed to click the buttons. Forgot this is almost like a video game.
"You good, Zylus?" Michael asked as he began to approach the very man he just called out.
[Toggle: Transfer]
[Transferring Item: The Hidden Atrocity]
[Transfer Recipient: Michael Elric]
[Transferring… 23%]
[24%]
[30%]
[53%]
[63%]
[78%]
[89%]
[94%]
[95%]
[96%]
[97%]
[98%]
[99%]
[...]
[100%!]
[Transfer Complete!]
[Recipient Must Accept The Offer On Their System's Notification]
[Since The Recipient Does Not Have A System, The Item Will Be Placed On One Of Their Palms]
"Hey, Michael, get ready," Zylus said, smiling as he took a sip of his water.
Oh yeah, my water's finished.
"What the fuck…?"
Michael felt something warm touch the center of his palm.
He looked down slowly. At first, nothing was there. Just a soft heartbeat-like thump against his skin, steady and gentle. Then a thin black light formed, like ink spreading under glass. It crawled across his hand in small lines, shaping itself with slow, careful movements.
Zylus tucked himself into bed, watching closely as he wrapped the blanket all around him.
"It's starting. Don't move," he said.
The air around Michael's hand grew heavy. It felt thicker, like everything was being pulled toward that one spot. The black light tightened, folded in on itself, and then slowly solidified. The warm pressure faded, replaced by a tiny shape resting in his hand.
A dagger.
It was small, no bigger than Michael's hand, but it looked dangerous even before he touched it. The blade was pure black, so dark that it barely reflected any light. Its surface was covered in tiny ridges that looked exactly like dragon scales, each one layered over the next. They were sharp around the edges, thin, and perfectly shaped, almost like they were real.
The handle was just as black, wrapped in a darker shade that almost looked like smoke frozen in place. When Michael closed his fingers around it, the dagger reacted. The scales shifted slightly, sliding a little before settling, almost like the weapon was adjusting itself to his grip.
Michael stared at it, wide-eyed.
"…Wow."
It didn't move, but the feeling it gave off was strange. It felt aware. Like the weapon was looking back at him, even though it had no eyes. A cold feeling ran up his arm, not painful, just sharp enough to make him shiver.
Zylus recognized that feeling.
"That's normal," he said. "It's just making sure it matches you."
Michael lifted the dagger a little. Now that he held it up, the scales caught the light just enough for him to see the shape they created. Near the base of the blade, the scales curved like a small dragon wing folded against its body.
The tip of the dagger was so sharp it looked delicate, but the air around it seemed to pull back slightly, as if the weapon was cutting through the space around it without even touching anything.
Zylus moved closer, still watching carefully.
"That's its true form," he said. "When it fits the user."
I honestly didn't know what could've happened if it didn't fit the user, but hey, beats me.
Michael kept staring at it, letting the cold feeling fade. The dagger didn't shift anymore. The scales had locked into place. It was still. It was calm. It was his.
A weapon that would have killed Zylus.
But in Michael's hand, it looked like it belonged there.
[Item: The Hidden Atrocity – Removed]
[Transfer Complete]
[Congratulations! You Successfully Gave Away Something That Should've Killed You]
Zylus blinked.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
Another message appeared instantly, almost like the system was rolling its eyes at him.
[Be Grateful. Your Survival Rate Just Increased By 76%]
[New Title Earned: Barely Smart Enough To Not Die]
Zylus's eye twitched.
"Bro, what?!"
He jabbed his finger through the hologram, trying to swat the message away. His hand passed through it, of course. Michael didn't notice. He was too busy slowly turning the dagger over in his hand, studying every detail.
Zylus kept fighting with the system screen.
"Stop calling me names, I literally transferred it correctly this time!"
The system responded without hesitation.
[You Pressed The Wrong Icon Three Times Before Getting It Right]
[We Count That As A Miracle]
Zylus's mouth dropped open.
"Michael, I swear my system is bullying me."
Michael looked up from the dagger. "You good?"
"No! It just called me an idiot!"
Michael raised an eyebrow. "…Did you… Click the right button or not?"
Zylus opened his mouth, then slowly looked away. "Eventually."
The system made one last notification appear, this time with a sparkling animation that almost felt mocking.
[User Michael Elric: Transfer Complete!]
[Also: Please Stop Punching The Screen. It Doesn't Do Anything.]
Zylus groaned, dragging his hand down his face.
"Why does my system have an attitude…"
Michael couldn't help but laugh, still holding the small black dagger as its scales finished settling perfectly into his palm. Meanwhile, Zylus kept staring at his empty inventory and the rude messages floating in front of him, wondering if giving away the weapon was worth being roasted alive by a hologram.
"And anyways…" Zylus paused, "WHERE THE FUCK IS THE DAMN NURSE?!"