Chapter 3: System?

As Ellia stepped through the grand double doors, she was greeted by the sight of a spacious living room bathed in warm, golden light that filtered in through the tall, arched windows. The high ceiling, adorned with intricate moldings and chandeliers, loomed overhead, lending a sense of grandeur to the space.

With a relieved sigh, Ellia shed the uncomfortable layers of her winter assault uniform and slipped into the luxurious comfort of the manor's private quarters as she lowered her feet into the inviting warmth of the soaking tub that the butler had prepared.

Both Avery and Ellia sat down on leathered couches as they warmed their hands on the steaming mugs of coffee.

The crackling of the fireplace filled the room with a comforting symphony of pops and hisses, casting dancing shadows across the walls and ceiling.

As they sipped the hot liquid, the heat spreading through their bodies, Ellia felt a sense of ease and comfort settle over her, erasing the stresses and worries of the outside world.

"Eli, dear... are you not going to tell me what happened today?" Avery finally asked after a long silence.

Avery had become thinner, and her skin was no longer plump as it used to be, but she was still beautiful in Ellie's eyes.

"Did you experience your first time killing?" Avery asked with a concerned look. "If you wish not to, you don't have to walk this path..."

'Now that she mentions it, why did Ellia walk this path? To join the military...' Ellia thought as she looked at the pictures over the fireplace. 'Is that Ava...?'

As Ellia rose from the couch, droplets of water splattered softly on the hardwood floor, marking the path of her bare feet as she made her way toward the pictures adorning the wall above the fireplace.

With a heavy heart, Ellia fixed her gaze upon the photograph before her. In the picture, Ava stood tall and proud, a vision of strength and beauty that seemed almost larger than life, but...

'Why... why are you in military uniform... Ava?!' Ellia shouted inside her head. The feeling of hopelessness grew in her heart, only growing bigger by the second. 'Why?! The war should have been over! There is no reason for her to be in this uniform.!'

"Your mother admitted how foolish it was of her to join the military. Back then, she was blinded by the anger of the loss of her father. Her dying wish was for you not to make the same mistake as her." Avery spoke.

'So my daughter had...' With a steely determination, Ellia fixed her gaze upon the raging inferno before her. Her teeth clenched tightly. She felt a surge of anger rising within her, causing her to make her resolve.

"I won't make the same mistake. I will end this war, and I will change this war-ridden world!" Ellia shouted, her face full of determination.

Avery gave Ellia a meaningful as she sipped on her tea.

Afterward...

In the quiet of the night, Ellia knelt on her bedroom floor, her body upright as she held the plank position.

Ellia was there in the middle of her room, with an oversized white t-shirt and shorts billowing around her like a cloud.

Despite holding the position for over twenty minutes, she seemed to be completely at ease, her breathing slow and steady, not even breaking a single bead of sweat.

Rising from her position, Ellia moved towards the full-body mirror, her gaze fixed upon her reflection. In the soft light of the room, she lifted the hem of her t-shirt, revealing a slender yet curvaceous form. Her pale skin glowed in the muted light, the curves of her body highlighted by the gentle shadows that played across her frame. As she studied herself in the mirror, she became even more confused.

"How is this frail body so strong?" She asked herself as she flexed her arm. "Did the Empire come up with body-enhancing drugs or something?"

It didn't surprise Ellia too much. The Empire was always known for coming up with ridiculous things first. So something as simple as an enhancing drug was pretty normal to Ellia.

Ellia then continued to do body exercises, trying to find her own body's limitations.

After an hour of nonstop exercising, Ellia felt her arms shaking slightly.

"Okay... I think that's enough for today." She said to herself as she trembled a bit. "Need to use the restroom..."

Ellia strode towards the door of her room. Reached the entrance, her hand resting lightly on the doorknob as she walked out into the dimly lit corridor.

"Where is the restroom...?!" Ellia screamed as she continued to walk down the corridor. Ellia had tracked down her movements so she wouldn't get lost but somehow got lost.

In the distance, she could see a long red carpet stretching out before her like a crimson river, leading her forward toward an unknown destination.

Walking down a stone corridor, Ellia individually checked every room, but it all seemed to be storage rooms.

As her hope began to wane, she hesitantly turned the doorknob, and as the door creaked open, her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, her eyes widened with surprise as she stumbled backward, almost losing her footing. In the distance, amidst the shadows, she glimpsed a mysterious white wooden box that seemed to glow in the dim light.

"I swear I've seen this before..." Ellia strode into the room, her footsteps echoing against the polished floorboards. Her eyes were fixed on the white box as she made a beeline toward it. Ellia approached the object to grasp the smooth surface of the white box.

As Ellia stepped into the room, she was struck by the sharp contrast between its modern design and the antiquated style of the manor. The space was filled with clean lines and sleek surfaces, a sharp departure from the ornate moldings and dusty corners of the rest of the house. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched out before her, creating a maze of storage space that seemed to go on endlessly.

"Hey, isn't this the thing I received from professor... professor..." Ellia racked her brain, furrowing her brow as she tried to conjure up the elusive name from the depths of her memory. But it was no use - the professor's name remained stubbornly out of reach.

It was an operation at a research lab, and during the operation, she rescued this professor. Ellia wasn't even there to save anybody but by going against her ideals. She saved the professor.

And later that day, the same professor gave Ellia the wooden box saying it was a gift to their savior. But, of course, she was a bit spectacle of an item from a stranger, so she had it go through clearance and hadn't seen it since. But seeing the item here, it seemed she was worrying for no reason.

As Ellia reached for the box, she couldn't help but be drawn to the intricate gold outlines that adorned its surface. The way they caught the light, shimmering and glinting like precious treasures, made her wonder if they were crafted from real gold. With a steady hand, she delicately turned the golden-colored lock

As Ellia opened the box, her eyes were immediately drawn to the sleek black and silver necklace nestled within. The silver chain glimmered in the light, casting delicate shadows on the surrounding surface, while the black pendant hung like a mysterious talisman, its intricate cross shape adding an air of elegance to the piece.

She let out a deep sigh as she slowly lifted the necklace over her head. "What were you going to do if I was atheist or something... but I guess it doesn't matter anymore."

Ellia fastened the black and silver necklace around her neck, the smooth metal gliding over her skin. But as she stood there, the weight of the new necklace pulling at her collarbone, she felt a sharp, throbbing pain surge through her head. It was as though something within the necklace had awakened a sleeping beast inside her.

She clutched at the pendant, feeling its jagged edges press into her skin as she struggled to fight back the rising tide of pain.

As Ellia tasted the metallic tang in her mouth, she reached up to her nose, only to find warm wetness coating her fingers. But that was not all - unnoticed by Ellia, crimson streams had begun to seep from her eyes and ears.

"I can't stop the bleeding..." Ellia's feeble voice faltered as she collapsed onto the ground, her body betraying her in sudden convulsions of sickness. The churning in her stomach was as though a storm was brewing inside her, threatening to erupt at any moment.

And then, without warning, the tempest within was unleashed, spilling forth from her lips in a torrent of vomit that splattered on the floor. As her body convulsed, Ellia's control slipped away, causing her to feel a warm trickle down her thigh.

A frigid sensation crept through Ellia's chest, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. She glanced down at the crucifix that hung from her neck, and her eyes widened in shock as she saw it begin to liquefy, droplets of molten metal dripping from the chain. The substance was like quicksilver, shimmering with an otherworldly radiance. But instead of pooling on the ground, it seemed drawn to Ellia, seeping into her skin like some parasite.

"Arghhh... the fuck is happening...?" Ellia quivered on the ground.

"Ian..." An eerie voice suddenly resonated within Ellia's mind, a discordant blend of coldness and warmth, like the voice of a computer. "How long has it been..."

Ellia's lips parted, and she tried to form words, but no sound emerged from her throat. It was as though her voice had been stolen, leaving her silent and helpless. The weight of exhaustion bore down upon her like an invisible force pressing down upon her chest, sapping her strength and leaving her unable to move or speak.

"Don't worry, and you'll be fine. Just take in a deep breath in and out." The voice said, calming Ellia down just a bit. She didn't know why, but she somehow felt maternal love coming from the voice.

After a new moment, when Ellia regained some strength, she looked down back at her chest and sighed. The horrifying sight of liquid oozing into her body was not gone, although she didn't think it was any better.

"Do you feel better now?" As the voice spoke, Ellia's eyes darted around the room, searching for its source. But no matter where she looked, there was no one to be seen, no physical presence that could account for the disembodied voice that seemed to be speaking to her.

It was as though the voice had bypassed her ears entirely, speaking directly to her mind in a way that made her feel deeply unnerved.

"Who are you?" Ellia shouted.

"Ian, I am Ruth, created by professor Veronica to serve you," Ruth spoke, causing Ellia's light bulb to light.

"What are you saying..." Ellia's murmurs trailed off, and she closed her eyes, focusing as she dived deep into her thoughts. "Veronica... Veronica... Ah! That was the professor's name!"

"Yes," Ruth replied in confirmation. "I had initially been created because of Empire's funding to push for artificial intelligence, but after the United Union destroyed the research facility, my code has been changed to serve you."

"Is that so…" Ellia mumbled.

"It has been decades since you were given the necklace."

"I kinda forgot about it…." Ellia awkwardly spoke as she rubbed her chin. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Of course it is!" Ruth shouted, causing Ellia to flinch a bit. She wasn't used to being yelled directly from the mind. "The necklace has been made to make you stronger! It had fifty years of energy and had only been growing since! If I hadn't kept the energy in check, the necklace would have disintegrated long ago! Me included!"

"Well, it's okay now, right?" Ellia said with a chuckle, completely unaware of the situation. She was like a grandpa being newly introduced to technology.

"That's not the case. As of right now, the energy has nowhere to go, and if it is released, it'll create a blast big enough to send the whole world into an ice age." Ruth spoke with a sigh. "But don't worry, as long as I don't manually release it, that won't happen."

Ellia didn't know whether to take her seriously or not.

"So that's why I will be executing Plan B," Ruth said with a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

"That didn't sound too confident..." Ellia mumbled as her eyebrow raised.

"Well, I don't know what plan B is, so hope for the worst," Ruth spoke as a tiny neon light lit deep in Ellia's eyes. And then, like a mirage materializing out of thin air, a holographic interface appeared before her, shimmering with an otherworldly radiance that left her stunned.

"W-what is this…." Ellia stuttered as she took a look at the holographic interference.

—-

Name: Ellia Arison

Level: 1

EXP: 0/100

Rank: Second Lieutenant

HP: 150/150

MP: 130/130

Vitality: 30(+25)

Strength: 28(+23)

Agility: 21(+16)

Endurance: 25(+25)

Mental capacity: 2

Intelligence: 13

Dexterity: 13

Unassigned stats: 0

----

Abilities:

Asura's recreation(Pill): A majestic type of pill that allows its consumer to grow exponentially. Effects only vitality, stamina, strength, agility, and endurance. Must partake in intense physical training for the pill to work.

Skills:

Scan(Active): Scan any object that is not alive and can acquire its general information. (Level one)

---

"What the hell is this?" Ellia asked as she closely examined the blue panel. "It's like a status screen from a game…."

"Haaa... I didn't think this would happen. But I guess it's reasonable after the number of games she played." Ruth sighed in disappointment. "If she wasn't researching, then it was games. But on the bright side, this will be helping you a lot from now on."

"Huh? How so?"

"From what I can see, you don't know anything about this world yet," Ruth spoke.

"That is somewhat true," Ellia spoke with a nod. "But I think I get the general gist."

"Well, Ian, I don't think you have any idea how much the world has changed," Ruth said.

"Enlighten me," Ellia replied with a scoff.

"Supernaturals, magic, sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry. You name it because it is a thing now." Ruth explained. "It changed the art of war, the hierarchy system, almost everything."

Ellia stayed motionless, trying to process what Ruth had just said.

"Wait, wait... you said magic...? Did I hear that right? Magic?" Ellia said with a face of disbelief. "I mean... that's just... you know. Unbelievable."

"Yes, I know, Ian, and as I mentioned earlier, I am here to serve you. And as of right now, I do not think you are in the right state of mind, so I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities."

Hearing her words, Ellia flinched. 'I almost lost myself there...' Then, taking a deep breath, Ellia started to organize her thoughts.

"Okay, first question... you said that there was this thing called magic? Correct?" Ellia asked as she raised her index finger.

"Yes, Magic, the principle of mana. Or mana the principle of magic."

"And does it work as it does in movies, where the old man with a giant staff casts spells?"

"Yes, kinda."

"Okay... next question, is there still an emperor who rules?" Ellia asked with a face of concern.

"Yes, of course. It is her highness at the moment."

Ellia inwardly sighed a relief as she listened to her words. "That's a relief. You see, I thought you meant something else when you said it also changed the hierarchy system."

"Oh, that? No, the emperor is still the ruler, but there has been a slight change; A change to the people who use magic. Because there wasn't much use for magic and its destructive power, most magic users were sent to the military."

"That seems normal to me," Ellia spoke.

"Yes, but now in the military, strength is valued more than smarts."

Ellia sighed again at Ruth's words. So the military valued strength more than smarts? Isn't that just normal?

"Ah, it was a pointless question…." Ellia said as she waved her hand in the air. "Okay, next question, what is this holographic interference/system-like thing?"

"It's a status window to show how strong you are and how strong you're becoming," Ruth replied.

Ellia scratched her head with confusion. "Ehhhhh isn't that useless? Ah, don't get me wrong, it's cool and all, but why this?"

"Don't ask me... I don't know anything about this! Ruth shouted. "I just knew that I had to show this to you!

"Ah, I got it, okay..." Ellia said, trying to calm Ruth down. "But you don't have any idea what this is?"

"No, I don't; the only thing I know is that this is supposedly going to make you stronger. And I might have an idea of how that is going to happen."

"Oh, yea? Tell me."

"The energy from the neckless. That is the only way you can grow stronger. But I might be wrong, so don't blame me."

Hearing her words, Ellia groaned as she rolled her eyes. "I thought you were supposed to help me..." She mumbled softly.

"I am helping you! This is just all I know as of right now! Ask me anything else. I'm a hundred percent sure I can answer it!" Ruth shouted in disagreement.

"Alright, alright, I get it..." Ellia said as she looked back at the status screen. "But if what you said was really true, then couldn't you just transfer all the energy from the neckless to me? Why do this?"

"As I said before, it's because of the enormous amount of energy the neckless carries. But if we were to do that, you would explode into a bloody mess." Ruth joked, which caused Ellia to shiver.

"I see…" Elli mumbled as she stood up and looked around. "Well, let's talk about this later."

With a deep sigh, Ellia bent down and retrieved a towel and some cleaning supplies, the harsh scent of disinfectant filling her nostrils. She began to mop up the mess she had made.

A moment later, The floor seemed to gleam under the force of her efforts, the harsh light overhead casting everything in a sterile, almost clinical glow. And then, with a sense of relief mingled with weariness, Ellia finished the task and made her way back to her room, the sound of her footsteps echoing down the empty hallway.

Ellia entered her room, the familiar surroundings providing a sense of comfort and security. She shed her soiled clothes and donned a fresh pair of soft, loose-fitting garments, relishing the sensation of the cool fabric against her skin. Then, with a gentle leap, she landed on her bed, the softness of the mattress enveloping her like a warm embrace.

The weariness that had been building within her suddenly seemed to blossom into a yawning chasm of exhaustion, making her eyelids droop, and her limbs feel heavy. It was as though she had been running a marathon, her body crying out for rest.

"So many things happened today..." Ellia mumbled to herself in the darkness of her room. "I'm not used to it."

Ellia's mind drifted back through time, the memories of her previous life a vivid and vibrant tapestry unfurling in her mind. She saw the places she had been, the people she had known, and the experiences she had lived through. It was as though she was reliving it all, the sights and sounds and smells of her old life washing over her like a wave.

But even as the memories flowed through her, they began to lose their clarity, becoming fuzzy and indistinct. And then, with a soft sigh, Ellia slipped into sleep, the darkness of her mind a vast and infinite landscape that seemed to stretch on forever.