Chapter 9: The System
Ding.
Again that metallic chime rang out in Lin Yuan's apartment. His muscles tensed.
A translucent blue window hovered in the middle of the room, glowing like some crystalline pane of glass. Lines of light traced frantically across the surface, until they settled down into organized rows of text.
It wasn't projected on the wall. Not from his laptop either. It simply…existed.
Lin Yuan reached out towards it. His hand pushed right through. "...What?"
The window didn't move an inch. He tried again, poking at the text, but it was as if he was trying to touch an illusion. It was there, but not really. Before he could think on it further, more words appeared.
Universal Growth System Activated
Host Confirmed
Name: Lin Yuan
Age: 20
Current Worth: ¥3846
Occupation: Delivery Man & Temporary Laborer
Primary Goal Detected: Financial Freedom
Initiating Personalized Growth Plan...
He gave it a long, hard look. "...Growth...System?" The words tasted idiotic on his tongue. Like something Genie would say.
ButGenie was hovering right next to him, which made it harder to dismiss.
The blue window flickered once, then another mechanical voice sounded in his head.
"Initialization Competent"
"Greetings, Host."
Lin Yuan turned sharply. "Who's talking?"
"I am the Universal Growth System. My purpose is to assist the Host in achieving continuous personal growth."
Lin Yuan turned back to the genie. "Then tell me, Genie. Can you see this, too?"
The genie gave the window a long, unimpressed look. "...I see nothing, Master."
"You...can't see it?" He stared at Genie, dumbfounded. "...You really can't see it?"
"I cannot, Master." Genie bowed his head. A pause. "...I think."
There was a heavy hush in the room. Lin Yuan turned to the System. Then to Genie. Then back to the System.
Neither of them seemed to be lying. So what the hell was this?
The mechanical voice spoke again. "Would the Host like an introduction?"
Lin Yuan nodded absently. "...Yes."
Another window opened up bellow the first.
Universal Growth System
Purpose: To aid the Host through various means such as missions, guidance, and rewards.
Mission Completion Rate: 0%
Current Level: 0
Current Skills: None
Available Functions: Locked
Lin Yuan scrubbed a hand over his face. "...That's quite a speech, System. Sounds a lot like a video game."
"Incorrect. Games are fake, this is real life."
Lin Yuan shook his head, glancing over at Genie, who seemed to be waiting patiently for him to finish. "...It just looks an awful lot like a video game."
"I am programmed to optimize the Host's life."
"...This somehow makes it sound worse." He ran a hand down his face again. "...So how much do I have to work for this 'optimize'?"
Obviously, he could not actually see or hear anything. Lin Yuan decided to do a little experiment.
"System.
"Yes, Host?"
"Can other people see you?
"Negative."
"Only me?"
"Correct."
Lin Yuan nodded. "Strange."
The little window blinked. Another message appearing.
New Mission Available : Mission 001
Objective: Gain ¥10,000 through honest means.
Time Limit: None
Reward: ¥100,000
Failure Penalty: None
Lin Yuan stared at the words for a long moment. Then another. And another. "...Wait. Hold on. If I make ten thousand Yuan for real, you'll give me one hundred thousand?"
"Correct"
Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes at the text. "...Why?"
"Rewarding growth has been shown to positively effect progression."
"Where's the money come from, then?"
There was a pause. "Access Denied."
Lin Yuan sighed. "I thought so."
The System was reluctant to explain, but nevertheless, the task itself was simple enough.
It did not force him to do anything outrageous or unnatural. It did not require impossible efforts. It was just asking him to work. Something he did every day anyway.
Lin Yuan looked thoughtfully at the objective. "I was actually planning to make some money anyway."
The system remained silent.
"In other words..." he gave a small smile. "...whether you exist or not, I lose nothing by trying."
"Correct."
Lin Yuan gave a small nod. "Fair enough."
He turned to the Genie, who stood waiting at precisely the same spot as before. Silent and patient. Lin Yuan suddenly had an afterthought.
"Genie."
The silver-haired man immediately gave a bow. "My Master."
"I have another question."
"I shall answer to the best of my ability."
Lin Yuan hesitated. He was having second thoughts about asking the next question. There was something about it that was making him reluctant. As if some unseen power was trying to stop him.
He decided to ask something else first. "If I made another wish...would you grant it?"
The genies smile faltered for the first time since he had appeared. There was a strange look of concern in his eyes.
"I...I am afraid not." the genie said, bowing his head. "I do not know."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow. "You do not know?"
The genie fell silent for several long seconds before answering. "Something strange has happened to me, My Master...ever since your first wish."
Lin Yuan 's expression became serious. "What do you mean? What changed?"
The genie placed a hand over his chest. "I fear...that invisible chains have wrapped themselves around my soul. It is the first time I have ever felt something like this in my existence."
Lin Yuan felt a strange chill run down his spine. "What happens if you try?"
The genie looked up slowly. "I fear...that I shall soon find out."
There was a tense silence as the System floated silently between them. Completely unaware to the fact that another impossible existence was standing right next to it. The quiet hum of the computer in the room was suddenly the only sound as the two impossible beings stood motionless. The tension between them was almost unbearable. Lin Yuan turned to the Genie again.
"If this is not a dream..." he turned to face the strange man. "...then let's see what really happens."
The Genie gave a small bow. "As you wish, my Master."
Lin Yuan turned to the System. It was hovering silently in wait. He decided that for now, neither of them would know of the other's existence. At least for the time being. There was something unnatural about the idea that they even existed side by side. He wasn't sure, but he doubted it was a good idea to make them meet unless he knew more.
He turned to the Genie. "My first wish...it actually came true, didn't it?"
The genie gave a simple affirmation. "Yes, My Master."
"Then why don't I feel any different?"
"I cannot say."
"You cannot say? Why?"
"I have the power to grant wish, My Master. But I do not have the power to answer that question."
Lin Yuan gave a small sigh. He was clearly getting somewhere with these questions. If he wanted to know the answers, he was going to have to do some experimenting of his own.
He turned to the Genie. "I want you to grant another wish." The genie's face changed completely in a matter of seconds.
"My Master..." he trailed off, something like dread creeping into his voice. "...I must advise against it.
"Why?"
"I feel..." The Genie placed a hand over his heart. "...as if something is wrong. Something is definitely wrong."
Lin Yuan frowned. "You said that last time too."
The Genie nodded. "After your first wish, something happened to the lamp. It is as if..." he hesitated, searching for the right words "...a thousand invisible chains are binding me."
Lin Yuan had never seen the always composed and noble Genie look so helpless before. It terrified him.
"What if it's nothing?"
The Genie said nothing. After a long pause he lowered his head. "If my Master orders it, I will obey."
Lin Yuan was silent for a long moment. He didn't want to make the Genie suffer again, but he needed something badly. Something that no one else could possibly give him, no matter how much he begged.
Something simple. Something he could not be refused. Something impossible to understand.
He turned to the glass of water sitting on his desk. "Fill this up with water."
"As my Master orders." The Genie closed his eyes, raising his right hand. There was a flash of gold and suddenly the room was vibrating with power. Then... the genie winced and the golden light burst away from his hand. His whole body shook as if something inside him was snapping. He made a gurgling noise as he fell to his knees, clutching his chest.
"What happened?!" Lin Yuan exclaimed.
The Genie gasped, crawling backward on his hands and knees. Long lines of cracks of some sort of red light spread up his glowing arms like glass. He placed shaking hands over his heart.
"I...I can't..." The invisible wisps of smoke that comprised the Genie's legs twitched violently. It was as if something was trying to claw its way out of his chest. "I can't..."
"Stop!" Lin Yuan cried out, trying to move toward him.
The golden cracks vanished as soon as the Genie stopped moving, leaving the poor creature kneeling on the ground, wheezing. It took a few long moments before he managed to push himself up with trembling hands. His always composure was gone, his usual regal mask shattered.
"My apologizes, Master. I have failed you."
"No." Lin Yuan shook his head. "You were in pain."
The Genie lowered his gaze. "I have granted wishes for countless generations.Never..." He gazed at his shaking hands. "...has using my power been so...painful."
Lin Yuan fell silent. It was so cold in the room of a sudden. "What was it?"
The Genie slowly shook his head. "I do not know. It was as if..." He trailed off. "...as if the world itself has rejected my wish."
Before Lin Yuan could press on, however...A distinct mechanical chime sounded.
Ding.
The blue System window opened up, revealing a slew of text.
Mission 001 Active
Goal: Earn ¥10,000 through righteous means.
Progress: ¥0/¥10,000
Reward: ¥100,000
The mechanical voice of the System spoke up. "Host, your first mission has begun."
Lin Yuan 's eyes snapped to the floating display.
The Genie followed his line of sight. "My Master?"
Lin Yuan immediately turned his gaze away. "Nothing."
The Genie narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is there something wrong?"
Lin Yuan forced a smile. "Nothing at all."
The ancient creature gave a polite nod, although he clearly did not believe Lin Yuan 's words.
Lin Yuan turned his attention back to the System. "I have a question."
"Proceed."
"If I was to finish this task...would I truly receive one hundred thousand yuan?"
"Affirmative."
"Would there be any trickery involved?"
"Missions are always truthful."
Lin Yuan crossed his arms. "And if I decide to refuse?" "The Host is free to do so at any time." "No punishments?"
"Correct."
Lin Yuan nodded, relieved. At least it did not force him to do anything. Although simple, the task that the System had given him was actually something that Lin Yuan had been trying to do for quite some time now.
"So..." He muttered. "...it seems that nothing has changed."
After all, whether or not the System existed, Lin Yuan still had to work. He still had to pay his bills. He still had to chase after his dreams.
The Genie had recovered enough to stand on his own. "My Master."
Lin Yuan turned to face him.
"I am truly sorry. I failed you."
"You didn't fail."
"I was unable to grant your wish."
"You tried."
The Genie lowered his head. "Even so, I have shamed my position as your genie."
Lin Yuan studied the ancient creature for a long moment. Something about the way he looked now, was actually not very different from how he probably looked back then.
Lin Yuan smiled softly. "There is no need to apologize. It is not your fault, after all."
The Genie looked quite stunned. No Master had ever said such things to him before.
Lin Yuan picked up the brass lamp, setting it back down on the desk. "We will deal with this mystery another time. For now..." He glanced at the floating display one last time. "...I think I have some work to do tomorrow."
The System continued to hover before Lin Yuan, silently.
The Genie returned to his lamp, his body dissipating into wisps of blue smoke, until only the brass lamp remained on the desk.
The room grew quiet once more, save for the soft hum of the System. And so, in the dimly lit room, sat Lin Yuan.
On one side of his desk there was an ancient lamp containing a Genie who could no longer grant wishes, and on the other there was a mysterious System offering rewards for performing simple tasks.
Neither had been particularly helpful, in the end.
Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, chuckling weakly. "My life was already difficult enough."
He turned off the light in the room. After all, no matter what kind of Genie and System existed, he still had to go to work tomorrow.