The faint chime echoed in Sage's mind like a bell ringing in an empty hall.
[ Ding ]
[ Guild Creation System Back Online ]
[ Hello Host, long time no see. ]
Sage froze, his fingers hovering mid-page over the thick book he had been pretending to read. His golden-rimmed glasses slid slightly down the bridge of his nose. After a moment, his eyelid twitched.
"…Oh," he said softly. The word carried no warmth, joy, or relief.
"Oh?" he repeated, leaning back in his chair, fingers steepling together as a thin smile stretched across his face. "That's it? 'Hello host, long time no see?'"
He exhaled sharply through his nose and let out a dry laugh devoid of humor. "You disappear for two months," Sage continued in a deceptively mild tone, "with no warning or explanation, no 'sorry for the inconvenience', and you come back with that?"
[ Host exaggerates. System only entered temporary energy replenishment state. ]
Sage slammed the book shut and sat up straight.
