Chapter 5: System Made Flesh
Xavier stood frozen in the middle of his room, mouth hanging open.
The woman standing a few feet away from him was—perfect.
Not "model perfect" or "celebrity perfect," but his perfect. Long red hair fell past her shoulders like flowing flame. Sharp, piercing green eyes watched him calmly. She was tall, athletic, and curved in all the ways his imagination had clearly spent far too much time refining.
His brain stopped working.
Several minutes passed in complete silence.
"…System," Xavier finally croaked, his voice dry. "Is this… your human body?"
The woman's gaze locked onto his, unblinking.
"Yes, Host," she said evenly. "I am the human manifestation of the system. This form was created using your memories."
Xavier swallowed hard.
He tried to look away.
He failed.
His eyes kept drifting back, as if magnetized. He rubbed his face with both hands, groaning quietly.
Of course, my system would do this.
Realizing he was being incredibly rude, Xavier spun around and rushed to his closet. He grabbed the first clean set of clothes he could find—a red Nike outfit—and practically shoved it into her hands.
"H-Here. Clothes. Please."
She accepted them, examining the fabric with mild curiosity.
"Thank you, Host," she said. "This form is… strange. It requires many adjustments to function properly in this environment."
Xavier turned his back immediately. "Please put those on before my brain completely melts."
A few seconds passed.
"…Host," she continued calmly, "what is this body's name?"
Xavier blinked. "You don't already have one?"
"This body has a designation," she replied. "Serena Cross."
Xavier turned halfway around. "Cross? Why my last name?"
"This body was constructed using your ideal partner template," Serena explained. "Genetic preferences, emotional compatibility, loyalty parameters, and physical traits were optimized. Beginning with long red hair, piercing green eyes, athletic—"
Xavier spun around and clamped his hand over her mouth.
"OK. I GET IT."
Serena paused.
Xavier slowly removed his hand.
"…I might be a little perverted," he admitted.
"Correction, Host," Serena said immediately. "Your internal preferences were categorized as extremely explicit. You described your ideal partner using terminology such as—"
"STOP." Xavier pointed at the clothes. "Put those on. Right now. We are never talking about this again."
Serena nodded obediently. "Acknowledged."
Xavier turned away again, his ears burning.
After a moment, he heard fabric shifting.
"Host," Serena said once she was finished. "Is it correct to assume this body does not share an intimate relationship with you?"
Xavier cleared his throat. "Correct. We don't have that kind of relationship."
"Understood," she replied calmly. "Relationship parameters updated."
Xavier exhaled in relief and turned around.
She looked… normal now. Still beautiful, but dressed, grounded. Real.
Then—
[Ding]
[New Mission: Purchase a Building for Deliveries]
[Reward: Determined by the Building Purchased]
Xavier's eyes lit up.
"A building?" he said, grinning. "So we're setting up a base already."
Without thinking, he grabbed Serena's hand.
She stiffened instantly.
"Host, please release me," she said. "This form does not recognize that level of physical intimacy."
Xavier rolled his eyes but let go. "Relax. We've got bigger things to worry about."
He walked back into his room, suddenly energized, and opened his closet again. This time, he pulled out a black tuxedo and laid it carefully on the bed.
Serena tilted her head. "Where are we going?"
Xavier's smile widened.
"To get fast money."
She processed that. "Illicit activity?"
"No," Xavier said, straightening up. "Legal. Risky. Profitable."
He glanced at the door.
"There's a casino downtown."
Serena's eyes glinted faintly. "Calculating probability of success."
Xavier grabbed his keys.
"High enough," he said.
And just like that, the delivery path officially began.