Chapter Seven: He Who Sleeps While Others Pray
The poor dream while the rich act, I don't envy you, I pity you.
….
It's been a month since Zeke arrived in this complex world, I would say he has adapted, but you and I know he doesn't adapt, he just is.
In complex words, the world adapts to him.
It definitely did.
All the food delivery he had ordered in the past month—a parade of confused delivery drivers navigating the winding roads of the elite district, their arms laden with bags from every restaurant within a fifty-mile radius—definitely forced them to adapt. Other than the time he left the house to pack up his clothes from his cramped apartment, he hasn't left his house.
Woe unto who put faith on Zeke leaving the house to honor a meeting.
He had yet to congregate with his fellows, becoming something of a legend among the delivery services—the mysterious mansion dweller who tipped generously but never showed his face.
SAGE—SYSTEM FOR ARBITRARY GIFTS AND EVENTS—
Yes, that is the name that was chosen for the system, had given him his reward for the no fapping contest of a week.
A golden spoon.
According to Zero, now he can literally say he was born with a golden spoon.
He also received sporadic gifts from SAGE, like a pantie from a renowned actress, damp from you know—the kind of reward that made him question the system's definition of "arbitrary."
An awesome high-tier car materialized in his garage one morning, its sleek lines and mirror finish gleaming under the fluorescent lights.
The Lamborghini of this world, a vehicle that purred with the promise of speeds that could break the sound barrier.
It also gave out hunter resources, like power—I mean Mana stones, that glowed with an inner light, their crystalline surfaces pulsing with contained energy.
It was all added to his COLLECTION, a growing hoard of items that ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous.
Why did I shout there?
Anyway, back to the amazing rewards, he also received an S-ranked potion, a healing potion that swirled with golden liquid like captured sunlight in a bottle.
Lol.
If it quenches thirst it would be much appreciated, considering his immortal status made healing potions about as useful as a chocolate teapot.
In essence, he received useless gifts that served more as conversation pieces than practical tools.
Luck ran out.
What? How would he put the car to use when he doesn't leave his home, the beautiful machine sitting in his garage like a caged thoroughbred yearning for the open road.
….
{Hey, I'm bored, let's walk, go play football, stop sleeping} Zero whined in Zeke's ears, his digital voice carrying the exasperation of a parent trying to coax a teenager out of bed.
"Shut the fuck up, lemme sleep, two hours from now, we'll leave the house, map exciting areas to visit I don't wanna sit on a bench in the park again," Zeke's muffled voice rang out from under his pillow, the Egyptian cotton doing little to muffle his irritation as he burrowed deeper into the cloud-like comfort of his bed.
{HEY!!, That's what you said two weeks ago, get up now} Zero screamed, the digital equivalent of air horns blasting through Zeke's consciousness, though it did very little to wake him up.
Did I mention that Zeke slept for one week straight, his body perfectly still like a marble statue, woke up feeling as refreshed as if he'd had a perfect eight hours, took a one-hour bath in his marble-lined bathroom, although Zero told him that he didn't sweat like normal humans, he still brushed for fifteen minutes, the minty foam creating perfect white peaks in the golden sink.
After the long health care routine, he plopped onto his Italian leather sofa, and locked in—played games for five days straight, his fingers dancing across controllers with inhuman precision, his eyes never showing the strain that would cripple a mortal gamer—then went to sleep, this time for two days.
His routine had become a cycle of indulgence: sleep, games, anime, TV shows, whatever tickled his fancy, each day blending into the next like watercolors in rain.
On his bed, surrounded by silk sheets that cost more than most people's cars, he heard a ping at the front gate of his mansion, the sound cutting through his peaceful slumber like a knife through silk.
The structure of how it worked should not have eluded you, or do I need to explain?
"Did you order food?" He asked, now very awake and annoyed, his dark eyes snapping open with the intensity of someone whose sacred sleep had been disturbed.
{I didn't, maybe it's your new neighbors making themselves known, you have been living in this elite area for a month, it's going to garner interest} Zero said matter-of-factly.
"You've checked the cameras right?" Zeke said with his eyebrows raised, already moving towards his door, his bare feet silent against the heated marble floors.
{You do know you can cheat your trait right?}
"Huh?" His eyes gleamed with sudden interest, like a cat spotting a particularly intriguing mouse. "Enlighten me."
{Simple, you define a space that's enclosed as a trap, and bam, you've found yourself outside, think outside the box. The concept of a trap is relative, you could take this house as a comfort zone whilst for another it's a trap, same as a sealed location, someone with a twisted mind such as yours could take a sealed location and feel it's a comfort zone of sorts, in your words, it would help you avoid human communication.}
"That seems right, this house is a trap," Zeke said as if it was a matter of fact, and whoosh—the world seemed to fold in on itself for an instant, reality bending like heated glass—he found himself outside, well in the space that separates the mansion from the gate, the sudden change in environment making his skin tingle with the cool morning air. He still had to walk to the gate, his feet now touching the perfectly manicured grass that felt like nature's own carpet.
{Hmph, praise the smartest AI in the world}
Zero's smugness was practically audible, like digital peacock feathers unfurling.
"Your logic was sound, don't get smug," Zeke retorted with a smirk, his words lacking any bite as he stretched his arms above his head, enjoying the sensation of being outdoors for the first time in weeks.
{If humans build a more capable AI, I would just copy it and become better, it's a privilege given to one that accompanies a reincarnator}
"Broken," that was the only reaction he had to give to Zero as he walked towards the gate, his steps creating small indentations in the perfectly maintained gravel path.
Upon reaching the wrought-iron gate that stood like a barrier between his sanctuary and the world, he found a group of boys at his gate, their casual clothes and excited expressions a stark contrast to the pristine formality of his estate. Before he could take in the ridiculous situation he had chanced upon, Aaron spoke.
"Whoa, you really live here, you're rich rich," his eyes taking in the splendor of the grand mansion, his voice carrying awe.
Zeke stood at the gate surprised, his expression shifting from sleepy irritation to genuine confusion, before he heard Zero's smug voice echoing in his mind.
{Won't you open the gate for your visitors?}
'You bastard,' Zeke cursed internally as he opened the gate to let them in, the electronic lock disengaging with a soft click that seemed to seal his fate.
"I saw your text, did you teleport from inside your house? Why didn't you just teleport straight to the gate?" Kai said as he walked in, not taking a breath, his words tumbling out like water from a broken dam, he continued "you should really employ a gatekeeper, you can't waste mana whenever you have a guest. Are you a Hunter? What rank are you?" He yapped on, his excitement making his voice rise an octave.
Zeke had to stop him, raising his hand like a traffic conductor trying to control chaos, "bro, relax, one question at a time, let's get inside the house."
As he guided them in, their footsteps echoing on the marble entryway, he spoke to Zero in his head.
'Spill it, what did you do?'
{Heh}
The digital equivalent of a Cheshire cat's grin.