Azure stared in shock at the red moon, his chest heaving with laboured breaths.
[There is a strange energy trying to invade Master.] Eve's voice became almost mechanical and broken.
Two cracked blue windows flickered, floating ominously before him.
[System Error] A fully mechanical and metallic voice spoke.
[System Error]
More shattered screens materialised.
[The System does not recognise the user]
[The System does not recognise the user]
[The System does not recognise the user]
The windows vanished abruptly. Eve's voice returned, faint and trembling.
[Someone is trying to enter Master's body. Eve apologises for this… Eve is trying to stop it.] Her voice was extremely faint as she spoke.
Suddenly, Azure's body froze. He collapsed to the ground, every cell ablaze with searing pain; he couldn't even scream.
After more than ten minutes, the pain slowly stopped, and he began to regain control of his body.
He was trembling violently, breathing heavily.
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?"
[Eve deeply apologises for what happened. The thing that tried to invade Master, known as "the System," had roots from before and wanted to use them to expel me. It's Eve's fault.] Her feminine tone returned, speaking in a regretful and sad voice.
He struggled to his feet. "How did it end?"
[Eve couldn't stop "the System" from entering Master's body, so she hacked it and made it believe Eve doesn't exist.]
"Hmm… Is there any danger to you or me?"
[No need for Master to worry. Eve ensured there is no danger to Master's life or Eve.]
He sighed in relief. "Alright, we still need to know where we are, and what this System is."
[Eve can try to access the System and take some information.]
"Take? You mean steal?"
She didn't respond.
He smiled. "Anyway… since this world isn't Earth, and we don't know how to return, what do you think about exploring it?"
[Eve thinks there is great danger here.] She spoke in a worried tone.
"So, you think I shouldn't explore?"
[Eve didn't say that. Eve asks Master to be careful.]
A warmth bloomed in Azure's chest. "Thanks for the warning," he said softly, his tone grateful.
He was about to leave the room when he glanced at himself. I slept in my school uniform. Alright, I won't need to change, but it's cold now. He opened the wardrobe, searching for a coat.
He found no coats. He searched the entire wardrobe and only found about six old, colorful T-shirts and two pairs of pants.
He sighed, closing the wardrobe, and slipped out of the room quietly, careful not to wake his mother or sister.
He approached the kitchen and took a ladle.
[Eve doesn't understand what Master is trying to do.]
"I'm looking for a weapon to protect myself from any incidents," he said, gripping the ladle tightly.
[Wouldn't it be better for Master to take the knife?]
Azure paused, staring at the ladle. With a sheepish chuckle, he put it back and took the knife quietly, then headed out.
Once outside, a biting chill greeted him, the air heavy with the scent of ash. He rubbed his arms, trying to warm himself as he walked.
He began wandering, trying to see if there was any difference besides the red moon.
[Eve senses a living creature near you.] Her tone was more formal.
Azure tightened his grip on the knife, scanning his surroundings, until he heard the sound of fighting from another street.
He hurried toward the noise, slowing as it grew louder, his heart pounding in his chest.
He crouched beside a crumbling building and peered out. A man and a girl were fighting a black, four-armed monster.
The monster was over two meters tall, its claws long like blades, its body like a gorilla's.
The man was bald, dressed as a monk, holding a massive shield to block the monster's claws.
Meanwhile, the woman had long red hair tied in a ponytail and red eyes, her entire body engulfed in red flames. Her movements were light and extremely fast as she struck the monster in specific spots.
Azure watched with great curiosity, observing their movements and fighting.
[Eve senses a living creature behind Master now.]
As Eve's warning faded, Azure felt something rushing toward him.
He turned behind the wall, crouching quickly, and the thing missed him by a hair.
He looked ahead and saw a silver, panther-like monster staring at him with fully red eyes.
Its eyes glowed as it leapt at Azure again. Azure stepped back, but unfortunately, the place he escaped to was a very narrow alley between a shop and a house, only wide enough for one person.
"Has anyone told you you look beautiful today?" He spoke to the monster with a nervous smile.
The monster growled in his face, approaching slowly.
Looks like they didn't... He ran straight back, the monster chasing him, so fast that it got close quickly.
[There will be a ladder on Master's left side. Grab it and climb.]
Azure spotted an iron ladder, leapt, and grabbed it, scrambling up as the monster's claws swiped below.
After climbing a few meters, he glanced down. The beast growled, its red eyes locked on him.
"Thanks, Eve," he said gratefully as he climbed.
[Eve is happy to help.] She spoke in a cheerful tone.
The ladder led to the shop's roof. Once he reached it, he saw stronger flames coming from the four-armed black monster's fight area.
He sat on the roof, catching his breath, still needing to figure out how to get down.
After a few minutes, he started to stand again, but before he could move, he suddenly heard whispers in his head.
He screamed, clutching his head. There was a loud noise in his mind, as if it were about to explode.
Eve said something, but he couldn't hear her. All he could hear were many whispers, sounding very distant.
He fell to his knees, pressing his hand and hitting his head, trying to get rid of the damned pain, but to no avail.
Suddenly, he felt something pierce his chest. Unable to bear the shock and pain, he lost consciousness.