This rare moment was quickly interrupted by no other than the one who started it all: The system
< It has come to our attention that you have come into contact with a problem we have been trying to fix since the start of the tutorial >
< This specimen you have met forcefully joined your acclimatization from his own acclimatization process through means we are currently investigating into >
< No direct intervention will occur neither of you are in a direct contract with the system, and you are free to see this situation as an opportunity or a challenge >
< we will also use this rare instance of direct communication to make sure you are aware of all the clauses of the contract you signed or rather haven't signed >
< As we have been obligated to allow a choice for the newly acclimatized, it is also our duty to ensure of the fair treatment of those who have refused it, at least for the lasting of their adaptation into the world >
< We have on this note remarked that there may have been a misunderstanding in the communication of your rights under the system. Even though no direct link will be made between our servers and your unit, you still do possess a fully functional basic personal information sheet, which is updated in real time alongside yourself >
< This sheet is generally thought of as incredibly useful to people who have just come into contact with the true world thanks to the amount of information it holds which could help you with your acclimatization >
Reading these with a surprised expression, Agi thought back to what he did a week back thinking himself high, and these claims about the contract did indeed ring a bell, however, the way they were formulated here were just too suspicious to just let it go. Some choices of word also heavily disturbed him, and determined to get some answers out of this, he tried to directly communicate with this weird translucent screen:
« Do you even realize the philosophical consequences of supposing the world I have been living up until now being fake? I really hope this was just a formulation issue or else us two are gonna have more than just a small misunderstanding!» he kept on his assault « And do you realize that your whole pitch insisting that I actually have access to a free version of what I would have had to pay my life for a week back sounds just like scammers telling you to redeem a goddamn coupon for free items on a shady site»
After his small lash out, he heard no response from this so called system, so he just assumed that such direct communication was impossible.
However while sitting back up, a new screen came into his view:
< attempting to redirect you to competent authorities, please wait... >
Confused, he waited and after a short while, the screen disappeared leaving place to another, larger one, on which he could see a face with a neutral background. The face itself was far from ordinary though, nothing like a human's or any other animal he knew for that matter. It was a very long face, not quite horselike, but close, no snout, but no nose either, three eyes forming an upside down triangle in the very middle of it, as well as weird ear like apparatuses on the side of the face, though they looked longer too, and strangely blurry, as if at that specific place, the resolution was reduced. The colors were odd too, mostly with a light blue all over, but red lines covered many places as well, like weird symmetrical tattoos.
Wondering if this still image was the so-called competent authority, he raised an eyebrow in doubt, only to raise the other one in surprise once the image started moving and speaking to him in perfect English:
« I am very sorry for the wait, I had to take a bit of time learning of your case as well as human phonology and your language to be able to communicate with you»
« No worries, it's not like I've got anything to do in the meantime, now if you would please enlighten me on the situation and what has made you come here?» Agi was quite confused at the situation, realistically, it would be impossible that every single small issue required a different person from the system to intervene, if the scale was as big as he thought. Therefore, he was almost a bit intimidated seeing quite literally an alien address him politely in perfect English on behalf of the system, maybe his situation was a bigger deal than he initially thought
« Thank you for your understanding, now if you would allow me, I will present myself. My name is i am afraid unpronounceable with human vocal cords and I am an administrator of rank 4-c working for the system, and I have been put to your disposition to answer some questions of yours»
Having no reference at all, Agi had no clue whether he was in front of a really big shot or a nobody, but regardless of that, knowing he was genuinely speaking to another rational being, he relaxed albeit ever so slightly and conversed just as he would with anyone else.
« Alright then mr. I am afraid unpronounceable with human vocal cords» he started observing the other party's reaction, which was absolutely unbothered, still as an image, « Tell me then what the system meant by the adjectives true and false qualifying literal worlds, and please inform me of where the catch is with the free stuff you give even though I very clearly refused the contract»
He answered unbothered by his tone:
« I apologize but i will have to leave you to your own speculations concerning your first question, as that is not the reason I came here to meet you in the first place, and as for the second, there simply isn't one. The system, as a high model cannot simply send innocent people who never asked for all of this to happen to their death. It is why it proposes a contract beneficial for both parties, and even if refused gives some assistance to the newcomers for free regardless of who they are. You will recognize yourself as being part of the latter category, however, your case is also uniquely different from pretty much everyone else's given the conditions you gave yourself in this acclimatization, and the system judged it unethical to leave you solely to your own blind device which is why it took the opportunity of an error in you specific instance of the acclimatization to re-inform you of your rights, my being here is also simply part of that process.»
Having once again no real proof, he confronted his speaker once again:
«What you're telling me sounds like sunshine and rainbows but we both know that's not how things work. I don't know how much you know about us humans, but we are oddly creative when it comes to our own personal benefits, and you being as rational as I, if not more, must realize that if the world is indeed so much bigger than I thought it was, the methods to extort and oppress others have to be just disproportionate!»
The latter's expression remained the same, his three odd eyes staring at him without blinking once. It seemed to think for some time before insisting once more:
« The most I can do for you at this point is translate the official document that made the system take this benevolent decision, instead of forcefully conscripting every lifeform it came into contact with, but it might take a couple minutes because of how long it is»
At this point Agi was starting to get really mad at the situation:
«Look here, I don't care if this is a bluff or not, but you can go fuck yourself with your meaningless text of law, as if it proved anything to me anyways. For all I know this is an elaborate joke for some fucking alien tv reality show»
With still no change in his expression, he answered:
« I am very sorry you think of it that way, I have done my utmost to convince you, if it still doesn't suffice, then I can maybe add that no matter what you think of it, it is an important tool to help you survive, and even if we were as evil as you think we cannot do anything if you die, just as you won't have to worry about this for very long if you keep doing what you have until now. If you change your mind, just truly wish for your information sheet, and it will appear before your eyes»
At the same time as he ended his sentence, he disappeared clearly fleeing from the situation. Agi was still clearly pissed at the situation, and with all the energy he spent needlessly shouting he was now officially in the worse state he has ever been in all throughout his life.
Back on his own, the silence was heavy. There genuinely seemed to be no escape to his predicament. Thinking about it, the last thing that system employee said was the most convincing. If he wanted to survive, he may need to use everything put to his disposition, and at this point the only thing preventing him from doing just that was his pride.
Just how bad would he look in front of the system if he argued so hard against something just to change his mind right after.
Just moments later, he realized how ridiculous his thoughts were. His brain seemed much too accustomed to the situation back on Earth where everyone lived only as images of their own self. Exiting this toxic lifestyle was precisely one of the reasons why he was in China before this shit show happened. Not forgetting to curse the system out loud and throw the middle finger at the sky, he finally willed for the information sheet to appear in front of his eyes
[---------------------------------]
Status sheet:
Name: Agi Rosenzweig
Attributes*: Extension; thought -
Concepts: none
Level: 0
Energy required for next level: 0/1 arbitrary unit
System class: unable to get a system class without the contract
Class: none
System achievements: unable to get system achievements without the contract
Achievements: none
< Please note that some elements can be customized and others, extended for more information >
[---------------------------------]
First he noticed that some of the terms used were Spinozian, but it had been mentioned before that this status thingy was unique to every person's way of thinking, so it did make sense there. The second thing he noticed is that he has been made a fool of if this was really what was supposed to help him stay alive. But hey one should never be too quick to judge something, giving it the benefit of the doubt, he expressively willed for every element to first be customized and if it didn't work, extended just as the last note told him, and this was the result obtained.
* this status window will use vocabulary from Spinoza's philosophy, and while it might seem a bit scary and out of place at first, I promise it makes sense, here's a quick explanation:
Where in other litrpgs attributes designate the stats, here they describe the body (extension), and the mind (thought). They are good for categorization, and all the other things that come with it will be in the next chapter's full status window.