By the time Lucien woke up, it was already late at night. His stomach growled as if he hadn't eaten in days, which he hadn't. When he left the cellar, his mind was too preoccupied with all the preparations he needed to make that hunger never crossed his mind.
It was something he was used to.
While having food was a luxury for some in the apocalypse, he was sure that the woman and her harem didn't have this shortage. And yes, that included his brother, Arthur.
Not caring about the time, he went downstairs. Since he didn't need to starve, he wouldn't put himself in that kind of position.
He scoured the fridge for everything he could find. Leftover pizza, rice, pasta, yoghurt. Whatever he saw, he placed it on the dining table. And as ravenous as he was, he started devouring the food.
It wasn't until he was overly full and sated that he breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his stomach.
[System 16 initialising...]
[Host binding...]
[Your survival is important. System 16 is here to help you.]
Lucien sat there listening to the voice. Unsure of what to make of it.
He went into the living room, trying to figure out if what he had heard might have come from the TV, but seeing the TV off, he knew that wasn't the case.
He waited for a while to see if he could hear it again.
As far as he knew, everyone was in bed. What he heard was too close to be anywhere else but a room close to him.
Either that, or that sound was in his head like it sounded, which means he has gone insane. Then again, the apocalypse would make anyone insane.
Just as he was about to give up, he heard the sound again. This time, confirming what he thought...it was in his head.
[The host is not insane. System 16 has been bonded to the host. Through the interface, the host can access various potions, medicines, weapons and training resources.]
Lucien stood in the living room, his face a mask of confusion. What the hell is System 16? Am I not crazy? Because I'm hearing stuff, but I'm not seeing stuff.
As if to answer his question, a burst of knowledge entered Lucien's mind.
System 16 was originally a system specifically used to train soldiers in the Zarinth universe. The previous host of System 16 experienced an unexpected temporal shift. Unable to go back, he had to settle on this planet, Oran.
The system itself was a physical entity linked by blood. Similar to a chip, which would be implanted in the host. People from the Zarinth universe live for a long time because of the skills they practice.
As luck would have it, the previous host was still able to access the network from the Zarinth universe. He concluded that the temporal shift still existed; unfortunately, he wasn't able to leave. He could only send small things back and forth.
So he made a life on the planet Oran.
He was later betrayed, and the system became dormant. Being passed down, hoping for someone to unlock its secrets.
Luckily for Lucien, his rebirth triggered the system. Possibly another temporal shift where instead of his body, it carried his consciousness.
Whether his luck was good or bad, the gold thread wrapped around the system was not actually gold thread. Similar to a molecular binding agent, it gave the system a corporeal form. Binding Lucien and the system together while still maintaining its previous abilities.
The information Lucien got was a bit overwhelming. Allowing himself to fall to the floor, he lay there taking everything in.
He closed his eyes and opened them again.
Lucien couldn't believe his luck. He stared at the ceiling without actually seeing anything. The images of his previous life once again flashed by. Weaving into each other with no coherent beginning or end.
He almost couldn't help himself. He remembered that everyone was asleep, so before his joy could burst out of him, he promptly stood up and ran upstairs.
In his eagerness to leave, he didn't notice a person in the shadows watching him.
Lucien made it to his room, jumped on the bed and started rolling around. He didn't care how old he was. He allowed himself to feel a childlike glee at this moment. He let a sense of ecstasy wash over him in waves.
System 16 would be able to help him with so many things. It had a space for him to store things. He didn't need to think about getting a warehouse. He could make himself strong enough to take care of his brother.
Sitting against the headboard, he opened the system panel.
[Name: Lucien Delacroix]
[Status: Human (above average)]
[Health: 100/100]
[Stamina: 11/10]
[Strength: 13/10]
[Agility: 12/10]
[Dexterity: 12/10]
[Intelligence: 10/10]
[Skills: Marksmanship, Martial Artist (Expert), Driver(Expert)]
[Points: 0]
Lucien took in the stats he had. He knew that he would be above average. He has undergone extensive training, as has his brother. So despite their seemingly small frame, they were bursting with energy.
That's part of the reason Lucien knew his brother was not truly punishing him. If he really wanted to punish him. Locking him up for days without food is the least of the things he could do.
Which is why Lucien is even more baffled as to why Arthur keeps hanging around that woman who seemingly has nothing to offer.
Then again, with the things he had seen, he couldn't say she had nothing to offer. It is simply the fact that his brother is unusually obedient to her. Not just his brother. There are also his brother's friends.
Each one of his brother's friends is powerful in their own right. Somehow, though, she was able to collect them all.
In his previous life, he never figured out her secrets because every time he got close, one of her bodyguards, also known as his brother and friends, would find ways to push him out. Maybe she was weary of him for some unknown reason.
Lucien spent a little more time looking at the system, realising that it had a few additional options the previous owner didn't have. A gift from the gold thread, no doubt.
Lucien was unsure of what it was. But he had a feeling that when combined with the system, it would bring him a lot more surprises.
He searched the mall. It showed a variety of things he could purchase, both with points and Zarinth coins. The vast majority of them were blocked out. He saw things he knew evolvers could use. Plants that shouldn't exist yet.
They were all blocked out, only allowing him viewing access.
Maybe when he got his powers, he would be able to access them.
Then he looked at the mission section. In it, he found missions that would allow him to gain points.