She found herself in a dark, endless void and right in front of her stood a so-called god, mumbling something she couldn't even make out.
Was she dreaming? Or had she actually died… in the middle of almost taking a bite of fried chicken?
Speaking of that CHICKEN, she'd fought for it like her life depended on it. Broken noses, twisted legs, bruised arms, all for that one piece of golden, crispy perfection.
And yet, she never even got to taste it, let alone savor it. Life was cruel.
And now this weird guy was mumbling about who-knows-what.
"Are you even listening?" he snapped suddenly.
"You should be grateful I brought you here....."
Before he could finish, a flash of lightning split through the darkness.
The sound swallowed everything, her breath,his words and the void itself.
And then, nothing.
When he opened his eyes again, she was staring down at him, expression full of disgust.
"Glad you're awake," her arms folded, tone flat.
"I was hoping otherwise."
"W-What… happened?"
A flood of memory hit him. One moment he was talking; the next, only darkness.
"It seems you've forgotten,"she said, cracking her knuckles as she walked toward him.
"Want me to reset that memory for you?"
He scrambled back in fear. "I-I remember now," he stammered.
"Good. I really didn't want to put you to sleep permanently," she said, half-joking but with enough menace to make him believe it.
I mean who was he to talk to her in that manner. Did she look like someone he could talk down to? In all her life, anyone who tried that, ended up broken.
"Right… so, what were you saying?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow
"Um, yes, as I was saying…" he began nervously.
"I'm a god in charge of a system that picked you as a perfect candidate to become a character in a novel...."
She burst into laughter, loud and mocking.
"Oh, that's rich! Coming from you but, Go on," she said when she noticed his terrified silence.
"T-that's… all," he muttered, bowing his head.
After all, this was the same woman who had knocked him out with a single slap. There was only one way to deal with that kind of power: extreme respect and minimal words.
"Okay. I hear you," she said suddenly, her laughter dying, face turning serious.
For a moment, his hopes rose, until she added, "And I reject. So, when do I go back?"
"Uh… about that," he said weakly, "I don't really know. The system decides."
She laughed again, a sharp, hysterical sound that echoed through the void. "That's your best one yet! So a system chose me, of all people, to be a character in some novel, and I can't even say no because the system decides for me? Do I look like I have time for such nonsense?"She leaned forward. Voice low but razor-sharp. He flinched and looked away. Who was the god here, really?
She couldn't believe this. She had to hustle even after death?
Why was her life always so different. As if that wasn't enough, she had some nonsensical being calling himself a god.
Truth be told, even he didn't know why the system had chosen her ,that devilofawoman, of all people.
" Take me back, or both of us die right here, right now. And I mean it".
A second death wouldn't be bad, she thought.
Suddenly, a desperate idea hit him. "W-wait! It's not a bad thing!" he blurted, sensing the murderous aura radiating off her.
"You actually get benefits! Your character is really rich, like, really rich! Considering how hard you've worked all your life, this could be perfect for you! Since the system chose you,it means you're perfect for this character. This character really needs you"
He felt the tension in the air ease slightly.
"You might be right," she admitted, folding her arms. "But that doesn't give you the right to disrespect my hustle. You might want to consider your choice of words. "
He stayed quiet. Where did the system get her from anyways?
What was she supposed to do now?
Going back didn't seem possible, and her old life hadn't exactly been kind. At least this new one promised money, lots of it.
That was all she'd ever needed.
Looking at the so-called god trembling before her, she couldn't understand how someone so foolish could be in charge of anything divine.
"This character needs you"
"Fine," she sighed. "This is me being kind"
If kindness meant tolerating idiots, then she was practically a saint.
He exhaled in relief, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.
"Hehehe… I knew you were smart," he said.
She shot him a glare that clearly meant keeptalkingandI'llchangemymind.
"So, what's this character all about?" she asked.
"Um, well, host," he started nervously,
"that's something I'll explain later ..... when you get there. But I promise you'll love your role."
She hummed dismissively. "Whatever."
She really didn't care, she planned to live her new life her own way. With money in this world, she could finally live freely, and she intended to enjoy every second of it.
"What's your name?" she asked suddenly.
"Host… I don't actually have a name," he said shyly.
"But you can call me System."
"System?" she repeated, unimpressed.
"With how foolish you are? No, henceforth you're Shǎguā. Or better yet, Guā Guā."
"Yes, Host," he said with a weak smile.
Honestly, what else could he do but accept it, even if she had just named him a fool.