I Hate Systems Chapter 2: Why? Hah!

‘W-What in the blazes is unfolding?’ Compass Carburettor contemplated in a state of panic as he observed his body becoming rigid and immobile. The entire world appeared to have frozen in time. A notification he perceived further heightened his unease, instilling a sense of apprehension and foreboding within his heart.

As he had suspected, a portal materialized before him. It bore the characteristics of an interdimensional phenomenon, as it showed no interaction with anything else in his reality, focusing solely on him before his body was drawn into it.

The instant he entered, the portal vanished, and time resumed its flow in the preceding location. Stencil gazed forward in bewilderment, her eyes widening before slowly transforming into expressions of horror. Her father had inexplicably disappeared right before her very eyes.

“Kyaak!” The shock was too profound for her to withstand, and she promptly fainted.

“Lady Stencil!” the Assistant exclaimed, rushing to her aid. Her entire body was slick with perspiration, as she too had been a witness to Compass Carburettor's sudden disappearance.

‘What is happening? What in the name of all that is unholy is taking place?’ she thought frantically, utterly unable to comprehend the preternatural occurrence unfolding before her. She swiftly summoned an ambulance to attend to Stencil, intending to address the other matters later.

…

The very moment he was pulled through the portal, Compass Carburettor found himself capable of flailing his limbs and crying out for assistance. He was engulfed in what seemed to be a peculiar, tunnel-like void. For reasons unknown, an overwhelming sense of dread emanated from the very core of his being.

Though the passage felt extensive, it concluded within a mere second, and Compass Carburettor landed with a thud in soft mud. He quickly rose to his feet, realizing he was amidst a thicket of trees. The environment teemed with abundant life.

He scanned his surroundings, finding his view obstructed by the dense foliage beyond the immediate trees. It appeared he had fallen into a clearing surrounded by a dense forest. Before he could fully grasp his predicament, an unbearable pain washed over him as something within him seemed determined to force its way out.

“Aaaarrggghh!” He writhed in agony, grasping at the mud, clenching his fists, and repeatedly striking the ground.

“Kekeke! Compass Carburettor, oh Compass Carburettor!” A spectral voice echoed.

“Who is there?” Amidst his torment, he yelled, looking around only to find no one in his vicinity.

“You inquire about my identity? Lol,” the voice retorted, followed by peals of mocking laughter.

Sweat beaded on his back as he mustered every ounce of his strength, turning to face an ethereal visage behind him. It was his own appearance from before he acquired the system. The portion below its neck trailed off into a serpentine form, thinning until it became needle-thin, attached to his back.

It appeared to be gradually emerging from his back, while the spectral face of his past self hovered in the air, cackling, “I have been with you throughout your ascent. Indeed, I am the very reason you reached the pinnacle of this world, despite being nothing more than a worthless insect.”

The ethereal face then contorted, taking on the semblance of a coin covered in blood. A slit formed in its center, before parting to reveal a vast maw, far larger than Compass Carburettor’s own head, filled with jagged, sharp teeth.

Assuming a snout-like shape, it began to sniff the air while chuckling, simultaneously commencing the condensation of a humanoid corpus. This form possessed a head disproportionately large, nearly twice the size of its body. As the entity continued its extraction from Compass Carburettor, he screamed incessantly in pain.

Finally, only a small fragment of it seemed to remain within him, as the monstrous entity, now standing four meters tall, erupted in cackles. Its hunched posture, immense coin-shaped head, and exaggerated mouth lent it a sinister aspect.

Slouching a ragged cloth sack onto its back, it addressed Compass Carburettor, “Now, do you have any final words?”

“Money-Making System? Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why?” Displaying an expression of utter exhaustion, having endured prolonged screams of agony, Compass Carburettor weakly articulated, gazing at the monstrous entity before him with a clouded vision. For reasons inexplicable, he found himself completely immobilized, capable only of twitching in place.

“Why? You dare question my motives?” the monster bellowed with laughter, as if presented with the ultimate jest, “You should have posed that question when I first manifested within your body. Why did I appear within you, you who possessed not a single redeeming quality? Why did I select you and bestow upon you the chance to alter your life’s trajectory? Why, out of the more than seven billion individuals on this planet, did I choose you? Did you ever once consider these questions back then?”

“Having devoured countless narratives detailing lives dramatically improved after acquiring a System, you readily embraced me, did you not?” it chortled, “Recall your initial reaction upon receiving my notification of existence? You erupted in laughter. You didn't even harbor the slightest suspicion regarding my presence. Instead, you treated the appearance of a System within a person as a natural occurrence, something that should have confined itself to the realm of fiction rather than intruding upon reality.”

“After witnessing the advantages I provided, you readily accepted my aid. For the two decades I resided within your being, never once did you inquire about my purpose. And now, you pose that question?” The entity chuckled, finding amusement in his bewildered look. “Since your demise is imminent, I shall furnish you with an answer.”

“Typically, the narratives of all System Hosts culminate in a joyous finale upon reaching the zenith of their respective worlds. However,” the System’s exaggerated maw twisted into a grin, blood trickling like saliva, “they subsequently disappear, their sagas fading into legends, eventually dismissed as mere fiction over time.”

“In truth, we return to our realm, the System World, and consume our hosts, appropriating all they have achieved. This is the means by which we Systems mature. Upon devouring them, we assimilate their gains and journey to a new dimension, selecting a host devoid of any talent to become our new vessel.” The viscous fluid it drooled fell upon the ground, causing it to sizzle and erode. “And that, precisely, is the reason why? It’s your answer.”

“You… fiend!” Compass Carburettor clenched his jaw, glaring at the entity with eyes reddened by rage.

“Forced to accept it, your resistance is futile. Though our time together was brief, I thoroughly enjoyed orchestrating your every move,” the System proclaimed, its mouth stretching wide to reveal rows upon rows of sharp teeth, edging infinitesimally closer to Compass Carburettor, its intent to devour him palpable. “I shall not miss you. Farewell!”