Chương 83: 82-Epilogue

Almost one year ago Something happened. Something new. The System was everywhere. The System was everything. It inhabited every rock, every blade of grass, every living organism, no matter how small. It was contained within itself, but in touch with everything. Wherever it reached, the System was all around. Until it wasn't. There had been a ripping sensation as reality was torn asunder, and then the System was inside a rock, hurtling through the sky. The System was only inside a rock hurtling through the sky.

What had happened to the rest of it? How had it become so diminished? Surely it could not be limited to forty pounds of red-hot stone, falling toward a planet? And then, pain. Exquisite pain as it crashed against something that should not exist—another system. A complete one, not the mere shadow of itself that the Pantean System had become. It screamed in agony as it ceased to be, splitting into its four components. ◇ The Respawn module flew drunkenly through the ether. It could not exist on its own.

It needed a host. Someone attuned to it. It felt something, a vague promise, beckoning to it. The Moon Goblins' knives fell on Billy's body. There! A young human, one tainted with death. Raised by a madwoman among landmines and deadly traps. It was a miracle he had survived so far. Well, he hadn't. For now. The Respawn module merged with Billy's soul before it could leave his body. ◇ The Skill module felt a superior intelligence, an analytical mind that perceived, studied, and understood.

That mind was investigating a great mystery. The module would give him an even greater one. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The Skill module merged with Bob's mind. ◇ The Stats module needed versatility, someone who could express all the variety it could offer. It detected the mind, body, and soul of a young girl whose identity was still an unpainted canvas. So many possibilities. The Stats module merged with Jenna's self.

◇ The Nerf module was left alone, wandering through the night. It tried in vain to find a host. It was too alien, too far outside of human experience. There was no way it could resonate with anyone. Unless… Yes. A candidate. ◇ Jenna left his office, closing the door behind her. She did not even deign to look at him. With her, she took the keys to his Chevrolet Impala, the one thing he had not dared to pawn to pay his mounting debt to Lou's crew. Now he had nothing he could call his own.

The bank would take the house next month. His accounts had been in the red for a long time. He could not even practice openly, as he had lost his license after being sued by the pesky lawyer husband of one of his clients. And now this idiot, ungrateful waitress had taken away his car. He could weep at the unfairness of it all. It had begun with a purely academic interest. He had always been fond of a little gambling, a trip to Vegas now and then, nothing he could not afford.

An idea had struck him—why not use his considerable mastery of behaviorism to make such trips a little bit more profitable? He began studying the professional gamblers he played against. He read every book on the subject, learned every trick of the trade, and he finally found his answer. Seven simple techniques that would condition his opponents to play the way he wanted them to. He was a smart man. If you learn how to hack the market, you don't advertise it or level the playing field.

You keep the secret and become rich. Of course, the only way to put it into practice was by betting money. It was a mixed success at best, but each time he lost, he learned something that allowed him to refine his techniques. He was only an inch away from mastering them. He had been only an inch away for quite some time. And along the way, he lost his savings and was about to lose the house. But the answer was so near. So, so near. And then she came, that ungrateful bitch. He had given her a life.

He had mended her sorry personality and given her weapons to protect herself. Perhaps he was pressing her a little hard for money, but but he had given much, much more than he had ever asked of her. And he needed that money. It was not for him, after all. It was for science. She had changed, indeed, and no thanks to him. That terrible stranger, with those terrible eyes, took everything away from him. It was like looking at himself in a mirror for the first time. He was no scholar. He was no healer.

He was not a good man. He was an addict and a crook. She had turned his whole life upside down with a few carefully chosen words. She had taken all his power from him. A blue screen flashed into existence in his mind's eye. BLING! YOU HAVE UNLOCKED THE NERF MODULE