LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 4: Chapter 4
[Passive ability: Instantly acquire general knowledge and languages upon entering a new world.]
[Analyzing Current World…]
[Assessment Complete. This is a Tier-0.7276 Civilization. Threat Level: Negligible.]
"Negligible?" Leon scoffed, flopping dramatically onto the couch. "Yeah, tell that to rent prices and muggers. They're practically knocking on my door to say thanks."
He yanked the threadbare blanket over his face like it could shield him from the absurdity unfolding. "This is just my brain pulling an all-nighter without me. Too much caffeine, not enough sleep. Elon Musk-level brain glitches. I'm ignoring it."
The glowing system display didn't care about his denial. It pulsed smugly in the darkness behind his eyelids:
[User attempting disengagement. Recommended action: Full System Integration.]
Leon peeked out from under the blanket, squinting at the ceiling. "Full system integration? Oh, sure. Next, you'll ask for a blood sample and my Netflix password. Dream on, HAL 9000."
The voice responded, perfectly monotone:
[Reminder: System is active and operational. Disengagement is not an option.]
Leon groaned and buried his face in the cushion. "You're not even a good hallucination. At least last week's velociraptor fight had some creativity. You? You're just a budget Alexa with delusions of grandeur."
The system didn't miss a beat:
[Integration Pending.]
"Integration pending," he mocked, voice muffled by the couch. "I swear, if I wake up tomorrow and you're still here, we're having words. And by words, I mean I'm Googling 'how to delete sentient malware.'"
He curled up tighter, exhaustion finally winning over annoyance. The apartment fell quiet, save for the soft hum of the system waiting patiently, unrelenting. For now.
---
The sound of clattering dishes and faint murmurs woke Leon from his restless sleep. Blinking against the morning light streaming through the window, he groaned and sat up, the thin blanket crumpling around him. His body felt sore from spending the night on the couch, and for a moment, he wondered if the whole "system" thing had just been a bizarre dream.
But when he rubbed his eyes, a faint, translucent screen flickered in the corner of his vision.
[Integration Pending.]
Leon sighed. "Of course, it's still here. Persistent little thing."
Voices from the kitchen caught his attention. He turned to see Emily bustling around in a flurry, her hair tied up, wearing an oversized hoodie, and clearly in full-on multitasking mode. Her younger brother, Jake, was seated at the small dining table, wearing a slightly wrinkled school uniform. He was munching on a piece of toast while Emily packed a tiffin box with practiced efficiency.
"Jake, eat faster or you'll miss the bus!" Emily called, not even glancing up as she closed the lid of the tiffin and placed it neatly into Jake's bag.
"I'm eating, I'm eating!" Jake protested through a mouthful of toast.
Leon couldn't help but chuckle at the domestic scene. It felt oddly normal, a stark contrast to the sci-fi chaos lingering in his peripheral vision. He swung his legs off the couch, standing and stretching with a loud yawn.
"Morning," he said, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
Emily glanced over her shoulder, startled, before offering a warm smile. "Oh, good morning! I hope the couch wasn't too terrible."
Leon shrugged. "Not the worst. Though I might need a chiropractor."
Jake eyed him suspiciously, mid-bite. "You're still here?"
"Jake!" Emily scolded, shooting him a warning look.
Leon laughed, waving it off. "It's fine. The kid's just being honest." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Looks like you've got a busy morning. I should probably head out anyway."
Emily paused, looking up from where she was tying Jake's shoelaces. "Are you sure? You can stay for breakfast if you want."
"Nah," Leon replied with a grin. "You've got enough on your plate without me hanging around. Besides, I've got… stuff to do."
Jake smirked. "Stuff?"
Leon rolled his eyes. "Yes, kid. Grown-up stuff. Very boring, very adult."
Emily stood and wiped her hands on a dish towel. "At least let me give you my number. In case… you know, you ever need anything."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "Are you giving me your number for me or so you can call if there's another situation?"
She smirked, handing him a slip of paper. "Both."
He took it, scribbling his own number on another piece of paper and handing it to her. "Fair trade."
Emily smiled, her expression softening. "Thanks again, Leon. Really."
He nodded, stuffing the paper into his pocket. "No problem. Take care, okay?"
As the door clicked shut behind him, Leon took a deep breath and started down the stairs. The morning air outside was crisp and fresh, but the persistent glow of the system's interface nagged at him like an itch he couldn't scratch.
[System Integration Pending. Activate now? Y/N.]
He glared at the notification as he walked. "Can't a guy get some peace? Fine. Let's see what this thing actually does."
With a resigned sigh, he mentally selected "Y." The world seemed to shift slightly as the system sprang to life. A new interface appeared, displaying a menu of options.
[Welcome, User. Integration Complete.]
[Accessing System Features…]
Leon stopped in his tracks, the sheer magnitude of what he was seeing sinking in. "Alright, system. Impress me."
Leon's skepticism didn't last long. The interface hovering before his eyes had no intention of fading.
[New Mission: An Explosive Warning]
Location: Mall Complex, Downtown
Details: Bombs planted within the complex. Detonation imminent.
Objective: Inform or evacuate potential casualties. Outcome irrelevant to completion.
Time Remaining: [03:00:00]
Leon stared at the timer, his mind racing. "What kind of sick prank is this?" he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and trying to shake off the unease crawling up his spine.
The numbers ticked down mercilessly, but Leon was determined to ignore them. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
Leon stared at the timer, his mind racing. "This can't be real," he muttered. The countdown was ticking, but he brushed it off. This had to be a glitch.
For the next couple of hours, he tried to distract himself, walking aimlessly through the city. But every time he glanced at the timer, it was still there—unwavering, relentless.
As the countdown hit 15 minutes, Leon's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, frowning at the screen.
Emily.
He answered. "Yeah?"
"Hey, Leon! You free?" Emily's cheerful voice rang out. "I'm at the new mall complex downtown. Just opened, and I thought you might want to join me."
Leon's stomach dropped as he processed her words. Mall complex. Downtown. He froze. The timer was now glaring at him: [00:14:45].
He inhaled sharply, a knot forming in his chest. "Emily, where exactly are you?"
"I'm in the mall," she replied, a slight laugh in her voice. "I'm about to head into the shops. You should come! It's huge, and—"
"Get out of there. Right now."
"Wait, what? Why?" Emily asked, a touch of confusion in her voice.
"Please, just trust me. Get to the parking lot. Don't go any further into the mall. I'm serious."
There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, Emily sighed. "Okay, okay. I'm in the parking lot now. What's going on, Leon?"
Leon didn't have time to explain. He just snapped, "Stay there. Don't go back in. I'll explain later."
As the line went dead, Leon took off running, his thoughts in overdrive. He knew there wasn't much time left. 15 minutes. If he couldn't stop whatever was happening, the explosion would obliterate everything inside that mall. And Emily was still there.