[Travel initiated: Home to Office]
[Current transport method: Walking. Efficiency: 65%]
[Recommended upgrade: Bicycle purchase would increase travel efficiency to 87%]
"Not now," I muttered, hurrying down the sidewalk toward the tech company where I worked as a mid-level IT specialist. The morning air was crisp, but I barely noticed it, too focused on the System's earlier cryptic message about another lightning strike victim.
[Weather appreciation missed! -1 Environmental Awareness]
I rolled my eyes. "Are you seriously tracking how much I appreciate the weather now?"
[Talking to System in public: -2 Social Perception]
[Nearby pedestrians now think you're using a Bluetooth headset: Accidental Deception success!]
I shoved my hands in my pockets and tried to look like I was on a normal phone call. The last thing I needed was to be known as the neighborhood weirdo who talks to himself. Though to be fair, I wasn't talking to myself—I was talking to an inexplicable gamified reality overlay that only I could perceive. Much more reasonable.
When I arrived at Horizon Technologies, our modest four-story office building, I immediately sensed something was off. The security guard, normally absorbed in his crossword puzzles, was alert and scanning everyone's badges with unusual scrutiny.
[Environment Analysis: Security level increased by 43%]
[Potential causes: Security breach, VIP visitor, or system test]
"Morning, Carl," I said, flashing my badge. "Server emergency has everyone on edge?"
Carl frowned, examining my ID longer than necessary. "Strange morning, Alex. IT floor's been locked down. You'll need special clearance to go up there. Wait here."
He picked up his phone, spoke quietly, then nodded. "You're cleared. They're expecting you."
[Quest Update: Work Emergency has increased in difficulty!]
[New objective: Discover why security is heightened]
[Reward for additional objective: +50 XP, Curiosity skill increase]
The elevator ride was tense. When the doors opened to the IT floor, instead of the usual chaotic but friendly workspace of developers and tech support, I found the place unnervingly quiet. The lights were dimmed in the main area, with only the server room fully illuminated at the far end of the office.
[Warning: Unusual energy signature detected]
[Recommendation: Proceed with caution. Consider activating Stealth Mode]
"I don't have a Stealth Mode," I whispered.
[Skill unavailable. Future character development detected]
Great, more cryptic hints about capabilities I didn't have. As I approached the server room, I heard voices—my boss Martin's distinctive baritone, and another voice I didn't recognize. A woman's voice, melodic but with a strange resonance that made the hairs on my neck stand up.
"The breach originated from this terminal," the woman was saying. "It accessed files that are flagged under Project Thunderstrike."
I stopped cold. Thunderstrike? That sounded suspiciously related to my... condition.
[Connection established! Project Thunderstrike relevance: 98% probability]
[Hidden objective discovered: Learn about Project Thunderstrike]
I took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Martin looked up, relief washing over his worried face.
"Alex! Thank god. We have a situation that needs your expertise."
Then I saw her—the woman standing beside him. Tall, with impossibly perfect posture, wearing a crisp black suit that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. But what struck me most were her eyes—a vibrant violet that seemed to pulse with an inner light.
[Target identified: Level 35 Entity detected!]
[Warning: She can sense the System!]
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at me, her head tilting almost imperceptibly.
"Alex Watson," she said, my name rolling off her tongue with unusual precision. "How fascinating. Another convergence point."
[Dialogue options:]
[1. Play dumb (Recommended)]
[2. Ask about Project Thunderstrike directly (High Risk)]
[3. Request clarification on "convergence point" (Moderate Risk)]
[4. Flee immediately (Coward's path)]
I ignored the options and stepped forward, extending my hand professionally. "I'm the senior backend specialist. You mentioned a server breach?"
She didn't take my hand. Instead, she smiled—a perfect, practiced expression that never reached those glowing eyes.
"Special Agent Diana Vex, Department of Anomalous Energy." She flashed a badge I'd never seen before—not FBI, not Homeland Security, something else entirely. "Your company has been monitoring atmospheric electrical anomalies as part of a government contract. Three weeks ago, there was an... incident."
Martin nodded nervously. "Alex, someone breached our secure server and accessed the Thunderstrike data. All the logs point to your terminal, but obviously you were out on medical leave when it happened."
My heart hammered in my chest. Three weeks ago. When I was struck by lightning. When this whole System nightmare began.
[Critical information incoming! Attention focus increased!]
[Memory enhancement activated]
"What exactly is Project Thunderstrike?" I asked, trying to sound merely professionally curious.
Agent Vex's eyes flashed brighter for a split second. "Classified. But since you have clearance to work on the servers, I can tell you it involves monitoring for unusual electromagnetic phenomena. Particularly lightning strikes with... unexpected properties."
[She is studying your reaction! Recommended: Maintain neutral expression]
I kept my face carefully blank, though inside my mind was racing. Was this government agency responsible for what happened to me?
"I'll need access to check the logs," I said, moving toward the main server terminal.
"Of course," Martin said. "Diana—Agent Vex—believes the breach may have compromised sensitive data about individuals affected by anomalous lightning strikes in the area."
As I sat down at the terminal, I noticed my hands were shaking slightly. I pulled up the access logs, but what I saw made no sense.
"This can't be right," I muttered, genuinely confused. "According to this, my credentials were used to access the server remotely... while I was unconscious in the hospital. That's impossible."
Agent Vex leaned over my shoulder, close enough that I could feel a strange energy radiating from her—not heat, something else.
[Proximity Alert! Unknown energy field detected]
[Your System is reacting to her presence! Stability: 89%]
"Unless," she said softly, "part of you wasn't in that hospital bed at all."
I swallowed hard. "What does that mean?"
Her violet eyes met mine, and for a moment, text flickered across her irises—actual glowing text, just like the System notifications I saw.
"It means, Alex Watson," she whispered, "that you're not the only one who sees the world differently now."
[Connection established with external System user!]
[WARNING: Unauthorized data exchange occurring!]
[Firewall status: BREACHED]
Suddenly, my vision filled with cascading error messages, red warnings flashing everywhere. My head felt like it was splitting open.
"What are you doing to me?" I gasped, gripping the edge of the desk.
Martin looked alarmed. "Alex? What's wrong?"
Agent Vex straightened up, adjusting her suit jacket calmly. "I've simply confirmed my theory. Mr. Watson has been... upgraded." She turned to Martin. "I'll need to take him in for debriefing."
"Take me in?" I stood up, panic rising. "I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Of course not," she said soothingly. "You're a victim. But also a valuable asset. The lightning changed you, didn't it? You see things now. Information. Notifications. Perhaps even a leveling system?"
[CRITICAL ALERT: Subject Diana Vex is extracting System information]
[Emergency protocols engaged]
[New ability unlocked: System Hardening]
I felt a surge of energy within my mind, like mental muscles I didn't know I had suddenly flexing. The flood of error messages stopped, and Agent Vex's expression flickered with surprise.
"Interesting," she murmured. "Your System has defensive capabilities. Most don't develop those until at least Level 10."
Martin looked between us, completely lost. "What are you two talking about?"
Before either of us could answer, the lights throughout the building flickered, then died. Emergency lights kicked on, bathing everything in an eerie red glow.
[Power failure detected! Cause: Deliberate electromagnetic pulse]
[Threat level increased: Multiple hostile entities approaching]
"They found us," Agent Vex hissed, her professional demeanor cracking for the first time. She grabbed my arm with surprising strength. "We need to go. Now."
"Who found us?" I demanded, pulling away. "What is happening?"
A thunderous crash echoed from the direction of the lobby, followed by screams.
Agent Vex's eyes flared brilliantly. "The others. The ones who control the lightning. The ones who created the System."
[Emergency Quest: Escape Horizon Technologies alive]
[Ally gained: Diana Vex (temporarily)]
[Warning: Trust level uncertain]
[Recommendation: Follow her for now, but remain vigilant]
Martin was on the phone, frantically trying to reach security, when the server room door burst open. A man stood there—or something man-shaped. His skin was pale to the point of translucence, with faint blue electrical currents visible beneath the surface. His eyes were completely white, pupilless.
"Subject 37," the figure said in a voice that sounded like multiple people speaking in perfect harmony. "Your integration is incomplete. You will come with us for proper assimilation."
[Enemy identified: System Administrator, Level 60]
[Combat not recommended: Survival chance 0.3%]
[RUN!]
For once, I completely agreed with the System. But as I backed away, Agent Vex stepped forward, her entire body suddenly illuminated with the same violet energy that emanated from her eyes.
"He's not yours to collect," she said, her voice taking on that strange resonance again. "This territory is under Observer protection."
The pale man tilted his head. "Observer 12. You exceed your authority. The anomaly must be contained."
"Alex," Agent Vex said without looking back at me, "there's a service elevator behind the server stacks. Take it to the parking garage. Find the black Tesla. It will recognize your System signature."
"I'm not leaving until someone explains what's going on!" I insisted, even as my survival instinct screamed at me to run.
The pale man raised a hand, and electricity arced between his fingers. "Explanation is irrelevant. Your consciousness has been infected with System architecture without proper authorization. This divergence must be corrected."
[Special Event: First Boss Encounter!]
[Current chance of survival: Drastically low]
[New ability unlocked due to extreme stress: System Surge]
Something shifted inside my perception. The world seemed to slow down as information flooded into my awareness. I could see the electrical currents running through the walls, the heat signatures of everyone in the room, even the radio waves passing through the air.
Without thinking, I raised my hand toward the emergency sprinkler system above the pale man's head. I felt my connection to the System pulse, and suddenly, just that section of sprinklers activated, dousing the electricity-riddled intruder.
He convulsed violently as water disrupted whatever energy maintained his form.
"Impossible," Agent Vex whispered, staring at me. "System manipulation without training..."
[Ability successfully used: System Surge!]
[Enemy temporarily disabled: 15 second window to escape]
[Warning: Ability cooldown - 24 hours]
[Physical exhaustion imminent]
My vision swam as fatigue crashed over me. My knees buckled, and Agent Vex caught me before I hit the floor.
"What... did I just do?" I gasped.
"Changed the rules," she said, something like respect in her voice as she helped me toward the hidden service elevator. "Now move. He won't stay down long."
As we stumbled through the server room, Martin called after us, "Should I call the police?"
"They can't help," Vex and I said simultaneously.
The last glimpse I had of my normal life was my boss standing bewildered in the server room as the pale man began to rise again, electricity crackling around him with increasing intensity.
The service elevator doors closed just as a blinding flash of light erupted behind us.
[Chapter objective completed: Discovery of System origin initiated]
[Chapter 2 Complete! Next chapter: The Observers and the Administrators]
[Level Up! You are now Level 5!]
[New Stats Unlocked: Energy Manipulation, System Integration]
[Relationship status with Diana Vex: Complex]
As the elevator descended, I leaned against the wall, exhausted. "The System in my head is getting me hunted by government agents and electric ghost men. Fantastic."
Agent Vex gave me a sideways look. "I'm not exactly a government agent, Alex."
"Then what are you?"
Her violet eyes glimmered. "I'm what happens when a System fully integrates with its host. I'm what you're becoming."
The elevator doors opened to the parking garage, and standing there waiting for us were three more figures with electricity dancing beneath their skin.
[Boss fight unavoidable. Tutorial combat sequence initiated]
[Good luck, player. You're going to need it.]