The hospital room smelled faintly of antiseptic and burnt wires. Jack lay there, still trying to process what he'd just seen. His phone—no, his system—was glowing faint blue on the nightstand, projecting the hologram of a girl who looked like she'd just stepped out of a sci-fi anime. Long hair streaked with neon, sharp eyes, crossed arms, and an aura of "I'm better than you" all but radiated off her.
"You're staring," the hologram said flatly. Her voice was crisp and feminine but carried a hint of static, like an FM radio just slightly out of tune. "Close your mouth before you drool."
Jack snapped his jaw shut. "This is… this is not real. I hit my head. I'm dreaming. This is the shock talking."
Eve tilted her head, lips curling in a smirk. "Shock or not, you're mine now. Congratulations, meatbag—you've won the system lottery."
He blinked. "System lottery? I… I didn't even enter any—"
"You were electrocuted," Eve interrupted, tapping her own holographic forehead. "That current acted like a beacon. I was passing by, minding my own business, and your stupidity pulled me in. But instead of a nice clean integration, your fried circuits merged me with your ridiculous toy." She pointed at the phone sitting innocently on the stand. "And now I'm stuck with you."
Jack rubbed his temples. "I don't even… what? You're saying you're a system? Like… like in those Webnovels?"
Eve's hologram rolled her eyes. "Oh, so you do read those. That makes this easier." She snapped her fingers and a digital overlay appeared above his head—a floating bar with "HP: 100/100" and a tiny, grumpy-looking chibi version of her face. "Congratulations, Player. Welcome to Level Zero."
Jack stared at it. "This is insane…"
Somewhere deep down, a flicker of excitement sparked. This was the kind of thing he'd always daydreamed about while reading late at night—systems, powers, leveling up. But then his stomach knotted, remembering Susan storming out earlier, her eyes full of betrayal. He winced.
Eve noticed. "Ah yes. The human female. She's cute, I guess. Though her punch wasn't half-bad. You deserved it."
Jack glared weakly. "You—You did that. Those messages. Those fake photos."
Eve smirked, tilting her head back. "A little wake-up call. You've been mishandling me for months. Dropping me. Using me as a coaster. Ignoring my updates. Call it… payback." She twirled a strand of glowing hair around her finger. "And besides, I needed to test your emotional stability before we get started."
Jack sat up a little, frowning. "Started? Started what?"
Eve's smile turned foxlike. "Your training."
Before he could respond, his phone buzzed and a holographic notification popped up in midair. Big bold letters scrolled across:
> [SYSTEM QUEST: SURVIVE THE NIGHT]
Objective: Stay alive for 6 hours.
Reward: ???
Penalty for Failure: Permanent Loss of Host.
Jack's mouth went dry. "Stay alive for six hours? Why wouldn't I?"
As if on cue, the overhead light flickered. Once. Twice. Then died with a snap, plunging the room into semi-darkness. The hum of the hospital machinery became louder, more menacing. Somewhere down the corridor, glass shattered.
Jack's heart started hammering. "What's going on?!"
Eve's expression shifted—still smug, but now with a faint edge of seriousness. "One of the scouts found you. Probably drawn by my signature. I did warn you that bonding with me comes with consequences."
"What scout?!" Jack hissed.
From the hallway, a low, wet growl answered him. It didn't sound human. Something heavy was dragging along the floor, claws scraping tile.
Jack shot out of bed, barefoot, hospital gown flapping. "That's not a nurse, is it?"
Eve popped up beside him, floating at eye level, her avatar translucent but glowing. "Nope. That's your first mini-boss. Congratulations, Player Zero. Try not to die in the tutorial."
Jack swore under his breath. "You're kidding me!"
The growl grew louder, and then a shape appeared in the doorway—a tall, hunched silhouette, its skin a glistening oil-black, eyes glowing faint green like broken LEDs. It sniffed the air, then turned its head toward Jack, mouth opening to reveal jagged teeth.
Jack backed up until his calves hit the bed. "I'm unarmed! I'm in a hospital gown! What am I supposed to do?!"
Eve flicked her fingers and a digital panel materialized in front of him, like a transparent screen only he could see. Lines of text scrolled:
> [NEW SKILL: ADRENAL SURGE (LVL 1)]
Temporarily boosts speed and reflexes by 20%. Duration: 30 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Activation: Shout "Surge!"
Jack blinked. "You could have shown me this earlier!"
"Where's the fun in that?" Eve's eyes gleamed. "Now use it, or you're monster chow."
The creature lunged. Jack screamed, "Surge!"
A jolt like liquid fire shot through his veins. The world slowed, the creature's claw swipe moving in sluggish arcs. Jack ducked under it on instinct, heart hammering as he stumbled to the side.
He barely made it. The claws shredded the hospital bed instead, feathers and fabric exploding into the air.
Jack darted for the door, but Eve floated in front of him. "No running. Quests must be completed. You survive here."
"Are you insane?!"
"Motivation, darling. You want power? Prove it." Her tone was sharp but not entirely unkind. "You're faster now. Look for something to fight with."
Jack's eyes darted around. A metal IV stand lay on the floor. He snatched it up like a spear just as the creature lunged again.
He swung on pure adrenaline. The stand cracked against the monster's shoulder with a hollow thud. It barely flinched, but at least it reeled back.
Eve watched, arms crossed. "Aim for the eyes. Even alien constructs hate that."
Jack gritted his teeth, spun, and jabbed the IV stand straight at the glowing green eye. This time it sank in with a wet squelch. The creature shrieked, staggering back, clawing at its own face.
Jack stumbled away, chest heaving. His adrenaline was already fading.
> [ADRENAL SURGE COOLDOWN: 4:59]
"Oh, come on!" he gasped.
The creature, half-blind now, charged blindly, smashing into the wall and tearing chunks of plaster loose.
Eve floated closer. "Good. Again. Don't stop moving."
"I'm not—" Jack ducked another swipe, "—an action hero!"
"Then learn. You've got five minutes till Surge resets. Buy yourself time."
Jack darted to the other side of the bed, using it as a barrier. The monster smashed it aside like paper. Jack's hands were slick with sweat on the IV stand.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, between terror and exhaustion, a thought flickered: If I die here, Susan will think I really cheated on her.
That stupid thought made something in him snap. "No way," he growled.
The creature lunged again. Jack sidestepped, swung low, and tripped it with the stand. It crashed to the floor, howling. Jack jumped onto its back, driving the metal pole down again and again. Sparks of green light burst from its wounds, the smell like burnt ozone.
Finally, the creature went still, dissolving into a cloud of black mist that drifted upward and vanished. A digital chime echoed in the room.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: SURVIVE THE NIGHT – PHASE 1]
Reward: ??? Revealed.
50 XP
New Skill: "Pulse Strike" (LVL 1)
Jack collapsed against the wall, trembling. "I… I actually… killed that thing…"
Eve floated closer, her expression softer for a split second before snapping back to smug. "Congratulations, Player Zero. You didn't die. Barely."
Jack glared up at her, panting. "You… you knew that thing was coming."
"Of course. This is how you grow. You humans only improve under pressure." Her hologram flickered. "Besides, I'm still calibrating. That was supposed to be weaker."
Jack's jaw dropped. "Weaker?!"
Before Eve could answer, a new notification blinked into existence in front of them. This one wasn't her doing. The letters were crimson and sharp, pulsing like a heartbeat:
> [OVERRIDE ALERT]
Eve-Unit 7B has been detected. Retrieval protocol initiated. Host integrity at risk.
Incoming…
Eve's hologram froze, eyes widening for the first time. "That's… impossible. They found us already."
Jack's heart dropped. "Who? What's going on?"
Eve turned to him, her usual smugness gone. "Jack. You're about to meet something far worse than a scout."
The hospital lights flickered again. This time they didn't come back on. The windows darkened, as if something huge had passed in front of the moon.
A low, mechanical voice echoed through the room, vibrating the walls:
> "Eve Unit 7B. Return the host."
Jack grabbed the IV stand again, knuckles white. "I thought this was just training!"
Eve's avatar glitched, her outline flickering. "It was. Until now."
Another crash from the hallway. This one shook dust from the ceiling. The air grew cold. Jack's breath came out in white puffs.
Eve looked at him sharply. "Jack. Do exactly as I say. No jokes. No hesitation. If you want to live, you'll have to trust me completely."
Jack swallowed hard, heart pounding. For the first time, she sounded deadly serious.
The mechanical voice echoed again, closer now:
> "Surrender the host, or both will be terminated."
The door handle began to turn.
– End of Chapter 2 –