NOVEL NEXT Ch 1.44: Interruption
Elaina’s eyes went wide as she realized the System was there, speaking. Watching? It was emitting a dull blue glow, not even brighter than the room’s crystal lights. Carline threw herself onto her bed and crawled under the covers, face glowing bright pink as she let out a short yelp.
“I’m so sorry, Elaina! I forgot I’d taken her out.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Elaina said, covering herself with her hands and backing away from the crystal. “System, why didn’t you say anything?”
“I— I didn’t want to be rude and interrupt.”
Elaina pursed her lips, frustrated, confused. “Do you, like, actually see things? Do you have eyes?”
“You can think of my cores as omnidirectional eyes. I can see in all directions.”
“Gods, you call her a voyeur, but you're the one that's always just sitting there watching!”
“Well, excuse me! I suppose next time I will just get up and roll away to give you two some privacy. Although maybe if you’re more thoughtful of—” Elaina threw her sheet onto the orb. “Hey! That is extremely rude, you know.”
“Let us get dressed please,” Elaina said, picking up her wet skirt up once more. “You can come out now, Carline.”
Carline’s head popped out first, looking at the blanket-covered System before turning to her roommate. Elaina blushed as she pulled her skirt up, embarrassment returning to her. Now that… whatever we just did is over, it’s somehow even more embarrassing to be naked in front of her again. She couldn’t help but smile though as Carline’s longing gaze followed her while she grabbed her shirt once more.
“You’re not putting on dry clothes?” Carline asked.
“Nah, I’m showering anyway, remember? Right after we go over whatever the System needs.”
Elaina turned away from Carline to let her dress in peace, despite her desire to be a bit of a voyeur herself, because she knew the girl still had some hang-ups over that sort of thing. “I’m done,” Carline eventually said.
Elaina turned back, struck again by the beauty of the girl before her. There was something about the look on her face, the tiredness, the distractedness, the serenity. It was a feeling Elaina had come to know and love herself over the last two days, and that look was more beautiful to Elaina than any physical characteristic she’d ever seen on another woman. The peace and relaxation after such an intimate act was somehow the best part of everything, both to feel herself and see on others.
“Can you please take this blanket off me?”
“Right,” Elaina said, breaking from her trance and throwing her sheet back on her bed.
“You— you know I am not human, correct? I do not have the biological predisposition to arousal or voyeurism you do.”
“Well, it’s still weird!” Elaina said. “Just tell us if we forget something like that, okay? You’re so quiet most of the time that we can forget you’re here.”
“That is because I am very busy and have many things to analyze. For instance, there is another of my cores that is in imminent danger.”
Elaina’s eyes shot to Carline, worry coursing through her—and that damned skill distractingly converting some of that to arousal—as she contemplated the words. She’d really wanted to talk to Alonse before something like this came up, but it would almost certainly be days or longer before he returned. “How imminent? And what type of danger?”
“Very imminent, but far less danger than before. I have no records of a facility being kept near where this core is, so it is likely another secretive hiding place like the cave in the forest. The danger is of your world though, humans who found the area a few hours ago. They are Aspected, and collecting other crystal fragments in the area.”
“Crystal poachers,” Carline said, shaking her head. “There aren’t many places left with crystal deposits that aren’t under direct supervision of the state, but sometimes smaller ones are found and exploited by less savory types.”
“And if they found the System…” Gods, Elaina did not want to deal with this right now. She still had Combatives after lunch, needed to eat lunch itself, and shower before both of those.
“As Administrator, it is your duty to ensure such a thing does not happen. If criminal elements gained access to classes, however unlikely that may be, it would only cause trouble for you and your people, not to mention be a drain on potential System resources.”
“Can’t I just remove their class? You said I could do that.”
“You could expel them from the System, but only after regaining control of the subcore that added them in the first place. Such is the nature of my current fragmentary existence.”
“Shit.” Elaina shook her head. “Exactly how dangerous is this?”
“It is another level one mission, the lowest grade there can be, but anecdotally I can tell you that the two humans there are nowhere near as strong as you two are currently.”
Elaina rolled her eyes. “You said basically the same thing last time.”
“That— again, I am sorry about that. This is different, though. These are two Aspected, unclassed individuals. They would not be a match for you two if it were to come to combat, and with your growing awareness as System Administrator you will be drawn to the subcore, while they are not, so it is possible you will avoid confrontation entirely.”
Drawn to the subcore? Just thinking of that brought awareness to Elaina, a slight pull towards both the orb on the nightstand and towards the forest, out in the direction of the small grove and cave that held the original copy of the System, just the same has her room key had led her to her room on her first night at Endrin. “Okay… Well, can it wait a little bit? Like, a couple of hours?”
“Maybe just after lunch?” Carline said. “Your Combatives will probably be canceled due to rain, and I have free medical study today anyway. I have an assignment due tomorrow, but I can just work on it whenever we get back.”
“That is an acceptable suggestion. The individuals may locate the subcore, but they will not be able to utilize it without finding a potential unawakened individual who can be granted—
The System stopped speaking, the soft blue glow dimming even more, almost completely snuffed out, before brightening to a higher intensity than the room’s regular lights. “That must wait. There is a far greater threat that is far more immediate.”
“What—” Elaina was cut off by a sound coming from outside the window, a blood-curdlingly familiar howl-growl ringing out under the thunderstorm.