RiftWalker: System's Domination

"In an instant, David felt unable to breathe. He began to struggle as the weight of the earth pressed against his chest, slowly cutting off his air supply."

The lack of oxygen and the pressure build-up made his situation increasingly critical.

As time passed, his vision began to blur, and his eyes turned red. The shortness of breath should have caused him to lose consciousness by now, but somehow he remained aware.

"After more than five minutes, his face started to turn extremely blue, and it appeared as though he might burst from the pressure. Yet, David persisted against all odds."

▪ ▪ ▪ ERROR ▪ ▪ ▪

A new window popped up as the system halted its protocol.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE IMPOSITION OF THE PENALTY WAS UNSUCCESSFUL ▪ ▪ ▪

David began to gasp heavily as his air supply was restored.

▪ ▪ ▪ SELECTING ANOTHER PENALTY ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ PENALTY SELECTED ▪ ▪ ▪

"David hadn't fully recovered yet, and while still gasping for breath, he began shouting, 'W-wait, wait, stop!'"

▪ ▪ ▪ DEATH BY DROWNING ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ 3 ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ 2 ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ 1 ▪ ▪ ▪

"Unfortunately, David, who had barely survived, now felt his lungs filling with water. He started to cough and gag, which further impaired his ability to breathe."

But to no avail. Within seconds, he succumbed once more to suffocation, ultimately losing the battle against the relentless water.

"His body's tissues and organs, deprived of oxygen, experienced confusion and weakness. He began to lose movement."

"A couple of minutes had passed; he should have been dead by now. Yet, miraculously, David persisted—or at least that's what he thought."

▪ ▪ ▪ ERROR ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM HAS CONTINUESLY BEEN UNABLE TO IMPOSE THE PENALTY ▪ ▪ ▪

David began to cough heavily once more as water spilled from his lungs, bracing himself for the next wave.

▪ ▪ ▪ INVESTIGATING FURTHER ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ PLEASE WAIT ▪ ▪ ▪

"Damn it, if you want to kill me, then do it already! Why are you making me suffer?" he thought in anger, too weak to express his feelings aloud.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SOURCE CODE

DETECTED AN ANOMALY ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ FOR UNKNOWN REASONS THE

DESIGNER WANTS TO KEEP YOU ALIVE ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ TERMINATION CEASED ▪ ▪ ▪

The window closed after conveying the message.

"So it's over," he murmured, remaining motionless.

By now, the night was at its zenith, replacing the agony that had gripped him, caused by the system. He lay on the floor, soothed by the moonlight streaming through the window. The dust drifting through the light resembled blinking stars.

David wanted to cry but was unable to. "How has my life turned out this way?" he asked himself.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM HAS A

PROPOSAL FOR YOU ▪ ▪ ▪

A new notification appeared this time.

"Can't you leave me alone?" David said, directing his frustration towards the system.

▪ ▪ ▪ WHAT IS YOUR DEEPEST DESIRE ▪ ▪ ▪

"What the he—what do you mean now?"

▪ ▪ ▪ WHAT DO YOU WANT THE MOST ▪ ▪ ▪

"Oh, that's what you meant. It's the same old 'DEATH' you failed to inflict upon me," he replied, disappointed.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM IS UNABLE TO

COMPREHEND YOUR REQUEST ▪ ▪ ▪

With a touch of humor at the system's failure to understand, David acknowledged, "The human mind is indeed very complex.

▪ ▪ ▪ WHAT IF THE SYSTEM OFFERS

YOU POWER TO RULE THE WORLD ▪ ▪ ▪

"It seems you're trying to exploit my human nature, the desire for power, you say? Ha! I have no interest in that. I've had enough power; look where it led me. I've learned my lessons and am better off in this prison."

▪ ▪ ▪ WHY DO YOU WANT TO DIE ▪ ▪ ▪

If you want to hear it that badly, I suppose I'll tell you, though it may not mean much now. I'm the one who ruthlessly killed someone dear to me, with my own hands.

"A kind-hearted person, a sincere friend who always looked after me while ignoring my shortcomings, was the one I killed," he continued, showing regret.

▪ ▪ ▪ WHY DID YOU KILL ▪ ▪ ▪

"I can't remember clearly; the memory of the incident is hazy. If I were being truthful, I would also like to know, but I can't recall."

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM CAN

RESTORE YOUR MEMORY ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ IN EXCHANGE YOU HAVE

TO COLLECT SHARDS ▪ ▪ ▪

"Is that even a thing?" he wondered to himself, still skeptical. "Yet, we're talking about a floating window in mid-air, so it might be possible," he corrected himself before another message appeared.

But how can I be sure you can actually do that?

▪ ▪ ▪ INITIALIZING PROTOCOLS ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ REVIVING A LONG

FORGOTTEN MEMORY ▪ ▪ ▪

In a glimpse, colors beyond the visible spectrum began to flood his senses, and the very fabric of reality seemed to twist and unravel, revealing unseen aspects of the dimension in which he was currently residing.

Transitioning within the confines of his body, he soared through galaxies and nebulas, witnessing the birth and death of stars in mere moments.

Until he arrived at a perfect moment, restored by the system from a memory he had long forgotten.

David remembered a night from his childhood that seemed to resonate with the present moment. It felt as though the system had deliberately chosen it for him.

He remembers himself in his old room, softly lit by a nightlight casting a warm glow over the bed. Star-like pendants blinking hung from the ceiling. The young child is snugly tucked under a vibrant blanket, with both parents beside him, ready to share their nightly bedtime stories.

His father began to recount tales of the various beasts he had encountered during his ventures in the Rifts. David found one of these creatures particularly terrifying, a night-stalking ice wolf that never hunted alone. This fearsome predator would freeze its victims just enough to immobilize them before devouring them alive.

David grew increasingly scared, which led to his father being scolded by his mother. Sensing his fear, she gently rubbed her hand over his head to soothe and calm him down.

They stayed with him until he had fallen asleep, offering their presence and comfort throughout.

▪ ▪ ▪ MEMORY ENDED ▪ ▪ ▪

A notification appeared as the system confirmed its capability to restore memories.

Without knowing why, he suddenly felt something warm and wet on his face, trickling down toward his lips. Following this discovery, he made a crying face, realizing he was able to cry after all.

"How could I have forgotten such a precious moment?" he mused, doubting his own affection.

"I know I can't have a second chance, and I know I can't start a new life, it's entirely impossible. Regardless of that, I also know I have to change," he said, as he sank deeper into his tears.

He remained motionless for a few moments, moments that felt like an eternity.

"I have decided to change from this moment forward, knowing that there are no do-overs in life," he declared, as he composed himself and ceased sobbing.

"I just want to know if I could have actually been the kind of man who killed his best friend," he asked the system, offering his help in collecting shards in exchange for recovering his memory.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM ACCEPTS

YOUR PROPOSITION ▪ ▪ ▪

▪ ▪ ▪ THE MAIN QUEST

HAS BEEN UPDATED ▪ ▪ ▪

David instructed the system to open the quest menu and display the new quest.

[ INFO ▸ QUEST ▾ INVENTORY ▸ SHOP ▸ ]

MAIN QUEST

▫ Escape the prison

DAILY QUEST

▫ Not Available

"Is the system drunk or something? Why am I getting these strange quests? Can't it give normal quests like 'slay the slimes' or something?" he remarked, visibly annoyed.

▪ ▪ ▪ EACH QUEST COMPLETED

WILL EARN REWARDS ▪ ▪ ▪

"On second thought, I do understand the reasoning behind these quests, since I can't find the shards within the confines of this prison," he said with a heavy sigh.

"But it still has to be done my way, my principles still matter."

"I have a potential solution that could enable me to leave prison legally rather than escaping," he said, directing his gaze towards the notification window.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM DEMANDS INFORMATION ▪ ▪ ▪

You see, I could apply for parole since it has been a year and it is now available. However, having been denied parole twice already, I'm fairly certain I will be denied again.

"But there's a catch," he said, almost letting out a smirk.

If an individual applies for parole to reduce their prison sentence by clearing Rifts, the law mandates acceptance, given the high demand.

Moreover, the world does not concern itself with the lives of petty criminals. Since most of the prisoners die clinging to the false hope of reducing their sentence.

"I don't recall the exact number of lower-ranked Rifts required, but for Rank B, clearing three Rifts reduces the sentence by one year. For Rank A, clearing two Rifts is sufficient, and for Rank S, clearing one Rift reduces the sentence by one year."

It may seem like a good deal, but prisoners who have already had their powers drained by law through Rift collection duties find that entering the Rifts in such harsh conditions is nothing but instant death.

"So that's about it," he added, concluding his briefing.

Tomorrow, the first thing I will do is apply for parole to reduce my sentence by clearing Rifts.

▪ ▪ ▪ THE SYSTEM APPROVES

OF YOUR METHOD ▪ ▪ ▪

"System, close the window," he said, speaking this time to verify.

The window closed, and David was left alone once more in the solitude of his prison cell.

"I should have said it earlier; it would have saved me a lot of hassle," he reflected, regretting his earlier lapse in judgment.

"David rose from the floor and settled onto the bed. The moment his eyes closed, he fell into a deep sleep—a miracle that had occurred after a long time."

"Perhaps a glimmer of hope had already begun to take root within David."