NOVEL NEXT Chapter 99: Never Doubt Your Own Strength
The officer replied, "We've conducted a thorough inspection of your property. Based on the investigation, it appears the incident was purely accidental, caused by an electrical short circuit. We found no evidence of foul play or intentional damage."
Alaric listened closely to every word. Relief crept in upon hearing the explanation from the authorities. Still, there was a lingering unease inside him. Whether it was instinct or just the accumulation of recent strange events, he couldn't quite shake it off.
After a brief moment of reflection, Alaric gave a slow nod. "Understood, sir. Thank you for the clarification."
The officer smiled in response. "If you have any further concerns or questions, don't hesitate to return. Everything has been documented."
Alaric stood up slowly, feeling slightly more at ease, though his thoughts were already shifting toward the next step he needed to take. The fire might have been ruled an accident, but the mystery of the documents and the rumors at his campus still demanded answers.
....
Alaric stood in the middle of his room, staring out the window. His eyes weren't focused on anything in particular outside. His lips moved slowly, speaking in a rhythm that matched the quiet pulse of his thoughts:
"If only this system could offer a little more convenience… something I could actually do."
Silence enveloped the room. The inner weight he'd felt moments ago began to dissolve into quiet contemplation, mingled with a hope for something more.
But then, just a few minutes later, Alaric sensed something had changed. The room that once felt ordinary suddenly began to close in. The walls shifted, forming a compact box around him.
He found himself trapped inside a small space, like a mini interrogation chamber. Each side was sealed tightly, cutting him off from the outside world completely.
Alaric looked around. His eyes traced the cold metallic lines and creeping shadows of panels sliding into place. Everything felt cold, mentally suffocating. For the first time, the system's presence truly unsettled him.
"What… is this? Is the system… glitching?" he muttered, his hand instinctively reaching out to touch the empty table in the center of the room.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the space. It didn't speak in his mind this time. It vibrated in the air around him, as if coming from the very walls themselves.
[Additional assistance is now available.]
The system spoke in a neutral, mechanical tone.
< "To access this assistance, you can exchange your progress storage capacity. Reduce it from 1000 to 500. In return, you'll gain the freedom to act however you wish, without raising suspicion in the real world."
For a few seconds, his heartbeat became erratic. Shock pulsed through him, so strongly he could feel the blood surging in his veins.
The metallic walls seemed to close in on him. Yet, the notification felt more like an offer. A way to finally move freely, unburdened by how others perceived him. His mind blanked for a moment, emptied by the shock that gripped him.
As his thoughts slowly came back into focus, Alaric took a moment to think. He tried to imagine the implications of the offer still displayed on the glowing panel above.
To exchange progress storage…
Did that mean giving up some of what he had achieved for greater freedom?
Freedom from suspicion. Freedom from being watched. That kind of power could be a game-changer. But at the same time, there was unease.
"Was this safe?"
"What were the long-term consequences?"
Alaric took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to find calm in this closed steel room. It felt like a training space where the only thing that mattered was himself and the decision in front of him.
No one could help him weigh the options. No one was watching. It was just him and the choice he had to make.
When he opened his eyes, the holographic screen in front of him flickered back to life. It displayed the exchange symbol clearly, showing that his progress storage would drop from 1000 to 500. With a confirmation icon glowing in the center.
He stared at the icon. His eyes lit up faintly, a mix of curiosity and tension building inside. His right hand hovered in the air, as if weighing courage against the risk.
There was a moment of silence.
Then, the mechanical voice returned.
[Choose wisely. This choice may accelerate your search for the truth.]
Alaric swallowed hard, eyes locked on the icon. The room still felt tight and heavy, but it also seemed to promise him something. A chance to move freely. The expression on his face was unreadable. Finally, gathering his resolve, he raised his hand toward the icon.
He stared at the surrounding steel walls that seemed to confine every part of him. And then, without realizing it, a second voice stirred within him. A different tone. Firm, rational, grounded.
It echoed from deep inside his mind.
"Just accept it, Alaric. Sure, your storage tank will shrink, but it won't matter much. What's important now is resolving your current problem, quickly."
Alaric frowned, glancing to his left and right as if trying to locate the source of the voice.
"What? I didn't say anything… Why does it feel like something is pushing me?" he murmured in confusion.
The voice grew more insistent, faster—pressing him harder.
"Hurry, Alaric! You don't have time to think. Just do it now!"
Without thinking, Alaric's hand reached out and pressed the icon glowing in front of him. The same button that had appeared faintly on the holographic screen against the steel wall.
In an instant, the system began processing his action. Alaric held his breath. A part of him wanted to pull back, to cancel the process... but it was too late. The moment his finger touched that icon, the system locked him in. There was no turning back.
The screen in front of him slowly lit up with its familiar glow. Step-by-step instructions appeared, guiding him forward.
< "If you want to go to the XBHshs office, you can now enter without anyone questioning you. The same goes for school. The world is yours now."
That was the message. Alaric read those words, adrenaline coursing through him, mixed with a heavy sense of anticipation.
The screen then showed him what he looked like: walking confidently into the very office building he had long wanted to enter, but had always been blocked by status, identity, or suspicion.
Now, he could walk right in. No security guard questioned his presence. He moved through the building freely, as though he owned the place.
Then the view shifted, this time to the school grounds. He saw himself entering an office, going through documents and searching for records. Opening drawers, checking files—those belonging to various faculty members.
It might've seemed invasive, even rude, but his goal wasn't to trash the place or target the teachers. He was after something personal... evidence.
Something he knew no one else would go out of their way to find, except someone followed by his own shadow.
And in that moment, Alaric understood:
"So… this is what I need to do."
All the fear and hesitation he had earlier were now filtered into a sharp, clear plan in his mind.
The enclosed steel room began to shift. The walls that had surrounded him slowly retracted, one by one. Alaric held his breath, eyes scanning the space as it gradually opened up again.
Light from the outside spilled in, casting warmth on his face. The fresh air brushed against his skin. In mere seconds, the walls had fully vanished, leaving Alaric standing alone on the familiar floor of his own home.
He looked around, confirming it was truly the real world. No simulation, no illusion. The wooden floor beneath his feet, the familiar scent of the house—it was all real. He was back.
Alaric lowered his gaze, a sense of calm and readiness washing over him. The real world was back in front of him, and now, the next steps were entirely his to decide.
A new awareness settled over him:
He had gained freedom, but also responsibility.
Every move he made from here on out had to count. The distractions of the external world had temporarily lifted. His focus was now clear: uncover the truth, clear his name, and investigate the documents no one else dared to look for.
He glanced around his home once more, grounding himself in the present moment. Then, with a single movement, he straightened his back, rolled his shoulders, and looked straight ahead.
Alaric believed one thing now—
That he could hold his fate in his own hands. And can focus on things that can be arranged freely by oneself.
Alaric also realized that the instructions given by the system were not a benchmark for him to follow 100% He can even develop it into more creative and powerful strategies and ideas than what the system suggests.
And he said, "Never doubt your own strength."