Chapter 3

Victoria's POV:

Even without the system having a body, I could tell my questions were beginning to exasperate it.

[Host, just like I said, I am the beautiful and famous system. My sole purpose is to make you a famous woman in the entire world.]

I stared at the ceiling for a moment, then back at nothing in particular, since the system seemed to exist somewhere between my ears and everywhere else at once.

"System, that's where the issue is."

"What if I don't want to be famous to the extent of it being worldwide?" I asked, sitting up slightly in my study chair.

"After all, what if I end up being famous for the wrong thing?"

There was a brief pause.

The kind that, from a person, would have meant they were collecting themselves.

[Host, there is no need to worry about that. Besides, as your system, I am unable to cause you any harm.]

[Furthermore, as long as you thrive, I also benefit from you. So there is truly no need for you to worry.]

I let out a slow breath and relaxed back into the chair.

That was, at the very least, a logical enough reason to set the anxiety aside for now.

If we were bound together in this — whatever this was — then it made no practical sense for the system to work against me.

It continued to explain its goals with what I could only describe as quiet enthusiasm.

As it turned out, with respect to the goal of fame, I had a choice about which aspect of it I pursued.

The system was not going to decide that for me. It was, however, very firm — almost stubborn about it — on the condition that whatever path I chose had to align with my career.

Fame that came from my work, my craft, my chosen field. That was the foundation it was built around.

Other activities that happened to amass fame along the way would be considered a bonus in the future, the system added, in the tone of something trying very hard not to sound too eager about the bonus part.

I nodded slowly, processing all of it.

"Alright," I said. "How do you actually function? What does any of this look like in practice?"

[Replying to the Host — you are currently restricted to daily, monthly, and yearly sign-in rewards.]

"Sign-in rewards?" I repeated, leaning forward slightly.

[Host, just as it implies, you will be rewarded simply by signing in each day, with additional bonuses included at the end of every month and every year. You are also not required to be at any specific location to sign in.]

"Ahh," I said, settling back. "That's quite straightforward actually."

[Host, would you like to sign in now?]

"Yes, system. Sign in."

[Ding!]

[Sign-in successful.]

[Congratulations, Host. You have received a Newbie Pack. $`100,000.00 has been transferred to your system account and +5 attribute points have been added.]

I blinked.

"System account?" I asked, the surprise evident even in my own voice.

[The system account functions similarly to a bank account and can only be accessed by you and me. All cash rewards will be deposited directly into the system account. You may transfer funds to your personal bank account at any time.]

I sat quietly with that for a moment. A private account that only I could access, attached to a system bound to my progress.

Whatever this was, it was beginning to sound significantly less alarming and significantly more interesting.

"That's actually a good thing," I said, more to myself than to the system.

[Host, would you like to open the Newbie Pack?]

"Yes."

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host. You have received the following: +10 attribute points, Skill: Perfect Memory, Skill: Perfect Eyesight, and `$500,000.00 has been transferred to your system account.]

[To view your full information, the Host may open the status panel at any time.]

I went through the contents slowly, a not-so-bright smile settling on my face as I processed each item.

Perfect Eyesight. I reached up instinctively and touched the frame of my glasses.

Of everything in the pack, this felt the most deliberate — like the system had taken one look at me and decided to start there. I had worn glasses since I was eleven years old.

I wasn't particularly bothered by them, but the gesture, if it could be called that, was not lost on me.

As for Perfect Memory — I let out a quiet sigh. If I had received that particular skill even two weeks earlier, my examination this morning might have felt considerably less uncertain.

But then again, it wasn't late. It was, if anything, exactly on time for what came next.

University was ahead of me, and between now and then I had time to properly understand what I was working with. Time to learn the system and learn myself within it.

I straightened in my chair and folded my hands in my lap.

'System, open my status panel.'

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