Zap—Zit—Zit!
[System Notification] Congratulations, you have received a system!
Leo's mind reeled.
A system, after eighteen years? He stood there, staring at the notification until it faded slowly. His vision slowly adjusted, then refocused to Amanda, who was standing in front of him. Currently undressed with only a thin towel draping over her head covering almost nothing else.
"Wow, I didn't realize you're at that age already," Amanda teased, a mischievous grin illuminating her damp features.
Leo felt his cheeks burning hotter as he instinctively raised his hand to cover his face. "Y-you know I'm an adult now, right?" he mumbled. He turned his head slightly, yet he couldn't help to peek through his fingers. He moved forward and hit the ladle on the floor and saw the soup splatters dotting across the floor. "Seriously," he sighed, bending down to collect the ladle, "can't you be more careful?"
Amanda laughed, unbothered by his obvious fluster. She gently wrapped the towel around herself more securely, though it hardly covered her perfectly carved figure—before heading toward their small bedside happily humming.
Shaking off his embarrassment, Leo hurried himself wiping the droplets off the floor. Once it was cleaned, he set the wiping clothe aside and headed for the washroom as he called over his shoulder, "I'm taking my bath now."
"Take your time," Amanda replied from the other room, her voice laced with laughter.
Inside their modest washroom, the faint glow of the magic crystal illuminates the watered floor and wooden walls surrounding him. Leo splashed water on his face, the cold wave cooling his heated mind and body. He saw his reflection in the water below him and realized how much he had changed since he was a child—one who failed to even standup from his crib and yearned for adventures outside their house.
He closed his eyes for a moment but immediately remembered Amanda's antics a while ago. I'll get you, one of these days! He screamed internally, as he splashed more water to himself.
Leo calmed once again after a moment and raised checked his hands.
"I'll check this 'system' later," he closed his hands tightening its grips.
"After waiting for decades, I just wanted any useful skill so I can be an adventurer,"
"I even thought that I will still be a normal person here,"
"But now I actually became one of those system users!" He then raised his arms as if he won a world title boxing match.
After finishing his bath, he dried off and slipped into a comfortable sleeveless tunic. Upon returning to the kitchen, the aroma of the soup mixed with the fragrant sweetness of the bread enticed his nose.
Amanda, now dressed in a simple camisole and short skirt, greeted him with a smile. She had already fixed the table, the soup bowls steaming with its contents. "Just in time," she declared.
They settled at the small table. The room was filled with laughter, teasing and the clanking of wooden utensils and occasional swishing of their soup. Once they finished eating, Amanda gathered the empty bowls and stacked them together in the sink, while Leo wiped the table using a moist rag.
Just as he finished tidying, he heard Amanda's light footsteps approaching toward him. He turned, and saw her wore a playful smile as she swung her arms behind her back. Then, with an excited melody, she revealed a neatly folded bundle of fabric.
"Happy birthday, Leo!" she sing-sang.
Leo blinked in surprise. His gaze fell on the package. It looked like new clothing, maybe something she had tailored or commissioned. He couldn't help but smile. Amanda was always like that, but this felt something different, especially because of the system he had just received.
"Thanks," he said softly, taking the bundle from her hands.
He felt the fabric—durable, and something tickled his hand, It's enchanted! He screamed internally.
Amanda saw the twinkle in Leo's eyes and smiled in contentment.
"Glad you liked it!" She enthusiastically said, "a friend of mine helped me in the capital," as she folded her arms wearing a smug face. It pushed her chest up, almost slipping out from her thin camisole.
Leo sighed but just smiled, I guess I just need to protect her from now on…
After a short break, they decided to end the day and headed to their beds. But sleep eluded Leo. The notification keeps coming back at him. Curiosity got him and he decided to check this 'system' that he got.
He glanced over at Amanda's bed, just a few arms away. Her steady breathing and one of her not-a-care-in-the-world sleep poses struck a smile on his face. The gentle glow of the crystal reflecting the mild sweating on her body. He shook his head and swung his legs off the bed carefully.
His weight made the wooded floorboard creak softly as he made his way out of the house.
The cold air met his face as he stepped on the front porch, the muted sound of the night creatures started to flood his ears. He took a deep breath, and settled onto the stairs.
"How will I even access this 'system'?" Pulling his knees close, he did several attempts.
"System open," he whispered.
Nothing happened.
He snapped his fingers—nothing.
Frustrated, he started tapping his temple as he focused on the empty space in front of him. The moonlight lit the ground, reflecting on his face—highlighting his unease. He crossed his arms, contemplating his next move. Am I just hallucinating? he wondered, yet the notification came back to him—clear as moonlight—proved differently.
Undeterred, Leo took a moment to pull together his thoughts. He tried recollecting the mangas and anime he used to read and watch. He closed his eyes, "What could be the trigger in this world?" as he gestured in the air—until a specific task struck his mind.
Leo raised his hand, What if I do this? and moved his index finger, tapping in the air like how he used to tap on those touchscreen tablets he used to test apps to.
Just as he slightly pulled up his finger, a transparent window started to appear in front of him.
Shing!
Its glow intensified as it fully materialized, the message displayed on it took his breath away—
[System Notification] Welcome to VIP System.