100 Systems Invasion

1. If the World Ends Tomorrow

“What would you do if the world ends tomorrow?”

Seth looked up from his phone and stared at the professor in front of the class. “Die,” he said before going back to his phone.

He was just scrolling down the feed. Where was the rolling cat again? He needed it for his mental health.

The fact that his professor marched on with heavy steps and curled journals in his fist completely unfazed him. Victor could fuck himself, for all he care. He had no need for a self-development question when he had a bigger priority in mind.

That’s the cat he was looking for.

“Seth Holden–“

“Yes, Professor Louise,” he readily cut in, mocking, as he watched a black furball try to catch a butterfly with its little paws. The gasps and muffled chuckles from the rest of the class became a background buzz in his ears.

“I ask you again. If your life ends tomorrow, or three days later, or one month later, what on Earth will you do?” Victor repeatedly asked this. “What are you doing now? If it’s so important, you’re free to leave the class.”

“No, can do, sir,” Seth said, now looking up at the professor again. “My ex is behind the door. I don’t want an early death just because I got bored here.”

Victor fumbled for words, his face reddened. Of course, being the youngest professor in this university didn’t always equal classroom domination. The others seemed to agree with Seth, as more chuckles left his classmates.

“Yet you said you’d die if the world ended tomorrow. Quite the contrary.” It seemed that his professor wasn’t content to be the last one being laughed at.

Sighing, Seth put his phone on the desk, crossing his arm challengingly. “If the world ends tomorrow, I’d do nothing. Sir.” Then, he explained, “Because it’d be meaningless anyway. One single day is not going to make a difference for all the years I have been through. It wouldn’t mean anything. I’d still be dead. Like the rest of you. Are you satisfied with my carefully thought out answer now, Professor?”

The moment the last word left his mouth, the entire class was silent. Only the tick-tocking clock and Victor’s disappointed scoff that was heard.

“And that, class, ” the youngest professor on campus concluded, “That is the answer of a pessimistic person who has nothing in his life.”

Seth clicked his tongue, but decided that it’d be useless to give Victor the satisfaction of disagreeing with him. As much as that annoyed him, what his professor said was the truth. He had nothing in his life. No fast car to street race in, nor a cute cat he could cuddle – ahem, embrace in his arms. Just an ex who was after his ass because he dumped her with a text.

That being said, all Seth could do for now was watch another cat wiggling its furry butt, preparing to launch an attack on a mouse plushie.

But, the screen on his phone suddenly blacked out.

It wasn’t out of battery, he still got 69%. Seth was also pretty sure it wasn’t a virus, he got the best VPN and premium antivirus in case he watched porn. Could it be because God doesn’t want him to watch too many cat videos online?

Thankfully, the screen flashed once before it rebooted, displaying the familiar icon of a bitten apple. He exhaled in relief when the familiar wallpaper of a majestic wild cat greeted him. But, upon sliding the screen, his thumb hovered before going to I***a and resumed his cat-seeing activity.

There, right under his farm game, he saw a brand new icon. It was a white donut with ‘User Interface’ written under. Nothing he should be interested in, usually. But he was curious. After all, it could be a virus and he had spent 15 bucks to firewall his phone.

So, with blissful ignorance, Seth touched the icon.

Such a simple thing. If only he knew what a single touch to a foreign app icon in his phone would do … because after this, everything will not be the same.

Dong!

[Congratulations!]

[You are among one hundred lucky people to have receive a System!]

Seth blinked stupidly. Almost in disappointment, really. It was just a freaking ads, he thought as he squinted to read the many ways smaller text at the bottom of the otherwise minimalistic user interface.

[Free only for seven days.]

Then, the screen flashed again and the monochromatic interface soon morphed into a futuristic display, dominated by shades of blue this time.

[It may take a long time to extract assets for the first time.]

[After it, the start-up speed will increase 200%.]

‘The hell? Now, it’s a game?’ Seth wondered to himself as the unauthorised game installed itself on his phone. ‘So much for that 15 bucks.’

Again, the screen displayed another wallpaper still in blue theme.

[I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy and Tracking Policy. Our Terms & Conditions apply.]

The only choice was to back away by forcefully shutting down the game, or he could check the innocent little box on the side and see what kind of game could install itself on his phone.

Flicking his eyes at the clock above Victor’s boring head, Seth decided that … why not?

[Allow the System to access this device’s owner?]

‘You’re giving me a choice now?’ Seth quickly touched the ‘Don’t allow’ option.

[Confirmed.]

[The System will integrate with this device only.]

[Loading.]

[Please wait a minute . . .]

[Success.]

Then the screen went back to display the same futuristic theme in blue.

[Welcome to the System!]

[Please create your nickname.]

[The first change is free, so don’t worry if you haven’t decided yet.]

Seth entered the first thing that came to his mind. ‘Jet Lynx,’ he typed.

[Start your survival journey with a special bonus!]

[Free 3.000 cells!]

As he collected the free bonus, someone cleared their throat in front of his desk.

Seth looked up and saw Sarah Dickson, the ex-girlfriend who shouldn’t be in his class. Well, on second thought, he was just aware that the class had ended and was only leaving a bunch of girls ready to scavenge for hot gossip.

“What?”

Sarah blanched, “You dare to ‘what’ me?”

“Okay, I’ll take it back,” with a flat face, he rephrased, “Why?”

His ex might lack in the intelligence department, but she surely has a pair of nice, long legs. “You broke up with me? With a text?”

She couldn’t even figure it out herself, see? Must he always explain it to her?

“Fine. You want me to say it to your face, then listen closely. Unlike you, I don’t share my dick with someone else. So, yes, we’re breaking up. You may share as much dicks as you want with whoever the fucks, I don’t care. We’re done here.”

The slap, Seth already expected it. But dodging would only lead to another series of quick attacks on her part. So he let her. It wasn’t like he’d die from a high five to his face anyway. But, the punch that followed?

“Gah!” Seth clutched his nose, trying to lessen the pain and not getting blood on his only clean t-shirt. Damn, he really should move his ass to the laundromat later today. “The heck, woman?!”

On the other hand, Sarah was shaking her hand as she grimaced. Red-faced, she said with gritted teeth, “I don’t want to see you again!”

Yet, she was the one who waited for him outside the class, then approached him inside. Two years of dating, and Seth didn’t feel a slight pang of hurt when she left.

Was he a bastard? Oh, definitely.

But was he wrong for breaking up with her? That was a big no. She brought it upon herself by having a threesome with another couple.

Giggles came from the other side of the room. Seth rolled his eyes as the bunch of girls probably already posted his heart-breaking, fresh drama online. He could care less about them. However, as he picked up his phone …

[A bonus mission received.]

[Bonus Mission 1: Give Sarah Dickson a payback slap.]

[Rewards: 10 exp + 10 cells.]

[Time Left: 7 days 0 hour.]

Seth’s eyes widened, wondering if the game was actually an Augmented Reality, where the virtual world mixed with the real one. Because if that was the truth, he just got a hella crazy game that downloaded itself in his phone. For free, he might add.

Although, he wasn’t that crazy as to catch up to his ex and give her a slap in return. No. Instead, Seth closed the pop up window to fiddle with the game itself. The lit up screen provided him with a display of ‘Missions’ instead. And one of them definitely caught his attention.

[Main Mission 1: Survive the first wave invasion.]

[Mission Detail: At 00.00 tonight, the first wave invasion will hit Earth. Survive until the second wave invasion in 100 days 0 hour.]

[Rewards: Second wave invasion’s survival kit + multiple level ups.]

[Time Left: 99 days 11 hours.]

“Is this fucking thing even real?”

No one answered. But his mother called.

Strange.