A World on Endless System

Chapter 16: Is There Something Wrong in This Portal Dimension Building?

"If I say my admiration for you, is it wrong?"

Really, Narukha thought Carl was nothing more than a madman. How come? Narukha didn't know what Carl was thinking to stand up to him just to talk about admiration?

Carl is hiding something, and Narukha doesn't know what. Narukha's wary instinct immediately thought so.

"It's not wrong, but the problem is..." Narukha paused in his words. "I want to take a shower now. Can you both step aside?"

Carl's eyebrows rose automatically, feeling unexpected because Narukha actually said that. Even though Carl thought Narukha was going to say something else serious.

"Won't you talk to me for a minute?"

"Then speak now. I already asked what you want. You're being long-winded."

Carl looked at Narukha so intensely for a few seconds. His eyes were straight on Narukha's eyeballs, as if he was reading something from Narukha.

Then Carl took a deep breath while looking away in any direction. His breath exhaled slowly, before Carl finally nodded his head.

"Fine. Let's stop the pleasantries. I don't care if you believe me or not, but your ability at level one, which is just the very beginning of the mission, already shows how qualified you are."

"That's just a coincidence," evaded Narukha who was still trying to hold back from being provoked.

Carl chuckled. "What a coincidence? If it's a coincidence, why did all your steps from start to finish succeed?"

Instead of focusing on Carl's praise, Narukha felt something stuck in those words. Narukha narrowed his eyes slightly and frowned.

"Wait. How come you know everything?" asked Narukha. "Are you watching us?"

At that Carl was silent for a moment. His face looked like he was thinking about something. There was a bit of shock that only lasted a very short time—one second. It was as if Carl had just let loose on something that wasn't allowed.

"I do keep an eye on everything." Carl kept his composure.

Narukha was even more confused by the facial expressions and how Carl was so calm.

"Then why are you watching us?"

"If you have some precious things in your hand, will you take your eyes off them?" Carl threw the question back.

The question caught Narukha's attention. His frown had faded, a slight dimple forming in his cheek as he arched an interested smile.

"I'm interested in why you refer to us as 'things of value'?" Narukha tries to bait Carl. But just like Carl, Narukha can manipulate calm.

Carl was silent. During that time, Narukha could catch a trace of worry from the movement of both eyebrows and seemed to stretch his lips, as well as Carl who wet his lips three times in close proximity.

"Of course it's because we need you to join the System Warriors. Is there any reason that makes more sense than that?" Now, Carl sounds like he's trying to bait Narukha.

Narukha took a deep breath. Without even having to digest it, he knew that Carl was trying to bait him. So, Narukha was as alert as possible to Carl's movements, even though Carl looked calm.

"Unfortunately, I don't want to read your mind right now." Narukha gave an affirmation to her sentence. "Then, if you are interested in me, what will you do?"

Carl looked at Narukha, again. I don't know what he was thinking to pay attention to Narukha in such detail. There was something implied by his gaze, but the young man in front of Carl couldn't guess.

"Nothing. I really just admire your ability, and maybe..." Carl stepped closer, four steps until he was actually standing right in front of Narukha.

When Carl brought his face to Narukha's ear, he whispered, "You will be the foremost player and unbeatable compared to other players."

Narukha frowned. Instead of feeling that Carl's words sounded like support, Narukha felt a threat behind Carl's words.

"You should be proud of that," Carl continued after he lowered his head. "I'm sure that if you've become the best player, you can definitely achieve your goal of saving the residents in the evacuation."

Carl patted Narukha's shoulder a few times, nodding calmly. As if giving faith to Naruto.

At that moment, Narukha felt bad. Carl's words provoked a surge of ambition in his chest. For a few seconds his whole body showed no reaction whatsoever. Trying to calm down from the rush of turmoil that suddenly appeared.

Until then, Carl gave instructions to his three bodyguards to get away from Narukha's presence. However, when Carl had not really passed Narukha, the young man's lips said something spontaneously.

"Do you want to gently provoke me and make me a puppet under your control?"

Carl stopped walking. Just one step behind Naruto.

The two of them stood still in a standing position back to back. Narukha and Carl wouldn't look at each other.

The smile on Carl's face curved, then his chuckle sounded.

"Am I really bad in your mind?" he asked.

Narukha didn't answer that question. For him, too long being close to someone like Carl, made his wary instincts turn on.

The longer, the bigger.

***

Narukha took a deep breath as he dried his hair with a towel.

His two feet walked from the bathroom for level one players. It is located almost at the very end, with views of the rather seedy surrounding area, and are also merged with one another. Except for the women's bathroom which is quite far from the men's bathroom.

While drying his hair, Narukha thought back to the conversation he had with Carl a few moments ago. Narukha still couldn't understand what Carl meant by saying that.

'Is he trying to fuel my ambition even more?' asked Narukha in his mind.

Narukha bowed his head as he walked. His mind was too deep to rethink the meaning of Carl's words.

Until the end...

"Hey you, a boy that drying your hair!"

Someone was blocking his steps. Again.

Narukha stopped walking and looked up. In front of her, there were two male figures with intimidating facial expressions. But that wasn't what Narukha paid attention to, but the clothing attribute which had curved golden patterns at the bottom of the neck.

Like a necklace but can not be called a necklace. Narukha didn't know what it was.

Not only that thing.

His attention was drawn to the sleeves that were covered from the wrist to the elbow. There are line gaps on the lower hand, while on the top the hand is tightly closed. His outfit resembled that of a gladiator.

Narukha immediately knew that the two men standing in front of her must be someone with a high level of play.

"Yes?" Narukha answered briefly.

"I heard rumors about you from a recruit who was on the same level as you."

Narukha's eyebrows rose. Wait, what rumors?

"Wow, I thought his appearance was really dashing. It just turned out like this." The man on the right laughed disdainfully at the end of his sentence.

Really, Narukha didn't understand what the two of them meant.

"I also think the man in question has an athletic build."

Narukha was confused. "What are you talking about?"

With a disdainful smile, the man on the right asked Narukha, "You don't know what the rumors are?"

"Rumors say there is a great man from the lowest level. The man can plan a strategy to avoid the arapaima monster and save almost all the players' lives," said the man on the left side.

"What?" Narukha couldn't believe it, frowning even deeper. "Who are you talking about?"

"It turns out you're stupid too," sneered the man on the right side. "Of course you are. Why would we approach you if you weren't the one the rumors were referring to?"

During Narukha's silence, the two men watched her entire body. Like a scanner.

"Humans should not seem to be discussed, as if they were great."

Narukha remained silent. 'What is this human talking about?' his mind looked fiercely at the man in front of him.

"Remembering how we fought before, it turns out that the current generation is weak. It's easy to be talked about and coveted for."

It's too time consuming.

After exhaling in embarrassment, Narukhq then shook his head.

"If you don't want to talk to the point, I'll go—"

"Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute. I'm not done talking yet."

Narukha let out a lazy sigh as his body was pulled back. Narukha rolled his eyes, looked back at the two men that he suspected were high level players.

"You guys are wasting my time."

The two men in front of Narukha looked at each other, then smiled sinisterly.

"Don't act so arrogant. Do you know what you're up against?"

Narukha didn't react, but was secretly curious.

"You better not make yourself the talk of the other players." The sentence ends with an affirmation by the man on the right. "If you continue like that, your existence will be threatened."

Narukha's eyebrows rose.

"My whereabouts, or yours?" asked Narukha turning the sentence around.

The man in front of Narukha sighed heavily.

"My very existence is being threatened? Why?"

"You're afraid of losing existence, perhaps?" Naruto smiled crookedly.

The cynical laughter of the man in front of Narukha then sounded. "I'm just warning you of that. Compared to you, I've lived here a very long time."

"And being a System Warrior troop is useless?" quipped Narukha. "Many people in poor areas died because of you. Is that what you are proud of?"

The two men in front of Narukha fell silent.

"Why listen to useless troops." That was Narukha's closing sentence.

Narukha's intention was to leave the presence of the two men. But the words of one of the men made his steps stop because they attracted attention.

"There is no use for being useful here, boy."