With the discussion over, Sakolomé resumed his way back to his apartment. He glanced at his watch: 6:12 PM.
— Perfect, I still have time before the meeting, he murmured.
Arriving in his room, he turned on the light, took off his jacket, and stood shirtless. He took out the small package from his pocket and carefully opened it. Inside lay the chip, tiny and shiny, which he delicately held in his hand.
— Well… let's go, he sighed.
He placed the chip on his head. Instantly, a holographic tablet appeared before him, projecting writings and a robotic voice echoed:
[Hello, I am the Nemesis System. Nice to meet you…]
Virtual buttons appeared on the hologram:
[Please enter your name.]
Sakolomé typed his name. The system responded immediately:
[Synthesizing your identity from current information...]
__[Synthesis complete. You are Sakolomé Satsujin Otoko, 25 years old, formerly residing in Monor City. Your father was Niyus Satsujin Otoko, deceased from an unknown cause. Your mother is Amu Satsujin Otoko. You are the second son of Niyus and have a younger sister and brother…]
— Good… now that you have my general information… murmured Sakolomé.
The system continued:
[Combining current skills to merge with the user in progress]
[Combination is about to start. Do you accept?]
Two buttons appeared: a green one marked Accept, a red one marked Decline. Sakolomé pressed the green.
[Combination session launched…]
*Knowledge synthesis: completed
*Taste synthesis: completed
*Skill synthesis: ERROR…
Retry… Skill synthesis: ERROR…
Sakolomé frowned, intrigued.
— What do you mean, "error"?
The hologram flickered slightly and the robotic voice responded in a neutral but firm tone:
[Incompatibility detected. Skill fusion incomplete. Verifying data…]
[Your skills seem too advanced for the system. Do you want to reduce them to proceed with the fusion?]
Options A: Accept
Options B: Decline
Sakolomé sighed deeply.
— My skills are already reduced… I'm not even using 2% of my true potential… and yet… whatever.
He chose option A.
[Launching skill reduction session for Sakolomé in progress…]
[Process almost complete… Results: It will take 300,000 years to synthesize your skills to at least 12% and properly fuse with the system. Do you want to start the synthesis?]
Sakolomé slapped his forehead, incredulous.
— 300,000 years? Even at 2% of my power, I'm already too much for this system? Is this a joke? For a normal human, this synthesis would last barely a few hours…
He was silent for a moment, thinking, his eyes shining with a spark of intelligence. Then a slight smile spread across his lips.
— I've found a solution… he murmured.
Sakolomé took a deep breath and placed his hands on the chip. An idea had just sprouted in his mind: he would launch the process, but massively accelerate it.
— If this system wants to play smart… then I'll show it how it's done, he murmured with a slight smile.
He concentrated a small fraction of his energy into the chip. Instantly, the time indicated by the system for the synthesis dropped from 300,000 years to… 30 seconds.
[Skill synthesis in progress…]
[Acceleration applied by the user…]
The seconds flew by rapidly. The holograms flickered, streams of information rushed around Sakolomé like a shower of golden data. The system's voice announced:
[Detailed analysis of user's skills:]
– Body mastery: exceptional, superhuman endurance, accelerated regeneration, agility surpassing all human norms.
– Combat: expert in all forms of close and ranged combat, high-level strategic tactician.
– Mental: instant calculation, probability anticipation, resistance to mental manipulation.
– Magic and powers: mastery of multiple energy flows, partial elemental control, adaptation capacity to extreme environments.
– Perception: amplified senses, reading intentions, weakness detection.
– Additional abilities: limited cloaking, partial transformation, neutralization of environmental threats, simplified conceptual adaptation.
The skills continued to scroll at a dizzying speed, detailing dozens or even hundreds of aptitudes, all combined into a coherent synthesis despite the voluntary reduction he had applied.
Sakolomé burst into a light laugh, shaking his head amusedly:
— Even after reducing my skills… I remain nearly omnipotent for this system… ahahaha.
He placed his hands on his knees, watching the data flow stabilize. Each ability was now integrated into the Nemesis System, ready to be used and tested. Even in a reduced version, Sakolomé's power far exceeded what the system could normally hope to manage.
— Well… now, let's see how these "new warriors" will fare against me… he murmured with a smile, a spark of challenge shining in his eyes.
Sakolomé sighed, running a hand through his hair.
— I forgot… I have a date with Leyla tonight.
At that moment, an alert rang in his mind.
[ You have received a message from the system. Do you want to open it? ]
He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
— A message? From the system? What could that be?
He took a slight breath and gave the command:
— Open the message.
The hologram expanded before him, and the system's synthetic voice read the content:
[ What do you think of my system, young Satsujin Otoko? ]
Sakolomé remained frozen for a moment, his eyes narrowed in thought.
Who could be sending such a message? Mo-Zus? Or… the true creator of the system?
He finally shrugged and murmured:
— Whatever…
He touched the reply button and calmly typed:
"Your system is still too limited, I think."
Message sent.
Barely a second later, the alert sounded again:
[ You have received a message. Do you want to open it? ]
Sakolomé opened the message and read:
[ That's only temporary. Later, with my system, mortal humans will even be able to fight gods. ]
Sakolomé's pupils contracted.
— The gods…?
Before he had time to write anything, a last line appeared:
[ Chat session ended. ]
The hologram disappeared, leaving Sakolomé in heavy silence. He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.
Mortals will be able to fight the gods… What does he mean by "gods"? Those of his beliefs… or the true entities I know?
He let out a breath, raising his eyes toward the white ceiling.
— Another wave of mystery… I'm not in a hurry to discover all that.
But his gaze lingered on the holographic letters still floating before him. An idea crossed his mind. He raised his head slightly and spoke in a neutral tone:
— Nemesis System, who is your creator?
The answer came immediately:
[ Sorry, but I cannot reveal the identity of my creator at this time. Do you have another question? ]
A worried crease furrowed Sakolomé's forehead.
Why so much secrecy? Why remain in the shadows? That bodes nothing good.
He finally stood and stretched, as if to chase away those thoughts.
— Whatever. I'll investigate. But for now… I have to hurry. Leyla's waiting for me.
Sakolomé put on a perfectly ironed dark shirt, matched with elegant trousers. He left the collar slightly open, adding a casual touch to his look. After applying a subtle perfume, he grabbed his jacket and left the apartment.
The sun had already set. He went down the stairs and hailed a yellow taxi by the curb.
— Fourth street, Six Trees district.
The driver nodded, and the car started smoothly. During the ride, Sakolomé watched the city pass by behind the window, distracted. The neon signs of the shops lit up gradually, contrasting with the twilight shadows. Six Trees district… really a strange name.
The taxi stopped in front of a modern restaurant, surrounded by a few towering trees that gave their name to the district. Sakolomé paid the fare and sat on a nearby bench, facing the constant flow of passersby. His eyes scanned the crowd with calm indifference.
A few minutes later, he saw her.
Leyla.
She walked with that discreet elegance that often characterized her. Her green hair was tied in a neat bun, with a few strands escaping to frame her delicate face. Her rectangular glasses reflected the evening lights, and she wore a slightly fitted white blouse tucked into a black pleated skirt falling just above the knee. At her feet, simple ankle boots completed her style, both simple and refined.
When she spotted him, a shy smile stretched her lips. She approached and sat next to him, folding her hands on her knees. Her cheeks took on a slight rosy tint under Sakolomé's gaze.
He offered her a warm smile:
— It's nice to see you again, Leyla.
She slightly turned her face away, adjusting her glasses to hide her embarrassment.
— Me too… it's been a while.
A short silence settled, broken by Sakolomé's deep, steady voice:
— How long have you left Monor City?
Leyla pressed her lips, her fingers nervously playing with a rebellious strand that had escaped her bun.
— Uh… for two years already.
Sakolomé's eyes widened slightly.
— Two years…? Wow. That's a lot.
She nodded softly, her emerald eyes glancing toward the floor as if avoiding his.
He looked at her a moment more, then let out a slight smile before asking:
— Didn't you want… to introduce me to someone?
Leyla raised her head, a slight shiver crossing her gaze. Her cheeks flushed even more, and she seemed to search for her words before answering…