When Merlin got to the sitting room, Nora was already done with her dinner and was making her way into her room.
"Nora," he called out before she could vanish from his sight. She looked over her shoulder with somewhat tired eyes. She had taken quite long in the Consortium Guildmaster's office, it only made sense that she was exhausted. That and the fact that she'd still had to cook. "Do you have a moment?" he added.
Nora sized him up for a few seconds. And perhaps seeming to realize that he was not here to whine or be moody, she shut her door and walked back into the sitting room with a dramatic exhale.
"Have you sent the mail?" she asked as she plopped down on a couch.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Merlin sat down as well.
"Ugh… Merlin, just send the damn thing, would you? Why do you always have to think about the negatives all the time? You never know what can happen."
That's rich coming from you, considering how you were rambling about us being foreigners just a few hours back.
Merlin sighed. "That's not it," he said; she raised a brow. "There's something wrong. Well, not wrong, exactly… But… How do I put this?" He placed a hand on his chin, contemplating.
"Just say it already!" Nora snapped. "I need to sleep, I have a ranked match in the morning!"
"Oh, shut your trap about that dumb game of yours…" Merlin shot back. "I have a System, okay."
Nora clicked her tongue. "Yeah, I know you've got a laptop; what's that got to do with anything? It's not like you're the only one. And where do you get off calling Tower Raider dumb?"
"That's not what I'm talking about." Merlin slapped his tongue onto the roof of his mouth. It seemed the faster way was to show her. This was not something that anyone would just believe.
He took out his phone, clicked on the blue eye logo on his app list, and watched its booting icon load.
"Are you mute now?" Nora tutted. "Is that all you stopped me from sleeping for?"
"Just… Wait." At that moment, the icon finished its loading, and his User Interface appeared on his screen. "Here." He handed his phone over to her.
"What is this?" she asked as her eyes washed over the screen. "A new RPG game you found?"
"No," Merlin replied, facing her fully now, one leg left dangling to the side of the couch, while the other placed on it. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I have a System now."
Nora looked up at him. He shrugged slightly with his brows raised. She looked back at the screen and at him again. Then her eyes widened.
His sister was not dumb, so Merlin knew she'd realized what he was insinuating now. And her actions did not discredit that.
"Wait, what?!" She jumped up, his phone still in her hand. "You can't be serious." She still had a disbelieving look on her face, though.
Merlin downturned his lips. "I am not. I literally saw it floating before my eyes, Nora. I swear. I have a System."
She shook her head. "How is that even possible? How come?"
"It's a gift," Merlin replied.
"A gift? From who? No. No. Who could even give such a gift?" She was animated with every word she uttered. "No one has ever recorded anything about a System before. They don't even exist, so how could someone gift you one?"
"That is what I don't understand too," Merlin lowered his head as he answered. He then grinned, seeing this as a chance to tease her a bit. "You want to know what's funny? It's the author of that web novel you kept on biting into my head for that gifted me. Guess I won that global prize after all."
"Merlin!" She was not having it. "This is not something to be joking about. What if it's a virus? What then? Don't you understand how severe this could be?"
Merlin's grin faded and his shoulders dropped. He was exhausted, and she was right. This was all so sketchy. A System didn't exist, and what did not exist could not be gifted. However… He couldn't help but feel hopeful. He couldn't help but wish for it to be true—for it to be real.
"I understand you," he started. "But could you see it from my point of view? I was evaluated as a Deficient Mage just a few hours ago, Nora. A Mage who can't cast even a single spell. I can't help but feel sorry for myself. I keep feeling like I'm no good to anyone. I was the one who wanted to become a Mage the most out of two of us, and just look at what I am? It's like a joke, seriously." He gestured at the phone she held. "But if that is real, then, perhaps, I can get stronger unlike any other person. That's what a System does, isn't it? It makes the user stronger. I'll be able to become a Mage, won't I?"
Nora had a pensive expression on her face, like she was holding back tears. Then she sighed and sat back down on the couch.
"I didn't mean it like that. It's just… This is unheard of. My first instinct can't be to feel joy? What sort of sister would that make me? It's possible that it is a positive thing, but… It's going to be tampering with your body, and—" Nora ate the rest of her words. "You're right." She looked back at the screen in silence.
Maybe he shouldn't have argued against her points. He didn't like it when she got all solemn.
Merlin rubbed his forehead. "Look… I—"
"So what's your plan now?" Nora cut him off.
They both had the things they disliked. And as his were awkward situations, Nora was not one for receiving apologies from him. It was always like her body stung whenever he uttered the word 'sorry' to her. Merlin decided not to push it.
"My plan? Well, that's why I came to you," he continued on the conversation path she'd opened for him. "I want us to butt heads together. Two is better than one, right?"
Nora read through the words on the screen on his phone. "I guess. And from what I can see here, your guess on getting stronger by leveling up sounds about right too. But there's no way we can be certain about that, yet. We have no proof that this actually works." There was that too. She returned her gaze to him. "So… You're not planning on keeping it a secret as every main character in novels and comics do?"
Merlin shook his head. "I already told you about it. It's no longer a secret. And, honestly, what do I have to gain from keeping it all to myself anyway? That won't give me what I want."
Nora's expression was one of confliction, seemingly stuck in between thoughts. Merlin knew not to bother her. His sister was very good at making decisions, and when she was deep in thoughts, disturbing her was just plain stupidity. So he waited. And then she was done.
"Keep it a secret," she decided.
Merlin's head jerked back slightly. "Huh?"
"You heard me," she did not repeat herself, only proceeding to hand him his phone. "You'll get into the Academy either way; so just keep it a secret for now."
Merlin had a look of confusion on his face as his sister stood up from the couch.
"You've been saying that for a while now, and it's honestly beginning to get on my nerves. Stop giving me false hopes. What would keeping it a secret do for me, anyway?"
Nora frowned. "Are you daft? Don't you get what having a System means? If this thing actually works, you're now a special breed unlike anyone. You will not be getting into the Academy if you expose it, you'll be getting into a lab, a white room, an underground test area, a… whatever all these government officials have."
Merlin clicked his tongue with an exasperated look.
It wasn't like he hadn't considered all these, it was just that his zeal to become a Mage was far greater. He could not have not getting into the Academy. Because if he didn't, then that was the end of his career before it had even started.
But Nora was filling him with so much hope now. She always did this. And she was always right. And that was why he couldn't refute her.
"Fine." Merlin stood up from the couch as well. "I will keep it a secret. But I'll let you know now, if I do get stronger, I will not be hiding my strength. And if I get into the Academy like you say, then I want to ace every exam. And I will try my best to do just that."
Nora shrugged. "Obviously. When did I ever say you should keep it a secret forever? Just be careful with the way you use it for now. There are things a Deficient Mage shouldn't be able to do." She waved the back of her palm dismissively as she walked to her room and opened its door. "And besides, if you're good enough to pass my scores in the Academy, then that would mean you have become at least an A-Class Mage, if not even an S-Class Mage. Surely, the government would not want to mess with you then. After all, they would have to take on both of us." She vanished into her room leaving a few last words, "Now send that mail." Her door slammed shut.
Merlin stood where he was. He couldn't help but chuckle.
They had their differences and always bickered, but she really was the only person he could calmly speak his mind to. And she always gave him the best advice.
Now… Am I meant to keep this a secret from Mom and Dad as well? Merlin thought as he switched off his phone's screen. He then imagined his User Interface before his eyes and it appeared.
…
[BIO-DATA]
NAME: Merlin Tyrrell
AGE: 17
MAGE CLASS: Deficient
SYSTEM CLASS: ???
HEX: ???
PERK POINTS: 00
ATTRIBUTE POINTS: 00
[ATTRIBUTES]
STRENGTH: LV. 4
AGILITY: LV. 6
INTELLIGENCE: LV. 2
PERCEPTION: LV. 5
RESILIENCE: LV. 4
[SKILLS]:
…
[PERK]:
CO-AUTHOR: LV. 1
Plagiarize the abilities of D-Class mages and weaker, turning them into your own Skill.
…
"Hmm… So I don't have to shout it out for it to appear. It really is using the same design as Kieran's system, which makes it pretty handy. Haha… I still fully can't believe that this is real. Did I just get something like this for reading a novel until its end? It's just all too surreal."
Merlin smiled in relief, considering what the future held for him now. He could become the Mage he'd always wanted to be. His parents would no longer have to fear for their lives. And his sister would not have to bear all the burden alone.
But his smile only lasted for a few seconds as he snapped back to reality. He knew he had to make perfect use of this opportunity he had been given. He never wanted to feel like a deadweight ever again. He never wanted to go through what he'd gone through just a few moments back. Furthermore, if he did not want to be turned into a lab rat, then he had to get stronger, and fast.
He unlocked his phone once again, opening The Dungeon Mage's pdf as he strolled to his room.
"And I know the perfect way to do just that."
"Your food's in the fridge, Merlin! Don't you dare leave it in there until morning or I'm telling Mom. And call her and Dad, would you? They're worried, for goodness sake!" Nora shouted from her room.
Merlin halted as his lips twitched to the side. His stomach growled at that moment. How could he have forgotten?
He turned back. Food first. And as he ate he would call his parents.