"…What?"
For a moment, I thought I'd misread it. But the words glared back at me, mocking, cruel.
A month. An entire month.
The system was threatening to lock my growth if I abandoned the mission.
My grin twisted into a snarl.
"Are you kidding me? A whole month?" I hissed under my breath. "Curse you, system!"
Another chime.
[Shut up, human. You are noisy.]
I blinked.
"…Eh?"
Did the system just, talk back to me?
Before I could process that little bombshell, the sound of a door creaking open snapped me out of it.
The passenger seat swung wide, and heavy boots hit the concrete.
"Didn't you hear what I said—" the man started, his voice full of irritation.
Then he turned. His eyes landed on the back of the truck.
Empty. No guard. No obedient worker unloading the cargo.
His words died in his throat.
The man froze at the back of the truck, confusion flickering across his face.
He glanced over his shoulder, maybe hoping the driver could clear up whatever felt wrong.
