Halfsie was almost blinded by the host's sudden killer move. It was only trying to do its job, orienting its boss and desperately trying to preserve its tiny life. Then, out of nowhere, it was presented with the host smiling beautifully at it. Those golden eyes were so bright they almost bathed it in holy light.
"Oh, Halfsie. I just realized you're my little unlucky star."
She bent over, scooped the stupefied goofball into her palm, and bestowed upon it a gentle kiss.
The blinded black ball almost ascended to heaven.
"Now tell me, can I kill the Heavenly Being?" she inquired sweetly.
Halfsie's soul was instantly pulled back.
[Kill the Heavenly Being?]
[What? Who? Why?]
It was ecstatic, dumbfounded, and confused all at the same time. Overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, it didn't know how to react. It even neglected the fact that the host had kissed it.
"Hey, come on. Don't tell me I can't eliminate them?" Her voice turned coquettish, like that of a child upset about being denied candy.
If it hadn't heard her original words—kill and Heavenly Being—it would have thought she was talking about some trivial matter.
"Say, if I 'accidentally' murder that noble bastard before corrupting them, will I be punished?" She caressed the stupefied ball and asked earnestly.
[I might kill her on the spot when I finally see her.]
The various ways she could make her sister taste hell excited her. Her smile became even more saccharine, and the hands petting the flabbergasted creature grew softer.
That smile was truly enchanting. However, it also terrified the little guy to its core, successfully forcing its basic functions back online.
"Ho-host, I don't know. The manual did not mention the feasibility of killing the target."
Glancing at the host, who seemed unperturbed by the lack of confirmation, it rigidly added,
"It only stated that we must corrupt them to 100%."
"So you mean I can kill them once the task is over?"
She thought that would do just fine. She could muster up the patience to leave her sister breathing until she was done with the job.
"I-I think so, host," the furball answered mechanically.
[What to do? The host becomes more dreadful as time passes by.]
It lamented that its host was truly unpredictable. One moment, she was apathetic; the next, she was oozing bloodlust. The malice behind her alluring smile terrified Halfsie so much that it couldn't even tremble.
Realizing that the system's rules seemed rather lax, she grew curious about just how outrageous she could get.
"Hey, is it possible to destroy the mission world?"
She didn't truly mean it. She was merely indulging her curiosity. However, if it was allowed, then that would be very interesting.
"Host, I don't know. The system manual did not state such a thing."
The furball wanted to cry but lacked the tears to do so. Just when it thought the host had finally asked the worst imaginable question, she came up with something even more abysmal. The worst part was that it didn't know how to answer. The main system hadn't equipped them with enough information to address such queries.
She furrowed her eyebrows at the black cotton. She had been hearing "I don't know" from Halfsie for quite some time now. She couldn't help but wonder whether it was merely dodging her questions or was genuinely clueless.
[Shouldn't its guidebook at least contain such information?]
"Why do I have a feeling you just didn't read your system manual?"
"Were you too lazy to do it, huh, little guy?"
She nudged the goofball, whose fur spiked out at the word lazy. The furball now resembled a sea urchin. She admired its new look.
Halfsie was truly set off by such allegations. It was only lazy when it came to walking, that's all! It had been performing its tasks diligently, regardless of how dangerous they were. Dealing with its devilish host was like riding a nerve-wracking roller coaster straight to hell. It was practically drowning in anxiety every time. Nevertheless, it did its best to cater to her every whim, yet she had the cheek to call it lazy?
"Host! Take that back!"
"I am most definitely not lazy!" It stood defiantly on the host's palm and looked her straight in the eye. Its childish voice was obviously a decibel higher than before, but firmer than ever.
She was amused by the powerful emotions brewing in its crimson eyes. Halfsie resembled an adorable black rabbit ready to go for the kill. If it had claws, she was sure this agitated fellow would already be on the verge of clawing her face off.
[Truly living up to its name as an apostle of an evil system.]
She didn't hate its guts. On the contrary, she appreciated such temperament. It meant this little donkey wasn't all silly and could also be a deadly furball.
[How cute.]
Her smile became more sincere. She tapped the angry fella, completely unthreatened.
"Alright. If you show me proof that you didn't lie, I'll believe you."
"What kind of proof?"
That genuine and lovely smile made the system recover from its adrenaline rush. It tried hard to maintain the domineering attitude it had displayed just three seconds ago. It felt that its host was truly insidious. They had been arguing, yet she had effortlessly tamed it. Flashing that ethereal face, which made it difficult to maintain its dissatisfaction, was downright foul play.
It decided that the next time they had a dispute, it should simply close its eyes and rid itself of such enticements to forgive her.
She had no idea about the little guy's emotional struggle. If she had known, she might have annoyed it even more just for the fun of it.
"Simple. Just show me the manual."
This black cotton had the gall to pick a fight but couldn't even defend itself properly. What had she expected from this silly dingleberry?
"Oh. It's over there, host."
It turned its body toward the only object inside the space.
Following its line of sight, she raised an eyebrow.
"The mirror?" she asked uncertainly.
"Host, that's not a mirror. That is the very first system manual."
Its childlike voice was laced with pride. It was the first system guide ever created and, therefore, had been given the very first copy of the system manual.
She set the black cotton down and leaned over to pick up the mirror not far from her. It wasn't big, only about a foot long and as wide as her palm. It was also surprisingly lightweight. She held it with both hands and examined the picturesque view reflected on its surface.
Not surprisingly, it was her godly face.
[So where the hell is the guideline?]
She glanced at Halfsie beside her.
Receiving its host's look, it offered a reminder.
"It's on the other side, host."
She flipped the mirror over and was greeted with an incredible sight.
[I'll be damned. Something is actually written on it.]
When she finally saw the full content, she almost crushed the tablet.
There was only one sentence written in an elegant cursive font. The golden ink against the matte black surface made it look particularly refined.
If only the content hadn't nearly given her a stroke.
'Corrupt the Heavenly Being's benevolence to 100% evil at all cost.'
She even squinted her eyes, searching for any fine print, but there was nothing else.
[What kind of shit manual is this?!]
She could hardly believe her eyes. No wonder the furball was oblivious to her inquiries. The guidebook itself was severely lacking. It gave her the impression that the damned main system must be unreliable as hell.
She suddenly grew worried about the task itself. If her 'employer' was this irresponsible, wouldn't that make things troublesome for her?
Of course, such a thought merely flashed through her mind.
She wouldn't care at all.