SYSTEM QUEST: YOU MUST TAKE CARE OF THIS BABY. FAILURE
The boy's smile went taut. "Death?" he spat. "What is this system?
He reached out. The system reacted before he could make a second move. Lights flared across his skin; electricity spiked and threw him back, mouth open in a sound that was almost a laugh and almost pain. He slumped, stunned.
The baby girl crawled toward the boy and plopped down, her wide eyes fixed on him.
"Because of you, I have zero chance of survival. Zero!"
the infant raged internally, her mind flooded with bitter despair at his very existence.
"You tried to kill me, and this is what you get."
Suddenly, the baby grinned, clearly pleased with herself. That was when he noticed the sharp, unpleasant smell. His eyes widened in horror.
"What... is this?" he muttered.
Looking down, he realized she had peed on the floor-right near him. Flustered and disgusted, he turned red in the face and immediately gagged.
"Why would you do that?!" he shouted.
"You tired to kill me!", she thought, her internal smile widening.
"And that's just the beginning of my revenge."
At that moment, a system notification blinked into existence before him.
SYSTEM: CONGRATULATIONS, EDWARD. YOU'VE REACHED LEVEL 6.
Edward blinked. "Level six?" he repeated, bewilderment and little pride warring on his face. "When I was zero-how-"
A new system message flashed at her like a blessing or a curse.
SYSTEM: CONGRATULATIONS, HOST. YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FORMED A CONTRACT WITH EDWARD AS YOUR GUARDIAN. HOST LEVEL 4.
"Level 4? Just level 4? Are you kidding me?!"
The baby exclaimed. She paused, tilting her head.
"Eh... whatever, she thought. Does this mean I can... tame people with my pee?"
The thought made her wrinkle her tiny nose in disgust.
"Gross. And it probably attracts some perverted people too..."
She shot Edward a look of pure displeasure, her face twisted in an unmistakably unpleasant expression.
Edward's eyes narrowed as he watched the baby crawl toward him. A plan began to form in his mind.
"If I play this right... maybe I can use her to level up. Just keep her close, and she might be useful..."
A gentle ding sound filled the air, and only the baby could see what came next. A glowing screen appeared in front of her.
SYSTEM: "REGISTER HOST NAME TO ACTIVATE SKILL"
The baby blinked, her wide eyes sparkling with curiosity. Then, with a confident squeal,
she declared, "I'm Ashel!"
Edward froze. "...Ashel?" he muttered, confused by the sudden declaration.
Ashel's tiny fingers traced the floating text, her grin growing. The system belonged to her alone; Edward couldn't see it, couldn't hear it-everything was private.
And then she noticed something new: telepathy. A skill that let her hear or share thoughts-but only when she willed it.
Heh... so I can hear what he's thinking if I want... she thought, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. And he won't even know it.
Edward shifted uneasily, sensing her studying him, but unaware of the silent connection forming in her mind. What he had planned-to manipulate her for his own gain-was suddenly far more complicated. Ashel's innocence masked a newfound power, and she was already beginning to enjoy just how much control she held.
Edward is starting to realized that Ashel's is not as powerless as she looks.
She grins at edward.
"What's with that creepy grin." He was feeling uneasy.