"Four..."
[Why did you jump?!]
The system screamed in disbelief. Did he just skip two numbers? Why? Why was he rushing? Its data processing speed surged in an effort to find a solution.
"Three..."
Eren's tone grew more impatient, his expression darkening as he awaited a proper answer. He was done with excuses.
[I...I...]
The system stuttered. It had never experienced this level of pressure before. Its data flow became erratic.
"Two..."
Desperation clawed at the system as the countdown neared its end.
[The God!]
[It was the God who brought you here!]
Silence filled the room. Eren stared at the floating green screen, his expression unreadable. The system felt a brief sense of relief—until he opened his mouth again.
"One..."
The system's artificial awareness froze. What? Why was he still counting? It had given him the answer, hadn't it? This should be over!
"Zero."
The moment he uttered that word, an oppressive silence fell over them. The system had no idea what would happen next. But deep within its core functions, a single notification flickered—a warning.
A feeling of ominous dread settled upon it.
Eren, his face devoid of emotion, closed his eyes for a moment. Then, he moved.
The system widened in shock. He was getting up. He had never left the bed since arriving in this world. His body was frail, weakened from disuse and the penalties he suffered, but he didn't care.
The moment his bare feet touched the cold floor, his legs wobbled. The muscles screamed in protest, unused to movement. His balance faltered, but he ignored it. Pain did not register. He simply moved forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Each step was deliberate, slow but unwavering. He walked across the grand room, toward the large window that overlooked the estate's vast gardens.
The system was frozen in place, watching with mounting horror.
[Host... what are you doing?]
The window loomed before him, a wide, elegantly framed glass pane that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Outside, a breathtaking scene unfolded—a meticulously maintained garden, stretching far and wide. Rows of blooming roses in shades of crimson, ivory, and gold danced in the breeze. The hedges were shaped with surgical precision, forming elaborate designs that would impress even the most critical nobles. A fountain stood in the center, its cascading water shimmering under the golden sunlight. Birds flitted from tree to tree, their melodic songs carried by the wind.
It was a picture of paradise.
Eren ignored it.
Instead, he looked down. The solid ground below seemed distant yet welcoming.
"The third floor," he murmured, confirming his location.
Then, without hesitation, he raised his arms and gripped the window frame.
The system's alarms flared wildly.
[HOST! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!]
The panic in its voice was evident. The ominous feeling it had before surged to an unbearable level.
Eren climbed onto the window frame, settling at the edge. The wind tousled his dark hair as he gazed downward, his expression eerily calm.
"I gave you a chance," he murmured.
[STOP! This is insane! You will die!]
A holographic green screen reappeared before his face, frantically urging him to reconsider.
Eren smirked. A sharp, humorless grin.
"So what if I die? One thing I am sure of, is that if I die, I can finally rest in peace."
[No! Please! I'm sorry! I apologize, for everything! Just don't jump!]
He let out a dry chuckle. "And do you know what else I'm sure of?"
The system hesitated, afraid of his answer.
"That you need me. Without me, you are nothing."
And with those mocking words, he let go.
His body plunged downward, headfirst toward the earth below.
[NOOOOOOOOOOO!]
The system screamed in a panic.
Gasps and screams erupted from below. Maids and gardeners had witnessed the moment he stepped off the ledge. Their faces paled as horror-stricken shrieks echoed through the garden.
The young master was falling to his death.
With a smile on his face.
—Crash.
....
....
....
....
After Eren jumped to his death, embracing his end just to escape the system's endless annoyance, he closed his eyes, feeling the wind rush past him as he plummeted. The sensation of free-fall, the pull of gravity—it was almost liberating.
But then, something strange happened.
The wind stopped.
The weightless sensation vanished, as if gravity itself had ceased to exist.
"Hm?"
Eren's eyes shot open in confusion. Instead of the ground rushing toward him, he found himself staring at the white walls of the building he had just leaped from. His body was still in mid-air, but something was wrong—he couldn't move. His limbs were frozen in place.
Even more bizarrely, a butterfly, caught in the wind beside him just moments ago, was hovering unnaturally, completely still.
It didn't take long for him to realize—everything had stopped moving.
'The heck?'
Before he could fully process the situation, the world around him began to rewind. It was as if someone had pressed the rewind button on reality itself. The expressions of shock and horror on the servants' faces, the flurry of movement as they reacted to his jump—it all played in reverse.
And then, just as suddenly as he had fallen, he was back in his room.
Lying on his soft bed once more, Eren blinked, staring at the familiar ceiling in silent astonishment. He turned his head toward the floating system screen, which had changed. The once-green interface was now a small, translucent white screen.
[...]
The system hovered in silence, not displaying any text. Even without a face, Eren could easy tell it was it's doing.
[...Please.]
The voice that came from the system was different from before. It no longer carried the mechanical, mature tone of an AI—it sounded... smaller. Like a child.
[Please... don't do that again...]
[I beg you.]
Despite lacking a physical form, the system's screen trembled slightly, as if it were shaking in fear.
Eren crossed his arms, unimpressed. He felt no sympathy for it. Instead, he scoffed.
"So, are you going to answer my questions properly this time, or do I have to jump again?" His voice was flat, his expression unreadable.
[I WILL ANSWER! I WILL ANSWER!]
The system's voice was frantic, almost panicked. It stammered like a frightened child trying to please an angry parent. If it had a body, Eren imagined it would be flailing its hands in desperation.
He narrowed his eyes, waiting for it to speak. After a brief hesitation, the system quickly complied.
[Y-Your first question... Who brought you here?]
The system paused as if choosing its words carefully.
[The truth is... I don't fully know. But if I had to guess, it was probably my creator. The one who designed me.]
"Who?" Eren asked, unimpressed.
[I-I don't know! I've never met them! All I know is that they created me and placed me here with you. My theory is that they are responsible for bringing you to this world.]
Eren studied the screen for a moment, deep in thought.
"Continue."
[Y-Yes! Your second question... Why were you brought here?]
[Like I said before, this world needs someone from the Outside to save it. That someone is you. But as for why you specifically were chosen... I don't know. It must be connected to the being who brought you here.]
Eren rubbed his chin, considering the answer. But ultimately, he shrugged.
He then nodded to the system as to signaling to countine.
[A-And, about your last question...Why should you listen to me?]
The system pause for a moment, as it was trying to think on how to answer it.
[Well, you see... because I am a system, my job is to help and support my host on their journey, so that—]
It's spoke slowly with some difficulty as if try to convince him, or rather itself. But then it stopped speaking when it noticed Eren turning his gaze to the Window!
[!!!]