"Affirmative, host." The female voice replied to Maru.
"What should I call you, madame?" Maru asked tentatively. He doesn't want to offend the lady voice. She saved his life once. He owed much to her.
"You can call me anything you want, host." The female voice responded to Maru.
"Is that okay? Wouldn't you be offended by that?" Maru cautiously asked the lady voice.
"Affirmative, host. The system has no emotions." The female voice sounded.
"What are you?" Maru could barely comprehend about the things the lady voice was talking about.
"I am an Artificial Intelligence System, host." The female voice said to Maru.
"Okay. How come I can hear you?" Maru waded forward even without understanding what an Artificial Intelligence System was. He continued throwing questions at the lady's voice.
"The system has been integrated with your soul, host." The female voice replied to Maru.
"Integrated? Does that mean that you live in my soul?" Maru asked the lady voice.
"Affirmative, host." The female voice responded to Maru.
"How did this happen? Did my father send you?" Maru said to the lady voice. He was having trouble digesting all this information. There was only one person he could think of who would help him in his moment of need, his father. The only other people he knew were his mother and sister. Maru obviously knows that they couldn't have been responsible for this mysterious lady's voice to magically appear in his soul.
"Negative, host. I was sent by the Immortal Maker "Nameless One". He saw your plight and gave the system as a gift. It was both an act of his eternal pity and endless mercy. The master only wishes that you use it well so that you may live your life the way you want it to." The female voice answered in length towards Maru.
"Who is this Immortal Maker "Nameless One"?" Maru asked in curiosity.
"Immortal Maker "Nameless One" is the Lord of the Realms, host." The female voice replied to Maru.
"Okay. What can you do for me, madame?" Maru didn't understand what those vague terms mean but he was not willing to linger on such unimportant things. What he wanted to know was how this mystical lady voice could help him.
"I will do anything you command me, host. The system currently has a realm wide scanning technology pre-installed for the host's advantage. In my database are the entirety of the technological advancements and breakthroughs of every territorial realm owned by Immortal Maker "Nameless One".
"Scanning technology? Does that mean you could find anybody in this area?" Maru asked in wonder to the lady's voice.
"Affirmative, host." The female voice replied to Maru.
"Can you find…" my father? Was what Maru wanted to add. But he did not find the courage to continue uttering the question. If he found out that his dad already died, he would be sad. Not for him but for his sister. And if he would find that his father was now living the dream with his new wife and family, Maru would hate his father more.
In the end, it was better not to know. Yet. Maybe when he grows up just like he promised Uwyn, Maru would eventually get enough confidence to know the truth. But now it would be best for things to stay as they were. After all, they have survived without him throughout these years.
"…food?" Maru asked instead.
"Affirmative, host.
System scanning…
1%
2%
3%
99%
100% complete
Found 746,129,672,337,998 places with abundance of food in this world. The forest east of your position is the nearest viable option for a food source, host." The female voice answered Maru.
"That place is dangerous. I can't go there. Do you have other ways of getting food, madame?" Maru asked again to the lady's voice.
"Affirmative, host. The system has a technology called the Food Fabricator. This device can produce all foods and beverages available in the system database." The female voice replied to Maru.
"What?! How can I get that food fabricator?!" Maru exclaimed to the lady's voice. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from the lady's voice. If he could have that thing, then they wouldn't starve anymore. He would also not risk his life again in the city while playing a deadly game of hide and seek with the people of the slums.
"You need valuable and precious metals, host. The components to make one are gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, nickel, tantalum, cobalt, aluminum, tin, zinc, neodymium, …" the female voice answered Maru in length. It was almost three minutes until she had finished listing the requirements of making a food fabricator.
"Okay. Is there no other way to make one, madame?" Maru asked after he patiently waited for the lady's voice to stop her enumeration of the needed materials. He thought it would be impolite to interrupt even if all he recognized from those were only two, gold and silver. He had heard of merchants talk about this thing in the market. Even if he hadn't seen one, he concluded that they were precious and expensive judging from the conversation he heard about them.
"Affirmative, host. You could make use of world energy as a replacement for the parts needed to build a food fabricator." The female voice replied to Maru.
"You mean that thing you used to cure me of my wounds?" Maru asked the lady voice.
"Affirmative, host." The female voice responded to Maru.
"Wait! Can you use that world energy you mentioned to heal my mother also? Madame." Maru enquired to the lady voice. He was thrilled about the prospect of letting her mother be free of pain again. Seeing her in constant agony was like stabbing daggers to his young heart. His only wish was to let her smile again. To feel her warm hug and loving care once more. Maru would do anything to bring that back. He even added the last word hastily because his innocent mind thought that maybe by pleasing this mysterious lady with such respectful manner would make her help him more.
"Negative, host. The system cannot influence other people. You were only mended because of the system's connection with you through your soul." the female voice responded to Maru.
"How about that technology you said. Could it restore my mother's health?" Maru asked once again. The conversation about how to get food was completely forgotten. He did not care about that food fabricator at this moment. What was on his mind was only to hope for a possible cure for his mother. Even how little that hope was because it is human nature to always find fresh cause for optimism. No matter how small the chance was, Maru was not willing to let go of the possibility. For himself, Uwyn, and his mother.
"Affirmative, host. The system can produce medicine for any kind of disease provided that you build the technology it needs." The female voice answered Maru."Do you know what disease my mother has, madame?" Maru asked the lady voice."Negative, host. Do you want the system to scan your mother?" the female voice asked Maru."Yes! Yes, please!" Maru answered the lady's voice excitedly."Affirmative, host.System scanning…1%2%3%99%100% completeThe system found that your mother has polymyositis. This disease deteriorates all the muscles of the body and causes them to ultimately collapse making even simple motions extremely hard." The female voice reported her diagnosis to Maru."What technology would I need to cure my mother's disease, madame?" Maru asked the lady voice aft
"Nice. Let's be friends from now on, Madame Ais." Maru said. His innocence showed through his simple words."...…." Madame Ais did not deem what Maru said worthy of a response. She was not built to have complex algorithms to emulate feelings or emotions."Okay. Scan the area for the nearest deposits of any of those precious metals, Madame Ais." Maru instructed the system."Affirmative, Maru.System scanning…1%2%3%99%100% completeFound 1,946 valuable and precious metal components within a 5 kilometer radius. The nearest is approximately fifty feet to the west." Madame Ais answered Maru."Nice. Thank you, Madame Ais. We'll get a fabricator by noon!" Maru was excited to start this new adventure. He looked unto the future with bright prospects.1 hour2 hour
"No! Please, don't!" Maru yelled and started to run away from the ugly looking man. He got only a few feet before he was stopped by the unwelcome intruder. His neck got held so tightly that he could barely get air to come into his lungs. He was slowly suffocating. Maru cried from fear and tears went flowing freely down his cheeks."You better cooperate, kid. Or else, it might get bad for you real quick. Hehehe. You will have to serve me well.You can do it with pain or no pain. Either way, your ass is mine. Hahaha! Choose wisely, kid." The ugly looking man said to Maru after he released his tight grip from the boy's scrawny neck."Hah.. hahh… hahhh…." Maru was gasping for breath. His neck hurt a lot. Deep imprints of the ugly man's fingers were decorating his neck like an unnerving collar. A mark of doom and a symbol of possession."Please. I will do anything. Just don't kill me. My family won't survive without me!"
"Please! Wait. I'm coming." Maru said as he stood on shaky legs."You seem to forget something, kid." The ugly looking man reminded Maru."I'm coming, daddy." Maru indulged the sick fantasy of the ugly looking man. The weak have no right to complain. He was determined to do this and get it over with. Maru only wished to live through this ordeal."Hahaha! Smart kid! You will see your family again after this. I promise." The ugly looking man said to Maru. Lying was a way of life for him. He felt no guilt whatsoever in toying with the boy."Thank you, daddy." Maru replied towards the ugly looking man. There was hope as long as he still lives. No matter what he will go through, the word surrender would never be his. For he knew that there were people waiting for him to come back home safely. Maru would go through hell and back just to see them once more. To be with his mother and sister, that was all that mattered
The dagger aimed for the fatal spot in one of the carotid arteries located at the neck of the boy. The ugly looking man was successful in his right handed slash but the tip of the dagger missed by a mere centimeter. His attack was dodged. He tried to do a second combination offense by throwing a left punch but he was stopped in his tracks by a heavy force."Thank you for giving me the opportunity to get out. Too bad you lasted prematurely. I would have loved to give you a ride you won't forget. Goodbye." Madame Ais said in farewell. Her right hand had gone through the ribcage and crushed the ugly looking man's heart, literally. Her victim tried to open his mouth to say his last words but he was not given the luxury of it. He died with his eyes open in disbelief."What happened, Madame Ais? Maru asked when he was forced to awake from his slumber."The target has been eliminated, Maru." Madame Ais replied."Is he dead
"I know, brother. I'm big now and very responsible." Uwyn said as she smiled at Maru. He was the foundation of the family since her mother succumbed to sickness. She looked at him with love and adoration."Yes. You're a big girl now, Uwyn. Wait here." Maru said to his sister. He went outside to kill the light from the torch in order to conserve it for further usage."Come here, Uwyn. Don't make a noise, okay? We don't want to disturb mom's sleep." Maru said after he went inside and closed the door of the hut. He was now sitting on his bed. Both then huddled in the corner, away from their mother's ears."Okay, brother. Where's the surprise?" Uwyn whispered to her brother. She looked at Maru's hands to see if he was holding something but was disappointed. Her brother's palms were empty."Wait a moment, Uwyn. Just stay quiet for now." Maru said to his sister. He deliberately closed his eyes to give a mystical effect on
"Okay, brother." Uwyn replied. Her eyes were wide in excitement as she waited for her brother to do some magic."How come I know which are the food fabricator and the medicine fabricator, Madame Ais?" Maru asked the system after he closed his eyes in front of his sister. He and Uwyn don't know how to read. Even his mother, Olivia, also didn't know how to read and write. No books were present in their humble home. They could barely find food to eat. How could they afford those expensive books which contain knowledge from their ancestors? But Maru could see the different letters in the book and instinctively knows which is which between the two books."You are connected to the system, Maru. Items on your inventory will be recognized by you spontaneously." Madame Ais replied
"Okay. But first wait, Uwyn. I have something left to show you." Maru said to his sister."What is it, brother?" Uwyn asked Maru. She was curious about what other magical things her brother would let her see. Maybe another delicious food, she guessed cheerfully."It's a secret for now. Let me concentrate, okay? So that my magic can work." Maru asked his sister, Uwyn.".........…." Uwyn didn't reply with words but only motioned a zipping action with a hand on her mouth as her bright big eyes waited for another surprise, expecting to see her brother's magic once again. She was quite playful and energetic after she consumed one Fairy Yumyum and finished her milk.