My Evil System

[BONUS]

I hurried towards my territory without care, almost slipping from the mud several times. It didn\'t matter, even if I was wet from the rain. Bigger concerns were weighing my mind.

Upon reaching the door, I heard the others\' chatter and laughter.

For some reason, I turned the knob to open the door as quietly as I could.

"I don\'t think we should have done this."

I heard Megu\'s voice amidst the others. Her soft and mellow voice could easily be distinguished.

"Then don\'t eat it," Sheryl snapped. "More for us then."

"But . . . Cross will be mad if he learns about this."

Emi scoffed. "We can just blame the boys. They haven\'t been bringing any meat since two days ago. And besides, what can Cross do? I\'m sure he already noticed the dirt in the house, but he\'s still keeping quiet about it. That guy would rather maintain the peace than tell us off."

"He\'s such a pushover." Sheryl laughed. "He is so cute that way."

"Or we can just say that the pig died," Sheryl added.

Sharp pain tears at me like claws of madness ripping away my sanity.

"Still . . ." Megu was hesitating. "He might get mad and tell us to leave."

Silence took place until Emi laughed out loud. "I think that\'s one thing that he wouldn\'t do if he had the brains. I\'m sure that, by now, he already noticed that there\'s already new management here."

Their laughter hurt my ears but knowing that they were laughing behind my back and were disrespecting my authority here hurt more.

Their words rang in my ears, lodging into my throat before crushing my heart into pieces.

This pulsing ache became a lonely beacon of pain, crying out from the depths of betrayal. My vision dimmed and I struggled to clear it of the clinging murkiness seeping in at the edges of the narrowing tunnel of my sight.

I gave them shelter from the Blood Rain. They were given food and a warm place to stay, but this was how they repaid me.

The only reason why I took them in was that they were humans like me. I thought that they\'d be grateful, but they only thought about usurping my position here.

It seemed that I had let a bunch of snakes into my house.

Through shallow breaths and sweating brow I struggled forward, the numbness in my legs begging me to stumble.

<Are you finally going to kill them?>

". . ." Still, that was no reason to kill them.

<. . . The System is disappointed>

I truly believe that despite everything else, we should show other people kindness because we don\'t know what they\'ve been through to make it this far.

<There\'s a difference between kindness and stupidity.>

I ignored the System.

We could still talk this out, right? They were probably acting that way because they were discontented about something.

<Ha . . . good luck, Host>

I went to the kitchen, and all eyes shot to me. The shock on their faces was something I wouldn\'t forget, but the sight of the roasted pig on the table made me dizzy.

They butchered the pig despite what I said.

"Cross . . ." Megu stood to her feet and carried her child in her arms. Her face was apologetic as she smiled. "This is . . . did you hear what we said?"

Instead of answering her, I redirected the topic to the pig. "Why did you kill the pig despite what I said?" I asked with an exhausted voice.

Emi and Sheryl looked at each other first before Emi folded her hands and said, "It was dead when we found it. So we roasted it."

"Dead?"

"If you don\'t believe us, you can ask Edgar," said Sheryl.

"That pig was perfectly fine yesterday," I said in a calm voice, although I couldn\'t stop the frown on my face.

"So what are you implying?" Emi asked me. The cold glint of malice in her eyes sent a shiver down my spine. "That we killed the pig and roasted it? Do you have proof that we did? If not, then it\'s baseless accusations."

". . ." I took quick, calming breaths to continue calmly speaking to them. Anger wouldn\'t achieve anything here. It would only make the situation worse. "I think we need to talk. All of us."

"What\'s going on here?" Brago entered together with Edgar and asked, confusion evident on his face when he found us huddled together in a serious conversation.

"Just in time," I said. "We need to discuss some things around here."

Instead of taking me seriously, Emi went to Brago and probed him. "Where\'s the meat?"

"There\'s none," he lied. I knew that there was meat. He and Ford must have eaten them already.

Come to think of it . . . where\'s Ford?

Emi rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue as she muttered to herself, "Good thing that we roasted the pig, or we\'ll be eating dried fish and mashed potato again."

"Where\'s Ford?" Brago asked and looked around. "I thought he was already here."

"He should be, but he was supposed to bring in the fish before lunch, and it\'s now past lunch," Sheryl replied.

I didn\'t know what was worse. Them, not acknowledging my presence or the fact that they simply treated me as if I were invisible.

<Women are unpleasant creatures, Host. They would hold your happiness and self-esteem hostage until they get what they want.>

"Hey," I called out, face serious. "I said that we need to talk."

When all eyes turned against me, I suddenly lost the words I wanted to say.

<About the roles.>

Right.

"Agh . . ." I cleared my throat when I almost choked. "About the roles, I think we should change it . . . ," my voice came out strong at the beginning, but it went low when I saw the frowns on their faces.

"Huh?" Emi huffed a condescending laugh. "And what made you think that you\'re still the boss here?"

". . . I . . . I own this place," I said to them and took a step back.

( . . . continuation on NOTES)