Chapter 2: Life-Altering System

“Ding! Congratulations, master, on successfully installing the Life-Altering System. I am 001, your AI assistant.”

A flat, emotionless voice echoed in her ears. Ernesta opened her eyes wide, looking around in confusion.

She found herself suspended in a pitch-black void. Strangely, despite the lack of light, she could see every detail of her own body.

Wait… hadn’t she just been hit by a car? Why wasn’t she in the hospital? Could it be that she had died and was now in heaven?

“Master, you haven’t died, but the severe brain damage has put you in a deep coma, you’re essentially in a vegetative state. To put it simply, you’re not in heaven, you’re in the system’s space.”

That same flat, robotic voice echoed again, making Ernesta freak out. She spun around, looking for something, anything, in the endless darkness, but there was nothing.

“Don't bother looking, I'm in your head. We can talk through your thoughts.”

Ernesta knew this was totally weird, but freaking out wasn't going to help. She tried to calm down, or at least act like it, and asked,

“Who are you? Why are you in my head?”

“Allow me to introduce myself. I'm 001, your AI assistant. You're currently in a deep coma in the real world. The only way for you to wake up is to complete the mission assigned by the Life Altering System. Otherwise, you'll be gone for good.”

Ernesta was skeptical, but of course she didn't want to die. Even the smallest creatures cling to life, why wouldn't she? However, she kept her true thoughts hidden.

“Explain yourself. Where did you come from? How does completing this mission save me? What is the mission? And what is this Life Altering System?”

“Master, you don't need to know those details. Just understand that completing the mission is the only way for you to live.” 001's voice remained flat and emotionless.

Ernesta wasn't giving up, she kept pushing,

“There's nothing left for me in this life. So, dying wouldn't be so bad. There's no one left I care about.”

“No way! You have to do the mission,” 001 shot back, its usually flat voice now had a hint of urgency.

“I don't want to do it, it's too much work. Dying would be easier, just lying here and not moving.”

This time, 001 was really freaking out. In Ernesta's head, a buzzing sound like static filled her mind, then its voice came rushing in,

“The mission is super easy. You just have to jump into these novel worlds, explore, have fun, fall in love, and then come back when you're bored and jump into another one. It's not tiring at all.”

“It's really that simple?”

“Yeah, just follow my instructions and you'll get it done in no time.”

Ernesta thought it over for a moment. She had been in a car accident, a serious one, she knew that much. She didn't know what 001 was, but if there was a real chance to live again, she wouldn't let it slip away. The worst that could happen was death, and her current situation wasn't any better anyway.

“Alright, I'll do the mission,” she said.

“Good,” 001 replied. “Enter the first world. Please confirm to initiate the spatial transfer.”

“Confirm.”

In an instant, the dim space exploded with blinding light, forcing Ernesta to squeeze her eyes shut. When she finally opened them, she found herself in a cramped room, or more accurately, a restroom. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans, with a crossbody bag slung over her shoulder, filled with books and some stationery.

Ernesta was completely lost, but then 001's robotic voice filled the air,

“We're in a novel called 'The Genius Game Designer and Her Foster Father'. You're currently the antagonist and have a tragic ending. Your mission is to change your fate and fulfill the character's wishes.”

Ernesta rubbed her forehead. Changing someone's life, was that really as easy as 001 made it sound?

“So, what's the story about?” she asked.

“The system wants to upload the novel's plot into your head. Confirm to proceed?”

Ernesta nodded.

“Confirm.”

“Here's the author's introduction:

‘From an orphaned girl to a genius game designer. He was the angel who gave her wings, so she could fly to her dreams. For him, she never stopped learning, never stopped pushing herself. She overcame illness, the age difference, and all the judgment from society to be by his side. Together, they created a legend in the game design world.’”

Ernesta frowned. That intro was a little cheesy, but she decided to just focus on processing the information instead of grilling 001 about it.

This world is a contemporary romance novel, pretty basic stuff. The female lead, Fiona, grew up in an orphanage and was a total coding whiz kid from the start. When Fiona was twelve, the hero, Ralph, adopted her. Ralph was fifteen years older than Fiona, and he owned the biggest game design company in the country. He was single, handsome, rich...the whole package.

After being adopted, Fiona kept on rocking her coding skills. At eighteen, she designed a game that blew everyone away and made her a superstar.

At that moment, she gathered her courage and confessed her feelings to Ralph. Ralph was touched by her sincerity, and in the end, they lived happily ever after.

Ernesta's frown deepened.

“Are you telling me this is a story about a guy who's into little kids?” she asked, her voice sharp. “He brings a twelve-year-old home and then waits until she's eighteen to... I'm seriously questioning the author's morals.”

001 quickly explained, “The female lead is the one who falls for the male lead first and actively pursues him. If you read chapter 85, you'll see that the male lead is also struggling with their age difference and his own feelings.”

“Struggling for a whole chapter. Poor guy,” Ernesta scoffed. “So, who am I? What's my role in this story?”

“You're Ernesta, Fiona’s long-lost twin sister. Fiona has a heart condition and she's not doing well. When she was seventeen, Ralph found Ernesta and brought her home to be a companion for Fiona, hoping to cheer her up.

But Ernesta grew up in the slums and picked up some bad habits. She also has a thing for Ralph and even learned game programming to get his attention. She kept messing with Fiona, making her heart condition worse. She even stole the game Fiona designed and claimed it as her own. At eighteen, she died in a car accident. Before she died, she agreed to donate her heart to her sister. Thanks to Ernesta's heart, Fiona was able to live a healthy life and have a happy ending with Ralph.”

001 gave a long explanation, pausing only for a moment before saying,

“Currently, the system wants to transfer Ernesta's memories into your head. Please confirm.”

“Confirm.”