This System Sucks

AN: So… someone mentioned giving the character common sense. I decided to read my own story from start to finish as it is and decided that this person was correct. There is no common sense in this character. None. So thanks for pointing that out, Dtutu134. Though to be fair—the description/summary did state the character was going to be a man-child, an immature person in general. Though getting that trait removed? Having him grow as a person throughout the story? Yeah. I'll get his common sense sorted out through some future chapters. As it is I'm writing this story by the seat of my pants.

My eyelids split, revealing ominously luminous irises hued sickly orange beneath the dim lighting of Dana's safe-house apartment. Groans and hissing elicited by searing soreness slip my mouth whilst I shut my eyes as I grimace. It appeared that my sight had become acute enough that even the subpar lighting in the safe-house irritated my eyesight. I had been hoping that all the pain would occur during my unconsciousness, allowing me to skip it entirely.

'If only I could be so lucky,' I mentally griped, mulling my soreness within the silence, 'fuck me hard. Why does this hurt so much right now? How long have I been out? System? Explanation, please.' I required answers and the only entity capable of doing so was in my head. My thoughts also seemed slow somehow, groggy, as if I had taken one particularly nasty blow to the head.

[Your body is becoming accustomed to its new state of being. The pain and soreness will subside in approximately… now. You have been unconscious for little more than eight hours.]

'Huh. Useful. I can use the book again. Pain's actually gone, too. Thanks, system—but fuck you and fuck your mom at the same time for that—ah fuck.' I clamp down on my inner voice.

[Understand that your life can and will be stripped away if your idiocy continues. It was barely tolerable when I was first introduced to you.]

'Right, understood. Sorry. I was in literal pain and took it out on you. I shouldn't have.' I admitted my mistake, yet the realization that I let my immaturity take the lead was a pain in the ass. Fuck me.

[Forgiven. Now then. One of the objectives to leave this world has been met. You have gained Redlight and merged it with your Blacklight into a pathogen far more powerful than the two alone. Now one objective remains… please complete it.]

'Huh? How the friggity hoo-hah am I supposed to reach an unknown objective?' As my mental conversation with my system goes on, I glance around the small apartment to check for the inhabitants. Dana is asleep on the single-person bed in the corner. Alex Mercer himself is nowhere to be seen. Probably out doing whatever the player usually did when playing the [Prototype] game: grinding evolution.

[You are correct. Reconfiguring… reconfig. complete. Your remaining objective has been removed due to being wholly unnecessary. You may travel to the next world.]

'I'm sorry and excuse me? What do you mean?' While I doubted the system was the type of… being? creation?—to joke around I had be sure I wasn't going batshit.

[The objective remaining was to eliminate the outbreak entirely, however, due to such a result happening on its own eventually in this world's history, it is unneeded. That is the reason why. Additionally, your stats have risen due to your newly made pathogen from the merging.]

'Yes… but I recall each objective was something that I had to acquire, that they were something that had to do with my powers.' I was truly, absolutely,confused now.

'System? Are you okay?' What the hell was up?

[There seems to be an issue with me. Applying immediate fix… updating… fix applied. Ah. Understood now. Yes. Reiterating: ignore the second objective. It truly is unnecessary. Prepare for transport.]

Alarm perforates me harder than the ballistics that tore me up the at the morgue. The system was all over the place just the moment before and now it wants to send me away? What? That was when I was crushed by an unseen force and I felt like I was being squeezed through narrow pipes.

I shut my eyes in an attempt to ride out the ugly sensation of whatever sort of travel the system put me through but it was for naught. My body, replete with utter agony, spasmed uncontrollably as my maw parted, nearly unhinged with silent cries of torment.

My thoughts were unorganized due to the unholy pain, but they summed up into, 'WHY, OH GOD, WHY?! I'VE NEVER READ OF GAMERS FEELING THIS WAY THROUGH TRANSPORT! PLEASE! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE!'

Then as sudden as the world travel began… it ceased, yet for myself it had seemed like an eternity of damnation. I was dropped unceremoniously within an alleyway behind some dumpster when I fell unconscious.

'What… the fuck… was that?' I had trouble stringing one, single, coherent thought. That was terrible and I never wanted to suffer inter-world relocation again. I'd rather stay stuck in one world than go through excruciating pain that I could not resist or avoid.

[Impossible. In order to meet new challenges to push your strength and creativity to bring about new strength you must eventually travel to more worlds.]

So I was doomed to never live out a lazy and powerful fantasy.

'Great. Just fucking great. Not just that, but I recall you saying the next world was DxD! A fucking world full of gods, spirits, devils and angels capable of disintegrating me! You cock-munching sadist!' My annoyance, along with the fact that I still hadn't gone over the brief stint of mental trauma I received in [Prototype], led to an unfiltered mouth.

The system remained silent for a moment.

[The experience you had was an unintentional effect of travel with me. I am not like any other system. I was not created with safeguards in mind for you such as comfort and protection during inter-world travel or protection of the mind. I was created to guide you and quantify the fortitude of your three stats. This is simply one downside of having me as your system with that book.]

I did not fault the system as much as I wish I did. Especially for having its purpose or for being made as it was. What did concern me now is that the system admitted to having downsides, something I hadn't expected.

'I'll ask later since I doubt the system'll be upfront about it so soon.' I grunted, right now it was time to write in the book.

'Let's see here… how about… ahah! Something I should've done the instant I woke up last time—wait, what do I call my virus? It's better than the two previous ones… so… Crimsonlight? I'll work on the name, so Crimsonlig—no. Bloodlight! Edgy, but it fits!' Within the book I wrote down my want to be capable of freely controlling the Bloodlight virus within and out of me with flawless mastery.

Once done, I stiffen and my eyes roll back from the sudden agony lighting up within me. It lasted briefly due to Bloodlight not having evolved to any degree but this should have maximized its potential. Time to get moving. I directed my visage skyward and blinked.

'It's approximately midday? Right-o, I need a base of operations and an identity, too.' I had some ideas of note.

'Despite the shit side of this, I can't help but be so giddy all over!' My body momentarily writhed as a fleshy crimson tendril whipped out of my back in excitement. Rapidly, I hauled it back in, my form shifting as I morphed my clothes into the simple jeans, white shirt, and white basic bro Nike combo.

I got up and approached the alley's entrance-exit, scrutinizing the surroundings as I stood at the backstreet's mouth.

'Huh. That's a helluva coincidence.' I blinked again. To be adjacent to the same rundown facility where Issei was introduced to devil-on-stray devil combat? Huh.

'Unexpected, system, unexpected. But appreciated if that stray devil is present for me to have as a snack.' I grinned savagely. I was going to go primal on that acid-titty cunt. Couldn't help the massive bundle of bitch-butterflies in my core, though. Viser is still a supernatural phenomenon and I could pay with my life if I'm not careful.

Once within the building, I began to whistle a tune whilst meandering about and wasting time. I was hoping for that Quelaag wannabe to actually be alive—which would put me either around the start of canon or before it. Depending on at what point I was dropped in DxD, depends on what I do.

"Oh dear… what's this in my domain? A delicious little morsel for little ol'me?" Seductive, smooth, that was how I'd describe the voice ringing out from the unnatural darkness of the interior.

Unnatural 'cause despite it being day the building was almost darker than under the bed at night.

"Yup. I am delicious. I'm suicidal and I want to be eaten." I spoke in the most deadpan tone I could, my biomass writhing in anticipation and apprehension beneath my skin.

The stray devil's upper body, that of a gorgeously proportioned woman with long, dark hair rose out of the patch of darkness before me. Temporary lapses in knowledge and memory pass and I recall that I have other additional enhanced senses that can be utilized. Night vision should not be an issue.

I blinked, then the instant my eyelids parted my eyesight became much clearer within the obfuscous interior, allowing my full view of Viser's full body.

The stray she-devil licked her lips, beckoning me with forth with her pointer finger and her sweet voice, "Come to Viser, you poor child. Allow me to make all your worries fade away."

It irked me that I was stuck at being thirteen—wait. No I wasn't, I could—no, I can't. Just tried to change my default physical appearance with Bloodlight. Can't age myself up, got it. Gay.

"I'm depressed—so could you just… get it over with?" I was genuinely somewhat upset over my lack of age. For flavor I ended with an overdramatic sigh as I approached the demon. Can't kick her ass if I don't get closer, now can I? Admittedly… I was unsure of how difficult this encounter might come to be.

Viser felt herself twitch. Something was wrong—horribly, terribly awry—this human child—something felt indescribably wrong. Perhaps it was simply the jitters for all she knew, or it could even be the result of having finally having a meal after laying low from the heat she's brought onto herself.

Once the human was within range, she lunged. Her full stature and form revealed as the mouth of her lower body opened to devour the child whole.

"Yes!" Viser hissed.

"Come, little morsel, and fill me!" Copious amounts of saliva dripped from Viser's lower mouth.

I blinked. Biomass began coiling, tensing within my legs before I leapt with an arm and fist directed upwards into Viser's jaw for a vicious uppercut.

'Holy shit! That came to me easier than I thought! Looks like this'll be cake after all!' I could not help but smile savagely as gravity deposited me on the floor.

The stray devil staggered back whilst holding her now bruised jaw with her right hand, her eyes wide in shock at the occurrence of what she thought was a human actually fighting back.

"Yeah, no, bitch. If you thought you were going to eat me, then you've got it in reverse… y'see, I'm going to eat you." I throw myself forwards, leaping at Viser for an overhead smash with my hands clasped together only for her to skitter away.

I crashed onto the floor with an echoing impact, leaving a webbed crater where I landed.

'Wait,' I quickly observed the floor beneath me, 'does this mean I'm technically fat?' I patted myself down and felt the same, averagely built, thirteen-year-old body I possessed. Yeah, I'm sure I only consumed one person to date, so I don't think I had enough mass to cause craters like Heller and Mercer.

I clicked my tongue and turned towards Viser, shaking my index finger at her.

"Naughty, naughty! Food doesn't get to dodge!" I chastised. I was sure I pissed Viser off because she screeched and charged at me with her large form, acidic gunk shooting from her nipples at me in the meanwhile.

I tensed the Bloodlight in my legs and leapt over Viser in the dodging maneuver Heller was known for in P2, then grabbed at Viser's right hind leg and heaved with all the virus-enhanced strength at my disposal.

Immediately my hands and torso deconstruct into feeding tendrils and begin to break down Viser's leg, forcing her to heel as I consumed her alive.

Viser felt the hot flash of agony, unable to move her lower body as I spread several lengths of Bloodlight throughout her internal organs to better accommodate the process of breaking down her body.

"Aaah! Release me! I am Viser! I am a Devil, I am superior! I'll end you!" Viser attempted to come off as menacing, but she was no better than a rabid animal the show wrote off as nothing but an introduction for Issei into devil life.

"I mean it! I'll devour you! I'll melt you—gack?!" Viser's voice was cut off as one of my extensions burst through her human chest and snaked around her throat. I squeezed slowly, impassive in face of Viser's distress. Some part of me cried for clemency, that Viser could become more if I gave her a chance to serve beneath me. The other part? The part that got through [Prototype]'s beginning with the trauma associated to it? It didn't find the mercy, nor the willingness, to bend the knee and do better.

My coiled tendril became a closed vice and pulverized Viser's neck with one reverberating snap. During the moments of Viser's death, my torso, back, and sides deformed into masses of tendrils that overtook Viser's body and broke her down into biomass for me. Once Viser was fully consumed not even a single drop of blood remained. That had been when the web of memories introduced in the games kicked in—I did not want to get to know Viser at all—though I forced the assimilation of memories to focus on Viser's knowledge of devil magics and power… of which there was barely anything.

The reason I refused to look at Viser's memories? Because I might feel pity and regret. I was never particularly fond of facing those sentiments. I don't like regretting or facing the consequences of my deeds.

Once having sorted through the scant motes of knowledge Viser had about devil abilities—which amounted to the 'Devils have the power of imagination'—I pondered whereabouts I'd go about absorbing someone who could speak proper Japanese that would not be… missed. Never mind, not necessary.

[Yes, you've realized it now. Devils have that ability to understand and speak any language through their tongue. Something you took for yourself when you consumed Viser.]

'I was just getting to that realization, system! Anywhoot, where are my stats at the moment?' My indignation turned to curiosity as I inquired about my fortitude levels.

[Your stats are as follows:]

[Physical fortitude: 2,670]

[Mental Fortitude: 2,700]

[Spiritual Fortitude: 1,020]

'Why is my spiritual so low?' I frowned; seriously? Why was my spiritual fortitude so low?

[Quit being a little bitch and it might not be so low compared to the other stats.]

My mouth dropped open like a hooked fish. The system just took a shot at me, 'Holy shit. Ouch. That genuinely offended me. Like what the fuck?'

[Call it as I see it. Plus it's also somewhat the truth. You haven't properly dealt with the hardships you went through, nor were you willing to own up to consuming Viser and looking through her memory—what was left of it.]

'Screw you, you don't know what you're talking about!' I began to seethe and grumble as I left the facility in which I'd eaten Viser. The system did and does not know bet—

[Yes I do. I quantify and calculate your stats and am deeply aware of what and how you write, as well as what you do, will affect each stat.]

I was pissed now. Yup.

Late afternoon—or evening, seeing as the sun was touching the horizon now. After enough walking I ended up before an extremely familiar building; Issei's place, the Hyoudou residence.

'Fuck it. Forged documents can come later, I want a bed and warm food. Time to play the homeless kid game.' I did not hunger in the traditional sense that any human or creature would. So long as I avoided burning a metric fuck-ton of biomass, I'd be satisfied until I burned enough that I was feeling a need for it—the need for good and warm food was purely for psychological comfort at this point.

I knock on the door as my clothing shifts into tattered, worn, and dirty versions of themselves. It was becoming rather chilly and I took advantage of the cooling weather by way of hunching somewhat and rubbing my arms in a show of attempting to keep warm.

The door opens and none other than Miki Hyoudou and her son, Issei, step up before me. It was time to sell this, hard.

"D-Do you have any food or blankets to spare? Ple-Please?" I purposely stuttered and glanced away, attempting to look shy and flustered at having to beg.

Issei and his mother both looked surprised at me, not having expected a boy barely into his teens begging for food and cloth.

Miki Hyoudou raised a delicate hand to her mouth, shock settling in at the image before her as she pondered what possibly could have caused a boy to end up on his own. She had just scolded her son for his usual antics and one of the last things she had ever expected to see was a homeless boy begging her for supplies.

Miki's heart clenched as she thought of her son in place of the boy and immediately pulled the kid into her home.

"Issei, run a hot bath." She ordered her son, who, for all his perversions, thankfully had a resolute and kind heart.

Issei nodded and ran off to do so, while Miki herself brought the boy into the kitchen and pulled out a chair at the dining table.

"Sit, sit! Don't worry, I don't bite. Gorou, honey! Come to the kitchen!" Miki called out as she began to open the rice-cooker to serve a bowl upon which she poured a gratuitous helping of white rice and curry with extra beef. Miki retrieved the proper utensils—the food was pleasantly warm and she slid the bowl with its utensils over the table to the boy.

Miki sat near the kid and awaited her husband's arrival.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's going on—" Gorou paused when he spotted a dirt covered young boy at his family's dining table. He could not help but note the kid's startling sunset-colored eyes and his black hair. Gorou observed further, eyeing the kid's form that seemed barely thinner than average. The boy perhaps had been on the street for a bit less than a month, Gorou gathered from his scrutiny.

As I began to chow down and enjoy the rice with beef curry, I made sure I shifted in place, seeming uncomfortable at the observing stare Issei's father gave me. Seconds later the man realized the possible connotations his silence and focused gaze might have given.

"My apologies! I was simply surprised. I did not expect to see… you know, a child come into my home as you have." Gorou excused his behavior, nodding his head in a faint bow as apology.

Despite nodding in acceptance—as I quickly finished off the last of my first real meal since reincarnating—I felt a strong pinprick of irritation at being called a child of all things. This body was thirteen, dammit!

"I'm not a child—I'm thirteen years old." I protested weakly, putting on the caution a street kid might have as I uttered the words.

Gorou and Miki shared a look at my words. Wife nodded to husband with a pleading look and husband nodded back with an accepting countenance.

"That makes you a young man, haha! I have to ask…" Gorou chewed on his inner cheek for a moment, "listen, son, I don't know about your situation, nor do my and I wish to push, but what caused you to be in your current predicament?"

My brow furrowed and I looked down at my empty bowl. I force my eyes to tear up, the salty liquid building before a single tear trails down my right cheek.

"I wasn't… I wasn't wanted." I uttered with the barest of whispers, but it was enough for the married couple to react.

"I see," Gorou responded with a subtle waver in his voice, "then in that case, welcome to our home, kiddo. Issei should've gotten a bath going by now, so feel free to go on up."

I nodded and left the kitchen/dining space. The instant my face was turned away as I rounded the corner I grinned victoriously. I felt guiltier than a MOFO for deceiving such kind people but I wasn't going to deal with that.

[Then you wonder why your spiritual fortitude doesn't rise as well as your other two stats.]

'Ah, shuddup.' I mentally huff at my system.

Because I was so friggin' young, I had no choice in my height. I was a friggin' 5'1" as I was, the only time that would change in any capacity is when and if I use my virus' shapeshifting or I age naturally… hopefully.

[I have confirmed that you will age regularly until your mid-twenties.]

I want to cry happy tears and kiss my system for that info, though before I could express my gratitude Issei came out to find me.

"Got the bath running!" Issei called out from the top of the stairs.

I shrugged and decidedly went with the flow.

The next day arrives and I'm feeling refreshed and I sat up in my futon while Issei snore away atop his bed.

'Not going to lie, I had assumed Issei was just some shitty perv but it turns out that he can be a real bro.' The previous night had gone well and I had gotten some sleep, though Issei had a prior plethora of questions for me regarding my now ex-homeless status and how that status ever came to be. I ended up throwing Kakashi Hatake levels of bullshit at the kid. That's when the kid decided to stand on his bed, look up to the ceiling, and declare that he'd be the greatest older brother in history.

I shook my head with an exasperated smile… before said smile crashed and burned the instant I head the popping sound of some sport vehicle's exhaust. My hands tightened into fists and I began shaking. Memories of being shot at and riddled with bullets back in the previous world flooded my mind. There was a voice but I hadn't recognized it.

"Uh, bro? Dude? Sol? 'Stora? Hey, bro!" Issei shook me roughly, snapping me out of my haunted reverie. My eyes snapped to the spiritually younger boy.

"Huh? Uh, y-yeah, yeah. I'm fine, Issei." I shook my head and grimaced. My voice was shaky as hell.

"No, bro. You don't sound okay. Do you want to talk with mom?" Issei's voice lacked any pity, but carried all the concern.

"Nah. I'll get over it. I'll sleep in a bit more, though. Been a while since I could knock out for long without having to watch my back." I held back another grimace. It was then that I decided I did not like lying to this family. Anyone else was fair game.

Issei nodded and had gone up and out of his room to get prepared for school—in the meantime I drew out the book from somewhere and flipped it open to the next empty page.

"Hm—ack?!" I locked up, unable to move.

[It appears that the memories of your previous life are intact. That is a mistake that must be corrected.]

'Wait! Wait! System, don't take my memories!' I pleaded as quickly as I could get a word in.

[For what purpose should I allow you your memories when they were supposed to have been removed?]

'Additional entertainment for whatever being stuck me with you?' I attempted poorly.

[Appeal for delay or complete cessation of memory deletion logged. Sent. Awaiting response… response received. Approved. Your memories stay.]

'Thank whatever being is watching.' I mentally say as I regain control of my functions. That was when I quickly wrote in the book to add another ability to myself, 'Presence and-or power concealment.'

This choice came about from my meeting with Viser the previous night where I enacted the worst emo act anyone could have seen. She had a look in her eye as if she was scrutinizing me, unsure of something. Could it be she sensed I wasn't human anymore? Fuck the DxD bullshit senses.