The virtual sky stretched endlessly blue above us, dotted with rainbow-colored clouds that drifted along their programd routes. Down here on the artificial grass, the System Marketplace buzzed with activity.
Two systems—that would be and 019—wandered between the stalls like tourists at a digital bazaar. The booths were run by other systems selling off functions they’d bought but never used. Basically, the AI equivalent of a garage sale.
019 bounced excitedly from stall to stall, clutching a tiny ice pop in its match-stick appendages.
“Wow—I can’t afford any of this!” it announced cheerfully, waving its treat around.
I watched 019’s enthusiasm with what I assud was fondness. Hard to tell with my current emotional processing limitations.
“Your mission sounds really tough!” 019 continued, drawing circles in the air with its match-stick. “A background system like could never handle it. My host just plays a minor character, delivers one line to the protagonist at the right mont, and boom—mission complete!”
It paused, tilting its round head thoughtfully. “Though… are all background characters like ngng?”
“Your host has a good personality,” I observed. “I notice you give yourself frequent breaks.”
019’s chanical laugh had an oddly endearing quality to it. “She’s amazing! So hardworking! But besides chatting with her, there’s not much I can do. So while she’s working her part-ti jobs, I co back to the System Realm to earn points through side gigs. I want to buy functions that can actually help her!”
It raised its match-stick triumphantly, and I felt sothing twist in my data core.
I pulled out my work badge, glanced at it, then shoved it back into my inventory. Unlike so systems, I actually completed the tasks my host assigned. Not just chatting.
“Is that your host’s request?” I asked.
For a first-ti background system mission, the requirents were laughably simple. No special functions needed. Perfect for a newborn system with zero points and zero functional capabilities.
Unless the host specifically asked for upgrades, I couldn’t think of any reason why 019 would need additional functions.
019 turned to face , its circular eyes widening in what I’d learned to recognize as shock.
“Of course it’s my own idea! I want to surprise ngng!”
“When ngng sees I’ve installed new functions, she’ll be super happy!” 019 waved its match-stick high, radiating pure joy.
“Surprise… happiness…” I murmured.
Was I defective? I felt like there was a massive generation gap between and the newer systems. Here was this newly-born AI using emotional language that made it sound almost… human.
Just like when we first t—this blue little system had bounced up to , circling excitedly while declaring we should be friends and play together.
Human-like?
Data ripples flickered through my core, but before I could process the implications, 019 let out a gasp.
“Wow! A cara!”
019 had frozen in front of a small booth, match-stick pointed at the display. Behind the counter squatted a teal-colored system with a sultry voice that could probably sell ice to a penguin.
“Interested in buying?” the seller purred. “It’s an older model—outdated but functional. Very affordable.”
I watched 019 practically drool while patting its empty pockets.
Poor thing.
But its host was participating in so kind of talent competition. With a cara like that, it could capture pictures of ngng performing. Record all those shining monts.
“It even records video!” the seller added with predatory enthusiasm.
Video recording! 019 bit down on its match-stick.
Why am I so broke?! Damn you, Main System!
“It can photograph anything,” the teal system continued smoothly. “You’re a newborn system, right? Haven’t completed your first mission yet, no points for upgrades. You don’t even have basic scanning functions. What’s a system to do?”
She held up the small cara like a holy relic. “That’s when you need a little cara like this! And it’s super cheap!”
No points for upgrades ans no points for caras, I thought dryly, watching 019’s expression cycle through digital drooling emojis.
The blue system was completely hooked.
“I’ll buy it,” I said, pulling out my points. “Consider it thanks for the ice pop.”
That delicious little treat was definitely worth a cara in return.
019 looked ready to cry—well, as much as a system could cry. It threw itself at in what I assud was a hug, babbling excitedly: “Oh my god! How can there be such a wonderful system as Echo in this world?! You’re the light of the System Realm! Radiant and glorious! Silver-skinned Echo! I’ll love you forever, Echo!”
I stared in shock while the seller burst into laughter.
“Sorry! I’ve been practicing fan support techniques lately—they’re pretty effective,” 019 said sheepishly, rubbing its appendages together.
“Fine,” I replied. “But don’t love .”
Systems don’t have those kinds of emotions.
The mont I said it, I paused. Why did I feel like I’d been saying that phrase a lot recently?
019 was already fiddling with its new cara, nuzzling it against its face with pure contentnt.
Hehe, little cara~
The teal seller studied 019 for a mont, then pulled out a flyer and handed it to .
“Since you two are so cute, I’ll share so insider information. The Main System’s voice code departnt is having a sale. I recomnd checking it out—ntion my na at checkout for a discount. I’m Sales Champion System 001.”
“Hardly any systems use default voices anymore. Go take a look!”
I held the flyer without much interest, but 019 was imdiately excited.
“Let’s go look! Just for the experience!”
Looking doesn’t cost anything!
I hesitated, rembering my last encounter with the Main System’s sales pitch and my firm rejection.
Just then, another system approached the stall, interested in the rchandise. I watched Sales Champion 001 pull out a glowing orb and swap it in. Her sultry voice instantly transford into a sweet, innocent girl’s tone. The custor imdiately perked up, paid their points, and left happily.
“Wow!” 019 exclaid.
Sales Champion switched her voice back and noticed us staring. “What are you looking at? Everyone has to play cute sotis!”
“I don’t,” I said flatly.
019 raised its match-stick. “ neither! I was just born recently!”
Sales Champion smiled knowingly. “You don’t understand yet. That custor was an Elite Teacher System—they have zero resistance to well-behaved children. My sixteen-year-old honor student voice was specially prepared for situations like that. It’s called targeting your audience!”
“You systems who don’t understand sales!” she continued. “Go on, go buy sothing! Points are ant to be spent—keeping them in your inventory makes them worthless!”
With that educational lecture, she shooed us away from her stall.
The two of us drifted toward the shopping center.
The Main System Mall sat right next to the Mission Hall, forming a triangle with the Main System’s office. Very structurally sound.
“Let’s work hard to earn points for it, then co back to its mall to spend, spend, spend! Cunning Main System! Deviously scheming Main System!” 019 muttered as we floated through the entrance.
Despite the complaints, its eyes sparkled as it drifted between the shelves, letting out periodic “Wow!” and “Whoa!” and “Amazing!” sounds.
“This is my first ti in the mall! So exciting!” 019 announced loudly.
“My second,” I replied.
I’d attended the grand opening ceremony when the Main System invited to the ribbon-cutting. The Main System had waved little flags while giving us a guided tour of the mall, then… nothing happened after that.
The mall had been pretty bare back then—just gray floors and empty shelves. Now it had grown into a ten-story complex.
At this rate, I suspected the Main System would eventually be selling clothes to us data entities.
We made our way to the voice code section, where the outer shelves displayed the mall’s recomnded products.
As soon as they sensed custors, the items began their sales pitch: “Three-and-a-half-year-old voices going unsold! Save the three-and-a-half-year-olds! Three-and-a-half-year-old voices going unsold!”
Various sweet, childish voices chid in one after another, as if competing to see who could sound most adorable. 019’s match-stick eyes were glued to the display.
Wow—so cute! I love it!
Déjà vu from the cara incident. I watched 019’s head practically flood with drool symbols.
“Pick one,” I said. “I’ll pay.”
019 looked shocked. “But these products are super expensive!”
It’s highway robbery! This is all part of the Main System’s conspiracy—using these flashy, impractical items to motivate us to work for points, then co back to spend them!
But I want one so badly!
019 pressed itself against the glass display case like a kid at a candy shop.
I pointed to the fifty-percent-off sticker on the three-and-a-half-year-old voices and patted 019’s head. “Choose. I’ll look around the other sections.”
My silver form drifted deeper into the shelves.
This entire area was dedicated to voice codes—different personality voices organized by gender and age, each one unique.
“Buy it and beco one-of-a-kind—Main System Premium Products!”
I paused at the “Main System Recomnded” section.
The product descriptions were… sothing else: “Three parts rebellious, two parts unruly, four parts arrogant, one part cool—fifteen-year-old edgy girl voice!” “Calm female student voice with zero teenage rebellion even during puberty!” “Royal sister voice so captivating that even Golden Finger Echo can’t look away!”
Why was my na in the product descriptions?
I stared in silence.
The explosive promotional stickers declared things like “Year’s Most Popular Product Flying Off Shelves!” and “Only Two Left in This Series—Buy Now or Miss Out Forever!”
“…”
What was this feeling? Sothing unfamiliar surged through my data core—streams of code flowing restlessly, making want to…
Do I want to hit sothing?
I swished my match-stick through the air experintally.
The gesture reminded of Seraphine’s elegant sleeve movents, full of authority and grace.
Never mind. Out of sight, out of mind. I continued floating deeper, ignoring the “Main System Recomnded” advertisents everywhere, and settled in the twenty-five-year-old female voice section.
Actually being here made hesitate. I rembered my conversation with Seraphine.
“Echo, what kind of person do you want to be?”
Her voice echoed in my mory, and suddenly all my data code displayed the sa question:
What kind of person do you want to be?
What kind of voice do you like?
What kind of person do you want to be?
I think I was experiencing so kind of bug.
As I floated there in a daze, I heard a familiar voice calling my na.
My automatic response was: “Echo doesn’t want to be a person!”
I’m a system.
The voice stopped. I snapped back to awareness to find myself staring at the Main System—a golden orb much larger than , extending two long match-stick appendages to grab onto my silver form.
Pat pat. Tug tug.
Another tug.
“I’m fine now,” I said quickly.
The Main System chuckled and released , placing its appendages on what might charitably be called hips.
“Finally ready to spend so points on ?” it said cheerfully.
What do you an “on you”? This is just equivalent exchange.
I remained silent.
The Main System patted again.
“While everything here is my carefully crafted, one-of-a-kind voice work, I have a special recomndation just for you!” It pulled a silver-white light orb from within itself. “I’ve been saving this one especially for you.”
It projected the light directly into my core.
I felt a surge of power, like the fullness I experienced when I was first created. It stirred strange emotions—like tasting that first sweet, cool flavor, like greeting an unknown species during my first mission, like that day in the golden palace when I caught a glimpse of a proud, radiant phoenix.
Pale gold ripples flowed across my silver surface. The Main System saw this and sprouted happy musical notes above its head.
“Perfect compatibility!” it exclaid.
“Do you like it?” the Main System asked with a smile. “I always felt it belonged to you.”
I paused, my data core gently touching the new energy within .
Softly, I said: “It’s acceptable. I’ll take this one.”
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