A refreshing breeze blew in from the open windows, and the baby in the crib simply nudged his fingers in response to that wind.
His eyes were closed, his breathing was soft and relaxed, he appeared to be deeply asleep, but he constantly woke up and went back to sleep, casually enjoying the warmth surrounding and within him.
It felt familiar, but was endearing and without a doubt, comforting.
Click-!
The baby's eyebrows twitched slightly, but his eyes didn't open and his expression gradually softened.
Wrri----- inng
The door was opened as quietly and as carefully as it could've been, but since it was a wooden door, it couldn't help but creak and alert the baby.
A head full of messily brushed brown hair peeked into the room, and carefully stepped in.
She looked around the room, and approached the crib eagerly, then looked in.
"Ohh he's still asleep", she said softly and with a pout.
'Haa, teacher's baby is so beautiful… and soft…'
She thought while poking his cheeks gently.
Greta's continuous pokes pulled him out of his sated state and prompted him to wake up.
But he couldn't, he was so relaxed the mere act of opening his eyes up to look at his dull surroundings further discouraged him from trying, so he just reached out to grab her finger.
'Is he awake?', She asked herself in surprise, and poked his other cheek to see if he'd open his eyes.
But the struggling baby simply gave up, and just let her be.
She giggled to herself, as she watched him resign himself to fate, or rather her torment.
"I knew babies were soft, but why does this one feel like pudding?"
She joked to herself as she watched his little hands retract to his sides.
She really wanted to carry him, yet decided against it.
'Who knows if that'll wake him up…'
Greta did not want to attract her teacher's ire, especially after she witnessed her go head to head with that noble.
'I'll need to tell the others about how scary teacher is, so they work harder for our next practical test.'
She nodded to herself as she immersed herself in her imagination.
She watched the baby a little more and gradually began to feel sleepy.
"Why does this room feel so comfy?", she mused to herself softly, and stepped away from the crib to yawn.
She looked away from the crib, and patted her cheeks with a loud 'Pa!', before jumping up to shake herself awake.
'Teacher asked me to watch her baby, not to join him to sleep!'
Greta turned around to the sleeping baby, and thought about what to do next.
Rhoda had told her to watch her baby but the baby seems okay, and her own mother had said to help out with other things but the baby.
"Maybe I should do some chores instead…", she muttered to herself as she walked towards the door.
Stopping by the slightly opened door, she wondered if it was okay for her to leave when her teacher had told her to stay.
"But mum said I should avoid staying alone with the baby as much as possible…"
Simply because, her mother had told her how protective women were of their babies, especially newborns. Since they tend to get attached to those they see more and are familiar with.
Baya, Greta's mother, did not want Rhoda to ostracize her daughter over such an avoidable matter.
Hence, with her mother's instructions in mind, she left the room and went downstairs to find some chores to do.
…
The door closed, a little louder than when it was opened because of Greta's distraction, and the sleeping baby woke up again, but this time with full awareness.
The baby gently moved his eyelids, struggling to open them up but finally opened them up after a few seconds of trying and giving up.
His teary eyes glimmered with an ethereal shade of blue that seemed to get brighter as time passed.
He remained still, staring blankly at the ceiling, slowly processing everything he was seeing as if it were the first time he had ever seen such a thing.
Oh but it seemed like it was, after all he stared into the air, purely mesmerized, as though he was witnessing the secrets of the universe unravel before him.
Tiny specks of lights clashed against each other and shimmered as they moved about his room, coming from and going to every direction.
He raised a hand up in an attempt to grasp those lights, but instead the initially processing thought was finally complete, and he lowered his hand as he moved his gaze away from the fascinating lights.
He blinked twice, seemingly recovering from his unseemly reverie, and then his blank look of fascination shifted to one of realization then, depression.
'It happened again…'
The thought crossed his subconscious mind as his conscious mind was too young to process it.
'I should've known…'
Gradually he began to process his thoughts faster, and even began to feel his five senses.
He slowly moved his arm, which was surprisingly difficult to lift as he felt the warm yet uncomfortable air. And tightly clenched his tiny fists, which wouldn't close up completely.
…ng
A distant sound rang in his ear, but his focus was entirely placed on his situation, which also made it hard for him to notice the 'whirr--ing' sound which was much closer than the distance.
'But where am I?'
He tried to move and look around but he couldn't, his body felt heavy and uncomfortable.
"Hn uohh…"
He wanted to speak, but all that came out of his lips were unintelligible sounds akin to soft whimpers.
The baby's body stiffened when he heard those familiar sounds, but it was only after he stopped thinking that he noticed his discomfort.
'It's hot'
He realized that almost immediately, and began to wonder why he felt so hot.
However, his thoughts were painstakingly slow, and although his skin started to turn red due to the heat, he failed to notice it because he was so deep into his subconscious thinking.
Ding!
A soft chime, rang in his ear and efficiently shifted his focus from his thoughts to the bizarre sight in front of him.
'What is that?'
He pondered, curiously, and his eyes glimmered with fascination as his full attention was snatched by sudden appearance of the dull coloured but unique system interface.
It was then he noticed it.
Tiny flickers of light were circling the interface, and he gradually began to clearly see the interface in front of him.
Moreover, the same influence that improved his vision also transmitted the information to him.
And as he stared on in awe, a progress bar appeared and showed the following;
{Initialization Complete!
[System] activating…}
Ding!
{Welcome! Dear ‰#i… *(o..!
The [System] has been activated, an unexpected anomaly has been detected in the v…#‰…^…
Processing anomaly… Accessing user protocol…}
{Pathway achieved! Beginning [System] activation sequence…}
Ding!
{The [System] will now give away skills and manuals accordingly.}
Ding!
{ [How to regulate mana and develop a mana core]
Ding!
{[How to regulate mana and develop a mana core]
This is a cultivation plan specially tailored for our #is…*%r.
Thank you for choosing to visit us, we appreciate your presence.
And to prevent us from grieving over your absence, please start this cultivation plan to ensure the survival of your body.
Ding!
[Explore]!
{Due to the v…i…‰#* inability to access the [System] , the [System] will access itself on your behalf!}
{Loading...}
Ding!
{[Special reward packages-!]}
{Locked [Beginner's special L+ gift package for the #%#‰o%]
Status: Locked
Activity Status: Unactivated
Installation progress: 0.00002378…/100%
Time remaining: 7 yr 359d 16 hr 34 mins 22 seconds
Limit: Free until 7 yr 359d 16 hr 34 mins 21 seconds}
{Special SL++ customized goodie [What happened last time?!] has been detected}
Ding!
{Triggering activation!
[What happened last time?!] is being processed…}
{[Extra packages!]
[Growth package] B++
Intelligence +10
Mana ????
Stamina +100
Charisma [Unidentified]
Strength +100
Growth level × 1.5
…
Every five years, the above stats would be added into the current stats.}
{Accessing current stats… 2… 1…}
Ding!
⫷𝕊𝕋𝔸𝕋𝕊⫸ -e
Name: ??? (???)
Age: 5 days old (???)
Title: Unachieved (???)
Status: Unidentified
Support: Not admitted (???)
♦ Revisable Stats ♦
Strength: 0 (+1)
Intelligence: Calculating…
Mana: Innumerable. Last estimate 1547… #‰… #‰… Innumerable. Last estimate… 1552… (+???)
Stamina: 4… 3.87… 3.71… (+1)
Charisma: 3(+3)
Luck: 0(–10 (+?))
The user is under the status effects: [Mana overflow] [Fatigue strain] [Dead end]
Danger level: 40… …41... 42%
Survival rate: …20… …19...18.2% (+20%)}
{Skills detected! Bonus skill [Everything feels the same except for the first time!] Is being activated in 2… 1…}
Ding!
{[Everything feels the same except for the first time!]
Grade: B+
Our #‰it@r is currently unable to do a lot of things related to the [System], and access the perks of being a #@‰^#.
For that reason, the [System] has gifted the bonus skill [Everything feels the same except for the first time!]
Oh #@‰^#, how pitiful you are. Unable to move due to your own will, unable to eat, unable to talk and unable to access the wonderful [System]!
Fret not, for you have received the abundant grace of the [System].
Passive: Increased sensual awareness.
Passive: +3 strength.
Passive: +1 stamina.
Active: Increased mental strength.
Requirement: 50 MP per minute
Limit: 5 minutes.
Status: Unactivated.
Active: Your body listens to you once a day.
Requirement: 40 MP per minute
Limit: 5 minutes per day.
Skill: Permanently activated.
Inactive [What happened last time?!]}
...…
'Wow, an actual system…'
The baby thought despite his difficulties as he gazed at the system in awe. But he especially wanted to activate the 'increased mental strength' skill, so it wouldn't hurt as much.
Hence, he lifted his no longer as heavy arm in an attempt to grab the system, but it was too far.
"Hmn…"
He whimpered softly, due to the constant warmth surrounding him, as his hand fell back due to fatigue.
'I'm s… ired…'
All existing thoughts in his mind dispersed, as he began to doze off.
But before he completely slept off he heard-
Ding!
{Censorship removed due to complete activation of the [System].
Welcome Visitor.}