"System upgrade complete..."
Just as Asagami Fujino was feeling her power grow rapidly, the sudden system notification nearly startled her.
"What's going on, System?! Didn't you say the upgrade would take fifteen days? You didn't just pop out halfway through the upgrade, did you?" Asagami Fujino asked hurriedly.
"In response to the Host, because the Host has condensed a core and mastered The Root of this world, the system has completed its upgrade ahead of schedule," the familiar synthesized electronic voice of the system sounded again.
"Does the Host require a briefing on the contents of this system update?"
"Hurry up." Asagami Fujino was also curious about what changes the system had undergone.
"In response to the Host, this update has removed the modules originally scheduled for the next upgrade, retaining only the Shop and Quest modules."
"Eh, why's that?" Asagami Fujino asked.
"In response to the Host, given the Host's current strength, the system has determined that redundant modules are useless," the system replied.
"I see... wait! What about the world-traversal module?" Asagami Fujino asked. If that module disappeared, she would have to find her own way to travel to other worlds.
"Please do not worry, Host. Allow me to finish the briefing on this update, and I will inform you in detail."
"Alright." Asagami Fujino noticed that after this update, the system had changed; it seemed more humanized. The old system wouldn't have spoken to her like this.
"The Shop module remains. However, since the Host possesses the Kengou Eye, the system has determined that except for the weapons section, the prices of all other items have been significantly reduced. Furthermore, abilities purchased from the Shop can be autonomously fused into the Migeiko core. The system currency remains Points, which can now only be obtained through killing."
Hearing this, Asagami Fujino was so happy she almost jumped. Although acquiring other abilities was easier with the power of Migeiko, many powers belonged to other worlds and would take effort to obtain. Now, the system's massive discount made everything much more convenient. As for weapons not being discounted, it was no big deal to her. She already had so many Noble Phantasms and yubashiri, which had now completely fused with the power of the darkin scythe; she had no need for new weapons.
"In the Quest module, future quests for each world have been canceled, allowing the Host to act freely. Two quests from the previous upgrade remain: the Transcendence Evil Power quest and the Large-Scale Serial Benefit Quest. Additionally, an Ultimate Quest has been added based on the Host's situation. Would the Host like to view it?"
Asagami Fujino raised an eyebrow. Canceling the world quests was a good thing for her; quests no longer held any appeal. However, the appearance of this Ultimate Quest piqued her curiosity. What could it be?
"View quest."
Then, a light screen appeared before her:
Ultimate Quest:
Quest Objective: Retain a part of being "human."
Quest Reward: Mastery of the System
"What does this mean?" Asagami Fujino frowned.
"In response to the Host, because the Host has obtained Migeiko, and Migeiko is something that transcends rules, the Host's body and mind are expanding toward becoming an outlier as they grow stronger. The Host must now retain a part of being human to avoid becoming an entity without desire—a 'God' in every sense of the word."
"What do you mean?" Asagami Fujino was completely baffled, having no idea what the system was talking about.
"Simply put, it means becoming like a machine—knowing neither fear nor joy, losing everything, becoming a living dead thing."
"Would the Host like to experience it to gain a deeper understanding?"
Asagami Fujino hesitated at the system's suggestion but ultimately chose to agree. She wanted to see if it was as the system described, but this would become the most regrettable thing she ever did in her life.
A minute later, a pale Asagami Fujino leaned against the sofa, gasping for breath. Her abnormality drew everyone's attention. Jibril immediately used Heavenly Movement to appear by her side. "Fujino, what's wrong?!"
Touko, Aoko, and Sakuya followed, along with Lia and Alice, all looking at Asagami Fujino with concern. Aoko's eyes, in particular, were filled with worry for her.
"It's nothing, just..." Asagami Fujino didn't continue. She couldn't describe the feeling she just had. What kind of feeling was it? Was she alive or dead? It was like Schrödinger's cat, yet completely different. She couldn't feel any emotion—fear, joy? What were those? It was as if they had all vanished.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," Asagami Fujino forced a smile, gesturing for Jibril to relax, but her current appearance made it impossible for Jibril and the others to truly feel at ease.
After a great deal of effort, Asagami Fujino finally managed to ease their worries. Seeing the concerned look in Aoko Aozaki's eyes as she left, Fujino felt a warmth in her heart and a slight smile touched her lips.
"System, how do I solve this problem?"
"In response to the Host, do things that make you happy. Picking up girls, killing—anything that brings pleasure to your heart will do."
"Is that so? Thank you, System."
"This is the system's duty."
"System, why did you choose me in the beginning?"
"..."
"I see."
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