Edited by: Kuro

After crying for who knows how long, Grey, Azul, and Kyle decided to visit the others who were still around. System 505 was helping a Host, but Arisa was hanging around the Command Center, probably relaxing. 

“Actually, Arisa is the System that comes with me from world to world.” Kyle dropped an information bomb that Grey was not expecting. 

“She told me she was going to eat some ‘Japanese’ cuisine at a restaurant that opened up some time ago. She says it reminds her of her home country. She’s probably there seeing as she eats there for four meals a day.” 

The two were going down an elevator in the apartment complex named 002, which was Azul’s number before he gave up his title as God System. There was no 001 as that was a number that could not be mentioned. For safety reasons of course. 

When they reached the first floor, there wasn’t a front desk but there were people going in and out of the apartment. Many people greeted Azul and Kyle, who were famous within the Command Center. Many people also looked at Grey wondering why an influential System and Host were with him. Azul was famous because he was the previous God System, and Kyle was famous because he was one of the few who could complete S-ranked worlds without many problems. 

Grey felt a little strange but ignored it. Even if people had their eyes on him, he was used to it. 

Well, if they knew that Grey was the one who basically saved everyone from the Villain System and System 001, they would be thanking him profusely, especially the Systems and Hosts that were trapped in the Villain System. 

Walking out of the apartment complex and seeing the center of the city was a whole different experience. The place was crowded and people were walking to and from. Many folks were talking about previous worlds, the rewards they got, and there was even excitement for the next world they would be assigned to. It was completely different from the waiting room he had to wait in when Azul was in charge. 

Azul and Grey both established that Azul might not have been the best God System, especially because he only did what he was told and didn’t try to innovate like System 225. Still, it was much different seeing it up close and personal. 

“System 225 was truly made to be the God System.” Azul gave an all-knowing smile like he knew exactly what Grey was thinking. 

Grey chuckled and agreed, “It’s brimming with life while your reign was emotionless and boring. But then again you were just following orders and didn’t care either way.” 

Grey wasn’t wrong so Azul couldn’t refute. 

“Maybe he was right, maybe I wasn’t suited to be the God System.” Azul couldn’t help but mumble to himself. 

Grey knew exactly who he was talking about and quickly responded, “You weren’t given the opportunity to expand and revamp the Command Center like System 225 was. If you were given the chance and it was still mediocre, then maybe I would agree, but that never happened. That’s why, don’t be too hard on yourself.” 

Azul knew Grey was right and it made him feel a bit better. They wouldn’t know if Azul wasn’t suited to be God System, but his way of operating worked, so that’s that. 

After giving Azul some pep talk, the trio went to the Japanese restaurant where Kyle said they could find Arisa. True to his words, they found her with a large table of food. 

Arisa looked similar to how she was in the System Space when Grey freed her. But this time, she had dyed her hair purple and had a shoulder-length wavy hairstyle. It looked like she got a perm done. 

She didn’t see them and continued to eat her Japanese curry. She had some pickled vegetables on the side and was shoving food into her mouth like she was starved for years. 

“This is the first time I’ve seen her so… hungry.” Grey couldn’t help but be amazed at the speed she was swallowing her food. 

Kyle gave an unsettled laugh. “Ah, yeah, she’s like this after every world we go to.” 

“Arisa!” Kyle called out loudly to get her attention. “I know the food is good but can’t you see we all came to visit you?”

Arisa looked up, mouth still full and her eyes widened at the sight of Grey who was waving at her. She tried to swallow her food but almost choked. She was coughing but that didn’t stop her from getting up and running over to Grey to make sure he was really there. 

She grabbed his face with both her hands, tilted his head gently from side to side, and realized that he was truly there. 

“Grey! You haven’t changed one bit. You look healthy and lively though.” 

She was so excited that she forgot that she had her hands on his face so he found it a little uncomfortable to talk. He gave a small smile but it became distorted from her hands squeezing on his face. 

Arisa realized what she was doing and let go of his face and grabbed his hands instead. “Sorry about that! I was so excited to see you that I couldn’t control myself. You are really here!” She moved his hands up and down because she was so excited. 

“I missed you too, Arisa. I heard that you have been Kyle’s System. Thank you for taking care of him while I was sleeping.” Grey let his hands move up and down without any resistance just because he knew that Arisa was just excited to see him. He had been sleeping for ten thousand years so he couldn’t blame her. 

“It’s no problem at all! I heard that he was the one who did his best to follow you from world to world even without his memories. I had to make sure that he had the best treatment as thanks for being by your side.” 

Arisa seemed to have grown a lot as a person. She was a lot more confident, and most importantly, happier. 

Arisa invited them to join her at the table so they could eat. Grey wasn’t going to say no to food. Plus, he slept for ten thousand years, of course he wanted to eat some good food after sleeping for so long! 

The four of them talked for hours and enjoyed a tasty meal. It was something that Grey missed doing with his friend and husband. 

*****

After the meal, they split ways because Kyle needed to go back to organize his System Space and Arisa needed to write a report about the world they just went into. 

Azul also had another friend but this friend was busy as a Host and wouldn’t come back for some time. Their meeting was put off but Azul did say that Grey had met him a few times so that was good to know.

Therefore, Grey and Azul went to visit System 225, aka the new God System. 

System 225 was in the center of the Command Center, standing near the UniOrb. He was typing on a holographic screen that was in front of him. Where it came from, Grey was not sure. It was quite common in the Command Center though. 

He didn’t notice Grey and Azul walking up to him, so when he saw feet through his holographic keyboard, he was about to ask what the System or Host needed. When he saw Grey’s face, he paused everything he was doing, too stunned to even comprehend that Grey was in front of him. 

“System 225, or should I call you God System from now on?” Grey teased a little bit but he was tearing up because he knew it had been so long since he had seen System 225. 

System 225 was still wearing the same white outfit but he seemed to have grown taller and his baby face had turned into a mature man. He had brown hair, green eyes, and even had some freckles on his cheeks. 

“Grey? Is that really you?” System 225 was in disbelief. He didn’t give up on Grey waking up, but he thought he would have to wait another couple of thousand years before he could see Grey’s face again. 

Grey couldn’t help but chuckle and reached out and grabbed System 225’s hands. “Of course it is silly. Who else could it be if not me?” 

System 225 didn’t hug Grey, he just started crying. He wiped his tears with Grey still holding his hands, but it didn’t bother him. Grey was truly in front of him! 

“I was beginning to worry about you.” He cried out. 

His voice was a little loud so a lot of Systems and Hosts in the area looked in System 225’s direction and saw that he was crying while someone was hugging him! 

Who could this System or Host be and why were they hugging System 225 while they were crying?! Everyone was a bit nosy so they pretended to do their work but in actuality, they were eavesdropping. 

Grey couldn’t help but cry too and hugged his long-time friend. They went through so much together, so they were already family. 

Azul let them cry and hug it out without saying a word. All day today, Grey was hugging and crying someone, so he was getting used to the sight. System 225, Kyle, and Arisa were worried about Grey and anxiously waited for him to wake up. They visited often, talking with him next to Grey in hopes he would wake up soon if he heard their voices. 

In the end, it took ten thousand years for Grey to wake up. For Systems and Hosts, it wasn’t that long, but at the same time, it also felt like an eternity. That was the problem with a place that ignored time and space but at the same time was relevant to it. It was very weird. 

After a while, Grey and System 225 finally let go of each other. Their eyes were puffy, especially Grey’s because he was crying when he met with his friends, family, and his husband. 

“Now that you are awake, how do you like the new Command Center?” System 225 couldn’t help but ask because he was quite proud of everything he was able to accomplish while Grey was sleeping. “Well, I like to call this place UniOrb City and the center of the city is where the Command Center is located.” 

Grey answered while looking around, “UniOrb city is one way to call this place. I was absolutely flabbergasted to know I was sleeping in an apartment room this entire time. As much as I want to know how this all came to be, I’m sure it’s a lot so you can tell me as time passes by.” 

While he looked around, all the Systems and Hosts that were nearby did their best not to stare at him and System 225, but they were really curious as to who he was and why he was walking around and hanging out with the current and former God System.

“Of course, we have plenty of time to talk about everything. In the meantime, you should relax with Azul. I will give him some time off so you can explore UniOrb city, and get to know all the different facilities we have to offer as well as the point system and what you can buy with it.” 

“Point system?” 

Now Grey was extra curious about all the features System 225 included while he was gone. 

Grandpa Marky: Hey everyone! My life has been kinda stressful and I'm getting worried about everything but I'm trying to push through. I'm just having crazy financial problems and my savings is almost running out. I hope I can start freelancing within the next month or I'm going to SOB. Someone, please save me. XD anyway, that's my life in a nut shell. See y'all next week... Hopefully. Have a lovely day/night my beautiful grandchildren!