Slowly, people around me start exiting meditation. Some very obviously recieved the task, given by an exclamatory "yes!" accompanied by hi-fives going around the hall. As more people started becoming conscious again, some showed clear signs of dejection. Some others, however, had little reaction, like me. Although I think my lack of reaction may have been due to something else entirely.

Kyte proceeded to ask me a question, and snapped me out of my daze.

"So, the task, did you get it?"

"Task? No. What was it?"

"Haha. I didn't get it either, so I'm as curious as you are."

"I guess we're both unlucky souls who won't benefit this time round."

We proceed to talk a bit more. given what just happened, I don't think the lecturer would be able to continue any time soon.

And, given by the sullen face of said lecturer, he probably doesn't want to, either.

Tasks like these can be golden opportunities. I was too preoccupied with something else to be miserable about that, however.

After the lecture is finished, we decide to jog around the site with several other trainees who also intend on doing running. The daily tasks each person recieves changes per person per day, but they are often pretty similar in content and are mostly some form of basic physical exercise.

After a long day, we stop off at a store with the group. After some shopping for daily goods and foods, Kyte and I split up from the group and return to our apartment. We take turns cooking, and it's his turn today. Not that either of us can make anything too fancy. I do some meditating while waiting.

After ten minutes I re-open my eyes and come to a conclusion.

Getting rid of this subsystem is definitely going to be difficult...

It orbited me. It whizzed around in front of me. I felt like it was positively beaming with excitement while I tried to reject it. I tried saying no, naw, non, nein, and several other versions of "no". I even tried "I refuse", "I reject" "I politely decline" and "please leave me alone". Nothing worked.

Later, I'll do some searching on how to refuse a subsystem. If need be, tomorrow I'll head to the library and read through some system management books.

But for now, I do believe Kyte has finished. We make sure not to eat junk all the time, but we also aren't overly concerned about what we eat either. Food is food. Today is sausage and chips with some sauce.

After the meal, I wash the dishes.

Strictly, I'm just putting them into a tiny dishwasher then pressing "on", but nethertheless, it's just the modern way to wash tableware.

Then I further attempt to find a way to reject the subsystem.

That fails, so I give up for the day and spend the rest of the day relaxing.

After what feels like a very unsuccessful day, I fall asleep.

The next day, I wake up a bit later than normal. I don't feel too good. As I go into meditation I remember why.

Ah yes, this... thing.

The glowing red beachball I'm all too familiar with greets me inside the interface. I try my best to ignore it as I start figuring out what daily tasks to do. They aren't called daily because they refresh every day, but daily because they can be done every day.

After deciding in my head what exercises to do today, including a mental exercise of reading a book, I start preparing for the day. Honestly, I don't do too many brain activity tasks since they don't suit me, but...

I'll be researching about subsystem removal, so I might as well do a task similarly related to it at the same time.

I still take them from time to time, since usually the benifits from doing so is a slight increase in memory.

With a quick breakfast, we put on our uniforms and walk to SIT.

Looking back at it, there isn't actually much of an advantage being within walking distance of SIT. Trains move so fast now and rail systems are so well developed  they've become the new main method of transport. While cars need to observe the speed limit due to human reaction time, trains have developed to start moving at the speed of sound. Why drive for one hour when you can wait fifteen minutes for a train then take another fifteen minutes riding it?

I don't need to swim today, so I board the train with Kyte. Looking around, I notice far fewer trainees than normal. I ask Kyte.

"Doesn't it seem empty to you?"

"Quite. Are we early?"

"No."

huh. I guess we'll find out why when we get there?

Shortly after we arrive at the institute, we realise there are indeed far fewer people than normal. Furthermore, its not like its a single batch of people left. Its as if a third of the trainees randomly disappeared.

a look of realisation dawns on Kyte's face

"Ah! I think I know why, Arg."

He does?

"the system task yesterday!"

"Oh!"

from the golden subsystem!

While people are gathering in the main hall, we walk up the group we were with yesterday.

Unfortunately, we didn't manage to find out what the task yesterday was, as everyone who got it quickly left. Even after messaging some friends, there was no reply. I suppose the task must of required some ergency. It fully explains the emptiness of the hall. Even some of the lecturers and instructors were missing.

It appeared one of our friends in this group was more fortunate, and actually had a response back from one of his friends.

"It was woodcarving!"

Ah yes. why would I expect anything more from the system?

Yesterday's task was to enter a woodcarving competition for the harvest festival that was about two weeks away. I guess some higher being enjoyed the hobby and wanted more competition for it or something. Or maybe they just wanted to see people make a fool of themselves desperately trying to learn a new craft in only two weeks notice.

The rewards for completion were the system's form of currency, mP.

The mP gained were dependant on the place and quality of the woodcarving. I guess many people who never even tried woodcutting before suddenly would start giving it their all and skip days of training for a chance to get those extra mP.

mP are required for most tasks that have a qualitative nature to them, such as this woodcutting task. Because of quality, the system cannot give out base rewards in the same way as quantative tasks as it needs to flexibly change the amount of rewards based on how well the task was completed. Hence, it gives out mP which can be exchanged for superpowers.

Of course, superpowers aren't cheap. The basic ones such as a small increase in strength or tenacity cost 10 mP each. Upgrading an existing superpower usually costs somewhere between 200 to 1000 mP, and buying a new superpower costs at least 2500 mP, with the more expensive ones being over 10,000.

An Intructor arrives from the front and asks for silence.

"May I have your attention please...? Yes, good. Due to a large number of trainees taking time off for personal development reasons, lectures will be halted for a short time.  Instead, the lower years and upper years will be grouped together for practical classes. Details on the current timetable will be sent out later, along with a date lectures will continue. Furthermore..."

The lecturer continues for a bit longer giving the specific events that will happen today.

Theres good news and bad news to having no lectures.

The good news is I only have to do practical lessons for the next week or so.

The bad news is I have to do only practical lessons for the next week or so.

This is going to hurt.

After being thoroughly beaten up in morning practice, I enter SIT's library.

I head to one of the computers in the library.

The computers here are specially made to search reliable information. Furthermore, the computers have a database that includes files on all the books and their positions in the library. This means as well as searching through the internet, the computers will also recommend several books in the library for reading.

I search everthing to do with subsystems: how to reject subsystems, villianous subsystems, cases of subsystems refusing to leave a person, subsystems that are attached to you.

Unfortunately, the results I find are all not what I want: how to find a subsystem, how to tell if someone has a villianous subsystem and what to do about reporting them, top ten subsystems you want to be attached to.

I sigh.

With little hope, I borrow various books on subsystems that the computer recommends.

Despite the fact that self-study periods are quite long, especially so with the absense of lectures, there are too many books here to go through in one sitting. So I spend the entire morning either is physical training or reading some of these books. Unfortunately, so far the only interesting piece of information I found was that the technical term for a subsystem leaving you was "un-installing".

Finally, I open up "Adamant Joe"- a biology of a person who had experience with three subsystems. I realise most people aren't struggling to escape their subsystems and I appear to be a rare case, so it doesn't make sense to check more academic-oriented books.

First subsystem was "super popular highschool system". I bet that one was a ride... Naturally un-installed after leaving highschool. Not helpful.

Second system was some architecture thingy. Un-installed after he created his masterpiece. Oh!

Apparently, he tried to un-install it halfway, however due to the fact he had already done multiple tasks for the system, it could re-attach itself to him. With some time off and encouragement, he finished his great work. It appears the more tasks you do for a subsystem, the closer you and it are, so the higher being can send more information through to you.

A message through a speaker announces that SIT. is closing for the day. Returning the books, I leave the library.

But I haven't done any tasks from that system before. So it shouldn't be attached to me in any way. regardless, its clear that I'm going to end up sinking deeper in trouble if I listen to it. I should be extra careful.

Not that I would ever commit a crime.