The room is rounded to allow for optimal airflow and a slight barely perceptible breeze flows around the room from the glassless windows. The floor is made from pinkish brown jewelberry wood and the furniture is made from equally expensive imported materials. Ke’an is even surprised to find a set of bloom silver dishware in one of the cupboards. If he were not in a temple, especially one of the God of Winds, he would take everything he could get his hands on. System watches him shakily put the silverware down and giggles at the thief fighting his instincts.

System walks up behind him and pats his back. “Careful if you stare too hard you might turn into one.”

Ke’an spins around. “Wait for real?”

“Sure-sure with the way your gaze is boring into that silver spoon.” System says as she lets out a yawn. “Anyway I am going to take a bath and hopefully get some sleep before supper.”

“Alright, I am going back to that market. I got a few quests to complete.”

“Oooh that explains it.” System says.

“What do you mean?” Ke’an asks confused.

“The room, the large amount you paid, your cheering in the street, picking me up randomly.” System bobs her head as she lists his unusual actions. “You must have gotten a few of the Life Skills quests, we are in a town and that is usually when it activates. I am guessing you have to eat and sleep now.”

“That is a bullseye through the hands.” Ke’an says with a smile. “I am surprised how long the explanations for each of these quests were.” Ke’an laughs. “Like they were explaining it to a baby. Who would fail at realizing that when you're hungry you should put food in your mouth?”

System’s face suddenly blossoms into a bright red as she looks away from Ke’an. “I-I will have you know that most transcendents have never even seen a mortal before they get an Administrator job.” Her voice sounds more hurt than she intends. “And without some explanation I… have heard… from other transcendents that people have failed the Life Skills quests a few times before getting it right.”

Ke’an leans closer to System, sharpening his gaze as she struggles to avoid his eye contact. 

Ke’an cocks his head to the side. “Ahuh… So these people that failed, were you…” 

System cuts him off with an unsteady laugh, still avoiding eye contact. “Look. I can’t go around telling you about my coworkers behind their backs.” System says waving her hands to dismiss the conversation. “But you have an advantage in the Life Skills quests since you were mortal.” System does the room a look over. “Wait you aren’t trying to wine and dine me right? What quest do you have?”

Ke’an is caught off guard by the question but shrugs it off, opens his quest window and reads off the new quest he received. System asks again if the three are the only ones he received and only after he assures her several times does she seem satisfied. Ke’an inquires why he is getting so much more transcendent experience for these quests then he did for completing the combat tutorial. She explains that no transcendent has failed the combat tutorial before so it is considered low priority. The Life Quest Tutorial is seen as notoriously hard by many as it is so unnatural for transcendents to live like mortals.

“Why are you so worried about the life quests all of a sudden?” Ke’an asks.

“The Life Quest goes over all facets of mortal existence. Including procreation, which I will have you know I am not interested in by the way.” System admits. “The quest can activate if you are around fertile members of the opposite sex long enough. So it shouldn’t activate around me since I can’t have children as a fallen, I think. Right now you will only have to eat, drink, sleep and relieve yourself. When you get child rearing tutorial quests you will regain your libido and all of the urges that come with it.”

Ke’an’s mouth drops. “Wait… so you mean that right now I am…”

“Impotent. Yes.” System says nonchalantly. “So if you are trying to wow me, don’t bother. You’re not my type, I am more interested in the unknowable eldritch bad boys anyway. Besides, your new body was created from my Administrator Core so for me it would pretty much be the same as masterb…”

Ke’an shakes his head. “To-tooo much information. Gods above. I have a fiancée and I didn’t know they would give us this room and like you callously pointed out to me, I don’t even have a way to… you know… get excited.”

“Alright, glad we are on the same page.” System says jauntily. “I am going to take that shower now, bye.”

Ke’an watches System almost childishly skip away humming a lovely tune as she searches around the lodging for a washroom. He could not help but look as her stravani robes seem to only accentuate her callipygian curves as she bounces. He sighs when he feels nothing now fully understanding the reason. He assumed it is because she is a fallen and much like with the Gods people can not view them sexually, something about divinity does that with the exception of the God of Lust for obvious reasons.

It isn’t long before he hears her squeal in excitement from what he assumes is her finding what she was after. He wastes no more time and decides now is a better time than any to continue on and complete the quests before his sister arrives and he is put to work for his uncle. He rummages around his inventory for a change of clothing to something more comfortable and less conspicuous than the overly flashy blue leather. Luckily he was also given stravani robes as a gift because his mountain hiking gear was ruined in the fight.

Out in the cosmos wading in the endless flow of space and time a being seemingly without beginning and end scours entire realities in less than the time between time. This being, incomprehensible to all human sensibilities, greater than Gods, dives through countless infinities like a swimmer  through an ocean. This entity is the truth, it is the lie and it is the paradox and it is also none of those things. It is the formless infinity and the countless nonentity and even with all of its power it is desperate in its search. It speaks not with a mouth, and it sees not with eyes. In desperation it yells out to a being far greater.

“Network! Where is she!” The voice vibrates throughout the sea of metaverses.

The ocean that makes up countless omniverses begins to writhe and thrash then finally coalesces into a face that is larger in scope and scale to the first being than a grain of sand to the sun. The first being looks upon infinite infinites with no trepidation and instead with boiling anger as it speaks again.

“Where! Is she!” The first entity says.

“You don’t have to yell. You know I can hear you just fine Administrator-73,254,752.” Network’s deadpan voice comes from all creation simultaneously, even the first entity itself. “You could have just come to my office instead of coming here. I hope you got someone to cover your shift, or at the very least clocked out.”

The difference in power is evident in just the way the two beings spoke. When the Administrator spoke it shook countless realities that made up the space around them. However as Network uttered a single word his voice IS reality, all of it at the same time. However this is not a showing of power but a meeting between disgruntled employee and mid level manager.

“That is not important right now… well just so you know I did clock out for my break.” The Administrator back tracks. “And you know my name, stop calling me by my login information. It’s weird and creepy that you have that memorized.”

“W-Well I… I am the Custodian of Infinity Inc., Ms. Alt, so of course I would know all of the login names. It is not creepy at all.” Network says breaking from his robotic persona. 

Even without having to breathe Alt managed to speak with such disappointment the sigh is thoroughly implied. “And you thought it would be better to call us by a long string of numbers rather than our names?”

Network pushes the conversation swiftly forward, feeling he is on a losing battle.“Am assuming by she you mean the former Administrator-13… ahem… I mean System Lock. You know I am not allowed to, under normal circumstances, release the private information of a current or former employee.”

“Just because she broke up with you doesn’t mean you can go hiding information from her family.”Alt yells indignantly. “She is my sister so cut the shi…”

“By creation! Just stop yelling and calm down, that happened an eternity ago and has nothing to do with this! I am just following Home’s directive.” Network admits defeatedly. “She is on disciplinary leave. Given your familial ties I will tell you more only if you do something for me.”

“I swear if you ask me on a date I will go straight to Transcendent Resources.” Alt states with finality in her words.

Network recoils at the statement. “Don’t flatter yourself.” His voice returns to its robotic monotone. “I am currently running an accelerated Tutorial Beta on a world called Availia and your assistance would be appreciated.”

Alt is silent for a long moment as she mulls over his proposal. Neither transcendent speaks to fill the void in speech. Their minds both calculate limitless responses as they float motionless in the void.

“I will come to your office to discuss this further. If it will get me closer to my dear sister I will consider working with you on your tutorial.” Alt finally says after what to a mortal would have been hours. “I fail to see how helping you will assist in that but I guess we will see.”

A smile stretches across Network’s massive face. “Oh yes I think you will like the role you will be given.”