Heaven Defying System

Chapter 6: Free Coffee

"So?"

Zevian had barely opened his eyes when Miles Boone's round face appeared above him.

He stared at his roommate.

"So what?"

Miles' eyebrow twitched.

"Your date!"

"Oh."

Zevian sat up and stretched.

"It was good."

Miles' mouth fell open.

"Good?"

"Very."

"What happened?"

"Steak. Soup. Seafood." Zevian thought for a moment. "Dessert was probably the best part."

Miles stared at him.

"I'm asking about Goddess Sinclair!"

"Oh. She ate too."

"..."

Miles grabbed his hair.

"Did she flirt with you?"

"Probably."

"Probably?! Did you hold hands?"

"No."

"Kiss?"

"No."

"Did you at least walk her home?"

"She has a driver."

Miles looked like he'd just witnessed a great tragedy.

Then his eyes landed on a box sitting on Zevian's desk.

"What's that?"

"Dessert."

"You brought leftovers home from your date?"

"Why not?"

Miles slowly sat on his own bed.

"I don't understand handsome people."

Ding!

[Daily Check-In available.]

Zevian blinked.

"Oh, right. You exist."

[...]

[Host remembered his dessert but forgot the HEAVEN DEFYING SYSTEM.]

"It was good dessert."

[You have already received several rewards from this System!]

That was true.

Over the past few days, Zevian hadn't forgotten to check in.

His first check-in at the dormitory had rewarded him with Master-Level Culinary Arts.

The following day, after checking in at Auremont's academic building, he received Grandmaster Mathematical Proficiency.

Yesterday's check-in near the university's arts center had been even stranger.

Grandmaster Instrumental Proficiency.

Piano, guitar, violin, drums and dozens of other instruments.

The knowledge had entered his mind so naturally that it felt as though he'd practiced them for decades.

Zevian rubbed his chin.

"So I'm a chef, mathematician and musician now."

[Correct.]

"Where's Superman?"

[...]

"Still waiting."

[Host is advised to stop mentioning Superman.]

"You upgraded yourself because I mentioned Superman."

[THAT WAS A MISTAKE.]

Zevian grinned.

Miles looked over.

"Why are you smiling at the wall?"

"Nothing."

"Skin Mimic behavior."

"Go brush your teeth."

Later, Zevian deliberately waited before performing his daily check-in.

He had noticed something.

His rewards seemed related to where he checked in.

So instead of doing it inside the dormitory again, he headed toward Auremont's enormous central library.

The moment he stepped through its doors, a notification appeared.

[Eligible Check-In Location detected.]

[Would Host like to check in?]

'Do it.'

[Ding!]

[Check-In successful.]

[Location: Auremont University Central Library.]

[Reward obtained: Grandmaster Linguistic Proficiency.]

Zevian stopped walking.

An enormous amount of information flooded his mind.

English.

French.

Spanish.

Mandarin.

Japanese.

German.

Arabic.

Latin.

Dozens of languages suddenly felt as natural as the language he'd spoken his entire life.

Zevian quietly muttered a sentence in French.

Then Mandarin.

Then Spanish.

"Interesting."

A student walking past stared at him strangely.

Zevian ignored him.

'System.'

[Yes?]

'Can check-ins give me money?'

[Yes.]

'Cars?'

[Yes.]

'Properties?'

[Yes.]

'Companies?'

[Possible.]

Zevian smiled.

'Superpowers?'

[...]

'System?'

[Reward probability and classification depend upon Check-In Location, System Level, Host Authority, special conditions and other variables.]

"So yes."

[I did not say that.]

"You didn't say no."

[...]

Zevian continued walking.

Another thought occurred to him.

"If you reward me with a car someday, does it suddenly appear in front of me?"

[Would Host prefer having a vehicle fall from the sky?]

"No."

[Then ask sensible questions.]

Zevian almost laughed.

The System explained that real-world assets would be integrated through legitimate channels. A vehicle would possess ownership records and registration. Property would have valid documentation. Corporate holdings would have an explainable legal transfer.

The System wouldn't simply create a mansion from thin air.

"Good."

[Host appears surprisingly concerned about this.]

"I don't want the police asking why a building materialized overnight."

[...]

[For once, Host has made a reasonable observation.]

Zevian looked offended.

"For once?"

As he adjusted his sleeve, the old bracelet around his wrist became visible.

A simple black cord.

At its center rested a small silver ornament resembling a rook chess piece.

Zevian had owned it for as long as he could remember.

It wasn't expensive.

In fact, it was probably the cheapest thing on his body.

What Zevian didn't know was that this small bracelet was partly responsible for Seraphina recognizing him after his transformation.

A few days earlier.

Seraphina had been walking across campus while checking the information she'd gathered about her Love Box target.

Zevian Rook.

Second year.

Scholarship student.

Quiet.

Unremarkable.

She had several photographs of him.

All showed the same bespectacled young man.

Then she saw someone walking ahead.

Tall.

Handsome.

Athletic.

Seraphina glanced at him once and continued walking.

Two steps later, she stopped.

Her eyes narrowed.

Something had caught her attention.

The bracelet.

Black cord.

Silver ornament.

She looked at the photograph on her phone.

The bespectacled Zevian was wearing the exact same thing.

Seraphina looked up.

'Impossible.'

She followed the handsome stranger with her eyes.

Same bag.

Similar height.

Same bracelet.

Yet his face and physique were almost completely different.

She hesitated.

Then called out.

"Zevian?"

The young man stopped and turned.

That was the moment Seraphina realized her supposedly easy Love Box target had somehow transformed into one of the most attractive men at Auremont.

Back in the present, Zevian tucked the bracelet beneath his sleeve.

He had always assumed the silver ornament was a rook.

Perhaps because of his surname.

He had no idea where it originally came from.

Nor had he ever cared enough to investigate.

By noon, Zevian had finished his classes.

He walked out of the academic building and immediately stopped.

Seraphina was waiting outside.

Students were already looking at her.

Then they noticed Zevian.

The whispers began.

Seraphina approached with two cups of coffee.

"Good afternoon."

"Afternoon."

She handed him one.

"For you."

Zevian accepted it.

"Thanks."

Seraphina waited.

Zevian took a sip.

"Good."

"...That's all?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

She smiled and started walking beside him.

Today was Day Four.

She had promised herself two more days.

It was time to stop being subtle.

Seraphina moved closer and casually hooked her arm through Zevian's.

Several students nearly broke their necks turning around.

Zevian looked down.

Then at Seraphina.

She smiled sweetly.

"What?"

He considered their linked arms.

"Are your hands cold?"

Her smile stiffened.

"No."

"Then why are you hanging onto me?"

Seraphina inhaled slowly.

"Can't I?"

"Sure."

He continued walking.

Seraphina blinked.

That was easier than expected.

Perhaps she was finally making progress.

She pressed slightly closer.

Zevian continued drinking his coffee.

Nothing.

No nervousness.

No stiff posture.

No obvious excitement.

Finally, Seraphina leaned toward him.

"Zevian."

"Hm?"

"Are you really not interested in me?"

Zevian stopped.

Seraphina looked into his eyes.

For once, he examined her seriously.

Her heartbeat inexplicably quickened.

Then he spoke.

"You've been acting strange lately."

Her expression changed.

"Strange?"

"You keep buying me food."

"..."

"You bought me coffee."

"..."

"And now you're hanging onto my arm."

Seraphina forced a smile.

"Maybe I'm flirting with you."

"I know."

She froze.

Even the System went silent.

"You... know?"

"Obviously."

"Then why haven't you said anything?"

Zevian looked at the coffee in his hand.

Then at her.

"You haven't asked me to."

Seraphina stared at him as he resumed walking.

Inside Zevian's mind, the System finally exploded.

[HOST!]

'What?'

[YOU KNEW SHE WAS FLIRTING WITH YOU?!]

'Of course.'

[THEN WHY HAVE YOU BEEN ACTING OBLIVIOUS?!]

Zevian took another sip.

'I'm not oblivious.'

[THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!]

He looked at the cup Seraphina had bought him.

A small smile appeared on his face.

'Drinking free coffee.'

[...]

Behind him, Seraphina Sinclair stood motionless.

For the first time since drawing Zevian Rook's name from the Love Box, she began to suspect that five days might have been a little optimistic.