Agent's Dog System

At first, the dog didn't pay much attention to what Reia, the artificial intelligence, was trying to explain. He was more fascinated by the voice emanating from her and thought to himself, This is my voice. How crazy! I sound like an action movie actor... well, that's what I think. It's the first time I've ever spoken. He had many questions swirling in his mind, such as: Can other dogs talk? Where did you get this voice?

To the first question, Reia responded patiently: "No, other dogs can't communicate like you. You'll only hear barks." And to the second question, she added, "Well, I don't know. When I searched my databases to update myself and understand you better, I discovered that this voice had already been embedded in my system as the only available option."

"Listen to me, puppy," she insisted. "I need to explain what the system inside you is. Please pay attention this time and don't get distracted by anything."

The dog said to himself, I can do it. I'll focus. I know I can concentrate. However, it was difficult for him because his curious nature made him excited by everything he saw or felt.

"Ouch! That hurt a little," he exclaimed, startled.

"It's one of my functions as your assistant," Reia explained calmly. "I can send certain electrical impulses throughout your body. I do it to help you focus. I didn't want to resort to this, but you left me no choice."

Once the dog had calmed down, Reia began to explain everything in detail. "As you know, my name is Reia, your assistant from the JORGS system, which has been integrated into you due to your compatibility with it."

The dog tilted his head, intrigued. "What is JORGS? Is it something to eat?"

"No, puppy, it's not for eating," she replied, slightly annoyed.

"But even though they gave me something to eat, I'm still hungry," he responded innocently.

Reia sighed mentally before continuing. "JORGS is an advanced system endowed with powers that we could call, in simple terms, extraterrestrial and mystical, fused within you."

She paused to make sure the dog was paying attention and continued: "JORGS has been used for countless generations to preserve order and balance in the world. However, it has never fallen into the hands—or rather, the paws—of someone like you before. This is the first time this has happened to me. I've always been the guide for great heroes who have carried this system with pride. The downside is that every time a cycle ends, I lose some valuable data until the user unlocks all its functions. Its acronym stands for Justice, Order, Gratitude, and Service, and its purpose is to bring hope and support to those who need it."

Meanwhile, Marie called the workers who were still searching the area. They informed her that, unfortunately, they hadn't found anything matching the description or image of the requested artifact.

"It's not possible," Marie muttered to herself, frustrated. "Where did you leave the artifact, Nick? You gave your life to find it. It has to be somewhere." In her mind, she went over the possibilities. "Keep looking. Use any tools available to track down a clue. I'll also go to the site, of course, if the boss gives me permission again." Hearing this, the boss raised a finger in approval.

We returned to the dog and Reia. The artificial intelligence continued explaining the functions of the system, though occasionally she had to send small electrical impulses to get his attention, as the dog tended to get easily distracted.

"It seems like you were almost out of strength and energy before, but after acquiring the system, you were revitalized as if you'd been reborn. Look at this screen." Suddenly, a holographic interface appeared before the dog's eyes, displaying a series of data: animal type, age (seven months). "Wait, seven months?" he asked, surprised.

"In dog years, it's different. It's like multiplying human years by seven, if you want to calculate it," Reia explained patiently. "Level zero—yes, this level exists—zero points in strength, zero points in vitality, zero points in intellect, zero points in perception, one hundred health points, and one hundred mana points. Apparently, you need to increase these stats to unlock special abilities and access new functions."

"I see," the dog responded, though in reality, he didn't understand much. However, he tried to focus because he knew that otherwise, he'd receive another little shock. "Well, the first thing we need to do is get out of here." At that moment, a message appeared on the screen: Escape from the cage and flee the pound. Reward: Instant level-up.

"And how am I supposed to open this cage?" The dog said, dismayed. But before he could think of anything, dawn broke, and he saw the veterinarian enter—a tall man in his forties, with cinnamon-colored skin, curly hair, and brown eyes behind thick glasses. His appearance inspired trust, but there was something bittersweet in his tone.

"So, these are the new tenants," the veterinarian commented as he checked the cages. "Alright, ER and Timmy, bring them in for their check-ups. Remember, today is the 'Adopt a Friend' campaign day, and I hope all these little ones can find a home. I don't want to have to send them to the canine Valhalla." Then, glancing at one of the cages, he added, "Alright, who's first? Maybe that little one," referring to our protagonist.

The dog was taken to the examination room. When he saw the veterinarian pull out a syringe with an enormous needle, he thought in panic: I'm terrified of sharp objects, and thank goodness I'm a dog because I don't fully understand what's happening. On the outside, all that could be heard were frantic barks and whimpers like "yip, yip." Desperate, he began struggling and moving quickly until he finally managed to break free from ER's grasp. He ran as if his life depended on it. "These people are crazy; I don't like those sharp things!"

ER and Jimmy ran after the dog, but he managed to evade them for a few moments, leaping over boxes, knocking them to the ground, dodging tables, and tipping over chairs with his frantic movements. He spotted a door and ran toward it. "I see it says 'exit,'" the dog thought, though Reia had to confirm it for him since, as they say, dogs see everything in shades of gray (though this dog seemed to have slightly better vision). Fortunately, someone opened the door at just that moment, giving him the perfect chance to escape. He kept running for a few blocks until he finally hid among the trash bins outside a house.

Mike, the veterinarian, tells ER and Jimmy, "Bring him back, but don't hurt him. I just want to give him a vaccine and run some tests."

"Phew! I barely escaped from those crazy people," the dog thought as he caught his breath. "And now where do I go? I don't know this area... I guess my sense of smell will guide me." Before he could move, Reia intervened: "Congratulations; you've completed the quest and leveled up. You're now level one and have one point to assign to your abilities."

But before he could celebrate, ER appeared in the area. Despite being slightly overweight and nearing fifty, he moved with agility, though he was a bit out of breath from the effort. He practiced cycling on his days off, which gave him some physical endurance. On the other hand, Jimmy arrived after him, almost out of breath despite being younger and thinner, as he didn't engage in any physical activity.

"Position yourself on the other side of the bins," ER ordered Jimmy. Carefully, ER lifted the trash bins and discovered the hidden dog. He grabbed him quickly from behind, capturing him before he could escape again. Once caught, he took him back to the veterinary clinic, where Mike already had a sedative prepared to perform exams without issues, such as taking blood samples and administering the vaccine.

"Puppy, puppy, oh no! Don't fall asleep," Reia said worriedly as the effects of the sedative began to take hold.

"I think I overdid it with the dose, but well, he's a healthy and strong puppy; nothing's wrong with him," Mike commented as he finished organizing the medical tools. It was already nighttime, and the dog was half asleep in his cage, struggling against the drowsiness.

"Wake up, host," Reia urged insistently.

"Ah! It's you," the dog murmured sleepily. "What happened? I thought it was all a dream. Apparently, it wasn't, and I really can talk... Everything about the system is true."

"Speaking of which, you have a point. Which ability do you want to assign it to?" Reia asked.

"Maybe strength," he replied, still somewhat groggy.

"Alright, strength it is," Reia confirmed.

"Well, you should have more strength now," she said with satisfaction.

"Yeah, but I'd rather keep sleeping. I feel a bit sluggish. Maybe we can try again tomorrow. Remember, tomorrow is the adoption fair," the dog commented, surrendering to the drowsiness.

"Yes, we have to get out tomorrow, no matter what, or you'll have to face the canine Valhalla," Reia said with concern.

"Ah, that's right... But tomorrow will be another day," the dog murmured before falling into a deep sleep, succumbing to the lingering effects of the sedative.

Reia, unable to get any more responses from the dog and exhausted from so much talking, decided to enter a state of rest until the little animal woke up again.