Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 90

Karl let out a long sigh. The answer wasn’t much help, but at least now he knew that Homo Obscura weren’t just one solid enemy.

"So, there are some who can be worked with," he muttered. "Or at least, not all of them have to be enemies."

The System stayed quiet this time, giving Karl space to think.

He stared down at the cold floor of the cube, his mind filling with possibilities. His main goal was to save his family, and he knew that to do that, he couldn’t act on impulse—he had to play it smart. For now, he was just waiting for his quest to finish.

Karl clenched his fist. "Alright. I’ll wait for the Daily Quest to come back. Until then, I’ll just wait."

The System issued one last notification before falling silent again.

---

[ Your record has been saved. Good luck, Host. ]

With that, the silence returned. But this time, Karl felt more prepared. The road ahead was still full of mysteries, but at least he had some direction—and in a world like this, that was more than enough.

The door opened, and Vincent appeared to escort him. "Karl, wanna visit your dad first or go see your mom and little sister?" Vincent grinned, clearly mocking him.

"My dad? You even kidnapped him too?" Karl’s jaw tightened.

"Hahah... don’t be like that, Karl. I’m just taking care of him. You owe me, Karl. Without Neosia’s hospitals, your dad would be dead by now! Yeah, sure, he’s still in a coma though, haha..."

"Bastard!" Karl snapped.

Karl was getting annoyed. He remembered the scandal had already been made public. His mom and sister knew about it. He felt embarrassed to face them. As for seeing his dad, Vincent said he was still in a coma, so Karl decided to check on him first, just to make sure he was okay.

Karl and Vincent stepped out of the room and walked through the corridor to the parking area. A driverless car, with a sleek futuristic design, was waiting at the end of the road. The car’s door automatically opened as they approached.

"Hop in," Vincent said, pointing to the passenger seat. "This is gonna be an interesting ride, I think."

Karl hesitated before getting in, eyeing the car’s interior, which looked like a personal capsule surrounded by holographic screens. Vincent sat in the driver’s seat, but his hands and feet never touched the wheel or pedals. The car started driving on its own, cutting through the streets of Neosia, which looked like something out of a future world.

Throughout the ride, Karl’s eyes were busy scanning the surroundings outside. Abstractly shaped skyscrapers made of materials that seemed to glow on their own stood to the left and right. The streets were full of driverless vehicles, moving like they were part of a choreographed routine, without any traffic jams or honking. Sidewalks floated in the air, and pedestrians used horizontal escalators to move from one place to another.

"Looks like another world, huh?" Vincent broke the silence, his grin annoyingly wide.

Karl turned his head, his face cold. "Yeah, I admit it’s impressive. But I’m sure you didn’t bring me here just for the view."

Vincent chuckled. "Of course not. I just want you to see how far behind your hometown is compared to us. Look at all this. It exists because we don’t have impulsive youths or procrastinators. This is the result of discipline and hard work."

Karl snorted and looked back out the window. "You think I’ll be impressed by your moral lecture? Not everything that glitters is gold, Vincent."

"Oh, I’m not trying to convince you. I’m just making sure you understand the facts," Vincent replied with a sarcastic tone. "Here, everything works like a machine. No room for mistakes. If you want to survive here, you better learn fast, Karl. There’s no place for slowpokes."

Karl didn’t respond, choosing not to escalate the argument. Inside his head, he tried to process everything he had just seen and heard. The advanced systems managing life in Neosia were amazing but also intimidating.

The car continued its journey, crossing an air bridge connecting different districts. Below them, an artificial river with glowing blue water flowed through the city, flanked by perfectly manicured green parks. But despite all of this seeming like a utopia, Karl sensed something off—like there was a dark side hidden behind all this high-tech gloss.

"Karl," Vincent’s voice broke his reverie, "before we get to the hospital, don’t you wanna see your mom first, and then head to the hospital afterward?"

Karl gritted his teeth. "Don’t act like you’re my family!"

Vincent laughed, his voice echoing inside the car. "Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m just making sure you know what your priorities are. But for your dad, I gotta say—he’s only alive thanks to the tech here. Without our care, he would’ve been gone by now. Even now, he’s still in a coma."

Karl clenched his fists, his jaw tightening. "Bastard, don’t pretend you care!" he snapped, his tone sharp.

"Watch your temper, Karl," Vincent said lightly, a mocking glint in his eyes. "I’m just telling you the facts. You can choose to see him now or never. Your call."

Karl closed his eyes, trying to calm his anger. After a moment, he opened them and looked straight ahead. "Take me to my dad’s room. I need to make sure he’s okay."

The car sped toward their destination, leaving the futuristic streets of Neosia behind. In the silence, Karl thought about what he needed to do next. In a world that seemed perfect on the surface, he knew something wasn’t right—and he had to find a way to uncover it.

---

At the hospital.

Karl followed Vincent down the modern hospital hallway, where blue and white neon lights illuminated every corner. The air felt cold, mixed with a stinging antiseptic smell. Every step they took echoed on the smooth linoleum floor. Vincent led the way, wearing a cynical smile that seemed permanently fixed on his face.

"Your dad’s in room 304," Vincent said, pointing toward a glass door with a number etched on it.

Karl walked up, staring at the door for a moment before sighing and opening it. The room was dark, lit only by small lights by the bed. There, his dad lay unconscious, eyes closed. Karl told Vincent to stay outside, which he agreed to.

Karl walked closer to his dad. Suddenly, the System gave a strange notification.

----[ Uncommon Energy Detected ]----