'I'm worried...'
Rey's face still had the same stoic demeanor as he had been displaying since he got a grasp of what was happening around him. His heart was still, and he didn't look the least bit concerned about anything.
Not about his classmates, Esme, or the other person he couldn't afford to think about at the moment.
His mind was still, and his body acted accordingly.
But somewhere within him--perhaps one could call it his soul or conscience--Rey knew he was being dishonest.
'A decent perk of this new body is that I feel fully connected to myself, so I can choose to halt natural reactions that may cause me to lose myself. But, I suppose that is also quite disadvantageous...'
After all, he was more connected with himself more than ever, so he knew this was all false.
Still, he couldn't afford to let it go.
... Not yet.
~VWUSH!~
Rey opened a portal and gave one final glance around the Dungeon, using his whole senses to even check the areas around the building.
He found no one present, though.
'It's been over two months since I fell asleep. I don't know when she left this place, but... isn't that more than enough time to reach me if she comes at full speed?'
These thoughts echoed in his head, nearly tempting him to begin an active investigation for Esme. But--
'No... no wait...'
Rey stopped himself as he held his head while sighing.
'What am I doing right now? What am I thinking? I shouldn't be too impulsive. Let's try to get a full grasp on everything that happened first...'
He winced a little, realizing quite a few of his previous actions had been a lot more sporadic than now. His choice with [Sacrifice] as soon as he woke up was one.
'I'm beginning to regret that one. But... I made the right choice, didn't I? Or did I? I...' For a moment, he stared at Ater, who simply looked back unassumingly.
'Should I... no, no wait.' He slightly held his head and sighed once again.
Rey felt a conflict somewhere within him.
However, before the overflowing feelings--fear, anxiety, pain, sadness, worry, regret, among many others--overwhelmed him, they were instantly suppressed.
In an instant, he felt nothing but a slight wave of relief that made him a lot less tense than before.
'What's going on?' Rey wondered to himself as he narrowed his gaze.
'[Dead Calm] isn't even active, yet why am I like this? Is this some kind of subconscious wall?'
"Give me a moment, Ater..." He raised his hand and the portal he created instantly vanished.
"Something isn't right."
Ater nodded and remained silent, watching his Master as he figured it out on his own.
"Status Window." Rey muttered, letting everything pop up before him.
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Rey Skylar.
- Race: Human (Otherworlder)
- Class: Singularity (S-Tier)
- Level: 201 (10.03% EXP)
- Life Force: 13,000
- Mana Level: 29,000
- Combat Ability: 21,550
- Stat Points: 0
- Skills (Exclusive): [Doppel]
- Skills (Non-Exclusive): [Merger]. [Dead Calm].[Sacrifice]
- Alignment: Neutral
[Additional Information]
You have done the impossible and stand at the precipice of power. As such, you now possess the interest of this World.
[End Of Information]
'Something is off...' His eyes narrowed as he looked at his Stats.
'Why has my Alignment suddenly changed? It wasn't like that moments ago!'
As soon as Rey began to have worrying thoughts, something within him had it all suppressed in an instant.
'What the hell? What's doing that?!'
It wasn't him! Yes, he had complete control over his body, and he indeed ensured he would remain calm at most times. But, he needed to actively perform this trick on his body, which made the passive effect of [Dead Calm] still useful.
But this… this was a different sensation. It didn't seem to stem from his body, but something like his mind—perhaps even deeper.
"I don't get it. Is an external force affecting me? I'm supposed to be immune to… negative… hold on…" Rey's eyes widened as he instantly had a gnawing suspicion.
One glance at Ater's unassuming smile, seeing as he nodded slowly, told Rey that he was onto something.
"Class Privileges." He managed to say before yet another wave of relief washed over his body.
Everytime it happened, a subtle change occurred within Rey that he wasn't aware of. Only when the constant changes built up did the slow transformation become much clearer.
Rey could see it now: he was becoming less like himself.
… Less human.
'And it's all because of this.'
[Class Information]
- Name: Singularity
- Tier: S-Tier
- Cause: You have done the impossible, defying the balance of this world and forever changing its nature. Your existence is an aberration, and your power has reached a frightening degree.
This world's very fabric is forever altered by your existence.
[Class Privileges]
~ 50+ Subsequent Stat Points for every Level Up.
~Perfect Resistance to Appraisal and any other ability of the sort.
~ Equalizer Effect can be activated (When facing someone much stronger than you, a balancing effect will come into play)
~Immunity to Curses or all Ailments and Negative Status Conditions in the world.
~Soul Preservation is in Effect. Nothing in this world can kill you, as the world itself offers you guardianship.
~[$@@%] Effect can now be available to you (You can only use it once).
[End Of Information]
"Do these human feelings qualify as Negative Status Conditions? Is that why they're being suppressed?"
His worry about Esme, his concern for his classmates, and the overwhelming cluster of emotions that threatened to break loose within him.
All of them were recognized as harmful by the System, so they were being blocked off.
"What's the deal with this Ater?"
"This is for the best, Master. You no longer need to be concerned about those vermin, so you can set your mind on the more important matters."
The moment he heard his classmates being referred to in such a derogatory manner, he felt a surge of annoyance rise up within him.
But, that was instantly fizzled out, replaced by relief.
'I can't get angry too? What the hell?' Before, he had chalked it up to his desire to calmly assess the situation one step at a time, but now Rey recognized his situation as completely different.
"The System is regulating my emotions. How is that ever a good thing?"
"Emotions tend to get in the way of good judgment, Master. If you are unshackled by them, perhaps that would yield the more optimal result."
"No. You're wrong!" Once Rey raised his voice, he was suppressed once again. "Damnit!"
"Are you alright, Master?"
"I'm not, damnit! It k-keeps… interfering…"
Even the fear that Rey was supposed to feel, as he watched vestiges of his personality slip away, was absent.
His heart wasn't racing quickly, and his mind was perfectly calm.
"Just how many emotions would it deem to be Negative? Why qualify emotions as Negative Status Conditions to begin with?"
"Perhaps it's because you are more in sync with your entire self now. Surely, even the System recognizes how detrimental your emotions can be to your development."
Rey's eyes widened as he looked at Ater's mask of a face. Somewhere within him, he began to ask a very fundamental question.
'If Ater is an advocate for this, then does that mean he's the same?
*
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Thanks for reading!
What do you think about this development? Do you think Ater is right?
