--
My eyes widened as her words registered.
Souls. Cores.
The concept of cores wasn't entirely new.
Mutated monsters and corrupted humans of sufficient strength formed a core that "Awakeners" harvest to increase their power; Awakeners eventually form their own once they reached the required level.
But the key word here was form.
No one had ever mentioned we possessed cores before gene implantation and activation.
And then there was the concept of the soul itself— a theoretical existence that the current reality argued against. The idea of a soul had always been debated, of course, but there was never any evident proof of its existence until now.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I grabbed my cup and took a rather long sip, letting the heat aid in calming things down.
She glanced at me briefly before crossing her arms. "Although I am already aware, it is still somewhat surprising that this basic level of information isn't widely known in your world. Or perhaps it is because you were not in contact with the top powers of your previous life, so you might not have had access to this knowledge, which would have been considered classified information reserved only for those at the top."
"The Rankers," I muttered softly.
"Precisely," she replied, nodding slowly. "The ten Rankers likely had access to more information the moment they stepped into the system-recognized ranks."
"In this new era, strength unlocks respect and immense opportunities, but lack of strength—"
"Yeah, I know," I cut her off, my voice turning dark. "And I'd be really grateful if you don't remind me of it."
"Understood."
Silence lingered once more before she spoke again.
"As I mentioned previously, I have limited information that I can convey. However, what I do know is this: you must grow strong... ridiculously strong. That strength will be required—and tested—for whatever is to occur. Furthermore, as we are linked, an increase in your capabilities will directly expand mine, enabling me to assist you more effectively. For I am, now, your assistant."
I kept my gaze on the cup in my hand, my thoughts surprisingly quiet. Shaking the cup slightly, I watched the tea ripple slowly outward—then another thought popped into my head.
"But wait, Nexus performed the same maneuver last time, with those rays. Why didn't I wake up in the soul space then?"
She nodded again, smiling softly, as if pleased with the question.
"A very good question, sir. Nexus was, and is, the current local administrator of your world. According to the records, during a system binding event, the administrator links to every creature with successfully implanted genes and activates them. This process, however, compromises the soul privacy of each Awakener before they are even aware of its existence. Once the collective strength of every creature is utilized to awaken an unevolved world consciousness, the administrator transfers the data and links to the world, essentially returning what was rightfully the world's property, as they are its inhabitants."
She paused, taking a sip before continuing. "It's not necessarily a bad thing on its own, but for the Awakeners..."
"They aren't completely safe," I muttered slowly, completing her words.
She gave a slow nod. "It is nice that you understand, sir." She continued, "That is precisely why I have destroyed Nexus's link and slightly edited the gene activation sequence myself. Not excessively so, but enough to mask your presence while keeping you completely off the records."
"So, to answer your earlier question, you didn't wake up in the soul space because it was never part of the original activation sequence. I simply wished for us to have this conversation, so we can both be on the same page."
Letting out a small sigh, I set down my cup, returning my gaze to the fiery column. "I still have more questions, and I still don't completely trust you. But you have access to my thoughts, so you know that I'm extremely thankful for this second chance."
...
After a moment of lingering silence, she responded calmly. "I am aware of your thoughts, sir, so your caution is justified."
The atmosphere slowly became peacefully quiet as the two figures basked in the red glow. Lost in their own thoughts, they sat in silence, broken only by the occasional sip of tea and the soft clink of china.
----
I exhaled, slowly cracking my eyes open to the familiar sight of white.
I rose to my feet, noticing others doing the same—waking from what seemed like a deep slumber. 'Nox was right,' I thought. 'Not much time really passed here.'
The murmurs of the waking crowd grew louder before fading into a stunned silence as people remembered where they were. Instantly, all focus snapped back to the center, where the hologram slowly rotated.
As if waiting for the collective silence and attention, the orb pulsed again, and its voice returned.
[Congratulations, inhabitants, for you all have been activated and successfully integrated with your system.]
[Your system will serve as your personal hub, displaying your profile, strengths, and skills.]
[Additional features will be unlocked as your rank increases.]
[To access your system page, use the code word 'STATUS.']
Silence lingered as Nexus's words echoed through the large space before ripples of murmurs spread through the crowd, growing louder with each passing second.
Then...
"Status."
The word was voiced by a single, timid person, before others soon followed.
In no time, the word floated across the vast expanse, whispered, muttered, or spoken with urgency and fear.
I took a deep breath before muttering softly, "Status."
Suddenly, the space in front of me glitched as a red panel materialized, hovering in the air.
I stared at the glowing red screen, its four corners marked by black sigils. My breath slowed slightly as I took in the sight—this was definitely different than before. 'Likely Nox's influence,' I thought.
Several tabs lined the interface; some were highlighted, others greyed out—obviously locked for now. My fingers twitched before I tapped on the [Status] tab.
Immediately, data filled the screen:
---
[System Interface - Status Page]
Name: Maxwell Scott
Race: Human
Level: 0
Title: [None]
Gene Skill: Hell Fire
Health: 100%
Mana: 100%
Stamina: 100%
Strength: 9
Agility: 10
Endurance: 11
Perception: 13
Intelligence: 14
Willpower: 12
---