The sun was hidden by the long tree in front of Zane as his head rested on another tree.
He had run from the Citadel and had taken a turn in the woods, not using the regular road used to travel. He wouldn’t want to be seen. At the mont, at least.
Now that he was out and alone, he would pay attention to whatever was inside his head while looking out for any wandering traveler.
"I left the Citadel now. Do you have anything to say?"
[ Mandatory Quest Concluded! ]
"That I know. I have read sothing about the rewards. Show that."
Zane might not know anything about the golden windows but if he was supposed to get so rewards, then he would take them.
[ Host will not get both rewards. ]
Zane frowned.
Then a laugh escaped his lips.
"Of course. What was I even expecting? You ca from their ho. Of course you will do this."
Zane shook his head and was about to get up when another window popped.
[ Host will only get one of the rewards. ]
He stopped.
"Alright. Let’s make this clear. I don’t know what you are. I don’t know if this is a skill I got from the brick. Hell, I don’t even know if this is a skill in the first place. But you said leave the Citadel in ten minutes. I did. Now give what you owe . I won’t take anything less."
[ Host didn’t finish the Quest on ti. ]
Zane’s brows twitched.
"I bit that psycho to get away. I was out in ti!"
[ Host was in the air when the tir went off. ]
"So? Being in the air doesn’t an I was inside. I finished your quest. Wait..."
Zane swallowed.
"Did you strike that penalty on ?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane held his head.
"So it was you who fought with that Enforcer?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane bit his lip.
"Do you have any idea what you did?"
Silence.
Zane inhaled.
"I have to go back there tomorrow. If he saw , he would kill . You took over my body, which is equally threatening, and then you rebelled in front of the Citadel?"
[ Host was in danger. Action was needed. ]
"Danger? From what? The most he could have done is whipping ten tis. Seven tis, if I was obedient. But you, you made fight back. Each one of them sees each one of us as a sore sight. They would love to take one out at any slightest mistake. Your penalty cost a lot."
[ That’s what Penalties supposed to do. ]
Zane squinted his eyes.
"Did you fight to protect or punish ?"
No response.
"Tell one thing, window."
Zane quivered his brows, joined his palms, his fingers intertwined.
"Are you my ally?"
Birds chirped, leaves fell from the trees and Zane waited for a response.
Which never ca.
Zane scratched his chest.
"You are one strange thing. You created a problem for . If the Enforcer will take revenge anyway, then when you have taken over ..."
Zane touched his nose.
"You might as well have killed that guard."
[ Synchronization was too low. ]
"What is that?"
[ Connection between Host and Conflux. ]
"I see. That’s why you weren’t able to control for long. Now I know why my body felt weird back then. I don’t want to lose control like that. But if this connection of ours, if it increases, what can you do?"
[ Plenty. ]
"How should I increase synchronization?"
[ Complete Quests. ]
Zane nodded a few tis.
"The brick has been here for decades. Many people have touched it over ti. Why did I get you? Or are you really a Gleam tier skill?"
[ Conflux is not a skill. ]
"Then? And you only answered one question."
[ Conflux is sothing that transcends skill tiers entirely. Host is in a different field now. Tread lightly or dive headfirst in the open. Just keep the warning in mind. ]
"The warning."
Zane rested his finger on his lips.
"Do not tell a single soul, was it?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane let out a tired sigh.
"What now? You didn’t answer all my questions. Tell sothing that you can answer."
[ Host can choose between the two Rewards from the Mandatory Quest. ]
"Why is that? And don’t call host. Talk normally. I will call you Conflux."
[ Synchronization too low to accept the command. ]
Zane rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Just tell about the Quest."
[ Host was in the air when the tir ended. He was neither outside, nor inside. He neither failed the Quest, nor accomplished it. Therefore, Host will get to choose only one reward. ]
"Show ."
[ Host can choose: 2 rge Points or 0.50 Synchronization. ]
"Synchronization I sowhat understand but what are rge points?"
[ rge Points are the chanism to do what the Conflux offers. ]
"What do you offer?"
[ Host can rge anything. ]
Zane’s brows shot up.
"rge as in?"
[ Creating sothing more valuable by adding two less valuable things. ]
"And I can do that with anything?"
[ Not at the mont. ]
"Then what can I do at the mont?"
[ Right now, Host can only rge things that belong to him. 1 rge Point will be consud every ti he rges sothing. ]
"Alright. If I choose Synchronization then only our connection improves. But these rge points, they can help get out of situations. Am I right to think that?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane nodded.
"It’s decided then. Give the rge points."
[ Affirmative. ]
Silence took place and before Zane could beco paranoid...
[ Ding! ]
A sound rang inside his head and a window appeared.
[ Host received 2 rge Points! ]
[ 2 Skills available for rging! ]
Zane blinked. "I can rge them?"
[ Positive. The Skills belong to you. ]
"Can I see them first? If you can do that, of course. Otherwise, I will have to try out different things to know what I actually have now."
[ Positive. ]
Zane waited for a second and another window appeared.
[ Skills: 2 ]
———
[ 1- Residual Intent (Gleam Tier) (Passive) : Host can sense lingering intent on objects, places and people if he focuses on them. Not emotions. Not thoughts. Intent. ]
[ Limits: Works only on recent or intense intent. Overuse can cause headaches, nausea, dissociation and emotional numbness. It gives no context. ]
———
[ 2- Threshold Piler (Gleam Tier) (Active/Body-state) : When Host is pushed to a physical or emotional threshold (pain, fear, humiliation), his body temporarily reorganizes itself for survival. Pain slows. Balance sharpens. Muscles tighten. Movents cleaner, ugly, correct. ]
[ Limits: Cannot be activated willingly. Ends abruptly. Leaves extre fatigue. If triggered too often, body starts breaking down. ]
Zane read both skills he got from the slab and he stroked his chin.
"I am not really sure what to feel about these, but the second one.."
Zane went silent and as if it didn’t want Zane to think deeply, a window manifested in front of Zane.
[ Does the Host want to rge the Skills? ]
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