Darkness, the complete absence of light. The void was absolute and supreme, stretching to the far horizon and wrapping Jin with the familiar embrace of a sensationless world.
But its touch was volatile and ephemeral, easily replaced with the sound of wind rustling a plastic bag that snapped and crackled, tickling Jin's ears while the soft breeze kissed his skin with its cool touch.
Jin winced from the sudden burst of stimuli and weakly opened his right eye to the faint lemony glow of the never-ending morning. The left side of his face felt stiff since it was covered with bandages that obstructed half of his vision.
"Oh! He's awake!" Emilia's soft voice pitched up with excitement, followed by the hurried sound of footsteps as everyone else rushed closer.
"Jin, are you okay!?" Skouter walked incredibly close with a worried look, but Sadie pulled him back by his shoulder.
"Give him space, Scoots," her usual smug grin was gone, replaced with a pained look of concern.
"Is he alright?" Aroa stood near the entrance, looking at Jin inquisitively.
Jin groaned and sat up with difficulty, as if he was submerged in layers of mud yet there was none to be found. He had been lying down on the bench, presumably on Emilia's lap due to how soft it felt.
Jin sighed deeply, feeling a strange sense of dread and a deep exhaustion.
Sadie tapped Skouter's shoulder while looking at Jin.
"So, to get you up to speed, Jin… Walter wanted to pull you out earlier but Emilia was passed out, so he left for his monthly thing while we tried to get her up. You were badly injured when we finally spawned you here but... your wounds didn't heal, so we bandaged you up as best as we could… We uhm... We already force fed you some energy, so you don't have to worry about that. I think that's all," Sadie gripped Skouter's shoulder harder while looking at Jin whose heavy eyes remained downcast.
"Jin… Wh-What happened out there?" Emila stared at his back with a frown.
"What happened out there? Walter was leaving… So I had to go find the batteries before he did."
Jin replayed the events back in his head, of when he met Dia, the lies he had to juggle his life through, the old man in the sewers who nearly exposed him, traveling south through the snow… and then…
'I killed them all… Not just Mona. I killed guards who didn't do anything wrong. It felt liberating not thinking as I gunned them down but now...'
"I don't remember…" Jin sighed deeply. He didn't remember anything after that, but his heart felt even heavier than usual. His crestfallen face infected everyone with similar frowns.
Silence permeated the air until Emilia piped up.
"Oh, right! Look at what I found, Jin," Emilia excitedly pulled out a strange cube, it hummed and radiated a calming golden glow.
Jin looked at it carefully, it looked familiar… almost like the cores. They were radiant yet their lights never damaged the eyes nor passed through fabric, and the cube seemed to inherit a similar quality.
"What's that…?"
"A battery! It's called an Astral Energy Pack M! Uhm, I think that means medium? I got it after finishing one of my quests. I had to hug someone to get it," Emilia smiled at him brightly while shaking the cube.
Aroa nodded and moved closer.
"It's what I use to increase my energy timer. Doing quests yields at least one per day with the possibility of more. I was worried when I saw your windows showing no quests, but I'm happy you have your ways to acquire energy. Even if your method of gathering them still eludes me..."
"Huh…?" Jin couldn't believe what he heard.
In fact, he didn't want to believe it but he always knew. There being a system meant there were rules, some sort of objective that the system wanted, it wouldn't just kill its users if it were grading them and ranking them. But he wasn't allowed to think that deep and experiment, he had to survive.
"Isn't that good, Jin? It means you won't have to go on these hunts anymore, buddy. You don't have to hurt yourself for us. If we all manage to turn our quests on we'll be able to live without–" Skouter's words trailed off into shapeless noise as Jin's thoughts took over center stage.
'We just had to activate the quests section… Then why…? Why did I have to kill them…? Why didn't Walter say anything about it? Did he know?'
Spectral figures rose from beneath Jin's feet, moaning and groaning with a haunting melody. They gripped his legs hard as they slowly climbed up to his knee. Their voices growing louder and louder, but even then he couldn't understand them, he just felt immense pain coursing through him. He knew what they wanted, what they hated.
Jin gripped his head with both hands, squeezing it as hard as he could in an attempt to stop his thoughts or crush his head, whichever came first, silence rewarded him either way.
'I killed them all when I didn't have to! There was another way! I should've searched harder! I shouldn't have accepted their methods! I had a choice!'
"J-Jin?" Emilia looked at the tears welling up in Jin's terrified eyes, her own showing concern.
'Walter knew! He had to have known! He played me! Fate didn't kill them, it was me! I was the reason they died! It was all because of–'
"Cease!" a powerfully deep voice bellowed through the air, causing Jin to flinch as it shook the air itself and instantly burst the specters into smoke.
Jin looked up at the large skeletal monstrosity standing on the edge of the floating island, staring at him with its radiant crimson orbs buried within its horrifying cracked deer skull.
Everyone followed Jin's sudden panicked gaze.
"I've mended your mind… But in my state I cannot fully heal it… Cease these thoughts or it will break once more."
Jin's eyes trembled and his lips gaped and froze as he turned as white as a sheet.
"Jin? Are you okay?" Skouter worriedly approached him with his hands outstretched, ignoring the large entity behind him.
"Huh? What do you mean? Why would I be when that thing-" Jin pointed fearfully at the creature then looked back at Skouter who stared at him with a pitiful expression.
Jin quickly glanced at Sadie and Emilia to see them both frowning with furrowed brows at him.
"But it's right over–…" Jin's eyes widened as the large creature moved closer and leaned down to peer at him, easily towering over their precious Nexus base.
Jin couldn't help but stare at its horrifying skull that darkened as it blocked the light from the skies.
"You're amiable now… Gather your bearings and call for me when you're ready for the next stage… Heed my name, for I am Stellaxis… The Chainbreaker."
And with those words the skeletal beast dissipated into ebony mist.
"Jin…" Emilia slowly reached out and gripped his hand.
Jin looked at her with tearful and scared eyes, they quickly drifted back down on the ground, trying to make sense of what just happened while squeezing her hand.
"Sorry, I… I think I just need a minute to get my head straight…" Jin let go and stood up to walk away.
Skouter tried to follow but Sadie quickly grabbed him and pulled him back again.
"Give him space…"
"But..."
***
Jin sat near the edge of the island while everyone stood near the studio conversing out of earshot, presumably about him.
The soft undulating sea under him calmed his heart enough as he took in the facts.
'I can't remember a thing that happened after shooting Mona, only snippets… but that thing… It said it mended my mind… A mind that it couldn't fully heal… I wonder if that has to do with my foggy memories during the airport…'
Jin sighed and watched a stop sign slowly drift down until it suddenly melted into nothing. He shook his head and swiped his finger in front of him, intending to see the amount of days he had left now.
But instead of his usual golden panel, a dark concave surface broke through the world with cracked edges that merged into reality, containing strange symbols and words shining in iridescent colors.
Jin's head throbbed with a searing pain when he tried to glimpse at the strange half-dome of information.
"Ungh!" Jin gritted his teeth painfully to stop himself from screaming and gripped the sides of his head, unable to keep his eyes open from the sharp agonizing headache.
"I see… You operate using inferior processing functions… Very well… I'll adapt back to the far simplistic design of those wretches…"
The deep voice spoke with disappointment as the dome shrank down to a single point which expanded back out, forming an ebony panel with enchantingly golden floral patterns, giving the status window a regal look. Even the words had the same wondrous hue.
The pain disappeared, allowing Jin to sift through the familiar information riddling the reworked window with a grimace while everyone else watched him from the back carefully.
___________________
Time Remaining: 14 days, 5 hours.
Wishes: Relocated Death.
Threat Level: 0
Skills:
Devourer of Wishes, Undying Corpse(5/5),
Reliable Liar(3/3), War Devil's Shadow(2/2).
Inventory: –
Missions:
Initiate Second Stage [Incomplete]
____________________
It wasn't just the visual of the window that changed… but even the words within; Jin's name wasn't there, his wish had a different name, the titles turned into skills and not only that but…
'Reliable Liar? Devourer of Wishes… Corpse… Shadow…'
Jin scowled, the window had gotten more ominous and more demeaning. But what did the numbers next to the skills mean? He saw Skouter and Aroa's skills previously and they looked different than his. He had assumed theirs activated by burning through the remaining energy...
"Your assumption holds true… You no longer belong to the stars… You belong to me now, to those who are chained like you… I am not what they are, so my boon differs…"
The source-less voice echoed in his mind.
Jin gulped and took a deep breath.
"But who are you? Why did my window change?"
"It seems…"
A dark mist manifested next to Jin, with the sizable monster appearing from it once again.
"...you have forgotten… Your damaged mind, the cause…"
Jin's breath quickened and he looked up at the behemoth, it was impossible to remain calm when something the size of a dragon hunched down next to him so casually.
"I sense unease… My appearance, the cause? I'll remedy that with another recreation of your ideal…"
The dark veil around the boney beast expanded and surrounded every inch of it before it dissolved into thick smoke. The dark dust spun and spiraled as it shrank and shrank until it became shorter than Jin.
Jin took a deep breath as he watched the shadow tornado reshape itself.
'It's not hostile and it grew smaller, that should make it easier to talk to…'
The mist coalesced into a petite and feminine figure, the form possessing an attractive face with pale skin and abyssal irises that glimmered with crimson crosses enchanting them. She wore a dark cowl that still showed her long silver hair draping down out of it. Her body was covered with a thin white combat suit with black highlights around the elbows, outer thighs and legs.
She looked down at her hands with a listless expression.
"I see. So this pleases you? It's vastly different, this form," her voice was sweet and pleasant, almost like Mona's but without the same warm tone.
She looked up at Jin whose mouth parted as he stared at her.
"How... can you go from something so terrifying to something this… cute? What are you trying to pull?" Jin slowly glared at her, still feeling uneasy because of the creature's unknown origin.
"Both of my forms aimed to please you. Your primitive brain can't process my form, yet it can adapt to show you an illusion birthed from your own wishes. It was your creation, the reaper."
"My creation…?"
"After embedding myself in you, I felt the immense elation the reaper brought you before so I made myself in its image in hopes of easing the process of conversing. But you showed fear instead once you awakened, I suppose humans are fickle-natured?"
"Wait, after you did what?" Jin's face darkened but the sound of footsteps drew his eyes to Sadie.
"Hey, Jin. Are you sure you don't want to talk to us? Sometimes letting it off your chest can help. You seem troubled and that's making everyone worry," her expression was sympathetic and almost hurt.
Jin looked back at Stellaxis who met his gaze with uncaring eyes.
"They cannot see me, I'm an illusion in your head."
'I assumed as much… I need to ask her more questions but not around everyone where I'd probably look insane…'
Jin turned to Sadie with a faint smile.
"Sorry to make everyone worry, but I–"
[Skill Activated: Reliable Liar.]
"–have a lot of things to mentally process. The journey back was tough, you know?"
Jin's eyes widened, those weren't the words he wanted to speak. He just wanted to say that he was fine then use questions to misdirect her attention.
"I mean, it clearly was with how you looked…" Sadie frowned further.
"Yeah. I found myself in a warzone, and having to survive there for three days was absolutely brutal, especially while looking for the batteries."
'What am I saying?'
Jin couldn't keep the smile on his face because of the confusion he felt, but it didn't seem to matter because he couldn't feel his face. A convincing smile had plastered itself on it. It wasn't too brightly positive, and had the right sprinkle of pain to add to its believability.
"Oh… War is… always vicious, that must've been rough, Jin… Sorry you had to go through that…" Sadie scratched her head and looked down.
"Mhm… I'm just stressed out. It was horrible… but I'll be fine, trust me. I just need to walk it off and stop thinking for a bit, alright? I'll be back later, maybe find something to scavenge along the way."
Jin nodded then his smile instantly faltered as he regained control of his face, confusion quickly spreading through his features.
"Jin?" the sudden shift worried Sadie.
"O-Oh… Right, just a walk through the islands, I'll be back shortly," Jin smiled weakly then turned around to walk away.
Sadie seemed reluctant but ultimately decided to go back to the group.
"What the hell was that… Did you possess me?" Jin whispered angrily while walking to an island floating at a lower elevation.
"No. I forced your skill to activate. You're not familiar with my rewired version of the system, a trial is in order," Stellaxis walked next to him.
"Forced it to…" Jin felt uncomfortable with her control over him.
Stellaxis raised her finger in front of Jin and the ebony window manifested.
"Look," she pointed at his skills.
______________
Reliable Liar (2/3)
______________
"I am not like those wretches of the stars, my powers do not replenish. What I've given you is finite."
"Huh!? Wait, undying corpse too!? Does that mean I have limited deaths!?"
"Yes. Your deaths, they are finite too."
"That's bull! Take me back to how it was!" Jin grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"Why?" she grabbed his wrists tightly while her cold gaze pierced through him, her body hiding her true strength.
"Who would choose death over immortality!?" Jin still protested despite not being able to move his hands anymore.
"Would you choose enslavement over freedom?"
"How is death considered freedom!?"
"I don't speak in metaphors, Devourer. If I return you to the stars, they will enslave you like they did to the rest of your kin. My powers are finite, but I can grant you true freedom."
"Who'd enslave me? The stars? What are you even talking about?" Jin glared at her scornfully.
Stellaxis stared at him with unblinking eyes, holding eye contact until it grew uncomfortable.
"Very well, Devourer. Let's start over," she pushed his hands away then stepped back.
"What do you know about the previous system you used?"
Jin glared at her but still thought about it. There wasn't much he knew besides his own assumptions.
"It summarizes information about me and counts down the time I have left to live… I remember something about an introduction… but I was never able to unlock the quests, so I couldn't explore it deeply. But that will change once I activate it by eating that fruit... Now, I don't have to kill innocent people to survive…" Jin looked down with a sullen look.
"You're painfully ignorant. Very well, that system was designed by-"
A loud high-pitched shriek suddenly assailed Jin's ears, causing blood to burst out from them. He let out a cry and fell to his knee, quickly covering his ears. He couldn't hear his own agonized voice or anything at all besides a sharp ringing.
Jin winced and curled down further.
Stellaxis stared at him with raised brows, visibly surprised.
Despite his damaged ears, her voice still reached him.
"Even something this basic was too much? Then let me use examples familiar to you… Cows. You humans love to raise them, you love to grade them. To ensure their quality, you screen them for any defects and put them in an environment that nurtures them. You monitor them carefully to ensure abnormalities do not arise, you value them."
Jin mouthed a "what?" while still unable to fully hear anything, a golden light had enveloped his ears in the meantime.
"The previous cursed system is built by those of the stars with the same concept, it seeks out those who are vulnerable, those who are viable for rewiring by giving them what they desire, fed with desire like grass to cows," Stellaxis held a palm in front of Jin, manifesting a small ebony panel showing his wish Relocated Life, but then it flickered into Relocated Death and glitched out between them.
"The system conditions Wishbearers through quests and corruptive essence to be the perfect cow… It rewards and punishes them until they're starving for more or fearing the opposite, until they're docile and obedient, until they don't question it. Chipping away at their... impurities, and once they're ripe their souls are eaten and replaced by their offspring."
"The system is priming us so these star creatures eat us…? And then what!?" Jin wiped his bloodied ears with his sleeves, horrified by the thought.
"It's the only way for them to thrive after we killed their queen, their broodmother. Regardless, you're an anomaly. You are star-touched, yet you remain unsullied by their essence. You are star-touched, yet your mental state was fragile enough for me to take over your system. You are an opportunity, Devourer. You're the only path to freeing the prisoners of those wretches, freeing the ones doomed to be nothing more than vessels."
"This is unbelievable…" Jin grimaced.
Even though he wanted to argue, what she said still painted an ugly picture. If it was true then going back to the previous system was pointless… unless he was able to keep himself from becoming ripe or vulnerable, whatever that meant.
"It won't work, Devourer. The quests will rack up their punishments if the rewards and corruptive essence don't work. So the quests double as a filtering system, and death is a possibility if you try to cheat the design. Vulnerability is a must in their plans, you cannot avoid it. Like defects and low quality cows, you will be erased if you try to," she replied to his thoughts as if she could hear them.
Jin grimaced, his immortality was thanks to the system, so if death was the chosen punishment he'd die without question.
However… Stellaxis said he was an anomaly since he lived without quests and remained without a grade for this long, so the system was technically frozen until he activated his quests by eating the strange plant. Which meant he could stay undying and immortal at the cost of...
"Killing other Wishbearers and continuing your current routine? That is a viable option. Your body is not what it used to be, it doesn't age nor contract illness, it is modified. So if you kill other star-touched beings continuously, true immortality is yours as long as others exist."
But that'd return him to his earlier dilemma of the reaper's toll, of the pain he felt when erasing innocents. But it was even worse now considering he would keep doing it for eternity.
"Activate and obey the system, let the stars consume you; heed the reaper's toll, kill to infinitum; or help me break it all down, help me free both our races and many more. Welcome me, Devourer," Stellaxis stretched her hands outwards to him, tilting her head down with a dangerous glare, the crimson crosses of her eyes glowing faintly in contrast to her darkened face.
"You will be above death, both yours and others. You will be free to live the life you want, the life you never had the chance to build... Currently I am finite, but grant me my right and you will become something beyond humanity, beyond fear, beyond exhaustion."
Jin stared at her unblinking face thoughtfully. Left or right, he didn't feel like he had a good choice either way, but helping her sounded better than being Walter's pet or dying to some soul sucking monsters.
Despite all the reasons there were for Jin to agree, the biggest one was the deep anger within him. He felt like all of his problems stemmed from the day the meteors fell on Earth. His life went downhill from there, so if that was their design and their doing, if that was how they got their "cattle," then everything that he was forced to do after that, everything that he suffered through and experienced, it was because of them, those... wretches.
And right in front of him was someone capable of hurting them back the same way.
Stellaxis smirked deeply yet her smile did not look pleasant, it was malicious and hungry. She was incredibly pleased with Jin's thoughts as the crimson crosses of her eyes burned brighter.