"Wow, this is just like in the manga where the main character gets that awesome armor that morphs and is super comfy," Rey exclaimed, twisting and turning to test its flexibility.
"Don't even put those tacky armors in the same league as this one; it's light-years ahead of those soulless tin cans," Aiden remarked before vanishing into his own body.
'I better make a run for it, or mom's going to have my head for being late,' Rey thought, dashing from his room to the dining room.
Arriving there, he saw Emmy and his mom dining in silence. His mom's eyes widened at the sight of him, her spoon nearly clattering to the floor, but she caught it and stared as if he were a ghost.
"Who are you, and how did you get inside our house?" Jasmine demanded, snatching a knife from the kitchen and shielding Emmy behind her.
"What? Mom, can't you tell? It's me, your son!" Rey protested, stepping forward only to halt as she retreated slightly, raising the knife as if ready to strike.
"You expect me to believe I don't recognize my own son? My son isn't a giant, he's just an average kid, not like you. Stop this charade and leave before I call the cops," Jasmine threatened, brandishing the knife to intimidate him, but he stood his ground.
Emmy, peeking from behind her mother, noticed the man's attire bore a resemblance to her brother's and recalled his recent transformation, spotting the similarities, she stepped out from behind her mother.
"Brother, is that you?" Emmy asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty, which caused her mother to startle and swiftly pull her away from the unfamiliar man.
"Yes, Emmy, it's me, your brother. And Mom, why are you so frightened? I'm your son, don't you recognize me? I don't believe I've changed that much," Rey said as he moved toward a mirror on the wall. His approach caused his mother to recoil and retreat to the farthest corner away from him.
"Huh, who is this?" Rey exclaimed, staring at his reflection in disbelief. Even he could not recognize the face looking back at him. His once frail and weak body had undergone a dramatic transformation, now possessing muscles capable of crushing rocks and metals like iron and steel.
"Hey, Aiden, what's going on with my body? The stats increase isn't huge; I've only gained 40 points in each, and a bit more from Zero, but it's causing massive changes," Rey inquired mentally.
"Listen, kid, I'll explain it in your terms. It's like equipping a legendary armor and items on a weak character; it becomes overpowered and helps you clear the level. It's similar here; you've bonded with us, and we're at the pinnacle of the item ranking. So, what else would you expect?" Aiden replied.
"Hey, what do you mean by 'weak character'?" Rey shouted, having heard the explanation. He turned to his mother and sister, noting their wariness had lessened somewhat.
A silence fell for a few minutes before his mother rose from her chair, took a glass of water, and drank, her gaze settling on Rey.
"Alright, if you truly are my son, tell me something that only the two of us would know, something not even Emmy is aware of," Jasmine challenged, seeking the truth.
"Alright, let me set the scene: it was about seven months back, you waltzed into the house early because the sun was practically frying eggs on the sidewalk. Desperate for something chilly, you raided the fridge and—voilà—a cup of blueberry ice cream appeared like a frosty mirage. You dove in without a second thought. But halfway through your arctic adventure, it hit you. That ice cream was Emmy's treasure, acquired after an epic one-hour queue at the store. In a panic to cover your icy tracks, you pinned the blame on me, claiming a tragic 'accidental' drop by her brother. The result? She gave me the cold shoulder for a week. And up until this grand confession, she was none the wiser. So, yeah, sorry about that. Oops?" Rey rattled off, barely taking a breath. The room plunged into silence, and Jasmine caught her daughter's gaze, filled with the shimmer of betrayed tears.
Jasmine shot Rey a sharp look for his comment but approached Emmy, who was on the verge of tears.
"I'm sorry, dear. It was an oversight on my part, and I promise to make it up to you with two new ones," Jasmine offered, and after several minutes of gentle persuasion, Emmy's mood began to soften.
"So, you really are Rey, but what has happened to you? I can hardly believe someone could change so drastically in just 5-6 hours," Jasmine remarked, her gaze roaming over him as if sizing him up for a new set of clothes.
'Hey, Aiden, I'm at a loss for words here. I need some assistance,' Rey implored silently, seeking Aiden's guidance in his thoughts.
"Hush, boy you never learn to manipulate other with words but let it aside and tell them what I am saying." Aiden said with a big sigh.
{A/N: - All the words said by Rey is from Aiden to lessen the work a little as even 'I am only human Afterall'.}
"So, what happened is, ... when I was coming home from the friend house today just as I told you while coming home, I met an old man taking a huge cardboard box on a street and I walked toward him to help but before I can, suddenly the man collapsed on the street and after seeing this I dashed toward him. I quickly take him to the near park area and help him sit down on a chair and after that I gave him some water to drink and waited for him to gain some breath. And while I bring back the big box of him. He thanked me and took out a small clay bottle like in cultivator novel and put it on my hand and said " thanks child for helping me and clearing this test as I was looking for a kind and help other without any greed. And you passed it with flying colors. HOHOHO," he exclaimed, and then he suddenly disappeared from that spot. When I tried to look for him, he was nowhere to be found, as if I had seen a ghost," Rey recounted Aiden's entire story, even mimicking the old man a bit while telling it.
A little while later...
"So, you expect me to believe this story of yours, which seems like it was read from a 6-year-old's book?" Jasmine said, scrutinizing him to extract the truth.
'Pfft, looks like someone has the mindset of a 6-year-old, doesn't he, Aiden?' Rey retorted.
"No, Mom, I'm telling the truth, and it's as real as the fact that I am your son and no one else's. And I think that old man was a martial artist or a cultivator of a higher rank," Rey said, giving her puppy eyes that twinkled like stars, aiming to lower her shield of suspicion and prove his honesty.
"Hmm... okay, I understand, but please stop making that face; it's making me nauseous. Rey, you're turning 18 next month, yet you're acting like a 5-year-old," Jasmine said with a slight sigh.
'Hush, we're safe now,' Rey thought, about to relax, but then...
"Show me the bottle first, then I'll fully trust you. And don't say you broke it; if so, show me its remains," Jasmine demanded.
"O... okay, I'll show it to you, but wait a few minutes. It's in my room, and I can't remember where I put it, so just give me a few minutes, and I'll be back," Rey said with a hint of hesitation and dashed out of the room.
He hurried upstairs, entered his room, and locked the door.
"Now, how are we going to find this bottle, or vial, or whatever it is?" he wondered aloud in frustration.
"It's your problem, boy, and I'm out of it. I'm going to sleep, so goodbye to the big trouble," Victor said, leaving the other three in silence as he dispersed into Rey's body.
"I knew we shouldn't have lied; we should have told the truth from the start. But now, how are we going to get the Vial?" he said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What will happen next? Will he manage to obtain the vial, or will his lie be exposed?
I am aware that I am late, but I should still do it.
Today, I want to thank the readers who have supported me:
1. Valyrxa
2. DaoistqdLqy5
3. Bloodline8402
4. Nikhil_Chaudhary_9986
Thank you for your support, and I hope you will continue to support me in the future.