CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: RETURN TO REALITY[GTG]

"Do you remember where you were before this?" asked the young man, peering at him over thin-rimmed glasses. His dark blue hair, tousled yet deliberate, framed his face, but the dark shades he wore indoors made his expression unreadable. Despite the confines of the small room, his attire was a stark contrast: a black tank top hugged his torso, while his military pants—a patchwork of ash and deep gray—hung loose.

Leo—no, Ryan—gulped, his throat dry. "I... I don’t remember," he mumbled. He wanted to say more, but a sudden message flared up in his mind’s eye, the words clear and impossible to ignore.

[Do not reveal anything related to the other realm to complete mission]

Mission? What mission? The details eluded him, still, the impulse to obey was stronger than any uncertainty.

The man’s eyes held him captive for a beat longer, searching, probing. But at last, he relented, stepping back with a frustrated sigh. "It’s hopeless," he muttered, his voice a rough mix of resignation and irritation. Turning, he addressed a woman standing by the door, her arms crossed and gaze coolly assessing him.

"Another one," she said softly, though her tone carried the weight of countless disappointments. Her hair, a light brown with golden undertones, was twisted in a bun, accentuating her face’s sharp features and striking blue eyes—clear and cloudless, yet somehow unnervingly detached. She shifted her stance, and the rhythm of her high heels tapped against the tiled floor with a hint of impatience.

"Why do they keep disappearing, only to return with empty skulls?" she asked, her gaze never wavering.

The man snorted, a smirk playing on his lips. "No, I don’t think he’s one of THEM."

Her brows knitted. "What?"

"All those taken by the Gates come back... wrong. They’re on the edge of madness, their manacores always hollowed out, as if they’d been sucked dry. But this one—" He gestured at Ryan. "—he still has his manacore intact. Whatever took him wasn’t them. There’s something else out there, something I’m not sure I want to understand."

The woman’s skeptical look softened into reluctant agreement. She cast Ryan another glance, her gaze lingering. "Hmm... you may be onto something," she admitted, a hint of worry darkening her features.

The man shook his head, his stare sharpening as it returned to Ryan. "This is beyond us. But, kid, if you start to remember anything—anything at all—let the principal know, alright?"

Ryan nodded, swallowing thickly. "I... I will."

The woman sighed, glancing at her companion. "Come on, Alex, let’s report to the commander."

Alex threw up his hands. "Great, more paperwork. Just what I wanted."

With a click, the door swung shut, leaving Ryan alone in a silence thick with unanswered questions. He slumped onto the bed, staring vacantly at his hands as he turned them over and over, searching for a familiarity that wasn’t there.

What is happening to me?

A heavy sigh escaped him as he rubbed his face, trying to make sense of the torrent of thoughts swirling within him.

I need to recover my memories, I have to.

His focus shifted to the translucent screen that now hovered in front of him.

[Ding!]

[Conquest complete]

[Reward: Lifetime extended]

[+70 life points]

[Ding!]

[Side quest complete]

[Reward: Loading...]

[Ding!]

[Level up: Level 9 - Level 10]

[Ding!]

[System Shop unlocked]

[Ding!]

[Absolute clarity attained: Illusions will now prove ineffective before you]

"What... what is all this?" Ryan whispered, his confusion only deepening as more messages appeared.

[Ding!] [Do you wish to view mission history?]

"Mission history?," he muttered, a bit unnerved.

Still, his curiosity won out. "Yes. Show me."

The screen shifted, revealing a list of completed tasks.

[Conquest Objective: Increase affection of targets, at least above a hundred.

Targets: Scarlet Rachel Nexus, Lyra Ella Mildred. Time: 63 days / 70 days

Reward: Lifetime increased.

Penalty: Instant death, in the most brutal and trauma-inducing way possible.

Progress: 100/100]

[Side quest You have been captured by the goddess Emilia.

Objective: Escape.

Time: Unallocated.

Reward: Random.

Penalty: None.

Progress: 100/100]

A chill washed over him as he read through the words, his mind reeling. "Does... does that mean I’ve been dreaming this whole time? But if that’s true, then why do I still have a system?"

[Ding!] [It seems the user has lost a bit of their memory]

Ryan scoffed, his frustration bubbling over. "A bit? I don’t even know my own name half the time! Who am I really?"

His voice cracked as he spoke, and to his horror, tears pricked his eyes, blurring his vision. He squeezed his eyes shut, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs as he pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them like a lifeline.

A soft chime broke the quiet.

[Ding!] [Does the user wish to view status, it might be of some aid?]

His throat tight, he whispered, "...Fine."

[Conquest System

User: Ryan Evans.

Level: 10.

Age: 19.

Occupation: Student.

Race: Demi-god.

Title: Son of Light.

Quirk: Shadow.

Affinity: xxxxx [(God-tier) FORBIDDEN]

Strength: 78.

Mana: 50/50.

Agility: 498.

Charm: 23.

Intelligence: 698.

Stamina: 45.

Conquered: Lyra Mildred, Scarlet Nexus.

Fate Points: 5000.

System Points: Equivalent to life points.

Life Points: 210pts. (Tap to view more)]

He blinked, reeling as the words sank in. "Demi-god? What the... what does that even mean?"

[Ding!] [Concerning the user’s Demi-god race, information is likely within the user’s memories]

Ryan scowled. "Ha, of course it is." He looked up at the fluorescent light overhead, feeling a mix of anger and desperation well up in his chest.

"Hey, System."

[Yes?]

"Is it... is it possible to get my memories back?"

A weighted silence followed, and then a single response appeared.

[It is possible]

Ryan’s heart leapt. "Really?"

[But the user requires a maximum of one thousand system points, for total memory re-assimilation]

He laughed, the sound hollow. "Of course. Nothing’s ever easy."

A new question nagged at him. "And what exactly are these life points?"

[System points are equivalent to life points. Each point represents the number of days the user has to live on Earth.]

"But... but that doesn’t make sense," he stammered, his voice a mix of shock and anger.

[It does, but you have simply forgotten. This is the realm of Owen... and you are here for retribution.]

"Retribution? Again?" he burst out, his frustration boiling over. "What did I do? Did I fucking Cuck a god? Why does this keep happening to me?!"

[I do not have that information.]

He grit his teeth, clenching his fists. "Of course you don’t."

The silence returned.

[The moment the user’s life points reach zero, they will experience severe torture before death. Upon death, their soul shall once more belong to Owen.]

A chill ran through him, his skin prickling as he imagined the horrors that might await him. Torture? He forced himself to look away from the screen, his eyes drifting to the closed door, the silence swallowing his unspoken fears.

He sank back onto the bed, feeling the weight of his plight press down on him, trapping him in this endless, twisted cycle of forgotten sins and unattainable freedom. His only hope, his only way out, lay hidden in the fragments of his lost memories.