[You clenched your teeth, fighting back wave after wave of Hilichurl attacks.]
["What the hell are you? Get out of my head!"]
[The moment that strange voice echoed in your mind, you knew it wasn't anything good.]
[You fought desperately to resist its intrusion.]
[But its voice seemed laced with some kind of magic, burrowing deeper and deeper into your mind.]
["These attacks hurt, don't they…? That creeping sense you're about to die… it's unbearable, isn't it? Hand it over… give me everything… and you won't have to suffer anymore…"]
["Get out! Get out!!!"]
[Listening to that honeyed, seductive whisper, you felt your sanity start to unravel. Your attacks lost rhythm, your guard opened with fatal gaps.]
[Suddenly, the nearest Mitachurl swung its massive Shield down toward your head.]
[Blood spurted from your skull. Your vision went white, and you collapsed, unconscious.]
???
What the hell was that voice?
Why did it appear out of nowhere?
Could it be the reason this Hilichurl camp was so abnormally strong?
That voice, luring him with promises of power… wasn't it basically the same as the System???
[In this simulation, there will be no System plotlines. Host, do not confuse it with the System.]
For once, Kael could actually hear a trace of disdain in the System's mechanical tone.
"So what is it then?"
[Please discover that on your own.]
Tch.
Not even a hint.
Stingy.
[You had no idea how long you were out. When you opened your eyes again, the camp was littered with Hilichurl corpses.]
[Yet you had no memory of killing them yourself…]
[Immediately, you thought of that voice from before you fainted.]
[Was this its doing? Did it take control of your body and slaughter them all?]
[You tried to rise from the ground—only to realize with horror that your body no longer obeyed you at all.]
["Stop struggling."]
[The words came from your own mouth.]
["This body belongs to me now. It's been ages since I've seen a human with desire this intense. Your hunger is my perfect feast. I'll erode you bit by bit, until nothing's left."]
What the hell just crawled inside my body?!
Damn it, this thing was obviously no good!
It better not use his body to do something unspeakable.
This was supposed to be his big chance—three different girls already liked him this run. He'd been aiming for an SSS rank in this simulation!
Don't you dare ruin this plan!
[Trapped inside your consciousness, you couldn't break free. You could only watch as your body walked toward Mondstadt.]
["Finally, a body of my own. Time to visit some old friends."]
[From within, you felt its malice and hatred, sharp and overwhelming. Panic clawed at you. You tried with all your might to tear off the shackles in your mind—but it was useless.]
Things were spiraling completely out of control.
Kael, watching, was just as frantic.
He still didn't even know what this thing was!
Wait—!
It had said his simulated self's overwhelming desires were its best nourishment.
Then… what if he stripped those desires away?
Would he be able to seize back his body?
The him inside the simulation longed for too many things—that's why the cravings were so strong.
But Kael himself wasn't the same.
He hadn't lived through these events personally.
If it were him instead… could he change the outcome?
"System, how many Attribute Points do I have left?"
[Currently: 40 Attribute Points.]
Forty points. That's eight hours.
Not much time, but enough for an experiment.
He'd see if this method could reclaim control of his body!
"Switch me to Sensory Mode!"
[Acknowledged. Switching to Sensory Mode.]
The scenery shifted before Kael's eyes. Suddenly, he was standing on the outskirts of Mondstadt.
He tested his hands, curling them into fists.
His fingers closed exactly as he willed.
It worked!
From the depths of his mind, a furious voice shrieked: "Th-this… how is this possible?! How did you take the body back?! How?!"
Hearing its impotent rage, Kael smirked coldly.
"You're nothing but a worm that feeds on other people's desires. You're not worthy of controlling my body!"