Elias Veyne's first sensation wasn't light, sound, or scent.
It was stillness.
A stillness so perfect it seemed unnatural—like a moment frozen in time. It hung in the air, fragile and expectant, like the breath held before a conductor's baton falls.
Elias gradually opened his eyes.
Neither startled nor scared, his mind remained calm. He simply awakened, like a machine powering up. His gaze traveled across the wooden beams overhead, down to the warm amber walls, rustic furnishings, and soft lamp light. He found himself on a firm bed in a cottage, one reminiscent of a child's fairytale, seemingly too perfect to exist.
But he instinctively recognized: it wasn't real.
This was an artificial environment.
Bookshelves adorned the walls, filled with ancient tomes absent of titles. A kettle simmered on a stove that remained unlit. The air carried a faint hint of pine, cinnamon, and a sterile quality, like the scent of ozone following a lightning strike.
The room radiated warmth. However, for Elias Veyne, warmth signified merely another data point.
He sat up smoothly, his feet making contact with the wooden floor. No sound accompanied his movement. No echo. He noticed the absence of doors and windows, of outside noise. It felt as if he were inside a painting still in progress.
"This isn't a dream," Elias deduced. "Nor is it death. Could it be a cognitive simulation? A quarantine field?"
Emotion didn't break through—only analysis.
Elias was a sociopath. Not in the exaggerated, villainous way, but in a quiet, clinical manner. He studied empathy as if it were a foreign language, not one he practiced. People intrigued him, as he couldn't truly understand their emotions. His goal was to understand human behavior like a scientist studying fire, without experiencing the burn.
And then it happened.
A ripple in the air. Just above the fireplace, motes of light began swirling, pixelating into a form. A floating interface screen assembled in glowing layers, accompanied by shimmering particles.
Then, a voice emerged.
[Welcome, Elias Veyne. You have been chosen as the Anchor Host of the Clone Archive System.]
After a slight pause, the screen revealed a simple grid with empty slots, glowing faintly.
[System Functions:
Create up to 22 Persona Clones.
Each clone embodies a unique Beyonder Pathway.
Clones are deployed into the foreign world of Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World.
Their experiences will be streamed to this space.
Clone memory synchronizes with your own.
The host will retain memories despite foreign timeline resets.]
Elias raised an eyebrow.
"Re: Zero."
A name surfaced from a dusty corner of his memory. A Japanese anime known for dark themes and intense emotional turmoil. The protagonist suffers continuous deaths, returning each time, exposing raw emotion, trauma, and personal growth.
An ideal subject for observation.
[Initial Authorization Level: E.
1 Clone Slot is immediately available.
All other Clone Slots require Reputation Points (REP) to unlock.
{REP} is generated through the reputation gained by deployed clones in the world.]
"Interesting mechanic," Elias remarked.
The screen shimmered anew. A card of 22 pathways briefly spiraled into view, each represented by a unique symbol flickering with elemental energy. One symbol pulsed gently, indicating availability.
The cards of pathways spiraled across the screen, mysterious symbols burning into his memory, and Elias squinted.
"Beyonder?" he echoed thoughtfully.
He approached the interface, his voice quiet and contemplative. "Lord of the Mysteries... Klein Moretti?"
A chime resonated through the room.
[Affirmative]. the system confirmed. [The beyonder pathways are drawn from the framework of the Lord of the Mysteries universe. Each represents a Sequence, ranging from 9 to 0.]
Elias crossed his arms, his gaze sharpening.
"Then there will be rituals, potions, mental strain," he mused. "Madness. Death. Transformation."
"Correct. Power must be earned."
Another screen appeared, displaying a flickering status bar:
[Sanity Sync: Stable]
[Host Immune to Whispers — Source: Internalized Cognitive Structure]
[The whispers exist,] the system stated, [but they do not originate from a foreign god or hidden entity. They arise from you, Elias Veyne.]
Elias hid his amusement behind a stoic exterior.
"Even if they are mine… power should come at a cost," he insisted, his voice cold and logical. "I don't want obedient tools. I desire forged instruments."
The system pulsed softly in affirmation.
[Your clones understand. They awaken with the same constraints as any genuine Beyonder. They must search for ingredients, perform rituals, survive their Pathway, and bear the cost of every Sequence they claim.]
"Good," Elias murmured. "Let them endure."
His tone didn't convey cruelty. It was clinical. Growth through pressure, like transforming coal into diamond.
He turned back to the card. One symbol shone brighter than the others.
[Available Slot: Pathway – Sun. Sequence 9: Bard.]
"Very well," he decided. "Let's see if charisma and radiance can expose the decay in this world."
[Name the persona,] the system prompted.
"Lucien Astrea."
[Acknowledged. Clone Lucien created. Deployment in 3… 2… 1…