A triumphant smile grew on Henry's face. As expected, killing the E-rank Earth Smasher had given him a larger amount of experience points than what he normally received for killing E-rank magical beasts. It was exactly double the amount.
He remained on the ground, looking at the blue sky and reflecting back to the fight. Then another notification suddenly popped up.
[Alert! Hidden Quest Complete;
Kill a Galactic Beast Single-handedly]
[Reward: +500 km/h to Top Speed (Permanent)]
[Top Speed: 150 >>> 650 km/hr]
Henry stared at the glowing blue text in awe and disbelief. The lingering pain in his ribs faded away instantly, replaced by pure, euphoric adrenaline.
Five hundred kilometers per hour. Just like that
He let out a raspy laugh. His top speed had skyrocketed to something terrifyingly lethal. He had just broken past the limits of ordinary speedsters in a single afternoon.
Slowly, Henry dragged himself to his feet. He brushed the dirt off his ruined tracksuit, wincing slightly as the last section of his ribs finished knitting back together. He retrieved his dagger, banished his weapons to the inventory, and looked up at the sky.
It was well past noon. The sun was shining brightly through the canopy. He was physically wrecked, almost out of Ep, and his Stamina was hovering in the red. It was time to go home.
He could stay and continue hunting some lower ranked beasts, but he decided he'd had enough for today.
Henry turned his back on the carnage and began the long walk back toward the gates, too exhausted to even jog.
The afternoon sun was properly established by the time he emerged from the hunting ground, pushing through the gate that the man at reception operated from his station without making eye contact, without speaking, without anything beyond the careful body language of someone operating in a state of profound and motivated compliance.
Henry walked past him without acknowledgment.
The return journey to the city was on foot... he was too exhausted for a sustained run. He walked at a measured pace through the thinning outskirts of the city toward the residential districts, the morning's work organized quietly in the back of his mind.
[Bloody hell] Miley's voice broke the silence, laced with undeniable respect. [Okay. I've got to admit... that was madness—what you did back there, but at the same time, incredible. Your tactical adaptation is insane. You utilized every tool in your arsenal to dismantle a vastly superior opponent]
Henry chucked, rolling his shoulders as he walked. "The world is filled with people and creatures far more superior in terms of strength, wit, wealth, and power," he stated. "Holding back against such people will only lead to defeat and death. I cannot afford to hold back."
Miley hummed. [I suppose you're right] she said. [But... I still can't believe you killed a galactic beast on your own. That shouldn't have been possible]
Henry chuckled softly. "Why do you think so?" he asked.
[Well, a level-three host with your current stat distribution should not have been able to take down an E-rank Galactic Beast solo, even with high ranking weapons] Miley explained. [The math doesn't produce that outcome]
"The math doesn't account for reading the fight," Henry said. "It accounts for raw numbers."
[That's what I'm saying] Miley chuckled, still in disbelief. [You fought that beast in the way I watched you fight the bloodhounds earlier] she continued. [And the Steelwolf the other day. And even Emily—though I would prefer not to dwell on that example. But the point is... you don't engage at the level of the moment. You engage at the level of the pattern. You absorb information through failure deliberately, and you wait until the pattern is complete before you commit to the decisive movement. You're using tactical combat. That's not a skill a typical alter ego should possess]
"You're right," Henry smirked. "It isn't."
[Where did you learn it?] Miley asked. [And also... where did you learn how to use a pistol and a dagger so flawlessly?]
"I learnt them a long time ago," Henry replied, his voice carrying an almost sorrowful edge. "In conditions that were significantly less forgiving than this."
The silence that followed was deafening. It was the silence of something that had asked a question and received an answer it was going to spend time with.
Miley didn't know whether to pry further or leave it at that. But she could feel the melancholy buried within him.
[Well, for what it's worth, you did well] she said softly.
Henry didn't answer immediately. He simply chuckled. "Is that an endorsement?"
[It's an observation] Miley said.
"Those are usually the same thing with you." Henry snickered.
[Don't push it] Miley scoffed.
Henry almost smiled. He kept walking. "So," he said. "What do you think now? Are you in full support of me having control of this body?"
[Does my opinion even matter?] Miley replied dryly. [It would make no difference if I said I wanted either you or Henry in charge. It's not like you would ever willingly give up control]
Henry's smirk widened into a sharp, predatory grin as the distant spires of Arcadia City came into view.
"You're right," he said coldly. "Your opinion doesn't matter either way. I will never give up control."
.....
The walk back to the Glacier Palace was grueling. Henry trudged along the sidewalk. The adrenaline had completely faded, leaving his body to bear the full weight of the afternoon's violence. His tracksuit was torn, stained with dirt and dried blood, and he looked thoroughly haggard.
As he approached the estate gates, the guards stepped forward, their expressions shifting from professional stoicism to sheer panic.
"Young Master Henry!" one of the guards gasped, his eyes wide. "What happened? If Lady Felicity sees you like this—if she finds out you were hurt while we let you out—she'll..." The man swallowed hard, clearly fearing for his life. Felicity's wrath was not something to be taken lightly.
"I'm fine," Henry said, smoothing out his torn jacket and putting on a reassuring, slightly embarrassed smile. "Just took a bad tumble. You don't need to worry. I won't mention a word to my mother."
The guards hesitated, exchanging terrified glances, before finally stepping aside. "A-alright, young master. Please, let the medics look at you."
Henry offered a polite nod and made his way up the long, frosted driveway toward the crystal mansion. He just needed to get to his room, rest up, and figure out his next move.
But as he reached the base of the grand entrance stairs, a voice drifted from right behind his shoulder.
"You look terrible."
Henry stiffened. He spun around.
Standing about three feet away was Alicia. She was dressed in a red long-sleeve crop top, black joggers, and bright red sneakers. Her hands were tucked into her pockets, and she wore her usual playful, sunny expression.
Henry's heart hammered. He hadn't heard a footstep. He hadn't sensed a shift in the air. She had basically materialized out of nowhere. He immediately engaged his pretense mode, letting the tension bleed from his shoulders.
"Hey, Alicia," he said carefully, forcing a breathy chuckle. "How'd you do that? I didn't even hear you come in."
Alicia shrugged, offering a smug little smile. "I've been practicing my ninja skills." Then, her eyes swept over his battered clothes, and her playful demeanor shifted into genuine concern. "What happened to you? You look like you just came out of a fight. Were you involved in a fight?"
"No. I went for a jog," Henry said smoothly, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I tripped on a bad patch of ice on the road and took a pretty nasty fall."
Alicia blinked, her gaze locking onto his eyes as if weighing the potency of his words. "Really?" she asked, her tone neutral.
"Yeah," Henry said with a convincing nod. One word was enough. No need to elaborate.
Alicia didn't push the matter further. She stepped closer, closing the distance between them, her face etched with concern. "You shouldn't even be out at all. You should be resting. After everything that happened with the beasts, and then yesterday…" She shook her head slightly. "You need to take good care of yourself, Henry."
"I'm fine, really. Better than ever," Henry assured her, waving off the concern. "And it's been days since the beast incident. I've recovered from it already. You didn't even need to come all the way here to check on me."
Alicia raised a delicate brow. "Are you indirectly telling me to leave?" she asked.
"No! No, of course not," Henry backpedaled instantly, ensuring he didn't look overly defensive. "I'm just saying you didn't have to stress yourself coming all the way here, that's all."
Alicia tilted her head, a look of mild surprise crossing her features. "But we have plans, remember?" she said softly. "We agreed we'd go out to see a movie today. You know, to help jog your memories."
Henry paused. He didn't remember the original Henry making any plans with Alicia. In the avalanche of memories he had absorbed, he retained every single detail of the events and plans the original Henry had made. Going out to the movies with Alicia was absolutely not one of them.
She's testing me, he deduced instantly. She already suspects I'm not him, so she's trying to get me to slip up.
His mind went into hyperdrive. The world around him slowed as his Accelerated Perception kicked in to afford him extra seconds to think.
He analyzed her expression. It was calm, patient, and perfectly innocent. There was no hint of suspicion. She was good. Really good.
A bead of cold sweat formed at his temple.
If he agreed, saying "Oh, now I remember," she would instantly know he was lying, reveal there were never any plans, and he'd be caught. But if he flatly denied it, saying he didn't know what she was talking about, it would be denying something she had stated with full confidence, which created its own friction, and that would only heighten her suspicions.
He needed a middle ground.
"I'm sorry," Henry sighed, rubbing his temples as if fighting a headache. "I must have forgotten we had plans. You know, with the whole losing control of my mind thing going on... it's really taking a toll on me."
Alicia was silent for a moment. She hummed softly, then smiled. "Alright. It's okay," she said calmly. "Honestly, I wasn't in the mood to watch a movie anyway. Why don't we go for karaoke instead? I know a great place."
Henry was about to politely decline when he caught himself. It was another trap.
According to the memories, the first Henry absolutely despised karaoke. He hated loud noises and crowded rooms. But the current "amnesiac" Henry wasn't supposed to remember that he hated it. Which means if he said no and claimed he remembered hating it, it would be far too convenient of a memory to suddenly recover.
He could say yes, and just go with her. Because even if she questioned that wasn't he supposed to hate karaoke, he could easily use the argument of losing his memories.
But Henry didn't want to say yes. He didn't want to go. He couldn't afford to lose sight of his primary goal: To get out of that house today.
"I'm actually quite tired right now, Alicia," Henry said, letting out an exhausted breath. "I just came back from a run and survived a pretty bad fall. Perhaps another time?"
Alicia's expression turned pleading. "Oh, come on. Please? I'll give you a health and stamina regeneration serum, and you'll feel completely fine!"
Henry's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. Wait. A stamina regeneration serum? He sifted through his inherited memories. No such thing existed in this world. It was a biological impossibility based on current medical technology.
So either this was another trap or she was just that desperate.
He made a mental note to research it later just in case… because a stamina regeneration serum would be really useful for someone like him. But right now, he needed to escape this conversation.
"No, really," Henry insisted gently. "I can't. What I need now is sleep, Alicia."
Alicia kept pushing. "What if we went to the spa instead? Or the arcade?" She rattled off various enticing locations, her insistence bordering on aggressive.
This made Henry become suspicious of her. She trying so hard to get him off the estate.
Why?
Was she setting up an ambush? Or did she just genuinely want to hang out? Her expression was flawlessly believable.
He couldn't risk it. He didn't even have the time.
"I'm sorry, Alicia," Henry said firmly. "I'm just too beat. Let's do it another time."
Alicia finally sighed, her shoulders dropping in defeat. "Okay. Guess I'll take my leave then."
"Yeah. Thanks for checking in," Henry said, turning to ascend the grand stairs. "Say hi to Jane for me."
He had barely taken two steps when her voice rang out behind him.
"Wait," she called out. "Before I go, there's just one thing I want to know."
Henry paused, looking back over his shoulder. "What?"
Alicia's playful smile had vanished. Her face was a mask of razor-sharp intensity. "What have you done to Henry?" she asked coldly.
Henry's eyes widened. She knows? How?
He quickly tried to salvage the act, playing the dumb and confused card. "I don't know what you mean, Alicia. I am Henry."
"I won't ask you again," Alicia said, taking a slow step forward. "Where is Henry?"
Henry clenched his fists. He couldn't fight her here, out in the open, with guards patrolling the perimeter. He tried to deflect. "You're just tired, Alicia. You should go home and get some rest."
He turned to walk away, but as he lifted his foot to take a step, he froze. Literally.
But this wasn't like Felicity's psychic compulsion. He wasn't paralyzed by a command in his brain. This was physical. Every molecule, every cell, every vein, and every bone in his body felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. It felt as if some invisible force was crushing him from the inside out. If he dared to move forcefully, he knew with terrifying certainty that he would be ripped apart at the cellular level.
"Dammit, not again," Henry cursed inwardly. He struggled to raise his head. Alicia was standing at the base of the stairs. Her right hand was outstretched, her delicate fingers curled inward like she was crushing an invisible apple.
This was her doing.
She walked up the steps, her sneakers silent on the marble, until she was standing right in his face.
She smiled… a terrifying, chilling expression. "You're really smart. I'm impressed," she whispered. "You managed to detect that I was testing you and countered it perfectly. But..." She let out a long exhale. "...it was pointless. Because I already knew from the start that you weren't Henry. You're the 'other side' that took over on the day of the beast attack." She tilted her head, studying him like he was a specimen.
"You're the second consciousness."