The sun was hidden by the long tree in front of Zane as his head rested on another tree.
He had run from the Citadel and had taken a turn in the woods, not using the regular road used to travel. He wouldn't want to be seen. At the moment, at least.
Now that he was out and alone, he would pay attention to whatever was inside his head while looking out for any wandering traveler.
"I left the Citadel now. Do you have anything to say?"
[ Mandatory Quest Concluded! ]
"That I know. I have read something about the rewards. Show me that."
Zane might not know anything about the golden windows but if he was supposed to get some rewards, then he would take them.
[ Host will not get both rewards. ]
Zane frowned.
Then a laugh escaped his lips.
"Of course. What was I even expecting? You came from their home. Of course you will do this."
Zane shook his head and was about to get up when another window popped.
[ Host will only get one of the rewards. ]
He stopped.
"Alright. Let's make this clear. I don't know what you are. I don't know if this is a skill I got from the brick. Hell, I don't even know if this is a skill in the first place. But you said leave the Citadel in ten minutes. I did. Now give me what you owe me. I won't take anything less."
[ Host didn't finish the Quest on time. ]
Zane's brows twitched.
"I bit that psycho to get away. I was out in time!"
[ Host was in the air when the timer went off. ]
"So? Being in the air doesn't mean I was inside. I finished your quest. Wait…"
Zane swallowed.
"Did you strike that penalty on me?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane held his head.
"So it was you who fought with that Enforcer?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane bit his lip.
"Do you have any idea what you did?"
Silence.
Zane inhaled.
"I have to go back there tomorrow. If he saw me, he would kill me. You took over my body, which is equally threatening, and then you rebelled in front of the Citadel?"
[ Host was in danger. Action was needed. ]
"Danger? From what? The most he could have done is whipping me ten times. Seven times, if I was obedient. But you, you made me fight back. Each one of them sees each one of us as a sore sight. They would love to take one out at any slightest mistake. Your penalty cost me a lot."
[ That's what Penalties supposed to do. ]
Zane squinted his eyes.
"Did you fight to protect me or punish me?"
No response.
"Tell me one thing, window."
Zane quivered his brows, joined his palms, his fingers intertwined.
"Are you my ally?"
Birds chirped, leaves fell from the trees and Zane waited for a response.
Which never came.
Zane scratched his chest.
"You are one strange thing. You created a problem for me. If the Enforcer will take revenge anyway, then when you have taken over me…"
Zane touched his nose.
"You might as well have killed that guard."
[ Synchronization was too low. ]
"What is that?"
[ Connection between Host and Conflux. ]
"I see. That's why you weren't able to control me for long. Now I know why my body felt weird back then. I don't want to lose control like that. But if this connection of ours, if it increases, what can you do?"
[ Plenty. ]
"How should I increase synchronization?"
[ Complete Quests. ]
Zane nodded a few times.
"The brick has been here for decades. Many people have touched it over time. Why did I get you? Or are you really a Gleam tier skill?"
[ Conflux is not a skill. ]
"Then? And you only answered one question."
[ Conflux is something that transcends skill tiers entirely. Host is in a different field now. Tread lightly or dive headfirst in the open. Just keep the warning in mind. ]
"The warning."
Zane rested his finger on his lips.
"Do not tell a single soul, was it?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane let out a tired sigh.
"What now? You didn't answer all my questions. Tell me something that you can answer."
[ Host can choose between the two Rewards from the Mandatory Quest. ]
"Why is that? And don't call me host. Talk normally. I will call you Conflux."
[ Synchronization too low to accept the command. ]
Zane rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Just tell me about the Quest."
[ Host was in the air when the timer ended. He was neither outside, nor inside. He neither failed the Quest, nor accomplished it. Therefore, Host will get to choose only one reward. ]
"Show me."
[ Host can choose: 2 Merge Points or 0.50 Synchronization. ]
"Synchronization I somewhat understand but what are merge points?"
[ Merge Points are the mechanism to do what the Conflux offers. ]
"What do you offer?"
[ Host can merge anything. ]
Zane's brows shot up.
"Merge as in?"
[ Creating something more valuable by adding two less valuable things. ]
"And I can do that with anything?"
[ Not at the moment. ]
"Then what can I do at the moment?"
[ Right now, Host can only merge things that belong to him. 1 Merge Point will be consumed every time he merges something. ]
"Alright. If I choose Synchronization then only our connection improves. But these merge points, they can help me get out of situations. Am I right to think that?"
[ Positive. ]
Zane nodded.
"It's decided then. Give me the Merge points."
[ Affirmative. ]
Silence took place and before Zane could become paranoid…
[ Ding! ]
A sound rang inside his head and a window appeared.
[ Host received 2 Merge Points! ]
[ 2 Skills available for merging! ]
Zane blinked. "I can merge them?"
[ Positive. The Skills belong to you. ]
"Can I see them first? If you can do that, of course. Otherwise, I will have to try out different things to know what I actually have now."
[ Positive. ]
Zane waited for a second and another window appeared.
[ Skills: 2 ]
———
[ 1- Residual Intent (Gleam Tier) (Passive) : Host can sense lingering intent on objects, places and people if he focuses on them. Not emotions. Not thoughts. Intent. ]
[ Limits: Works only on recent or intense intent. Overuse can cause headaches, nausea, dissociation and emotional numbness. It gives no context. ]
———
[ 2- Threshold Piler (Gleam Tier) (Active/Body-state) : When Host is pushed to a physical or emotional threshold (pain, fear, humiliation), his body temporarily reorganizes itself for survival. Pain slows. Balance sharpens. Muscles tighten. Movements cleaner, ugly, correct. ]
[ Limits: Cannot be activated willingly. Ends abruptly. Leaves extreme fatigue. If triggered too often, body starts breaking down. ]
Zane read both skills he got from the slab and he stroked his chin.
"I am not really sure what to feel about these, but the second one.."
Zane went silent and as if it didn't want Zane to think deeply, a window manifested in front of Zane.
[ Does the Host want to Merge the Skills? ]