Chapter 196: Attachments, and Memory Fragments

"Family…?" Jyorta accurately sensed the strangeness in her statement, becoming confused.

Madam Mary's concern was unnerving. It didn't seem like something that would originate from a principal to her student but from someone sharing a closer bond, like a family member.

But, Madam Mary's actions didn't correlate with her behaviour from before, the prime source of his confusion. The last time they shared a conversation, he was given a death threat in the name of a warning. Her current show of concern came out of the blue, with no rhyme or reason.

"It seems Jyovic Bone had never mentioned it," Madam Mary sighed, noticing his confusion. "I guess it is part of being the head of an Aristocratic Family."

She let out a wry smile, "I have three children, Havita, Hubert, and…Henrietta. Henrietta was my third child. And technically speaking, Jyovic Bone is my husband, or was once."

"Many things had happened between us, one after another; we drifted apart, eventually becoming distant. My three children spent their childhood alternating between the Bone family and the Veera Family. Due to the nature of things at play in Veera Family, considering its standing at the peak of all Aristocratic Families, the three of them eventually decided to settle within the Bone Family."

"I, on the other hand, had too much on my plate. After a failure in my breakthrough to Tier 6, and sensing the potential of Angrushen Light, I became responsible for fostering his development towards Tier 6. This further distanced me from my children, eventually creating a wide chasm between our relationship. I guess this was probably why your mother never mentioned me; that poor child."

Madam Mary's tone was one immersed in nostalgia, with traces of regret buried here and there. She expressed her sadness over the loss of her child—mourning. A single tear seeped from her right eye, making a trail across her wrinkled cheeks.

She regained composure within a couple of seconds, showing the rigidity of her heart, one that had been tempered over the decades, due to the position of power and authority she wielded. Despite everything, her feelings were conveyed to Jyorta, affecting him, turning his sight blurry.

His body slightly trembled, his voice became choked. Even though he personally hadn't forged an attachment with either Henrietta or Hancent, having fully comprehended the memory fragments of the previous Jyorta and making them his own, he began to unconsciously see them as his own parents.

Memories shaped oneself, whether good, bad, or ugly. Unlike the memories from his past life, the memory fragments belonging to the previous Jyorta had its own attachments to life. Of these, the attachment to Henrietta and Hancent formed the majority.

This was why he dared not comprehend Ehara Gobi's memory fragments until he comprehended the memories from his past life. Even the rate at which he comprehended the memories of the Floating Spiders was at a snail's pace, taking measures to not form an attachment towards them.

If such a thing happened, then he might begin viewing the Floating Spiders in the same way he considered humans—brethren from the same race. If such a situation came to pass, then he would become a lost cause.

Once attached, it was difficult to break free. The domain of the mind scaled in complexity similar to the domain of the soul. Experiences and attachments belonged to the domain of the mind.

The only thing he could affect in this domain was destroying the memory fragments using his Skill—Corrosion.

Thereby, he had to be careful in regards to a lot of things. A single misstep would create a vicious cycle. His abilities weren't absolute; they came with their own drawbacks and limitations.

Despite all that, he was thankful for possessing such abilities. At least, he was granted a method to attain power that was different from the norm and one that hardly anyone was privy of.

In a world where survival was difficult, with all sorts of powers and uncertainties at effect, having a power exclusive to him gave him a greater guarantee of survival.

His powers of the soul came with attachments, formless shackles deciding the path he trod upon. These came from the creepy-haired man's arrangements, the person who had killed him in the previous life and caused him to become the current blue soul.

The cost of the power was for him to confront Mother Parasite, otherwise commonly referred to as Rhachis Ancestor Parasite. The opponent was such a powerful being that it was unmatched in the world, the likes of which Jyorta couldn't even hope to gaze at present.

But, once he changed his mindset, he began to view the situation differently.

After becoming a Tier 6 being, Jyorta would definitely have to confront Rhachis Ancestor Parasite. If he failed to achieve Tier 6, then he wasn't even qualified to worry about the matter.

It was quite simple when he thought about it. Whether he had the powers of his blue soul or not, nothing changed. The things he had to do at the respective levels remained the same. Now, all he had to guard against was becoming a puppet of the creepy-haired man. After all, he didn't know what other arrangements had been hidden in his soul.

Jyorta wiped his tears, noticing the other party heave a forlorn sigh, continuing with a sad tone, "It is a pity that she died an untimely death in the Flying Signature Raid. As a mother, I have failed her many times in her life."

Madam Mary took a moment to compose herself, wiping the sole tear mark on her cheek. She then gazed at Jyorta in silence, giving him the time to get his emotions under control.

Five minutes later, when his mental state had stabilised to a certain extent, Madam Mary spoke, "In terms of talent, Jyovic Bone is one of the finest in Marble City. But, it is because of this very reason that I am concerned."

"The Trait of Corrosion that you possess, its effects are said to be capped at Tier 2. Irrespective of the methods used, it could never be elevated. Also, since it is still a prototype, it has many side effects. The fact that you are the sole successor speaks volumes about it." Madam Mary watched his changing expression, her tone varying in response.

She continued, her pace unhurried, "If you have any problems, I would be able to treat you. That is the least I can do as your grandmother. This room is isolated from prying eyes, the sole place I could converse freely. Don't just assume that I can move unhindered in this military academy as its principal. Every action of mine is watched by members of the Royal Families and the other Aristocratic Families."

"Every military academy in Marble City is controlled by either the Marble or the Light Family. Our military academy is the sole exception, controlled by me. So, many people are secretly envious of my position, even though I earned this seat through a lifetime's worth of achievements. Just my Unranked Skill Regen has saved innumerous lives ever since its appearance, causing our survival rate to massively increase, and also raising Marble City's strength as a collective whole."

"So, for many reasons, they will be constantly watching my every action, trying to find faults in me. They only need the bare minimum of a chance to try to seize my seat. Therefore, I can never show any partiality. This was why I had to say what I said to you back then. I hope you understand."

Seeing Jyorta nod, she continued, "Now, tell me how you feel. We only have this short duration with us."

Jyorta paused in thought, looking as if he was framing the sentences in mind. Though in reality, he was clueless about what to say. His possession of the Trait of Corrosion was a lie. Therefore, he didn't have any of the aforementioned side effects. Due to his lacking experience, he couldn't create a lie on the spot.

If Madam Mary decided to investigate or cross-reference his claims, then his lie would be found out. Also, he didn't know if everything she said currently was all but to test him. If the problem he said was something simple that Madam Mary was able to easily heal, then it wouldn't make sense for Grapple Force to personally invite him out of the military academy.

As the creator of the Unranked Skill Regen, Madam Mary was the most capable in terms of healing, her expertise lay in various fields. So, the fact that she hadn't been requested to help meant that the solution to his problem lay elsewhere, beyond her expertise.

Now, if his lie made it seem as if the solution to his problem was something she could cure, then Madam Mary might doubt Atika Light. That would become even worse. Offending two terrifying characters was tantamount to suicide.

He would be stuck between a fire and another fire, his fate being one of doom either way. So, Jyorta had to rack his mind and create a possible explanation.

The blue soul overlaid the false persona, allowing his thoughts to become clear, spotting many points of oddity in the current situation.

If he were to realise that Madam Mary had long since seen through him, knowing of the Traits he possessed, his thoughts would differ. Plans, lies, deceit, etc. can only be concocted successfully when one has all pieces of the puzzle, i.e. information in his case. Also, it only worked when one had information superiority.

Due to a lack of knowledge, any lie he creates was bound to fail.