Chapter 163: Brandon Locke [5]

'Who the hell...?'

Brandon thought to himself.

A woman emerged from the door.

She adorned a black dress, only showing enough skin. But her chest was undoubtedly voluptuous.

Though... who?

He squinted his eyes, scanning her figure even more.

Shortly after, the woman's voice reached his ears.

"...You're finally awake."

"Where am I?"

He politely inquired.

"Firstly, do you know who I am?"

"...."

Pinching his chin, he took a good look.

He tried to recall several descriptions of the characters in the novel.

She seemed oddly familiar, wheat blonde hair, hazel brown eyes. But he can't put a finger on it.

'The novel had too many blondes...'

Amelia was one such character.

But she was never mentioned in the novel.

Sure, the Imperial Army was mentioned. But the author would only describe them as 'soldiers', or the Imperial Army.

The author was definitely a shit writer.

What was his name again?

Athex.

He could never forget the author until the day he died.

In the first place...

This was the first question he was supposed to ask, as soon as he descended.

'Why am I even inside his novel?'

It was absurd.

"Ciel."

"...."

That name.

It was familiar.

But,

...Why was she here?

"So you recognize me."

"...Yes."

"Then I don't have to make any formal introductions. Firstly, rest up. I've prepared some clothes for you in that closet over there."

She pointed at the cabinet on the corner.

"I'll come back with a meal prepared. Make yourself at home."

Turning around, Ciel was about to leave until Brandon called out to her.

"Wait."

"Yes?"

She turned around.

Brandon clenched his forehead. He felt his head start to ache. Gritting his teeth, he asked.

"...What day is it?"

"Oh."

Her next words...

"June 1, 2149."

Sent shivers down his spine.

His eyes shot wide open, and he clenched his forehead even tighter.

A year has passed?

That was a lie, right?

He was about to say something, but stopped as he realized Ciel had already left the room.

"...."

A year shouldn't have passed.

The system clearly said that the integration would take only a day.

But as his bangs obscured his face, things were starting to make sense.

His hair was longer than before, and there was reason for Ciel to lie.

He knew what her personality was like in the novel.

Out of all the seated members, she was the most passive.

If he wanted a seated member on his side, it would definitely be Ciel.

But in the first place...

Why was he with her?

He continued to ponder for several minutes, before Ciel entered the room, pushing what seems to be a trolley.

His head started aching unbearably, as if sharp daggers were piercing through his skull.

"What's wrong?"

Ciel anxiously asked.

He tried to respond, but he couldn't. All he could let out were groans of pain.

"Khh...!"

All of a sudden, his mana started leaking out.

Rumble... Rumble...

The room gradually shook. The clanging sound of the plate rang.

"....So it's still happening."

What was she talking about?

'Still'?

Then this wasn't the first time this happened.

He wanted to ask her. But his world started spinning, and his body was heating up.

It was the same sensation when he was still half–unconscious.

It came from his core.

Or rather, his mana core.

His mana glowed, but it was pitch black.

Rumble... Rumble...

The shaking started to intensify.

"Lay down."

Ciel commanded.

As soon as she did, Brandon immediately slumped on the bed face first.

"Khh...!"

His body flinched as he felt Ciel's finger traced his nape, making its way down his back.

He was familiar with this.

It was the process of transferring mana.

A feeling of warmth followed shortly after, and the pain in his head slowly subsided.

Rumble... Rumble... Rumb...

The shaking gradually slowed down until it stopped.

Finally, the pain in his head was gone, as well as the heat.

Massaging his head, while laying on the bed, he pursed his lips.

"What's happening to me?"

"It's your Sovereign's Will. It's trying to fully integrate itself in your body. But currently, it's too much for your body to handle."

"...."

His eyes widened.

She knows about... the system.

"Yes, I know about the system."

She spoke as if she had read his mind.

Clearly, she knew more about the system than he did.

And he was a novel reader too.

Shame.

"I can only stabilize your core temporarily. I thought it would stop happening after you woke up. But it seems like I was wrong."

"...So this has happened before?"

"A lot more during your slumber than I can count."

That explained the room's poor state.

"We need a permanent cure to stabilize your mana."

"Where do we find that?"

"A Sovereign's Fragment needs to be the one to stabilize your core."

"...."

There it was again.

The mention of 'Sovereign'.

The hell was a Sovereign.

It was a concept that was never introduced in the novel.

And in the first place, why was it happening now? Did Raven get this Sovereign shit as well?

It seems like it only happens to system users.

Then... did it happen to—

"Jin!"

"Hm?"

"Where's Jin?"

He abruptly lifted his body up and asked in a hurried tone.

"...."

She didn't respond. It seemed like she hesitated as her eyes darted down.

But the next words she spoke made his eyes shoot wide open.

"He's gone...."