Immense pain.

[A/N: Apologies for the delay due to personal issues. I am releasing this now, although my personal problem remains unresolved. I will endeavor to publish chapters more frequently. Please forgive any inconvenience caused.]

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A few hours later, in a room.

We can see a guy lying on the bed unconscious and two spirit talking with each other. And the guy was obviously our Rey.

Rey awoke with great difficulty, finding himself in his own room. He experienced intense pain as Aiden had repaired his nervous system, releasing the accumulated pain. However, the pain was fleeting and soon subsided.

At first, he was confused, but then the memories of the past few hours began to flood back, and he quickly rose, filled with a startling urgency.

He glanced around and realized he was in his room, where Aiden was sitting on a couch, and another guy, appearing to be around 19-20 years old with blood-red hair and eyes, was floating nearby.

"Oh, looks like our prince charming is waking up," the new guy remarked, shrugging Aiden's shoulder.

"You're awake, Rey. I thought you'd take a bit longer," Aiden said as he floated towards him, followed by the new guy.

"Zero, you can come out now; we have some critical tasks to fulfill our duty," Aiden announced. Then, from beneath the bed, silver particles resembling water flowed out and coalesced into the form of a girl. She appeared to be about 21 years old, with silver skin made from the substance, and even without her true form, one could surmise that the girl was a true beauty.

"Who are you two, and Aiden, didn't we go there to find just one relic? Why is there one more now?" Rey asked, eyeing the two new spirits—one a mirror image of Aiden and the other resembling a robot girl made of liquid material.

"Let me explain, but first, you should tell your mom that everything is okay. She's been here about 15 times in the last three hours," Aiden suggested, gesturing towards the door with his thumb.

"But how can I face her with a body full of injuries? Look at my hand..." Rey trailed off as he inspected his body, which was surprisingly normal except for his muscles, which resembled those of someone who had been working out for half a year.

"What the hell? What happened to my body? I don't remember being this fit or having so many muscles," Rey exclaimed, examining his reflection in the mirror, utterly astonished to see his physique resembling that of a model.

"Now that you're surprised, please let her know you're alright," Aiden said, and they resumed their conversation.

"Okay," Rey replied, nodding. He walked out of the room, clad in a blue t-shirt.

He glanced around, saw no one, checked the time, and realized it was 4:30 pm. He was late for his part-time job, but it didn't matter today as he hurried to speak with his mother.

Upon entering the hall, he noticed his mother and little sister engrossed in the television.

"Mom, I'm here," Rey announced, seeking to capture his mother's attention, which caused her to startle slightly, not expecting him this early.

"Oh Son, I was frightened because I remembered you said you wouldn't be able to come out for about five hours for some reason, but here you are," Jasmine said, sighing with relief before sitting back down.

"Brother, I miss you so much," Emmy said as she hugged Rey.

"How could I leave my princess alone for a long time? So, I came back quickly but got caught up in work for a few hours. That's why I was in my room for so long, and I didn't want any interruptions, so I asked Mom not to disturb me for a while," Rey explained, patting Emmy's hair affectionately.

"Don't worry, son. I was just concerned because you asked not to be disturbed in an unusual manner and mentioned you had work, so I refrained from disturbing you. However, I did check on you from time to time," Jasmine said, gesturing to Emmy to come and sit down, indicating not to disturb him any further. Emmy complied quietly, sitting next to her but only after tugging Rey to sit beside her as well.

"Brother, are you going back to work, or will you play with me as you promised?" Emmy asked, giving him a pleading puppy-eyed look.

"Sorry Emmy I have to do some more work." Rey said while smiling helplessly after remembering that there was some work left with bonding and status matter by which he had to return soon.

"Don't worry, son, continue with your work. And Emmy, shouldn't you be finishing your homework from the 10-day holiday?" Jasmine asked, glancing at Emmy.

"Okay, Mom, but I want to sit here a little longer with my brother," Emmy replied, holding Rey's hand.

"Alright," Jasmine conceded with a heavy sigh.

"Just wait, you two. I'll make some delicious food that you'll remember," Jasmine declared as she headed to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Jasmine had swiftly prepared the meal. After serving it, they all ate together. Shortly thereafter, Rey retreated to his room and closed the door behind him.

Silence filled the room.

"The happy moments are over; now it's time for the important topic," Victor announced with a long sigh, breaking the silence.

"Yes, so what is it you want to say?" Rey asked, sitting on the bed and facing the couch.

"So, listen carefully, because after you hear this, you must remain calm," Aiden said, giving Zero and Victor a nod.

"What are you saying? Is it really that important?" Rey asked, laughing awkwardly.

"Listen, Rey, I need to tell you that the bonds Zero, the Silver Lady, and I have with you are temporary and can be easily broken," Aiden declared with determination.

"So, the fact that you can leave at will is not ideal. If the chance arises, wouldn't you prefer to return to your original owner? Being with someone who has only been part of your life for a few days surely cannot compare to the bond with one who has wielded you for countless years. It's understandable that being with a rank 0 individual, who lacks both skill and potential, is less appealing than staying with a master of rank 8 or 9," Rey articulated continuously, his voice fading as he concluded.

"Listen Rey or whatever your name is, after we signed a contract with you being permanent or 'temporary' we gained our past memories, and we remember that our original owner is no more and he was a Rank 10 for your kind information. And if you asked who killed a rank 10 then the answer was his own brother." Victor interrupted the conversation and said with a rude expression and putting extra care for temporary.

"Victor, I said shut up, or perhaps you've forgotten who I am," Aiden stated in a direct and angry tone.

"Alright, alright, you be the storyteller; I won't interfere anymore," Victor conceded, adopting a surrendering stance.

"Hush... Now, listen carefully, Rey," Aiden began, his words a rapid stream. "When we talk about a temporary connection, it's not as simple as you might think. Take Zero, for instance; she's bonded with you from the inside out. It's a merge, akin to being permanently attached to your skin, which can still be healed. However, if it were permanent, it would be at a molecular level, and that would be catastrophic for your body. As for me, you're aware that my body resides within your brain, partially intertwined with your nervous system. Changing hosts would be lethal for you. A permanent bond would mean a complete integration with your nervous system and brain, similar to being dissolved in water, and the only way to reverse it would be through death." Aiden paused, awaiting Rey's response.

"I knew it, I knew it. I shouldn't have gotten entangled with you guys; being with you is akin to a death sentence in one way or another," Rey said after a while, losing his composure. He was about to say more when Zero suddenly leaped forward and covered his mouth with her body material.

"You should lower your voice if you don't want your family to hear," Zero stated in her robotic voice, maintaining a straight face, which slightly startled Rey.

"Okay, I'll listen, but please, could you back away a little?" Rey asked, taking a step back to maintain some distance.

Zero retreated and stood in one corner of the room.

"Listen, as I said, Zero and I are in a temporary contract with you, and we want to form a permanent contract that can only be undone by death. So, do you want to do this, or shall we remain temporary and break the bond when you rise in rank?" Aiden proposed.

"Do you think I want to say yes? I want to live without any problems, but do you really think I have a choice in this matter? I can only say yes, or absolutely yes," Rey responded with a look of helplessness.

"Alright, let's begin, but pay close attention. We're going to fully bond with you, and we possess certain skills that will be integrated into you. This process will cause pain, albeit significantly less—about 80% less—than the full bonding process," Aiden explained, waiting for a response.

"So, I'm to endure the pain of two bondings and two skill integrations, correct?" Rey inquired, mentally bracing himself.

"No, it's two bondings and three integrations," Zero clarified, correcting the error.

"Wait, this guy's skill hasn't been integrated into me yet? But how am I still alive if the integration isn't complete?" Rey asked, both confused and shocked.

"You've grossly underestimated us. We are relics of the gods, not some beggar's child. We possess immense power, enough to transform a talentless, mediocre brat like you into someone who can surpass the fourth rank and achieve immortality," Victor boasted smugly, humiliating Rey.

"Victor, I told you to be quiet, or there won't be a third warning," Aiden shouted, his anger palpable.

"Why are you siding with this insignificant child when there are many geniuses in the world? With their help, we could rank 7 or 8, ascend to higher worlds, and choose someone with talent equal to or greater than our previous master," Victor shouted, reacting to Aiden's words.

Before Aiden could respond, a silver flash caught his eye, and he watched as Zero captured Victor with her body matter, pinning him down.

"It seems you possess something crushable, right Victor? I have a strong urge to crush something," Zero declared, her voice tinged with anger, though her expression remained impassive. 

{Author's Note: The term "crushable" refers to the ego, in case there was any confusion.}

"Okay, release me; I won't say anything." Seeing what had happened, Victor backed away, also fearing Zero for some reason.

"We will now start the process and as for pain don't worry about it because I can temporarily halt the function of your nervous system for now. As you rank up, your body will become much more complex than before, allowing for maximum upgrades after your achievement and a glimpse into the future," Aiden explained, addressing some concerns.

"Okay, but do it quickly because I don't think I can hold on much longer," Rey said as he hastily lay down on the bed with a grave expression, his legs still trembling with fear.

"First, I'll complete the bonding process, then I'll move on to the skill integration," Aiden explained.

"And I'll start by disabling your vocal cords so as not to alert your family," Aiden added before Rey could respond.

He acted swiftly, and a sharp pain silenced his voice. He attempted to speak, but no words emerged. Minutes later, his body ceased to move; Aiden had temporarily halted his nervous system, initiating the bonding process.

Pain surged through his mind, and his skin ached as Zero enveloped him, just as before. Tiny, needle-like structures emerged throughout his body, interlacing with his molecular matter, causing agony despite the suppressed nervous system. However, the truth was that Rey's nervous system was partially active, functioning at 10-15% capacity. Any less, and Rey would perish as his organs would fail, leading to certain death.

"Endure it, boy, as you will frequently feel this amount of pain from now on," Aiden said. However, Rey heard nothing as his brain had ceased to function due to the immense pain.

A few minutes after the bonding process with Zero was completed, Rey finally found some relief. But Aiden quickly began his own process, wanting the boy to endure the pain all at once rather than in intervals.

The bonding process with Aiden began, causing Rey immense pain in his brain. Despite being in a place where even Aiden couldn't halt the process, he tried to telepathically encourage Rey to endure it, as it would be the last obstacle. After a few minutes, the pain ceased, indicating the process was complete.

The confusion may arise because Victor's bond took much longer, whereas the bond between Zero and Aiden was shorter due to its temporary nature, which reduced the duration.

"Okay now for the skill integration time and Rey you can sleep as it won't hurt that much anymore." Aiden said and about to look at Rey but.

"You don't have to as he is already asleep." Victor said while pointing toward him.

Rey was sleeping while some tears of pain was still in his face and his whole face red due to sheer pain.

Okay so we have to do 12 skills integration, but I think we should just integrate it whole as it will cause pain for one time only." Aiden suggested and after both agreement did, he started the process.

And a mass pain accumulated in his body, but Rey didn't wake up as he will experience it after waking up but only 5% as the pain was still there but his body was enduring it while shaking a lot.

But the future is the only one who can tell what will be going to happen with him so just wait and watch the story of Rey and his weapon spirits.

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Hello guys I hope you liked it and please sorry for the delay, but I promise when the problem is solved, I will mass release.

I hope you enjoy it and have a good day/night.

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