Chapter 29: Awakening Center

After my meeting with Zhassur and our conversation, we went downstairs for dinner, where our parents were waiting for us. I shared some highlights of my adventure in the dungeon, like battling goblins and describing the interior of the dungeon itself. Of course, there were certain details that I chose to keep to myself. And so, we spent the evening, after which I headed straight to bed, as I had a trip to the Awakening Center the next day.

Waking up early in the morning, I turned to Ever for guidance.

"Could you tell me about the Awakening Center? Are there any people there who knew 'him'?" I inquired.

"If we look at the number of visits by the previous owner of the body to the Awakening Center, there were only about 7 times in total. Mainly, he went there for the exchange points to trade the trophies he obtained in the dungeon, and only occasionally did he add points to his card there. Among the acquaintances there, there was only one girl, the one you met on the first day when you arrived on this planet," she explained.

"Wait, how do you mean, 'acquaintances'? You're not suggesting that this girl, well... I mean, the girl from the previous 'Temir'?" I asked, stumbling over my words.

"Exactly, that's her. Most of their meetings occurred outside the center because other awakened individuals were trying to court her as well. She suggested this arrangement to avoid causing any problems, especially after some incidents involving attacks on 'him'," she replied.

"So, it's only her... This is going to be a problem," I muttered with a sigh.

"Can't you simply pretend to be him? Doesn't that seem easy to you?" Ever inquired, stating the obvious. But for me, it wasn't that simple. I didn't know her at all in the previous world, and for me, she was a completely "new" person in every sense. How could I pretend to be her beloved 'Temir' if I had no knowledge of her?

"Could I ask you about her, then? Couldn't you provide some insight?" I said, realizing the difficulty of my task.

"Of course, I can. But keep in mind that I'm no actor. I'm just an ordinary person," I said, but quickly added, "Well, not entirely ordinary now. I have abilities to fight, but acting is not one of them."

"Isn't it so? You have the ability to sense emotions. You can simply play the role of her beloved 'Temir' by aligning yourself with her emotions," Ever suggested.

"Can these abilities be used outside the dungeons?" I inquired, bewildered.

"How do you think new technologies emerged in this world? The system only provides abilities but doesn't limit their use," she explained.

"But wouldn't someone notice the use of the ability?" I asked.

"The likelihood of that is extremely low, as it requires an extremely high level of sensory control, which is not possible at the moment," she reassured me.

"Do I possess this 'sensory control'?" I questioned her.

"You've seen your statistics. You don't have it now, but you can purchase the necessary statistics once you reach the fifth level of the system," she clarified.

"Can't I acquire them right now?" I asked, quite surprised.

"You can only purchase the basic statistics for now, not the unique ones. You'll be able to acquire them at the fifth level," she stated.

"I understand. Will you help me get to the Awakening Center?" I asked her with a smile.

I descended the stairs and had breakfast with my family. We chatted for a while, and after explaining where I was headed, my father offered to drive me. I agreed, and we soon completed our household tasks and set off for the Awakening Center. During the trip, my father suddenly turned to me.

"Temir," he said.

"Yes, Dad?" I replied.

"You know, since your return from the portal where your team abandoned you, you've changed slightly. Or, it's more accurate to say you've become different," he remarked.

We drove in silence as a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my head. A thousand words danced on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn't sure what the right response should be. Did he realize I wasn't his son, or did he think my transformation was due to the betrayal of the group? What should I say to avoid revealing my true identity?

Under the weight of my thoughts, I couldn't help but frown. My expression gave away the fact that I was struggling to answer his question, and he noticed it. With the same tone as before, he spoke.

"I don't want to force you to tell me what happened to you. For me, and for your mother, the most important thing is that you returned alive. I understand that you want to develop as an awakened, but as your parents, it's hard to watch you venture into the unknown, fighting unimaginable monsters. We know that it's the nature of young people with hot heads to rush into danger, but please understand our perspective. You've changed so much in just one week. You've transformed from an open and affectionate son into someone who's closed off and secretive. Do you understand what I mean?" he asked, peering into my eyes at the end of his speech.

Now, it was even harder for me. I wished to say so many things to him, but saying them would ruin everything. He wouldn't understand my story, and he'd be reluctant to believe that I wasn't his "Temir," but a completely different son, a son from another world. Regrettably, all I managed to utter was, "I understand, Dad."

Fortunately, after his words, we arrived at the Awakening Center, and I was able to step out of the car with a sigh of relief. As I left the vehicle, I glanced at my father, and our eyes met. In his gaze, I saw fatigue or some form of dejection, as though hundreds of unspoken words were lurking in his eyes.

"See you, Dad," I managed to utter before making my way toward the center.