Facing the fear. {2}

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A few minutes earlier, Rey was entering the factory within the dream world. Meanwhile, in the real world, Aiden awoke from his slumber and floated to the window to witness the sunrise. 

Rey had not yet awakened from his trial. Aiden contemplated entering his mind to check on his activities. Transforming into particles, he merged into Rey's consciousness. 

Upon materializing in the dream world's sky, Aiden sensed an anomaly—a presence that should not exist there. He verified the number of times Rey had perished and was astonished to discover it was only the 24th attempt. He had anticipated it would take over 50 attempts for Rey to uncover the truth and retrieve the keys. Nevertheless, he was pleased with the boy's progress.

Scanning the house, he noticed Rey's absence, with only his mother and sister asleep within. As Aiden was about to retract his vision, he spotted a body in the kitchen hall. Teleporting there, he identified the corpse as that of an assassin named Seven, who had infiltrated the house to eliminate Rey and his family.

Aiden was taken aback by the sophistication of Rey's method in dispatching the assassin, noting the kill's expert execution.

'When did he become so skilled?' he wondered, waving his hand to bring up a screen that displayed his first attempt. As he watched, his face cycled through emotions—happiness, sadness, anger, sympathy, and finally horror—upon seeing the transformation in his twenty-third attempt, where he became a total killing maniac, slaughtering everyone. To his astonishment, the ETERNAL OMNIVERSE SYSTEM intervened, pulling him from this madness and even showing him a way to clear it and escape.

He was certain that without the system's intervention, the boy would have devolved from a mere boy into a relentless killing machine, knowing only slaughter.

Relieved, he resumed the video, only to see that he had killed himself to start over, and now the twenty-fourth attempt was underway.

He observed that Rey had developed considerably, aligning with his preferences, yet the title Rey had acquired left him concerned. Associating with Rey and others might set him on a bloody, deadly path where the title's characteristics could dominate, compelling him to slay thousands in his way.

He had no desire for the boy to become a crazed killer; he could only offer guidance, not control.

With a sigh, he teleported to Rey's current location. There, he found Rey talking to himself. Listening in, he was filled with rage as Rey was initially berating him for his method of killing in the factory, and now he planned to employ that very tactic. 'I'll deal with this later, but first, let's see how you perform live,' he thought, enlarging the screen to watch Rey's plans unfold.

He observed the man's demise, orchestrated with cunning intelligence. Just as he was poised to eliminate the guard who had come to investigate the missing thugs, an unexpected event left him astounded. Rey, perched atop a mound of fallen adversaries, began to radiate an energy with a familiar aura—an impossibility for someone of rank zero. Yet, there it was, the boy emitting it uncontrollably, prompting a danger alert on the screen that demanded immediate action.

Swiftly, he intervened to prevent the law from merging with Rey's emotions, which could inflict severe mental harm or, in the worst case, damage his soul. Rey's body and spirit were unprepared for the burden of the Law. A common law might have been manageable, but the one within the boy was of a superior grade, overwhelming even for those of rank three.

He endeavored to isolate the law's energy from Rey's emotions, and although some mingling occurred, he ultimately reasserted control, granting the boy a fleeting six seconds of mastery.

In the midst of stabilizing the laws, Aiden sensed a faint presence, distinct from the boy's. This presence bore the weight of a rank higher than the sixth—a rank synonymous with the threshold of divinity. However, he dismissed it, reasoning that a being of such stature could not emerge, nor be sustained in this world prior to the Awakening.

Despite attributing it to a misperception, a corner of his mind remained convinced that an entity sought dominion over his host body.

Resolved, he vowed to obliterate any trace of this invasive consciousness within his host, prepared to unleash his concealed energy, reserved for dire contingencies.

He set the issue aside, stopped meddling with the system panel, and Rey's condition returned to normal after six seconds.

"I hope you got it right, boy, because if not, don't come crying to me when your mom starts beating you up," Aiden said with a weakened face, having expended a large amount of energy.

'I need to leave now, or I'll have to enter hibernation,' he thought as he vanished from the spot and reappeared in the room where he had locked Rey after eliminating the thugs.

"Ah, finally some rest," he sighed, collapsing onto the soft sofa. He was on the verge of sleeping to recuperate when suddenly two figures entered the white room and settled into different chairs.

"Look, the mind manipulator is back from his job," Victor remarked sarcastically, worsening Aiden's mood.

"Tch, what do you want now, Victor?" he asked, turning towards him with a hint of lethargy.

"Just admiring the great commander's weary face," Victor replied, snapping his fingers to summon a bottle of water before him. He began to drink, his body drenched in sweat from the workout he had done in his personal space.

"You two really are best buddies," Zero commented cheerfully.

"No, we're not," they both exclaimed in unison.

"But from what I'm seeing right now, the cold queen is in our joy house. Did the sun rise from a different direction today?" Aiden quipped as he sat up on the sofa.

"No just.. I don't have something to do so I came here." She said as she start swinging her chair.

"Well, I want to ask something," Victor said.

"What?" Zero asked him, looking curious.

"Well, what happened? You know, I remember you were the aloof type and didn't talk much with us, but now you're more like a... human," Victor remarked, with Aiden nodding in agreement.

"I think some part of me is missing," she said, showing her body structure where something was absent.

"Oh, so that's why I felt something was missing in your status as the [2/3]," Aiden commented as her status materialized before them.

"Yes, and that's why I've gained emotions that were lacking from the start due to an error," she said, laughing softly.

"Well, I think you look good expressing your emotions, but what will happen next when you regain your last part?" Aiden inquired, with Victor nodding at his question.

"I don't think I'll revert to my former self since I've already repaired the problem. Even if the part returns, I will be the dominant part, and that ego will be assimilated by me," she explained, as both guys breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, tell me about Rey's condition, as it's about time for him to go to school," Victor asked after some more conversation.

"Yes, I was just getting to that. He's doing well, actually too well. He's on his 24th trial, about to complete it, and will return soon," Aiden said as a screen appeared, showing Rey's entire experience of all trials.

"Oh my god." Zero said as she saw how Rey killed the assassin.

"Well Aiden you're wrong this time he is not too good." Victor said while shaking his head.

"Huh, I know Victor that you don't like this guy but please at least complimen..." Aiden was about to say something but.

"Listen, I am saying that he is not too good but you've made a newbie into a half monster who is just near to become a monster without any battle art in this rank. As look at him when he goes beserk in his 23rd one. He is just a step away to become a monster." He said as he looked at both.

Zero was just seeing it with open mouth and Aiden was just nodding his head.

"I don't think that this kid will be able to grow this much in 24 try." Zero said while eating popcorn which she summound few moments later.

"Well show me what he is doing right now." Victor said as the video fast forward and the scence where Rey was sitting on the small hill of bodies appeared.

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