Chapter 7: Zera
[Alert… Alert… Alert… The host's soul is on the verge of shattering!]
[Hm? So, the battle against the '*** ****' and Charles's lingering consciousness in the Inner World pushed it this far? How troublesome…]
A woman's voice echoed deep within Raven's soul—calm, yet laced with worry.
[Is fusion even possible? The last time Charles survived such damage, he used a 'Fire Elemental Heart'…]
Her voice trembled slightly as she reasoned aloud.
[What if I used the System Core instead? No... It's risky. But if I don't act now, Raven will die.]
A brief silence followed, heavy with hesitation.
[Haa… No choice left.]
With those words, a pulse of invisible power radiated from the System Core, drifting like golden threads. It wrapped gently around the shattered pieces of Raven's soul, guiding them back—stitching fragments of spirit to consciousness, body to mind.
A strange mutation began.
It lasted for over an hour. The process was silent, surreal… and finally complete.
[Shattered soul successfully fused with the Host's body and consciousness.]
[Fusion: Success.]
[Lifespan increased by six years.]
[Warning: Host's soul damage remains severe.]
[Granting full authority to Tower Spirit 'Zera' to aid the Host.]
[Zera now has complete control over the System.]
[Good. We still have a few one-time backup skills stored in the Core. Not much—but better than nothing. Let's start with 'Eldritch Analysis' and link to 'Wisdom Link'.]
…
[Activating single-use ability: Eldritch Analysis…]
[Connection to Wisdom Link established!]
[Good. Begin data extraction—Alchemy, Rune Mastery, Spirit Absorbing Techniques, Mana Storing Methods—from the 'Eclipse World.' Save all findings to System Storage.]
[Extraction commencing…]
0.1%... 0.5%... 1.3%... 2.5%... 4%... 9%... 15%... 20%... 35%... 50%... 75%... 95%... 99%... 100%!
[Extraction complete. All data converted to books within System Storage.]
[Eldritch Analysis – Consumed.]
[Wisdom Link – Consumed.]
[Both abilities removed from skill slots. Remaining unused slots: 5.]
[System recommends extreme caution moving forward.]
[Yeah, yeah, I get it.]
Zera's voice held a spark of irritation as she adjusted more functions.
[Inventory – Slot 1: Unlocked.]
[Beginner's Pack: Granted.]
[Memory Library: Unlocked.]
[That's all I can do for now, kid.]
With that, she fell silent, her presence fading as she began reviewing the information gathered through the Wisdom Link.
…
Minutes passed.
Then, a whisper stirred Raven's mind like a breeze through leaves.
[Raven… wake up.]
A strange female voice echoed inside him, coaxing his consciousness to the surface.
His eyes fluttered open, the world blurry and painted in soft blue light.
"W-What is this blue thing…?" he mumbled groggily, still half-dreaming.
[Don't panic, Raven. The System has awakened me to help you.]
"W-Who…?" He sat up with effort, confusion quickly turning to fear. His eyes darted around.
"W-Who is it? W-What d-do y-you w-want?" His voice trembled. "A-Are you a thief?" He reached out to swat away the translucent screen in front of him—but his hand passed right through it like mist. His panic deepened.
[Calm down, child. I'm not a thief or ghost. I'm Zera—a Tower Spirit, an artifact created by a powerful wizard. I exist to guide and protect you.]
"P-Powerful wizard...? And how do you know my name?" Raven asked, voice shaking. The term wizard rang a faint bell. His sister had mentioned it once.
"But… how can I trust you? My sister told me not to trust Walkers. Or strangers!"
He tried to stand up, but a crushing weight pinned him down. His breath hitched.
[You mustn't tell anyone about me, Raven. If others find out I reside within your soul… they will kill you. They might even go after your sister.]
Raven froze. The fear in his chest twisted into something deeper—dread.
"…Promise you won't hurt my sister. Or Aunt."
[I promise. As long as you don't reveal me, no harm will come to them.]
Zera's voice was soft now. Reassuring.
[But you're running out of time. Your soul is still critically damaged. If we don't act soon… you won't survive.]
"S-Soul? What happened to me? What is a soul? Am I going to die?"
The questions poured out in a single breath. Fear clung to every word.
[…Right. You're just a child.]
Zera sighed gently, then composed herself.
[Before anything else, I need to assess your condition. Give me a moment.]
A pause.
[As expected. That 'thing' devoured your affinities. Your soul was nearly destroyed in the process.]
"Can I get them back?" he asked, not even knowing what affinities were.
[Not right now. While the System has fused with the remnant of that 'thing' and evolved… it's not stable yet. Let me show you your current state.]
A glowing screen blinked into view before his eyes.
…
[Status Window – Raven Sillalus Jorvot]
Age: 5
Race: Human / ????
Nationality: Zenith Empire
Title: 66th Prince of the Zenith Empire
Class: None
Level: 0
Rank: Mortal (Soul Damage: 85%)
Life Pathway: Undecided
Attributes:
Strength: 0.3Agility: 0.4Vitality: 0.3Luck: 1.0Spirit: 1.4
Skills: None
…
Raven stared in disbelief.
"My name…? Prince? What does Level mean?"
[Even if I explained everything now, it would overwhelm you. What matters is this: your current state is… dire.]
Zera's voice was low. Grave.
[We need to act fast. Thankfully, you've unlocked the Memory Library and the Beginner's Pack. With them, you can gain your first skill.]
[Here are your options. Choose one:]
…
Past Finder – Uncover traces of past events in a location. Ideal for investigations. Instant Memory – Memorize anything perfectly after reading it once. Wonder Sense – A luck-based intuition skill that alerts you to good or bad things nearby.
…
"…Can I learn all three?" Raven asked, hopeful and wide-eyed.
[Not yet. But once your soul heals, it's possible.]
Zera smiled to herself. His curiosity impressed her.
He read through the first option again.
"It lets me see the past? Like… what someone said in a room before?"
[Exactly. If someone discussed a secret here yesterday, you could witness it.]
Raven blinked. That sounded amazing… but a bit strange.
"What about Instant Memory? Will it really let me remember everything I read?"
[Yes. Every word. Every symbol. Perfectly.]
Zera's brief reply couldn't hide her surprise. Most adults wouldn't think so rationally while injured—but this five-year-old boy was already weighing his future.
He glanced at the third option… then paused.
In truth, he didn't fully understand the value of these skills. But deep down, he knew what mattered most.
"When I entered school, the teachers praised me. They gave me sweets for learning fast. But now… even the weakest students are catching up."
He clenched his fists beneath the blanket.
He wasn't falling behind yet—but he would. If things continued like this, he'd be the lowest-ranked student soon.
His school had five grades. Five subjects.
Logic Calculation. Language. Reading and Writing. Arts. Grammar.
And extra classes—sports, meditation… things he'd ignored.
"I don't want to disappoint my sister. Or Aunt."
Resolve burned in his heart.
"I choose [Instant Memory]."