Kiss of Death (8)
["Pages of Rebellion" allows the host to enter the memories of others mentioned in the full chapters and learn what they are capable of.]
"..What?!..." Noah exclaimed, standing in shock at the screen that appeared in front of him.
His loud voice echoed throughout the space, drawing the attention of many nearby. Everyone shot him looks of annoyance and hatred. Feeling embarrassed, Noah bowed his head in every direction and apologized, then quietly sat back down.
"Th-this is so embarrassing!...A-anyway, what does it mean that I can enter others' memories through 'Pages of Rebellion'?" Noah thought to himself, asking the system and waiting for a response.
[Through the gospel 'Pages of Rebellion,' the host can browse full chapters of his past adventures and enter the memories of those who appeared in them.]
"I-I can't believe this?!...T-this is honestly amazing...and terrifying at the same time! I never imagined this stingy system would give me such an incredible feature! It's so unlike it...W-wait, hold on. Don't tell me I need to complete some crazy mission just to access these memories, right?" Noah asked internally, confused and anxious. He had grown used to the system's stingy nature. While it wasn't stingy when it came to giving skills, with everything else, Noah just couldn't bring himself to trust it. The spoon incident had clearly left a mark on him.
[The host must offer sacrifices to activate this feature.]
"Sacrifices...? Are you asking me to kill people just to use this ability?!" Noah muttered under his breath, a little shocked.
[The system accepts all kinds of sacrifices—humans, demons, beasts, insects, animals, and any other creature with life energy flowing within it.]
"L-life?! W-well...honestly, that's not too bad. If anything alive counts as a sacrifice, then I guess I don't really have a problem with that...Man, I really thought I'd have to become a killer just to learn a technique," Noah thought, running his hand through his hair and sighing in relief.
"Anyway, I'll leave this for later. Since I'm in the library, I think I'll return to my old hobby," Noah thought as he stood up and began wandering the aisles, gathering various books until they piled high. He placed around seven thick books on his table, sat back down, and cracked his fingers.
"I think this will do for now."
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At 8:12 AM, in Sector 11, in the dormitory of first-year students, inside the room of Sirius, Enel, and Neriah, Enel slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he rubbed his eyes before getting out of bed. He walked hunched over, yawning and covering his mouth.
He took a quick shower that washed away his sleepiness. After drying off, he put on stylish clothes: a white shirt with a black jacket over it, black shorts that matched his height, and gray sneakers. Enel wasn't muscular, but rather slender, so despite the tight fit of his shirt, it still looked a bit loose on him.
Enel looked over at Neriah and Sirius, who were still asleep in their beds. Sirius's stomach was exposed, while Neriah slept on his stomach.
Ignoring them, Enel opened his closet. Among the neatly hung clothes was a cage containing a pink axolotl. He picked it up, left the room, and closed the door behind him. He glanced toward Noah's room.
"Should I ask Noah to work with me? Hmm, he's probably still asleep. It's probably not a good idea to wake him up," Enel thought before turning around and leaving the dorm, heading toward the northern train station.
Enel boarded the train and made his way to Sector One. He saw the fancy cars parked in front of the university building but ignored them and instead walked toward the labs behind the main building. He stopped in front of a large, closed door. He pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it into the lock.
"Professor Yvain March gave me the lab key... I think I've become her favorite," Enel thought with a soft smile as he opened the door.
He pushed the door open, entered the lab, and closed it behind him. He walked over to one of the tables and placed the axolotl's cage on it.
"Alright, let's begin the experiment," Enel said excitedly, ready to start. But just as he was about to gather the necessary materials, he noticed some items already on a nearby table—a computer still running, test tubes, an open chemistry book, and more.
"Was someone here?" Enel muttered, heading toward the table. When he got close enough, he noticed a phone on the ground. As he bent down to pick it up, he suddenly found himself staring at a girl hiding behind the table.
"A-a girl?!" Enel cried out in shock, jumping back from the tension and confusion.
The girl stood up after grabbing her phone. She had long purple hair and violet eyes that matched. Some strands covered part of her right eye, and her skin was pale white.
"I-I'm sorry," she said apologetically, twirling her hair with her fingers, her eyes hazy with embarrassment.
"W-who are you? A-and how did you get in here?" Enel asked nervously, trying to stay calm and act normal.
"I-I'm V-Violet N-Nina. P-Professor Yvain March g-gave me the lab key t-to come whenever I w-want!" Violet stammered, her fingers spinning around each other like a wheel from pure anxiety and tension.
"Sh-she gave her a key too?! Then she must be skilled too... B-but the professor didn't tell me about anyone else like her... A-anyway... t-this girl... she's even more awkward than I am," Enel thought, flustered, watching the girl who was nervously looking down, occasionally glancing at him only to quickly avert her gaze again.
"How shy can she be... Even I don't look down like that when talking to someone... I'd at least hide behind Neriah... She's honestly... annoying..!" Enel thought. He felt a bit irritated—something he hadn't expected. That's when he realized something.
"Is... this how others feel about me when I act this way?" Enel thought anxiously, feeling a sudden lack of confidence and inner peace. He remembered the conversation between Sirius and Neriah about Noah—how he hadn't participated, even though he was right there beside them. Not because he was excluded, but because he was too shy.
"I... really am annoying," Enel thought, clenching his hand and biting his lip hard enough to hurt.
"Now that I've realized this, I want to change... I don't want to be left out just because I'm awkward or socially distant... I hate myself. I want to change. I want to learn more about Sirius, and Neriah, and Noah... I want to make new friends. I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to change... so... I have to take my first step... right here!" Enel thought as he loosened his fist, stopped biting his lip, and looked at the girl with eyes full of life.
He saw Violet as a mirror image of himself—a perfect reflection. And because of that, he realized just how irritating his own behavior could be. So, he put on a fake smile and extended his hand to her for a handshake.
"I'm sorry, but let's get to know each other better. I'm Enel Hale, pleased to meet you," Enel said with a tone full of fabricated confidence, even though he was shaking inside. Still, his facial expressions hinted at rebellion and defiance. On this day, Enel Hale was reborn.
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Back at the library, around 10:22 AM, Noah had finished reading the books he selected. He closed the last one, stretched his arms, cracked his fingers, and relaxed in his seat.
"After reviewing these history books, I think I came out with useful information," Noah thought to himself as he looked at the books on the table with calm eyes.
"First, the technique 'Mana Sensitivity' appeared 2,500 years ago during the First Human War—or what some call the First Generation's 'Golden Age of Mana.' It was deliberately developed due to the spread of spies during that war who had infiltrated enemy ranks. To detect them, the technique was created to trace hostile intent… I didn't know Mana Sensitivity could also be used to detect intent... Anyway, the foundation of this technique—and the manipulation of mana—seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The first person to use Mana Sensitivity was..." Noah tried to recall the name and grabbed one of the books, flipping through the pages until he found who he was looking for.
"The first to use Mana Sensitivity was... His Excellency, Supreme Sovereign of Soul and Flesh, Arch-Emperor Kael'tharion Draven Vortigoss the Eternal Dawnbreaker. Man, what a long name... Look, he has another name—many called him The Godpiercer. Isn't that a bit over the top? ...Well, he was the first human emperor, and historians tend to exaggerate anyone who stood out more than the rest..." Noah thought to himself as he closed the book and leaned back a little.
"I wonder if this emperor knew the origins of mana manipulation… or if he was the one who brought forth this method... Either way, that doesn't matter right now..." Noah muttered under his breath.
"System, how do I use 'Pages of Rebellion'?" Noah asked in a whisper, curious.
[Does the host wish to use "Pages of Rebellion"?]
"That's what I just said you—...you know what, I'm not even in the mood to argue with you. Yes, I want to use Pages of Rebellion," Noah agreed, slightly annoyed.
[Story will be displayed: The One Who Killed His Former Self]
**[The One Who Killed His Former Self: In the depths of the Daedalus maze, he stood before his echo—a frail shadow of what he once was. His hollow eyes observed, whispering forgotten fears. Steel met flesh, and silence prevailed. The echo faded, swallowed by the abyss.
The maze trembled at his death. 'Nagairus,' the guard, screamed from the depths, its many limbs writhing as its golden mask cracked. It pounced, but fate was rewritten. One strike shattered its essence, along with the unknown entity it birthed—a child of darkness, nameless.
The air thickened, the walls sighed, and the maze shifted. The way forward lay open. His past lay at his feet, slain. His journey had begun.]**
Noah read the story in front of him and was struck by a wave of nostalgia that carried him back to that place. Despite how horrifying it had been, some good memories had been born there—especially with his echo. His first friend was fated to be his enemy, yet he helped him and even saved him from death twice... but died in the end.
"Am I... really feeling sadness over someone? I didn't expect this kind of reaction from someone like me," Noah thought, feeling a tightness in his chest and a pain in his heart. He clutched his shirt over his heart as a result.
"Anyway, such emotions are unnecessary. I made a promise to become someone my echo would never regret being a reflection of... Still, there's something that intrigues me... You said I could enter the memories of those mentioned in my story, but I don't see anyone mentioned here except me, the echo, the ugly snake, and the creature that came out of it... Honestly, this feels more like a summary than a full story," Noah thought to himself, asking the system in confusion and curiosity.
[That is correct. What the host sees now is a summary of a total of 13 full chapters. Would the host like to view all 13 chapters?]
"So I wasn't wrong. It really is a summary... but 13 chapters for an exam that lasted 4 or 5 hours at most... What a... drag," Noah joked to himself sarcastically before nodding to give the system permission.
[Chapters: Chapter One – Chapter Two – Chapter Three… Chapter Thirteen]
Noah saw the chapters, each with titles appearing in front of them: "The Gate Open," "The test Begin," "Prison of Despair," "Blood and Shadows"… "The One Who Killed His Former Self."
"What kind of naming is this? It feels like a bunch of arc titles, hahaha. It's like I'm living inside a novel," Noah mocked the strange chapter names before pressing on the first chapter.
The chapter covered the moment he woke up to his little sister Yana, up to the point where he entered the maze as the first person—thanks to Rael—and even his encounter with Noctis, who caught him by surprise.
"It's described in such detail—from the surroundings, my emotions, others' emotions, even moments when I wasn't present… So Liam was trying to warn me about the killer… never mind. It's terrifying that my life is being described in ink and paper like it's an actual novel… Anyway, Chapter One mentioned Rael and Noctis. Maybe I can access their memories and see how they use Mana Sensitivity. Since they're professional hunters, they both must have mastered the technique..." Noah thought to himself as he looked at the screen in front of him that described and narrated his life up to a few moments before the test began.
"How exciting."