Chapter 153: Mind Scape

Adam stared at the notification.

[Do You Want to Equip The Affinity ????]

His brows furrowed slightly at the question marks.

Why hasn’t the name changed?

When he used Analyze on William, the second affinity had appeared the same way but he had assumed that after finding out the name it would change yet it didn’t.

It was still the same question marks.

Then it clicked.

Vanta wasn’t its true name.

It was the Family’s label, a manufactured term so to speak.

But Analyze, his special talent, didn’t recognize it as Vanta.

Which meant one thing.

Whatever this affinity truly was…

It wasn’t something simple.

Adam felt it instantly.

The origin of this power wasn’t something meant to be handled carelessly.

It felt ancient, foreign and predatory.

But when had caution ever given him strength?

From the moment of his rebirth until now—

Every leap forward had come from risk.

From pushing beyond safe boundaries.

From stepping into what others would call madness.

Was it reckless?

Absolutely.

Would the reward be worth it?

Most definitely.

And even if there were side effects….

Adam’s eyes sharpened.

It’s going into an equip slot.

Every talent he had equipped carried no backlash, exhaustion or corruption.

Equip isolated and contained them.

That was why he could use them endlessly.

If this affinity was harmful…

There was at least a fifty percent chance the equip slot would neutralize the consequences.

That was enough and his decision was made.

“Yes.”

The moment he confirmed…

A gradual and rising pain detonated inside him, as Adam collapsed instantly.

His body slammed against the floor as something thundered through his veins.

It felt like his marrow was being drilled open.

Like something alive was forcing its way through his bloodstream.

He writhed and his muscles spasmed violently.

Under his skin movements could be seen.

As if worms were crawling beneath the surface.

His mouth foamed and his eyes rolled back, as black threads began spreading from his chest outward, veins darkening unnaturally.

Every nerve screamed.

But he did not unequip it.

He refused.

Pain means value.

The greater the pain, the greater the gain.

So no scream left his mouth, as his jaw remained locked and he endured.

His skin grew pale.

The black veins stretched across his neck, arms and torso, branching like a parasitic network claiming territory.

Then…

Everything went dark.

****

Silence.

Adam’s eyes suddenly fluttered open.

The ceiling above him was familiar.

It was made of wooden panels and there was a crack near the corner he remembered staring at countless nights.

He sat up slowly.

The air smelled different.

His breathing slowed.

“I’m… back home?”

It was his old apartment.

Adam looked around slowly and nothing felt distorted.

He had expected the nightmare.

The night his mother died.

But this…

This was different.

He stepped toward the window and pulled the curtain slightly aside.

The street below was empty and the sun hung high.

It was the Middle of the afternoon.

Yet there was no movement anywhere.

Adam’s eyes narrowed.

“What in the soul is happening?”

The door handle behind him twisted.

Click!

Adam moved instantly.

Judgement formed in his grasp, as a black metal extended from his arm seamlessly and a cold and reassuring scythe solidified in his hand.

The door slowly creaked open as Adam’s stance tightened…

But when the door fully opened no one stood there in the hallway.

He activated Connect to be safe and as his perception expanded, the world shifted into soul-flame awareness.

But there was still nothing.

Taking one final look he decided to step into the corridor cautiously.

And on seeing the walls, chipped paint and old railing.

It all felt painfully nostalgic.

But he knew it wasn’t real.

This building had been destroyed.

It had been torn apart during his battle with the Profound Lord.

So this place no longer existed.

Adam exhaled slowly and as he turned back to the apartment he froze almost instantly and his blood pressure spiked rapidly.

Someone stood directly in front of the apartment door he had just exited.

No…

Not someone.

A shape-like black silhouette resembling a living shadow with no face, mouth or other facial features.

Just depthless darkness in a vaguely humanoid outline.

Adam did not attack immediately.

The shadow’s head tilted slightly.

As if observing him.

And when it was done observing it finally spoke.

Its voice did not echo through the air…

It resonated directly inside his mind.

“This is quite interesting.”

Adam’s grip tightened on Judgement.

“You can hold a part of me…”

A pause.

“…and still remain sane.”

Cold spread down Adam’s spine, as the shadow tilted its head further.

“Very interesting indeed.”

Adam didn’t waste time as he activated Connect on the shadow.

But despite the special talent being active he saw nothing.

No soul flame or ember, just a dark void.

Adam’s skepticism sharpened, as he immediately turned Connect inward and scanned himself.

And just like the shadow there was no soul flame.

Instead, what he saw were the familiar mental nodes, floating constructs of cognition and memory, linked by faint threads of intent and awareness.

He still didn’t fully understand them.

But one fact became clear.

There were no soul flames here at all.

Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly.

A Mental scape.

This wasn’t physical and it wasn’t spiritual in the conventional sense either rather it was internally constructed.

The shadow spoke again.

“I do not understand how an Apprentice is able to contain me and still remain sane.”

“But since you have made it this far, it is only fair that I proceed with the test.”

Adam caught something immediately.

It doesn’t know my star power.

That meant it wasn’t omniscient.

It didn’t have access to his talent and he saw him as just an Apprentice and nothing more.

Adams’ pulse steadied at that realization as he finally asked.

“What test?”

The shadow chuckled.

“So you do talk.”

Adam didn’t respond, but the shadow continued regardless.

“Of course. A test to wield my affinity.”

Adam’s eyes sharpened.

“Did the others take this test?” He was referring to those who consumed Reliance.

But the shadow shook its head slowly.

“No.”

A pause.

“You will be the first.”

Its head tilted again.

“After all… as I said…”

“You are the only one I have seen remain sane while containing me.”

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