Nothing to hear.

Nothing to see.

'This feeling... is familiar.'

I can feel something swelling inside of me. It is... a sense of complacency, as if this is how I should be. Despite the dulling of my senses, I can feel the world around as if it was my own body. The mana gathered in my body, trickling in from the world, and a faint warmth hovering in the middle of my chest.

It is shapeless, without a designated form. The warmth branches out from the hot center, waving with intelligence as if they are tentacles.

'My soul...?'

I 'gazed' at this warmth, an image of it forming in my mind, before a chill ran down my back. Focusing back on the world around me, I realized sounds were rus.h.i.+ng towards me, and light was flooding into my opening eyes.

"Welcome back."

For a moment, I laid on the lush green ground as I stared at the woman before me. Feeling the warmth move to my eyes, I noticed that every detail was visible, the dimples indenting the form of her pale cheeks, every pore on her gentle skin.

"NO! Please... comeback..."

I could feel a weak protest form on my lips, as a suffocating chill washed over my body, and the warmth pulled away.

It feels as if someone has a hold of my heart, rubbing ice along my arteries.

[Your mental state is deteriorating.]

[You are experiencing...]

[Please remain...]

[Gentle Woman's POV]

"h.e.l.lo...? s.h.i.+ro... I-It's not polite to stare at a woman like that you know, at least try to hide it," I puffed out my cheeks at s.h.i.+ro, feeling warmth gather on the surface of my cheeks.

'I would reprimand him more seriously but...'

s.h.i.+ro's eyes are noticeably shaking, and his pupils are expanding and contracting, as if they were camera lenses from his old world that were being readjusted.

"u003cLesser Diagnose - SMu003e."

I grimaced for a moment, feeling the unnatural hands of the system tug and pull at both my mana and soul. Normally, I'd avoid using the system because it is less effective and the spell process is invasive, but it is much faster than my own casting speed. Especially when it comes to using magic skills, which call for the use of both your soul and mana.

[Condition of 'Player' undergoing a.n.a.lysis...]

[Results :

Anomaly: Target is currently experiencing both Minor Mana and Minor Soul Shock.

There are many viable reasons, like extreme stress, so no single reason can be determined.

The negative effects, such as temperature fluctuations and paranoia, will dissipate shortly, but the stress of such an experience for the first time may result in extended periods of unconsciousness.]

"Obviously," I sighed with relief.

These symptoms are obvious signs of both Soul and Mana Shock. If I look a bit closer... his pupils are s.h.i.+ning like someone placed a light behind them. However, the s.h.i.+ne is very dull. In a serious case, the light would be s.h.i.+ning similar in intensity to a... car headlight?

'I'll probably just leave him to rest... Pitiful child...'

**

'This feeling...'

I fished around in my mind, following the small tie using the instinctual knowledge that it controlled my arms.

'Upsy daisy...'

Pus.h.i.+ng gently into the tie, my body swayed upright, but my eyes refused to open. I tried to listen for the sound of the gentle woman's voice, but the harder I focused on doing that, the louder my ears rang. I could feel the fleeting sensation of a chill.

[u003cEnhanced Hearingu003e has counteracted the negative effects the player experiencing due to shock.]

'Fortunately, u003cEnhanced Hearingu003e has stopped the ringing for now...'

With the pain from my ringing ears gone, it is probably best to figure out where I am, even if I can't open my eyes. Pus.h.i.+ng gently on another 'tie', I moved my hands around beneath me, feeling the soft fabric of what may be a blanket, and hearing the gentle rustling as I push against its soft linings.

'I'm in bed?'

That seems to be the case. So, there is no point in trying to get down only to bust my a.s.s.

'Should I check out that... perk?'

It seems the system peeked at my thoughts, because it seems to have interpreted my intentions based off the sudden influx of information and self-awareness flooding into my mind.

================

[Perk Interface]

Offensive - Close/Melee :

(Locked)

Offensive - Ranged :

(Locked)

================

Taking note of my out-of-commission vision, the system provided the information to my head directly, so I had to sort through the information by myself in my mind. I decided to save the 'best' for last, starting with the category I'm most wary of.

'Offensive? Well... I am bound to fight someone or something,' I thought to myself, fully aware of the chance for conflict, especially with the existence of people similar to those greedy men in the city.

================

Defensive...

Defen...

Support...

Supp...

================

I continued to read through the sea of information, rapidly flicking the 'eye' of my mind across the words of my memory with increasing speed. Similar to me at the end of a chapter of my favorite story book, Omniscient Raider, my eyes slowed and excitement grew as I attempted to savor the final teaser.

================

Support - Faction :

(Partially Unlocked)

u003cRelations.h.i.+ps - 1u003e

================