For a while, neither Soma nor Syscilia spoke.
The words he'd just said lingered in his thoughts.
That I loved her.
Three simple words.
He'd faced monsters, survived assassination attempts, endured Igor's merciless training, and somehow managed to hold a conversation with the ten most powerful beings in Hallowcrown.
Yet he'd never found the courage to say those three words to Raven.
Now he could only hope she'd understood.
Soma drew a slow breath and wiped the last traces of moisture from his cheeks.
Beyond his quiet corner, the waiting chamber remained as lively as ever. Newly awakened youths laughed, argued, and compared their abilities. Some practiced spells, while others eagerly discussed party formations for the upcoming trial.
Life continued around him, completely unaware that he'd just relived another lifetime.
He looked toward the translucent countdown hovering in the corner of his vision.
[Awakening Trial Preparation]
[Time Remaining: 51:18]
Well, I suppose the world isn't going to stop just because I'm having an existential crisis.
[Technically, Master Soma, your previous encounter with the Pantheons did involve a temporary suspension of time.]
Soma blinked.
Then, despite everything, he laughed.
You really know how to ruin a dramatic moment, don't you?
[I was merely correcting an inaccurate statement.]
Of course you were.
[Would you prefer that I remain silent for a little longer?]
Soma considered the offer.
Part of him wanted nothing more than to sit quietly and remember Raven's smile.
But another part knew that doing so would only make the memories harder to bear.
He had people waiting for him.
A family.
Friends.
An entire life he still needed to live.
No. I think I'm ready to keep going.
[Are you certain?]
As certain as I'm going to get.
A brief silence followed.
[Very well, Soma. Then shall we begin reviewing the remaining gifts?]
He settled more comfortably against the wall.
Let's do it.
A soft chime echoed inside his head.
[Pantheon Gift Registry — Access Granted]
[Divine System Enhancements Available]
Two familiar icons appeared before him.
One depicted an open book surrounded by gently shifting runes.
The other resembled a golden wheel divided into countless sections.
[We have already reviewed the Living Archive and Divine Gacha applications. Both were granted to assist your development, although their functions differ significantly.]
Soma nodded.
Right. One gives me access to knowledge, and the other lets me gamble for prizes.
[I would prefer the term randomized reward acquisition.]
You can dress it up however you want. It's still gacha.
[If you insist.]
Soma grinned.
Oh, I absolutely insist.
The golden wheel expanded.
Several smaller symbols appeared around it, depicting treasure chests, monster silhouettes, and what looked like a shopping basket.
[Divine Gacha requires special vouchers. These vouchers can be acquired through designated Nexaar listings, certain treasure chests, and eligible monster encounters.]
Hold on.
Soma leaned forward.
If they can be purchased or found in treasure chests, doesn't that mean anyone could get them?
[No. The Divine Gacha is an exclusive function of your System.]
Then how exactly does that work?
[Your System possesses a reward enhancement function. When you discover an eligible treasure chest, its contents may be adjusted to include rewards compatible with your development.]
A translucent image of a wooden chest appeared.
Above it floated a single word.
[Uncommon]
[Example: Uncommon Treasure Chest]
[Original Rarity: Uncommon]
[Divine Reward Enhancement: Available]
[Potential Additional Rewards: Applicable]
[An Uncommon chest will remain an Uncommon chest. However, your System may alter eligible rewards or introduce special materials, vouchers, or other items intended to support your advancement.]
Soma studied the display.
So the chest doesn't suddenly become Legendary just because I open it?
[Correct.]
But there's a chance I'll get something that another adventurer wouldn't?
[Precisely.]
And the same idea applies to monsters?
[Certain eligible encounters, yes. Ordinary monsters will not automatically provide extraordinary rewards simply because you defeat them.]
Soma scratched his chin.
He'd spent enough years playing games to understand the implications.
Ordinary adventurers relied on their skills, luck, and resources to obtain better equipment. A rare drop could change someone's entire career.
But he possessed a System that could introduce additional opportunities specifically tailored to his progression.
It didn't guarantee success.
It didn't mean every treasure chest would contain something incredible.
But it could make even an otherwise ordinary discovery worth investigating.
So basically... a cheat.
[You are a cheat, Master Soma.]
Soma stared at the words.
Excuse me?
[Your circumstances are objectively beyond the normal limitations imposed upon Awakened individuals.]
I'm not sure whether you're calling me a cheater or telling me I'm going to be ridiculously overpowered.
[We shall discover which description proves more appropriate as you develop.]
Soma chuckled.
You're the one giving me these things.
[An excellent point.]
So technically, you're my accomplice.
[I would prefer not to have my designation associated with criminal activity.]
Too late. We're in this together.
[How reassuring.]
He laughed again.
He was beginning to understand something about Syscilia.
She had been created by a god, possessed extraordinary knowledge, and could manage functions beyond anything he had encountered in either lifetime.
Yet somehow, she'd developed the personality of an exceptionally intelligent woman who found him mildly exhausting.
And he was enjoying every second of it.
[Now, Master Soma, there are several additional enhancements to your standard Nexus applications.]
Three icons appeared.
[Nexaar]
[Nexcation]
[NexCore]
All right. What did Dax do to these?
[Your Nexaar application has received expanded marketplace access. In addition to the ordinary stores and auction services, you may browse certain exclusive listings unavailable to standard Nexus users.]
The marketplace icon opened.
For a brief moment, Soma saw rows of unfamiliar items.
Potions in ornate bottles.
Weapons covered in glowing runes.
Rare materials.
Strange crystals.
Equipment he couldn't immediately identify.
Several listings were locked behind requirements he hadn't yet met.
Holy crap.
He leaned closer.
Are those all things I can buy?
[Potentially. Availability depends on the item, its requirements, and your ability to afford the purchase.]
And they're exclusive to me?
[Access to these divine listings is exclusive to your System.]
Soma grinned.
So I get a private shopping mall.
[An unusual description, but acceptable.]
This is either going to be the best thing that's ever happened to me or the reason I go completely broke.
[I recommend establishing a reasonable budget.]
You sound like Ella.
The name escaped him before he could stop it.
His smile faltered.
For a moment, he remembered Ella scolding Buck for wasting money on ridiculous purchases in their favorite games.
He could almost hear her voice.
If you two spent half as much time thinking as you do shopping, we wouldn't have to keep farming gold!
A small, sad smile touched his lips.
She would've loved this place.
[Ella was an important person to you.]
Yeah.
He looked at the marketplace again.
She really was.
Syscilia allowed the silence to settle before continuing.
[The next enhancement concerns Nexcation.]
The marketplace vanished, replaced by a detailed map of Highmere.
Soma recognized the broad streets surrounding the Grand Awakening Temple, the towering walls separating the city's districts, and the massive central structure of the Citadel.
He had spent his entire life looking up at that tower.
Even seeing its representation on a map stirred something in him.
[Ordinary Nexcation provides maps, navigation, location information, and access to registered destinations. Your enhanced version can also reveal certain concealed locations, unusual geographical features, and information unavailable through standard mapping services.]
A faint symbol appeared beneath an otherwise ordinary section of the map.
Then another.
Soma's eyebrows rose.
Hidden locations?
[Correct.]
Like secret passages? Hidden dungeons? Ancient ruins?
[Potentially. The information available will depend on your location, exploration progress, and the System's ability to identify relevant features.]
Now that's interesting.
His thoughts immediately shifted toward the request Arthur had made.
Missing children.
Possible connections to the Fallen and the Righteous.
Organizations operating beyond the Pantheons' ability to investigate directly.
That could be incredibly useful for finding those children.
[The enhancement was designed with investigative applications in mind.]
Soma nodded thoughtfully.
Then another question occurred to him.
Wait. If Nexcation uses location tracking, doesn't Nexora know exactly where I am?
[Under ordinary circumstances, the Nexus Network may record location information according to its services and permissions.]
But I'm guessing you've got something to say about that.
[Indeed.]
Two notifications appeared.
[Divine Security Function: Veil]
[Divine Security Function: Tracker Override]
[Your Divine System can conceal protected information and interfere with unauthorized attempts to monitor your location.]
Soma frowned.
Wouldn't that be suspicious, though?
[Please elaborate.]
Well, think about it. If Nexora can normally see where everyone is, and suddenly I disappear from their system entirely, someone might start asking questions.
[A valid concern.]
Thank you. I do have those occasionally.
[I have documented several.]
Several? That's all I get?
[Shall we return to the matter at hand?]
Soma snorted.
Fine.
[Rather than simply removing your presence from the Nexus Network, the Tracker Override can interfere with requests for your location and provide alternative information when appropriate.]
Alternative information?
[A controlled location response, for example.]
Soma leaned back.
So if I were somewhere I didn't want Nexora to know about, you could potentially make it look like I was somewhere else?
[Under suitable conditions, yes.]
And they wouldn't know?
[The function is designed to avoid revealing the interference. However, no security measure should be treated as an absolute guarantee under every possible circumstance.]
Soma nodded slowly.
That was the kind of answer he preferred.
A tool was only useful if he understood its limitations.
What if something happens to me? Could you still tell someone where I am?
[Yes. Emergency communication and authorized location sharing can remain active independently of your ordinary tracking permissions.]
Good.
He considered the enormous influence Nexora possessed throughout Arcaelis.
The company managed technology used by almost every awakened adult in the kingdom.
Communication.
Commerce.
Navigation.
Digital currency.
Inventory access.
A tremendous amount of everyday life depended on its systems.
Syscilia...
[Yes?]
Do you think Nexora could be involved in the disappearances?
The question hung between them.
For once, she didn't answer immediately.
[We currently lack sufficient evidence to establish any connection.]
But it's possible.
[It is a possibility we cannot dismiss without investigation. However, suspicion alone is not proof.]
Soma sighed.
Yeah. I know.
He glanced across the waiting chamber.
A pair of newly awakened girls were laughing together near one of the tables.
A boy sat beside them, nervously studying his status screen.
They were only fifteen.
The same age as him.
I really hope Nexora isn't involved. If they are, this could be bigger than any of us realize.
[Then we will proceed carefully.]
We?
[Naturally. I am your System, Master Soma. Your investigations are my concern as well.]
Soma smiled.
Glad to hear it.
[We shall cross that bridge together when the time comes.]
He looked down at his hands.
It was a strange comfort, knowing someone would be there to help him.
Even if that someone lived inside his head.
[Now then, I believe it is time to review your remaining gifts.]
Soma straightened.
Finally!
[Specifically, the chest bestowed upon you by the Pantheons.]
He froze.
The what?
[Your Pantheon Chest.]
There's an actual chest?
[Yes.]
Like a treasure chest?
[That is the conventional interpretation.]
Soma stared at the interface.
And you're just now telling me this?
[I anticipated that introducing the chest earlier would distract you from reviewing your other System functions.]
He opened his mouth to argue.
Then stopped.
...Fair.
[I appreciate your understanding.]
Don't get used to it.
[Please open NexPack.]
Soma focused on the familiar backpack icon.
"NexPack."
A translucent inventory window appeared before him.
Then expanded.
And expanded again.
Soma blinked.
Rows upon rows of storage compartments stretched across the display. Unlike the small, neatly arranged grids he'd seen in ordinary inventories, this one seemed to continue without end.
There was no visible final row.
No storage boundary.
No capacity warning.
Only an elegant cosmic pattern moving faintly behind the interface.
At the bottom, where the remaining capacity should have appeared, was a single symbol.
∞
Soma stared.
Um... Syscilia?
[Yes, Master Soma?]
Why does my inventory look like it could hold the entire kingdom?
[Because your NexPack has received a Pantheon-tier enhancement.]
A notification appeared.
[NexPack Upgrade Confirmed]
[Boundless Vault]
[Rarity: Pantheon]
[Storage Capacity: Infinite]
[Weight Restrictions: None]
[Standard Size Restrictions: Removed]
Soma read the information.
Then read it again.
Infinite?
[Correct.]
As in... actually infinite?
[Yes.]
Not five hundred slots? Not a thousand? Not ten thousand?
[Infinite, Master Soma.]
He leaned back against the wall.
Holy shit.
[An understandable reaction.]
So I can store anything?
[Almost anything. Living beings remain prohibited storage targets. Certain other restrictions also apply to objects that cannot be safely or properly transferred into storage.]
But ordinary equipment, materials, food, weapons, treasure, and all that?
[Yes.]
Without worrying about weight?
[Correct.]
Or running out of space?
[Correct.]
Soma grinned.
I could carry enough supplies to outfit an entire army.
[Provided you acquired those supplies first.]
Way to ruin the fantasy.
[I am simply clarifying the distinction between storage capacity and ownership.]
He laughed.
Then another thought occurred to him.
What happens to food inside?
[The Boundless Vault preserves the condition of properly stored items.]
Meaning?
[If an item is placed inside while cold, it remains cold. If it is placed inside while hot, it remains hot. Perishable materials are protected from ordinary deterioration.]
Soma went completely still.
Wait.
[Yes?]
You're telling me I could cook a steak, put it in here, travel for three weeks, pull it back out, and it would still be hot?
[Correct.]
A wide grin spread across his face.
Syscilia, I think I'm in love.
[With the storage application?]
With the possibilities.
[Your enthusiasm for food preservation is unexpectedly intense.]
You've never spent days traveling while eating dried meat and stale bread.
[I possess extensive knowledge regarding wilderness survival.]
Knowledge isn't the same as suffering through it.
[An observation I shall remember.]
Soma chuckled.
He imagined the look on Igor's face if he produced a freshly cooked feast in the middle of a miserable training expedition.
The old man would probably accuse him of cheating.
Then eat half the food.
This is incredible.
[The Boundless Vault is among the more significant enhancements granted to you.]
Among?
Soma looked toward the unfamiliar items occupying the inventory's special storage section.
Please tell me you're not about to say there's something even crazier.
[I recommend reserving judgment until you have reviewed the remaining gifts.]
Of course you do.
[Now, if you would direct your attention to your inventory.]
Soma examined the contents more carefully.
His weapons and equipment were already organized into separate categories.
He recognized the black-and-silver sword, daggers, bow, buckler, and armor he'd received before his Awakening.
His family had put tremendous care into those gifts.
And now, seeing them neatly arranged inside his new inventory, he felt another small reminder of how different his second life had become.
A moment later, he noticed that Uncle Zane's Beastology book was missing.
Hold on. Where's the book Uncle Zane gave me?
[It has already been incorporated into your Living Archive.]
A small notification appeared.
[Living Archive Updated]
[Collection Added: Beastology]
[Source: Uncle Zane's Bestiary]
Soma smiled.
That old man's going to lose his mind when he finds out what I can do with his book.
[I would advise discretion concerning the divine nature of your Archive.]
Right. Yet another secret.
[You are accumulating a considerable number of them.]
Tell me about it.
Then he saw it.
Sitting within a separate compartment was an enormous chest, its icon surrounded by a faint cosmic glow.
There you are.
[Pantheon Chest Detected.]
[Unopened.]
[Awaiting Recipient Authorization.]
Soma stared at the icon.
The entire compartment seemed to shimmer with a depth the other storage spaces lacked.
Syscilia?
[Yes, Master Soma?]
How big is this thing?
[Considerably larger than an ordinary treasure chest.]
That is not reassuring.
[Shall we open it?]
Soma grinned.
Oh, we're definitely opening it.
[Then prepare yourself, Master Soma.]
He focused on the glowing icon.
[Pantheon Chest — Open Gift Interface?]
[YES / NO]
Soma didn't hesitate.
Yes.