[April 15th, 2024]
Jasmine quietly filled Rey's plate a second time.
Her hands moved automatically, but her eyes lingered on him.
Watching her son eat with such appetite—so unlike his usual small portions—made her heart swell with both joy and confusion.
Rey didn't mind. He dug in immediately, determined to regain his energy. But the next moment, a cold line of text appeared before his eyes.
{Detection: The host has consumed an item nullified by the ability {Godly Adapter}. Consume higher-grade items to observe effects.}
The message repeated with every bite. His patience frayed.
"Aiden, what do I do? This thing keeps popping up!" Rey muttered under his breath.
"Turn it off, kid. Temporarily," Aiden's bored voice echoed.
Rey obeyed. Silence. At last, he could eat in peace.
But even after finishing, hunger gnawed at him. Embarrassed, he looked at Jasmine.
"Mom… can I have another serving?"
Both Jasmine and Emmy froze, spoons halfway to their mouths.
Jasmine blinked. "Are you sure your stomach can handle that much? You've never eaten like this before."
Rey scratched the back of his head, forcing a sheepish smile. "I'm fine. I just… feel really hungry today."
She hesitated, then served him again.
By the third plate, even Jasmine's careful cooking reserves had run out. The clinking of utensils fell silent.
Rey realized she was out of food, and though his body screamed for more, he swallowed his desire.
"Thanks for the meal, Mom," he said instead, patting his stomach with a satisfied grin.
Jasmine and Emmy exchanged looks—half-amazed, half-amused—before finally returning to their own plates.
Within minutes, Rey had eaten enough for three, while the two of them had barely cleared half.
Later, back in his room, he shut the door with a sigh.
"Alright, Aiden! Get out here right now!"
Aiden materialized, dressed in a ridiculous pajama suit, rubbing his eyes. "What's with the yelling? Do you have any idea how close I was to sleep?"
"You expect me to let you sleep when you've robbed me of mine? Look at me! I've eaten enough for a small army. What's happening to my body?" Rey snapped.
Aiden yawned. "Simple. Your body runs on mana now. But since mana's still barely trickling into this world, you're compensating with food. Think of it as fuel. Once the mana invasion hits around five percent, maybe, this will stabilize."
Rey quickly pulled up his status.
"At this rate, it'll take forever," he groaned.
"Exactly. Now if you're done, let me—" Aiden started.
But Rey cut in sharply. "Wait. Earlier, you said you found something important. What was it?"
Aiden paused, thoughtful. "Ah, right. A treasure—"
That single word summoned another presence.
Victor phased into existence, his voice vibrating with excitement. "Treasure? Where? What kind?!"
Rey blinked at him, stunned at his sudden enthusiasm. "…Is he always like this?"
Aiden sighed. "Unfortunately, yes. Victor's a treasure fanatic. Say the word and he lights up like a child at a festival."
Victor ignored them, eyes gleaming. "Where is it? Don't hide it from me!"
Zero emerged next, observing them all. [Honestly, Victor feels closer to Rey than the rest of you.]
Both Rey and Victor whipped their heads toward her. "Absolutely not!"
"Yes, you are," Zero insisted sweetly.
Victor's face twisted. "Me? Close to this brat? Keep dreaming. Once I'm free, I'll find a host worthy of me."
No one paid him much attention. Rey clapped his hands once. "Alright, enough drama. Where's the treasure?"
Aiden smirked. "Do you remember the factory where we fought Jacob? After the battle, I found his locker. We tossed it into your inventory and never checked it."
Rey's eyes widened. "You mean—"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. We don't know if there's money inside," Aiden warned.
But Rey was already opening his inventory. At first, it looked empty. Then his eyes caught something unusual at the very bottom.
A white, heavy locker.
He pulled it out, nearly losing balance under its weight before setting it on the floor.
Victor leaned closer, unimpressed. "Small. Don't expect much."
Rey ignored him, crouching down to inspect the strange lock.
"How do we even open it?" he muttered.
"With a key," Aiden said plainly.
Rey checked again. Nothing.
"No key."
Aiden's lips curled into a sly grin. "Then we'll make one."
Rey's eyes narrowed. "Make one? How?"
Aiden crossed his arms, voice low with confidence. "Did you forget what we can use…?"
-To be Continued-