After nursing him, Kara laid him in his crib, then slept on the bed beside him. Yelena also snuggled into her mother's arms while keeping an eye on the baby.
Meanwhile, Seraph's consciousness had been transported elsewhere.
Standing in utter darkness, the only thing he saw was a yellow cube that spun in a 360° angle.
"What are you?"
He asked, staring at the cube. Unlike his baby form, his consciousness took the shape of his past life (Stephen).
The cube paused slightly, then resumed spinning.
["As expected of Host. You remain unfazed even in this situation."]
Seraph didn't reply, that was not the answer to his question.
["Sigh. I know you won't say a word until I answer your question so anyway, I'm Halo, a multidimensional being integrated into you since your creation. You can refer to me as a system."]
Seraph nodded, satisfied.
"Since you've been with me since creation, then you must be the cause of my unnatural situation, yes?"
["Sharp insight, Host. Your neural patterns remain as efficient as before. Yes, I programmed you to become what you became. An efficient, untainted tool."]
If anyone had heard these words, they'd have felt indignant and furious. After all, Halo just admitted that it had indeed been the cause of his lack of emotions and drive.
Instead, Seraph nodded as if he was already expecting this.
"I see. Were you the one directing my thoughts to dabble into several activities?"
["Yes."]
Halo didn't deny it.
"Was my death also programmed by you?"
This time, the cube shook slightly as if saying no.
["You were programmed to be reborn after your death at an old age. However, it seemed there was a supernatural phenomenon connected to the trucks in your world. I believe that is the reason for your premature death."]
"Oh."
Seraph wasn't surprised, he already guessed that much.
"I suppose there is a reason for bringing me here. Would you mind sharing?"
["Such information is classified. Unless you have enough Divine Credits, you cannot have such information."]
His brows twitched, a faint feeling of displeasure rising within him briefly. Knowing that there was a limit to what could be told, he didn't bother asking about what 'Divine Credits' were.
Instead, he turned away, ready to leave.
["Before you leave, why don't you choose a character profile for yourself? After all, you don't have one to begin with."]
Seraph tilted his head, feeling like the system was taking a jab at him. His eyes narrowed and a cold glint flashed in them.
["Hold on. Nevermind my words, I take it back. You can become whatever you want in this world. Anyway, our mission is almost accomplished."]
The man didn't bother staying any longer. With a refined mind, he willed himself out of the space and opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Yelena's 'big' face.
"Boo!"
The girl shouted, expecting him to jerk or at least act surprised. Instead, the baby kept looking at her with a condescending look.
'Uh... why is he giving me that bad look? D-did I do something wrong?'
The little girl lamented inwardly, only to see a faint smile on the baby's face.
"Ah?! Mommy! The baby is smiling!"
Kara's voice echoed from the kitchen. "Good for you. But Yelena, you should focus on cultivation. You still haven't begun to sense spiritual energy."
The girl's expression soured as she muttered incoherent ramblings before leaving the room.
From the bits and pieces of information he had gathered, Seraph came to a realization. This was a cultivation world. In this world, it was expected of children with talent above one ci to be able to absorb spiritual energy and cultivate.
Seraph's family lived in a small settlement called Moonveil Clan. It was on the outskirts of the Wulan Kingdom. Unlike one would expect, these small tribes weren't under the control of the Royal Family, but privately owned by the Clan Patriarch. However, they still needed to pay taxes to the Royal Family every month as a sign of submission else they are denied access to trading with other small clans.
'The strong prey on the weak... Hm, quite fitting.'
He couldn't help but think as he closed his eyes. After a few days, he had gotten familiar with his body and could move any part precisely. However, his throat still refused to produce tangible words.
'Is the spiritual energy this thing I'm feeling?'
Although he couldn't see it, he could sense a warm current in the air, always present no matter where he was carried to.
He could have asked Halo, but he found no reason to. Instead, he decided to try cultivating after he learnt to speak and walk.
_______
Clem Skye, Seraph's father, was a merchant in the city. He was responsible for selling the city's local goods to other cities and buying foreign goods in exchange. He was also an Advanced stage cultivator, powerful enough to be a hunter in the clan.
Thus, he was naturally a popular person that even the City Lord specially acknowledged.
A year after Seraph's birth, he was taken to the Clan Mansion alongside other one year old babies to test their talent aptitude. On the way, several parents greeted Clem respectfully, after all, he was a very likeable man.
After exchanging pleasantries among themselves, the parents were directed to the Aptitude Test Hall by a member of the Moonveil Clan.
In the center of the room, a fist-sized transparent calibrated rod floated with cosmic particles glittering within.
Cassius Moonveil, an elder of the Moonveil family, stepped forward to meet the parents.
"It is good to see all your babies healthy and thriving. This brings joy to myself and our clan as a whole. After all, they're our future."
A few parents laughed, happy that their children were being appreciated.
"Anyway," Elder Cassius waved his hands, gesturing for silence. "I'll brief you again. In this aptitude test, there are seven stages. If your child can reach the two ci (centimeters) mark, then he has the potential of becoming an Advanced Stage Cultivator. If they can reach the four ci, they can become a Master Stage Cultivator. As for the six ci, they are very rare talents who can reach the King Stage in cultivation."
"How bright would it be if everyone's child could reach the six ci?"
The parents laughed at the joke, knowing that was impossible. Even the Patriarch of the clan only reached four ci. Their clan wasn't a big one. In fact, it was just a small clan in the borders of the Wulan Kingdom. To them, a Master Stage Cultivator was the greatest they could produce. Only the Patriarch has reached that level in the whole settlement.
"Alright, alright. Let's not waste our time here and immediately check their aptitudes. We might stumble on a five ci. Who knows?"
Under Elder Cassius' urging, the first parent came forward with their child.