The video ended there.
Clarus Veyr stared at the final frozen image of the two researchers on the screen and remained lost in thought for a long time.
How should he put it…
It was complicated.
A conversation spanning tens of thousands of years.
Through the lanky researcher’s words, Clarus could almost feel everything the two of them had experienced back then.
From excitement to disappointment.
From hope to despair.
“What were their names?” Clarus asked the System.
[According to the program left behind by the two researchers, I do not have authorization to disclose their names to you.] [Playing Message Four: “Failures have no right to leave their names behind in history.”] But your experiment proved that neither of you were failures.
Clarus silently thought those words to himself.
“So…” He raised his right hand and carefully examined it beneath the light of the screen.
He couldn’t see anything unusual.
“What exactly did this experiment give me?” [Life.] The System answered immediately.
[Whether considered philosophically or practically, life is the single most important thing a human being possesses.
There is no exception.] “I know, I know.
And you’re not wrong.” Clarus sighed helplessly.
“What I mean is, did the experiment do anything to my body?” “You know how this works in novels.
Someone goes through some crazy experiment, then suddenly gets some miraculous mutation or special ability.
Like turning into an Originium Hulk or something?” [Biotechnology could indeed transform you into something resembling what you are imagining.] [Unfortunately, this research facility does not possess the necessary technology.] The System beeped twice.
A display was suddenly projected directly onto Clarus’s retina.
[However, you may wish to examine this.] [Before you awakened, your memory information appeared to bring back a massive quantity of additional information from within Originium.
This information subjected your consciousness to an extremely severe impact.] [To protect your primary memories, the System analyzed the excess information and sealed it within your subconscious.] [Following analysis and calculation, a conclusion has been reached.] [While your original memory fragments drifted through Originium’s information sea, they entered various individuals belonging to the outside world’s population—temporarily designated as “New Humans.”] [The information brought back by those fragments consists of the unique memories accumulated throughout those individuals’ lives.] [Furthermore, because those individuals were influenced by the information carried within the Originium inside them—that is, by your memories—their names and appearances became identical to your own.] [In other words, these were your repeated “reincarnations.”] [The protagonist of every one of those lives was you.] “Life simulations?” The words slipped out of Clarus’s mouth.
[That would be an acceptable interpretation.] The System agreed with him.
[With your permission, I can unseal these memories.] [However, because the volume of memory information is exceptionally large, I can divide them into separate segments and unseal them gradually, allowing you to process them one portion at a time.] “In that case, filter out the garbage for me.” Clarus thought for a moment before giving his instructions.
“Get rid of the useless memories and keep whatever you think is actually worth preserving.” [Command received.
Intelligently removing portions of memory…] It was an incredibly strange sensation.
Ever since awakening, Clarus had constantly felt as though his head were swollen to the point of bursting.
Now, little by little, that pressure began to fade.
His thoughts steadily grew clearer.
It felt as though an enormous weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
“System, can you present those memories like one of those life-simulator systems?” Clarus asked.
[You may describe this “life simulator” to me.
I can compile the corresponding functionality.] The System immediately began processing.
Clarus briefly explained the life-simulation novels he had read in his previous life, describing how their so-called systems displayed the different lives experienced by their protagonists.
[Generating…] [Generation complete.] It barely took the System any time at all to finish writing the necessary program.
Clarus stared at the new interface projected onto his retina and gave a heartfelt assessment.
“Cool!” Then his attention shifted elsewhere.
“Can I take a closer look at that Originium?” Clarus turned toward the lustrous black crystal, unable to suppress his curiosity.
[Originium is unlikely to cause substantial physical harm to a human body.
You may observe it at close range.] The System opened the glass cover.
Curious, Clarus stepped up to the container and reached toward the Originium.
The circulation system inside the enclosure continuously drew away every glittering particle shed by the crystal, preventing even the slightest trace from escaping.
But the instant Clarus’s finger touched a speck of Originium dust— he froze.
His round black pupils slowly expanded.
Then they transformed into strange black-and-red diamonds.
He…
could see the information inside the Originium?
It was an indescribably strange sensation.
All the information stored within the Originium appeared before him like an enormous library.
And every single thing within it was completely at his disposal.
As long as Clarus wished it— he could read any piece of information stored inside the Originium before him.
Clarus thought for a moment.
If all this information was like an enormous collection of books…
Sure, it was chaotic.
Sure, there was an absurd amount of it.
But…
Couldn’t he become one of those naughty kids who loved scribbling all over books?
Clarus decided to pick up his own personal paintbrush.
Meanwhile, in the physical world— the piece of Originium that had originally possessed the shape of a mineral crystal began to change.
The diamond shapes in Clarus’s eyes gradually disappeared, his pupils returning to normal.
Then he reached into the container and pulled out— an Originium Rubik’s Cube.
He casually twisted it between his hands.
“This cheat is seriously fucking busted.” A grin spread across Clarus’s face.
Then the Originium Rubik’s Cube in his hands suddenly grew a mouth.
Clarus’s own voice came out of it.
“I forgive you guys for experimenting on me.” Clarus chuckled.
“Once I meet that old cat Kal’tsit, I could probably turn Mon3tr straight into a Transformer.” Hehehe.
That adorable little kitty Kal’tsit would probably start spouting twice as many riddles as usual the moment she saw an actual pure human standing in front of her.
And once she started talking in riddles…
He’d just take control of Mon3tr and have it hang Kal’tsit from the ship’s bridge.
Just imagining Mon3tr trembling and whining as it personally hoisted Kal’tsit up onto the bridge…
Oooh!
Now that’s some NTR energy!
His ability allowed him to reshape Originium.
And from this moment onward, Clarus’s consciousness could freely travel through Originium itself.
He could also choose any piece of Originium—or any Originium Creation—to serve as a vessel for his consciousness.
Translated into simpler terms— Anywhere there was Originium…
Clarus could basically become Steve in Minecraft Creative Mode.
My fucking world!
As long as his mental strength was sufficient, he didn’t overuse the ability, and the chaotic information inside Originium didn’t overwhelm and scatter his core consciousness…
he could continue using this power indefinitely.
Of course, it wasn’t completely without limitations.
If he used it for too long in one go, or activated it too many times in rapid succession, he really might end up becoming as dumb as Ceobe.
Wait.
No.
He had to show proper respect to Ceobe the God.
The highest mountain of Contingency Contract!
The longest river!
Faker Ceobe!
donk Ceobe!
ZmjjKK-Ceobe!
Clarus considered the matter for a moment.
There were actually plenty of ways to strengthen his mental fortitude.
He could take a nice little stroll through the Soul Furnace.
Expose himself directly to Collapsal corruption.
Hell, even sitting down and listening to Arturia play the violin would probably make for excellent mental training.
The future was bright.
Very bright indeed!
And besides— the most straightforward method of training his mind was already right at his fingertips.
“System!” Clarus’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Show me all the new memories that are still preserved!” He grinned.
“Let me have a good look at exactly what kind of stories unfolded during each and every one of my ‘reincarnations’!”