Synchronization bar...? What does that even mean?
The message brings confusion to him, but his main attention stays on Clara, who is smiling in front of him.
His cheek feels sticky from her lips since she is drinking tea right now. Though, he doesn’t wash his cheek despite the uncomfortable feeling lingering there.
He brings his cup back to his lips and takes a sip to calm his nerves.
So, according to the message... When I do something which Jack wouldn’t have done, I assert my will on this body. Is that a synchronization rate? Is it going up as my will is asserted every time?
The idea makes him feel bewildered because the sheer lack of common sense in all of this is overwhelming. He has suddenly gotten the body of a person named ’Jack’, and he has a wife too now who, for some reason, is too good for him.
The years of living alone in his house, where the time he should have spent in relationships went into paying the apartment rent and earning a living so he could eat and survive properly. He had thought at some point that his life would probably go like that. The EMI was never-ending, and there was no way out of it.
Now, he is in a completely unfamiliar place with a woman who smiles softly and nudges her hip against him with genuine adoration. The thought of going back to that life makes his stomach churn uncomfortably. He doesn’t want to go back to that repetitive life. He has gotten sick of it.
I want to spend time with her, talk with her more... stay with her for longer.
As they finish the tea, Clara stands up and sweeps both the cups into her hands before she starts moving toward the sink. "Let me wash them now. Do you want to go out on a usual night outing, Jack?"
Zane shakes his head before even processing her words. "Uh, no. I want to stay here." Why would I go outside now? I am not crazy or mad! But then the logic hits him, and he finds himself unable to tell why Jack goes on outings at all.
Does he go for night walks? Or work? I don’t know.
"Do... you want me to go?" he asks her, looking at her back expectantly. If she says that it’s important to go, then it must be for work, but if it’s just for casual walks...
Clara suddenly glances back to look at him, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she thinks of something. Then, she lets out a quiet hum before shaking her head. "Well, not really. If you don’t want to go, don’t. I was just asking..."
Zane watches her return to washing dishes. He feels relieved that she didn’t make him leave the house now. That means it was merely for walking.
After a moment, he feels his curiosity rising up as he looks around the house. He stands up slowly and starts moving away from the kitchen.
Let’s see how this place looks now...
His steps move ahead toward the main door which he used to enter this house. As the door opens and he moves out, his eyes widen in delight.
What? Why didn’t I notice this before? I feel like I can see this place more clearly now.
His observation is not wrong. Earlier, he had been so focused on reaching the house that he didn’t notice the place around him properly. But now that he has stabilized in this body, even slightly, he has more time to observe now.
He steps further on the street, his gaze drifting from one building to another.
There is also a change in how people dress here, less modern-looking, more preserved and simple. That’s how Clara wears it too. This world seems to have other things they care about more than just clothes.
Then, there are houses. Mostly wooden structures, but a few of them are made of some hard material too. Clara’s and Jack’s house is also made of wood, though it’s impressive anyways.
Zane keeps walking along the side of the street. The night settles slowly, and he realizes it suddenly: He said to her about not leaving the house, but he has already left it just out of wonder.
I will go back quickly... just let me look at these things.
Synchronization rate: 3%
[Host is using curiosity to stabilize himself in this world. The will is being reinforced.]
Zane senses the message, but he doesn’t stop to mull over it too much. The message is simple, and now he has a gist of how this is working.
So, as long as my own emotions and feelings are appearing, my control over this body will increase too.
After about half an hour, he returns home. And while he left the house due to curiosity, he is coming back with lingering wariness.
Everything was going well. The beautiful stalls, so many kinds of stores, but then the clink of metals and the sounds of heavy footsteps destroyed his curiosity immediately.
He saw the figures with armor on their bodies, long swords on their waists, and their posture which seemed to scream from a distance: KNIGHTS!
He didn’t stay there longer after seeing that. He realized finally that this world might not hold just beautiful things...
There is danger too.
After entering the house, he finds her instantly, still in the kitchen. The plates and bowls with dishes seem to drift their smell and attract him toward the table.
She already sits at the table. When he enters, she starts serving the food immediately. "Someone said something about not going outside... hm?" She meets his eyes for a moment and sighs.
Zane takes his seat on the chair beside her. Her words make him feel sorry for breaking the promise. "Sorry... I just wanted to look outside."
"Hmph. If you are sorry, then I will let you go this time then." She murmurs after placing the food in front of him and turns slightly to face him.
"But... You aren’t getting out of this easily, though. After eating the food, continue with what you were doing in the room earlier... This is your punishment."