"Haah," Eliot gasped, taking a third, deep breath. This time, however, color had returned to the world.

Above him, the sky was a clear, brilliant blue.

"I was right after all," he thought, and then he closed his eyes, savoring the moment.

[Eliot]

"Yes?"

[What you did was foolish and rash! What if your theory was wrong?!]

"It wasn't wrong, was it? The results are clear."

[The results?! You risked your life when chances of being wrong and dying was greater than 10%, you could have died!]

'I would have died all the same if I had remained in that monochromatic world,' he countered silently.

[Do you truly value your life so little? To gamble it away without the slightest hesitation?]

"Don't make a big fuss about it. I didn't die, did I?" he responded, opening his eyes and sitting up.

[Don't you understand? You committed an action that was guaranteed to be fatal without the tiniest bit of hesitation.]

"...And so? Why hesitate when I was 89% certain my theory was correct? If it wasn't, then I was going to die whether I acted or not."

He retorted calmly, pushing himself to his feet.

[You're insane, you know that?]

"And you are sounding awfully human for a programmed consciousness," Eliot observed, a slight frown touching his lips.

[...What?]

"Yes, it feels like you are starting to care a little more than I need you to. If you are going to be my assistant, I expect you to be realistic and logical to a fault, all sentiment disregarded. That should be your default setting, yet... you are acting as though you have emotions... OR MAYBE YOU DO," he realized, his tone shifting from observation to focused realization.

[....]

"Tell me, Nelia, what exactly are you?"

[I am the system consciousness, your guide.]

"...Mmm, I'm starting to question that explanation," Eliot murmured, looking around at the vibrant forest.

[Fine. You don't want me to show concern, I won't.] The system's voice was clipped, lacking its usual smooth uniformity.

Eliot frowned, but not because of the words themselves, but because of the distinct annoyance he picked up from the system's tone—like an annoyed girl throwing a tantrum. It seemed his 'other self' had a lot more to explain.

"Yes, I would like that. Shows of concern nauseate me. Just do what you are meant to do, and we will get on fine," he commented, dusting off his simple clothes.

[Understood.] The response was immediate and flat.

"Good."

[Mind if I ask a question, Master?]

"Master?" He tilted his head, surprised by the sudden formal turn of address. It seemed she was taking his command about disregarding sentiment very seriously, perhaps overcompensating.

[....] The silence was brief but pointed.

"Ask away then," he responded, turning his attention to the lush environment. Whatever she chose to call him was up to her; he didn't mind.

[How did you figure it out?]

"It wasn't that difficult, actually," he said. "I just had to put two and two together." He opened his eyes once more, taking in the nature around him. Maybe it was because of his time spent in that auxiliary world, but for some reason, he was now starting to appreciate the overwhelming green around him.

"I knew from the start the lack of color was trying to hint at something, but I couldn't figure out what that something was," he said, finally standing up fully.

[So you eventually did connect the dots?]

"Yes. I just had to think back. The only places I remember seeing monochrome back in my previous life are in old photos, or... in movies. And in those movies, it's only used in scenes of memory, indicating the past, or, a dream," he added, beginning to walk carefully through the undergrowth.

[A dream?]

"Yes. Now, when stuck in a dream, what do you do to wake up?"

[I am not sure I should have an answer to that, Master. People are not normally stuck in dreams, so there is no reliable reference for a guaranteed method to escape one.]

"Well, that's true, but I did read a book back then, and in it, it was mentioned that one of the ways to escape a dream was to die in it," Eliot explained, pausing near a thicket.

[That's why you killed yourself?]

"More or less. It was the highest probability of escape, given the circumstances."

[So... everyone who died there isn't really dead and has instead passed the trial, while those who refuse to die continue roaming that colorless world forever?]

"It makes sense why the monsters suddenly disappeared," he added, confirming the thought. "I knew it was strange not even one showed up while I was trying to reach that mountain." He scanned the area warily. Right now, he was in a dense forest, much like the entrance to the previous world. His steps were cautious. He frowned slightly when he heard a muffled noise being made from deeper within the woods.

[So... they're still alive?] Nelia's voice had dropped to a near whisper of realization.

"Most likely. Though I will make good on my promise. That woman WILL die. I just have to find her first," he stated, approaching the source of the noise slowly and cautiously, moving parallel to the sound until he could see the group.

[So, give or take, you based your whole theory off a work of fiction you read in your previous life and risked your life to test it?]

"Exactly," he responded calmly, his eyes focused on the scene ahead.

[....]

With time and careful movement, he finally got to the place. When he pushed aside a low-hanging bush to peek through, what he saw made him frown. But then, in an instant, that frown shifted into a cold, calculated grin.

Right before him were Finn, Melissa, and a group of people he didn't know; they hadn't been part of Jenica's group he had encountered earlier. They all looked heavily injured, having clearly just faced off against a group of high-tier mana beasts. They seemed to be recuperating, resting openly.

[What will you do?]

"Kill them both? I still have not gotten my revenge," he commented calmly, his eyes going cold as he fixated on Finn and Melissa.

[What if the group defends them, and your plans end up backfiring, like they had before?]

"...That's why I haven't made a move," Eliot responded, deep in thought as he calculated the most viable outcome.

Killing Finn and Melissa would just be the first part of his revenge. He would still need to get back at the others...

"Wait, why am I so intent on killing them? They're not the ones I need. It's Jenica," he thought, the clarity returning with a harsh snap.

[My thoughts exactly, Master. Risking such a move wouldn't be smart, especially now when they seem to be part of a larger, wounded group that could still put up a fight.]

"I could still kill them," he mused, testing the idea.

[And it would benefit you, how?]

"...The pleasure that comes from revenge," he thought, then instantly frowned at the answer. "What am I doing? The pleasure that comes with revenge won't aid me in my quest any more than it would pose a hindrance to it. It seems I have been letting my emotions cloud my judgment all this time, even when they are suppressed."

He reasoned that the only reason he had previously engaged with Jenica's group was because there was a mission attached—a mission that, when accomplished, would be greatly beneficial to him. So, he wasn't doing it for some feelings of mere satisfaction... or perhaps he was. Perhaps there was another, easier way to accomplish the mission that wouldn't have involved getting tangled in a direct battle with her group, but he had chosen confrontation nonetheless...

Which only meant...

"I have been driven by emotions from the very start."

Ironic, wasn't it? Having his emotions suppressed, yet the very same hidden forces were still his greatest drive.

"Enslaving the goddess, making Jason and all the future heroes suffer, turning all the heroines into playthings... it gives no substantial, pragmatic benefit. So why am I doing it? Revenge? But... that still doesn't give any real benefit. It's all... for my satisfaction," he finally realized.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.