Conqueror : Beserk System

I find myself seated on a throne, a crown on my head. Power surges through my body. To my left stands a shadowy figure, its arms crossed behind its back like a soldier. Its glowing red eyes show no hostility, only servitude. To my right stands a woman, her skin white as snow and her golden eyes gleaming like the sun. Her dark hair flows straight and long to the floor. She wears a black dress adorned with jewels.

Who are these people? I wonder, unable to move. Despite my immobility, I don't feel threatened or in danger. I look around, finally realizing my location. The white room. Usually, I'm on the other side, facing the throne. I've been trying to reach this place for so long, but now that I'm here, I have more questions than answers.

Almost as if she read my mind, the woman speaks.

"Master," she says, kneeling before me alongside the shadowy figure. "Welcome home."

They remain on their knees, their heads bowed. Are they waiting for me? I stare at them, uncertain of what to do, until it dawns on me. In movies, kings would gesture to signal their servants or soldiers. Maybe they're waiting for a gesture like that. I raise my hand, not really expecting it to work. To my surprise, it does. Both figures lift their heads to look at me.

"My lord," the shadowy figure begins, speaking in a tone I recognize, one I heard during my berserk state. "We have awaited your arrival since your birth."

I freeze. Am I going berserk right now?

"No, you are not, Master," the woman replies, startling me. I hadn't spoken. How did she know what I was thinking?

"You did not speak out loud, Master," she explains, "but here, our thoughts are one. Whatever you think, we also perceive."

"Does that mean you know everything I've been thinking?" I ask, uneasy at the idea of my thoughts being exposed.

"Yes, Master," she answers, her golden eyes lowering like a sad puppy. "And frankly, we are hurt by some of your thoughts."

Her display of emotion disarms me. I no longer feel frightened, only guilty.

"I'm sorry," I say, unsure of what else to do. Realizing they're both still kneeling, I gesture for them to stand. They exchange surprised glances, hesitating. I gesture again, and this time they rise, slowly and with doubt.

"What are your names?" I ask.

The question surprises them. They exchange another glance before answering.

"I am Nalia, Master," the woman says.

"And I am Ego," the shadowy figure adds, placing a hand across his chest in a soldierly gesture.

"Nalia and Ego," I repeat, smiling. "It's nice to meet you both." Relief washes over me as I finally put names to these voices. "Do you mind if I ask you a lot of questions about… all this?"

"Not at all, Master," Nalia says, bowing her head, a gesture I suspect is a habit of hers.

I begin my questioning, and true to their word, they answer everything. I learn that the white room and the pool of water are part of a larger domain called Eden. It is my domain, created and maintained through my control of mana. The reason I couldn't explore further before was my lack of adequate mana control.

I also learn about my unique skill, Conqueror, which allows me to go berserk, drastically increasing my strength and mana with no drawbacks. Nalia and Ego are the physical manifestations of this skill. Nalia represents my ability to see mana, while Ego represents my berserk form. All this time, I'd been afraid of them, not realizing they were protecting me.

I notice they've stopped talking and are staring at me. Oh right—they can hear my thoughts. I wonder if I can disable that until I want to communicate. As soon as I think this, a message appears in front of me:

[Change Domain Settings]

Huh? It looks like a video game menu. I try clicking it, and it works. A larger menu opens, filled with settings. I scroll down and find a "One Mind" setting, which I promptly turn off. I hope it works.

"Nalia, can you still hear my thoughts?" I ask.

She tilts her head slightly, then shakes it. "No, Master."

Relief floods me. After spending more time in the white room, I ask how to leave.

"You can leave simply by thinking of it, Master," Nalia says, a sad look crossing her face.

"Oh, I see. Thank you, Nalia." My eyes linger on her expression. Is she sad because I'm leaving?

"Is there a way I can communicate with you both while I'm outside the domain?" I ask.

Nalia's face lights up, her golden eyes glimmering as a smile forms. "Yes! You can activate the 'Link' setting the same way you turned off 'One Mind.'"

I follow her instructions, enabling the Link. After a few more discussions with Nalia and Ego, I wave goodbye and leave Eden.

Outside World

I open my eyes to the sight of treetops, moonlight filtering through the branches. I'm lying in the grass, the cold night breeze sending chills through my body. I try to sit up, but something holds me down.

An arm.

It's draped over my chest, and its familiar scent—honey and vanilla—hits my nose. I turn slowly to see Frey, fast asleep. She's… naked?

My face heats up as I quickly avert my gaze, carefully lifting her arm and sitting up. That's when I realize I'm naked too.

What the hell happened?

Just as the thought crosses my mind, Frey wakes up . She looks at me without a word, her expression blank. Then, without hesitation, she stands, dresses, and leaves.

"Frey," I call after her, but she doesn't respond.

I stand in my nakedness, trying to recall what possibly could have happened. I remember spending last night and most of the day celebrating the victory from my last battle. Did I get too drunk for my own good?