Theodore Powers, the Ebony-Jeweled scion of one of the most powerful noble families in existence, looked up at a mother he's only known for a day and unsuccessfully tried to swallow in a dry throat. He acknowledged the necessity of asking for this intimidating woman's support just as he admitted his need to take his next breath. Unfortunately, that support was locked behind a barrier of mistrust and anger. 

If he believed in a god, he would have thanked him or her for reincarnating him in the body of someone from such a powerful family. He would have then asked that same deity why it had to make his new mother such a hard-ass. What his mother wanted wasn't exceptionally hard for him to achieve. But he had the feeling that regardless of how he proved the validity of his powers, she wouldn't like the answer.

Disapproval exuded from Lisey's psychic scent. Theo didn't understand why he knew what a psychic-scent was or how he could detect it. He knew that his mother was unhappy with what she more than likely perceived as stalling tactics. 

Faced with his mother's disapproval, he shrugged and offered a crooked smile." I don't suppose you would accept my word of honor?" he asked half-heartedly. When in doubt, all he could do was fall back on the charm that had gotten him this far. 

"No," she replied flatly, shrugging off his attempt at levity.  

His shoulders drooped." I didn't think so." he mumbled then sighed. Since he was currently limiting himself to his Opal-Jewels, he wasn't surprised that Charm did not affect his mother, who wore the Ruby. He took a deep breath and sent a questioning thought towards Sia. *Is there any way I can let mother see a System notification at least once?* His path was clear, and now he just needed to make sure he had the tools to walk it successfully. 

Not surprisingly, an answer was not immediately forthcoming. The strained nature of their relationship made the lack of an immediate response unsurprising. The tense nature of the silence that currently separated them reinforced this fact. 

Great, another bridge I need to cross, he thought disgustedly. *Sia, I said I was sorry about what happened to the maid. We don't have time for this. I need your help now.*

Theo waited, and his ire grew with every heartbeat of time that passed in silence. Fury threatened to swamp his ability to reason, but he forcefully leashed his anger with the last traces of his self-control. Time was of the essence, and Theo refused to succumb to the weakness of anger. He needed help, and the only person who could provide it loomed over him, suspicion exuding from every pore. 

A raised eyebrow was the only indication Lisey displayed that evidenced her knowledge of Theo's brief lapse of control.   

Theo wanted time to think, and he could usually get it by abusing the half-time perk he received by talking to Sia. But since Sia wasn't speaking to him right now, that wasn't an option. So when he didn't get an answer after ten breaths, he gave up and decided to try a different tack. If he couldn't get the answers he needed from one source, he would try another. 

The invisible figure of Sia floated just out of Theo's direct view. She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and bit her lower lip. Temper flashed in her eyes as she noted the direction of Theo's thoughts with growing annoyance. 

If Theo were paying attention, he would have noted the gradual changes that began taking place since he'd accepted Thor as a necessary part of his being. But he wasn't paying attention to her needs. He directed his focus towards other issues. 

I wonder how big Sia's tits could get? Hmm, I wonder how big I could make them before she noticed? The questions popped up out of nowhere and drifted along the outer edges of his mind for no particular reason. After some brief speculation, he pushed the notions aside and got back to business. 

Theo had a vague idea of what he wanted to do, but he didn't know if what he wanted was possible. Since Sia was giving him the silent treatment asking her wasn't an option. However, one didn't face a woman like his mother with vaporish notions, ill-formed ideas, or childish excuses. Suddenly, an idea began to form, and he smiled.

A plan slowly began to form in his mind. If this works, I'll kill two birds with one stone. He thought with some relief. 

Theo got up and walked past his mother. The stress of just sitting under her intense glare was becoming unbearable anyway, so leaving its influence felt like removing a weighted vest. 

The look she directed at him as he walked by exuded disapproval with every blink. The look made him want to instinctively apologize for whatever he'd done to put that look there. This reaction surprised him because he didn't believe he'd know this woman long enough to develop any type of familial bond. 

If that's the case, that means the longer my consciousness resides in this body, the more emotionally connected I'll feel towards the people this kid used to know. Breakthroughs like that would be good news in almost any other situation than the one he was in now. 

The weight of Lisey's focus followed Theo as he walked past her. His stride was confident and radiated a level of composure he didn't feel. He didn't have a destination in mind. The simple act of moving helped release a level of tension he hadn't realized he was holding. Moving also gave him a great excuse to put as much distance between him and the intimidating aura his mother always exuded as possible. 

Theo walked, and his mother glared. Like this, ten minutes pass by the two in silence. Usually, Lisey would not have tolerated such a waste of her time. As a rule, the High-Nobility were not known for their patience. Despite this legacy, she let him go because what she saw in his eyes surprised her. The eyes were the doorway to the soul. She saw a haunted look in her son's eyes when he'd walked past her.  

"I need to see the sun," Theo mumbled as he broke off his aimless pacing and walked towards the only window in the room. It was a massive fixture that was flanked by an even larger pillar on each side. Noting the exaggerated size, he smirked. "What's the point of having windows this big?" he asked over his shoulder.

"If you were to see the size of the building from the outside, you wouldn't have asked that question."

When he got to the window, he pulled back the curtains enough to allow the sun's rays to permeate the room. The sun's light filled the room and turned his blond hair into the golden locks of the divine. He closed his eyes and bathed in the warm glow. After one deep breath, he felt the cold embrace of his skill, God' s-Peace wash over him. By the time he took his second breath, his thoughts had finally settled.  

He opened his eyes, turned, and finally faced his mother." I want to show you something that only I can usually see. Is there any way for me to share what I know with you?"

The smooth lines of his mother's brow furrowed slightly. The question confused her, but answered it regardless. "There are several ways, but the easiest way is to share the image through a psychic-thread."

She gave him a simple explanation of how the process worked. Not once during this process did she allow Theo to see the surprise she felt. Elementary psychic communication was a subject taught to young nobles not long after they verbalized their first words. So if the story was accurate, his apparent lack of knowledge concerning such a mundane topic made sense. She silently took note of this fact, since it added credence to the boy's story.   

Lisey walked to the boy's side and gently touched his temple with a finger. He only flinched slightly at her touch but otherwise didn't react. A summary of how to create a conventional psychic-thread flowed from her mind to his through this touch. This transfer of information only took a few seconds. Once she was sure he comprehended, she walked away, ending the brief contact.  

When Theo turned to see where his mother had gone, he was surprised when he saw that she'd only moved a few paces away. She just stood there watching him with a calm expression and an expectant look in her eyes.

*Ding!*

Well, that's an exciting way to learn a new skill. Theo thought with a smile. And I bet mom's going to hate it when she finds out I can instantly learn a skill it may have taken her months to perfect. For now, he closed his eyes, put on a look of intense concentration.  

After about ten heartbeats, he opened his eyes and gave his mother a confident nod. He was satisfied that if he had to do the process manually, he could have. He took a deep breath and used his new skill, Psychic Link. Just like he thought the System based skill completed the entire process, he'd just learned in an instant. He looked at his mother and sent a psychic thread towards her. I wonder if she'll be able to tell the difference? 

Lisey accepted the thread with a nod and the same expectant look in her pale blue eyes that he'd seen before.

He decided the quickest way to prove that he was telling the truth would be to show her something from the System, like a notification window. He just needed to decide which one he would show her.

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

Or that could happen. Theo shook his head, incredulously. If I didn't know better, I'd swear the System doesn't trust me enough to make my own decisions. There was no other way he could reconcile the timing of the notification. 

Theo took his eyes off the notification window and glanced towards his mother. The startled look on her face told him he'd succeeded in convincing her. 

But just to be sure, he decided to ask. "Do you believe me now?" He couldn't help but smile. The only response he received after he spoke was silence.  

After several heartbeats, Lisey finally nodded her head, too shocked by what she saw for words.

He turned his attention back towards the window and sent out another questioning thought. *Sia you've been suspiciously quiet recently.* He made sure a certain level of disappointment flowed through the link they shared. *I don't suppose you have time in your busy schedule to offer some clarification about what a law merger is?"

Sia winced, but since she'd discovered the emotion known as pride, she wouldn't just back down. *Oh, now you need me after—*

*Shut up,* he cut her off sharply. *Unless the next words out of your mouth contain pertinent information, I don't want to hear it. Now, what do you know about this whole law merger thing.*

Sia was so shocked by the change in Theo's attitude; she couldn't respond immediately. Theo's words forced her to come to terms with her actions. Having emotions was a new experience for her, so she still had difficulties dealing with them. Subconsciously she knew how wrong she was. That's why she created a justification to rationalize her actions. But hearing Theo's verbal slap brought her back to reality. 

Sia's invisible shoulders dropped, and she sighed. The feelings she felt whenever she thought of Theo were so powerful they threaten to erase her ability to think straight. And she'd let those feelings turn dark enough that threatened any relationship she ever hoped to have.  

The link that connected Theo with Sia gave him the ability to sense the flavor of her emotions to a certain degree. If he so desired, he could read her emotions like a book. But in return, Sia would be able to do the same to him. So there was a tacit arrangement between them that they hoped would avoid this potentially embarrassing possibility.

Unfortunately, this tacit agreement was being stretched to the limit by the need to communicate via their thoughts. Whenever they spoke with each other, their link widened just enough for communication, and any strong emotions that happened to be lingering could also bleed through. As soon as Theo tried to speak to Sia, a series of sharp pains started knifing through his mind.

Theo clutched his head and groaned in pain. He couldn't tell what they exactly were, but powerful emotions poured out of Sia like water from a broken dam. His chest felt heavy whenever his thoughts edged anywhere close to Sia's. He forced a sense of calm to reverberate through their shared link. When he was satisfied, he widened their shared link and ask. *Want to talk about it?*  

*Absolutely not,* she replied, rolling her eyes. She was already embarrassed by her actions. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about it. *Give me a second to run through what little of the Systems database I can currently access. I'll let you know what I find.*

Theo considered her words carefully. Interesting, It looks like I'm not the only one the System doesn't trust. He turned away from the window's view and looked at his mother again. His brows furrowed when he saw her trying to touch the translucent screen. Of course, she didn't succeed. Her hands just flowed through it like the wind. He laughed silently and turned away. Now I'm even more curious to find out what the System truly is.

After what amounted to one breath's worth of time, Sia came back with an answer.  * I've found something,* she said in a calm tone. Though in truth this, she was anything but calm. *From what I've been able to parse from the database, the more you use the Systems powers, the more they will merge with the energies native to this reality.*

*Anything else?* he asked curiously, as another puzzle piece fell into place. 

*Yes and no. Yes, there is more information; it's just I don't have access to it. It's sitting behind a data block that I can't get around.*

*Okay, thanks.* Theo replied as he did some quick calculations in his head. Holy crap that means if l were to attempt an Ebony powered Shadow-Step right now, it would cost me seventy CP. He finally dismissed the notification with a brisk thought and turned around, so he faced his mother once again." So, now what?"

Before Lisey could answer, they were interrupted by the sudden presence of one of her masked Bonded-Servants kneeling at her side.

Just like last time, he had difficulty determining the servant's sex. This time Theo was better equipped to solve the problem. Instead of relying on his eyes, he used his psychic sense. 

An Awaken's psychic sense gave them the ability to determine almost anything about a person by interpreting their psychic-scent. Everyone's psychic-scent was different and, unless specifically trained, virtually impossible to hide. 

Theo concentrated on the mystery individual and let his psychic senses flow in that direction. He almost stopped when he noticed his mother momentarily looked at him as if she sensed what he was attempting. A split second later, his senses landed on the servant. 

*Ding!*

*Ding!*

Suddenly a window appeared above the kneeling man.

Cool. Theo dismissed the window, then glanced at his mother. He was in no position to judge his mother, but he would ask her to explain what a Bonded-Servant was. Regardless he couldn't help but look at her in a new light. 

Lisey's eyes darkened as she looked down at her servant. "What do you want? You were all told not to interrupt me unless it was an emergency."

The kneeling figure shook slightly under his master's glare before he began to communicate silently with her via a psychic thread.

Since he wasn't going to be involved in the discussion, Theo's thoughts went inward. He thought about what he knew about the System. After several seconds he realized he didn't know that much. 

He put his forehead on the window glass and sighed. There was a headache just behind his right eye that threatened to erupt every time he wondered what could be behind the System. Finally, instead of bashing his head against the abstract, he decided to ask for help instead. *Sia, what do you know about the System?*

*Almost nothing,* she replied in an apologetic voice. Her transparent form suddenly appeared beside Theo. Her hazel eyes were thoughtful. She pulled a delicate hand through her bangs and sighed. *As much as I hate to admit it, I'm the last person you should ask about this.* She paused, looked at Theo, and laughed. *Think about it. The System created me. Can you really trust anything I have to say about it?* 

*You may be right,* Theo replied, not sounding very convinced.

If he thought about it, the timing of the appearances of the last few notifications was evidence of a form of System consciousness. The last few seem to have appeared just when he needed them. That could be proof of sentience or a very sophisticated program.

As Theo burned more brain cells, he was once again thankful for the benefits of half-time. A glance in his mother's direction showed him that her movements were only now returning to normal. He still hadn't locked down the exact difference between real-time and half-time, but the later made his mother look like she was moving through dense jello.

After about two minutes of silent communication, the uninvited visitor left. Lisey looked at the boy she now believed was her son and frowned. 

"Not good news, I take it."

"It depends on your perspective," she replied absently. She abruptly turned and walked away from Theo. 

"Okay," he mumbled and pulled a nervous hand through his hair. "So, what's your perspective?" He was more than marginally interested in her answer. Memories of what happened last time his mother received a sudden message from one of her servants made it hard for him the breath.

Lisey didn't immediately answer his question. Instead, her thoughts turned inward as she slowly paced around the borders of the room.

Theo glanced at an ornate wall clock and absently noted that ten minutes had passed since his mother had begun pacing. Since he wasn't in a rush, he saw no need to interrupt her musings. He was curious to find out what had passed between her and her servant, but not interested enough to disturb her.

In turn, Lisey was thankful that Theo didn't interrupt her thought process with needless questions. She could see his desire to know what she had just learned. 

She finally stopped pacing and looked at Theo. "The screen you showed me said that you grow stronger based items you get, correct? "

Theo gave her a confused look before he called up the window she was referring to and scratched his chin as he reread the passage in question. When the window first appeared, he hadn't paid close attention to every point's exact wording. At the time, he had been more concerned with the implications of his powers mutating uncontrollably on a whim. 

Instead of answering his mother's question, he used Psychic Link to see the window for herself. His interpretation of the facts may have been different from his mother's, so he wanted her opinion. He gave her an apologetic look before he finally answered. "If I go by the logic of the games I played in my past life, then it would be more accurate to say that there is an unknown probability that I'll receive a specific benefit depending on the type and quality of the item."

Faint disapproval was visible on her face but otherwise didn't respond. She walked around the floating window several times before she finally stopped and called in a thick booklet and placed it in her arm's crook. Then she called in a palm-sized 'link and worked on it for about five minutes straight in silence. After that, she would periodically ask him questions about the different games he once played or the rules that governed the worlds that existed in the light novels he used to read.  

They conversed like this for almost twenty minutes. At some point during their back and forth, they found their way back to the sofa. The notification window stayed up, and she would periodically look at it to cross-reference something she learned with what appeared there. Eventually, she put her link away. In the end, Lisey wasn't precisely satisfied by what she discovered, but she believed she had a general understanding of how Theo's powers work. But the unsure look in her eyes spoke to her lack of confidence concerning another issue. 

Theo saw the look on in his mother's eyes and sighed. Regardless of what I say, she won't be happy. He thought as he searched for the right words to explain what should be impossible.

But it turned out he was completely wrong about his mother. She looked at him and smiled briefly before regaining her stern visage. "What do you want?" she asked. There were several unspoken implications contained within that simple question. 

Answering such a broad yet straightforward question was the last thing he thought he'd be doing right now. Honestly, the question of what he wanted only briefly crossed his mind since he'd awoken. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Right now, I just want to get stronger and find out who wants me dead." There had been two attempts on his life. Someone had attempted to take his life once before he'd taken this body over and once after. He needed to be stronger before he could defend himself against whoever wanted him dead.     

Lisey nodded her head in understanding. "This should help you take your first step down that path." She said and handed him the manual she'd called in earlier. "This is a combat manual for the Eight-Palms Lightning Step. In my youth, I trained this style up to the third palm before my father decided to marry me off to keep me out of trouble." The words were spoken lightly but contained a level of emotion hard to miss.

Theo took the manual and wasn't surprised when he heard the telltale sound of a System notification ring in his mind. 

*Ding!*

Since the skill, Psychic Link, was still active, his mother also saw the window appear. Lisey controlled her facial expressions with some effort. It didn't take a genius to understand why she might view the easy acquisition of a technique she spent years to learn in only a few second distressing. 

 When she looked at her son and noticed the look of embarrassment on his face, her irritation was somewhat alleviated. "Well, at least you have the decency to at least like ashamed." She looked at the window again for several seconds before she gave him a questioning look. "Well?"  

Theo stared blankly at his mother for several seconds before it finally dawned on him that he still had a decision to make. 

Before he made his choice, he paused and snuck a glance at his mother. He could interact with the System's notifications with his thoughts, but something about the look in his mother's eyes fired his instinct for self-preservation, so he decided to take a more measured approach. He gave his mother another measuring glimpse. 

Just as Theo was making his choice, the sound of another System notification rang in his thoughts.

*Ding!*

They both read the contents of the window at the same pace. When Lisey finished, she directed a gaze at her son that sent shivers down his spine.

The only thing he could do was shrug his shoulders apologetically with a crooked smile. 

Lisey refused to dignify that look with a proper response, merely giving a very unladylike grunt instead. Suddenly, a flash of calculation lit up her eyes." What combat class do you have equipped right now?" She remembered quite clearly how her son moved during their brief altercation. So the answer to this question was of particular interest to her. 

Somewhat abashed, he replied." Ninja."

Her mouth hung open briefly before she buried her face in her palms and groaned. 

The sudden desire to hold his mother shocked Theo to his core. What little he could recall of this body's past noted a very stiff mother-son relationship. So he was currently of two minds on how to deal with it.  

Once she finally regained control of her emotions, she directed her attention at the window and tapped her chin thoughtfully. Once she got over her apparent disdain for how her son's powers functioned, reality forced her to admit its potential was tremendous. 

"So, what are you going to do?" She asked again.

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Next Chapter: Consolidation

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