"Mom, you are suffocating me." Heima tapped her hand on Henrietta's back, trying to extricate herself from the hug. Henrietta didn't relent, slightly loosening her hold, remaining in a hug.
"I was really scared when you were undergoing your Induction Ceremony. The survival rate for it is after all, abysmal." Henrietta spoke, her voice a small whisper. She felt Heima's figure, etching it in her memories. It was unknown when she would be able to return from the Raid, so she wanted to spend quality time with her daughter.
"Well, Dad said my Sync Rate is quite high. So, I never faced much danger during the Induction Ceremony in the first place." Heima said, finally getting the chance to break free from her hold.
"If your Sync Rate is below 50%, then your body initiates a rejection, trying to eliminate the Wisdom Parasite in your body. The Wisdom Parasite will retaliate, trying to take over your body. This would lead to death or a loss of control as your ego gets erased, replaced by the ego of the Wisdom Parasite." Henrietta said, giving a light knock on Heima's forehead.
"But, my Sync Rate is very high. So, I would probably never experience…" Heima was interrupted as Henrietta's expression turned sour. She let out a self-deprecating laugh, motioning for Heima to sit.
"Well, there are two cases where your Sync Rate can decrease," Henrietta sat beside Heima, placing the book she read before on her lap. "The first is when you breakthrough; you would fight against the Wisdom Parasite in your body for control, all while elevating its level. The higher your Tier, the greater the decrease in your Sync Rate; have you studied about the process one experiences during a breakthrough?"
"I haven't; Madam Rizenne said she would talk about it next month when our practical lessons begin," Heima said, lifting the luggage on the table and putting it in the shelf overhead. Her actions obtained a slight nod of approval from Henrietta, a sign that she was learning to take care of herself.
"Well, I'll leave it to her to explain. It is a complicated concept and she should have enough material to facilitate the explanation." Henrietta shrugged. It would be a long time before Heima could attempt a breakthrough, so she wasn't worried. "The second is when you get injured. You know that the body of the Wisdom Parasite has fused with our Central Nervous System, right?"
Seeing Heima nod, Henrietta continued, "Suppose you sustain an injury that damaged a part of your Central Nervous System, it would directly decrease your Sync Rate. Even though our healing methods are capable of regrowing the nervous system, the fusion between the Wisdom Parasite and our nervous system cannot be recovered."
"But, don't we have the Frenzy Fruits. Father mentioned that eating a Frenzy Fruit can increase the fusion between the Wisdom Parasite and our Central Nervous System." Heima tilted her head, confusion plastered across her face.
Henrietta said with a chuckle, "That is true, but Frenzy Fruits are a scarce resource. The production cannot keep up with the demand. You should know, thousands of soldiers get injured on a daily basis, making their Sync Rate approach critical levels. Moreover, each Frenzy Fruit can only increase the Sync Rate by a small fraction depending on its Tier."
"But, mother, have a look at this list," Heima said, fishing out the pamphlet containing the treasures that could be exchanged for by merit points. "There are many Frenzy Fruits here, from Tier 1 to Tier 5."
Henrietta gazed at the list, curious about how the rewards had changed since her time. The rewards usually consisted of some Artifacts and Frenzy fruits; they were desirable products, but from the perspective of the students who hadn't faced the reality of the Wilds, they wouldn't be excited by them.
Seeing the top of the list, at the two rows printed in golden, Henrietta almost dropped the pamphlet in shock. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had misread it, taking another glance, feeling her jaw opened wide. Looking further into the list, her hands were trembling in excitement.
Jumping from her bed in excitement, she held Heima's hands, exclaiming, "The Trait Fruit of Temperance, you must ensure you get that no matter what. If possible, you must get all the Trait Fruits. Also, the Relics; they would help you a lot, raising your chance to become a Shifter."
"Dad also mentioned the same," Heima said, recounting everything he had explained till date. Henrietta listened with patience, never interrupting until the end.
"So, he has already thought through all your requirements. Honestly, we preferred you never had such a high Sync Rate in the first place." Henrietta said with a sigh, pouring a glass of water for herself from a nearby jug.
Heima helped her mother, raising a question that had plagued her till now, "Father also mentioned it before. But, he never explained the details when I asked him. Why?"
Henrietta gave a wry laugh, changing the topic, "Have they mentioned the Tiers for both the Warriors and Espers in your classes?"
"Yes, we learned about them in detail on the second day itself. Madam Rizenne also conducted a mock test today, giving us a shock. Thankfully, I studied it beforehand to satisfy my curiosity." Heima placed a hand on her chest, looking like she had safely avoided a crisis.
"You know," Henrietta flashed a smile, flexing her arms, striking a pose, "Your mother is now a Shifter."
"S-Shifter? Really? Just like Uncle Hubert?" Heima beamed in happiness, poking Henrietta's arms, trying to inspect the changes. Henrietta smiled, letting loose a tinge of her aura, directing it towards Heima. Heima lost her balance, her legs gave out under her; thankfully, Henrietta caught her, making her sit on the bed, retracting her aura.
"Mom, that was… awesome. I thought I was going to die for a second there." Heima showed her arms, pointing to the goosebumps that had appeared on it. Henrietta chuckled, not continuing on the topic.
Heima chose the time to ask, "Mom, why did father not show any interest in the two Unranked Skills displayed in the pamphlet despite getting shocked at their appearance?"
"Well," Henrietta paused in thought, "It is probably because our family possesses one too. Moreover, if everything went well, our family will obtain Aristocratic status soon."
"Aristocratic status? Is our Bone family that powerful?" Heima muttered, trying to recall the strength of her family based on the knowledge she gained over the past few days. "It would be awesome if I can see our family's Unranked Skill in action. Father has praised it numerous times, almost boasting it at least 5-6 times every day."
"Well, I can show it to you, but I will refrain from doing so. This is the military academy; you might not realise, but there are powerful Warriors and Espers paying attention on you students 24x7. The moment I try to activate my Unranked Skill, they would detect it. It would then create a series of misunderstanding and if it comes to the worst, they might label me as a threat and choose to attack me."
"I see," Heima nodded with disappointment before gaining a spark of realisation. Thinking back to her mother's statement, she realised that her mother too possessed an Unranked Skill, sparking a sense of curiosity and excitement in her heart.
"Whatever I am about to tell you next, don't leak it to anyone else. Even if your teacher questions you in the related field, don't raise your hand to answer. Only answer the questions whose answer is printed in your textbooks." Henrietta muttered.
"I know mom, I am not an idiot. Of course, I also won't speak about the other details you said till now." Heima stood up, performing a self-conjured salute. "Star Major Battle Fairy, Empress Heima will take an oath of confidentiality."
"Is this what is in the trend these days?" Henrietta chuckled. She then talked with Heima about many things, even including the details of the Flying Signature Raid she had been drafted for. Heima turned sad upon knowing more about the Raid, putting a look of worry. But, she was consoled after Henrietta assured her with how she had hunted a Tier 4 Ring Worm.
…
10:00 PM, Laila's mother looked at the monitor screen, relief plastered across her face as she read through the email. It came from her husband, detailing the successful implantation of the Unranked Skill.
"Lanprita, don't worry about me. I tested the Unranked Skill, Flight, today. I must say, it perfectly complements my abilities, boosting my strength to a great extent. Moreover, the Frenzy Beasts we would be facing in this Raid will be capable of flight, so this will help me a lot. They say that if I could make a lot of contributions, I could return home for a month every year until the Raid concludes. Also, don't reply to my emails since I will be busy; moreover, the orders from higher-ups forbid me from contacting you during this duration. Anyway, I will return home three days before the Raid commences, so we will talk during then. Take care of Laila."
Laila's mother teared up by the time she reached the end of the email, scrolling further, in hopes of finding more of the letter. She continued the action for a minute before sighing, putting the computer in sleep mode, wiping away her tears.
She stood up, closed the door to the room, securely locking it to prevent the children from entering it. Entering the master bedroom, she found the three children fast asleep, with Laila sleeping next to Jyorta, suffocating him a little by resting her leg on his chest. To his left, George slept like a log, not bothered about Jyorta's left hand that rested on his neck or about the book that was beneath his head.
Seeing this scene, Laila's mother felt her mood turning for the better as she gently removed the book from under George's head, placing it atop a nearby drawer. She then slept on the right edge, brushing away a couple of locks of hair that covered Laila's face. She soon fell asleep—the day's activities had tired her.
The eyelids of Jyorta twitched, his fingers slowly moving, his hands clenched and relaxed, repeating the actions. The blue soul connected to his brain, refining his plans, inspecting the condition of Jyorta's soul.
'I am ready. From the information I have gathered, the mother character will leave next month and it looks like it would be a long trip. That is when I will strike. Jyorta boy, enjoy your short, but happy life to its fullest.' The blue soul thought, hiding its thoughts under a multitude of layers of random memories before severing its connection with Jyorta's brain.
