Chapter 215: Ch 215: The system does not want you to get stronger
"Wait! Give me a moment to process all of this. I... I have a brother? Since when? And what do you mean by experiment? Can you explain it in more detail?"
Rin felt like he could connect the dots, but the conclusion he was coming to was so ridiculous that he did not want to believe it.
That was why he wanted a clearer explanation, so he could assure himself that he was not going mad.
Thankfully, Kyle seemed to have a lot of patience and was more than happy to explain what he meant.
"I am sure you have already found out the true nature of the apocalypse and what caused it. It was the greedy people who wanted the power of that alien they found. But they wanted more than just power. They wanted a way to control it perfectly."
"So it did not take them long to come up with a plan. That was when they began experimenting on humans by implanting alien DNA into them to create the perfect ’vessel’ capable of controlling that power. You were the first successful prototype to be born from those experiments. Subject #00."
"The experiments stopped once you were born because the creature stopped responding to the other prototypes. But that also made the other researchers jealous that their prototypes had been rejected."
"So the heads of the operation, Mr. and Mrs. Kalos, decided to adopt you and raise you as their own son to hide your existence. It sounds like a touching story, right?"
It sounded like a nightmare straight out of a creepypasta. The more Rin heard, the more he felt his head beginning to ache.
Was this really the truth? No, he already knew it was.
He had seen the records and the evidence that proved it. Moreover, he had seen the alien and felt connected to it.
As absurd and horrifying as all of this sounded, it was the truth.
"Now, you might be wondering where we come in. My companions and I, including Mira, were born from replicas of that experiment. Our creator is... not right in the head. She is someone who is willing to do anything to gain approval from that monster. That includes trying to fool its bond."
That sounded like a can of worms Rin did not want to open.
Still, it was fascinating and filled many of the gaps in his understanding.
Kyle gave him a few seconds to digest everything before continuing.
"Our creator maximized our potential, and unlike you, who was allowed to grow up normally while being observed, we were raised as her ’chosen ones,’ people who could connect her to her ’god.’ But unfortunately for her, none of us wanted to be her puppets. So we escaped from her lab as soon as we could and came to find you."
"We wanted to find the one person who could end all of this for us. So, Rin, join us, and we will make sure this apocalypse comes to an end."
Kyle extended his hand for Rin to take, and Rin had to admit that he felt tempted.
If the apocalypse ended, many lives would be saved. The world would not return to normal, but the threat of people dying would be greatly reduced.
But could he truly trust this person and what he was saying? What if this was all a ploy to lower his guard?
Kyle noticed his hesitation and let out a sigh.
"I understand that you might need time to make your decision. That is why I will not rush you. But we do not have much time, so do not take too long either."
Kyle reminded Rin before taking a step back and beginning to walk away.
It felt strange that he would simply leave after trying so hard to make Rin understand who he was and why he was here.
"Are you surprised that I am not pushing you harder? It is because I know you are a sensible person who can see what is important. Sooner or later, you will make the right decision and come to us of your own accord."
Kyle sounded confident, but Rin did not feel the same. There were still questions he wanted answered, and one of them slipped out before he could stop himself.
"I doubt stopping the apocalypse is the only thing you want to do. So what is your true goal behind all of this? What are you actually trying to accomplish?"
Rin asked, and Kyle paused.
His expression showed surprise before he quickly regained control of himself.
"That is a rather loaded question. But do not worry. I will answer it anyway. My true goal is simple—I want to bring the system down and make those arrogant humans playing god regret their actions. What? Does revenge sound like a petty goal to you?"
Kyle asked, and Rin shook his head.
He had seen people pursue far worse goals in his life, so he was honestly not disappointed by Kyle’s answer.
Kyle sighed and walked over to the calamity’s corpse before reaching inside it. He pulled out a shining stone that Rin immediately recognized as a core.
"You are free to do whatever you want, and as your little brother, I promise I will help you. The first thing we need to do is make you stronger."
Kyle shoved the core into Rin’s chest without warning.
A burning sensation filled Rin’s chest as he instinctively clutched at it, trying to ease the pain. But the burning feeling continued to spread through his heart.
"I know it burns, but do not fight the sensation. You need to accept it and make this power your own."
Kyle’s advice was easy for him to give. He was not the one suffering from the internal agony that threatened to stop Rin from breathing.
Still, Rin did not think he was going to die, so perhaps this was fine.
"You will feel much better once your body absorbs the core. The system is a bastard that does not want you to evolve beyond a certain point. That is why it keeps protecting you and refuses to give you skills that would allow you to protect yourself. But we are not like the system. I will make sure you become strong enough to survive on your own."
The system was hindering his growth?
That sounded like complete nonsense, but why was it so difficult for Rin to refute that claim?
