[Leveling Up]
A warm current rushed throughout his body and his entire body felt strangely blissful. It was not the same type of bliss as having an orgasm, but something entirely different. Something entirely fresh.
New.
A sense of breaking the egg and being reborn.
The sensation of evolving the mortal coil.
It was beautiful and powerful.
It was as if his life had gained renewed breath.
[Successfully achieved Level 2]
[Gained +5 Skill Point]
[Gained +5 Stat Point]
Ryan's expression brightened at the notification. And he eagerly looked at his changed stats.
Seraphina looked curiously at him, but Ryan did not answer her questioning gaze. Instead, he turned to look at the pink screen of light, and mentally turned on his status window.
[Name: Ryan Armedius]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Class: Plunder Sucker]
[Level: 2] (Exp: 0/200)
[Physical Body: 10/10]
[Mana: 16/16]
[Skill Points: 5]
[Stat Points: 5]
[Skills: Skill Plunder (Lv.1), Vitality Theft (Lv.1), Luck Sucker (Lv.1), Apex Predator (Lv.1), Appraisal (Lv.1), Enhanced Vision (Lv.1)]
Oh, if I am thinking correct, I can use Stat points to increase my stats and Skill Points to level up my skills, right?
Is that the only way to strengthen stats and skills?
He became curious, but before he could react, he felt something stir near his forehead—a very weird but comforting sensation. He tried to connect with the sensation and immediately, he turned to look at Seraphina with wonder.
[Latent Skill "Twin Telepathy" has been awakened]
Ryan had awakened a new skill.
[Twin Telepathy (Lv.1)]
[A rare psychic bond between you and Seraphina that allows for direct mental communication when in physical contact. At its current level, the telepathic connection is basic but still profound, enabling the exchange of thoughts, memories, emotions, and understanding of abstract concepts without the need for spoken words.]
Ryan immediately took Seraphina's hand into his. She stared at him curiously, not minding the pig blood still in his hand for a moment. But then—both of their faces became weird.
'Can you read my thoughts?' Ryan asked.
'Can you read mine?'
'I just got this skill when I leveled up…'
'Ah, I can see your memories.'
'I can see yours as well, why is it full of training montages?'
'Montages? Wait. Where is this place in your memories? Cars? Dubai? Hm… WHAT?!"
'Wait!'
Ryan's face changed.
'Isekai? Reincarnation? Cultivation? What is all of this clutter in your head? What the heck is an isekai? Wait, why do you have two sets of memories in the first place.'
Ryan tried to snatch his hand back but Seraphina had an iron hold. She stared at him with her silver gaze.
"What is going on?" she asked. "Explain yourself."
"This…"
Unlike Ryan, Seraphina did not understand what an isekai was, it was not a concept she was familiar with. But the moment he wished to explain what it was, she suddenly understood what an Isekai was. Ryan's understanding of the concept was directly taught to her mind through telepathy.
'A strange concept. And then your double memories… remove that barrier around your memories and let me watch it all.'
In this telepathic state, they could exchange words and memories at the speed of thought. In fact, she had watched years of his memories in the span of seconds. And she wanted to know more.
Ryan hesitated.
He had instinctively made it impossible for Seraphina to continue watching his memories—it was a quick and instinctive process.
'I don't want to show it to you,' he said with finality. 'Let go of my hand.'
'I did not ask for your permission. Shut up and remove the barrier.'
'No. Absolutely no.'
'Why?'
Ryan tried to wiggle his hand out but Sera was still firm in her hold. 'Because I hate the me in that memory. I don't want anyone else to know about that. Just let go already!'
"Ryan," Sera said seriously. "Did you isekai?"
He… nodded.
What will she think about him now?
Immediately, he could read her emotions through his telepathic bond. It was not the alienation he feared, not irrational anger, nor was it some sort of sadness. At least, not yet—for now, she was just confused.
She asked for confirmation. "Are you still my little brother Ryan, or are you Max from Earth?"
The thought of him being possessed made her feel profound disgust.
Fear.
"... I am Ryan!"
Worry.
"Sis, are you worried that I am no longer me?"
"No." She shook her head. "What happened is clear to me—I am a Soul Mage sub-class for a reason."
"...What do you mean?"
"Your soul is full. And it is not being possessed by the devil or anything of that sort. Now that we have this bond, I can sense it like it is my own soul.
"Your old, incomplete soul is no longer there. Now, that same soul is repaired, full and lively. It is also quite a bit stronger than normal people. You are still Ryan. But… you are Max as well."
Seraphina was not the type of person who would panic at crucial revelationary moments like this. She calmly analyzed the situation and slowly came to a conclusion—Ryan's soul was safe and healthy.
Nothing to worry about there.
But!
Ryan blinked. "You mean?"
She nodded.
"Both the soul of Ryan and Max are from the same source. You are Ryan and you were Max. You are both of you."
She bit her lips.
If her theory was correct, she had never eaten Ryan's soul in the womb to begin with. That was just a medical misunderstanding that people like her mother and other doctors ended up believing in. Instead, his missing soul must have 'isekaied' as he put it.
That part of him must have lived on Earth as Max.
And when Max's body died, that half-soul must have recoiled back into Ryan's body.
Seraphina stared at him with worry, her face paled visibly.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, I am alright."