The Gamer's POV

For most of the memory, Cedric just stared in absolute bewilderment.

So many chaotic thoughts ran through his mind, but the most jarring of all was the sheer reality of the fact that...

’Aika used to be human?’

Suddenly, he recalled the time when she had first mentioned the word "Mom" back in the First Ring.

And then... it finally hit him that this was the exact memory she must have caught a fleeting glimpse of back then.

She had begun regaining memories because Gamer Privileges had stated:

[Due to the exclusive attribute: Gamer Privileges and the Non-diegetic barrier, the authority of #### placed on all bonds was gradually being lifted from the Gamer’s bond.]

However, since her level was too low at the time, the process had been temporarily halted, locking her out of the rest of the memory. Now, it was clear that because her level had increased, the suppression was lifting once more.

’So... Gamer Privileges is responsible for Aika’s sick condition all this while.’

Cedric finally realized the truth.

While he was lost in thought, Aika, on the other hand, was currently experiencing a wave of bitter happiness. She was deeply comforted by the realization that she had once been human. She had a family.

She wasn’t some beast or a strange entity born of magic. She was simply a human trapped in an extraordinary, tragic situation.

After a quiet moment, her voice echoed through the gray expanse Cedric was currently drifting in.

"My suspicion is that all Bonds are humans from the different realms who succumbed to the plague."

Cedric halted his thoughts, stunned by the implication.

Aika continued in a pensive voice. "Xinthrea is a city in the Second Ring. It looks like people like me, the Demon of Resignation, and the Maenad of Ritual Madness are all citizens of the Second Ring."

Cedric arched a brow. "The Maenad of Ritual Madness?"

"Yes," Aika confirmed. "From what we know, the Second Ring is the realm of illusions and madness. And from what I’ve gathered from my memories, it seems that the Carnal Feast — which revolves entirely around drinking and hedonism — was dedicated to the goddess of the Second Ring. Also, all nobles in Xinthrea possessed white hair and gray eyes. Don’t those traits remind you of Dion’s bond? The one influencing him?"

Cedric rubbed his chin as he processed the connection.

Upon thinking about it deeply, Aika’s theory made sense.

"As for your sister’s bond," she continued, her tone shifting to something heavier. "You can also agree that she was likely a noble of Xinthrea who went through those same horrific experiments, which is why she ended up looking like that."

She paused, for a moment as if trying to gather her thoughts.

"It seems that we nobles in Xinthrea were blamed for the plague, though that’s obviously not being the case because I think it’s safe to assume that all the realms were corrupted by the plague eventually."

She sighed.

After a moment of silence, she spoke again. "According to Argentos, people could no longer recall the faces of those who succumbed to the plague. I believe this plague is the exact reason we can’t recall anything about ourselves either. We can’t remember our pasts, yet we still feel human and think like humans."

Cedric’s brow furrowed.

Suddenly, as if a missing piece of the puzzle had just snapped into place, Aika quickly added, "It seems that Argentos knew about Bonds being humans all along."

When Cedric arched a brow questioningly, Aika explained, "Do you remember when we first met Argentos? He said, ’Not a lot of us used katanas. And we were not a people who used magic, other than the gifts we were blessed with, like tracking and anti-magic. So she’s not one of us, that I’m sure of. Which makes things a lot easier.’"

Cedric’s eyes widened as the memory came rushing back. "So that’s why he said that? I was wondering what he meant by it at the time."

Aika added grimly. "I don’t think the Hollow Ones knew about it. But Argentos is a smart man, so he must have figured it out on his own."

"Hm..." Cedric muttered as he grew deeper into thought.

If all this theories were true, then the authority that Aika was gradually breaking away from, according to Gamer Privileges, was probably the authority of the God of Unearned Misfortune.

Since he was responsible for the plaque, then he must be responsible for Bonds.

But why?

Why would he cause this horrific, unfortunate situation for thousands of innocent humans? He had stripped them of their lives, their identities, and their memories, bonding them to people in the Cradle, and subjecting them to cruel fates.

Cedric couldn’t help but feel a hot surge of anger, especially when he remembered how cruelly most nobles treated their Bonds, viewing them as nothing more than tools or subhuman things.

While he was still brooding over the injustice, Aika’s voice echoed through the space.

"There is... another memory. One I received before this one became clear." She hesitated for a moment, the silence stretching between them before she added, "Are you sure you want to see it?"

"Mm?" Cedric arched a brow. ’Is it just me, or is she hesitant?’

After a few seconds of consideration, he said, "Yes."

For a long moment after, the expanse remained perfectly silent. Then, the gray fog suddenly cleared, and Cedric found himself standing in a narrow, forgotten alleyway.

It was raining heavily.

Tucked away in a dark, filthy corner, he could see a young girl sitting on the wet ground, leaning against the damp brick wall with a completely hollow, dead expression.

Upon closer inspection, shock jolted through him.

’Aika?!’

Her hair was now black, and her eyes were a dull blue. She looked to be in a terrible, desperate condition. Worse of all, right at that exact moment, he watched as she picked up a dirty piece of broken glass and dragged it across her wrist.

’What happened?’ Cedric’s chest tightened. ’What about her sister?’

So many frantic questions ran through his mind, but just then, the sound of footsteps splashing to the side caused him to snap his gaze toward the entrance of the alley.

Walking toward them was a man in his twenties, dressed in majestic, sweeping black robes that trailed along the ground. A raven was perched on his shoulder, and the space directly around him seemed to warp, plunging into shadows.

Strangely enough, even as the downpour intensified, the rain didn’t seem to touch him.

But what caused Cedric’s eyes to widen in absolute shock was the face of the person approaching the dying girl. It was none other than himself.

Or rather, his other self.