He took a moment to comprehend the weight of this new information.
'So basically you exist as a sort of controlled limiter in my mind to prevent my own soul from overwhelming and destroying me because a bunch of eggheads decided to punch a breach into something they could not understand?'
> [The System is detecting heightened levels of irritation within the Host. Such conditions are not advisable for the Host's current condition]
His chest rose and fell considerably as he took a deep breath to calm himself. He was not actually angry. In truth he was merely significantly annoyed at the amount of illogical risk humans were willing to take just to satisfy their own curiosities.
Within moments he had returned his disposition to that of simple indifference and turned his attention back to the System.
'So how is this partnership of ours supposed to work?'
> [The System measures the rate of growth of the Host over time and releases the appropriate amount of power to match that growth. The faster the Host grows, the more powerful you'll become]
'Is that so? Well then, let's see my current status now'
In reply, the blue texts vanished from the interface and he was suddenly presented with a brand new one that seemed somewhat familiar to him in design, even though he was fairly certain he had never seen such a thing before.
> [Host Designation: Subject 013]
[System Designation: Mirror System]
[Health Status: Severely Injured]
[Stamina Status: Badly Exhausted]
[Constitution: E]
[Current Overall Rank: D]
[Strength: D]
[Agility: C]
[Endurance: C]
[Perception: B]
[Dexterity: D]
[Control: E]
[Skills:]
[Reflecting Touch (Rank: E)]
[Mirror's Edge (Rank: E)]
[Overdrive Mode (Disabled)]
As he stared at the status screen in the forefront of his mind's eye, he suddenly realized where he had recognized it from.
'System, I have two questions...'
> [The System will answer whatever questions the Host shall ask to the best of its ability]
It replied in the same emotionless voice.
'First off, why does this thing look like something straight out of a video game?'
He might still be a bit delirious from the condition of his body but he was almost certain that he could feel a miniscule modicum of disdain in the System's reply.
> [The creators of the System had thought it appropriate to utilize something that would not only most accurately represent the categorizing of power they wished to achieve, but also appeal to the minds of the System Users who would most likely be young humans]
He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling a sharp pain lance through his lungs even at that small action.
'Ok, I think I can understand that as well. As for my next question... Why do I know what a video game is, despite having absolutely no memory of anything beyond my existence in that tank at the facility?'
> [The White Circle scientists theorized that the Conditioning process to thoroughly alter and modify the body of the Users would likely last for decades. During that time, the Users must be under constant observation and treatment. This would of course affect them negatively at they would end up having zero knowledge on the world around them due to their extremely sheltered existence. To rectify that problem, the System is tasked with imbuing the Host with all common knowledge related to the world and the society enough to allow for positive reaction and interaction between the Host and the environment]
'So that's how I somehow know about all these things... Cars, races, science... things I've never even heard of... They are all in my head...'
He had information on so many things. Before now he had not really thought about it much, simply choosing to shift the topic aside in favor of dealing with more important matters. But now that it was all but shoved into his face, he could not ignore the jumbled mess that was his mental state.
He knew things that he had no way of explaining how he had obtained that knowledge. Memories were most easily understood because they were derived from experiences that leave impacts on an individual. To recall a certain memory, it was all but necessary to have a medium of sorts, to serve as a link between the past and the memory itself.
But still... How did he know this?
There were no experiences for him to link this very thought itself to. He had no recollection of anything. No experiences, no past, no beginning.
Emotions were born out of desires, and desires themselves existed based on a collection of specific environmental, physical and metaphysical factors. He did not possess any of those.
All he knew, all he had ever known, was the darkness. That omnipresent endless void that he had existed in for as long as he could consciously and subconsciously remember. Therefore, without any other thing to serve as a foundation to build his fragile mind on, his subconscious focused instead on that darkness itself to build upon.
The cold nature of the oblivion that was nothingness extended its unfeeling grasp into his mind, a small negligible seed that went completely unnoticed as it slowly but surely settled its roots.
But every living thing was bound to have at least one single driving force behind every action made. For all that was, there existed a reason, a drive, equal, opposite, sometimes even both. That was the law of nature. Not even a recently awakened spawn of mankind was excerpt from this.
In fact, it was he who was the most susceptible to this law.
He inhaled again and felt his vision grow blurry at the sheer pain that wracked his body in that instant. Even without being able to see or touch any part of his body, he could tell that he was in an extremely pitiful state.
Whatever surface he was lying on had long since grown moist with his blood that leaked from dozens of wounds all over his body. The worst of it all, was a particularly devastating one that never ceased to make itself known whenever he drew breath.
He could feel its presence on his chest, and knew instinctively that whatever had done this had gone right through his torso, and had left a very messy trail of destruction behind in its wake.
There was no doubt about it. This was a shot that was supposed to kill him. An attempt to end his life, to rob him of an existence he had just started hours before.
He had not yet learned how to understand and properly process the concept of emotions, but somehow, he knew exactly what he was feeling right now as his hands clenched into tightened fists at his sides.
This was rage. Pure, undiluted, chilling rage that flowed from his genetically augmented mind. Potent as it was, his rage suffused the entire room to the point where no ordinary human would have been able to withstand his presence.
The White Circle had done this to him. They were the ones responsible for putting him in such a helpless situation. All because he had chosen to try to escape their mad attempts at playing God.
They had wanted to terminate him for being a failure. Well then... he supposed he would just have to show them just vindictive a 'failure' could be.
> [The Host is showing severe signs of undesired agitation]
[The System will now place the Host in stasis to avoid further triggering of such situations until the Host has been stabilized]
He felt a rush of indignation at the System that was supposed to help him accomplish his goals treating him in such a manner but that feeling was instantly dispelled by the cold logic that allowed him to understand that it was right in its actions.
Such stress upon his mind would only heighten the strain of his body to heal itself. Already he could feel the strands of destroyed muscles knitting themselves back together, flesh rent by bullets closing up to fuse shut.
All he needed was time. Time to heal. Time to grow strong. Strong enough to completely crush all who opposed him in this world. Then he would obtain his revenge on The White Circle for their crimes against him.
As he slowly let himself be pulled back into the now familiar cold depths of oblivion, he thought he saw a strange shadow-like darkness creeping along the borders of the interface that presented his status screen.
But before he could pay it more attention, he slipped away from the world of the waking into the darkness.