Chapter 1292 (2/2)

He was Nathan, Architect of Souls.

“...well before we get to the details, I want to check your Soulspace. I’ve looked at your results from the Order Ducis assessment. You have a very high efficacy coefficient, which is extremely important.” Nathan stood up and walked around the desk. He offered Derek his hand. “If you are willing to let me check…?”

“Efficacy coefficient…? Ah, yes, sure.” Derek responded.

The two shook hands. There was the slightest prickling on the back of Derek’s neck while the two’s palms were touching, and his Skill pinged a hint of danger in the connection. But then the two parted and the sensation disappeared.

With a small frown on his face, Nathan nodded slowly. “Well, it can be easily skewed by you lying about your base Stats and Skills, but your efficacy coefficient basically compares how well you perform based on how well your parameters predict you perform; it’s based on an early training schedule that Mrs. Hamilton of Donnyton designed for Randidly Ghosthound to get him to push the limits of his Skills.”

“..so you are checking for whether people are lazy?” Derek asked.

“A little, but it’s more about the precursor for using images.” Nathan shrugged. “From your base state, how much of a result can you squeeze out of yourself? That desire to do more with the same is a valuable predictor of future image strength. But okay, I would recommend that we evolve your Class before attempting your Fate. Your current Class doesn’t seem like a great fit for your images, and with your fear grown so large… condensing a Fate might legitimately be difficult if we don’t make some preparations.”

Even though Derek had been wrestling with his inner demons for quite some time, it was still a shock to hear Nathan so casually refer to them. “My… fear?”

“It’s a part of you that will definitely come up during the production of your Fate. And it seems like it’s been steadily growing in your heart.” Nathan looked up at Derek with a pensive expression. He was so young; he was so thin in front of Derek. It felt slightly surreal for him to be talking so clinically about Derek’s fear. “We should address it first. Because those things are exactly the sources of danger in the process of Fate creation.”

“I can control it,” Derek raised his chin. His hands were abruptly beginning to sweat. What did this teenager know about a father’s fear? “I believe that it shouldn’t be a problem-”

“You shouldn’t suppress it, Mr. Moss. In fact, why don’t you indulge it?” Nathan said.

That earned a frown from Derek. Hearing such a silly suggestion... “You want me to.. Indulge the fear? Because what I’m afraid of is that I’ll die and leave my son alone in this world the System had turned into a brutal survival of the fitness nightmare scenario. And after his mother died-”

As he felt his voice steadily growing in volume, Derek quickly reigned in his urgency. Nathan simply listened. After forcefully calming himself down, Derek continued to speak in a more normal tone. “I don’t think it will be helpful to dwell on that too long. I can manage this without any help.”

“I disagree.” Nathan smiled brightly up at Derek. “I know it’s strange, I know it’s hard to take me seriously… but just humor me. Tell me why are you so afraid of those things happening?”

Derek was briefly shocked speechless. But after his day of being judged, everything was beginning to become somewhat fuzzy. “You are asking me… why I’m afraid of dying and leaving my son alone…?”

Without any shame, Nathan nodded. “Yea, what’s the core of that feel? What do you want?”

“I… heh, it’s dumb to say out loud. But if you insist… I don’t want to leave him alone. I want him to grow up safe,” At this point, Derek’s expression almost transformed into something reflective. The more he said the words, the less angry he was. “I just want to protect my son.”

“Yea,” Nathan said. His eyes slowly slid down until they were half-closed. That pressure from Nathan’s image once more leaked out into the surrounding air. “That’s everything to you, isn’t it?”

And weirdly, Derek felt himself relaxing as he held Nathan’s gaze. The air became thick. Derek’s emotions slowly calmed. A Path opened for him. “...yea. I would do anything to protect my son. That’s why… why even if condensing a Fate is a dangerous risk, I cannot afford not to take it. He’s my son. He…”

The more Derek said it. The more the fear receded. The more determination surged forward. The more he knew that this was the right decision.