August Intruder- Chapter 41- Form (Patreon)

David and Naymond gave Melmarc what could be considered a basic run-down of his task. And by David and Naymond, it was mostly David doing the talking and Naymond adding background interruptions and the occasional commentary on unreasonable things.

Naymond talked quite often… and a lot. But it wasn’t like him to talk about the unnecessary.

Judging by the way Pelumi looked at him from time to time, Melmarc was certain that he wasn’t the only one who noticed it.

The entire task, when dumbed down to the specifics by David, didn’t sound so dangerous anymore. It didn’t even sound very important.

Naymond seemed to find the explanations and directions endlessly boring. He kept walking up to the walls and running his fingers along it and checking for what Melmarc couldn’t figure out.

It was a simple task. And while the concept of the house he would be sent to, the item he would pick, and the drop-off location were skeptical, the journey seemed easy enough.

Then David pulled out a map from one of the drawers of the table he was sitting on and spread it on the table.

Naymond groaned. “Do we really need to go that far?”

“Yes.” David didn’t even look up from him.

“Seems like a complete waste, though.” Naymond went back to finding a spot on the chair surprisingly fascinating.

“So here’s the house you’ll be starting from,” David said, pointing at a spot on the map. “This is a map of that area so it’s not very large. We’re banking on them not requiring you to go outside this area.”

Pelumi bent the map to get a better view of something. “And what if they want him to go outside that area?”

“We’ve got another map for that.” David reached behind the desk once more and provided another rolled up map.

This one was larger.

Melmarc held up the phone that was not his phone. “Or I could just use the gps.”

David dropped the new map on the table without opening it. Behind him, Naymond chuckled.

“These houses,” David said, “aren’t going to have numbers and street names. How do you put in eight street, fourth lane, and fifth house on a map?”

When he put it like that, it made more sense.

“Kind of stupid to expect highschoolers to be able to figure that out, don’t you think?” Naymond walked up to them and took a look at the map. “Your map’s also kind of complicated. I say we throw it all out.”

David sighed, and Melmarc got the idea that Naymond liked pissing people off.

“They don’t want some random highschooler.” David moved the map out of Naymond’s reach. “They want highschoolers with a certain level of intelligence that will guarantee the package is dropped off properly. We’re trying to get him to the final not to end at the starting line.”

“Final’s in like what? Three weeks.” Naymond snorted. “He’ll be fine.”

“Three weeks?” Melmarc looked between the both of them. “I’m not going to be here in three weeks.”

“Not a big deal.” Naymond didn’t seem bothered. “We can always extend your mentorship period. Say it’s due to exceptional service or demanded due to grave necessity. If housing is the issue, don’t worry about it. You can stay at my place for as long as you like.”

Housing was definitely not the problem. Melmarc simply didn’t want to be the Gifted that over-shot the period for his mentorship program. His parents hadn’t even gotten to learn of the fact that he was a Gifted.

They hadn’t been back since they’d left for their last trip. And while Melmarc didn’t show it, it was worrying him quite a lot. He didn’t think he could even function properly outliving his mentorship period.

“Is it the return flight?” Naymond asked, curious.

Pelumi looked up from the map. “Return flight?”

“Yeah.” Naymond brought out his phone and checked it. “Some mentees like to book round trips. That way they know when they’re coming and going. No idea why they do it.”

“Maybe because it’s cheaper,” Pelumi suggested.

Naymond shook his head. “The Government pays for your flights back and forth.”

“Anyway…” Naymond put the phone back in his pocket. “I say we throw out the map and let Mr. Lockwood wing it.”

David shook his head. “I say we don’t. These guys will be judging based on time, knowledge and discretion. Which means that if he wants to get to the finals, he needs to be on top of his game every time.”

Melmarc wasn’t sure David and Naymond understood what was going on. He wasn’t going to make it to the finals. He didn’t want to.

So he told them.

“I’m not going to be here in three weeks.” He was hoping to make it quite clear. “My mentorship ends in two weeks, and then I’m going home.”

“It’s not in three weeks,” David said.

Melmarc pointed at Naymond. “He just said it was in three weeks.”

“And it’s not. We’re prepping for an event that’s supposed to go down in the next eight days. They’ll have you make four deliveries in eight days, as long as you keep being successful.”

Melmarc just looked at him.

“But Naymond said three weeks,” Pelumi repeated.

“And Naymond says random things from time to time.” David looked between them as if he was looking at dumb children. “You work with him. I would assume you know that by now.”

This entire day was making it harder for Melmarc to trust Naymond. He’d thought of Naymond as someone a bit on the eccentric side with all the office shuffling and arranging. Now, he was finding that he couldn’t take the Sage seriously.

He did say he was a felon that shouldn’t be trusted.

And yet, he worked for the police. Melmarc still didn’t know what that was about.

As for Naymond, he remained in the corner. He was studying a picture now. It was framed and small.

“Can we continue now?” David asked.

With everything Melmarc knew about the task now, he was in agreement that learning the map was necessary. He clearly couldn’t use a gps if they were going to give him directions based on street location and house positions without actual names and numbers.

By the end of the conversation, Melmarc had a vague idea of what was required of him. From David’s speculation, what he was doing was similar to what would be done when Melmarc got to the house.

The people he would meet would show him a map. Then they would point out where he was supposed to go. At the end of it all, he would have to navigate his way there.

Another piece of information David gave him was that through out his journey he would have eyes on him.

“Even if you notice them, don’t show it,” David said, rolling up the map. “Just keep your eyes on the task, and show no big interest in the package and you’ll be fine.”

“And what do I do once I get to the destination?” Melmarc asked.

“You go in, hand over the package, get your hundred bucks and get out.”

Pelumi folded her arms. “Sounds easy enough.”

Melmarc couldn’t disagree. Still, he had a strange feeling about it. Maybe he was just nervous. He wasn’t the adventurous brother, after all. That was more of Ark’s speed. Ark could look at the risks and still do it.

Uncle Dorthna had once called Ark the gambling brother.

So asking him to do a task he didn’t know everything about felt a bit too much. But if I only do things I know everything about, I’d never do anything.

“Alright, alright.” Naymond clapped loudly. “That’s enough confusion for thirty minutes. Let’s allow Mr. Lockwood stew in his thoughts for another thirty minutes then reconvene.”

He gestured for David to leave.

With a few mutters and nothing coherent, David got up and gave them the room.

When he was gone, Naymond just stood there in his suit, arms folded.

“So,” he said. “Which one’s it going to be? Will you stew or ask me the questions you want to ask me?”

Melmarc played around with the question for a bit. Did he really want to sit here and think about the entire thing?

Am I really even going to think about it?

He wouldn’t come up with any alternate answer in the next hour or two. If it was something that had to be done in maybe two days, then he would definitely need to think about it. If he slept on it, he was sure he could wake up with one reason or the other not to do it. A reason that would maybe convince him not to.

But this was basically last minute. Did they tell him now just so that it would be difficult for him to have ample time to think about it?

Still, he knew he wouldn’t say no. They’d made the task seem too important. And as much as he hated to admit it, he had a habit of being there if he thought it mattered. He did it for Ark, Delano, Eroms…

And now I’m going to do it for the police department.

But why? What made him say yes to situations like this?

Do I have some kind of hero complex?

This was beginning to bother him. Maybe Ark wasn’t the only one that needed therapy. He shook the thought and turned his attention back to Naymond.

“How long have you known?” he found himself asking.

Naymond walked around the table and sat in the office seat. It was made of black leather. “Since we picked David up. David gave us the run down of everything that was happening and Alfa and I brainstormed on what we would do.”

“Are you willing to share how this brainstorming session went?” Pelumi asked.

“I don’t see why not. It’s not like there was anything deep about it.” He picked up a random piece of paper and started folding it as he talked. “Alfa thought we should tail the kids and arrest the people at the final pickup, but I said no. Would put the kids at too much of a risk. Then she suggested that David probably leak the exact location somehow.”

“And you said no,” Pelumi said.

“Gods no.” Naymond laughed, ignoring the paper for a moment. “I was all for that one. It would probably take a lot for him to get information that important early enough for us to do anything with it, but I do enjoy watching the man squirm under pressure.”

“Then why aren’t we doing that?” Melmarc asked.

“Because Alfa concluded all on her own that it would be too risky for David and we still needed him for more investigations.” Naymond snorted. “I keep telling her we can do all this witout him but she insists we keep him around. I could go above her head and appeal my case. But where’s the fun in that?”

Melmarc wasn’t sure how to respond to that. So he asked the question again.

“I meant how long have you known.”

Naymond paused, then smiled.

Pelumi looked between the both of them, confused.

Naymond nodded in acknowledgement. “You pick up quick. Well, as quick as can be expected.”

“What did you pick up quick?” Pelumi asked Melmarc.

“He’s always known about this task,” he answered. “Even before we went to get David. When you got out of the car, he asked me to make sure I don’t get seen.”

Then he watched her piece everything together. When she was done, she frowned.

“You knew even before our mentorship started,” she said, looking at Naymond. “It’s why he chose us.”

“Actually,” Naymond said. “It’s why I chose him. You were just a beautiful stroke of Invoker luck. I’ve always been enamored by your Class but rarely ever get the chance to study it. Do you know that Invokers and Priests are the only Classes that get Faith points?”

Melmarc didn’t know about Pelumi but he definitely didn’t know that.

“It’s an amusing thing.” Naymond flattened the paper he’d been folding with his elbow. “What’s even more amusing is that none of you have any real idea what it does. Seers get Fate points but they know what that does so it’s boring and of no interest to me. But Faith points.”

He placed his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. “What do Priests and Invokers do with Faith points. Clearly the idea of mana and gods should not co-exist. Because if there should be a God or a pantheon of gods that belong to earth, then what about those places were the portals lead to?”

“I thought we said they were just mana phenomenons,” Melmarc answered.

Naymond wagged his finger at them. “No, no, Mr. Lockwood. We said some of them are mana phenomenons. But even Ms. Pelumi argues the fact that her summons might not just be some insignificant clumps of mana pooled together and controlled by some Artificial Intelligence born of mana. Isn’t that right, Ms. Pelumi?”

Pelumi nodded, uncertain.

While this conversation was interesting, Melmarc wondered if this was how they were going to spend their next thirty minutes, talking about gods. Personally, it was his opinion that if angels were real, then there was bound to be some logic to the concept of gods.

They probably exist but not in the way the religious and spiritual made them out to be. Right?

They’re probably really strong enemies behind some portal somewhere.

Somehow the thought did not reassure him in anyway. Instead, it terrified him.

He could picture Delvers fighting angels. But gods…

That’s a stretch.

It was a scary thought. This wasn’t the movies where some guy gained power and challenged the gods. Or some video game where a man went marauding all over the place killing gods in the name of vengeance.

This was real life.

“So we have to ask ourselves,” Naymond was saying. “If there are no gods, then what are Faith points? Are they left to the discretion of Invokers and Priests to decide what they are? Are they like skills that can be malleable to some extent based on what the Gifted decides?”

Melmarc didn’t know that skills were malleable in any way. He knew they showed great diversity based on how you upgraded them. But malleable… he’d never heard of that.

Pelumi shook her head. “I thought about it and I don’t think my summons are truly alive. If they were, it would be like claiming that I was summoning them from another part of the world.”

Naymond’s look softened as she spoke. He looked like a man giving a child enough time to come to a realization just so that he could tell them that they were wrong.

Pelumi didn’t seem to notice it as she went on. In fact, she sounded as if she was convincing herself and not Naymond.

“If Summoners and Invokers were summoning people from all over the world, then people would have already been talking about it.”

“There could be another possible theory,” Melmarc offered as a thought came to mind.

“Like what?” Pelumi asked. “We clearly aren’t bringing them from beyond the portal. Nothing beyond the portal has that level of emotional presence. Not like the summons do. And we don’t find humans inside portals. There would’ve been reports of such things. So that doesn’t count.”

“What of Players?”

Something flew at Melmarc’s head so fast he barely moved his head in time to avoid it. It struck the wall behind the couch and fell to the ground.

When he turned, he saw an alarmed, surprised, yet amused look on Naymond’s face.

“What’s a Player?” Pelumi asked.

“A Player,” Naymond said pointedly. “Is a person who picks up a controller, turns on a console, and goes online to play video games.”

Melmarc glared at him. “What? That’s not what—”

“That.” Naymond returned his glare. “Is what a player is supposed to be. Now I don’t know how you have that specific piece of information, but I very much assure you that it is well above your pay grade.”

“I don’t get paid.”

“Then it’s above your rank.”

Pelumi watched the both of them through narrowed eyelids. “A Player isn’t what you just told me it is, is it?”

Naymond shot her a charming smile. “Of course not, Ms. Pelumi. A Player also plays games offline. And while there are more definitions of a Player, our good Mr. Lockwood does not realize that he has just admitted to knowing something even the one percent of the world does not know. Or,” he looked at Melmarc, “maybe it’s common knowledge where he’s coming from. Which will mean that he’s among the one percent of the one percent.”

Melmarc didn’t like the way Naymond was emphasizing on the one percent.

“Either way,” Naymond continued. “It is information I would advise he keep to himself for the foreseeable future if he doesn’t want to end up in trouble or put someone else in trouble. As for Ms. Pelumi’s theory, she’s not wrong. I was aware of this entire possibility, and I cannot stress the word ‘possibility’ enough, before you came in.”

It was odd how he thought he could drop such a heavy bomb and just expect everyone to move on from it.

“And you picked Marc because he was a Faker?” Pelumi asked, to Melmarc’s surprise.

She sounded like she’d really dropped her curiosity in Players.

“Yes,” Naymond answered Pelumi.

“Why?”

“Well, for starters, would you be a dear, Mr. Lockwood, and pass me my little project?”

Melmarc didn’t have to think about it. He reached behind the couch for what Naymond had thrown at him.

It was a thick piece of paper crafted to look like a Ninja’s shuriken. He picked it up by one of its intended blade.

“Careful now, Mr. Lockwood,” Naymond said quickly. “Those things can be sharp.”

Melmarc wasn’t sure what he was talking about. The thing was thick and strong and blunt. It was clearly the result of folding too many pieces of paper together.

“You can just throw it,” Naymond told him when he moved to get up. “No need to get up and stress yourself.”

Melmarc threw it and it landed on the desk.

Naymond picked it up and admired it. “As for Melmarc being a Faker, Ms. Pelumi, that was nothing but a stroke of luck. If I’m being honest, I would’ve preferred an agility type with sufficient spatial awareness, as well as a good awareness of their surroundings.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I needed him for a more combat based support role. The plan was to storm this specific gathering and bring the group down in one go.”

“Then why combat based support?” Melmarc asked. “Was I somehow supposed to be part of the whole thing?”

“You can’t expect a mentee to be a part of the fight,” Pelumi said. “Detective Alfa already said that’s not allowed.”

Naymond shook his head. “You guys have it all wrong. I said I needed someone with awareness. Mr. Lockwood has something in that category. His skill, while it doesn’t have a range as wide as I would like, gives him awareness of his surroundings to a good degree. I estimate that if he keeps mastering it, he might be offered a mapping skill.”

A mapping skill? Melmarc hadn’t even considered that possibility.

“Aren’t mapping skills more for scout Classes?” he asked. “Like Rogues and Rangers and Thieves.”

Naymond chuckled. “You do know that only one of those three Classes is actually a scouting class, right, Mr. Lockwood? And that’s the Rogue Class.”

“How is there even a class called Thief?” Pelumi asked. “Where I come from they frown severely on the thief Class. It’s almost as if the world is saying that a Thief is an important part of life.”

Naymond was checking his phone again. “Well, in all fairness, a thief is important.”

“How much time do we have left?” Melmarc asked.

Naymond perked up at that. “What?”

“You keep checking your phone for the time. How much time do we have?”

Naymond shrugged. “No idea. And I’m not checking the time.”

He turned the phone and Melmarc saw that he was on a chat group. It had a dark background and the fonts were of different colors that gave him a distinct programming vibe.

“It’s the dark web.” Naymond turned the phone back to himself. “Don’t tell the detective. I’m not supposed to be on it. But, in compromise, I don’t chat anymore, I just gather information I use to help solve cases. For example, this is how I found out I’ll need someone with special awareness for my next plan. I’m on some conspiracy theorist group where they think the group we’re chasing after has gotten their hands on a Crafter that can craft a drug to temporarily give people powers. There’s another vampire theory, something to do with the Romanians. Close, but not quite there yet.”

Pelumi’s jaw dropped. “That’s impossible.”

Melmarc was stuck on the part where his sub-mentor was on a conspiracy theory group. What were the chances Delano and Naymond were in the same group?

As for it being impossible to give normal people powers, Melmarc wasn’t sure about how impossible it was. After all, there were a few Classes with skills that could temporarily grant status buffs to other Gifted. What was to say there couldn’t be a way to grant other benefits?

“You’re not wrong,” Naymond agreed. “But you’re not right. I’m guessing the drugs would grant some kind of buff to the non-Gifted for a period of time. While the government would rather not have that, we’re trying to stop it for the sole purpose of the possible side-effects and addictive nature of the drug.”

“Side effects?” Melmarc wasn’t sure he wanted to know just what kind of side-effects could come from a drug that gave people skills.

“No one knows yet. We just know there has to be.”

“And what if there’s none?” Pelumi asked.

Naymond grinned. “Then there’ll be nothing the government will have against the drug.”

Pelumi snorted. “The government would just allow a drug like that run rampant? Dey play.”

“What does that even mean?” Melmarc asked.

“It means you should keep deceiving yourself,” Naymond said. “I believe it’s a Nigerian slang. You use it when someone has said something wrong with too much confidence. Usually something that favors themselves in a certain context. For instance, I said the government would be okay with a drug not under their control as long as it has no addictive effect or side-effect.”

“Which is obviously delusional,” Pelumi said.

“And in response, she said,” Naymond gestured at her, “Dey play. Which means I’m being naïve, overconfident or stupid. Or I’m just outright talking crap.”

“Naïve,” Pelumi confirmed very quickly. “Not stupid. It’s not intended to be insulting.”

Melmarc nodded. Dey play.

It was such a weird slang. Or it could just be him. Just because something existed outside the known cultural norm, it didn’t make it weird.

Right?

“Now that we’ve settled that.” Naymond got up from his seat, abandoning his paper craft on the table. “Let’s go meet up with my C.I and get ready for this program of ours.”

Melmarc got up along with Pelumi when he remembered what he really wanted to ask.

“Mr. Hitchcock,” he said quickly. “What did you mean when you said that my ability to tell that the phone wasn’t mine was a side effect of my skill?”

Naymond paused at the door. “I meant what I meant.”

Melmarc cocked a brow. “Sorry, but that doesn’t help.”

Naymond turned and leaned against the door. “What’s your skill mastery currently at? I mean the both of them.”

Melmarc pulled up his information with a simple thought.

[Name: Melmarc Jay Lockwood]

[Class: Faker – Skateboarding (Mastery 65.93%)]

[Rank: B]

[Growth Potential: Unranked]

Status: August Guest +0.5 to all stats, Intruder -0.5 to all stats.

He focused on his rank, and the information switched.

[Name: Melmarc Jay Lockwood]

[Class: Faker – Gossip (Mastery 10.19%)]

[Rank: B]

Skills

Knowledge Is Power (Mastery 4.89%)

While skill is in effect you can neither inflict damage nor be damaged.

Conclusion of skill will end inability to deal damage or be damaged.

Conclusion of skill grants conditional mastery of all information received for eight minutes.

All threats, allies, and neutrals detected are highlighted for eight minutes.

Skill perks:

Agility +2 Balance +1 Mental +3 Mana +1

Bless Your Kindness (Mastery 3.67%)

Conclusion of skill Knowledge Is Power grants +0.5 increase to all stats for eight minutes and a potential status buff based on number of life forms detected.

…

[Growth Potential: Unranked]

Status: August Guest +0.5 to all stats, Intruder -0.5 to all stats.

Melmarc read the mastery for each skill to Naymond and Naymond let out a low whistle.

“I guess we can say we know what side of the unranked scale you ended up in.”

As for Pelumi, she was far more surprised. “How did you get your skill mastery that high? I’ve been using my summoning skill any chance I get and I’m only at 4% mastery.”

“It’s his growth potential,” Naymond answered. “Yours is… Sorry, do you mind if I tell him yours?”

Pelumi shrugged. “Sure.”

“So yours is a C but his is on a different wave-length. It’s more of a double edged sword when it has not been confirmed. But I’m fairly certain which side of the spectrum it ended up.”

Pelumi turned to Melmarc. “What’s your growth potential? De’andre’s got a B-rank growth potential which is the highest among the mentees.”

Melmarc hesitated before he answered. “Mine is unranked.”

Pelumi just stared at him.

That was the expression Melmarc had been expecting from the examiner when he’d gone to register his Class with Ark.

“But there are no Unranked growth potentials.” Pelumi turned to Naymond. “Everyone knows that.”

“Yes,” he confirmed. “But in the last three years we’ve been experiencing people who have registered unranked growth potentials. They aren’t that many. And I mean they are so few that the American government is only aware of four right now. One of which is an S-rank with a world skill.”

Melmarc’s mind went to Eroms almost immediately. What were the chances Naymond was talking about him?

“When they’re growth potential is confirmed to be unranked, they are given a card,” Naymond continued. “Then, according to the processes in place, the card is upgraded when they pick a Gifted school based on if they intend to be Delvers or not. Finally, it’s replaced with a dog-tag. Something they can keep on themselves at all times. I say it’s a process because we don’t yet have an unranked growth Gifted that’s graduated from any Gifted schools.”

“This sounds like it’s supposed to be a bigger secret than the Player thing,” Melmarc pointed out. “So what about the side effects of my skill?”

“Every skill has a side effect… One moment.” Naymond opened the door and stuck his head out. “Three more minutes, David, and you can have the kids.”

Naymond closed the door back and returned his attention to them.

“Where was I? Oh, yes. The side effect of my skill is that I can feel every single molecule of blood being pumped out of my heart. It used to be less, then I hit 30% mastery and it’s now a pain in the ass. My guess is that your skill gives you perfect awareness of your environment when you use it. It’s only safe to assume you already have a certain level of awareness of your personal belongings. Things that are with you at all times.”

Melmarc was confused. “But I’ve never noticed them.”

“I’m sure you haven’t. It’s like your nose.”

“What about my nose?”

“You see it all the time, but your eyes just always ignore it. I’d estimate you’re always aware of your really personal belongings you just always ignore it. For example, when you use your skill, do you… You know what, experience is the better teacher.”

“What do you mean?” Melmarc asked.

“You’re going to use your skill right now.” Naymond opened the door. “Make sure you copy my skill when you do. You remember the name, right?”

Melmarc shook his head.

“It’s called World of Insight. You ready?”

Melmarc nodded.

“Good.” Naymond stuck his head outside and bellowed: “BRACE FOR IMPACT!”

There was a cacophony of people bursting into immediate action. The noise was cantankerous and yet oddly organized.

Naymond stuck his head back inside. “You can go for it.”

Melmarc looked at Pelumi and she shrugged.

There was no point arguing the case. He really wanted to learn what Naymond wanted to teach him. So he activated [Knowledge Is Power].

[You have activated skill Knowledge Is Power.]

He counted the seconds as it left him. It returned to him on the third second. At least, it was roughly three seconds. He wasn’t ready to bank on his mental clock accuracy.

[Skill Knowledge Is Power is concluded.]

[All stats are increased by +0.5.]

[Life forms detected: 19.]

[You have received 19 Potential buffs.]

Naymond shivered visibly as he closed the door.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that feeling.”

Beside Melmarc, Pelumi didn’t look bothered in the slightest.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I kind of like how it feels.”

Naymonds eyes narrowed at her. “I know we both feel it differently. But just out of curiosity, what does it feel like to you?”

“A warm hug.”

“Of course it does.” Naymond glared at Melmarc. “Mine feels like someone may or may not be trying to shank me. It’s like they are waiting to make a decision.”

Melmarc wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that Naymond’s indicator was grey or if it was because he still hadn’t decided on whether the Sage was trustworthy or not.

“Anyway, what did you find out, Mr. Lockwood?”

Melmarc knew what he was asking and only needed a moment to get the answer.

“Some people are hiding under their tables.” He walked up to the window blinds and pulled one down to stare out of the office. “Detective Bart has what I hope is evidence of a drug case in his drawer, and Detective Luke’s gun is jammed so it won’t fire on the next shot. Someone should probably tell him.”

Naymond nodded. “And I’m sure you’re aware of a whole lot more.”

Melmarc nodded. He very well couldn’t start mentioning all the things he knew. But the more he thought about what he knew, the more he realized he knew. For example, he knew all nineteen buffs he could select from. He also knew that there was still a piece of meat in Pelumi’s mouth stuck between two teeth. It was so small that it could go unnoticed unless he pointed it out.

And he knew for a fact that his phone was not his at all. It had felt different earlier, but now it was completely different.

That means I can spot fakes as long as I’ve been with the original, he thought.

It was funny how that was where his mind was going.

“There we go,” Naymond said proudly. “You figured it out. I bet that will do a lot of good for your mastery. Also, maybe we can figure out how to fix your form when you get back.”

“What’s wrong with my form?”

“I don’t know how to put this delicately.” Naymond opened the door and let David in. “Think about it like this. There’s a meal that only requires two ingredients and you’ve cooked it. Now the meal is supposed to end up with one aroma, but it doesn’t. What you get, instead, is the smell of the food and the smell of the ingredients existing side by side, which is off because they are supposed to smell as one.”

“So he smells like two instead of one?” David asked, sliding himself into the conversation.

“Not really. I think his form is just not complete. No. Complete is not the word I’m looking for. It feels more like it needs a catalyst to become one.” he snapped a finger in epiphany. “Ahah! It’s a mixture when it should not be. It needs a catalyst to make it a compound. You can have the kids now Dave, bring them back before 8.”

Melmarc and Pelumi followed David out of the room and Melmarc made his selection.

[Would you like to use World of Insight? You will not be able to renege on this decision?]

[Yes/No.]

“Yes.”

[You have selected World of Insight.]

…

[World of Insight(Mastery 02.09%)].

The Gifted is aware of their existent present surrounding.