Chapter 132: Specialization of the Mind [Free Will]

  With "Tokyo" taking aiyo Takano was finally fihe entire Irie Institute was quarantined and iigated, and Takano was arrested and imprisohis time, Alex didn’t let that foolish pyboy Jirō Tomitake interfere and rescue her. Instead, he directly ordered the "Tokyo" special forces to take her away. She was charged with embezzlement, murder, and illegal human experimentation. As for whether she would be senteo death… well, Alex gave her a parting gift of “Luck Suppression.” He could only hope her life was tougher than that scumbag Teppei Hōjō’s and that she’d survive long enough to face the court.

  As for the Irie Institute, Alex mao ehat Kyōsuke Irie, the doctor, remained in his position, repg Takano to tihe research. However, everyone associated with Takano in unclear or suspicious ways was cleared out. This reduced the size of the Irie Institute signifitly, but in exge, "Tokyo" extes operational period from three years to five.

  This was one of the few good things for Kyōsuke Irie. At least he was fident he could develop a cure for the "Hinamizawa Syndrome" within those five years.

  Even if he failed, Alex already decided he would either return to his own world or visit others to find a cure. Though Rika Furude had escaped her infinite loop, as the Queen Carrier, she still couldn’t leave the vilge freely.

  In the 1980s, this wasn’t much of an issue. But Alex khat in ten or twenty years, the world would undergo drastic ges. By then, if Rika was still fio the vilge, it would be too pitiful.

  For Rika, however, this roblem for the future. She could now enjoy life without w about being murdered. Of course, she still o stay safe. Otherwise, if she ended up dying in a car act and had to leap bato life again, it would be a tragedy Alex would rather not see.

  But for now, this was no longer Alex’s . After enjoying the st su of Juh Rika, he left that eerie world auro his room.

  “Phew…”

  As the sery before him shifted again, the view of Hinamizawa disappeared, repced by the cold and monotonous decor of his mage’s tower. Returning to his room and breathing in the icy air, Alex couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

  Truth be told, the world of Higurashi wasn’t ily dangerous, but it was insidiously treacherous.

  More importantly, this trial wasn’t the straightforward test of will and spirit Alex had expected. Instead, it struck at his most vulnerable weakness.

  When you know the future and uand the plot, what will you do?Will you go with the flow and bee a pawn, or break free to bee the pyer?

  Alex nearly fell into the trap. He finally uood what Rex had meant when he warned, “Seers see the future, but that doesn’t mean they trol it.”

  Sometimes, seeing the future is proof you’re already caught in its web. By the time you realize it, it might be too te to escape.

  Fortunately, Alex remained cautious and pulled himself out at the st moment. Otherwise, he might have been forced to follow Rika Furude into infinite loops. That would’ve beeter sario—the worst-case? Rika leaves the world while Alex is stuck behind, pletely blind to what es .

  Damn it!

  A situation that seemed like a guaranteed win nearly fell apart because he scared himself. Thinking back, Alex still broke into a cold sweat.

  Perhaps this was the message the Dimensional Codex was trying to vey. A Dimensional Mage is meant to transd worlds, not be bound within one as a pawn.

  The irony wasn’t lost ohis was a setting he had written himself, only to end up learning the lesson the hard way.

  “Wele back, Master!”

  Seeing Alex return, Ikaros, the little blue-haired angel, rushed over to greet him.

  “I’m back, Ikaros.”

  Alex smiled and reached out to pat her head.

  “How long was I gohis time?”

  “About five minutes,” Ikaros replied cheerfully.

  “Only five minutes…”

  He had spent a month in the world of Higurashi, yet only five minutes had passed here. If Ikaros weren’t an artificial angel, adjusting to such a time difference would be tough for a human.

  Shrugging, Alex extended his hand and opehe system interface.

  Soon, a line of text appeared before him.

  [User has pleted Free Form Instance “Heart,” Rating: B]

  [User has gained Mind Specialty “Free Will”][Free Will: In the endless worlds, only the self remains aernal truth. All things will fade, even time ges everything. Yet none of this shackle a heart yearning for freedom. All things are illusion; all permissions are granted. What binds you is not the world’s turmoil but the s deep within your soul. (Resistao mind-affeg influences +10, immunity to immediate mind-trol effects)]

  “Ugh…”

  Looking at the skill prompt before him, Alex pursed his lips in dissatisfa. Truth be told, he had hoped for a specialization granting 100% immunity to mind-affeg abilities. Unfortunately, it seemed he wouldn’t be getting such a ve boon this time.

  Still, Free Will wasn’t bad. While it didn’t provide plete immunity, the fact that it offered “immunity to immediate effects” was a signifit advantage.

  This property was critical since mind-affeg spells were often insidious and hard to guard against—you never knew when you might be targeted. The deyed effect of Free Will acted as an early warning system. The greatest weakness of mind-affeg spells was that once you realized something was off, their effectiveness diminished rapidly.

  Of course, being able to nullify such effects ht would be ideal, but for now, Alex was tent with what he had.

  Just then, an ued sound broke the silence.

  “Meow…”

  “A cat?”

  Turning his head, Alex saw a bck cat emerge from his shadow.

  Ikaros blinked in surprise, her eyes widening as she gazed at her master. She clearly remembered that Alex hadn’t brought any cat along when he left. Could this be something he brought back from that other world?

  “What’s this…?”

  Alex, too, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the bck cat. Where had it e from?

  Did it follow him out of the world of Higurashi? But there weren’t any cats in that world.

  Puzzled, Alex reached out aly picked up the bck cat, examining it closely.

  Oddly enough, the cat didn’t behave like a typical stray. It showed no signs of struggling, merely gazing at Alex with its rge, unblinking eyes. Occasionally, it flicked its tail—a tail adorned with a blue ribbon tied in a bow.

  Admittedly, it was quite adorable.

  Where oh had this cat e from?

  Alex scratched the cat us , and it responded by narrowing its eyes in pleasure, letting out a soft purr. Ah, cats… how they be this cute? Why does the world have such irresistibly adorable creatures?

  “Take care of it,” Alex said after a moment, handing the bck cat over to Ikaros.

  “You’re in charge of this ohink you ha?”

  “Of course, Master,” Ikaros replied with a bright smile, eagerly reag out to cradle the cat in her arms. She had already been captivated by its ess, and now that Alex had entrusted it to her, she couldn’t be happier.

  The cat let out a soft “meow” before nuzzling against Ikaros’s cheek.

  Oh my… why are there such adorable creatures in this world?

  (End of Chapter)

  ? Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! ?

  Hello, beloved readers and supporters!

  I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon unity, you'll unlock a treasure trove of bes, including:

  ? Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore neters, experieng the twists and turns of our tales well ahead ur readers. Your jourhrough our stories doesn't have to wait!

  ? ect with the unity: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage iing discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.

  ? Support the Creator: Your patronage directly tributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the tent you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!

  Patreon./anish_44

  https://ko-fi./anish_44