My father had always had a talent for being a deadbeat around the household.

While he did manage to meet the basic responsibilities of fatherhood, such as ensuring we had food on the table and disciplining us whenever we erred - however harsh - he was far from the ideal parent. I suppose, in some twisted way, there are worse fathers out there.

Still, the truth is I'd rather he disappeared from my life entirely. Whether in the real life, on a video screen, or, in this case, in my dreams.

“It’s been some time, aye, champ?” He said with an innocent smile as he sat on his favorite place, the armchair.

I sat in front of him cross legged, on the mat as I always did when I wanted to request something of him.

I remembered the room around us- it was the living room of the house where we had resided for the longest stretch, a rare period of stability before the cycle of bi-yearly moves began once more.

The outside of the windows were a pitch black darkness, as if this room was inside of a never ending void.

I tilted my head as I looked around my surroundings, all forms of rationality thrown out of the door.

“You should take a look at yourself first.” Father suddenly barked, letting out a roar of laughter.

I cast my gaze to my body, my hands being the first thing I noticed.

Clenching it, I realized that it looked smaller than they should be. My legs, even my torso were but a shadow of its former self.

I became a child again...? I thought.

“Yes you have buddy, yes you have.” The man before me said.

“...What is this place?” I asked.

“Why, your subconscious of course!” He yelled as he made some grand gesture with his deformed hands.

My subconscious?

What was it trying to tell me with this whole show, then?

Suddenly, some sort of window popped up right before my eyes, a window I grew very familiar over within the last two years, along with the words to improve it.

[ Congratulations on reaching level 2! ]

[ You may invest one skill point in improving the following skills: ]

* Name: Musa Laurusa

* Job: Slave

* Title: None

* Talents: Speech: A+, Quick-thinking: S, Strategist: B+

* Abilities: None

* Murders: 2

Skills

Level

Description

Intelligence

23/25

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

General cognitive functions

Charisma

19/25

Ability to sway influence

Strength

18/25

Prowess

Magic

1/25

Control over magical energy

Influence (Ever changing)

0/25

Control over people

Agility

17/25

Endurance and speed

Diplomacy

21/25

Way with the tongue

Wisdom (Ever changing)

13/25

The quality of experience and knowledge

"What in the world...?" I stammered, my voice trembling. "How did this even... How did I get here?"

The man, who seemed to revel in my astonishment, maintained his enigmatic grin. "Surprising, isn't it?" he said. "This is your subconscious, revealing your potential to you in a way you can comprehend. You've reached a turning point in your journey."

I furrowed my brow, still trying to make sense of it all. "But why this... this childlike form?" I gestured to my shrunken body, which now felt even smaller and frailer than before.

The man's grin widened. "Your physical appearance is just a reflection of your inner self. It's a reminder of your past and a symbol of your potential. You were once weak and vulnerable, but you've come a long way." He softly clapped after he said that.

“I-I see...”

So, it really is like a game, huh.

In the game, influence depended on how many people you actually had under your command, with one thousand being maximum influence, while wisdom evolved overtime as you played more and more.

Frankly, its insulting that my wisdom is so low.

I hovered my finger over all the other available options, contemplating about what to choose.

My finger stopped at the ‘Intelligence’ category when suddenly father spoke out “Are you sure you want to choose that one?”

Although I hate to admit it, he was right for this one time.

My intelligence is already almost maxed out, and I need something a little more primal for this particular time of my life.

I lowered my finger down towards strength.

[ Do you want to upgrade ‘Strength’ from ‘18/25’ to ‘19/25’? ]

[ Yes ] [ No ]

I tapped the first option.

[ Strength level upgraded! ]

[ Upgrade to level 20 for ability: ‘Superhuman Surge’ ]

Superhuman Surge is a burst of strength that amplifies your power by three fold for half a minute before reverting back to your usual state again, a high end ability that made fighting quite a bit easier in the game. I’ll have to get that the next time.

“Now then...” I muttered as I raised my head to look at the man representing my father in the armchair.

“Who are you, exactly?”

“You can think of me as the system governing the world.” He said, grazing his chin.

“And why are you impersonating my father?”

“Well,” He rested his hand up his chin “Your father was the authority figure in your life, was he not?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well, yes...”

“Ah...” He uttered, then suddenly shone like a star all over the place.

As if it were but a slime, its limbs and body and head all turned into a strange fluid for just a moment before reassembling itself back into a humanoid figure.

“Perhaps this would be more comfortable for your eyes?” It- or rather, she, said, her voice gentle yet mysterious.

She had alabaster white skin that seemed to glow with an otherworldly radiance. Her scarlet red eyes were like twin flames, flickering with hidden knowledge, and they held a depth that seemed to peer into the very soul. Her pitch-black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of darkness, contrasting starkly with her pale complexion.

She wore a dress that seemed woven from moonlight itself, adorned with intricate patterns that sparkled with a soft, ethereal glow. The fabric seemed to shift and change, as if it were alive, and it was adorned with beautiful gemstones that caught the light and reflected it in a dazzling display of colors.

“I-is this your true form?” I muttered.

She chuckled, then sat cross-legged in front of me. “Perhaps you could say that it is closer to my real self.”

“I see...” I said, scanning her body. “Still, what are you doing here, anyways?”

“I have sensed a great disturbance in the force. That is...” She raised her finger towards me.

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. You’re not from this world, are you?” She asked.

I nodded.

She wouldn’t have come to my dreams just to banish me from this world, or to kill me. I wouldn’t have been able to level up otherwise.

“Then I ask again: What are you doing here?” My eyes narrowed on her.

She raised a finger towards her chin.

“To watch over you, I guess.”