IQ Skyrockets

I gave the voice in my head a lecture packed with life's deepest truths.

"Listen up... Anyone has the right to repent. You were about to go on a killing spree yourself, then you reflected and called me, right? But other people just made a few mistakes. Huh? So you're going to leave only a handful and wipe out the rest? Is that okay?"

The voice was silent for a moment.

Thinking I might have misheard, I was about to head back outside when a voice identical to my own rang out in my head again.

I stopped mid-hand-washing.

"Knew what?"

"No?"

I was so dumbfounded I shot right back.

"The status window was made by the ancestors, wasn't it?"

"This isn't actually a game world, you know. Having a status window exist in a real world is weird enough as it is."

Even a simple system window needs basic coding. Inputting numbers and making the body change accordingly isn't easy. And making it appear as a hologram only I can see… I don't know. Maybe implant a chip in the brain or something?

Anyway, the point was it couldn't have just appeared out of nowhere.

"I already expected that someone like you—a voice, or a designer—would show up someday! You damn Pecia bitch."

The voice laughed at my cursing.

I blinked at the mirror.

"You're not Pecia?"

That sly, snake-like way of doling out advice was exactly her style. Or maybe some annoying third party had gotten involved.

Fortunately, the voice confirmed it.

"See?"

…Wait a second. What did that mean, then?

I was Pecia. She was also Pecia.

My eyes went wide as I shouted.

"There are two Pecia?!"

The voice clicked its tongue and revealed its identity.

"Will?"

If it was remaining will, the only thing that came to mind was the one from the stats window…

"Is it that remaining sixty percent?"

…..So to sum it up, this side was Pecia mixed moderately with a human. And that side was pure Pecia that hadn't been absorbed yet?

I let out a hollow laugh.

Judging by the tone, she'd been watching me for a while, which meant there was practically no way to drive her out. She had made the system herself, after all.

But it wasn't entirely a bad situation either. There'd been no signs of her negatively affecting me so far. The weird behavior every time I raised the Will stat was inevitable since our personalities mixed that much. And more than anything, she'd just given me decent advice.

"Hey, leftover Pecia."

I couldn't drive her out. She wasn't harming me right now. So why not just get along? Decision made.

I grinned and offered a handshake to the mirror.

"Let's get along."

I only called her leftover because I couldn't think of a proper word—a temporary label. If she didn't like it, I was willing to call her something else.

But insane?

Being originally a queen, she was sensitive about the weirdest things.

I pressed for leftover's answer.

"Fine then, Pure Pecia. Good enough? Let's not be so picky about a name. We're going to become one anyway, right?"

Leftover replied in a puzzled tone.

"What is?"

I blinked.

"How would I know. You predicted that too?"

"Well… just an ordinary one."

But it was true. Just born, went to kindergarten, and next thing I knew I was in college. The utterly ordinary life of a boy.

"The only special thing was maybe clashing with people a lot for the sake of justice?"

I told her about the times in my past life when I got beaten up pursuing justice.

Then leftover spoke in a bright tone.

"Huh? All of a sudden?"

I didn't know if pissing off the Demon God was that important, but I nodded for now. Since I still didn't know what abilities this "remaining will" possessed, it was better to secure her cooperation if possible.

Besides, whatever she was thinking, I'd do as I pleased anyway.

I raised a finger high.

"Alright, let's gooo—!"

Hands on my hips, I asked.

"So, what do we do now? Pure. You're smarter, so I'll hear your opinion."

Leftover answered excitedly.

"Why?"

"Yeah, fuck off."

Yeah. I should hold off on raising Will for now.

If even this leftover merged into one, something big was going to happen. Thinking about what past-life Pecia had done, it was obvious how things would go. Since I was her and she was me, the attachment to family would remain… but the way of treating them would probably change a lot.

Feeling something odd, I closed my eyes and found leftover sulking. Thankfully she wasn't getting angry or trying to force a merge.

"Took you long enough."

The Director was still waiting at the silkworm farm.

I rubbed my lower belly as I answered.

"I had constipation."

"Queens get constipated too?"

"Yeah well. Want to buy my poop?"

The Director asked back with a startled expression.

"What did you say?"

"Sometimes on the internet, perverts buy women's poop and stuff. Interested?"

The Director cleared his throat.

"Hah… Making me ashamed as a fellow human. Has anyone like that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠approached you?"

"Not yet."

The Director tilted his head.

"Then why bring that up all of a sudden?"

"Just because…"

"……."

The Director clicked his tongue.

"I thought I'd keep an eye on you for a bit, but that mischievous streak of yours is impossible to suppress. Please don't torment Deputy Director Kang too much."

I was so incredulous I shot back.

"I get beaten every day though?"

"I think you do things that deserve getting hit."

"Whatever. Just show me to the warehouse."

"Warehouse?"

"All the inventory piled up in this factory! I'm going to use it all for Party Bear repairs."

"Oh ho, I don't mind. May I watch?"

"Be my guest."

I followed the Director.

The high-grade Mana Cloth and Mana Cotton I'd been searching so hard for were stacked in boxes. The Director had spoken in terms of price so I didn't know the exact amount, but it seemed I could recover at least some of the lost Party Bears.

"Repair."

I roughly set up shop in the amusement park plaza and started kneading Mana Cotton. Party Bears swarmed over in a rush. A torso grew on the one that only had a head left, then arms and legs took shape.

If you asked whether manufacturing from scratch was harder or repairing was harder, repairing was harder. Because you had to maintain the existing ego while also replacing the remaining intact parts.

"Then? Like this?"

"Thanks. Pure."

With leftover's help, each one took about five minutes. To repair all 973 damaged ones… roughly eighty hours. If I invested time here and there over about two weeks, full recovery was doable.

Looking down at me, the Director asked curiously.

"Can you revive even the ones that already died?"

I answered while kneading cotton.

"They're not dead. As long as the head isn't completely destroyed, they're just temporarily asleep."

"Why not make new ones."

"Because my little sister doesn't want that!"

"…If it's your sister, that would be Yena."

"That's right."

"You'll make a good older sister."

I nodded, pleased by the compliment.

"I'm trying to be."

But why wasn't this guy leaving. He had to be busy. Today the Director seemed to have a lot on his mind. I wondered if he had something to say to me, but I was busy making dolls so I let it be.

A moment later, the Director carefully opened his mouth.

"By any chance, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do you… people…"

"Yes?"

"No, what I mean is. Do you happen to know where 'Alpha' is?"

"Alpha? You mean that crimson holy knight."

"That would be the one."

…Alpha all of a sudden?

I paused my work and stared at the Director.

"I don't know why you're looking for that child… but you'd better be careful."

"Why."

"Because something stinks. Endros von Thane—the Sixth—is about to descend, yet you're focusing your attention on the wrong place."

"…!"

The Director's eyes deepened.

I grinned and asked.

"You know too, right Director? That Mental Power is still accumulating. Looks like there are a lot of spies in the World Ability Organization. Forcing such a bizarre mission on you. How am I supposed to find someone I've deliberately hidden."

"……."

The World Ability Organization had probably learned of my existence. The cult was mixed in over there too. If they ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weren't going to restrain or execute me, it would be along the lines of "find out the information we demand."

I resumed work as I continued.

"I'm fine, so just refuse. And prepare thoroughly. Looks like an invasion is coming soon."

"……."

The Director stared somewhere fixedly and muttered.

"…Thank you for understanding."

"Hehe, no problem."

"But those guys are deliberately tearing off their arms. Trying to get upgrades?"

"Huh?"

I looked up just in case, and where the Director's gaze rested, two Party Bears were visible. Each holding one arm of a different color. They made awkward eye contact with me.

Ah, these fucking teddy bears for real.