I Hate Systems

Chapter 31: Emotions Perceived Through the Starlight Streams

Compass Carburettor sensed that the starlight stream he sensed was full of worry and doubt. It was a mixture of emotions that for a moment, he was overwhelmed by the notion of. But soon, he was able to grasp them, feeling that the source of the emotions felt familiar.

He couldn’t understand just where it was from, but when he opened his eyes, he was still able to see the starlight. The quality that he perceived now was inferior as compared to before, but he felt better this way since he was accustomed to seeing through his eyes than sensing through other means that he felt for the first time.

‘Though, I have to train and get used to this.’ Compass Carburettor nodded, sighing in realisation, ‘So, this is how a System senses everything. I can feel the waves of emotions that are directed towards me. So, no matter where a person is in this world, as long as they think about me, I’ll be able to sense the relevant Mental Energy from them.’

He remained in meditation for a day, sensing the starlight streams as he understood them further. Based on the levels of emotions being displayed through them, he was able to judge the emotional state of the source—the person that generated the particular thoughts about him.

Normally, no regular person could do this. But, Compass Carburettor had lived for 35 years. And after obtaining the Money-Making System, he had gone through numerous incidents daily. And, as he had been a Host to the System for 20 years, he had a plethora of experience.

Using that, he was able to determine the mental and psychological states of the people based on the mental energy streams he perceived from them. And, as they were directed at him, he was vaguely able to perceive an idea.

There were trace starlight streams that flickered nonstop, appearing and disappearing in masses. Some of them were of admiration, envy, jealousy, etc. Finally, among them existed three relatively big starlight streams.

Two of them arrived from beyond the room’s door. And the third was the one he perceived through the wall. Compass Carburettor got up from his seat, approached the door and opened it, noticing the two servants standing on either side.

They were the source of the two starlight streams. Starlight flickered around their head, swirling into a stream that flew towards him in a wobbly arc. Compass Carburettor noticed that he was only able to sense the starlight directed towards him, unable to feel anything else.

‘So, I can only feel the emotions behind the thoughts that are directed towards me.’ He nodded, concentrating on the starlight emerging from the servant on the right, noticing emotions of affection, anxiety, admiration, and lust in it.

‘What the heck?’ He was shocked for a moment, after all, the servant hadn’t even shown him a basic courtesy from the start. And to think this was what she thought of him made him doubt his life experiences.

He looked at her, smiling, “I never heard your name.”

“You can address me as Fealta,” The servant on the right replied. Compass Carburettor immediately sensed a wave of bashfulness and excitement among the starlight stream emanating from her. But in actuality, her face was stoic, the same as usual.

Compass Carburettor was indeed confused, but decided to worry about it later as he looked at the servant on the left, “And yours?”

“Caithy,” The servant on the left said, showing no change in expression. As for the starlight stream emanating from her, there was no change in it when he talked with her. The emotions he felt were appreciation and admiration.

‘Maybe she’s only thinking of my appearance.’ He thought, intending to return to his room when Fealta looked at him, performing a formal bow, “Sir, may we know your name? Everyone has only been addressing you as Sir Guest. And, we dare not ask for it from Her Majesty.”

“Compass Carburettor,” He said, noticing a plethora of emotions emanating from Fealta to the extent he was unable to make sense of anything in them. And when he noticed how she maintained a stoic expression, he was bewildered, hurriedly closing the door as he sat on the bed, deep in thought.

‘Only Fealta and Caithy have interacted with me in the palace. As for the rest, they must have only seen me around while I went to meet the Queen. So, they don’t feel any strong thoughts towards me. That’s why the starlight streams from others are a disorderly bunch that randomly appear and disappear.’ He nodded, focusing on the third starlight stream, the one that appeared from the wall.

‘Someone is thinking of me from this direction?’ He frowned, getting up as he walked through the room, noticing the focal point of the stream always remained the same as the starlight stream meandered towards him.

He then thought of something, exiting his room as he walked through the corridor. Fealta and Caithy silently followed him, pacing a couple of steps behind him. The moment he closed the door, the starlight stream from the wall vanished abruptly.

He was then able to feel another starlight stream on him now, having appeared like light. ‘So, I can conclude that Mental Energy travels around the speed of light…probably. I can’t determine whether it is faster or slower than the speed of light, but it appeared on me as if it had existed all along. So, for now, I’ll assume Mental Energy travels at the speed of light.’

The third starlight stream was a clear track for him to follow through. So, Compass Carburettor walked in the direction the starlight stream arrived from, acting like he didn’t notice anything as he walked through the corridor, soon noticing that the stream appeared from one of the weirdly shaped sculptures on the wall.

And, the place it arrived from was the eyes of the sculpture, as if it was being used to watch his actions. And hence, the thoughts of the person watching him emanated from the place. As Compass Carburettor walked further, the starlight stream trailed from him.

But, once he made a turn, leaving its line of sight, it vanished as he instantly noticed another starlight stream land on him. By this point, if he wasn’t able to understand what was happening, he would be a fool. Slowly, Compass Carburettor walked towards the study, waiting until he was permitted to enter.

The moment he entered the study, he watched the new starlight stream. The presence was exactly the same as every other starlight stream he felt along the way, ‘So, you were watching me all along, Ephemella.’

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