CHAPTER 22 — SPLIT CONSCIOUSNESS
The system changed without asking.
Daniel felt it the moment he opened his eyes.
Not one ceiling.
Two.
One familiar, cracked and low above his original body's bed.
The other clean, bright, unfamiliar.
Big Daniel's room.
Both were real.
Both were him.
His breath caught.
He tried to move.
Both bodies moved.
Not mirrored.
Independent.
Daniel sat up in his original body while Big Daniel rolled his shoulders in the other room at the same time.
No dizziness.
No delay.
Just… control.
The system finally spoke.
[SYSTEM UPDATE — MONTHLY MISSION PRIVILEGE]
New Authority Granted:
• Dual-Body Simultaneous Control (Temporary)
Conditions:
• Duration: Monthly Mission Period
• Mental Load: High
• Failure Risk: Neural Exhaustion
Note:
• Focus is divided, not duplicated
• Poor prioritization will cause collapse
Daniel swallowed.
"So now I'm multitasking my life," he muttered.
Both mouths spoke.
That was unsettling.
The first test came fast.
At school, Big Daniel felt it immediately.
The scarred man from before stood near the stairs, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
At the same time, original Daniel sensed movement behind him in a quiet hallway.
Two threats.
Same minute.
Daniel didn't panic.
He split his attention.
Big Daniel's side
The scarred man stepped forward.
"Looks like you figured something out," he said.
Big Daniel adjusted his stance.
No system help.
Pure reading.
The man attacked.
Fast.
Controlled.
Big Daniel blocked, redirected, and countered with a shove instead of a strike, forcing space.
The man smiled mid-fight.
"You're calmer today."
Big Daniel didn't answer.
He stepped in closer this time, using reach and weight to pressure instead of retreat.
The man was forced back.
Just once.
But it mattered.
Original Daniel's side
The hallway threat revealed itself.
Two students. Smarter than before. Blocking exits.
Original Daniel raised his guard.
He felt Big Daniel's movements in the back of his mind.
Not distracting.
Grounding.
When the first punch came, Daniel redirected and stepped inside, shoulder-checking the attacker off balance.
The second hesitated.
Daniel didn't.
He stepped forward.
The space collapsed.
They backed off.
No fight.
No chase.
Both encounters ended within seconds of each other.
Daniel felt it then.
The strain.
His head throbbed. Vision blurred for a moment in both bodies.
He leaned against a wall in one place.
Sat down in the other.
The system logged instantly.
[MONTHLY MISSION — SYNCHRONIZATION UPDATE]
Simultaneous Control: SUCCESSFUL
Mental Load: HIGH
Adaptation Rate: INCREASING
New Passive (Temporary):
• Cognitive Partitioning (Low)
Daniel laughed quietly.
"That's… insane."
But it worked.
That night, Daniel trained carefully.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Switching focus. Prioritizing threats. Letting one body idle while the other acted.
The system observed without interference.
[TRAINING FEEDBACK]
Dual-Control Stability: Improving
Error Rate: Acceptable
Overload Threshold: Approaching
Daniel collapsed onto both beds nearly at the same time.
Exhausted.
Satisfied.
This wasn't power.
This was responsibility.
Two bodies meant twice the danger.
But also—
Twice the reach.
CHAPTER 23 — TWO FRONTS, ONE WILL
The strain hit before the danger.
Little Daniel felt it as pressure behind his eyes.
Big Daniel felt it as weight in his chest.
Two bodies awake.
Two environments.
One mind stretched thin.
The system stayed active but distant.
No hand-holding.
Just observation.
Big Daniel — Behind the Old Gym
The scarred man was waiting again.
This time, he wasn't alone.
Two others stood nearby, arms loose, eyes sharp. Not students. Not amateurs.
Big Daniel adjusted his stance slowly.
He didn't rush.
The scarred man smiled. "You're carrying too much today."
Big Daniel didn't respond.
He moved first.
A sharp step forward, shoulder feint, then a sudden shift to the side. One of the men reacted late. Big Daniel shoved him off balance and immediately disengaged.
No overcommitment.
The second attacker came in fast.
Big Daniel blocked the punch, redirected, and used his size to pressure forward. Not striking. Crowding. Forcing space denial.
The scarred man entered then.
Clean strike. Straight to the ribs.
Big Daniel absorbed it and backed up two steps.
Pain flared.
He stayed upright.
Little Daniel — Near the Convenience Store
At the same time, Little Daniel felt footsteps close in behind him.
Four.
Too many.
He stopped walking.
"You've been acting different," one voice said. "Thought we'd remind you who you are."
Little Daniel raised his guard.
No emergency.
Monthly condition still active.
He breathed slowly.
One rushed him.
Little Daniel sidestepped and redirected the shove, letting the attacker stumble past. He didn't chase. He repositioned immediately.
Second attacker swung wildly.
Little Daniel blocked, pain shooting up his arm, and shoved the attacker away hard enough to create distance.
The other two hesitated.
That hesitation saved him.
Little Daniel backed away, eyes sharp, refusing to turn his back.
They cursed.
They didn't follow.
Big Daniel — Fight Escalates
Big Daniel's breathing grew heavier.
The scarred man noticed.
"Dividing yourself," he said calmly. "That's dangerous."
Big Daniel stepped in anyway.
He redirected a punch, used his weight, and slammed the attacker into the wall. The man dropped.
The second attacker backed off.
Only the scarred man remained.
They circled.
Big Daniel didn't push.
He waited.
The scarred man smiled again. "Good. You're learning restraint."
He stepped back.
"This round's yours."
And walked away.
Big Daniel stayed still until they were gone.
Both bodies felt it at the same time.
The backlash.
Little Daniel sank onto a curb, head in his hands.
Big Daniel leaned against the wall, chest heaving.
The system finally spoke.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Simultaneous Conflict Resolution: SUCCESS
Cognitive Load: CRITICAL
Temporary Debuff Applied:
• Focus Reduction (Minor)
• Recovery Time Increased
Monthly Mission Progress:
• High-Risk Conflict (Big Daniel): COMPLETE
• Strategic Disengagement (Little Daniel): COMPLETE
Daniel laughed weakly through both bodies.
"So this is what balance costs."
That night, switching awareness felt slower.
He couldn't jump instantly anymore. There was a heartbeat of delay.
Not failure.
A warning.
The system logged one final message.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
Dual-Control Mastery:
• Possible
• Not Free
Daniel closed both sets of eyes.
Two fronts.
One will.
And the month wasn't over yet.
CHAPTER 24 — FRACTURE POINT
Little Daniel woke up with a headache that wouldn't fade.
Not sharp.
Dull.
Heavy.
Like his thoughts were moving through water.
Big Daniel felt it too, standing in a different room, rolling his shoulders, realizing something was off.
The link was slower.
Not broken.
Strained.
The system confirmed it without emotion.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
Cognitive Load: HIGH
Synchronization Delay: Present
Recommendation:
• Avoid simultaneous high-risk engagement
Daniel almost laughed.
"That's convenient," he muttered.
Little Daniel — J High, Afternoon
Classes dragged.
Little Daniel struggled to keep his focus. Words blurred on the board. Every sound pulled his attention away.
That was when the note slid onto his desk.
Meet behind the science building.
Come alone.
No name.
No threat.
Little Daniel felt it in his gut.
This was meant for him.
The system stayed silent.
Monthly mission rules.
No warnings unless it was fatal.
Little Daniel stood up when the bell rang.
He didn't signal Big Daniel.
He couldn't afford the split right now.
Behind the Science Building
Three figures waited.
Students.
Older.
One stepped forward.
"You think hiding behind someone bigger makes you strong?"
Little Daniel raised his guard.
"I'm not hiding," he said.
They rushed him.
Little Daniel moved on instinct.
He sidestepped the first, redirected the second, and shoved the third away. His movements were clean, but the fatigue slowed him just enough.
A punch slipped through.
Pain flashed.
Little Daniel staggered.
They pressed.
Little Daniel backed toward the wall, breathing hard.
This was the moment.
Call Big Daniel.
Split focus.
Risk collapse.
Little Daniel didn't.
He planted his feet.
Redirected instead of blocking.
Used the wall to limit angles.
Seconds passed.
Then a shout.
A teacher's voice.
The attackers scattered.
Little Daniel slid down the wall, chest heaving.
He was shaking.
But he was still standing.
The system finally logged.
[MONTHLY MISSION — CRITICAL DECISION]
Solo Resolution Achieved
Mental Fortitude Increased
Big Daniel — Downtown Gym
Big Daniel felt it anyway.
The spike of stress.
The exhaustion.
He wiped sweat from his face and realized his hands were trembling.
Across the mat stood his opponent.
Not bigger.
Better.
A trained fighter.
"Again," the man said.
Big Daniel nodded.
They moved.
This fight wasn't about strength.
It was about timing.
Big Daniel was late.
Just slightly.
A kick slammed into his side.
He absorbed it, stepped in, and clinched, using weight to neutralize skill.
The man broke free and stepped back, smiling.
"You're adapting," he said.
Big Daniel exhaled slowly.
No system help.
Just experience.
They stopped.
The man nodded once. "You'll be dangerous if you survive yourself."
And walked away.
That night, Daniel collapsed into both beds at once.
No switching.
No multitasking.
Just sleep.
The system spoke softly for once.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
Fracture Point Reached
Growth Confirmed
Next Phase Approaching
Daniel drifted off, exhausted beyond thought.
The month was breaking him.
But it was also shaping him.
CHAPTER 25 — THE MONTH DECIDES
The system didn't wake Daniel up.
Pain did.
Little Daniel opened his eyes first. His body felt like it had been folded wrong and left that way overnight. Every breath tugged at bruises that hadn't healed properly.
Big Daniel woke seconds later.
Same exhaustion.
Different scale.
Two bodies.
One shared limit.
The system finally appeared.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
MONTHLY MISSION — FINAL PHASE
Time Remaining: 24 HOURS
Condition:
• One simultaneous crisis will occur
• Both bodies must act
• Failure in either counts as total failure
Reward (Permanent):
• Dual-Body Control (Limited, Stable)
• Synchronization Boost
• New Core Skill Unlock
Penalty:
• Dual-Control Revoked
• Mental Backlash (Severe)
Daniel stared at the ceiling in both rooms.
"So this is the last exam," he said quietly.
The crisis didn't wait.
Little Daniel — J High, Late Afternoon
It happened during cleanup duty.
The hallway lights flickered. Too few students around. Too quiet.
Four older students blocked the exit.
Not bullies.
Enforcers.
"You're causing problems," one said. "People want you scared again."
Little Daniel raised his guard.
His head throbbed.
Big Daniel was already moving somewhere else.
He couldn't afford to pull focus.
This was his fight.
They rushed him.
Little Daniel moved.
Not fast.
Correct.
He redirected the first shove, stepped inside the second punch, and used his shoulder to break balance. Pain screamed in his arms, but he stayed upright.
A punch caught his cheek.
His vision blurred.
Little Daniel didn't panic.
He backed into the corner, forced them into his line of sight, and waited.
One overextended.
Little Daniel shoved him hard into the others.
They stumbled.
That was the opening.
Little Daniel ran.
Not away.
Past them.
The exit door slammed open behind him.
He didn't look back.
Big Daniel — Abandoned Parking Structure
At the same time, Big Daniel stepped into darkness.
The scarred man stood waiting at the center of the concrete floor.
Alone.
"This is it," the man said. "No tests after this."
Big Daniel nodded.
They moved.
No talking.
No holding back.
The scarred man attacked with precision, targeting joints, balance, breath. Big Daniel absorbed, redirected, and pressed forward, using mass and timing instead of power.
A strike landed clean on Big Daniel's jaw.
His head snapped back.
He stayed standing.
Big Daniel clinched, forced pressure, and drove the man backward step by step.
The scarred man laughed through clenched teeth. "There you are."
They broke apart.
Breathing hard.
Then the man stepped back.
"Enough," he said. "You won't break."
And turned away.
Big Daniel didn't chase.
He didn't need to.
Both moments ended within the same minute.
The system froze time for Daniel alone.
[SYSTEM EVALUATION]
Monthly Mission: COMPLETE
Results:
• Little Daniel: Independent Survival Confirmed
• Big Daniel: High-Level Adaptation Confirmed
• Identity Stability: MAINTAINED
Permanent Rewards Granted:
• Dual-Body Control (Limited, Manual)
• Synchronization Efficiency Increased
• New Core Skill: Adaptive Composure (Passive)
Description:
• Maintains decision quality under fatigue
• Reduces panic response
• Improves split-focus performance
Daniel exhaled.
Deep.
In both bodies.
The pressure lifted.
Not gone.
But manageable.
That night, Daniel didn't train.
He didn't think.
He slept.
For the first time since the system appeared, both bodies rested without tension.
The system logged one final message.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
You did not rely on power.
You did not abandon yourself.
This path remains viable.