Psychic Overlord

Kaizer closed his eyes as he digested the events that had just occurred, also 'hearing' the suspicion of Officer James as he left. He couldn't help but feel somewhat irritated but also understood that he was no actor, and even the ability to read the minds of others couldn't guarantee a perfect response.

Realistically, he had done the best he could since his goal was not to reveal his... awakening. He knew too little to make any sort of informed decision about this new world that had opened up to him, so his first objective was to understand himself and where he stood, then understand the world and, once again, where he stood.

"Kaizer, are you okay? How are you feeling?" Charlene came over to ask now that the officials had left.

"I'm pretty much fine, Mom. A little hungry. Let's head home so I can get something to eat," Kaizer opened his eyes and requested with a smile.

Keith patted his shoulder. "No need to act tough, son. If you're scared, just let us know."

"Hey, you're allowed to act tough, Dad, but I can't? How is that fair?" Kaizer teased his father.

Keith coughed. "That's different. I have to for my job. Fine, fine, since you want to, let's go home. It will be safer there anyway, and your aunt, as well as your cousin, are worried about you."

Charlene rolled her eyes. Normally, it was she, the mother, who was supposed to cave in easily and spoil her son, but this fellow was even thinner-skinned than she was. If Kaizer pushed slightly, he might even buy him a slot at the presidency itself!

"Thanks, Dad," Kaizer responded softly, resting for a bit while his father handled the discharge procedures.

They did a final round of blood tests and made sure Kaizer was perfectly healthy before letting him go. He hadn't suffered much damage that required him to be hospitalized, though his blood sugar was a bit low—very low, in fact.

As such, on their way back, they passed by a McDonald's drive-thru and ordered a set of burgers for the family. But both parents eventually had to hand over their burgers to their voracious son, who quaffed everything like a beast.

Like most parents, they were happy to see that their son had a strong appetite, as it meant his body was taking in nutrients for recovery. As for Kaizer himself, he only felt much better after his hunger was partially sated, feeling like his mind especially had recovered more than his body.

Despite being only half full, he didn't ask for more because eating three whole burgers along with their fries in such a short period of time alone was quite shocking. Any more would make their happiness turn to worry. He only ordered a full bucket of chicken on his phone's delivery app as their Escalade pulled into the driveway of the Lunin Mansion.

Kaizer got down and looked at the home he had lived in since he was around nine years old, when his father's endeavors finally hit the big leagues and soared them into the ranks of the prominent nouveau riche. The upheaval Keith had caused with his advancements in neurotechnology and Adaptive AI was groundbreaking and had propelled their Lunin Corp to the top of the Fortune 500 companies.

Kaizer felt this the most from his friends during his youth, who were always praising him—not for being rich, as kids did not usually care about that—but rather because his father's achievements would allow the era of FIVR to come faster than expected.

As manga readers and anime watchers, the prospect of the fabled 'full dive VR' was too attractive to many males and females worldwide, because it was the only semi-authentic way to 'isekai' without dying. Case in point, those of his father's generation had mostly given up on experiencing this marvel during their lifetime, for by the time the technology was mature, they would be aged elders.

But Keith Lunin had given them hope.

Kaizer felt an arm around his shoulder and saw that it was his dad, who was giving him an encouraging smile, which he returned. The two began to chat as they walked through the gardens toward the front door, which opened to reveal a woman who had been waiting for the group.

It was Kaizer's aunt, Katherine. Even from a young age, Kaizer had felt that his aunt was special in some way, and when he finally hit puberty, he understood why.

She was currently like an aged-up version of Rina, with the same waist-length red hair, but her features were more gentle and mature, along with a body that Kaizer was not going to think about lest he get inappropriate thoughts. His cousin Rina was bad enough, but her mother?

How did that old saying go? Do not bother to capture the Charmander when there is a superior Charizard nearby.

"Oh dear, darling Kaizer, are you alright?" Katherine rushed to bring Kaizer into her embrace, much as she always did during his youth, which directly suffocated the young man as his entire head disappeared into her bosom.

It wasn't that Kaizer was small; it was that Katherine was too big.

"Sis, you're going to suffocate him again," Keith rolled his eyes. He had grown up with Katherine, so he viewed her much as any brother did their sister—with complete apathy.

"Oh my, is that true, darling Kaizer?" Aunt Katherine blinked in surprise and finally released the pale-faced Kaizer.

Kaizer's expression was neutral as he spoke seriously. "How can that be? My aunt's love is what has kept me going all these years, and it's my honor to receive it."

Charlene giggled while Keith facepalmed. Aunt Katherine also laughed as she pinched Kaizer's cheeks with fondness. "Oh my, darling Kaizer has such a sweet tongue. Why don't you save it for your cousin instead?"

Hearing this, Kaizer actually moved away and frowned slightly. "That is not appropriate. We may not be blood-related at all, but I still see her as direct family. Besides, you should tell her this before telling me."

Seeing this, the three adults could only share helpless looks of dismay. Ever since Katherine had arrived that night with baby Rina, the family had planned to set the two youngsters up to keep it within the family, and things were going well.

When they were kids, the two were inseparable and often enjoyed the idea that their parents entertained until they hit puberty. Then, they began to drift away from each other and became hostile to one another, especially Rina, who was completely unlike her gentle and refined mother, being a hothead who exploded at the slightest touch.

It was fine with others, actually, as Rina was mostly refined in public. But whenever Kaizer came around, the young lady was like a lit dynamite while Kaizer was like an iceberg. The collision between the two had become worse in recent years, and the parents were not even sure how to resolve this.

At this time, Kaizer entered his home and happened to see Rina on the couch in the main living room, playing an FPS on her game console with a headset on. When Kaizer turned to look at her as he went upstairs, she also seemed to sense him and turned to regard him.

"Hmph!" She immediately snorted and turned away to furiously mash the controls on her pad, looking like she wanted to pass through the internet cable and beat up her opponent personally.

Kaizer said nothing and went to his room, deep in thought.