An hour after Edward's final test concluded, the doctor who oversaw his testing— Doctor Monroe— gathered all of the results and delivered them directly to Mrs. Snow. Her office on the top floor of the building required him to take the elevator for a full two minutes— during which he shared the ride with another colleague of his.
"Hello, Stacy," Doctor Monroe spoke with a cold voice. The person he delivered this statement to turned to look at Doctor Monroe and scoffed. Stacy Token and Doctor Steven Monroe held a very special relationship. Aside from the fling they shared a decade prior, the two of them were experts in very similar fields. While Doctor Monroe specialized in human anatomy, Stacy stepped into the medical field and became a physical therapist.
The two of them— since college— had a fierce rivalry that managed to stay strong even until the present day. As such, neither of them liked the presence of the other.
"Steven," Stacy replied in kind.
"I hope your patient finally recovered," Doctor Monroe snickered. Stacy's brow furrowed.
"Steven, you're aware she's had another setback. Must you bring that up now?" Stacy asked as she turned back to Doctor Monroe.
"Oh, well that's too bad! I hope you'll bring success to the company during your next run around," Doctor Monroe laughed.
"I will, you'll see," Stacy said. She turned to Doctor Monroe, "I heard you were given oversight over the dragon kid. Must be depressing— being assigned to babysitting duty."
"Yes, I have, though I don't view my assignment as a punishment. I was just about to report my findings to Mrs. Snow. Would you like to join me?"
"Sure. Why don't you tell me how he's done, while we wait for the elevator to open?"
"He's remarkable— more so than any other person I've ever tested," Doctor Monroe cheered, "His speed alone is too fast for the human eye to track! He's capable of lifting every single weight I prepared for him, as well as completing ten reps in a row! He's easily the strongest man on the planet!"
"He doesn't have the highest Power stat amongst the ones that have ascended, so that's not actually true," Stacy snickered. The elevator opened, revealing their destination. Mrs. Snow sat behind her desk and gazed up at the two.
"Ms. Token? It's nice to see you join us, but I'm curious as to why," Mrs. Snow asked. Stacy and Doctor Monroe stepped forward and listened to the elevator doors closing behind them.
"I was invited, but don't mind me," Stacy smiled, "I'm sure Doctor Monroe just wanted to allow me the experience of watching you two at work. I'll just stand back here and learn by viewing from a distance."
Stacy took a step back and waved a smile at Doctor Monroe.
"So? He's done with all of his tests?" Mrs. Snow asked as she leaned forward. She rested her arms against her desk and turned to Doctor Monroe. The plump man stepped forward— his labcoat swaying with every step he took— as he approached her desk.
"Yes. I've compiled all of his results into this file," He said. He carefully placed the file on her desk before taking a step away. He put his arms behind his back and waited as Mrs. Snow took the file. After she opened it, she took a minute or two to read through it.
"You took the liberty of taking a blood test, as well?" Mrs. Snow asked as she looked back up at Doctor Monroe.
"Yes, though I asked him for permission, of course. I wasn't even able to stab through his skin with my needle, so he had to use his nail to make a puncture in his arm. It was incredibly surreal," Doctor Monroe nodded, "I was surprised to find his blood was a much darker color than any other blood type I've seen before. It might as well have been purple. It didn't match the blood type he had previously, either, so I believe his ascension has changed the quality of his inner organs, as well. I believe that if we were to transfer an organ from his body into another, we may see the recipient gain some of his abilities. This makes me wonder if the power behind such an ascension is found in the inner organs or perhaps the blood, but I'd have to examine more of them to be sure."
"I'm not going to grant you permission to carve him up if that's what you're asking," Mrs. Snow said as she closed the folder, "Good work. I want him to stay here for a few days, so make sure somebody finds him proper accommodation. Once he's leveled up, I want you to redo his tests and find out the relationship between his level of strength and the stats he possesses."
"I'll do that!" Doctor Monroe nodded, "thank you!"
Soon after, Doctor Monroe and Stacy both returned to the elevator and disappeared from Mrs. Snow's office. After they were gone and Mrs. Snow was left alone once more she sighed and relaxed in her chair. Her shoulders dropped lower and one leg was flung over the other. Afterward, she slowly rubbed her forehead and massaged her eyes.
"He's far too strong. Even if he decided to work against me, I wouldn't be able to do anything," Mrs. Snow muttered in worry, "I need to convince him to stay by my side, no matter the cost. Edward Colt, I will treat you like a king in my own castle."