Chapter 13
"So what you're telling me is that with aether, I can use in game abilities in real life. How is that even possible?"
In the lab which was now empty except for Thorne and the bald wrinkle faced doctor, Doctor Newman, Thorne was sitting up on the bed staring disbelievingly at the doctor. What he had just heard was difficult to process.
According to them, before he blacked out three days ago, he had somehow managed to construct a shield in time to save himself, old Lu and the others behind him from the devastation that had decimated the entire New Old York, killing millions.
Then he had been brought to the lab on the verge of death and had a new heart grown inside him. Bringing his hand to his chest, Po could feel the sync of the double heartbeats. That confirmed that he wasn't hallucinating at the moment. This new organ, the aether heart supposedly generated and circulated the mysterious aether throughout the newly formed aether veins in his body.
"The aether is a mysterious and elusive substance that seems to permeate all of space and time. It is a medium that fills the void between matter, and it is believed to be the conduit through which magical abilities are granted to those who possess it.
My experiments have shown that the aether exists as a subtle energy that is beyond our current understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is not something that can be directly detected or measured with conventional instruments, but its presence can be inferred through its effects on matter and energy.
The aether seems to be connected to the very fabric of reality, influencing the behavior of particles and fields in ways that are not yet fully understood. It is my hope that further study of this substance will shed light on some of the most fundamental questions about the nature of the universe.
As for its ability to grant magical abilities, I cannot explain why, but it does. Perhaps there is more to this substance than we currently realize, and its true potential has yet to be fully realized."
"So in short, you cannot answer my question." Thorne spoke blatantly.
The doctors eyes twitched. He suddenly felt very tired. So what if he couldn't answer this one question, there were surely others he could answer. Why didn't they ask those? First that annoying long faced kid and now this fellow, he felt he was losing credibility.
Sighing, he brought out a small handheld device with a digital display and sensors.
"This is Aetherometer. I'll be measuring your aether output level with this."
Thorne visibly cringed when he heard the name of the device. Who named it? Couldn't they have come up with something better other than using this cliché style of naming things?
Still he watched on silently as the doctor placed the sensors on his bare chest.
Beep!
The device was activated. The doctor observed the readings seriously.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Thorne could see thee visible confusion etched on thee doctors face. He tweaked a few knobs here and there string at the readings deeply.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!
The beeps only got louder and louder causing lines to form on the doctor's forehead. Thorne suddenly had an ominous feeling.
Poooof!
The device exploded, letting out torrents of smoke. The doctor who had jumped in surprise at the explosion was now lying miserably on the floor.
"What happened doctor?" Thorne asked concernedly.
Lying on the floor, the doctor almost felt like crying.
"I-I I don't know" he stuttered.
*************************************
Just what at all did you do to make the good doctor so frustrated Little Seven?"
A while later, Thorne was walking in a corridor alongside a tall lanky youth with a long face that looked remarkably like a horse.
It was none other than the Supreme Horseface Po.
The fellow was currently patting Thorne's back like he had just won a medal.
"Don't frustrate the good man this much next time. He really puts in a lot of effort although he seems to know nothing at all."
Thorne brushed his hand off and asked,
"Where are we?"
"This place", Po stretched his arms out wide in response to Thorne's question, "is the Safehouse...."
"...a facility set out by the government to research Aether."
Turning to face Thorne, a situation that left him walking backwards, Po continued.
" Usually after the test you get to familiarize yourself with your newfound abilities but there has been a new development in game."
He turned the exact moment they came across a door, opened and entered, with Thorne at his heels.
The layout of the room was relatively simple. A bed, a table at the corner, lights and a bookshelf with books.
Po pointed at the VR headset lying on the bed and said,
Put it on and log in. We'll continue in game."
[Welcome to Nexus]
The golden construct with a fluctuating core and a username that read 'The Seventh Son ' appeared at the familiar spot where the carcasses of numerous red bees lay. A purple construct appeared right beside him.
Ding!
[Reach the sanctums at the cardinal ends of the forest floor before the timer ends]
[Quest failure effect: Right to enter Nexus in the future will be forfeited]
[Quest Rewards: Primary Evolution]
[Timer:. ]
[00:00:57]
"What's this?"
Thorne asked alarmed.
"It popped up the day you went unconscious. Seems like the game is rushing things for some reason."
Po seemed not to care about the time left at all. He sat on the glowing moss lazily and gazed into the dark sky.
" I've always wondered what is up there?"
Thorne felt like smashing the fellow's head with a hammer. Did he not see the time left? They had to hurry!
After learning that he could manifest in game abilities in the real world, Thorne wasn't ready to give up the game. As for the matter of dying, he didn't care anymore.
He would have died in the real world if not for the game so why would he care?
He calmed his agitated emotions and hurriedly said,
"Po, don't we have to leave now. We might miss it."
"About that..." Po's voice came unhurriedly through. " I managed to secure the help of an expert to get us through the flower fields."
He rose up from the ground.
" She should be here soon."
"I'm here"
A calm pleasant voice glided over.
A golden construct walked over to the two.
The construct was feminine, clearly shown by its lean and curvy outline. She stood valiantly in front of the two, observing them closely.
Up ahead, a golden username read,
'The Second Daughter'
Shi@#!
Po had employed an expert.