Keni was led into an area bustling with machines and gadgets. It resembled a laboratory, except for the hundred or so people loitering around.
"Ey! Don't worry. Once all this is over, all 'em questions and worries will be answered. But for now... put these on."
Pico handed him two metal bracelets. Keni put them on almost immediately. It wasn't because he was easily influenced or anything like that.
Simply put, he couldn't bring himself to disobey Pico, especially not when those eyes glared at him like a predator.
"Oy! I'm gonna drop these horns off at {the branch}." Keke smiled, patting his partner on the back. He was carrying a duffel bag and an envelope in his hand.
"Well..." Pico paused, looking at Keni before glancing at his partner's trousers. Both of their clothes were stained with blood. "M'kay then! Let's catch up at {the rig}."
Inside the bustling laboratory, people entered through two automated doors. The space was wide enough to accommodate a large machine at the back, and four widescreen monitors were positioned under a suspended ceiling, surrounded by tinted roof lights.
In the center, a reception desk was placed in front of a dividing wall within the laboratory.
The upper part of the wall consisted of a glass window, revealing a portion of a machine behind. The lower part was a mirrored surface.
'It looks like people are being tested on that large machine. While others are just purchasing or selling materials on this side.'
Keni looked around, observing people standing in line before the desk. 'And I feel I'm one of these people getting tested.'
Just as Keni surmised, unlike a laboratory, the area after the entrance resembled more of an expo center.
Various technologies and gadgets were constantly exchanged, although most were guns or peculiar-looking contraptions. Human-sized machines were also scattered around the area, although they appeared more ornamental than functional.
Keke exited with a smile before parting ways. Despite the crowded area, the ventilation was perfect, and a cold breeze helped dry Keni's sweat.
Amid the bustling crowd, Keni stood in a long line that snaked toward the receptionist.
As he glanced around, he couldn't help but feel the contrast between his slender, skeletal frame and the sturdy, robust men who stood alongside him in the queue.
"Ey! Jinrad, long time no see..." Pico greeted the man standing next in line. The man was a bald, muscular figure sporting snug tank tops and a stern expression that practically screamed 'dangerous.'
"I haven't spotted you around here. Are you here for the Doc?"
Two short swords were securely fastened to his waist. Their faint gleam caught the light as Pico gave him a friendly slap behind.
"Oh! Pico, it's you," the man exclaimed, his hand instinctively hovered near his weapons before relaxing. "I thought that voice sounded familiar... I recently returned from China after hunting a first-grade witch. And guess what—I got these suckers with me."
The man dangled two dark fangs, unmistakably belonging to a witch. They were so dark that they seemed to swallow the light around them, and their razor-sharp edges were strikingly evident.
"Ey! First-grade, huh? Well, what a catch!" Pico leaned over, offering his compliment.
"And not just any first-grade fang! Look at this," the man pulled him closer.
"Holy bee! Are those..." Suddenly, Pico reacted excitedly. His eyeballs were almost jumping out of their sockets.
"That's right... They are! That's why I returned here quickly, even faster than them {covens} chasing me. And lemme tell ya, I bet there are more of these in China. The territory is full of them after {the Reds} migrated."
"Ey! Bet the Doc's gonna jump when he sees that. That's basically... *cough*."
The man chuckled, nodding his approval. "So, what brings you here?"
"Meh. Not much... Although I found this tripper on the sands—Well, technically, me 'n Keke—I'm just here to get our reward... You know it's been a while since we had one." Pico replied, scratching his head.
"Although... Ey! Keke's busy dropping 'em second and third-grade horns at {the branch}. Wanna catch up at {the rig} later?"
The man nodded. They were practically friendly with each other.
***
"Greetings! Welcome to the Central Hub. How may I help you?"
After a long wait, it was finally Keni's turn. They were met by a woman dressed in a lab coat. She was seated behind the desk, her attention fixed on the monitor, seemingly ignoring the men.
"Tripper extraction. Found 'em at the Emirates." Pico said as he slid a card into what seemed to be a scanner, which emitted a brief beep.
The beep caught her attention. She glanced almost immediately before typing quickly on her keyboard. After a few moments, a vibrating ping echoed from Pico's pocket.
"Aight, Imma leave you now. It was nice riding with you," Pico smiled, giving a funny salute before turning away.
'He really did sell me...' Keni blanked out. He couldn't believe the BS in front of him.
"Mr. Keni Sou," someone called his name, repeating it twice. Keni's steps faltered as he heard the woman's voice.
"Please, come with me," she instructed while clicking her tongue.
Guided by the receptionist, Keni entered through opaque glass doors. As they automatically slid open, they unveiled a room filled with machines and blinking monitors.
'Whoa...' Keni was taken aback. 'I did anticipate some machines, but I never thought they would be this massive...'
Keni looked ahead and noticed a big, complicated machine far away. It seemed very intricate and valuable in the room. The machine was as big as a small house and had large tubes attached to the top, carefully moving clear fluid.
["Answer: Magna Detected."]
On the upper-right wall, a glass window, presumably an observation room, offered a view of the area. Whoever might be watching, the tinted glass concealed anyone's identity.
"Mr. Keni Sou. Civil Engineering student. A Filipino six-month tripper to the New Emirates. Last seen on Tagum City—"
Suddenly, the woman started sharing his information. She looked at him without any notes and seemed to be sharing details purely from memory.
"W-wait— How do you know me—" Keni couldn't help but show his surprise. He wanted to hear her answers, even as the woman kept talking.
She revealed everything, from his birthplace to his complicated past, as if she were recounting historical facts. She even knew his weight and favorite drinks, making it almost creepy with each piece of information.
"—if any of the shared information is inaccurate, please let us know before we initiate the {Manas Link}. Once the procedure is complete, all your questions will be addressed," the woman explained.
'What on earth is going on?!'
Almost instantly, the bracelets around his wrists began to emit a radiant glow. The brightness intensified with each passing second, drawing energy from him. The sensation was like a tightening grip on his wrist as if it could snap, yet Keni felt no pain.
["Answer: Magna Detected. Type: Tracker"]
"We will begin the {Manas Link}," the lady announced.
Keni realized he was involuntarily moving toward a platform positioned at the room's center. Strange symbols adorned its surface, and runes with arrows pulsed as he approached.
"I'm going with yellow." Keni overheard from a group wearing lab coats. They appeared to be betting. Whatever they were discussing, most of them shifted their gaze toward him.
After reaching the platform, the giant machine started to hum softly like a warming engine. Also, Keni could feel the floor below him pulsating like a heartbeat. Shortly after, a gentle beep reached his ears, causing the runes beneath him to illuminate steadily.
This sight prompted the people around the room manning busily on their respective consoles, wearing different expressions. Some wore smiles, others stared with vacant expressions, and some exhibited languid indifference.
"Initiating the Manas Link!"
The floor beneath Keni's feet exploded like a bomb. It never did any damage except sending a blanket of smoke around him. Moreover, a slender yellow dome shielded the individuals outside the platform from any effects.
"Shoot! What just happened?" Keni cursed. Peering downward, he noticed the runes now emitted a steady yellow glow.
"Alright! You owe me one. Guess the guy's just fourth grade." An annoying voice echoed from a corner.
["Answer: Manas Link successful! Integrating link with Nexus... Failed!"]
Suddenly, a thousand images flooded Keni's retina, detailing an event spanning six months of Earth's timeline.
Looking down, he noticed the bracelets on his wrists had vanished. At that moment, a soft voice in the background congratulated him.
[ "Congratulations! Nexus Partial unlocked." ]
[ "Notice: Initiating Nexus Partial." ]
[ "Advisory: Host cautioned Nexus confidentiality." ]
'Woah! What the hell just happened—'
"Congratulations! It seems you have successfully linked with Manas," a lady approached him. It was the receptionist who had guided him to the laboratory.
'Wait... Am I seeing things or—'
Keni blinked. A transparent panel was anchored in his vision, like a pop-up advertisement. It looked like a floating text that resembled a menu button.
Another pop-up notification appeared in the upper right corner. Whatever label was below it, Keni immediately opened it with a thought.
"Fudge! So this is how you know so much about me..." Keni exclaimed.