After entering the digital portal, Void's mind momentarily went blank, and the next thing he knew, he found himself enclosed by digital walls and a lengthy corridor stretching into the unknown.
A melodic gasp escaped from his right side.
(Wow, so mysterious. Mom, is even the interior of the tower augmented?) Sora exclaimed, closely examining the digital infrastructure, the interconnected routers along the main corridor, and the intricate web of patterns. She marveled at the modified functionality.
Upon hearing the question, Sarah, who was in a bad mood due to the earlier audacious incident [at least from her perspective], swiftly regained her usual composure and chuckled at Sora's fascination.
(Yes, dear, but not everything can be attributed to augmentation. The runic patterns etched on the structural components also play a crucial role.)
(As expected of the Analysis Tower, which computes from material code and stands as a pivotal structure in the original city, dubbed as the haven of science and magic.) Void chimed in and remarked sagely while observing the web of runic patterns adorning the walls.
Hearing his wise remark, Sora had an incredulous look in her eyes as she caught a glimpse of Void's all-knowing attitude. Meanwhile, Sarah couldn't help but chuckle at his mischievous attempt at uplifting her spirits.
(I appreciate your concern for me, and I am grateful. However, my prince, are you alright? Did you feel any discomfort at that man's vocalization of 'Her'?) Sarah asked with a worried look in her eyes. She knows that Void instinctively feels uncomfortable whenever she mentions his mother, let alone the derogatory term 'Sinful' used to describe her.
("I'm fine, Aunt,") Void replied in a neutral tone. His eyes gleamed with an indescribable blankness, and his expression remained hidden beneath the dark cloak.
Meanwhile, Sora had a puzzled look in her eyes. She didn't know much about Void's mother, except for the fact that she had often heard her own mom mumbling about her when she was alone. In fact, she had only just discovered that the so-called 'Her' was actually Void's mother. Nevertheless, catching a glimpse of his blank gaze beneath the dark cloak made her heart clench inexplicably, but she quickly snapped out of it when she felt her 'Eeriness' activating.
"Is that so?" Sarah had a contemplative look in her eyes, but soon got over it and said, "Alright then, let's head to the Server hall where the Scanning takes place."
With that, the trio disappeared into the digital corridor.
*****
(Who is that man, Aunt?)
While walking in the corridor, Void nonchalantly voiced out.
Hearing the question, Sarah had long expected to be asked but came a little too late. She replied,
(As mentioned before, he's a member of the Nobel household 'Lowen', and hails from the world of Titans. He's also one of the 10 envoys selected by the "Titan Sovereignty", sent to the {Absolute Unity} to act as a channel between the Black Star and the Titan realm.)
(And yes, before you inquire, after the universal transformation, living beings' focus shifted towards material immersion, which left most of the real worlds in a basic and non-complex power structure - the feudal hierarchy.) Without waiting for Void's next query, she began depicting the reality's hierarchical system.
(In the present universe, every race has a focal point that serves as a gathering hub for their respective kind, just like humans who have the
{World of Atlantis} as their prime world.)
(However, that doesn't mean there is still ongoing racial discrimination like in ancient times. The innumerable tragedies of the past left a deep scar on everyone's psyche and shaped the current universe, teaching them when to unite and when to prioritize self-preservation. Even the gods are not exempt from this.)
(Although, in the end, the definition of strength ultimately reigns dominant. After all, no matter the era or world, the phrase 'might is right' never ceases to fade. Every race and individual has their own pride and refuses to bow to the other. For instance, that man and the Nobel household behind him who still cling to the principle of blood prejudice and look down on commoners by labeling them with the term 'dirty blood,' regardless of their racial origin.) Sarah explained monotonously, and no one can discern her expression beneath the gray cloak.
(A focal point's-[Prime World} power structure is as follows: Commoners ➡️ Aristocrats ➡️ Noble Household ➡️ Sovereignty..)
(The commoners are.. Just commoners; they don't have a prestigious background, proper status, or a grand blood lineage like the "hidden ancient clans." However, they do have the right to establish their own organizations/companies with enough influence, fame, and sufficient contributions.)
(As for Aristocrats, they are the exact opposite of commoners, they have everything from birth - Money, status, talents, resources and bloodline.
The Aristocrats with enough background and power are given management of nations and territories in a racial hub. They range from ~ Baron ⏭️ Viscount ⏭️ Earl ⏭️ Marquis ⏭️ Arch Duke.)
(And the Nobel household... They are like guardians of a race and the prime world. The noble households are meticulously selected by the respective rulers of a race, and even the closed-Off black star is no exception. And most importantly, the noble households have either an innate constitution or an ancestral bloodline that blesses them with special attunement to the material code, granting them an 88% chance of formulating a source in a generation. This means that the majority of their household members consists of ability users, while the remaining 12% are either awakeners of old paths of power or ordinary people.)
(Lastly, the Sovereignty are primordial families with the strongest A'uthority in a race and are the partial rulers of their prime world. They have either peak-level ancestors or 'True Status' in material immersion.)
With that, Sarah concluded her clarification and looked down at Sora, who had a comprehensive and slightly confused gaze. Meanwhile, Void had a thoughtful and inquisitive gaze.
"Aunt, how does our original city and the black star fit into all this?" After a bit of contemplation, Void voiced the pivotal question that was bothering both him and Sora.
(Black star huh! Or should I call it {Forsaken Planet of Genesis}. Sarah muttered in an inaudible voice but didn't know that the Void could hear her.
(The Black Star is the home world of the savior and the miracle origin of the material code. Let's say it has quite a complicated and banned status in the cosmos. Other than that, it's a normal world, at least for the most part. The world consists of both ordinary people and ability users alike, almost like an abandoned piece of land in the vast ocean. If there is something noteworthy, then it's the original city, which is like a paradise for ability users. Unfortunately, other than its denizens, no one is allowed entry into this world, which is protected by an unknown power. However, at least it isn't completely shut off from the vast cosmos.) Sarah sighed and continued.
(By interlinking oneself with material immersion, its denizens could form a connection with the vast universe and can even transcend the world by transferring their fixed interlink. Controversially, outsiders could also use specific means and privileges through material immersion to bypass the unknown power and excess this world as guests, which I am unable to divulge for now,) Sarah said with a bit of frustration and helplessness. After all, the code particles are constantly in motion and wouldn't allow someone without a source to process the data frequency of its deep convolutions.
(Anyway, the hierarchy of this world is the same as the outer universe, but with a certain twist. Instead of a Sovereignty, this world has a government established by its denizens known as {Absolute Unity}. Next come the {8 Noble households}, who are said to have ties to the unknown power, and then Aristocrats, who are bigshots and occupy important roles in the government. Lastly, there are the commoners..)
While they were conversing, the door to the server hall, where the primeval analysis takes place, appeared in the trio's view.
(Aunt, one last question: didn't you say the royalties are only partial rulers of a prime world? Does that mean there's a higher power than them?) Seeing the server Hall, Void asked with urgency.
"Yes, the Monarchy - also known as progenitors - but let's talk about this some other time," Sarah replied, while opening the door to the server Hall.
Void grumbled and cursed the digital corridor for not being a bit longer.~~~~~