Ethan was taken and escorted by Elaine's guards, their movements swift and precise. They approached one of the vans, its camouflage feature blending seamlessly with the surroundings. Ethan, silent and traumatized by what he had witnessed, found himself in an alien environment. At just six years old, everything was happening too fast for him to comprehend.
"A quiet one, isn't he?" G50 remarked as they took off. The van lifted into the air, heading towards their base. Elaine's mercenary group, Black Wind, was more than it seemed. While they performed ordinary tasks, their true operations involved illegal experiments on people and selling enhanced humans on the black market. Their destination was Iron City, formerly known as Polokwane.
Upon arrival, Elaine ordered, "Send him to Room 3. I'll run the tests myself. No need to clean him up."
"Leave him to me," Hector said, taking hold of Ethan and following Elaine. The facility was massive, with pale blue walls that gave it a clean, futuristic look. Doors slid open as they moved from section to section until they reached a door marked with the number 03.
Inside, a little girl with deep green hair awaited them. "Always the diligent one, I see," Elaine commented as she entered the room. "You can leave now, Hector."
"Shall we start?" she asked with a smile, placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"Are we going to test the new vial on him?" the little girl inquired, holding a transparent tablet.
"No, not yet. You can stay aside for this one," Elaine responded, leading Ethan to a capsule and laying him down.
"What are you doing to me? I just want to go home. To my mom and dad and sister too," Ethan pleaded, his lifeless eyes showing a faint glimmer of hope.
"Don't worry, you might see them sooner if you bear a little longer," Elaine said, stroking his head. She placed her open hand on his forehead, and mana flowed from her hand into Ethan's head. Her eyes glowed blue as she read his memories. Ethan began to scream and cry, and the little girl cast a binding spell. A blue magic circle formed from her hand, and chains emerged, binding Ethan and stopping his squirming.
The chains rattled violently, unable to restrain him. With a surge of strength, he broke free, continuing to squirm.
"It's fine. I'm done now," Elaine said, her voice calm. The little girl beside her tensed, eyes wide with shock at how quickly he had shattered his bonds. The mana flowing from Elaine's hand ceased, and her eyes returned to their normal brown color.
Ethan, now free, sat up straight and burst into tears. Elaine watched him with a curious smile. "What an interesting little boy," she remarked.
Turning to the little girl, she asked, "Dianna, can you tell me what you've noticed about this boy?"
Dianna hesitated, unsure. "I'm not sure I follow," she replied.
"Come on, give it a try," Elaine encouraged with a gentle smile.
"He's strong. Stronger than he looks," Dianna finally said.
"Is that all?" Elaine pressed, her gaze steady.
Dianna remained silent, unsure of what else to say.
"His clothes," Elaine pointed out, drawing Dianna's attention. "And his mana," she added.
Elaine continued, "You're still young, so I don't expect too much from you yet. But this boy will be your partner from now on." With that, she dismissed Dianna, leaving Ethan alone with her.
Elaine pondered, her thoughts racing. "To think, without mana or any other form of technology to protect him, he survived having his body torn down to the molecular level and rebuilt with the densest form of mana ever, while being shot through time like a flying arrow," she mused, marveling at the rarity Ethan had become.
"This boy, by mere accident, became the youngest person to achieve the status of a High Human. Beings that practice magic to the point where they evolve into the pinnacle of their respective species. Becoming a 'Higher life form'. This is my chance," Elaine smiled, her eyes gleaming with opportunity.
Elaine observed the changes in Ethan's body and mana with keen interest. The incident caused by Michael, which led to the collision of ten universes, had a profound impact. All those universes, except Ethan's, were imbued with magic. The collision caused these universes to merge, resulting in the formation of spacetime pockets—isolated zones from random locations within those ten universes. These pockets came to be known as gates.
Some gates contained beings corrupted by mana, turning into wild beasts driven mad by the high-density mana they were exposed to. These gates were filled with such dense mana that anything trapped inside evolved rapidly. The creatures within became extremely powerful, plant life transformed into valuable mana herbs, and even the grass held precious properties. Mana stones also formed, making the gates treasure troves, but only the most skilled warriors could venture into them.
In the aftermath, various species made contact with humans and established peace. Humans, dwarves, elves, dragons, and beastmen became common, and together they combined their technologies and crafts, leading to the development of five main galactic empires. Among these species were those who practiced magic to the point of reaching the pinnacle, known as High Beings—entities on par with elder dragons, though they were rare.
Now, Ethan was one of them. Although his evolution wasn't complete, he was still regarded as such. "To think a child from a thousand years ago would become one of the rarest and most prestigious beings, comparable to dragons," Elaine mused, her smile growing even more delighted. She planned to take him under her wing, making him her protégé and the inheritor of all her knowledge and will.
Elaine called for Hector, instructing him to take Ethan and get him a change of clothes, as well as assign him a special quarter to live in. "Give him better treatment than those top rankers," she commanded.
Hector led Ethan to his new living quarters, a privilege reserved for the truly skilled. "That room was prepared for the captain of the Tomato Squad, but I'll make other arrangements," Hector remarked as they walked. "Don't worry, kid. I'm sure you'll get used to it," he added reassuringly.
They stopped in front of a room labeled N55. "From now on, you'll take on this name. If you want your original name back, you'll have to earn it. Understand?" Hector said firmly.
Ethan nodded. "Good. You'll find clothes in here. Change into them," Hector instructed, swiping his hand by the door to open it and gently pushing Ethan inside.
The room was spacious, much larger than Ethan's previous one. On the bed lay a set of clothes, though they appeared too big for him. Following instructions, Ethan took a bath. When he saw there were no smaller clothes, he reluctantly put on the oversized ones. To his surprise, the clothes shrunk to fit his body perfectly, leaving him astonished.