Harvey made his way through the corridor and spotted a spiraling staircase. There was no elevator in this place, meaning he'd have to walk up himself. Without hesitation, he ascended to the tenth floor, determined to try out the hundredfold gravity room.
Months ago, his body had already grown accustomed to the immense pressure of the deep ocean at a depth of ten thousand meters, so a mere hundredfold gravity would be child's play for him. If he wanted to truly train in a gravity chamber, he'd need to construct something far more advanced.
"Warning! Warning!"
"This floor contains a hundredfold gravity chamber. Please be mindful of all actions taken here."
"Ensure there are no living creatures inside the chamber before activating the device."
"Any consequences of ignoring this warning will not be the responsibility of the company."
As Harvey stepped onto the tenth floor, red alarm lights flickered, and a mechanical voice echoed throughout the space, repeatedly cautioning him against rash actions. The blaring alarms effectively prevented anyone from using the gravity room for sinister purposes, like assassination.
He hadn't registered any biometric data, nor did he have an access card, but he wasn't bothered. Effortlessly phasing through the solid door, Harvey slipped into the chamber. From a high vantage point, he looked down through a window at a wide platform below. Surrounding the platform were several jet-black devices—likely the gravity generators.
Harvey wasn't worried about understanding the controls since the instructions had been conveniently translated. After a glance at the control panel, he found the switch.
With a light press, a low hum filled the room. The black devices surrounding the platform sprang to life, emitting waves of visible energy that began to ripple and rotate. On the projection screen, a counter began climbing, marking the increasing gravitational force. The air over the platform distorted, and when the gravity reached a hundredfold, the display stopped, and the chamber bathed in crimson light, warning of the danger within.
Harvey phased once more, entering the now brightly glowing gravity room. As he stepped inside, he felt a light pressure on his shoulders—nothing more than a faint pat. Weighing about 140 pounds, and clad in a golden void armor, which was materialized from void magic and essentially weightless, he could easily handle the 14,000-pound pressure. For someone of his current strength, it was akin to a mild itch.
What excited Harvey, though, was the prospect of increasing the gravity to a thousandfold someday. That would make for an enjoyable challenge. For now, though, he deactivated the room and exited the black tower.
Harvey planned to ask Sonya about the company responsible for the gravity devices, hoping they might be able to create a chamber with even higher gravitational levels. And if possible, he wanted to bring a portable gravity device back to Tony Stark. The Void Church required his presence only in its early stages. Once established, Sonya would oversee the church on Xandar. With enough believers, Void temples would begin appearing on other planets as well.
Harvey phased back to the villa, where he found Sonya coming up the stairs.
"Already adjusted to the power so quickly? Seems you've got some real talent," Harvey remarked, impressed.
He knew he had been gone for only about half an hour, yet Sonya had already adapted to her new abilities. She had a natural gift.
"Thank you, Mr. Kassadin, for the compliment. I've only learned to control my strength. I still have a lot to work on—especially mastering how to fight and push my abilities to their limits."
Sonya knew Harvey had likely gone to inspect the training grounds. So, seeing him suddenly reappear didn't surprise her. He smiled and said, "Faith in the Void doesn't just grant strength, but also extends life—by centuries, at least. So, you've got plenty of time, no need to rush."
"Understood. I'll keep that in mind," Sonya replied with a smile. "As for the chefs you requested, I've informed them. A batch will arrive on the island within the hour to prepare your meal. Due to the rush, though, the ingredients won't arrive until tomorrow, so we'll have to skip today's afternoon tea and dessert. But starting tomorrow, everything will be ready."
"No problem," Harvey waved dismissively. "I won't starve from missing one meal. But there's something else I wanted to ask you."
"Whatever you need, Mr. Kassadin. As long as I know the answer, I'll tell you everything," Sonya replied earnestly.
Harvey appreciated her respect and loyalty. Even if he had suddenly asked for her to share his bed, she would likely agree out of admiration. But Harvey wasn't the kind of man to make such demands.
"I wanted to know about the company that built the gravity chambers," he said. "Do you think they could make ones with even higher gravity?"
"The gravity chamber is a product of Wengsath Technology," Sonya explained. "However, gravity tech isn't part of the standard civilian market. It's mostly used by labs and military forces."
"They provide specialized testing grounds for various labs, and their tech is also used for military applications—like combat simulations for Nova Corps soldiers."
"So even if they could make stronger gravity chambers, their products are heavily restricted. Ordinary buyers like us can only purchase standard gravity devices. Without the right clearance, custom orders are out of the question."
Sonya activated her communicator and displayed all relevant information about Wengsath Technology, confirming her research into the company. The gravity equipment she'd purchased was part of their civilian line.
"Custom orders are restricted, huh?" Harvey considered her words. "Well, in that case, buy every portable gravity device they have available."
Once Darm advanced within the Nova Corps and secured a higher position, perhaps he could help facilitate a custom order. But Harvey had a quicker plan in mind: bringing samples back for Tony to study. Tony Stark's genius would surely allow him to replicate and improve upon the alien tech, eventually crafting more powerful gravity machines. Then Harvey would have the perfect way to vent his strength when necessary.
It was a win-win situation, so Harvey didn't doubt Tony would be up for the challenge. All he needed was to return to Earth with the right tech samples.