Escaping out of the Academy took a bit more effort this time. Apparently, the guards at Gate 4 had been severely reprimanded after our escape yesterday, making them much less susceptible to bribes. In the end, I could only get out after calling in some old favors.
On my way back to the mansion, my mind kept replaying my last conversation with Vega, just remembering her trying her best to hold back tears.
Ha ha ha. That should hold her for a while.
Using my keys to open the metal door, I stepped inside the mansion. "Uncle Zorian, Zorian!" I called out as I entered through the front door. No one answered. The entire mansion was empty.
Oh, right, I remember. He said he had to go shopping today.
Taking out my smartwatch, I gave him a quick call. Soon, a screen with Zorian's face appeared in front of me.
"Young master, is everything OK?" the old housekeeper asked. "You're at the manor? You're early today as well. Did you skip class again? I must say, young master once is okay, but skipping classes daily isn't very—"
"Yes, yes, I know," I tried to calm the old man down. "I told Aunt Mira, she knows I left. Besides, I called you because of something important, so listen carefully." Seeing the serious look on my face, Uncle Zorian tensed up a bit.
"What is it, young master? Is everything fine?"
"Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to talk. Would you be interested in changing your job role... to a more permanent one?"
"I don't understand."
"Would you be interested in becoming the permanent housekeeper and caretaker of this mansion?"
Uncle Zorian's eyes widened a bit. "Are... are you going to—?"
"Yes," I confirmed. "I'm going to dive in right now. I am not sure how long it will take for me to come back. By then, would you be able to take care of the manor? You can even call in Aunt Mira if there are any problems."
Uncle Zorian paused, not sure what to say. Finally, he gave me a slight bow. "If that's what young master wishes from me."
Satisfied, I transferred the remaining 800,000 credits into Uncle Zorian's bank account. "I've transferred some money into your account. Please use it for your salary in case I don't return after a couple of years. If that happens, please meet with Aunt Mira; she should be able to help you find another job."
Uncle Zorian slowly nodded, his eyes misting over a bit. "You have truly grown, young master. I remember the day your father decided to dive into a new world. And now you are going to as well. Please stay safe, young master. I would give you some advice, but I assume people much stronger than me have already done so.
Just make sure you return home. By then, I will make sure to take care of the manor."
I nodded. "Thank you for everything, Uncle Zorian. You also live well. Let's talk more after I return in a couple of years."
After exchanging our goodbyes, I ended the call and switched off my smartwatch. Locking the door behind me, I activated the mansion's security system.
Relieved that no one would be able to steal my belongings while I was gone, I took my backpack to my room and threw it on my desk.
Should I clean up a bit before I leave? Nah, I'll do it later.
Grabbing my Diver's ID, I began heading toward the basement.
Walking down and reaching the end of the stairs, I came face to face with a large, imposing metallic door.
Although this door looked quite ordinary at first glance, a thorough inspection from an experienced thief would reveal that the door was made of Velkerite, one of the strongest and most precious metal found in the multiverse.
A closer inspection would reveal something even more shocking: it wasn't just the door— the walls surrounding it, and in fact, the entire basement, were reinforced with multiple layers of Velkerite, making it so that even top rankers from the league would have a hard time getting inside.
My family had done its due diligence; this entire place had been designed so that currently, only a single person in the multiverse was capable of safely entering the basement.
Steeling myself, I approached the door and placed my hand on the biometric scanner beside it.
At the same time, I bit my other hand and placed a drop of my blood on an ordinary-looking piece of metal brick on the side wall.
"Scanning"
"ID confirmed. Welcome, Master Vale."
The door smoothly slid open to the side, revealing an empty, marble-white room. At the same time, the lights inside were automatically turned on, illuminating the entire basement.
The room was bare except for a large, capsule-like machine fixed in the center.
The Diving Pod.
Taking a deep breath, I walked towards the capsule. The basement door was sealed shut once again. I took out my ID and placed it inside a slot on the side of the capsule.
"ID confirmed."
"Welcome, Diver Vale."
"The coordinates to the new world have been confirmed. Do you wish to proceed?"
As expected, my parents hadn't given me a physical copy of the coordinates but had already inputted them into the machine before leaving.
I didn't waste any more time preparing myself for the last time; I flicked the switch to open the glass hatch and climbed inside.
Sitting down on what felt like a comfy couch, I stretched my legs, trying to make myself more comfortable.
The glass hatched closed shut, and rows of text appeared on it.
When you are ready, please confirm and speak Initiate Diving Sequence.
"Initiate diving sequence," I spoke, trying to calm my racing heartbeat.
"Initiating," the machine responded as several metal syringes emerged from my seat, injecting me with strong nerve blockers and anesthetics. It didn't even take a minute before I lost all feeling in my body.
"Nerve blockers supplied. Initiating diving sequence."
Suddenly, a large pulling sensation took over my body—well, not my body; I could no longer feel my body at all. Instead, it was something more incorporeal, something more unreal.
"Extracting Soul"
"Rerouting"
My thoughts slowed down, and my consciousness began to dim. At the same time, I saw my body being engulfed in a torrent of fire. Yet, I didn't feel any pain—not even when my eyes were scorched and turned to ash.
The next time I wake up, I'll be in a new world.
That was my last thought before I entirely lost consciousness.