The air caravan descended toward the medical facility's rooftop, the radiant rays of sunlight reflecting off the sleek, lustrous metal it was created from. The radiance would undoubtedly blind anyone staring from below.
A part of the facility opened up, revealing a modest hangar where transport vehicles like the air caravan could land safely. This reminded Kieran that the facility was not constructed for paupers but for the elite… and he was one of them now.
Granted, he wasn't keen on staying here for much longer.
A small bump unsteadied everyone, but it was relatively tame and the most turbulent part of the ride. Dahlia was secured, however, so there was no concern there.
Once the roaring engine and whirring rotors stopped, everyone disembarked from the transport vessel. Kieran was quite superstitious about those things. It reminded him of some of those all-too-realistic horror films everyone where a wayward rotor had gone awry and split passengers in half or mangled their bodies until they were unrecognizable.
Death… that was their final destination. Their demise is all they saw.
Kieran shuddered at the thought and then followed everyone inside. He was met with an area he should have been familiar with, but the stark contrast kept him from associating the two.
Kieran turned around in silent disbelief before finally getting his question out.
"This is the research lab?"
Lillian turned with a bright smile that showed off her pearly whites, a neat row of perfect, porcelain-white teeth.
"That's right. This is the medical/research floor you have come to love, well… inhabit, really."
Lillian explained why everything seemed so different — like a trauma ward in a modernized hospital. It was outfitted with medical equipment and pristine appliances that Kieran knew nothing about.
"See, you guys should have immediately come to me. I guess everyone forgot places like this tend to have secondary purposes. And you… mister," Lillian pressed a finger into Kieran's chest and pouted. "You should have remembered as much. After all, I diagnosed and treated you."
Kieran looked defeated with a thin smile. That had indeed slipped his mind, but even then, the research lab didn't look like a trauma ward as much as it did an experimental facility where strange tests were conducted.
With the help of Kieran and Bastion, who transferred and carried Dahlia's gurney with a steady grip and gait, Lillian got her situated and settled while also priming the necessary equipment to run preliminary tests.
Kieran consoled Bastion some more, firmly patting his back.
"She's in good hands. Lillian is the most attentive, meticulous, and benevolent person we know. She'll prioritize nursing abuela back to health."
From a saddened smile, Bastion beamed, wrapping Kieran up in a tight hug and then rapping his shoulder afterward. "You're calling her abuela. Ah, I'm sure she loved to hear that."
Kieran shrugged lightheartedly. To him, it just felt right somehow, so that's what he called her.
After all, he didn't know much about his own family. None of them had come forward to claim him, so perhaps he adapted to calling her that because he was searching for a family of his own. Or maybe the family of his chosen family… could be his family as well.
Of course, Kieran didn't delude himself into thinking that all would acknowledge him. Dahlia accepted him, though. And that made him feel content in the now.
Sadly, it didn't solve the problem that loomed over him — X-hancers. How was he going to solve their dire shortage? It was only a matter of time before Bastion and the others reached a level where the weak serums would no longer benefit them.
Kieran took a seat and brainstormed.
'I could attempt to use my identity. The world knows me, and I did that interview. Surely, Apex Technologies would acknowledge my growing reputation, right?'
He felt it was worth a shot, but he couldn't ignore his misgivings regarding the motives behind those three large companies. Perhaps there were more involved, but he wasn't privy to their involvement or identity.
Of course, Kieran understood the actual danger wasn't what was revealed to the public but left lurking in the shadows. Kieran was compelled to look into the darkness, but he was scared he couldn't contend against what he would find or endure the attention he'd draw.
He could use a proxy to gather information, but alas, Allan had yet to find a suitable one within the Gamer Republic Inc, and he didn't know how to begin infiltrating Apex Technologies safely.
Kieran wracked his brain.
'Maybe if I purchase a subsidiary? I don't know. I doubt they'd place much focus on a subsidiary.'
What he needed was a potent, influential ally with undeniable pull.
'Wait a minute…'
Kieran exhaled before dialing a number he had not talked to in a while. He didn't know if she was busy within Zenith Online or if he logged out to handle business, but he hoped reaching her was possible.
The holographic receiver rang, and Kieran impatiently bounced his leg.
Eventually, the strange noise following a successful connection occurred, and a voice came through winded, softly panting but a pleasure to listen to nonetheless.
"…Yes? Aatrox? Is that you?"
"Why yes, it is. It's been a few weeks since we have spoken. And I guess I left a great many things up in the air, haven't I?"
There was a brief, pregnant pause before Ezra — of course, it was Ezra, the mistress of fine weaponry — answered. Considering it was only a voice call and neither side could be seen, Kieran couldn't tell her reaction.
"…Yeah! You did — a great many things. For starters, your guild has been in a strange sense of limbo, neither progressing nor regressing. And you… dear god, I tried to contact you so many times!"
Kieran listened to Ezra complain about his lack of attendance and held a smile until the end. Only once she was done did he answer, except not in the way she expected.
"What are you doing right now?"
"…Uh, what? What do you mean?" asked Ezra.
"You sound as if you've just finished tiring yourself out. So… are you on Xenith or on Earth?"
"Earth. Doing some physical conditioning and adjusting to my current physique."
Kieran had called Ezra for a specific purpose, but now he was getting sidetracked and didn't mind that he was veering from the original topic in mind. It just so happened that he needed more input to see if pattern recognition could apply to their current situation.
Maybe that process would help him arrive at the answer faster.
"When you say current physique, are you hinting that you've become an Adept? And if so… have you noticed any stark differences in your abilities — be it strength, speed, or mental acuity?"
Ezra seemed ecstatic to talk about this because from the moment Kieran posed the questions, descriptions began to spill from her mouth, soon ending with:
"…I'm much more explosive now, yet I can control that explosiveness with astonishing precision. And my abilities with a sword have risen tremendously, which I attribute to this strange, intrinsic connection I feel to a blade."
Kieran's eyes gleamed with burning interest.
"Would you say… your abilities here are a sharpening echo of your Class inside Xenith?"
"Yes! A million times, yes. Which I've been wanting to talk to you about. My Class changed recently. It's called the Maven of the Unbroken Blade, a comprehensive upgrade from my former Sword Master Class."
'Maven of the Unbroken Blade?'
"What inspired that upgrade? A Path?"
Ezra cleared her throat but answered in a mumble still, "…You."
