Outside the City of Rogalia. Acarnis.
Aron entered the dimly lit warehouse, the familiar scent of dust and rust greeting him.
He spotted Klain standing near the center, his stern face illuminated by the soft glow of a portable AetherTech lantern. The shadows cast by the light danced across the old, metal walls.
“Aron,” Klain greeted with a nod, his tone conveying approval. “You’ve done well. Your progress has been remarkable.”
Klain had kept tabs on Aron’s progress over the years. After Aron showed his talent, Klain also didn’t hesitate to invest more resources to aid his growth.
It was thanks to those aids that Aron had managed to progress rapidly in his Aether cultivation despite the shaky start in the beginning.
Of course, Klain was aware that Aron had been invited to join the various wings of the Acarnis World Government. This was the moment Klain was looking forward to the most ever since he met the boy in the same warehouse a few years ago.
To Klain, Aron was like a tree that he had been watering for quite some time. He had provided this tree with all sorts of nutrients and compost. He had made sure to nourish the very soil the tree was planted in.
At this point, this very tree had finally matured enough to bear fruits. It was about time for him to harvest these fruits. This is what it meant to nurture a sleeping cell agent.
“Thank you, Klain,” Aron replied, his voice steady and respectful. “I owe much of it to your support– to New Dawn’s support.”
For some reason, Aron found it easier to thank the guy. Especially considering Klain had handled the inner politics and complications within New Dawn all by himself, providing Aron with the peace of mind he needed to grow in silence and stability.
Aron hadn’t done much work for New Dawn after the abduction attempt had failed. And since he had proven his potential use, Klain also didn’t make use of Aron to do small stuff. Aron had been promoted as a rook in Klain’s eyes instead of just being a foot soldier.
Klain offered a nod once again. However, in the next moment, his expression hardened slightly.
“To be honest, boy, I’m not entirely pleased with your decision to join the Research and Analysis Department over the Justice Force or any other influential wing of the Acarnis World Government.
New Dawn has little to gain from you being in RAD with you acting as our potential mole. They’re several years behind us and various other private research organizations, as well as some… um… “revolutionary” groups like ours.”
‘Revolutionary? More like… radical. And that’s putting things mildly,’ Aron corrected Klain in his head but didn’t say his opinions out loud. He smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes before speaking further.
“I understand your concern, Klain. But my decision to join RAD is strategic. Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and I can make use of their cutting-edge equipment. If New Dawn ever needs to run experiments or access certain resources, I can do so discreetly using RAD’s infrastructure.”
RAD indeed had cutting-edge AetherTech compared to New Dawn or any other private organization. Reason? It simply had more economic support than any other individual organization. Plus, as a member of the Acarnis WG, Aron would have a certain set of advantages that no particular organization, not even New Dawn, could offer him.
Klain’s stern expression softened into a thoughtful frown. He paced back and forth, weighing Aron’s proposal. “You’re suggesting that you’ll act as a covert operative within RAD, using their resources for our benefit?”
“Exactly,” Aron confirmed. “This way, I can gather valuable data and run experiments without raising suspicion. RAD’s technology, while behind in some aspects, is still among the best available.
Plus, technology isn’t really at fault for people being lazy. It’s not that RAD is behind in terms of research. It’s that people working there don’t want to work as hard.
I can guarantee that I would not become another cog in the system. Plus, I can always get access to some confidential data by staying inside it. We can leverage that to our advantage.”
Klain stopped pacing and looked directly at Aron, his eyes scrutinizing. After a moment, he nodded. “Very well. Your argument is sound. We can certainly use someone on the inside of RAD. But remember, Aron, you must tread carefully. Any hint of your true allegiance could jeopardize everything.”
‘Haah! I don’t need you to tell me that,’ Aron said to himself.
“I understand the risks,” he assured him out loud. “I’ll be cautious.”
Klain’s stern demeanor relaxed slightly as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, glowing shard. The AetherTech shard pulsed with a faint blue light, intricate runes etched into its surface.
He handed it to Aron. “Haha. Consider this a graduation present. It contains the stable ritual process for the new Wisp Awakening Ritual as well as the research papers and recordings of the live experiments. You’ve proven your worth, and this will help you advance further.”
Aron took the shard. “Thank you, Klain. This means a lot.”
“Use it wisely,” Klain advised. “And remember, our goals align, but you must stay focused on your path. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Contact me and only me from New Dawn if you want anything from our side. Your success is crucial to New Dawn’s plans.”
Aron nodded, slipping the shard into his pocket. “I won’t forget. I’ll keep in touch and provide updates regularly.”
“Good,” Klain said, his voice carrying a rare note of satisfaction. “Now go, and make sure you maintain your cover. We’ll be watching.”
With a final nod, Aron turned and left the warehouse, the weight of the AetherTech shard in his pocket serving as a reminder of his success after working hard for years on end.
As he entered the night, his mind buzzed with plans and possibilities. “It’s about time I returned to Everwood farm,” Aron said to himself.
He then found a safe space before teleporting back to his creator.