[Sir, he is about to awaken,] Nova informed Aron, indicating that two hours had passed in the real universe.
“Thanks,” Aron said and immediately left the simulated universe to log out.
When he logged out he stretched himself feeling refreshed as if he had slept the entire night. This was because as soon as he logged into the VR, Nova had promptly initiated the REM procedure to deceive Aron’s brain into believing that he was sleeping.
This allowed his brain to rest, considering he had dedicated the entire night to infusing mana into runes.
Aron put the VR headset on the table and began waiting for John to wake up as he was sure he would be waking up within ten minutes.
……
9 minutes later
JOHN’S POV
As John awakened, he experienced a sense of tranquility, as if he had indulged in a blissful night’s rest—an uncommon occurrence since his injury. As he began relishing the pleasant sensation, his mind interjected abruptly, “Hold on, wait a minute, something ain’t right”
Consequently, he initiated a mental exploration, conjuring up theories to explain the absence of the usual pain that accompanied his awakening after resorting to sleeping pills.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, he contemplated, “Is this what it feels like to die? Perhaps he truly did take my organs.” His emotions became entangled, torn between a sense of relief that the pain had vanished, yet also tinged with sadness for having departed without experiencing closure.
Interrupting his thoughts, a voice asked, “How are you feeling?”
Upon hearing the question, he swiftly transitioned to a seated position, astonished by his newfound ability to do so.
However, his amazement quickly dissipated as he felt the sensation in both his legs and hands. “Oh my God,” he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief, as he raised his amputated hand and beheld its presence instead of the void that had occupied its space before.
In an instant, he became oblivious to the voice that had posed the initial question, his gaze fixating on his legs. To his astonishment, the previously atrophied leg had regained its former vitality.
However, before he could fully absorb this revelation, another question interjected, “Hey, can you hear me?”.
Raising his head to locate the source of the sound, he discovered the familiar figure of the man he had encountered the previous night.
Overcoming his initial surprise, he promptly inquired, “Are you the angel of death? I’m I dead? Is that why my body has reverted to its previous state?”
……
Upon hearing the question, Aron couldn’t contain his laughter, caught off guard by the unexpected query emerging from a blind spot.
Although he had anticipated witnessing John’s reaction upon awakening with a fully restored body, he never imagined being mistaken for an angel of death.
After a hearty laughter that lasted for approximately thirty seconds, Aron eventually regained composure, allowing him to respond to the inquiry he had been posed. “No, I am not the angel of death,” he replied earnestly. “You are not deceased, and indeed, your body has not only returned to its former state but has actually surpassed its previous condition.” taking a pause before he continued
“Just as I assured you, everything has come to an end now that you have awakened. It is time for you to fulfill your part of the bargain,” he concluded with a serious tone, his once-smiling countenance replaced by a more serious expression, both in his face and his voice.
As Aron’s words resonated with John, a flood of memories rushed back, and he recollected the events of the previous night in their entirety.
He recalled making a solemn vow to pledge his loyalty to the man, firmly believing that his disabilities rendered any potential usefulness of such loyalty futile.
Curiosity sparked within John, and questions filled his mind. “How did he accomplish it? To my knowledge, there is no known method for regenerating an amputated hand. Was such technology kept secret and withheld from the public?” Numerous inquiries sprouted in his mind, urging him to delve deeper into the mystery.
However, a profound transformation occurred within him as he recollected the dire circumstances he had faced before. Rising to his feet, John’s determination surged, and he promptly dropped down onto one knee.
With unwavering conviction and a serious tone in his voice, he made his solemn pledge: “I swear before God that I shall remain loyal to you, unwavering and steadfast, and I shall never betray you under any circumstances.” Every word that left his lips carried profound sincerity, etched upon his earnest countenance.
As Aron witnessed the man humbly dropping to his knees, reminiscent of medieval oaths of loyalty, a sense of contentment washed over him.
He felt a surge of happiness that the man had upheld his promise, thus eliminating the need for drastic measures such as forcing him into signing a loyalty contract.
Aron had invested considerable effort, and he harbored no desire to see his endeavors go unrewarded.
Unbeknownst to Aron, a fanatic was born on that very day, someone who would go to great lengths to carry out any command, regardless of how distasteful or abhorrent it may be.
“Stand up,” Aron commanded, acknowledging the oath and solidifying the recruitment of his first member into his forces, marking the official start of his private forces.
“Yes, sir,” John responded promptly, swiftly rising to his feet and assuming an attentive position. He stood quietly, awaiting further orders with unwavering readiness.
Aron found himself pleasantly surprised by John’s swift shift in attitude, observing how he immediately sprung into action without hesitation. The readiness and dedication John displayed caught Aron off guard in the best possible way.
“Take a seat” Aron instructed, recognizing that without the explicit command, John might continue standing indefinitely, waiting for further instructions.
“Yes, sir,” John replied obediently, assuming a military posture while taking his seat as if he were within the presence of a high-ranking army commander.
“Is there anything significant remaining in your life?” Aron inquired, although he was aware that there was nothing of importance left for John.
“No, sir,” John responded promptly.
“In that case, there should be no issue with you acquiring a new identity, correct? Besides, your appearance has changed and you now appear to be in your twenties as a result of the procedure,”
“Yes, sir,” John responded immediately, his head tilted in curiosity in response to what Aron said about his physical transformation.
Upon noticing John’s confusion, Aron realized the source of his bewilderment. “Ah, you haven’t seen your own face yet,” he remarked, retrieving his phone. With a swift reaction, Nova uploaded a real-life 3D rendering of John from the brain data she collected.
“Here, take a look,” Aron offered, extending his phone to John, allowing him to witness his new body.
John received the phone with both hands, showing respect, and focused his gaze on the screen. As he beheld the remarkably lifelike 3D image of himself.
Astonishment washed over John as he observed his youthful appearance in the 3D image. It was truly remarkable, and he couldn’t help but acknowledge that if he hadn’t placed unwavering trust in Aron’s words, he would have found it difficult to believe.
Recalling how years of excessive stress and inadequate sleep had taken a toll on his appearance, causing him to appear older than his actual age in his thirties, the transformation seemed almost miraculous.
After allowing John a moment to process his astonishment, Aron proceeded to provide further information. “There is $50,000 deposited into your account. You have one month to use this time as you please before your new social security card, passport, bank account, driver’s license, and birth certificate are delivered to your residence.
Once everything has been delivered, contact me to notify me, so that I can officially begin assigning your tasks. I must emphasize, however, that I expect no troubles from you during this period.”
“Yes, sir,” John responded promptly, his heart brimming with gratitude for the chance to make use of his fully restored body in any way he desired for the duration of one month.
Having received the desired response, Aron promptly stood up, prompting John to rise alongside him.
Aron then removed a brand new phone he had purchased on his way from his pocket and handed it to John who received it respectfully before he took his phone back.
“Use this to contact me whenever you require assistance,” he instructed. With that, Aron made his way toward the door, preparing to depart from John’s house and return to his own.
John accompanied Aron to the door, displaying a keenness to see him off. However, Aron intervened, informing him that it was unnecessary to go any further.
At that point, John halted and saluted Aron, bidding him farewell in a gesture of respect and gratitude.
Aron closed the door behind him and swiftly started making his way toward where he had parked his car. A tinge of regret washed over him for leaving the car in a spot quite distant from the house for the sake of secrecy and to avoid any potential eyewitnesses as Nova couldn’t handle them yet.
“What do you think he will do with the one month and money I gave him?” Aron asked Nova as he was walking to the car.
Nova responded with a single word:[SEX]
“Why do you think so?” Aron inquired while laughing, his laughter stemming from Nova’s blunt response.
[Based on his history, it appears that he frequently visited adult websites as a means to occupy his mind and find distraction through self-pleasure,] Nova explained. [It seems that he couldn’t afford to pay for an escort in recent months, unlike during the initial period after his discharge.]
“Mh… that’s a normal response if he was truly deprived in that aspect,” Aron answered to Nova’s explanation.