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…..
[Welcome back] Nova said, welcoming Aron after he returned to the base and logged in to the Universal simulation.
“Thanks,” Aron answered as he fell onto the fluffy couch that Nova had materialized for him.
[How was your day?] Nova asked after Aron returned and logged into the Universal simulation.
“Though exhausting, it felt good going out and meeting people once in a while,” Aron said as he tried to get into a comfortable position.
Nova, seeing Aron trying but failing to get into a comfortable position, snapped her fingers and immediately put Aron in a comfortable position.
“Thanks,” Aron thanked her for the help.
“How is the research on mana going?” Aron asked, inquiring about the progress now that they had obtained a small piece of information relevant to their research that had been gifted to him by the system.
[Despite only a few days passing here, we have made multiple consecutive breakthroughs in the research,] Nova answered, displaying a list of the breakthroughs that the scientists in the Universal simulation had achieved after receiving the gifted knowledge.
As Aron read the list of breakthroughs, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh my God!” when he came across the report about the energy density of mana.
“The potential of mana as an energy source is beyond anything I could have imagined. Just think of the possibilities and advancements we can achieve with this discovery!” he said with a smile on his face, showing that he was extremely excited by what he read.
Nova, observing Aron’s reaction, added, [That is the average energy density of mana, but the report doesn’t encapsulate everything since the research is still ongoing. However, at the moment, what we can say is that the purer the mana, the more energy-dense it becomes.]
“What differentiates the quality of mana?” Aron asked, setting aside the list in front of him.
[The runes collecting it,] Nova responded.
Aron nodded, understanding the concept. He then asked, “So, with the runes and the runic knowledge we currently have, what is the quality of mana that we can collect?”
Nova replied, [With the runes and runic knowledge we currently possess, we can only collect what we consider to be low-quality mana. However, despite labeling it as such, it is still the most dense energy source on Earth.]
“How about my heart? What is the quality of mana it is collecting?” Aron asked, his curiosity evident in his tone.
Nova responded, [At the moment, your heart is collecting what we consider to be medium-quality mana. However, we believe that the quality of the mana it is collecting is intentionally limited. This limitation allows your body to gradually evolve and adapt, preparing it to handle the storage and utilization of higher-quality mana in the future.]
“Mh…” Aron hummed while nodding his head, indicating that he was contemplating Nova’s answer.
After a brief moment of silence, he spoke up with a smile, “Send someone to buy the materials needed to produce more VR devices. I’ll need them for when I have a meeting with my friends.”
Nova acknowledged his request, replying, [Yes, sir.] She swiftly transmitted the order to the personnel stationed at the base, who promptly began the process of procuring the necessary materials as instructed.
[Are you going to tell them everything?] Nova asked, curious at what he planned to tell them.
Aron, while caressing his chin, replied thoughtfully, “Not all of it. I’ll share everything except the information about the system.”
He continued, “As they say, the best-kept secret is the one not told to anyone. Although I trust Felix and Sarah to keep the secret, even without the runic contract that I will use as an assurance.
However, the runic contract itself that I have been using is only at the lowest level of a runic contract. This means that if someone with the capability to nullify the contracts were to emerge in the future, they could potentially force Felix and Sarah to reveal the secret. It’s a risk I’m not willing to take.”
Aron further explained, “Another reason for keeping the information to myself is that I am the only one who has the protection of the system from mind invasion.
If someone else were to possess even a slightly similar neural technology and put it on Felix or Sarah, they could instantly gain knowledge of the secret without them even having to speak a word.”
[That’s true,] Nova said. [Are you keeping the system a secret because if someone knows about it, they might deduce that you need a specific form of currency to access the system’s knowledge? Consequently, they might take steps to prevent you from earning that currency, effectively blocking your access?]
“Yes, based on the descriptions of the items I purchase from their shop, it is evident that we are not alone. The technology mentioned in those descriptions suggests the existence of numerous intelligent races that are far more powerful than humanity.” Aron’s response indicated that he is not concerned about humans finding out about this, but rather he fears that if a human discovers his secret, it could inadvertently expose his greatest advantage to a potential enemy in the future.
[That’s true,] Nova said, concurring with Aron’s thoughts.
They carried on discussing various subjects until Nova interrupted with an update.
[Sir, the materials you ordered have arrived and are now stored in the printer room,] Nova informed him, referring to the materials Aron had requested.
“Let’s go and create new VR headsets and upgrade from the one I’m currently using,” Aron said as he walked through the gate and logged off from the universal simulation.
…
Aron carefully placed the materials one by one into the atomic printer, ensuring they were securely in place. In the past, when he was creating the quantum computer, he had to use premium materials to prevent any failures. However, this time the materials he was using were more readily available in any country, yet they still contained the necessary atoms to produce the required devices.
“You can start,” Aron said to Nova once he had finished loading the materials into the printer.
As before, the machine came to life with a roar, drawing in enough power that it caused the lights in the room to flicker. Aron couldn’t help but react to the impact it had on the surrounding electrical devices. “Why didn’t this happen the first time?” he asked, curious about the difference.
[As you recall, the first time the machine was not operating at full power, so there were no issues. However, this time I activated the printer at its maximum capacity, which caused a significant surge of electricity that exceeded the grid’s capability, forcing me to throttle it down to avoid a blackout,] Nova explained.
“Let’s not overexert the grid; we should keep it within its limits,” Aron advised after understanding the situation.
[Yes, sir,] Nova replied obediently as she continued the printing process for the VR devices.
…
A week later.
Aron walked into the conference room of the hotel where he had stayed previously, and there he found Sarah and Felix waiting for him. Spotting them, he waved in their direction while scanning the room.
“Have you been waiting for long?” Aron asked, curious about their arrival time.
“No, we only got here a few minutes before you,” Sarah replied, standing up and making her way towards Aron, who was also walking towards her.
“Welcome to Eden,” Aron greeted Sarah warmly as he embraced her upon reaching him.
“Thank you. How have you been?” Sarah replied, reciprocating the hug.
“As I always mentioned during our calls, I’m doing fine,” Aron responded. He then inquired, “Have you had enough rest since you arrived?”
“Even if I hadn’t rested enough, I wouldn’t have rested until I knew everything,” Sarah replied with a playful tone. She turned towards Felix, who was sitting on the side, clearly filled with anticipation and said “Felix even called me last week, urging me to come as early as possible. The closer it got to today, the longer the days seemed for him.”
“She was just as excited as me, she’s just better at hiding it,” Felix retorted, playfully accusing Sarah back..
After a few more playful exchanges, they finally settled down and took their seats in the room for their discussion.
“Put these on,” Aron instructed, sliding a futuristic-looking case towards each of them.
Curiosity piqued, Felix asked, “What are these glasses for?”
“They’re a gift from me,” Aron replied, his smile widening. He chose not to elaborate further.
As Sarah opened the case and laid eyes on the glasses inside, she was captivated by their unique design. “Wow, they’re beautiful. I’ve never seen this design before,” she exclaimed, clearly impressed by the aesthetic appeal of the glasses tailored to her.
Felix, upon observing the glasses Sarah received, remarked, “You really know us.” He noticed that the glasses he received had a different design, tailored specifically to his preferences.
“Say that to Nova,” Aron thought to himself, acknowledging Nova’s contribution to designing the glasses based on his memories of the two of them. She had tailored the design to align with each person’s subjective beauty standards.
Without wasting any time, Sarah and Felix obediently put on the glasses, their curiosity overriding any lingering questions. However, as soon as they placed the glasses on their faces, their expressions stiffened.
“Welcome,” a beautiful woman greeted as she materialized out of thin air, standing before Sarah and Felix.