Agent047
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795 - Awakening
🕑 Added 2024-12-01 11:11:30 +0000 UTC“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.
“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.
{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.
Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron looking both regal and intimidating, his presence amplified by the juxtaposition of his renewed body.
“Care to catch me up on what’s happened and how long I’ve been away?” Aron asked calmly, finally placing a hand over his face as he awaited a response from his ever-reliable aide.
{I’m attempting to re-enter your body through the screen, but your new skin is blocking all my attempts to breach it,} Nova reported, her tone carrying a rare note of frustration. Addressing this issue took precedence over answering his question.
Hearing her report, Aron didn’t hesitate. With a simple motion, he tore a small piece from his newly regenerated trousers and swallowed it without a word, his actions calm and unceremonious.
The trousers immediately repaired themselves, the torn piece dissolving as Nova seized control of the swallowed nanomachines. She guided them through his body, navigating toward the critical areas needed to reestablish full brain-to-machine communication.
While Nova focused on finalizing her connection, Aron extended his right hand forward, closing it into a fist as he tested the power coursing through his body. The sheer intensity he felt in that simple motion made it clear—his strength had nearly doubled. And that was just the surface; the sensation ran deep, resonating throughout his entire body, both internally and externally. Whatever had occurred during his absence had reshaped him fundamentally.
As he lowered his hand, he turned his attention to his surroundings. His gaze eventually settled on the Trinarian fighter, still bowing and faintly trembling in the distance. The sight piqued his curiosity further—what exactly had unfolded while his consciousness was elsewhere?
{System check,} Nova interjected, testing the communication node she had just finished linking.
"Loud and clear," Aron replied in his mind, his anticipation rising. It was finally time to uncover the events that had transpired during his absence.
Nova, confident that the new node was fully operational, wasted no time. She promptly activated perception acceleration after Aron granted permission, enhancing his ability to process information as she delved into recounting the events. Using a combination of narration and supplemental visual evidence, she provided a comprehensive recap, leaving no detail unaddressed.
"Thank you for the help," Aron said after absorbing the entire account, acknowledging the immense support Nova had provided throughout the ordeal. "And thanks to the system for doing all the heavy lifting," he added, fully aware that the system, despite lacking sentience yet, was the backbone of his recovery and survival. Gratitude, in his eyes, was necessary even toward non-sentient entities to avoid complacency and ingratitude.
{You're welcome,} Nova replied, her tone imbued with agreement. As a creation born from the system’s design, she too recognized the importance of crediting its indispensable contributions.
"I'm out of mana, so first, let's solve that," Aron stated, closing his eyes and attempting to activate the runes in his runic heart responsible for mana absorption. However, as soon as he began, his eyes shot open in surprise at what he was witnessing.
{What is wrong, sir?} Nova asked, curious about what had elicited such a reaction.
"The runic heart is still fully active," Aron replied, his voice tinged with curiosity. He immediately focused on it again, seeking to understand the unusual behavior. Nova, now using her access to his brain data, aligned her perception with his to observe what he was sensing.
As Aron had described, the runic heart was indeed still active, though its glow was fading gradually. What unfolded next was even more unexpected. The mana it had previously absorbed, far exceeding the actual requirements for regenerating his body, was now being returned to the mana reserves. This peculiar occurrence highlighted the limitations of a currently non-sentient system. The runic heart had calculated the mana required for full regeneration based on a scenario where only the brain and heart survived. However, since the actual damage was less severe, the surplus mana was now being returned, leaving both Aron and Nova impressed by the system's efficiency and redundancy safeguards.
However, the mana being returned to his reserves wasn’t the same as what was originally drawn. It was now a refined mixture—a higher-quality mana synthesized from his original mana combined with spatial mana absorbed from the Trinarian fighter. The result was a new, potent blend of mana.
Though only about ten percent of the mana was returned, its potency matched what would have been thirty percent of his previous total reserves. Observing this, Aron immediately grasped the significance of an increase in mana quality, but he couldn’t help his curiosity about how this potent, spatially infused mana would behave in practical use.
"Now that is an interesting outcome," Aron remarked, a faint smile appearing on his face as he contemplated the implications. Without wasting any more time, he began walking toward the Trinarian fighter, who remained in a bowing position, having fainted but still appearing reverent in his stance.
Aron knew he needed to end the fight first before pursuing any of his other plans. Besides, the thought of facing the Trinarian fighter again anytime soon was something he wanted to avoid. The sight of his own mangled body during the battle, coupled with the system’s intervention to shield him from fully experiencing the pain, had left a lasting impression. It wasn’t fear, but the experience had etched a lesson: keeping the Trinarians as allies was far more beneficial than unnecessary confrontation.
Even though the Empire had spatial blockade technology capable of limiting such fighters' abilities, having a countermeasure didn’t mean he should provoke them. Technology, no matter how advanced, had its limits. There was always the chance of being caught unprepared, without the necessary safeguards in place. And with their spatial manipulation being as advanced as it seemed, he wasn’t confident that the current Tier-1 spatial blockade would be enough to completely nullify their abilities.
Better allies than adversaries, he thought, as he approached the fighter, fully intent on ensuring the fight concluded decisively and without lingering enmity.
