Author's Note: Unedited Chapter
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"Let's not jump to conclusions yet. For now, our priority must be to locate Gustav. Whatever it takes."
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Gustav and Stark followed closely behind one of Stark's uncles as they navigated the corridors of one of the Vertigon family estates. The man was none other than Uncle Bila who gave Gustav trouble the first ti he arrived on the Vertigon family island.
However, he had now co to fear and respect Gustav. He knew that the man standing before him was not one he could hold a candle to in terms of strength.
They descended deeper into the ancient vaults that housed centuries of artefacts and technological wonders. The air was thick with the musty scent of old paper and aged tal—a library of relics each with a story to tell.
"This here is the Chrono Dial. It is said to be able to manipulate small pockets of ti within certain environnts. Of course, it can't do anything crazy like universally tamper with ti but it has been known for helping in specific spaces."
As they moved from one artefact to another, Uncle Bila's' voice echoed off the stone walls.
Each item they passed seed more intriguing and potent than the last. There was no doubt that with the fortune of the Vertigon family, they most likely had the largest collection of artefacts and high-grade technological items on Earth.
"And over here, we have the Luminar Sphere. It is believed to enhance the bloodline energy multiplying it by two. Our ancestors once used it to fight off invaders from the outside world."
Gustav listened intently as he considered each item's potential relevance to their current predicant.
The weight of missing the Warp Demolator's appearance pressed heavily on him, fueling his urgency to find sothing—anything—that could offer a solution or aid.
"Is there anything that can help with travelling to the future?" Gustav inquired.
"Oh... Not as far as I can rember but let's keep checking. We could still find sothing that can help," Uncle Bila modestly suggested.
The group continued their exploration, their footsteps resonating through the hall of the vault.
As they ascended to the highest level, Uncle Bila led them into a room that starkly contrasted with the ones below.
There, the air was electric, alive with the hum of energy, as they entered a space lined with the rarest and most powerful of the Vertigon archives.
"Now, this—this is the apex of our collection. This vault contains items that may very well be extinct. If you can't find what you need here, then nothing else can help," Uncle Bila stated firmly.
The room was filled with items that glead under the soft lighting—tals that seed to absorb and reflect light in impossible ways, and devices whose purposes were not imdiately apparent.
"What about that?" Stark pointed to a sleek, tallic rod, its surface etched with intricate patterns that glowed faintly blue.
"Ah, the Aether Conduit. It's said to channel raw cosmic energies. If one could harness it, theoretically, they could interact with space-ti on a quantum level," Uncle Bila imdiately answered.
"How much of an interaction are we talking about?" Gustav inquired.
"ssages, signs... A bit of back and forth communication but nothing more," Uncle Bila explained.
A plan formulated in Gustav's mind but he decided he'd only try it if he scoured the rest of the place and didn't find anything that could help.
As Gustav scoured the room, his eyes caught an unassuming object tucked away in the far corner.
Unlike the gleaming, ticulously maintained relics that populated most of the vault, the artefact appeared neglected, its surface dulled by the patina of age.
"What's that over there? It looks different from the rest."
Uncle Bila, following Gustav's gaze, sighed slightly as he recognized the item in question.
"Ah, that's the NID—Neural Interface Devolvent artefact. It's quite old, centuries old in fact, and it's been inactive for just as long. It was designed to give the user insight into their most pressing needs at any given mont. A fascinating piece, but unfortunately, it ran out of power a long ti ago."
"An insight to their most pressing needs?"
Gustav's interest was piqued instantly.
The ability to know exactly what he needed could be the key to solving not just his current predicant but possibly even broader issues.
"That sounds exactly like what we need right now. We have to get it working again," Gustav stated.
"How do we even start with sothing that's been dormant for centuries? Bila, are there no records or manuals for this?" Stark inquired with a contemplative look.
"I'm afraid not. The NID was a prototype, and its creator took many secrets to the grave. It's powered by a very rare form of energy that we haven't been able to replicate or restore," Uncle Bila shook his head.
Undeterred, Gustav stepped closer to the NID, studying its structure. The device was compact, almost the size of a small book, with intricate patterns engraved over its tallic surface.
It seed out of place among the more ornate and mystical objects, with a utilitarian design that spoke of a very specific purpose.
"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps it's not about replicating the original power source but finding a compatible one," Gustav spoke theoretically.
[ God Eyes Have Been Activated ]
He activated his God Eyes, allowing him to see beyond the normal visual spectrum.
His eyes glowed as he concentrated, peering into the internal chanisms of the NID.
The intricate network of circuits and residual energy pathways lit up before his eyes, revealing complexities that would be invisible to the normal eye.
"I see... there are remnants of the old energy still clinging to it's internal structure. If we can amplify this residual energy, maybe it can jump-start the NID..." Gustav spoke like the artefact was more chanical than supernatural.
"That's a start. But what kind of energy can we use? We don't have anything here that matches the ancient artefact," Stark liked to build things as well but in this case, he was clueless as to how they were supposed to proceed.
"Perhaps we can make it,"
As the air in the room crackled with potential, Gustav extended his hand, and from the centre of his palm, a glowing bluish sphere erged, floating effortlessly in the space between them.
The sphere pulsed with energy, its light casting ethereal shadows across the ancient stone walls of the vault.
Stark watched, intrigued and apprehensive, as Gustav focused intently on the sphere. He explained his plan in a calm and steady voice.
"The NID holds remnants of its original power, but not enough to function fully. I'll absorb this residual energy into the sphere, then amplify it with my own."
As Gustav spoke, the sphere began to absorb the faint, flickering energy emanating from the NID.
Slowly, the sphere's colour shifted, the blue hue mingling with streaks of white, until it settled into a uniform, bright white glow. The transformation was a visual testant to the energy it had assimilated.
"Incredible... You never cease to amaze ," Stark couldn't help but blurt out.
'Energy containnt is an old bloodline... Glad I had it rged and further developed it's power.'
With a deep breath, Gustav raised his hands toward the sphere, his palms facing it as he began to channel his energy.
The room's atmosphere tensed as his power flowed outward, a visible current of crimson energy streaming into the sphere. The white glow intensified, growing so bright it was almost painful to look at directly.
The entire vault began to tremble, small pebbles and dust motes vibrating off the ancient shelves. The sphere's energy expanded, pushing against the physical confines of its form.
"Now, to stabilize and resize it for integration."
He clapped his palms together sharply, and the sphere compressed rapidly under the force of his will, shrinking down to the size of a small marble before it finally stabilized at about half the size of a pinky nail.
Gustav's face was a mask of concentration as his forehead reflected the light from the tiny, intensely glowing sphere.
He recalled how in the past this would have caused a massive blast. Fortunately, he had longed to gain the strength to control it.
"Is it supposed to be this... volatile?" Stark inquired.
"It's concentrated now, more potent but also more stable. This should be exactly what the NID needs," Gustav responded.
With a cautious hand, Gustav guided the miniature sphere toward the NID. As it approached the device, the air around them seed to crackle and pop with static electricity.
He allowed the sphere to phase into the NID, rging it with the artefact's internal matrix.
For a mont, nothing happened, and the room was silent but for the sound of their breathing. Then, without warning, the NID lit up, its display activating with a series of soft chis that filled the room with a lodic resonance.
As its mythical energy filled the room, Uncle Bila couldn't believe his eyes.
'It hasn't functioned in centuries... This young man is truly spectacular.'
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