138 Works

\"When will she be here?\" Wallace asked after getting a bit surprised. His sister was not able to return the last time for celebrating the new year due to an important assignment within the military.

It has been a while since they've met and only had vague memories of her from the previous Wallace.

\"She'll visit you tomorrow morning so be prepared.\" His mom answered.

\"Sure, I will. Will father be back as well?\" Wallace asked about his father's whereabouts, the man was assigned to work in a huge project that requires veteran Magic Engineers within the Stella Region. Wallace wasn't sure about it's details but he was sure that his father didn't applied for a work there just for money but something that ignited his father's passion in engineering.

After confirming that his father would still be away, Wallace ended the call after having a few more words telling how he'd eaten already and was about to sleep.

'Stella Region... Father was employed by the same company mining the Memory Crystals. Just what kind of project requires a large number of Magic Engineers to complete?' Wallace asked himself after remembering that the Seed Holdings was the grand organization that deals with memory crystal's trading. He remembered that his mom told him that aside from his father, about a hundred more magic engineers were hired for this special project.

He shook his head to clear his mind as he'd deal with that once he's back to the Red Star Town and then he decided to visit his secret room, now the mainframe of Avalon, and confirmed that everything works perfectly.

\"Now, what do you think Avalon? Do we really  have to destroy our spaceship in Araceli?\"

\"The Aether that was remaining there wouldn't last long for three more months. It is consuming more energy that predicted. It would be better to use it destroy the place completely and leave nothing behind.\"

\"How much Aether was left?\"

\"There's 2.35% left. Due to recent major attacks made by the enemies, it consumed a lot more energy than usual.\"

\"I understand, but let's do the self detonation if there's only 1% left.\"

\"Affirmative.\"

Wallace was aware about how destructive this Aether was, so after he contemplated a bit, he agreed on the plan to totally destroy the spaceship. The technology contained within the spacecraft wasn't something that he would like to give to someone else. It would only cost more trouble once this was mishandled.

Anyway, during the past three months, Wallace was able to give Avalon a good enough 'space' to store all it's content in several mainframe computers. The secret room was now Avalon's.

All the information left within the spaceship was successfully transferred recently. Wallace only felt a bit of pain due to it's sentimental value and it's already made GH Drive, a unique technology capable of harnessing the Aether.

Also, he had instructed the A.I. to only self-detonate the spaceship once it reached 1% to avoid massive destruction. Even if it's only 1%, Wallace presumed that it might erase the whole island and it's surroundings. Luckily, it was away from the mainland.

\"Alright, give me all the updates about this Cryptic Link. Have you found their base of operations?\" Wallace solemnly asked after dealing with the detonation issue. He wasn't interested to make the serum but because he felt that it was very dangerous for those people that consumed them, he had to be updated on it's progress. Not only that, he found out that they were also testing them to the prisoners in the near city. Many failed experimentation caused disaster and were only being covered by the officials. He doesn't want the problem to reach his city.

Right, his A.I. found information that the Ministry of Magic Education had dealings with the project. It was first found as project made by the Z-Company and was confiscated by the Congress. Then for some 'righteous' reason, Avalon found out that a man named Chester Cornfield from the ministry was actually leading a group of researchers to perfect the serum.

***

Wallace went to his study room after organizing his plans with Avalon. He was now reading a copy of Ericka's project. It was the insights about the northern continent.

Although, he could also ask the A.I. about this. he wanted to read Ericka's insight on the matter as she has reviewed almost all public information about the northern continents.

Sure enough, Wallace found some interesting details about the northern continent.

Aside from the name of the individuals who visited the place, there were statements or probably rumors telling about a powerful civilization living within the vast land. These people where unaffected by the chaotic Mana and never experienced any hindrance while they are within the land. The place was also describe as a world filled with thick Mana, larger trees, larger and stronger beasts and most of them were even mutated beast.

Wallace felt that it was similar when he went to Araceli island where he found Golden Keroxes along the way. Wallace had discovered before that those weren't normal and multiple of them shouldn't appear within the same place.

As Wallace turned the pages, he found that

there were also rumors that these people were powerful enough to destroy the plateau where Lamat Stones were being mined. Yes, it was the Builak Plateau that was located at the center of the Maja. It has suddenly disappeared including the miners working within the said place.

Wallace sighed as he noticed that people would always like to connect the unexplainable things to the mysterious northern continent.

He continued reading and also learned that unlike the people in the southern continent, it was said that people born in the northern continent would experience Mana Calamity whenever their group stayed for a long time in a single location or if they gathered in a large group.

It was stated that to avoid the disaster, only 5 or 6 Magicians were allowed to group together. More than that and they will attract the Mana Calamity but lesser than that and they might be eaten alive by the strong Mana Beasts living within the continent.

The place was littered with strong Mana Beast and most of them could not even be found in this southern continent. It was described as truly dangerous place and none could survive unless with the help of those who learned how to survive.

'This place sure is mysterious. Why would traces of Aeolia can be found here? What did they found there anyway?' Wallace thought after seeing that the countries had only stopped sending people there after sacrificing tens of thousands of magicians. He couldn't imagine the bloody expedition that has occurred. As only few people was left alive, it could only mean that the level of danger could not be a hoax.

Aside from that, the real information or situation on the said continent that people could get was very limited and it mostly came from the announcements being made by the government, it can't be fully trusted.

Wallace had fallen asleep after reading a few more pages and woke up due to the sound of alarm coming from Avalon's security system.

\"What's up?\" Wallace groggily asked after having his sleep disturbed.

\"A lady identified as your sister was waiting outside the gate.\"

Wallace immediately opened his eyes after hearing Avalon.

\"Ah! I forgot! Open the gate and let her in. Make a space in the living room. Make sure that our automatons and defense mechanisms were perfectly hidden.\"

Wallace instructed before immediately standing up to wash himself with a basin prepared by the Avalon's automaton.

He also didn't mind if her sister found the combat automatons that he purchased from Golden Trident Group.

***

A minute before seven in the morning, a lady riding a motorbike stopped in front of a huge red gate.

After confirming that she was in the correct address, she removed her black helmet as her long grey hair flowed out. She admired the beautiful mansion for a while and looked for the doorbell near the gate.

It's not that she forgot to get Wallace's phone number from her mom but she's not using one at all. She only uses public telephones to communicate with her parents.

She noticed a well-designed doorbell beside the gate and pressed it. She noticed with hee sharp sense that this gate and walls around the house were full of surveillance cameras.

'Hmm... Isn't this place too protected?'

At the same time that she had pressed the button to ring a bell, she heard a clicking noise and a part of the gate opened.

\"Well, that's convenient.\" The lady said before entering the place bringing along her bike.

She then settled her ride immediately and walked to the door of the house.

It was the same with the gate as it conveniently opened after getting near.

\"Hey Wallace! Won't you greet your sister personally?\"

After calling out his attention, Wallace immediately appeared and greeted the lady. He felt familiar but at the same time, feeling a bit awkward with the beautiful lady.

\"Hi there sister Clarice, it been a while. How was your last assignment? Have you eaten yet?\"

He immediately went down from the first floor as he offered to have a breakfast.

\"Sure. Will you cook for me, little brother?\"