Chapter 1439: The Digital Soul Engine
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The director revealed things to his worker that she never expected to learn from his words alone, the child he was looking at with such tender eyes, it was his daughter.
"Okano-san."
"Y-Yes?"
"Do you know what a Soul is made of?"
"A Soul? I… I come from a small Magus Family, so I was never able to… study such things."
"I suppose you don’t know well, it’s fine. I can explain to you."
The man slowly walked towards the window, glancing at the big city of Tokyo in silence.
He then touched the window’s glass, and left traces of blue essence within it.
Slowly, the entire glass was covered with blue essence.
"T-This is…? The Magic of the Nexus Family!" Okano thought. "Digital Projection Magic…! The Magic that can "digitize" the world itself! The inventors of most digital technology, without a doubt."
FLUOSH!
Suddenly, from the window’s glass, the projection changed into a small golden flame.
"This is a soul, Okano-san. When we glance at it, what do you see?"
"A mass of ethereal energy?"
"Yes, the Soul is made of Ethereal Energy, as I’ve investigated, it is called Soul Essence. But what is Soul Essence? What composes it?"
"…I have no idea."
"Nobody does apparently, it is a mystery. A new type of element altogether, one that exists within a different plane. It is a "phantom molecule" as they say. And also an "interdimensional element", it exists within several planes of existence at once. That is a soul, wonderful isn’t it?"
"Impressive…"
"Souls can be controlled, possessed, and even destroyed through Magic. However, has anybody ever been able to create a Soul? No. Souls simply come to us, to living beings. We don’t know where they come from, where they’re born. We only know they exist. Not even the Gods can create them out of nothing."
"…"
"So I discovered a way to infuse the soul into another body, and create a Digital Avatar that can become real within that world, and exists as long as the Soul exists in that world."
"So that’s how…"
"Indeed, that’s how the Digital Soul Engine works."
"A-Are you really sure this is fine, director? To tell me this…"
"Everyone in this building knows how it works. Nobody can replicate it, however. Only members of our family."
"I see…"
She quickly realized why he was carefreely telling her about the secret behind this powerful Engine, and how things worked to an extent.
However, there were still many mysteries left, such as what was the System exactly, and why the World of Arcadia was the way it was.
And its mysterious and enigmatic connection to Earth.
"So the Beta Testing that began over ten years ago…"
"Indeed, my daughter was the first of them. She was very confused at first, but I accompanied her through her journey, introduced her to this new world, and helped her slowly adapt. I visit her every so often now, but she has built a life in that world now."
"…Aren’t you happy or…?"
"Well, I can’t really say. I imagined that over the years… My dear daughter would begin to slowly grow stronger, her Soul in specific would mature. And once her soul was to become strong enough, she would finally regain her consciousness in this world."
"Digital Avatars… Once connected to the real world’s body…"
"Indeed, like it’s happening with Planta and her friends, the power of the Avatar can be shared with the real body, and so, even a normal person can become immensely powerful."
"If such power was widespread and shared, then the entire world would…"
"Maybe it would change forever, yeah. But unless I allow it, nobody can awaken such powers. Planta and her friends… her family. I trust them. I’ve seen through their souls and hearts. But not everyone can be given this power."
"…"
Okano remained in silence, glancing at the girl.
"What do you think will happen to her now, Director? What are you hoping to achieve?"
"There are many things we want to achieve here… Saving a world that was destroyed was one of such things. And well, to save my daughter and help her wake up one day."
"…Then your daughter… the man she loved in that world…"
"…"
The Director looked sad as he glanced through the window.
"She loved him… I can immediately tell that she’s incredibly sad. And it pains me that I am unable to do anything for her."
"But Planta and the rest are planning to do something, even she said so…"
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"You want to have hope as well, Okano?"
"Yes… I do… I cannot let go of this hope. As stupid as it might seem, we must trust them."
The man smiled.
"I never thought back then that she would build such a huge life in there, marry and even… have a child," the man said. "I love my grandson, despite how I’ve never met him in person, and my son-in-law was also my family."
"It’s painful to be a whole world apart from her and her life…" he said. "Even with my Avatar, I cannot reach her now that the Beta has ended."
"But why don’t you use another Avatar?"
"We can’t, those that have chosen this specific Avatar cannot choose another. It has been bound to our Souls after all, just like you have bonded with her Avatar."
"…"
The woman sighed, looking down, as she readjusted her glasses.
"Um… Then…"
"Please count on me as well! I’ll help however I want… I think you should’ve told me before! I would have happily-"
"It’s alright, Okano-san. This is not a problem you should trouble yourself with. My dear daughter… She will wake up once the right time comes."
The man caressed his daughter’s little hand for a bit, sitting by her side.
"As the one that Blessed her, your responsibility is in protecting her and giving her opportunities, to raise her well, so she can help us achieve the future we want to reach."
"I… I understand, director."
The man smiled gently at her.
"Now, I would like to have a moment of privacy, if you excuse me…"
"Of course… I’ll leave. Thank you for everything director, have a good day."
"You too, Okano-san."
The man looked at the woman walk away, and the door to be closed gently.
He glanced at his daughter sorrowfully, beginning to cry.
"Is that world… and the life you built there… what you really wanted?"
He felt lonely, and melancholic.
His daughter had chosen the other world rather than this one.
He knew she could wake up with enough effort, her soul had grown so strong now.
And yet the girl…
She was too attached to Arcadia, to her family, to her Kingdom, to her people.
"You’ve become someone incredible in that world… And I am so proud."
Despite being so happy for her, he couldn’t help but feel sorrowful anyway.
For the death of his son-in-law, and also because of how much his daughter had compromised herself into this world.
"I wonder… will you come back one day?"
He looked at the portrait of his family, it showed him, his daughter, and his wife.
A beautiful woman with a bright smile, someone that died in the accident that left his daughter in a coma.
"What would you do in my situation, my love?"
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