NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Remedy
"Anyway, I still have to thank you, Styg! Do you have any medicine?" I asked, casting a tired glance at the small goblin beside me.
Styg let out his usual mischievous laugh before tossing a small glass vial in my direction. The moonlight reflected off the shimmering liquid that lazily moved inside the container. "Heh heh... I knew you'd need this!"
I held the vial and examined it while he continued, "This is my family's secret product. I heard it's usually used during warrior training and is extremely effective against any bodily injury."
Styg quickly glanced around, as if fearing someone might overhear. He leaned in and whispered, "Alright! It's time for dinner. I'll head there first. Apply the medicine quickly and hurry up. And remember, don't tell anyone about our friendship!"
Without giving me time to respond, the goblin ran off like the wind, disappearing down the corridors of the airship.
I looked at the vial in my hand and then in the direction where he'd vanished. "That damn Styg," I muttered with a mix of exasperation and amusement. I rubbed my forehead, reflecting on the situation. It was clear that the former Eclivel had irritated many people, but my memories also suggested that, in this world, the taboos about sex were quite different from my previous world. This should have been less problematic... or not.
Putting those thoughts aside, I began to remove my clothes. As I rubbed the shimmering liquid on my wounds, a chill ran down my spine. "Ufff... Cold," I muttered. The sensation was incredibly refreshing, and the pain disappeared almost instantly. Styg wasn't joking about the effectiveness of this medicine.
After treating the wounds, I got dressed again and walked to the door leading into the interior of the airship. My hand reached for the cold metal doorknob, which I turned clockwise. The sound of the lock clicking open echoed softly before I pushed the door, opening it effortlessly.
As I entered, I was greeted by the sight of a corridor lit by steampunk-style lamps affixed to the walls, casting a warm golden light across the space. The lamps were adorned with small glass tubes and decorative gears, giving the environment a mechanical touch.
Long, narrow windows lined the sides, offering a partial view of the night sky and the silver moon. On the floor, brown rugs stretched down the hallway, muffling the sound of my footsteps. Despite the functional design, there was an obvious attempt to add a touch of elegance, but for me...
"Quite interesting," I murmured to myself, observing every detail. "But nothing too extraordinary."
The corridors, with their fusion of functionality and ornamentation, seemed to be a perfect reflection of the airship itself: a vehicle that prioritized practicality but didn't forget about aesthetics. As I walked toward the dining room, my gaze wandered across the windows and the lamps that pulsed gently with energy, as if they were alive.
.....
It was a large mess hall, with long wooden tables arranged in rows, each accompanied by equally long benches. The space was illuminated by hanging lamps that cast a warm, yellowish light, while the vaulted ceiling gave the place a sense of expansiveness. People and creatures of all ages and appearances were scattered around, some sitting and talking, while others waited in line to serve themselves.
In the center of the mess hall, a huge cauldron bubbled and boiled, releasing a mist of steam that dissipated into the air. Near it, a long table was piled high with simple dishes and bowls. This was the food distribution point, as the memories of the former Eclivel had shown me.
I took a deep breath as I walked toward the line. As soon as others saw me, I felt their disdainful glances. It wasn't just annoying—it was uncomfortable.
"Well, this won't kill me," I thought, trying to ignore the piercing stares. My stomach growled, empty and begging for food. I clenched my fists, swallowed my pride, and kept walking.
"Boy? Don't just stand there," a loud voice echoed from the back of the line.
"Sorry, Miss Nil!" A young Black man with glasses mumbled hastily as he grabbed his portion and quickly moved away. Fear was evident in his awkward movements.
When it was my turn, I grabbed my bowl and reached out to receive the food. The boiling cauldron released a strong, slightly sour smell, somewhere between cooked meat and spices I didn't recognize.
Suddenly, a mechanical sound echoed in my mind:
"Beep!"
["Initiating program..."]
["Verifying system integrity..."]
["Loading essential modules..."]
["Establishing virtual environment..."]
["Optimizing graphical interface..."]
["Syncing with database..."]
["Preparing analytical tools..."]
["Running initial diagnostics..."]
.
.
.
.
["Virtual laboratory successfully started."]
The voice was cold, metallic, and completely familiar. I nearly dropped my bowl in shock.
["Attention, user!"]
["Danger alert!"]
["The host's body is extremely close to a source of danger. It is recommended to move at least 1000 meters away!"]
My eyes widened as I heard the alert. "What? Impossible!" I thought, trying to process what I had just heard.
It was the same voice from the ID network access helmet in my previous life! How could something like this have followed me here? This made no sense.
As my mind spun in confusion, I spoke aloud, "Laboratory, examine my mind and locate assistance systems."
There was a moment of silence before the cold voice returned:
["Beep! Complete analysis!"]
["No unknown existence found in the host's mind."]
My breath became heavy, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I looked around, trying to disguise my reaction while ignoring the people around me.
"This world really makes no sense," I muttered softly, adjusting the weight of the plate in my hands as I moved away from the line. I needed to find out more about this voice—whether it was really the same technology from my previous life or something entirely different.
After sitting alone at a table in the mess hall, hidden behind a large, dark column, my eyes were fixed on the food in front of me. It was a thick soup, with chunks of meat and vegetables floating on the surface, the aroma was comforting, but my mind was far from the meal. Hunger was a strong impulse, but there was something more important I needed to do now.
With a subtle movement, I touched my head and issued a mental command, trying to avoid drawing attention from anyone around me. "Virtual laboratory, perform a deep analysis of my current body and then provide me with a real-time report in the form of a status, similar to an RPG."
The response came almost immediately.
["Order accepted!"]
["Initiating process..."]
I felt a slight vibration in my mind as the system began to scan the inside of my body. My vision blurred for a moment, and my breath adjusted as the analysis began.
["Initiating subatomic analysis..."]
["Particle scanning in progress..."]
["Processing quantum data: 98% complete."]
["Beep!"]
With each passing moment, the system advanced, but there was something at the back of my mind that made me feel as if I were being invaded. It wasn't something bad, but rather a strange sensation of being closely monitored. Still, I continued, there was no turning back. I needed to understand what was happening with Eclivel's body, and more importantly, with the essence of what I was now.
["Anomaly detected: Stable subatomic energy flow."]
["Carbon atoms at ideal levels."]
["Calculating..."]
["Systemic body pressure."]
["Status: Real-time."]
["Beep!"]
My hands trembled slightly as the analysis advanced, the details were impressive. Every single cell of my body was being analyzed. The system was more accurate than any technology I had seen in my past life.
["Blood pressure identified: 120/80 mmHg."]
["Values within normal range. No anomalies."]
.
.
.
.
["Order completed"]
Finally, after a few minutes of silence, the analysis was complete. I already knew the process had finished; the dissipating sense of alert told me so. I wasted no time. In my mind, I issued a new command.
"Virtual laboratory, if it's really you, show me the report."
Immediately, the mechanical response sound was followed by a new alert.
["Status"]
["Name: Eclivel Rustel."]
["Sex: Male."]
["Age: 15 Years."]
["Strength: 0.4"]
["Agility: 0.5"]
["Vitality: 0.4"]
The report was brief but clear. But the most interesting part came next:
["Condition: Hemorrhaging at the back of the head, extensive soft tissue injuries."]
A 3D holographic projection appeared in front of me, as if it were a distorted mirror. The body of Eclivel was displayed in detail, with skeletal musculature, organs, and tissues mapped out. The injuries were located at the back of the head and neck, in details that the mere touch of my hands would never have revealed.
As I watched the hologram, I felt a slight shiver seeing my condition so... vulnerable. The body was damaged, but at least it was alive. With what I knew about the system now, it was left to wait for it to heal over time or for Styg's medicine to be effective.
Still absorbed in the visualization, my mind wandered for a moment. I died... woke up in another world, and now a virtual laboratory, which was an external item and not internal, came with me to this world, almost as if, in the explosion in my previous world, my being had merged with the technology of the laboratory where I was.
...
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