51 – Laboratory (6)
The week-long data analysis was finished.
Fenegrin Alto stated confidently.
“We’ve figured out the cost. But the return seems somewhat ambiguous.”
“Yes?”
“So…take a look.”
She swiftly held up the golden current she had extracted from me.
“This is energy. And a very special form of energy, at that.”
“Just electricity, right?”
“No. You’ve clearly said that the cost of this power is your stamina, right? That’s not true at all. Your stamina has nothing to do with this from the start.”
“…Then what is it?”
“It’s your internal time.”
“…What?”
Internal time?
Was that why I felt my body being pulled?
“Fortunately, it doesn’t drag too much. But it’s possible to revert back to being a child in proportion to the output.”
“What does that mean…”
“It’s literal. What you’re using is the aging of your cells. So, the more you use your power, the younger you become.”
“Isn’t it usually the opposite?”
“Don’t try to apply the laws of this world to abnormalities. They are called anomalies precisely because they have their own rules.”
“But when I first used the power, I didn’t feel any reverse aging sensation…”
“Didn’t you mention there were side effects?”
“I felt like my breath was taken away for a moment.”
“That’s it.”
Fenegrin Alto quickly drew a picture.
“To make it easier to understand, let me give you an example. Here, we have a turbine. It’s a basic machine that turns boiled water into steam and rotates the propeller.”
The structure in the drawing was simple.
A turbine with a returning day.
A vessel filled with water.
The flame at the bottom.
“This water represents four hours. It could be interpreted as the state of the body. Surprisingly, this water keeps accumulating. Well, it’s not really surprising. Everyone keeps getting older. Did you understand so far?”
“The vessel that continues to fill with water represents me, doesn’t it?”
“Excellent.”
“…Anyone can understand that much.”
“Shall we go into more depth then?”
Peregrine Alto drew a line on the flame he had painted. He made a sound with his mouth – shupa-pa-pa-pa.
“The flame is responsible for boiling this water. This is where the singularity lies. I don’t know the principle, but it overheats time inside the vessel and converts it into energy. The steam that starts spinning the turbine due to the overheated water is precisely this golden energy. The turbine… can be considered your own body.”
“I understand, but why does it cause a suffocating feeling?”
“There is a fatal flaw in this process.”
“What is it?”
“There is a limit to the amount of energy the turbine can absorb at once.”
Peregrine Alto tapped the blackboard.
“Let’s say we ordered machines to produce an absurd amount of energy. Won’t the machine also have its limits?”
“……”
“One? That might be possible. What about two? Even that would be possible. But what if it demands heat? What if it requires a hundred? The machine itself will break down. In your case, it means the whole body can be destroyed.”
“…So there is a limit to the amount of energy that can be generated at once. Beyond that, it breaks down. But there is still something I don’t understand. You mentioned that the material is internal time… Why didn’t I age even after exerting myself?”
“You did age.”
“Huh?”
“Because you didn’t extract much in the first place, you didn’t age. Think about it. Did you exert your strength for a long time? Was it just for a short period?”
“…Well, yes, but…”
Exerting for a short time won’t make you age. But if you do it for a long time, the story changes. The problem lies in its duration, not in one-time output. As you continue to use your strength, you will realize what it means for your internal time to disappear. Well, if you later discover how to handle this power, even that penalty may disappear.”
“…So, if I use it briefly, there is almost no risk, right?”
“That’s correct. You can consider it as free power. However, if you try to use a large amount at once, as you experienced, it will burden your body. To properly handle this power, you should release it as a momentary enhancement of your physique. And on top of that…”
Peregrine Alto’s expression became subtle. He quickly erased the drawing.
“In the first place, what are you doing with this golden energy?”
“…Enhancing my body?”
“Yes, enhancing your body. But, in my opinion, this energy is not just limited to physical enhancement. Physical enhancement is merely a byproduct… I think it has other effects in reality.”
“Is this just a mere byproduct?”
“Creatures with intelligence are rare in the world. Even if they exist, they do not communicate with humans. In other words, it means that they can only discover the causes and usage methods of anomalies on their own.”
Peregrine Alto drew a person. He drew a dragon next to it.
A dragon with four legs. It looked like something out of a myth, majestic and awe-inspiring.
“I heard that dragons are the origin of the Dragonkin. Ironically, dragons are creatures from myths themselves. Because we cannot accurately grasp their origins, Dragonkin are mysterious.”
“…….”
“But this mystery is layered with the enigma of anomalies. It’s only natural that we cannot determine the floor and the ceiling. No matter how much of a genius I am, there are limits to the information I can gather when there is insufficient data.”
“This power is just a product of anomalies…”
“Anomalies typically have a connection with the origin of their respective kind. The reason why creatures of the same kind possess similar powers is also due to that context. Perhaps your power… could be based on this species called the dragonkin.”
“Well, can I transform into a dragon then?”
“Try it.”
He hesitated.
Of course, it didn’t work.
“It doesn’t work.”
“That’s a pity.”
“Aren’t all these just speculations anyway?”
“All great truths begin as seemingly foolish hypotheses. Dragonkin. Are you smarter than me?”
“…I don’t think so.”
“Then go to sleep.”
“Yes.”
Peregrine Alto tapped the dragon lightly.
“Fascinating… How fascinating… I want more data, but I don’t have time… Fine. Let’s go with that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I will come back here after a year. Tell me what you have learned by then.”
“…Yes?”
“Of course, there will be a price to pay. It seems that those outside are quite valuable…”
Peregrine Alto smirked.
“I, the genius arms master Peregrine Alto, will give you four of the armors I personally crafted. How about that?”
“…….!”
What kind of luck is this!
“Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!”
“What the hell?! Really? Is it true? Drakan! Woo-ha-hah!!!”
“Oh, you’re giving us armor…? Is that true?! Dr. Penegrin?!”
“Of course. I will give it to you.”
Penegrin Alto gestured to us. We went beyond her laboratory and descended further down.
“Of course, it’s a prototype. It’s similar to the standard armor level. Nevertheless, it’s better than having nothing.”
Blanca nudged my side.
“What… What on earth did you do? What did you do to receive armor?! Huh?!”
“That son of a b*tch! Quite talented, aren’t you! Ha-hahahahaha! With just the armor, I can be the second Elliot Moot!”
“D-Dracon. Can we really accept this? W-Well… having armor is good, but…”
“Oh, by the way, there are no special features. They are empty sockets. Just think of them as thick protective gear.”
Penegrin Alto lit a fire. The dim place filled with a musty smell became brighter.
Numerous weapons revealed from the inside. Armor-shaped gear hung on the walls. Avakus’s eyes widened.
“How much is this?!”
“It cannot be quantified in terms of money. These things haven’t gone out yet.”
“Armor-shaped… They may seem dull, but they definitely possess immense power!”
“That is simply for experimentation. I have something to give you deeper inside.”
Climbing over objects, Penegrin Alto stopped in front of the hanging items on the wall.
“It’s the next-generation armor. It may not be as legendary as the named armor, but it’s lightweight.”
The next-generation armor.
She reached out her hand, slightly feeling the texture.
Externally, it looked like a thick jacket. It felt like a black coat except for the attached hood.
But the moment I touched it, I felt something strange.
It had a very peculiar texture. It was entirely different from ordinary cloth materials, a smoothness…
As if it was carved out of the shield itself.
“It’s a multipurpose next-generation armor infused with various functions. It can naturally deflect bullets.”
Avakusa exclaimed, “B-Bulletproof vest…! Is it also a shielded bulletproof vest?!”
“It’s closer to a protective suit than a bulletproof vest. It will synchronize with your entire body when worn. Of course, I’ll adjust the size before giving it to you. If you have any desired design, let me know.”
“Is this… the next-generation armor?”
“It’s been upgraded to a form that’s almost like clothing. Plus, its flexibility is better than before. Of course, in terms of durability or power limits, the outdated armor is better… but in terms of convenience, it is unrivaled. Do you know why?”
“What do you mean?”
“It doesn’t need to be washed separately. It has a self-washing function. Of course, it uses energy, but it can be worn for a lifetime without any problems. If energy continues to be supplied, there’s no need to manage it separately.”
Blanca and Avakusa trembled.
“Liberation from the hell of sweaty smell…”
“What kind of flawless armor is this?”
“Of course, it also has various functions. Let me explain slowly.”
Tetis Libra raised her hand.
“How is energy supplied?”
“It can be charged slowly with sunlight. It’s enough to charge it to the maximum for only a week. Just hang it on the drying rack and wear it when you need it.”
“……!”
Avakusa touched the jacket.
“How much does this cost?”
“As I said earlier, it’s a product that cannot have a price, but… well, the price of ten Titan heatings is likely to be exceeded.”
“What?”
“Of course, this is an investment.”
Pheineglin Alto grinned at me.
“Right, Dracon?”
I sighed.
“As promised, only you know about it.”
“Of course.”
The three of them clung to me at the same time.
“What, what kind of deal did you make?! Did you sell your body or something?!”
“That bastard! Does he think he can get away with just his appearance?! This ugly bastard!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but… I need to consult with the headquarters a bit.”
“It’s okay. There’s no problem.”
I turned my gaze to the next-generation armor.
“Pheineglin.”
“What?”
“Will I become stronger if I wear this…?”
“Huh? What strange thing are you saying?”
Peregrine Alto confidently spoke.
“It’s a plus effect. It will never be a minus. It’s safe to say that one more thing is added on top of your ignorant physical abilities. Now, if you only focus on the output, you’re just a walking titan!”
“Does my strength increase… while facing that monstrous creature…?”
Blanca said with a trembling voice.
“Isn’t it true that bare hands are stronger than just carrying a gun around?”
Peregrine Alto chuckled.
“That’s exactly it. Make sure to show me that data later.”
…I feel like a guinea pig.
. . .
From Noble mtl dot com
Peregrine Alto briefly explained about armor.
“Currently, most of humanity uses guns the most. It’s an ideal weapon and easy to obtain anywhere, anytime. Of course, it’s challenging to get a proper weapon as powerful as what humans have made.”
She looked at me sharply.
“But in certain fields, rivals are bound to appear. The significant development of guns led to the development of measures to counteract them. And that’s precisely this shield system. Although it was stolen from humans, we’ve embedded our own direction into it.”
Peregrine Alto tapped her jacket-shaped armor.
“It’s called MDP (Missile Defense Program). Every shield has thorough defense against projectiles. It reduces the impact on its own and can withstand almost anything. It may be slightly insufficient against bombs, but it’s strange to endure the destructive power of one with your own body in the first place.”
Peregrine Alto clapped her hands together. She made a shuffling sound.
“Interestingly, among armor users, they fight with grappling hooks for this reason. Since it’s difficult to penetrate each other’s defense systems with projectiles, they use weapons to nullify the shield and directly inflict strikes.”
“…So, does that mean my armor also has physical enhancement functions…?”
“Of course, it does. Oh, aside from that…”
Peregrine Alto glanced at the four of us.
“Since you’re all together as a team, I’ll give you one more gift.”