"When will she be here?" Wace asked after getting a bit surprised. His sister was not able to return thest 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 Wace.


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


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


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


    ''Ste Region... Father was employed by the samepany mining the Memory Crystals. Just what kind of project requires arge number of Magic Engineers toplete?'' Wace 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 shakes his head to clear his mind as he would deal with that once he''s back at the Red Star Town and thus, 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 reallyhave to destroy our spaceship in Araceli?"


    "The Aether that was remaining there wouldn''tst long for three more months. It is consuming more energy than predicted. It would be better to use it to destroy the cepletely 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."


    Wace was aware of how destructive this Aether was, so after he contemted a bit, he agreed on the n 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, Wace was able to give Avalon a good enough ''space'' to store all its content in several mainframeputers. The secret room was now Avalon''s.


    All the information left within the spaceship was sessfully transferred recently. Wace only felt a bit of pain due to its 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%, Wace presumed that it might erase the whole ind and its surroundings. Luckily, it was away from the maind.


    "Alright, give me all the updates about this Cryptic Link. Have you found their base of operations?" Wace 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 its progress. Not only that, he found out that they were also testing them to the prisoners in the near city. Many failed experimentation caused the 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 a 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.


    ***


    Wace went to his study room after organizing his ns 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 own insight on the matter as she has reviewed almost all public information about the northern continent.


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


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


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


    As Wace turned the pages, he found that


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


    Wace sighed as he noticed that people would always like to connect the unexinable 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 Cmity whenever their group stayed for a long time in a single location or if they gathered in arge 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 Cmity but lesser than that and they might be eaten alive by the strong Mana Beasts living within the continent.


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


    ''This ce sure is mysterious. Why would traces of Aeolia be found here? What did they found there anyway?'' Wace thought after seeing that the countries had only stopped sending people in that ce after they sacrificed tens of thousands of magicians. He couldn''t imagine the bloody expedition that has urred. As only a 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.


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


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


    "Ady identified as your sister was waiting outside the gate."


    Wace 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."


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


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


    ***


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


    After confirming that she was in the correct address, she removed her ck 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 Wace''s phone number from her mom but she''s not using one at all. She only uses public telephones tomunicate 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 surveince cameras.


    ''Hmm... Isn''t this ce 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." Thedy said before entering the ce 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, Wace! Won''t you greet your sister personally?"


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


    "Hi there sister rice, it has been a while. How was yourst assignment? Have you eaten yet?"


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


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