I tried to talk to Dex the entire time Nic helped me back to my dormitory. And the more I called to my internal AI and received no answer, the more nervous I became. I no longer knew how to survive without Codex. I’d become so reliant on him, especially when traversing this new world. Not only that but how was I supposed to cultivate and Tier up without him? I didn’t have a Mark…. I probably couldn’t use the androids that everyone else on this planet used. Even if I could, would that mean Lady Euridice would also steal 20% of my essence and not allow me to allocate my earned stat points as I saw fit?
“Codex?” I pleaded in my mind, which only made the pounding in my skull grow worse. “Please. I need you.”
Still no answer, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept that Dex was truly gone.
Nic and I passed many students, teachers, and staff members with the green-colored sleeves who all eyed Nic’s and my companionship with curiosity. Nic explained all of the onlookers away easily, saying I’d been injured, and he’d been there when it happened and decided to help me back to my room after my trip to the infirmary. All true–he just excluded the fact that we were both clones of the same god, and he was waiting to speak with me privately about what had actually happened to me…. Why I’d fallen to the floor in agony, and why my AI had seemingly shut off.
Nic helped me step into a lift, explaining to me beforehand that he didn’t think I could handle stairs at the moment. I was inclined to agree with him. My headache continued to persist, and even though I leaned on Nic to steady myself, I still swayed precariously as I walked.
The lift shot us up only two floors higher than where we started, so the ride had taken mere seconds. But I still felt woozy from the intense speed and the view of the academy building and cave wall that enclosed the city whizzing by.
Nic patiently assisted me out of the glass box and led me toward the wing of dormitories where I slept. He continued to offer excuses to all passersby, and his explanations seemed enough to not warrant any unwelcome questions as he helped me hobble into my room and closed the door behind the two of us.
I graciously accepted Nic’s help to my bed and fell onto the springy mattress with a satisfied grunt. Nic allowed me to settle in and sat in the chair next to the desk at the foot of my bed.
“Take your medicine,” he demanded, holding out the yellow bottle for me to see.
Considering my never-ending, determined headache, I nodded in agreement.
“Do you have anything to drink with it? These capsules are difficult to swallow down without water or some other beverage.”
Groaning, I maneuvered my body just enough to pull out my waterskin from under the bed. I’d tucked it safely away with my spear and armor, not wanting to get rid of anything that had come from home. I’d recently filled it, too, during breakfast before my classes had started just that morning.
I shook my head. I can’t believe my first day of classes had only been this morning. It had been an extremely long day.
The bottle of medicine rattled as Nic popped the lid open and poured one of the giant, almost cylindrical-shaped capsules into his palm. He rose from his chair and brought the dose to me. I hesitantly plucked it from his hand and stared down the smooth, white monstrosity.
As she’d given me instructions on taking the medicine, Doctor Halestrom had ensured that I knew to swallow the pill without chewing it or allowing it to dissolve. I did so quickly, downing a large swig of lukewarm water to aid its journey down my throat. I couldn’t help but think about how much trust I seemed to be putting into these strangers who lived in a world I knew next to nothing about. I could have just swallowed poison for all I knew.
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Nic sat back down as I smacked my lips. I felt suspicious of the medicine and sat in silence, waiting for my heart to stop or for the world to start distorting into a mess of confusion as the potential poison took control of my body.
A few seconds longer, and I felt fine. In fact, I felt better than fine. My headache quickly faded from painful to dull and then to nothing. I stared at the yellow bottle of pills Nic had set down on my desk and nodded in satisfaction. I liked… well, I liked whatever this medicine was called. In fact, I felt a little giddy. My limbs felt lighter, and my body tingled with a pleasant warmth that made me smile uncontrollably.
“I take it by the look on your face that the medicine has started to take effect,” Nic said. “Some of the pain medication on this planet can make you feel… overly happy.”
I chuckled. “I’m not complaining.”
I wiggled deeper into my covers and suddenly felt an overwhelming gratitude for the soft pillow under my head–so overwhelming it brought me close to tears. Yeah, that pill had done some things…. I mean, how often had I cried about a pillow? Never–that’s how often. I was even starting to forget how worried I was about Dex’s absence.
“I shouldn’t stay here for much longer, so I should get to the point. Rayden, are you listening?”
I flashed a smile in his direction and slowly reopened my eyes. I hadn’t realized I’d closed them.
“Listening!” I said much too enthusiastically.
Nic sighed and palmed his helmet head. He really looked so ridiculous. I found myself sputtering out a boisterous laugh, unable to contain it as I stared at his silly helmet, which only made Nic shake his head at me in annoyance.
“I’m going to talk fast, so you just stay quiet.”
I forced a serious scowl on my face, which made my chest shake with more laughter, but I nodded and remained quiet.
“You’ve asked me why I turned off my Codex. I didn’t. Not intentionally, at least. The neural implants… I don’t think the Codexes react well to them. Immediately after my implantation procedure, I started getting headaches. They got worse until my body completely shut down–similar to what just happened to you. Considering that your timeline for implantation, your Codexes shut-down, and your visit to the infirmary matches mine almost perfectly, I’m positive the neural implants affect our AIs.”
I pursed my lips, feeling so light and airy that I couldn’t form any sensible words in response. I wanted to ask why our Codexes, as advanced as they were, couldn’t sense these problems with the neural implants before we’d let people bury them into our heads. And if Nic already suspected this issue, why hadn’t he warned me?
I also could recall Codex pausing for long periods of time and acting stranger than usual even before my implantation. But my weird mental state in that moment made it difficult for me to pinpoint precisely when Dex’s peculiar behavior had started. But I could agree that he’d definitely started acting worse after I’d received my implant.
“You can still cultivate with your Codex,” Nic continued. “I don’t know why, but that still works. Your stat allocation and Tier-ups will continue to happen. At least, I think it will for you. It did for me. I recommend you try to at least level up within your Tier as soon as possible to make sure. But, even though I can still use some sort of remnant of the AI to advance through the Tiers, I haven’t been able to talk with Codex for years.”
I caught something in Nic’s voice as he spoke. I thought it was sadness at first, but the lilt in his inflections suggested something more… positive. Was he happy his Codex was gone? What wasn’t he telling me? My brain felt so muddled that I couldn’t form any of these thoughts into words and interrogate the other Lord Solomon clone. In fact, my eyelids started getting heavier, and I could feel a wave of exhaustion settle into me like a massive weight. I could barely keep myself awake any longer.
That medicine was powerful.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Nic had given me a dose before this conversation on purpose… to make sure I couldn’t ask questions or throw in my opinions as he spoke on the matter. Maybe because he really didn’t like questions? I mean, I knew that much about him. But something in my gut told me there was more to it than that.
“I know you must have lots of questions, but I really should get going.” Nic rose and stepped toward the door in one fluid motion. “And you need your rest. We can discuss this more during our first training session on Saturday.”
I could barely comprehend the opening and closing of my dormitory door as Nic left. I wanted to call after him and ask all of my questions now, but I couldn’t even move my tongue around my mouth. My entire body switched from a light, floating sensation to a leaden, stone-like, and immovable vulnerability. I didn’t even have the will to try to move. So, instead, I fell asleep.