In the hushed realm of his floor, the Aspect of Knowledge lies entranced, a silent vigil within his immobile form. Unseen shackles bind him, a phantom paralysis locking his limbs to the comfort of his bed. His gaze wanders, tracing a path to his right where Diana sits, her worry wrapped in a veneer of irritation.

Diana "Dude! Finally! It's been like fucking five hours! Can you move now?!"

Adrian rallies his strength, wrestling to orchestrate a symphony of words. Yet, his vocal cords betray him, uncoiling only to create a silent, gaping void. Diana responds to his silent plea, her sigh. Rising gracefully, her right-hand sweeps across Adrian's face.

Diana "Hey! You are still in there! Wimp! Come on! I said WAKE! UP!"

Diana punches his right cheek. A paradoxical key of pain, her strike shatters the spectral chains that held him captive. As the pain reverberates, Adrian hoists himself upright, facing her, his hand cradling the raw memento she left on his cheek.

Adrian "Care you to not resort to violence as your primary form of any solution? That was awfully painful. You know."

Diana "Hey. At least, it worked. Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you?! And what was up with that weird hand that showed up."

Adrian "Yeah... that took me by surprise too. I guess my robot father was right to worry."

Diana "Your robot wha?... Oh right! You were raised by a robot! Fucking weird but how does that have anything to do with this?!"

Adrian "Well, he was one of the factors that influence my current state of pacifism. It was a promise I made to him. The other half was my own choice. However, the conversation of pacifism started when I asked him about what I should do when countering an enemy."

Diana "Like you asked him what to do when some jackass tries to fight you or something. What did he say?"

Adrian "Well, he then asked me what I would do. At first, I wanted to knock them without pain. That was my ideal version of pacifism. He on the other hand, as soon as those words exited my mouth, slapped me. He said I was a fool for thinking that."

Diana "Wait, backhand or front? Either way, that is hella rough. Man, now I feel like a dick for punching you."

Adrian "Hey, no worries. I like that bold side of you."

Diana "Oh... Errr... thanks! Dammit! You are too fucking nice! You know that! It's fucking gross! Just continue!"

Adrian "After he slapped me, he didn't speak much of it. Though... I remember seeing something in his eye. Who knew that even a robot can feel fear? With that, I think he was afraid of that hand from yesterday. Why didn't he tell me anything about it? I feel betrayed..."

Diana "Oh shit... you're like some fucking cursed giant that is forced to live as a pacifist. That sucks! But... I'm glad you found a way to help even despite that. Maybe I was wrong about you, Adrian. Also, cheer up... I guess."

Adrian "Wow... you actually said my name. Thanks!"

Diana "Don't get it into your head! You still have a long way to go before gaining true respect from me! We should go outside. The others are waiting."

As Diana and Adrian emerge from the confines of the RV, six figures descend to greet them with their flapping with joy and relief

With a swift break from their limbering routines, the remaining four wielders rush to receive their comrades.

Kanji "Glad, you're alright, Adrian. That must be frustrating having to live with such a curse."

Adrian "Wait, how did you- Oh, I have my Connected Minds ability on. Didn't I?"

Claire "Yep, silly. We heard the entire conversation. Just be sure to not do that again. We were so worried!"

Amelia "Diana, that was rather rude of you to punch poor Adrian like that."

Adrian "It's okay. Her punch helped me move again. Didn't it? Please don't blame her."

Dave "Ayo! You're simping for a gorilla! Damn, dude. That's a new low, my guy. I lost my respect and shit, man. Wait. Shit, you are my fucking writer so never mind! We good. You have my respect, my guy. Unlike someone..."

Azan "We are all pleased to see you doing well. I like to stress that we should get moving to who's trial is next. We wasted enough time already. Do any of you have any idea how important scheduling is when it comes to business?"

Mina "Lmao! Azzy! Are you really treating this entire ordeal as a business?! That is so funny but... your words are a bit harsh."

Kanji "Harsh. Yes. Truthful. Double yes. We need to take our situation seriously. Learning that Diana has killed two Major cultists. We must be on guard for retaliation from our competitors."

AN "Wow! Really! She killed two of them! That's amazing! Congrats! Diana!"

Diana "Woah! AN, you're back! It must be our birthday!"

Gwen "I remembered you saying that you'll be back in a few days. Being in the context of our situation, your return is mostly predictable. Please, shower us with good news. Or bad news if there are any."

AN: "Yes, there is only good news which is great. I should start with some info that we got from hacking into the Empire's Central Network Data Storage. E.C.N.D.S for short."

Sarah "Wait, you guys hacked into the system. Damn, that sounds so fucking sick!!"

AN "Well, most if not all the praise should go to Voltum Battera. He is the guy I mentioned that hates humans because of their intelligence."

Noah "Wow, he sounds like a complete dick. How did you convince him?"

AN "It was more of a bribe than persuasion. I promise him 50 shards of uncharged rotatenium for info regarding the cultists and the Empire's teleportation. Which one would you like to know first?"

Kanji "The cultists. They are our most immediate threats. Any information regarding them would help us tremendously."

AN "Alright then. As you know that during your previous fight, they have a special ability to transform into horrifying beings. The Majors called this state "Awakened Angel Form"."

Diana "Angel! My ass! Those fuckers were ugly as hell! How do they even turn into those things?"

Gwen "Yes, I'm too curious about this transformation. As I understand that body modification and mutation are possible. The fact remains that those creatures had supernatural power beyond our imagining."

AN "Yes. With all the information we managed to get, the process tends to involve a form of alchemy revolving around consciousness. Courtesy of those damn Bioforgers. I believe that the Majors can consume their victims' consciousness and grow stronger as a result and supposedly gain supernatural powers and eventually getting an amplified version. Though I'm not how accurate this info is since The Empire has the tendency to mislead what you learn."

Mina: "Umm... really. I'll just choose to believe what told us. Oh yeah, and that last part makes sense! Remember when I got like absorb into that giant centipede and then came out at a different location."

Azan "Yeah, we remember. Please be careful next time. Okay, Mina."

Mina, pouting, nestles into the grass. Her ease inspires the other wielders, who join her in restful repose.

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AN "Alright, lightning round time. The Eusocial cult which houses the cultists you have encountered has a total of one Kingling, four Formicidae Executioners, and 124 Formicidae Majors."

As their eyes widen in shock, Dave tumbles backward.

Dave "Oh Hell Nah!! Yep, we are fucking dead, dudes. Here lies David Icarus. Age 18. He just wanted to go out on an adventure and hang out with his bros."

AN "Relax. That number is a bit deceiving. You see one hundred of them, M001 to M100, are actually lifeless corpse puppets controlled by the Kingling who is the leader of all the cultists. His name is John and for some reason, his last name was encrypted as fuck. Not even Voltum could uncover it. Anyway as a Kingling, he has control of a little worm parasite that squirms inside each cultist member. He can use it to mind control or outright kill any member he pleases. This parasite also apparently is supposedly one of the triggers for The Majors' transformation. The other trigger is a set of phrases that the cultists use."

Kanji "Wait, that is good news. If we find a way to track where these parasites are in their bodies. We can prevent them from powering up. Or... we could also just silence them somehow. I bet they already have countermeasures for both of them."

Gwen "Oh, that just gave me two wonderful ideas. I'll tell you about it later. Going back on topic, what are these "Formicidae Executioners"?"

AN "They are HORRIFYING! Emotionless husks! They act like machines whose only purpose is to destroy and bring chaos! Their powers are on a whole level but thankfully The Empress won't allow them to be used near a large number of people as they would attract a lot of attention."

Amelia "So we just need to stick to large cities. That sounds bloody neat to me! I say we should make our way to a city right now! Perhaps, Paris. I heard it is a wonderful place."

Azan "I second that agreement. I don't want to stick here any longer knowing that my dad is here."

Mina "Oh, Azzy... Don't worry. We'll get that shard back."

Kanji rises, his aura brimming as he casually stows the RV into his storage.

Kanji "Good thing, I know a place where we can teleport to."

Intrigued, the rest alight onto the teleporter he unrolls. A radiant beam envelops them in a split second. Their senses stagger shortly, and when they recover, they find themselves standing in the empty interior of a secluded warehouse.

Dave "Yo, I'm getting a major dejavu vibe. This is trippy as fuck, man."

Kanji re-materializes the RV, and Mina commandeers it towards a neighboring parking lot. Exiting, they stride across the bustling road to an inviting, yet notably deserted, cafe. It's an ideal setting for open discussions. Kanji eyes a table, perfect for their dozen, and ushers everyone to it.

Sarah "Man, I would really go for some coffee or whatever they have here."

Kanji "Noted. We'll have 12 premium Finca El Injerto! You guys want it hot or cold?"

Their hands are cast, resulting in an evenly balanced verdict.

Kanji "Five hot and Five cold! And get me a cold one!"

Gwen "I see that you are a connoisseur of cold beverages. That makes us both."

Claire "You two actually like cold coffee! I mean it's good but I think hot coffee gives you more energy."

Gwen "Caffeine does not dissipate with temperature, my dear Claire. I suppose this is your attempt at joining our conversation which I find flattering." "Good. I finally deflected something from her. The tides are turning between us, my friend."

Azan "You know we can like discuss coffee all day. Hell, I'm a coffee addict. Okay... maybe an addict is a bit exaggerating but remember why we are here. Our business needs to resume."

Mina "Wow, you really going to go with the businessman RP. Guess, I can play along. Maybe I would be your secretary."

Azan "Umm... yeah... a secretary would be nice. Do you even know how to be one?"

Mina "Nope lol! I just assume that I just help you out and take some of your workloads."

Azan "That is a very simple way to put it but yes. That is technically the role of the secretary. I believe you'll do fine."

The pair stare at each other. Their smiles hold a shared secret. Witnessing this, Amelia nestles her head affectionately against Dave's shoulder. Noah observes them and a ripple of envy flutters within him until—

Noah "Wha- Sa-Sarah! What are you doing with my hand?"

Sarah "What? I'm just trying palm reading. Maybe I should fucking ask you first before touching your hand. But eh who cares!"

AN "Ladies and gentlemen. Now that everyone is mostly situated, I would like to unload the rest of the precious information. Are there any objections?"

Their activities halt and patience thickens in the air as they wait.

AN "Excellent. We're moving on to our second category which regards the Empire's methods of teleportation. We have learned that the source of the technology is a remote space station called "NOVA". It looks like a Death Star if get the reference."

Gwen "Curious, why would they need a structure that massive to house such methods?"

AN "Apparently, the process of teleportation is very high maintenance and revolves around complicated configurations of objects we managed to learn the name of. These objects are called "Glitch Notes". Any info on what they are or what the Empire do with them is heavily protected. Like super encrypted."

Kanji "How hard do you think it takes to extract that information? Like, give us a scale."

AN "Well, if you put it that way, I believe that it would take the combined minds of 50 Voltums Battera. It is unlikely that we will get more details on the matter any time soon. Hey! There is good news! Some of our combatants infiltrated the station. With the help of Voltum's eyes for valuable tech, we retrieved some parts for a Wide Area Life Sensor."

Dave "Awesome, dude. Can like we have it or something, my guy?"

AN "I would like to but... Voltum is insisting on improving the thing. He is pissed off that he didn't manage to break the security code not once but twice. He is looking for ways that the sensor to detect teleportation readings before soldiers arrive. Sorry for this. It will be quite some time before you guys will get the gadget."

Adrian "Hold on, AN. How would you deliver the device here? To Earth. Will you be sending a ship or a pod?"

AN "Oh yeah! I forgot that The Aspect Station aka the room I'm in changed a while ago. Well, the only difference is a strange safe structure about the size of a mini fridge. The damn thing is glued shut to the side of the pedestal. I read on the screen that this thing apparently can deliver items to you guys under specific conditions."

Sarah "What kind of conditions are they? Please don't be complicated. Please don't be complicated!"

AN "Calm down, it's okay. I can send items that I have borrowed from you guys. So, Sarah, you can have your trusty shovel back."

Sarah "Holy shit! Yes!"

A shovel materializes on the table. The impact sends a tremor through the surface, disrupting a peacefully resting cup of coffee. The dark liquid cascades out of its confines, staining Noah's hoodie in its wake.

Noah "Okay, even though this is hot coffee. That didn't hurt at all. But you did ruin my hoodie. Congrats."

AN "I'm so sorry! Dammit! I need to be more precise with this thing."

Kanji "That was just a little inconvenience. You can move on to the other conditions."

AN " Right! The other condition is that you guys have to see the object in question before I could send it. Luckily, sending a picture through space is very easy."

Claire "Awesome, that is a weird condition though."

Kanji "I agree. I can also tell that you are done with your info. Now, we need to discuss who's trial is next."

A silent exchange transpires between Kanji and Adrian. Adrian scans their surroundings before relocking his gaze with Kanji's.

Adrian "Wait, me. Seriously. Gosh. I mean... I'm glad that my power will improve but still... a tad bit nerve-racking. Considering... well... you know."

Diana "What?! What are you nervous about, Adrian? Just go do it! Wait... Oh... Oh, I get it. Yikes, that would be a problem. Right, boss?"

Kanji "Yes, if the condition of clearing the trial revolves around physical confrontation then... Yes, he would be screwed beyond measure. Adrian, I leave the decision up to you."

Adrian "Wait, we can abort trials?! When was that a thing?!"

Kanji "It was a thing from the start. It's just that I never thought any of us would need it. I was quite optimistic to think so. But now I-

Adrian "I'll do it! I'll finish the trial and return! I promise you! All of you! I don't want to be a coward anymore! I will find a way to pass it without fighting!"

Diana "Adrian.... you... You make me so proud! Come here?"

A warm embrace ensues, enough to summon a blush to Adrian's face. He, acknowledging the gesture, flashes Kanji a thumbs up.

From the depths of his inventory, The Aspect of Energy retrieves an item, presenting it to Adrian. It's...a book?

Adrian "A book? Wait a minute... It's empty! Kanji, what do I do?"

Kanji "You have to write these words in Milano Sky font. "Be the will that writes a thousand stories! Be carriage that leads me to The Great Library!"."

As Adrian pens the words onto the pages, they emit a brilliant golden radiance. Then, as if drawn by a rough vortex, the glowing book swallows him whole.

Caught in the labyrinth of time, The Aspect of Knowledge slumbers. How long has it been? This very question pierces his dreams, rousing Adrian from his sleep. His surroundings are cloaked in darkness, save for the faint silhouettes within his field of vision. Then— twin rows of stardust-like lights emerge, flanking him on either side.

A heartening warmth seeps into the atmosphere, and a peculiar fragrance pervades his senses.

Adrian "This aroma... I smell lavender... a hint of rose... a pinch of jasmine... and a drop of lily. This entire place smells like a garden. How can that be?-

Drawn to one of the luminescent orbs, Adrian ventures a closer inspection. It's a strange blue candle, adorned with intricate purple glyphs unlike anything found in the annals of history. As he leans in, he inhales the enigmatic smoke swirling around the wick.

Adrian "That answers that. Wait, holy moly!!!"

Adrian notes the candle's perch upon a steel plate, affixed to a wooden structure. But it's not just any structure, it's a towering bookshelf. The plate sits wedged, a bridge between two colossal book repositories. As he cranes his neck upwards, the bookshelves ascend into an inky void, leaving him to speculate if there is a ceiling.

Adrian "Great. What am I supposed to do here? Wait, do you expect to read every single one of these books?!"

Without warning, a brown screen materializes before him, nearly toppling him off balance.

Stabilizing himself, Adrian examines this abrupt manifestation.

|Hello, Aspect of Knowledge. Eons have passed since and the four of us have waited for you. Your journey starts right now. Seek us and all knowledge will be revealed. Good Luck.|

Adrian "Hold thank god! It is a finding mission. I guess I better get started."

(To be continued)