CHAPTER 33
It has been a few days since the last competition occurred, and Hirayon was back to his training after recovering from his injuries. It was good that he woke up earlier than Savio predicted because the next game was in two days.
"He seems happy with your won," FORT685 commented and glanced at the right side of the room where boxes piled up together with a large gift covered by cloth. The Opod arrived, along with other gifts his benefactor gave.
"That's just how they are. If you win, they give you more," Savio said and ordered FORT685 to remove the cloth covering the Opod.
FORT685 walked toward the large device and pulled the cloth. He only tugged it a little, but as if the device underneath was made of a very smooth material, the fabric glided quickly, revealing an incredibly futuristic virtual reality pod.
The large rectangular-shaped device was covered with black glass, with its edges smoothed. It almost looked like a hover car with its shape, but smaller and more sleek. Looking closely, the dark glass seemed like a coat covering a sparkling silver metal inside.
"It looks like a coffin," Hirayon commented, as the upper half was the only part not covered by the glass.
FORT685 released an 'ah' upon realization and questioned the inventors for creating an expensive sleeping pod that was almost like a deathbed.
Savio glanced at the kid, "There's a reason for that, but I heard that the company also just wants to use its trademark shape like what they did with the vehicles," he explained and peeked inside the pod. It was not his first time seeing one since the children he trained before also received Opods, but it seems like Hirayon's was a newer version.
After checking its details in a hologram and confirming that it was the latest Opod, he nodded and urged Hirayon. "Now lie on it and just follow the system's instructions. Just train there how you used to do it here, and try to discover your next ability. After three hours, log out, and let us check the results."
Savio already took note of Hirayon's current capabilities, and he thinks that Hirayon is on the verge of getting a new elemental ability.
Hirayon hopped on the Opod and laid on the oddly soft cushion underneath. It was so comfortable that he would rather sleep there than the cursed bed that only brought him painful memories.
"Here, hold it so you can connect with the system. You're still a child. That's why you can't connect to Oddi yet, so you'll have to use that." FORT685 said while handing Hirayon an orb.
Usually, an oddity could lie down and close their eyes. Oddi will automatically connect with the Opod system and help the oddities proceed with the game. However, since children are not allowed to be associated with Oddi yet for privacy and security issues, they need to hold an Opod orb to enable them to use the technology. It was just a fist-sized orb that was made with the same material as the Opod.
"Remember to log off after three hours. We can't wake you, so be mindful of the time. You still have a schedule later," Savio reminded.
Hirayon gave him an angry look as he was sure the schedule he was talking about was another experiment.
Still, Hirayon did not make a fuss and closed his eyes. After doing so, the smooth orb glowed with blue light and revealed an intricate pattern that traveled toward Hirayon's arms, face, and chest until his whole body was tattooed with a blue pattern.
"He's in. Monitor him and report immediately if there are changes in the color of the glow."
One amusing feature of an Opod is the glowing pattern that spreads on oddities' bodies once they connect with the system. Since Opod allows real-time experience to the oddities, they will feel everything happening in the Opod, including the pain, which could be dangerous to the oddity's mind if it is too much. The color reflects their physical state, allowing others to monitor their condition and intervene once the oddity enters an extremely dangerous situation.
Blue reflects the body's normal state, orange means the person was in a dangerous situation and could harm the person, and red means extreme danger, which could cause life-threatening harm or, worse, death.
After closing his eyes, Hirayon saw an utterly white place with nothing but white space.
[Welcome to Opod! This is Oddi, your all-around Diwana guide. Please state your name.] A clear, monotonous voice said.
"Hi- No, it's OWS59."
[Hello, OWS59. I will be your guide here in Opod, the world of artificial Diwana, where you can do whatever you want. Please be advised that your activities are being monitored. You are not allowed to say certain words, or else you will receive a punishment.]
'Is it my benefactor who's monitoring me? I wish I could've tried to find Dad, but it looks like it won't be possible.'
[To open your profile, think 'Status Window' and it will automatically appear.]
Hirayon followed Oddi's instructions and a holographic screen appeared before him. It was showing his Opod profile.
Name: OWS59
Age: 6
Elements: Water, Blood
Title: Skilled Oddity
Money: 100,000 quea
Strength [Rate Unknown]
Stamina [Rate Unknown]
Aura [Rate Unknown]
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
BASIC ABILITIES
1. Enhanced Sight (Unknown)
2. Enhanced Stamina (Unknown)
3. Enhanced Memory (Unknown)
INNATE ABILITIES
Water Element
1. Water Breathe (Unknown)
2. Water Pool (Unknown)
3. Water Orb (Unknown)
4. Water Wall (Unknown)
Blood Element
1. Blood Manipulation (Unknown)
Hiryon looked at his status window with surprise. He didn't know that the Opod could identify all of his basic and innate abilities. His surprise immediately turned into a frown.
"Can other people see my status window?" He asked with so much concern. He was planning on training secretly and concealing his abilities, but that would be useless if his benefactor and trainer could access his status window.
[All information in your status window is considered confidential and can only be accessed by you. Following the law, we are not allowed to share or transfer any information unless instructed by the owner.]
Hirayon let out a breath. Then he heard Opod speak again.
[You have 100,000 coins in your account. You can use this money to use in Opod and enjoy its facilities.]
'Looks like he was delighted with the win. He even invested a lot of money so that my chances of winning next time will be higher.'
Hirayon felt bitter about the apparent care his benefactor was giving him. He was frustrated that he was being used like a tool and couldn't even do anything because he was weak.
Holographic rows of panels appeared in front of Hirayon, each one showing a different place with its name on the top.
[Choose where you want to go. You can swipe your hand and choose from these choices.]
Hirayon swiped his hand and checked all the places. There's Ocity, the capital city inside Opod, Training Tower, Opod Arena, Opod Emporium, Opod Institue, Leisure Isle, and much more. There were even tourist destinations in the sky, under the water, inside a volcano, and even in space.
"I want to go to the Training Tower."
[Destination selected: Training Tower]
After Oddi's words, Hirayon was enveloped by blue light. The next second, he was in front of a massive tower that was shaped like an octagon. It was extremely high that Hirayon couldn't even see the very top. He could also see other facilities and oddities walking around.
Looking up, Hirayon could see the clear blue sky with white clouds. Breathing in, the smell of fresh air calmed his slightly tense nerves. The feeling was highly similar to how it was in real life.
'It feels too real,' he thought, walking toward the entrance and entering the building. Although he wants to look around, he only has a few hours.
"Welcome. How can I help you?" A smiling woman asked Hirayon once he stepped inside. She was standing behind a podium just beside the entrance.
"I want to train here," Hirayon said.
"Please proceed to Booth 15 to choose your training room," the woman said, pointing to a specific booth.
There were about 20 numbered booths surrounding half of the lobby. The other side had circle-shaped platforms that emit thick fog. Each platform emits a different colored fog; above it were floating numbers. Looking at how Oddities disappeared after stepping inside the mist, Hirayon immediately understood that it was like a portal to other floors.
"Good day! We have four different training rooms. Grade D rooms are the normal training rooms with training equipment and normal dummies, Grade C are rooms with equipment and customizable dummies, Grade B has a spatial expansion function plus the functions that the C room has, and Grade A allows you to change the room's environment in addition to what a Grade B room has. Which one would you like?" The employee said the moment Hirayon stood in front of her booth.
"How much are they?" Hirayon asked, and the woman waved her hand. Then, a hologram appeared in front of Hirayon. It showed clips of every room and the prices below it.
"You can either buy or rent the room per hour." The employee informed him.
A = 100,000 quea = 100 quea per hour
B = 70,000 quea = 70 quea per hour
C = 40,000 quea = 40 quea per hour
D = 10,000 quea = 10 quea per hour
"The Grade A room," Hirayon said, and the woman looked at Hirayon with surprise. He wasn't expecting that a child would choose the most expensive one.
"Great choice. If you want to use the room per hour, the rate is 100 quea. But if you want to own the training room, you can buy it for 100,000. Are you going to rent?" She asked and did not consider asking the child if he was going to buy it.
'It was exactly the price of what my benefactor had deposited. He may want me to buy my training room. But I might also be wrong because there are other facilities.'
Hirayon contemplated, but when he remembered the bitter reality that he was being used even though they were making him strong, Hirayon made a bold move.
"I'm going to buy the room."
The woman stilled for a moment before smiling so wide that her eyes turned into slits. She could already see the amount of quea being added to her bank account because of the commission from selling a Grade A room.
"Excellent choice! You'll save more money if you're going to use the room for a long time," the woman said happily. Not even questioning how a child could have such a large sum.
"I have now transferred your virtual room key for Grade A room 406," the woman said, and when Hirayon opened his status window, he saw a notification about the room key. The Virtual Key the woman was talking about was a picture of an intricate key with a cursive A406 on its head. Then, it was added below his profile under 'Opod Assets'
Name: OWS59
Age: 6
Elements: Water, Blood
Title: Skilled Oddity
Money: 0 quea
Strength [Rate Unknown]
Stamina [Rate Unknown]
Aura [Rate Unknown]
BASIC ABILITIES
1. Enhanced Sight (Unknown)
2. Enhanced Stamina (Unknown)
3. Enhanced Memory (Unknown)
INNATE ABILITIES
Water Element
1. Water Breathe (Unknown)
2. Water Pool (Unknown)
3. Water Orb (Unknown)
4. Water Wall (Unknown)
Blood Element
1. Blood Manipulation (Unknown)
OPOD ASSETS
1. Training Room - Grade A Room 406
"Once you step on the platform, you will be automatically transferred to your room," the woman said with a wide smile while pointing at the platforms. "We call them spatial lifts."
Hirayon looked at where the woman was pointing and nodded.
"If you have any questions, feel free to ask Opod as it knows everything." The woman stated and thanked Hirayon, bidding him goodbye.
Going to the other half of the lobby, Hirayon lined up in the shortest line and watched how quickly people disappeared into the spatial lift. Hirayon then noticed that there are also spatial lifts with no line; instead, people appear on the platform and step down before walking outside of the building.
Seeing how fast people appear and disappear into several spatial lifts, the child couldn't imagine just how many rooms and floors the training tower has.
With that thought, his turn came, and he bravely stepped onto the platform, where a cold feeling immediately engulfed him. The orange swirling fog blocked his vision, and before he could fathom the strange feeling it gave, his vision cleared. He found himself in a clean, white, spacious room.
Hirayon felt like he was standing in the middle of a void without end. He couldn't see anything but white walls and off-white floors that stretched everywhere he looked.
[Welcome to Grade A Room 406 training room.]
[Scanning OWS59.]
[Scan Completed.]
[Room Automatic Mode: ON. Changing into a suitable training environment.]
[Chosen Area: Deep Hushed Sea.]
Hirayon frowned in confusion with the continuous monotonous voice in his head. Before he could even comprehend Oddi's words, his nose was met with a powerful salty scent that immediately reminded him of the Water Clan, his home. Following that was a wet sensation in his foot.
Hirayon's eyes widened, seeing the cold water soaking his ankles. And with just a blink, the water level quickly rose, drowning the child in dim water and setting him in the middle of a vast, deep, hushed sea.
R E H I L I Y A