Inside the sleek, glass-walled meeting room, where holographic displays hovered above a central table and the walls were lined with screens flashing data, Lex stood confidently. The air was charged with a subtle electric buzz, the tactile feedback from the holographic controls giving a slight resistance as he gestured. “So, what we know is that the rift is chaotic; the world within is an endless ocean, as far as we can tell,” he announced, his voice amplified by the room’s acoustics. A shimmering image of the rift materialized in the air before them, its chaotic energy pulsating within the hologram. With a flick of his wrist, the picture dissolved, seamlessly transitioning to the next topic. “We’ve sent drones through the rift, but they’ve failed to return with any pertinent information. Their missions remain incomplete.” Lex then eased back into his chair, the soft hum of the room’s technology filling the silence as he relayed the key points.
Sarah picked up the thread of the conversation without missing a beat, her eyes scanning the data-laden screens. “We’ve debated whether to destroy the rift or attempt to stabilize it. To do either, we must locate the rift’s core. If we manage to stabilize the core, our goal would be to prevent it from dissipating. This would ensure that no dangerous creatures could escape into our world, and we could harvest the rift’s resources indefinitely, assuming we have the means to do so safely. To destroy it, we’d need to plant a bomb capable of annihilating the core, but first, we must ascertain the core’s location.”
A contemplative silence enveloped the room, which Ken broke with a question, his brow furrowed in thought. “Do you believe there are any valuable resources to be mined?”
“We’re uncertain. We’re hopeful that you can assist us in determining that,” Lex replied, his voice echoing slightly in the high-tech space, a hint of anticipation in his tone.
“So, for the moment, let’s assume there are no resources to gather. Is there a method to close the rift without destroying the core, given that we’re unaware of the core’s location to direct the drones?” Ken inquired, his gaze sweeping across the room’s advanced instrumentation, reflecting a mix of curiosity and concern.
“Indeed, we’ve accomplished that in the past, though it’s an extremely resource-intensive process, so it is more rare than we like” Lex explained, his tone measured, his hands clasping together as if to emphasize the gravity of the situation. “To seal the rift without demolishing the core—which generates the rift between our world and this peculiar dimension—we need to identify the harmonic frequency shared by both worlds and emit a cross-frequency to close it. However, this requires a substantial amount of concentrated energy. We procure high-level rift stones for this purpose, but their cost is exorbitant.”
Ken, puzzled, pressed further. “Why haven’t we undertaken this action, considering the rift’s persistence?”
Lex responded with a level of assurance, his eyes locking with Ken’s. “We would have, had the rift posed any immediate danger. It’s likely to dissipate on its own if we don’t stabilize the core.”
Ken, recalling his arrival, asked, “Were you discussing a different rift when I entered?”
“Yes, that’s another matter entirely—that rift poses a threat to nearby civilians, yet it contains valuable resources, particularly unique metals,” Sarah elaborated, her eyes reflecting the room’s ambient light, her hands gesturing toward the data that supported her claims.
Returning to the subject of the oceanic rift, Ken sought clarification. “How can we be certain that this rift isn’t a danger if left unsealed?”
Lex took a moment to recalibrate the conversation, his fingers tapping a rhythm on the armrest of his chair. “Let’s backtrack slightly. The rift isn’t present here. It’s situated far from our research facility, in a desert landscape, well beyond civilian reach.”
Ken, contemplating the worst-case scenario, posed a hypothetical, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of urgency. “What if a colossal creature were to emerge from the rift and wreak havoc unceasingly, causing widespread devastation?”
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“We monitor the rift’s barrier from our side; we’d be alerted if it began to weaken. Currently, we can enter the rift, but nothing from within can exit—up to a certain threshold. At present, the levels are stable…if they weren’t we would take action to destroy the rift,” Lex clarified, his voice resonating with the authority of his expertise.
“I presume the other rift, the one near the civilian area, is on the verge of collapse?” Ken surmised, his tone now carrying a note of concern.
“Correct, verge of collapse is an exaggerated way to say, but the risk there has escalated,” Sarah confirmed, her tone grave, her fingers drumming a staccato on the tabletop.
“Do we simply need to stabilize the core or eliminate the ‘boss,’ so to speak?” Ken queried, leaning forward, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications.
“Typically, the core is linked to the ruler of the rift. We could bypass the entity and stabilize the core directly. However, for the rift near the civilian zone, core stabilization isn’t feasible. We’ve extracted resources but have been unsuccessful in our stabilization efforts. Our window of opportunity has closed; we’ve benefited from this rift for four years,” Sarah recounted, her words tinged with a hint of regret, her gaze momentarily distant.
Ken, seeking further understanding, asked, “Has anyone ventured into that rift to defeat the ruler or stabilize the core, thereby regenerating the rift?”
“Regrettably, no. The conditions within that rift are harsh, and the risks far outweigh the potential rewards. Plus, from the data, it would require many S-rank hunters to defeat the boss—with many dying outright. The risk is not worth it.” Sarah replied, her gaze fixed on the data screens, her voice steady but somber.
Ken thought to himself, Looks like I need to take matters into my own hands when it comes to resolving these issues. What I understand basically is, they don’t have the power to fight the bosses or stabilize the core with pure power, only cleverness. But that cleverness goes only so far.
Ken questioned his own authority. “Do I have the authority to make decisions regarding these matters?”
Lex and Sarah’s eyes brightened, and they responded in unison, without hesitation, “Yes.”
Ken, assuming command, laid out his plan. “For now, I’ll divide the teams. Lex, take your team and determine what we need to extract from the oceanic rift. Devise methods to stabilize or destroy the core of the other rift and prepare for my potential entry. Ascertain our requirements. Furthermore, are you cognizant that any resources we discover fall under my discretion, to sell or retain as I see fit?”
Lex affirmed his understanding. “Yes, I am aware of that stipulation.”
Ken sought to clarify his point. “To be explicit, all resources from the rift near the civilian area are now within my jurisdiction, if I resolve that issue in maintaining that rift.”
“Understood,” Lex agreed, his voice firm.
“You may proceed. I’ll join you shortly,” Ken directed, nodding at Lex, who promptly exited the mission room for the command center to relay the orders.
Ken then turned to Sarah. “Sarah, is it feasible to devise a solution that captures kinetic energy as a power source? For instance, if I could generate a shockwave with a snap of my fingers, could you harness that energy?”
Sarah pondered before responding, her brow furrowed in concentration. “We can certainly prototype within theoretical parameters. The challenge lies in energy conversion efficiency; we typically capture only about 40 percent of the input. If you could produce multiple shockwaves, we could potentially convert 40 percent of that energy into an alternative form. We already operate farms that harness wind energy, aided by wind mages, to supply power to remote areas. To close a single rift, we’d need a landmass equivalent to an entire kingdom.”
Ken considered her explanation. “Let’s hypothesize that the armor you provided, which can withstand a dragon’s mightiest blow of 200 tons, could be converted into energy. Is that feasible?”
Sarah, taken aback by the sheer brute-force nature suggestion, confirmed the possibility. “Certainly, we could convert it. A simple energy conversion from 200 tons could theoretically power approximately ten households.”
Ken, undeterred, pressed on. “Assuming I could generate a force equivalent to 20 million tons, could you develop a prototype to capture that magnitude of energy?”
Sarah, visibly astonished, questioned the plausibility. “Twenty million tons… that’s inconceivable…”
“Let’s say it is conceivable,” Ken upheld, his voice carrying a weight that matched the hypothetical force he described.
“Proceed with that,” Ken instructed, his tone decisive.
Sarah left the room, her mind racing with questions about Ken’s capabilities. I wonder how far he can take us, really? I hope Sir Leonard was correct to have him assist us.
Meanwhile, Ken allowed himself a moment of satisfaction before heading to the command center to join Lex.