Chapter 373: You don’t look well.
[
Implant: Overmind Cortical Interface Module (B)
Grade: B
Upgrade: Available.
Would you like to upgrade Overmind Cortical Interface Module (B)?
>YES. NO.
]
[
Implant: Overmind Neural Response Enhancer (B)
Grade: B
Upgrade: Available.
Would you like to upgrade Overmind Neural Response Enhancer (B)?
>YES. NO.
]
The screens appeared and vanished in a moment. Even then, Dante was still able to read their contents with great clarity. Realizing that the upgrade process had started, Dante couldn’t help but feel nervous. The surgery might have been a success, but until he woke up, there was no guarantee that everything would turn out fine.
Wanting something to distract him from the chance that his brain might get fried at any moment, Dante resumed his walk. He leaned forward, covering his face with both arms and pushed against the icy wings with everything he had.
The resistance he felt seemed to vanish all of a sudden, launching him forward, but before he could make it far, he slammed into something. The impact sent him tumbling on his lower back. He grasped his note, checking if it wasn’t broken, then looked up at the thing that had blocked. The wind was gone, and so was the snow. The sky was once again a clear blue, but half of it was blocked.
It took Dante several seconds to realize he had run into a wall, one that reached up to the sky. It wasn’t an ice wall, but one made from concrete. Stunned, Dante looked to his left then to his right. The massive construct stretched as far as the eye could see, with no end in sight.
"What in the-"
~[ ]~
[
Implant: Overmind Cortical Interface Module (B) has been upgraded to Overmind Cortical Interface Module (A)
Implant: Overmind Neural Response Enhancer (B) has been upgraded to Overmind Neural Response Enhancer (A)
Strength: 7 → 8
Durability: 27 → 32
Agility: 18 → 28
Dexterity: 20 → 32
Computing Power: 28 → 40
]
~[ ]~
Opening his eyes, Dante immediately noticed that something was off.
For one, what faced him wasn’t the ceiling, but the floor. From the looks of it, he was lying down on his stomach, and his face was resting inside a hole much like those in spa massage beds.
His mind quickly booted, and he soon understood his current situation. Having undergone brain and spine surgery, he couldn’t sleep on his back like he usually does. It was probably the reason why he was strapped to the bed as well.
’Volcan? You there ?’
[Yes.] A voice replaced in his head. [Good morning, Dante. How are you feeling?]
’Uncomfortable. Don’t tell me Larry didn’t give me the Nanomeds this time as well.’
[No. The implants have been secured, and your wounds have healed. However, considering the nature of your new implants and the effects they have, it is generally recommended to keep your body stationary until you are fully conscious.]
’Right...’
Both his MLP and SRE influence reflexes and motor functions, making unconscious movements more than a little dangerous. Before he could enjoy the great benefits they provide, he first had to practice and calibrate the implants so they would integrate well with the rest of his body.
[I have updated your MLP with the apps and functions from your old NIM. The controls might need some getting used to, however.]
The interface came to life, looking more vibrant than before. The clock appeared in the upper left corner of his field of vision, while the bottom left had several icons. Three of them were the familiar [S]tatus, [E]quip, and [ST]orage, but he didn’t recognize the ones with [A] and [PD].
As tempted as he was, Dante decided to leave checking those icons for a later time. Instead, he quickly opened the messenger app to send Larry a message.
’Wha-’
When he clicked on the chat box to start typing his message, the virtual keyboard that usually appears didn’t show up. He almost panicked, but then he remembered something he had heard about MLPs when researching them a while back.
[Dante: I’m awake.
Where are you?
]
With their much more sophisticated modules, MLPs had no need for tracking one’s eye or hand movements as an input to control their functions. They are capable of reading one’s thoughts with a much greater accuracy, allowing one to use their own mind to interact with the interface.
Dante no longer had to type his messages using a projected keyboard. All he has to do is give the chat box a mental tap then think of what he wants to write, and the words would automatically appear.
’This feels way smoother than before.’ He thought.
[Indeed.] Volcan replied. [The number of mental commands you are now capable of giving has drastically increased.]
Larry must have been around since he didn’t take long to show up, unstrapped him, then helped him sit on the side of the bed. The underground doctor was a mess. Going by the clock and calendar, three days should have passed since the surgery started. Dante didn’t think it would take him that long to finish the job -he wouldn’t be awake otherwise- so he assumed that something must have happened to rob the doctor of his well-deserved rest.
"What’s up, doc? You don’t look well."
"Yeah..." Giving him a tired look, Larry reached into the breast pocket of his white coat and took out a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one, he took a puff and then released the smoke into the air. Though he wanted to jokingly reprimand him for smoking in front of a patient, Dante dropped the idea, having noticed the foul mood the doctor was in.
"You... got any questions?" he asked, having guessed the reason behind the doctor’s state.
"No," Larry replied right away, but then he froze. A few seconds later, he pinned him with his tired eyes, lowering the cigarette he had brought to his mouth. "Actually, I have a question."
"Ask away," Dante replied. "Can’t guarantee that I can answer, though."
"Yeah, that’s fine, too." Pausing, Larry pressed his lips together, as if hesitant to speak his mind. "Dante, are you a member of the Gear Cult?"