After breakfast, I went to my room, as there was still a training duration to be completed. Also, I have an idea that I need to work, and I have just the right person to do it.
/Continue/
As I began my training, I activated Grey Matter.
My skin shifted first—fading into a smooth, grey texture. Then, my body shrank rapidly, condensing down to just six inches in height. My eyes bulged and widened, taking on the unmistakable shape of a frog's, glistening and alert.
But this time, I wasn't naked.
Ana had it covered—literally. She generated a sleek, full-body suit around me, black as midnight and threaded with glowing blue circuitry that pulsed gently with each breath.
And now, for my thinking—I've got an idea.
My transformation time-out happens because my body gets tired. Too tired to hold form. So… what if I make something like an SP potion? You know, stamina recovery on demand. Quick recharge, like in games.
But more practical.
Now that I'm in Grey Matter, my brain's on overdrive. What if I developed something like a compressed nutrition bar—but smarter? A pressurised, compact food source. Not just any snack—something with instant absorption, designed to push nutrients right into the bloodstream.
I could design a miniature compressor to reduce the food mass, but that's not enough.
What if I added a filter system first? One that extracts and isolates only the essential nutrients, then compresses that into a dense, high-efficiency bar. Maybe a layered core? First stage: filtration. Second: compression. Third: time-release microcapsules?
"Ana, show holographic projection," I said to my suit.
In response, the nanites around my waist shifted, forming a small holo-emitter. A translucent, glowing table floated before me—schematics and data points waiting to be filled.
Yes. I just turned Ana into a holographic projector like Tony did with JARVIS.
God, I've always wanted to do this.
Focus, Erik! I mentally yelled at myself, slapping my tiny grey face.
Ana's interface blinked, showing a confused emoji expression on her HUD.
"Nothing," I said, clearing my throat. "Let's just focus on the work."
\Scene breaker\
~Afternoon~
By now, I had completed the design for the food compressor. All that remained was the production phase. Though I still have learn something about filters so that I could make one in the machine.
Sigh, more things to learn.
As I walked toward my door to head out, I twisted the knob and opened it—only to find Liá stepping out of her room at the same time.
We both froze.
Eyes met. No words. Just that awkward, heavy silence hanging in the air.
Then, finally, I broke it."Hey," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Hey," she replied.
"So… about what I asked earlier," I said, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line."
"It's okay," she replied, offering a small, clearly forced smile. "It's just... past stuff. I've moved on."
"Right… So, uh… do you wanna go to the canteen?" I asked, steering the topic somewhere less painful.
She nodded.
We walked side by side in silence. A bit too silent for my liking, honestly. The kind that makes you itch to say something.
So I did."What do you need my help with?" I asked her, glancing at her face.
She didn't answer right away. Her steps slowed just a little, her eyes briefly distant.
"To find someone," she finally said.
"Who?" I asked softly, expecting her to dodge the question.
"My mom," she said.
I blinked, taken aback. That wasn't what I expected.
"Don't worry," I said with a soft smile. "I'll help you."
She looked at me, genuinely surprised. But then—she smiled back. And this time, it wasn't forced.
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