Jun's question still hung in the air.
"My mother is in the hospital…"
Frank gave a faint smile, calm and unreadable. Before he could reply, Mika spoke.
"Don't worry," she said. "We already gave your dad all the money we had when he came here."
Jun looked at her in shock.
"I told him you're going on a world tour with me," Mika continued, "So he doesn't worry."
For a moment, Jun didn't know what to say.
Frank stepped forward slightly.
"Listen, Jun," he said in a steady voice, "I don't want anything to happen to you. And I don't want anything to happen to Mika either. But if you truly want money… and power… then you should go with her."
Jun clenched his fists inside the heavy suit.
Frank continued,"Go to Icolis. Find shelter. Remove your human limits."
His tone shifted less like a father, more like a scientist.
"You bring me samples from there for research. That's all I need. Nothing else."
Jun looked at both of them.
"Why me?" he asked quietly. "Why not someone else?"
Frank's expression didn't change.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The answer wasn't satisfying. But it was final.
"Now," Frank said, turning toward the control panel, "continue training. I'll reduce the gravity slightly."
Jun and Mika returned to the gravity chamber. The pressure pushed down on their bodies like invisible mountains. Every step felt unnatural. Every breath felt heavy.
They trained, stumbled, and stood up again.
Nearly seven hours later, both of them were drenched in sweat. Their muscles trembled. Their breathing was rough. The heavy gravity had forced their bodies to adapt.
Frank opened the chamber and walked in.
"I've already sent a similar gravity chamber to your house," he told Jun. "Along with a personal teleporter."
Jun looked up, exhausted.
"There are also multiple sets of swords and suits," Frank continued, "Training books, Combat videos and different fighting styles. You'll need to learn them."
He looked at both of them seriously.
"From next month, most of your time will be spent on Icolis. Preparation is not optional."
The room fell silent and then Mika spoke,"Dad, start the portal."
Her eyes were steady,"This is just a trial. We'll go to Icolis for one or two minutes."
Frank nodded slowly,"Jun... Mika, stand on the teleporter platform."
They stood side by side on the circular platform embedded in the floor.
"And listen carefully," Frank added,"Do not disable your hand GPS under any circumstances during the trial."
Both of them nodded. Frank's fingers moved across the control panel.
"Three… Two… One,"Frank pressed the final switch. The lights in the lab began to flicker.
Energy hummed beneath their feet. The platform vibrated. A blinding light erupted around the teleporter. The air distorted. The space around them twisted as if reality itself was folding.
Dust-like particles of light surrounded their bodies. The brightness grew unbearable.
And then disappeared. The light disappeared as suddenly as it had come. The platform was empty. Jun and Mika were gone.