The last traces of the Exceed side effect still lingered, leaving Shun's legs useless. He could only sit and watch as Selen cleared the table and carried the dirty dishes to the sink.
"Thanks for cleaning up," he said. "I'd help, but my legs aren't listening yet."
"It's okay." She nodded, packing the leftovers neatly into a box and wrapping it with care. She brought it over and held it out. "Your lunch."
Shun opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Thanks." He accepted the box with a small, genuine smile.
They talked quietly while he ate. Selen spoke only when necessary, her words measured and soft.
Then his foot twitched.
He stopped mid-sentence, staring down at it. Another twitch followed, stronger this time. Warmth slowly seeped back into his limbs, chasing away the bone-deep chill that had felt like soaking his feet in winter ice.
*Finally.*
He smiled and pushed himself up. His legs still trembled slightly, but they held.
"At last, you can stand," Selen said.
"Yeah. The effect has finally worn off." He grinned.
"You're going to school, then?"
"Yes." Shun paused at the kitchen doorway. "Stay inside the house. If you go out, don't pass the fences. Talk to the AI if you need anything."
"Greetings." A flat, monochrome male voice echoed through the rooms.
"Nice to meet you, AI," Selen replied.
"It's not called AI," Shun corrected. "I meant A.I."
"You don't give your A.I. a name?"
"It's an A.I. Why would it need one? It doesn't have feelings like we do."
"Can I give it a name?"
"Uh… sure, I guess. If that's what you want." He sounded awkward as he headed toward the garage. "One more thing, Selen. Don't touch anything in the garage."
He stepped into the workshop as the voices of Selen and the house A.I. drifted behind him.
The cube sat fully assembled on the bench, exactly as it had looked the night before. Shun picked it up and slipped it into his inventory. It dissolved into drifting particles of white light.
He opened the inventory menu in his vision, considering whether to swap any items. After weighing his plans for the day, he left everything as it was. If things spiraled out of control, he carried enough magiteck to slip away like an eel in a current.
Speaking of magiteck… he hadn't performed proper maintenance since using Exceed last night.
Exceed pushed the body far beyond its limits for a short time. For any machine, that meant reduced lifespan and the risk of fatal errors if left unchecked.
His own body might look human, but—
Shun moved to the center of the garage and stomped once. A thin seam appeared in the floor. With a low mechanical hum, a massive maintenance rig rose into view.
A central chair waited beneath a bank of brilliant lights. Mechanical arms surrounded it—some with five delicate fingers, others tipped with claws or jagged shrapnel-like tools.
"How may I help you, Master?" a screen on the rig asked.
"Quick maintenance. I just used Exceed." Shun's fingers danced across the control panel, adjusting settings only he understood.
"Understood. Please take a seat."
He finished his inputs and sat.
"Please relax. There is no need to be afraid. There is close to zero chance of error."
"I know," Shun said, already stripping off his shirt and pants and tossing them aside. "I built you."
The arms went to work. They unfastened hidden screws along seams that looked like ordinary skin—special synthetic flesh realistic enough to stop bullets. The outer layer peeled open like the hood of a car, revealing the intricate machinery beneath.
Wires stood in place of nerves. Micro-cables replaced blood vessels. A steel heart pumped warm blood through cold channels.
The arms performed their precise maintenance while a detailed hologram of his body appeared before his eyes. Overall, everything checked out. He only needed minor adjustments and a few small replacements.
The process took roughly ten minutes. The arms sealed his synthetic skin back into place with neat, precise screws. Shun stood and flexed, testing the joints. The body felt noticeably better—smoother, stronger.
"Thank you for using my service. See you again, Master." The rig lowered smoothly into the floor and vanished.
After testing his full range of motion, Shun adorned his clothes, storing the red cloak he hasn't taken off since yesterday into his inventory.
He walked to a shelf and scanned a QR code with his eyes. A digital lock interface materialized in his vision. He entered the code. A heavy click sounded.
The floor around the shelf began to rotate. The wall behind it split open, revealing a green pipe enough to fit an adult. The hidden door hissed as it swung fully open.
Shun stepped inside and rested his head against the cold metal. A hologram appeared.
[Where would you like to go?]
"The dorm."
[Okay.]
The door sealed. The hologram began a countdown: 3… 2… 1…
The trapdoor beneath his feet dropped away. He fell. Behind him, the mechanism rotated the floor back into place, returning the garage to its ordinary appearance.
Powerful magnetic forces caught and guided his body through the pipe.
While he waited for arrival, he skimmed his messages—mostly gig offers and clients begging for his magiteck. He rejected the ones that treated him like a disposable tool and accepted only those that might serve his larger plans.
For the magiteck requests, he messaged his clients. Spare parts were running low; he would have to delay.
His mental to-do list was growing longer: more information on the cube, fresh supplies, and the meeting with his informant.
Remembering the date, he checked the day. Second day of the week—special class.
The pipe ended at a solid stone wall. Traveling at this speed, smashing into it would shatter bones, yet Shun's expression remained calm.
"Open."
Just before impact, the stone wall slid downward, revealing a black void. He slid through. The wall rose smoothly behind him, sealing the passage.
In a small, dim room, a black portal formed on the ceiling. Shun dropped out. The portal shrank and vanished.
It was the most convenient magiteck he had ever invented. A pity he still lacked the knowledge to create a true portal gun that could take him anywhere.
For now, it only worked between pre-set locations.
He took a quick shower, and stepped out of the dorm room.
Then he forgot how to breathe.
Two figures stood waiting in the hallway— a woman and a man, both wearing black glasses that radiated heavy, oppressive presence. Anyone with weak willpower would have collapsed.
*Kinrara agents! What are they doing here? Have I been discovered? Impossible—every step I took left no trace, no mistake!*
His mind raced. If the worst had come, he would have to abandon everything and accelerate the plan, timing be damned.
"You're Osamu Shun?" the man asked, voice deep and commanding.
"Yes," Shun replied, perfectly calm.