Chapter 27: An Empty Mind's Solace

Huey remained physically indifferent from this revelation. He more or less knew the situation led to this already from his own observation these past three days. Regardless he gave a solemn sigh.

"I see." He said and closed his eyes.

Huey held no particular attachment to Lyra anyway. He had merely saved her on a whim and let her follow him as a travel companion through the apocalypse. Heck, the real reason he saved her was only because he thought he could score.

But it was without a doubt fact that Lyra had indeed helped throughout their time together. She had explained to him the current world situation and offered him several advices that would and helped him from complicating himself in the current Era. Also, he had to admit it felt kind of nice having a pretty girl as a travel companion.

Huey wasn't a stranger to loneliness, and had even grown to be completely satisfied with just his thoughts till the point others would fear it bodered on madness and insanity if they found out.

Especially considering what went through his head regularly. 

He had spent a minimum of seventy years alone with zero human interaction and only him and his narcissism...other than the occasional abominations he slaughtered each day, there was no one else to talk to or sympathize with. So, one couldn't blame him.

But yet, having Lyra by his side to talk to was also a welcomed breath of fresh air to someone like him. He had finally found someone to prattle, complain and brag about. And Lyra seemed to earnestly enjoy and listen to each and one of his experiences without a shred of deception. It got to the point that her earnest reactions to some of his most absurd and menial stories would only make Huey's already swollen ego inflate further with flattery. Now every word he said, he was conscious, hoped and anticipated every slight shift in facial expression and reaction he could incite from her. 

Like a reader awaiting the next book of his favorite author.

Slowly he grew fund of Diego...

And the way her clear blue eyes would ignite and glitter whenever he talked about the old days long before the Fall...when the Earths' skies were still blue and the sun was still a hot burning ball of golden gas...

'What the hell...' Huey was only now realizing how much he actually enjoyed Lyra's company over the past three days and he almost snarled at himself.

"Is there anything you can do about it?" Snapping out of his reverie, Huey turned to the professor and asked.

Professor Hathaway remained solemn and hesitated a little before replying shortly while shaking his head. 

"I'm afraid with the current equipment I have right now, there's nothing much I can do about it. I'm sorry." He lowered his head an eyes dejectedly. 

Huey suppressed another sigh and turned to look away.

"I see." He had already suspected such a reply, but it was still different compared to actually hearing it being a fact. 

Huey had no real attachment to Lyra Diego, and was someone he had merely met three days ago and traveled with on a mere whim. He already knew the girl was slowly dying, and even then there was only indifference and acceptance in his empty soul. 

Lyra was so peaceful as she laid there on the bed, strapped down to various medical devices providing support and keeping constant tabs on her progressing condition. Even though they were a reasonable distance away and separated by a mirror, Huey's improved eye sight could clearly watch he silent sleeping face and hear each soft breath she took.

Her soft fair skin glowed under the lights reflected over her body. At the moment, Lyra was sedated and calmly asleep without a care in the world. She was completely oblivious to their current location, Huey's arguments with the council, the deal struck, and her current condition. 

"So there is something you can do then." Breaking the short silence that ensued, Huey said forcing the Professor to turn his head towards him.

"No, I already said..."

"...there isn't much you can do with your current equipment. I know and I heard." Huey interrupted the statement, leaving Professor Hathaway flabbergasted.

"There isn't much you can do, but that just means there's something you could at least try, right?" Huey leaned forward with a 'kind, ' 'polite' smile on his pretty face.

Professor Hathaway, suddenly feeling stuffy, took a step back and swallowed.

"Er...uh, uhm...yes, I guess there are a few things I could try out. But I can't assure you any of them would work," he stuttered then said and fixed his composure as Huey nodded approvingly.

"Your companion is in a fragile condition and any little failures could compromise her." He included, trying to get through the implications into Huey's thick skull.

But Huey conveniently heard different as he continued to nod and maintained his 'friendly neighborhood smile'.

"Yes, yes. So, what are our current options?" Huey leaned back and asked with his 'amiable' demeanor.

Professor Hathaway took out a white rag and wiped the sweat off his forehead while casting a troubled look at the man.

"Well...," he adjusted his glasses and then turned back to the holographic display and messed around a little with it.

"The excess radiation invading her body is currently circulating every inch of her system almost hungrily and aimlessly. This is what is causing such an adverse reaction in her body. There's a chance if this continues, your companion would gain complete immunity and become significantly stronger by the time she wakes up. But we can't count on that at this point, it's only a 'slight chance' after all. " He emphasized and Huey nodded, this time genuinely.

Even he never liked to 'leave it up to chance '.

"So what do we do?" He asked.

"In order to restrain and stop the " Mana" from rampaging any further, we need a center — a conductor to control, redirect, focus and amass all of the excess energy. And the only things that comes to mind is to implant a Core into your companion." Professor Hathaway revealed.

Huey blinked a few times, quickly processing what the Professor just explained. It just proved that if he put his mind to it, then he could actually make sense of the words of Professor Hathaway after all. 

Huey had heard almost incessantly from Lyra about how she wanted a Core and had a general idea what a Core did. It sounded very similar to what he and other Elder Gods had, as a center organ of their bodies, although with various differences.

"Then do it." Huey simply said and watched Hathaway shake his head inevitably.

"That's what I have been trying to tell you all this while. The Natives lack enough technology to recreate a Synthetic" Mana" Core from scratch. Only the Walls and Fortresses posses such resources. This has never been a problem because the Natives don't need or rely on Cores like the Knights of the walls." Professor Hathaway explained and Huey stopped to think again.

Huey had heard enough of Lyra's ramblings to understand that a "Mana" Core as they called it, was responsible for the superpowers and ability to survive the atmosphere without imploding of a Knight.

Although he was yet to have met a knight, but from a glance he could also tell Professor Hathaway had such a Core also at his nape.

"So you just need a Core then?" Huey threw a strange question at the Professor and he nodded.

Lyra Diego was like a stranger to Huey Blade, maybe a little convenient, to say the least. But he had spent enough time to appreciate her company, plus...

'Having her die under my watch would leave a bad taste. '

"I know what you're thinking, and no. Random Elder God's cores won't work. Though organic, and highly effective, it's too dangerous and poses too many risks to ignore. The Core must be compatible and high level enough to merge with a host. "

This was the main reason why Synthetic Cores were more widely used among the Fortresses. These can be made from scratch based around attunement and compatibility to the alleged host, and can avoid any unnecessary complications during the surgical procedure and Knight's life.

Organic Cores on the other hand posed too many risks. Though proven to be dramatically more powerful, transferring an Elder God's core into a human was disastrously dangerous and risky. The attunement level and compatibility between the host and the core couldn't be measured, and in the off chance it could, Humans and Elder God's were significantly different races as a whole. Not to mention, the Organic Core used must be of a high level Elder God or a powerful enough one to actually gain some good results. Anything otherwise would result to excruciating death of the Human, and that was best case scenario. 

The same moment, Professor Hathaway and Huey had this exchange, the electrical door slid open letting in a messenger of the council.

"Huey Blade, the council has reached a decision. 'You will depart immediately to keep your end of the deal and slay the target before receiving the information you desire. After all, we have already kept half of ours'. Now, come with me quickly, " the messenger said aloofly, hiding his disdain, quoting the words of the council.

Huey heard but pretended to ignore the messenger who just arrived and continued to stare at Lyra for a few seconds longer. 

And then he turned to leave with the messenger, leaving behind departing words with the Professor. 

"I'll be back with the core."