Visitors (1)

A few days later.

Alex was inside his room on the alpha orbital ring of the planet Mars. During that time, various tests and checks had been carried out, and so far, everything pointed to the fact that he was out of danger.

Perplexed by the phenomenon, countless experts on Cosmic Mana Wave studies had tried to seek an audience with Alex, but he kindly refused, as the attention he was getting became too much.

Of course, he never forgot to stay in touch with his parents and siblings.

"Huu…how do I go about this?" Lying on his bed, he thought of how to break the news of his experience and whom to break it to.

During his time alone, he had reviewed everything he experienced and understood that it could not have been a dream, as dreams required a premise to occur.

Dreams utilise what an individual experiences in their daily life to 'make' dreams.

"Hey, Xex, do you have any idea who's coming to pay me a visit?" Alex asked his AI pal. The evening before, he had been told to look forward to a visitor.

When he attempted to refuse, he was told that the visitor was one he could not refuse.

He racked his brain for potential people who fit into the category of "not taking a No for an answer." And that pool was enormous, to say the least.

[Just as you have surmised, there could be many people on that list. However, I would pay close attention to those within Region 1 of Sector 2, and at the top of that list is The Hero Hunter.]

Alex quickly sat up with an excited look. Of course, he knew who the Hero Hunter was. This person was none other than Lord Zol Knight.

Who didn't know of that man's exploits and reputation?

The man was literally one of the pillars of humanity. A mortal god, some would call him, and as the guardian of Region 1, where the Sol system was based, he was the idol of all hunters.

"Really?" He asked, just to be certain.

Just like everybody else, Alex looked up to the man. His excitement was written all over his face. He glanced at his watch, eager for confirmation.

[As I mentioned before, this is simply a wild guess. So, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Don't say I didn't warn you.]

Xex had to ensure that Alex received the memo so he wouldn't be too disappointed when he didn't get to meet his hero.

The AI could recall the number of times Alex searched for information on Lord Zol and his accomplishments.

"Fine." He replied, downcast, and lay back down. With nothing left to do, he decided to reflect more on his vision and even considered sharing it with Lord Zol.

'Maybe he would believe me?... Would I believe me?' As Alex contemplated the situation, viewing it from a different angle, he recognised how absurd it might sound.

Especially when there was no premise.

'Maybe the fact that I survived the Cosmic Mana Wave would give me some credibility?'

"Haa…." He sighed tirelessly.

[You've seemed rather distant for a while now. Would you like to discuss what's troubling you? Perhaps I can provide some support or suggest something.] Xex offered.

It had noticed how, after the events of the Cosmic Mana Wave, Alex had been lost in his thoughts more often than he ever had in his life.

"Haa… Well, I don't know." For a moment, he was unsure of what to do, but then he realised that if he mentioned this to Lord Zol, it would eventually reach the higher-ups.

The only problem was if they'd believe him.

"Fine… I'll tell you." Alex finally made up his mind and decided to tell Xex what he had experienced in that dark and never-ending space.

....

[I see… And you are worried if anyone would believe you.]

"Exactly. So, what do you think?" Alex questioned. At the very least, if he heard what Xex had to say about his vision, it could offer some insights into how to go about telling others.

[While that is a vivid description, with no evidence, it could be seen as purely conjecture.]

Alex sighed again. This could probably be the most he had sighed in a short time.

"I knew it. And because I'm not sure if anyone else had a similar experience, it would be difficult for anyone to accept, and the conclusions are purely my own. Hmm... this is torture, and I'm too young for this."

[I do think you should tell, though. It may not be believed, but the fact that it exists could offer a new perspective on how we perceive our universe and possibly even lead to a deeper understanding of its origin.

[After all, there is still a lot we don't know.]

Hearing the take of Xex on his dilemma, Alex responded. "Yeah, I suppose. All right, I'll do it. Once my visitor comes, whoever it is, I'd tell them." He boldly stated.

All that remained was to wait. But then, he realised that the specific day the visitor would arrive was not mentioned.

Fortunately, he did not have to wait long, as shortly after making his statement, he heard a knock at the door.

Without delay, Alex got up and moved to open it.

Before him stood one of the personnel working on the Orbital Ring, whom he had come to know as Philos, a human with Dark Sclerae.

"Oh Philos, what's up?" Alex addressed him, to which he reciprocated before passing on his message.

"The director wants you to know that your guest will be here tomorrow." He said with a beaming smile.

"Oh, okay. And do you, by chance, know who it is?" He was still curious as to who he was to meet.

Anticipating his question, Philos added with a knowing smile, "Yes, your visitor is none other than Lord Zol Knight." Upon hearing this, Alex's face lit up with an excited smile.

"Really?!" Alex exclaimed with an enthusiasm that surprised Philos, momentarily making him take a step back.

Naturally, He understood how Alexander felt. After all, he would have felt the same if he were in his shoes. "Yes, I'm sure," Philos reassured the overly excited Alex.

"Now, if you'd excuse me, I have other things to take care of."

"Of course," Quickly regaining his self-control, Alex remembered to thank him before closing the door behind him.

'Hehehe… I'm finally going to meet Lord Zol!'