Chapter 10: Critical.
Ethan didn’t waste even a second there anymore; he quickly went through the kitchen door and started preparing the dinner. The time passed as the savoury odour of the food made everyone in the house feel hungry.
He had already placed everything on the dining table and stood next to it with his arms crossed. "The dinner is ready!!" He exclaimed.
Elina entered the hall first; she gently held Isolde’s hand as she made her walk freely. On the other side, Sara was pushing the wheelchair as she and Athena passed through the door.
Elina looked around the table; she noticed the different variety of food placed there. Her eyes lit up; she covered her mouth instantly. "Oh my!! Mister, I didn’t expect you to be such a nice cook."
Her words made Ethan feel a bit embarrassed; he scratched the back of his head and let a nervous chuckle through his nose. "It’s not much..."
Everyone present finally began eating. The atmosphere quickly became lively as the food on the table slowly disappeared.
Sara ate the most. A huge plate sat in front of her as she emptied it within a few minutes before asking for seconds without any hesitation.
Besides her, Athena and Ethan exchanged a few glances throughout the meal. Athena maintained her usual stoic expression, while Ethan had a small smile fixed on his face as he carefully fed her.
Elina and Isolde ate more politely, taking their time and enjoying their meal without making much fuss.
Soon, they shared their last greetings for the day as both Sara and Elina walked through the main door, making their way further inside the neighbourhood.
Ethan stood in front of the main door for a few seconds as he spared a look at the moon for a couple of seconds. A sigh left his mouth; he carefully caressed his temple. "Life is surely about to get a lot messier in the future."
"If I were in my world, I would have smoked a cigarette at this point... but I don’t even have a cigarette in this world, and this stress is about to engulf me whole."
He didn’t spend any more time there; he quickly locked the main door and walked towards their bedroom, where both his wives were already present. Isolde was sitting as her back remained leant against the bedrest; Athena was laid on her back as she aimlessly stared at the ceiling.
Then a wicked idea appeared in Ethan’s mind. ’What if I use my skill, Eye of Providence, on them?’
Before he could try to fathom anything else, a blue translucent screen materialised itself as it shimmered brightly in his vision. Across its surface were written multiple entries:
═══════════════════════
[SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC]
═══════════════════════
[Identity: Isolde]
[Status: CRITICAL]
[Age: 24]
[Rank: SS+]
[Core Status: SEVERELY DAMAGED]
[Mana Function: UNSTABLE]
[Mana Circulation: IRREGULAR]
[Core Destruction Rate: 92%]
───────────────────
[Primary Condition]
└ Mana Dysfunction
└ Severe Core Instability
└ Incomplete Mana Circulation
└ Progressive Core Degradation
───────────────────
[Physical Condition]
└ Blindness: Permanent/Severe
└ Internal Mana Strain: Severe
└ Physical Exhaustion: Frequent
───────────────────
[Core Analysis]
[Warning]
└ The subject’s core is failing to properly regulate
and circulate mana.
└ Repeated attempts to force mana through the
Damaged pathways are accelerating core decay.
Estimated Time Until Complete Core Failure:
└ 8 months 2 days.
Probability of Fatal Collapse:
└ INCREASING
───────────────────
[Authority Status: RESTRICTED]
[Core Ability: PARTIALLY ACCESSIBLE]
[Mana Materialisation: UNSTABLE]
[Mana Control: SEVERELY LIMITED]
───────────────────
[Potential]
[Unmeasurable]
└ The subject possesses considerable dormant potential.
└ Current condition prevents accurate assessment.
─────────────────────
[Recommendation]
[URGENT TREATMENT REQUIRED]
Failure to stabilise the core may result in the following:
└Complete Core Loss
└Permanent Mana Dysfunction
└Irreversible Physical Damage
└ Death
[System Warning: DELAY IS NOT RECOMMENDED]
═══════════════════
═══════════════════
[SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC]
═══════════════════
[Identity: Athena]
[Status: SEVERELY RESTRICTED]
[Age: 25]
[Rank: SS]
[Core Status: PRESENT]
[Core Destruction: 8%]
[Mana Capacity: NORMAL]
[Mana Quality: NORMAL]
───────────────────
[Physical Condition]
└ Complete Paralysis
└ Motor Functions: Severely Restricted
└ Mana-Motor Connection: BLOCKED
└ Voluntary Movement: UNAVAILABLE
───────────────────
[Paralysis Analysis]
[Warning]
The subject’s paralysis is not a temporary condition.
The restriction preventing mana from reaching the
The body is gradually becoming deeply integrated with
The nervous and mana pathways.
Without proper treatment, the affected pathways will eventually lose their ability to respond.
[Estimated Time Until Permanent Paralysis: 10 months and 12 days.]
[Probability of Full Recovery Without Treatment: 00%]
───────────────────
[Warning:]
└ If the condition remains untreated beyond the
critical period, the paralysis will become
PERMANENT.
[Once permanent paralysis is established,
└ restoration may become impossible.]
───────────────────
Core Function:
[Core Detected: YES]
[Mana Generation: NORMAL]
[Mana Storage: NORMAL]
[Mana Circulation: NORMAL]
[Mana Materialisation: FAILED]
[External Mana Release: 0%]
───────────────────
[Restriction Analysis]
The subject possesses a functional mana core.
However, an unidentified restriction exists between
the core and the subject’s physical body.
Mana can circulate within the core.
Mana cannot be successfully manifested outside it.
Attempts to force mana through the restriction
may cause severe backlash.
───────────────────
[Ability Status]
[Core Manipulation: AVAILABLE]
[Mana Control: RESTRICTED]
[Mana Materialisation: BLOCKED]
[Mana Reinforcement: BLOCKED]
[Combat Application: IMPOSSIBLE]
───────────────────
[Authority Status: UNKNOWN]
[Restriction Origin: UNKNOWN]
[Removal Method: UNKNOWN]
───────────────────
Potential:
[UNABLE TO CALCULATE]
───────────────────
Recommendation:
[RESTRICTION REMOVAL REQUIRED]
Do not forcibly circulate mana through blocked pathways.
Repeated attempts may result in:
└Mana Backlash
└Core Damage
└Nervous System Collapse
└Permanent Loss of Mana Control
───────────────────
[System Conclusion]
The subject’s core is not broken.
Something is preventing it from reaching the body.
═══════════════════
Ethan’s eyes swept across one entry to the other; while he read them, his expression turned solemn. Eventually, his jaw dropped midway. His eyes widened to the extent where they could be gouged out, and his limbs started trembling abruptly. But he tried to maintain his calm so as not to make his wives overthink in any way.
’What?! Isolde can die if not treated in the upcoming eight months?! And if Athena doesn’t get treated properly, she’ll stay paralysed for her whole life?!’ He shouted inwardly.
His expressions were fully calm on the outside, but on the inside? An erupting volcano was overflowing through him. He didn’t say much and quickly got into bed. Soon, he turned the lights off, and even while doing that, his mind was fixed on only one thing: ’How to recover them?’
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