Chapter 199: The Young Little Genius, And The World That Has Changed Forever

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As they tried to think of a way to move out of Central City for the time being, the issue with Carlos’ school inevitably came up. The boy suggested simply taking online classes for the rest of the year, but everyone knew there might be better options available if they planned carefully.

"Well, there are a few prestigious schools in Beach City," Elisa said thoughtfully while tapping her fingers on the armrest of her wheelchair. "But... Hmm, the boy’s still unawakened, right? Maybe if he awakened somehow it would open more doors for him."

"Is there a way for unawakened people to awaken without an Authority’s direct intervention?" Hinata asked with genuine curiosity.

"Of course," Elisa replied. "The same way you ninjas do it. Through strict training, ingesting special potions and pills, and using rare items that stimulate the latent energy inside the body. I guess... for his sake, and for his safety in this dangerous world, it’s becoming necessary."

Carlos nodded without hesitation. "Sure. I mean, I can already sense Mana a little bit..."

"YOU CAN?!"

Elisa and Riven both shouted in shock at the same time. Daniela’s eyes went wide as well.

"Yep," the boy said with a calm nod. A faint shimmer of mana gathered at the tip of his index finger for a moment before fading. "Maybe I’ve got the qualifications after all?"

"HUH?!" Daniela gasped. "Carlos! Since when have you been able to do that?!"

"Um, I wasn’t really able to feel anything before, but I slowly figured it out over the last few weeks," Carlos shrugged. "Plus... I’ve been eating monsters and other magic ingredients for a while now. Isn’t it natural that something like this would start happening?"

"I guess that’s not wrong," Riven nodded after a short pause. "Alright. I think I’ve explained all of my current plans. Before we leave the city, my Shadow Self and Vladimir went out to complete a few important dungeons that I can add to my collection. Several key dungeons that Claymore Enterprises and Frostbane Holdings have been heavily exploiting for resources. Taking those away will be a heavy blow against them."

"I see, so that’s your other plan..." Elisa sighed. In the past she might have complained about the risks, but not anymore. "It’s fine. I won’t get mad this time... my family is just as guilty as yours when it comes to keeping all these opportunities away from the common population for the sake of profits. They really don’t deserve half of the things they control, especially the Dungeons they’ve ’conquered’ or claimed for themselves."

Riven nodded with quiet appreciation. "Thank you for being so understanding all the time."

Elisa shook her head gently. "Nah, I’m fine. But about the house... can’t we bring it along with us somehow?"

"Like... you mean teleport the entire building?" Riven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Put it inside your Spiritual Realm!" Elisa said with sudden excitement. "Come on, Riven, think about the possibilities. With that, we could bring our house anywhere we go!"

"Yeah, but what about internet, or running water, or electricity..." Riven muttered, already thinking through the practical problems.

"Hmm, you’re not completely wrong," Elisa admitted. "But can’t you connect this world from the outside through yourself? A tiny hole not even a fly could enter would be enough for signals and basic links. And about electricity and water, the house is already equipped with special Mana Batteries that handle most of that. Water Spirit Stones produce fresh drinking water whenever we need it. Fire Spirit Stones warm the water and keep the house at a comfortable temperature. Light Spirit Stones generate electricity for the lights and appliances."

"Huh?! So that’s why we don’t pay as many utility bills as other people..." Riven nodded in realization.

"I mean, most of the city now runs on Mana and Spirit Energy," Elisa sighed. "That’s why there are five major Reactors and one gigantic Spirit Reactor at the very center of Central City. Regular electricity as it used to exist simply isn’t strong enough anymore to maintain the houses or the advanced security systems of today."

Riven nodded again as the full picture became clearer. The technological advancements brought by the appearance of Gates had been massive. Above all, the sudden surge of Mana and the revival of Spiritual Energy across the planet had prompted the greatest families to plant enormous Mana Reactors and Spirit Reactors in key locations. Entire cities were then built around these powerful energy sources.

Central City was one such city. It had been funded by Claymore Enterprises and Frostbane Holdings working together with several other wealthy families and corporate sponsors. Officially it was called the "Safest City on Earth," yet there were persistent rumors that the elites were already building a brand-new city elsewhere. The reason, according to those rumors, was that Central City had become too populated with "poor" and "weak" people over the years.

The true elites wanted an even larger and more exclusive city reserved only for themselves, a place where being weak or poor would simply not be allowed. Some whispered that construction was already underway somewhere in Central America, where one of the greatest natural sources of Spiritual Energy on the continent was located.

Mana Tech had come first and changed daily life across the developed world. However, the newer and still developing Spirit Tech was said to be even more efficient. Concepts once thought impossible, such as flying cars and other forms of super technology from old science fiction, were now becoming realistic possibilities with Spirit Energy.

Unfortunately, large sources of pure Spiritual Energy remained rarer than ordinary Mana Springs, at least within this region of the planet. Africa and Asia contained many rich deposits of both energies, yet those lands were constantly raided by elite factions and forcefully occupied so the precious resources could be drained from the ground. Entire regions were left as barren wastelands afterward. Because of this aggressive exploitation, the full global development of Spirit Technology had been slowed and still had not reached the scale many researchers hoped for.

With true Spirit Tech, some experts even theorized that traveling between the stars might one day become possible. That single possibility alone had driven Claymore, Frostbane, and many other powerful families and corporations around the world to pour enormous amounts of money and resources into further research and development.

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