IDLE Database

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Two minutes later, Aldrin returned to his room.

When he started monitoring what the Dimensional Clone was catching in its vision, it had just started creeping its way towards the building where the guest Energy Refiners were staying.

It's only a few minutes past midnight so there were still activities in the surrounding area.

Most of them were doing what normal Energy Refiners should be doing, accumulating and refining more Dimensional Energy for further progression.

Aldrin knew that there's a huge chance for the Dimensional Clone to be discovered. Being a product of refined energy and all.

However, with the trial that he did back inside the city, the summoned Dimensional Clone contained most of the refined energy inside its body with no leaks whatsoever.

"It's like an assassin or a ninja of olden times who mastered the art of breathing. Well, it's breathless. Couple that with my command to stealthily make its way there, only those who have high intuition can detect it. There's also those who can run into it face to face." Aldrin muttered as paid close attention to its surroundings.

Aside from those he just mentioned, there's also the fact the everpresent Dimensional Energy in that place was kind of chaotic due to the number of Energy Refiners trying to absorb it into their bodies.

Only a strong fluctuation of energy could alert them.

A few seconds later, the Dimensional Clone began traversing the backside of the building.

At each closed window, it would stop to sense whether the occupant of the room was inside or if it could hear anything.

Obviously, nothing was caught by it.

Aldrin didn't lose hope though.

The Dimensional Clone in the form of an Elite Soldier Ant returned to the front side of the building and crawled right towards the front door.

From its vision, Aldrin made out that the light was still on inside the hall that was being used as a lounge by its occupants.

Through those lights, he could make out shadows of the people still lingering inside that hall.

One. Two. Three. Four…

Four shadows. They're standing near the entrance, two of which had their hands raised with a stick of cigarette clutched between their fingers. The other two had their arms crossed and their backs straight.

Whatever they're doing in that place appears to be a simple gathering to talk about their experience during the day. Or they're just taking a break from refinement and they slowly gathered there to pass the time before going back.

Either way, with the duration of Dimensional Clone only a few minutes, Aldrin commanded it to put its back against the wall and creep closer to hear whatever conversation they're having. Also, to spy if the man he saw at the cafeteria was among them. 

Soon enough, rough voices and occasional laughter filled the clone's ears and it was cleanly transmitted to Aldrin's ears.

"Compared to the training camp I participated in, this batch of trainees are excellent. One of them almost forced me to use my refined energy! Their first time operating NQL was excellent. Think about it. All of them are early Stage 1!"

"Excellent? You wish. Six trainees. I gave them handicaps to attack me thrice. The Training Metadome I operated only had a 2% reduced durability. That's too weak, don't you think so?"

"I believe you two have different kinds of expectations. Lonewind City doesn't have an excellent Energy Refiner lineage. I heard the one at Paleheart City forced the guest Energy Refiner to use a Concept to stop her. And it's even worse at the Inkdragon City, a middle Stage 2 Energy Refiner lost to a late Stage 1 Energy Refiner." The only woman in their group interjected. Just from her voice, Aldrin could catch the awe she's feeling.

"Isn't that one at Inkdragon from a Primary City? That's as expected. Kids from the lineages settling in a Primary City are a cut above those from Secondary Cities like us." The one who bragged about giving handicaps instantly rebutted.

At this point, although he managed to pick up some interesting information about those trainees Janet warned her to watch out for, Aldrin confirmed that the voices of those three who spoke were nowhere close to the voice of the man at the Southern District.

There's another one who hasn't spoken yet. He's the one at the rightmost among the four shadows he could make out on the ground. Also, one of the two who's clutching a cigarette.

As if the man read his thoughts, Aldrin saw that one's shadow lifted the cigarette to his mouth and puffed once. Soon after that, he joined in the conversation.

"Why are we worrying about these trainees? Years from now, they'd either die inside a maintained Rift or die working for the companies they contracted from. If they're lucky, they can live as long as us. By the way, I'm going to take a walk."

Aldrin, who was listening while comfortably sitting on his bed, suddenly jumped up.

Obviously, he recognized the voice and it's enough for him to feel the chill run down his spine once more.

The terrorizing feeling of being near-death as he hid behind the ruined wall pulled him back to that day.

He even forgot to command the Dimensional Clone to move away from there before that man could step out of the building.

Within the shared vision, although his focus was elsewhere, the man could be seen stepping out and… luckily enough, the man's step was firm as it didn't look behind, resulting in the giant insect hugging the wall to not be detected by him.

Truthfully, it was also thanks to the shade provided by the building, if not for that, the light of the two moons hanging above the night sky would be enough to illuminate and expose the unusual creature.

Even so, Aldrin who got quite a shock only got jolted awake from his stupor when the remaining three spoke again. 'What the hell happened to me? It's just a voice. Why did I feel so scared?'

Without an answer to his question, he slapped his face and brought his focus back to his Dimensional Clone.

"That Carlos. Why is he that pessimistic?"

"Leave him be. Looking at the scar he's trying to cover up, he must've experienced a tough life."

"Who else hasn't experienced that? Only kids will dream of becoming an Energy Refiner and think that it's the straight way to success."

After digesting what they said, the Dimensional Clone was now staring at the back of the man they called 'Carlos'.

Like he mentioned, he's about to take a walk. He's unhurried on his steps as he gradually goes towards a certain direction.

To the walled spaces.

"No! He's about to go somewhere alone and… open the Dimensional Rift!"

Since he successfully connected the voice to the man he recorded back then, Aldrin's mind quickly assumed that Carlos would do the same thing as before.

"I… I have to stop him!"

With a weird sense of urgency, he commanded his Dimensional Clone to run after the man that's about to disappear from its vision.

"Chase him and stop him!"

Even if a mental command was already enough, he couldn't help but shout that as the giant insect crept away from the building and began running towards the man.

However, before it could catch up to it, Aldrin ordered the Dimensional Clone to stop.

Not because it was detected but because of the thing that was taken out by the middle-aged man named Carlos.

"… That's a phone.. It's not the device to open a Dimensional Rift, right?" As doubt gradually filled his mind, a low volume rhythmic dial tone was produced by it. "Is it or is it not?"

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