1.17. NTBM

<Avner Cross>

Woke up early in the morning. Avner's body wasn't used to the schedule so my body felt like lead. Nevertheless, waking up early is something I've always practiced. I don't intend to stop it any time soon.

I washed up, and got to studying.

In my previous life as Shin, I could last until breakfast before my stomach began churning and begging for food. Avner's body wasn't Shin's, so I had to snack on some biscuits while I studied to alleviate the stomach cramp.

<Cookie Cult> is a fantasy sci-fi. Which means that it goes by the rules of insanity.

Remember how I mentioned that this is an otome? An issue Novelle stumbled when trying to work out an otome in a modern setting is the lack of status.

You know, typically the character routes involve getting yourself involved with the royal family or some high ranking noble.

And so, Novelle decided to implement such a thing into <Cookie Cult>

Biggest impossibility in the modern era is the fact that family status exists. As I mentioned before, Avner is the rogue of the story. So you can call him a wolf, like how some of the comments Novelle received described him to be.

Rogue being: abandoned, wild, overpowered.

Aligns with Avner perfectly, except that the prefix 'wild' may no longer be applicable because the curse didn't manifest thanks to Novelle's divine protection.

Overpowered, as in, he solves a situation almost flawlessly.

The other 3 character mains are transfer students who come from families with clout. For now, I won't be digging too deep into their personalities and character. That'll spoil the fun for any potential readers.

"Big bro, why are you up so early.."

Lia bangged my head with hirs fist. It hurt and didn't hurt at the same time.

"You're going to make me dumb if you keep doing that."

"Don't bite me."

"Still not convinced?"

"We have to tell mom, aether or father about this."

"Fine, fine. I'll talk to them."

I can't rule out the possibility of not being a vampire. My situation could just be like Rurita's. Xe woke up not remembering that she got bitten.

Lia groggily went to bathe.

[Should I send your health statistics to your parents? That can help increase the likelihood of your request to be tested for NtBM to go through.]

"That'll be helpful. Thanks. But don't ping me to the healthcare authorities just yet."

[That's breaching privacy, it's not within my abilities, don't worry about it Avner.]

"Thanks."

And, I've reset Randell's personality.

I prefer him this way.

===

Haha..

Where's my inhaler. I can't breathe..

Cough. Cough.

"Why did you put something so important somewhere you can't remember?!"

"I'm sorry.. ha..ha.."

Focus. Don't lose my cool. It has to be here somewhere.

My lungs feel bubbly.

[Inhaler located in the Southern Landfill.]

Thanks for the useful information Randell. Now I know Avner used up his previous inhaler and threw it away.

"I think I threw it away because it was empty." Every word was a struggle.

"Then you should've told us earlier. We could've bought spare! What should we do now?" Mom shouted.

"I remember we bought some in case of emergencies last time.."

I don't like how panicky she becomes because of some small issue. It only makes the whole situation worse.

"This one r-right?"

Aether, my life saviour came with a small paper bag with two canisters and an extra actuator.

"Thank you."

I checked the expiry date before popping it into the actuator. I shook it a few times, primed it, before breathing it in with a deep breath.

I didn't know Avner was asthmatic.

"Did you find it?"

"Yes, we found it."

I nodded, still holding my breath with the medication filling my lungs. I only released it after a few seconds.

The effect should kick in soon. I waited a good 30 seconds before taking my next puff.

"Thank you aether."

"You're welcome."

"You should've remembered where you placed it," my mom admonished.

Doing my best to ignore her, I thought: Isn't this a good sign? I had asthma. Which means I probably don't have NtBM.

Before the nanomachine became what we know today as NtBM, it's a prototype to cure various diseases. For NtBM, it was created with the intention to cure patients with thalassemia or any sort of blood disease.

I also remember hearing that there's some special side trait in the nanomachine function to reduce asthma attacks in patients suffering from hypersensitivity, especially during winter and spring by controlling the inflammatory mediators.

I wasn't sure if Novelle added the latter because if she did, people suffering from NtBM should also have inflammatory issues. Which they don't.

"Bring your inhaler along, you never know when your asthma attack will happen again."

After I cleared up the phlegm in my throat, everyone got ready and went to the ELRT station. Our destination for today is the hospital. Using ELRT would be faster than a car since it's quite far.

It was decided after breakfast that everyone will go get an NtBM test. Beside the fact that everyone still doesn't understand the truth behind my change in personality, my father was in close contact with an NtBM victim.

I doubt that my father got infected with it since it spreads through saliva-blood contact. Taking the test is merely a precaution to quell anxiety.

The test wasn't free. However, 50 percent of the cost would be borne by the biotech firm, Cycline Inc. which caused the outbreak.

Fun fact. The test kit for NtBM was also patented by said biotech firm so there's a rumor going around that the company created NtBM on purpose just so they could sell these test kits.

Then again, Novelle said that this rumor was something she added to show human nature. NtBM was a bug, something not done on purpose.

Somewhere in the future, Cycline Inc. will develop a cure for NtBM by using the same technology that caused NtBM.

That's why if Lynda does become a vampire, she can still return to normal.