extraction

After a LONG bath, I finally got out, put on some new clothes that came with the starting pack and got out.

"Blue," I called, and not even a second later, the blue flash was on the floor in front of me.

"What?" he asked irritatingly.

"I need to go somewhere."

"I already told you my services aren't free; do you have money to pay for it?"

"Lucile pays for it after we get there. Now show me the way to Lucile's lab," I asked.

The blue line remained silent for a few seconds and then burst into a fit of laughter. "Sure, sure, do you need anything else? Like a mythic core or a million MPs?"

The line's sarcastic tone was getting on my nerves, but I suppressed my anger, "Just get me there. I'm sure he is ok with it."

"Look, kid, Master Lucile is a busy man and he doesn't like interruptions, so piss off…" the line said and started fading.

Before it completely faded though, I put my right foot on its tail. This apparently made it angry, "Get your f*ing foot off my body you disgusting magut."

As it was shouting, the line seemed to be struggling to get out of my grasp which was quite funny.

It seemed like the line could fade away anyway, but its pride didn't allow it. However, at the same time, he didn't have the power to get out from under my foot or just slide away.

"Just call him, I'm sure he will tell you to bring me to him," I said without raising my foot.

"yeah? Why don't you give me your room and I will do that…"

"OK, if he didn't agree, you can have my room." My answer clearly caught the line off guard since its color turned a few shades darker.

"You really mean that?" the line asked back.

"Sure, have it if he doesn't agree to meet me."

"OK, then."

The line became silent for a few seconds and then out of nowhere, the angry voice of Lucile could be heard shouting at the line, "Blue, didn't I tell you not to bother me? Do you want me to toast your server? Are you so eager to …."

As Lucile was threatening him, the blue line became lighter and lighter in color until it turned completely white.

"I asked him to call you," I interrupted, feeling a little sad for the sarcastic line, "he didn't want to interrupt your time by bringing me to you, so just tell him to bring me there."

Without even a pause, Lucile's tone changed 180 degrees, sounding flattering, making my skin crawl. "Oh, dear Alex, it's such an unexpected surprise to hear your voice. Why don't you come here? I actually wanted your help regarding one of my experiments."

I don't know why, but suddenly I felt like rather than helping him with an experiment, I was going to be the experiment myself.

Suddenly, Lucile's voice became cold again, addressing the line, "Bring him to me." Then he hung up.

As soon as the call was disconnected, the line took a deep breath and turned back to its blue color.

"You asshole, you tricked me…"

"You didn't leave no other choice and I didn't do it intentionally."

"Yeah right, and I didn't intentionally make you bump into that girl's breasts."

Looking at him with angry eyes, I wanted to beat the crap out of him but it was impossible. I said, "You know what? I'm going to call you Sarcasto from now on."

"you wouldn't dare…" the line turned a few shades darker while shouting insults at me.

Feeling a bit better, I started walking toward the exit of the dorm and the line had no choice but to shut up and follow me.

As soon as we left the building, the line, or rather Sarcasto, took the lead.

While walking through the city's bustling streets I saw a few people that didn't seem to be human. However, just as I wanted to ask the line about them, it stopped, "We are here. Just walk in and you will find him."

After saying that, the line didn't even wait for a second before disappearing.

I looked at the huge white building and took a step forward. However, as I was about to enter the lab, more than a hundred futuristic guns came out of nowhere pointing at me.

"State your business." A robotic voice, just as annoying as the blue line, asked.

"I'm here to see Lucile..." I answered, frightened out of my wits, then added, "I already have an appointment."

The guns disappeared as fast as they appeared and once again I heard the voice saying jokingly, "I know Master Alex… it was just a joke… please, do come in, Master is waiting for you."

I wanted to choke the damn voice but it was obviously impossible.

'Maybe I should use one of my favors and ask Lucile to create a body for them so that I could beat them up,' I pondered for a few seconds and entered the building.

Beyond the doors, a white space, just like the one I woke up in could be seen with a simple silver elevator in its center.

"Please enter the elevator," the robotic voice said and vanished again.

A tad scared of what was waiting for me, I entered the elevator. A few seconds later, without even moving, the elevator doors opened into a completely different space.

The massive lab was twice the size of a volleyball field, packed with futuristic equipment.

There was no window in sight but when I looked up, I saw no ceiling either, only a vast blue sky.

Suddenly out of nowhere, Lucile appeared in front of me. "Welcome to my not-so-humble lab."

He grabbed both my hands and pulled me into the lab as if afraid that I would run from him.

I struggled to get out of his grip but he was far more powerful than he seemed.

"where are you taking me… I swear to god I will tell Aunt Uriel if you do something to me."

Hearing Aunt Uriel's name, Lucile froze in place and let go of my hands.

Clicking his tongue, he said with irritation, "All right, all right, I just want a little bit of your energy for my experiments… just give it to me."

"No way," I replied, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Sigh, what do you want?"

"Nothing, you already owe me two favors, and I still haven't cashed them."

"Dream on kid… one favor and if you let me extract a little of your energy I will give you another."

"that's not fair, we agreed on two…"

"Nothing is fair in this world. Only power is fair and you don't have it."

"But I know of someone who has…" I smiled and looked at him.

"Ok, OK, but there will be no third favor. I will buy ten ounces of your energy for a thousand MPs."

Hearing Lucile offering to buy some of the seemingly abundant energy I had, I felt my eyes turning into dollar signs. However, I tried hard and controlled my excitement, putting on a poker face I said, "Ten thousand."

"two,"

"eight,"

"two and a half,"

"seven and a half,"

"Sigh, I don't have time for this, five thousand and that's my final offer. If you don't accept there will be no more negotiations." Lucile seemed to be serious so I just nodded.

"What now?" I asked.

"Nothing, just wait there and let me extract some of your energy," Lucile said and vanished.

A few seconds later, he returned with a strange-looking needle in his hand.

"stay still." He said while getting the needle near my head.

"Wha..." Before I could protest, I felt a steering pain in the center of my forehead and suddenly, I was unable to move or even utter a word.

The world around me changed and I found myself inside my diamond core.

Just as I appeared inside the space, the whole space seemed to shake.

Looking above, where the center of the shake seemed to be, I saw what looked like a huge drill, trying to penetrate the diamond wall.

And it was succeeding.

I felt an excruciating amount of pain overtaking my body but could do nothing about it.

When finally the pain reduced and I could move again, I opened my eyes and saw Lucile looking at the needle in his hand with satisfaction.

The container attached to the needle was full of a translucent liquid and if it wasn't for the glow it emitted, I couldn't have seen it.

"How much did you take?" I asked, a little afraid.

The needle which was just a few times thicker than a hair in real life, was like an oil drill when penetrating my core space. So how much fuel should it have extracted for it to be full?

Waving his hand dismissively, Lucile didn't even bother to look at me, "Just two-thirds of it. It will regenerate in less than five days. Just try not to use your core fuel under any circumstances. With the hole I just drilled into it, you could drain yourself of lifeforce."

I almost threw up out of fear, "Do you mean…. I could die?"

"Practically yes…"

"Then what about the last time you extracted fuel?" I asked, thinking about all the times I used fuel to accidentally activate my newly acquired skill.

"The last time I extracted fuel, your core wasn't formed completely so it was repaired in less than an hour, but with your core's quality, it will take a few days now…"

"You f*ing asshole, don't you think you should have told me that before giving me a mythic core to absorb? What could have happened if my core wasn't fully repaired and I used my skills and I di…."

Cutting me short, Lucile grabbed my hands, "You got a skill? Active or passive? Show me, show me, show me…"